Unexpected

Eleven

Knox's POV:

She stopped mid sentence, frozen on spot, eyes roaming over the building across the street. Her face was flushed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"Did you want to go in there beautiful or do you want to stand outside and admire the architecture??"

I stood in front of her, mostly to get her attention it was clear there was something going on here - my hands grasped her waist - her focus remaining on the building in front of us.
Eventually she met my eyes - giving me a shy smile before sinking her teeth into her bottom lip and placing her hands over mine where they rested on her hips.

"Snow, you doin ok?"

She shook her head, sighing as she gave the building another glance,

"When I was 14 my parents told me something - at first I just thought I was special - I mean they took me out of school for the day and we went on a picnic, My Mum, Dad and my Uncle Jax - well I mean he wasn't my actual uncle, I guess my grandparents adopted him when he was young and he grew up with my Mum and my Uncle Seb. Anyway - while we were having lunch mum told me this story about when she was younger and some stuff that happened between her and my Dad, they had a fight and ended up taking a break, long story short - that was the day they told me that Uncle Jax was actually my Father"

I blew out a breath - tightening my hold on her I stayed silent hoping she would continue her story.

"I don't remember much about him and I mean he was always pretty flighty - I remember him being around for bits and pieces, I remember certain things about him, I remember him being at most of the important events, but that day at the park - that was the last time I saw him, from what I know not long after they told me the truth he left town and never came back"

She paused, her eyes going back to the building, her teeth sinking back into that bottom lip, her eyes filling with tears. I cupped her face in my hands, dragging her attention back to me,

"Snow" I whispered,

"I was pretty horrible to him that day, I ignored him, I cried for my Dad, for Carson to take me away. I didn't see him again after that day, didn't ask about him, tried not to think about him, until a couple of years ago when Uncle Seb handed me a letter, then it was like everything inside me started to change - the man I thought I loved, the life I thought I wanted, the only family I thought I needed - none of it made sense and then a few weeks ago it was like it all just clicked and I knew needed to see him"

"Jackson Knight - Knights Bar & Grill?" I questioned softly "That's your Father?"

"That's my father"

"Shit Snow"

"Yeah" she nodded

"Look, I'm not good at this stuff - but I will tell you, you can do this at whatever pace you want ok. No one sets the rules but you, you are in control and I'm with you in anyway you want or need me"

Snow was tall at least 5ft10 to my 6ft2 - and I loved the fact she didn't stand on her toes to kiss me, instead wrapping her arms around my neck and dragging me the rest of the way to her she pressed her lips against mine. This kiss wasn't desperate or needy, and I knew this was her way of telling me she knew and trusted what I was telling her.

"What do you want to do here baby?" I whispered softly against her lips, our foreheads pressed together

"I need to do this Knox, I need to see him face to face, I need to know why he turned my life upside down and the disappeared"

"If that's what you want, than let's do it"

"Knox, what if I go in there and he turns me away, what if he doesn't want me, what if every bad thing my Dad has ever said about him is true and that is the person I find in there"

"It's a lot Snow and I get that you are nervous, fuck you have every right to be, but what if none of that happens - there's a real chance here he is nothing like that person from before - maybe he is someone else, someone better. And as for not wanting to know you - who the fuck wouldn't want to know you, who the fuck wouldn't want to be near you, and if he does chose to go down that road then fuck him - he didn't fucking deserve you then and he doesn't fucking deserve you now"

I finished my rant and looked down at her, her gaze was already on me, eyebrows raised, a smile on her face, I groaned,

"I told you I was shit at dealing with this emotional stuff Snow"

She shook her head,

"You just said everything I needed to hear Knox"

I kissed her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her tight against me,

"So what's next Snow, where do you go from here"

"I'm going to go over there, I'm going to walk through those doors and talk to him"

She paused, linking her fingers through mine she whispered,

"And I need you to come with me Knox? Please, I need you by my side"