𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫 | ✎

xvi.

KNOX'S EYES WERE filled with nothing but hate, disgust, and a little bit of hurt. His hands clutched to the sides of his body; his fingernails were turning white from him digging them into his skin. He must think I betrayed him. Who wouldn't?

"How could you? I thought we were friends. . ." he breathes out, "I really did."

He walks out on me, leaving me there to chase after him. Pushing a very red Juliette off of me I rush out to make amends with my friend.

"Knox, wait!" I run even faster after him when I see him opening the door to his car and getting in.

Before he could fully pull out of the parking lot, I run towards the front of the car and stand right in front of it, making him unable to move any further or else he'll hit me.

Was that a very terrible decision? Yes. But it was the only option I had left. It was either that or throwing myself on top of the hood of the car and no way in hell am I doing that.

"Move out of the fucking way!" Knox blows his horn at me, honking it loudly on repeat causing all the passersby to stop what they're doing and focus on us.

Looking around I could already see people bringing out their phones to record and hearing them whispering among themselves. 

I can't argue with Knox, not here at least not now. Or else both our family names will be slandered across the internet, and we'll be seen as mockery towards them. 

I could already see the headings of the various tabloids that were going to be published, 'Sons of soon-to-be billionaire's Damian and Delilah Hawthorne and Ryan and Teresa Graham caught fighting in the middle of movie theater parking lot. Things get ugly—fast.' or 'Heirs to multi-million-dollar nations Dean Jonathon Hawthorne and Knox Graham engage in a fist fight in the parking lot of a movie theatre.'

The list goes on, and it will continue like this—especially when our parents keep on pursuing it, and trust me, they will. 

But mostly Knox's; I know what they're like, and in short, they're not the easiest people to talk to, therefore I can't risk that. Not for me, not for Knox, not from anyone.

Knox is one of my oldest and closest friends. It's been me and him since the first day we both stepped foot on this God forsaken planet. And I want it to stay like that. Why? Because I like it this way.

Just me, Knox, and Axel. The three of us, that's the way it's supposed to be. But then when you throw girls into the mix it becomes a whole other story. 

And I know I didn't do anything wrong—I'm covered in coke for God's sake! — but Knox is still my friend . . . my best friend. And if he thinks I went behind his back to spend some time around his crush—well, I'll be damned if I don't do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't believe it anymore.

Knox's horn continuously blares at me as the crowd around us grows a lot more than before. From the corner of my eye, I could spot Axel and Juliette standing at the front of the crowd looking at me like I just murdered their firstborn child.