Hard to Endure Chapter 08

Hard to Endure Chapter 08

Knox moved back into the house, and so did I. The place that had sat empty for three years suddenly came alive again.

Arthur was so happy he teared up. For days, every meal was fancier than Christmas dinner.

Aside from saying good morning and good night, Knox and I barely talked. I was playing the heartbroken ex,

and he was playing the cold, stubborn brother.

Adrian kept finding new ways to reach me. My phone sat on the dining table and wouldn’t stop vibrating.

Knox shot it a cold look. “Didn’t you say you two broke up?”

My stomach dropped. “Yeah, we did. That’s spam. You know how many scam calls there are lately.”

The second I finished explaining, I felt stupid for bothering. I’d just been through a breakup. So what if my ex

was calling to win me back?

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I answered the call and put it on speaker.

Adrian apologized over and over. He sounded frantic. “Summer, where are you? I’m outside that apartment

you told me was yours.”

I froze and didn’t dare look up. Then I switched off the speaker in a hurry and ran upstairs with the phone.

That apartment was the birthday present Knox had given me when I turned twenty. For a while there, things

between Adrian and me had been pretty good, and I’d let the address slip.

Adrian was still trying to win me back. “Babe, I really screwed up. It’s completely over with Vanessa. Can we

please meet up?”

Fine. Knox had said that this time he was back for good. So I figured I should end things with Adrian

properly.

Over the past two-plus years, setting aside the fact that neither of us had taken it seriously, he’d actually been a great boyfriend.

Before Vanessa came back, Adrian’s friends had all said they couldn’t wait to toast us at our wedding.

Every time it came up, I didn’t dare say a word. Luckily, Adrian didn’t want to hear it either, and he’d always laugh it off and change the subject.

We agreed to meet at the bar where we’d first met. Adrian picked it. He insisted, so I didn’t argue.

But I never expected him to propose. There weren’t many people around. Adrian got down on one knee in front of me with flowers and a ring.

“Summer, everything before was my fault. I promise, from now on, you’re the only one for me. It’ll only ever be you.”

“Marry me. Let’s get married.”

My mind went blank. All I could see was the day I’d told Knox we should get married.

Luckily, the bar wasn’t crowded, so hardly anyone saw me turn Adrian down. When he tried to pull me into his

arms, I pushed him away. “I’m sorry, Adrian. I don’t love you.”

Adrian thought I was joking. After all, I was the one who’d said I was crazy about him, and I was the one

who’d said I didn’t care if he cheated.

He tried to soothe me. “Come on. You love me more than anything. And I love you too.”

I pressed my lips together. I wanted to explain, but I didn’t know where to start.

Then Knox showed up. He wasn’t there for me, but Adrian’s friends couldn’t take their eyes off him, and that

made Adrian notice him too.

Somebody muttered, “Holy crap. From the side, he looks exactly like Adrian.”

“Honestly, from the front too.”

My eyes were glued to Knox as well. Only a few questions ran through my head. What was he doing there?

Who was he meeting? Was it for fun or for business?

Adrian’s expression darkened. He grabbed my wrist. “Summer, you know him?”

I snapped out of it, confused. “Didn’t you see the video from the other day? He’s my brother.”

Then I hurried after Knox, and Adrian followed. Neither of us expected Vanessa to be there, and it looked like

Knox had come to see her.

My breath caught, and Adrian stopped dead.