Tales & Time (Lost Time Academy #1)(42)

"You've known this whole time," I say, placing my drink down and walking away from the bar towards the door. I want to leave. "You all knew and didn’t tell me. You all say I’m one of you, but clearly not. You guys have your secrets, and I’m firmly on the outside."

"We don't care about Ella. Neither should you," Knox firmly says, putting his own drink down, I notice out of the corner of my eye. “And you are not on the outside.”

"Of course I care about your engagement, and all these secrets mean I must be someone you can’t trust! That is the problem!" I exclaim, spinning around and freezing when I see Knox is right behind me. Before I know it, his lips are on mine, his hands are in my hair, tugging me closer. Knox kisses me slowly, taking his time to explore every part of my lips before deepening the kiss. I know this is a kiss I could never forget, just like I could never forget Knox himself. I’m speechless when he pulls away, and I know it was only a little kiss; it just felt so much more.

"We don't care, because she is nobody, nothing, compared to how we feel about you. We wouldn't fight for her, we wouldn't touch her, and there is only one girl in this entire fucked up world that we all want. Madi, if it isn't obvious by now, that girl is you," he tells me, his finger drifting slowly down my neck to my shoulders.

"You are romantic, you know that," I mutter, not having a clue what to say.

"Only with you, Sleepy," he replies and kisses me softly one more time before letting me go. "You've had a difficult day. Let's just relax for a bit," he suggests, offering me a hand. After getting our drinks, we sit on the sofa, cuddled up, and spend the rest of the day talking about the past. Knox was right, this was just what I needed.





Chapter 26





"Did you expect to have this many men in your life, Madi?" Tavvy asks as I pull on my clothes and glare up at her as she lies back in her top bunk. "One fiancé that is shit scared of going anywhere near you, four hot as hell brothers that have always been in love with you, and one creepy ass floating man head in your book. It certainly all adds up."

"I'm pretty sure my dad would have a meltdown if he realised how many men I have in my life. I'm sure he'd prefer you for a daughter in law," I honestly say, even though the Tales laws are shit and ban relationships that aren't chosen. It's ridiculous if you ask me, and I have no intention of marrying Roger Stalk. Though any time I’ve seen him this week, he has literally turned around and run in the opposite direction. Whatever the Tale brothers said freaked him out. Their possessive nature shouldn’t be sexy, but holy hell, it is.

"The Tale brothers aren't that bad," Tavvy remarks with a low chuckle. Oh, they are and she knows it.

"Dad never liked them," I point out. I'm pretty sure his warning not to trust anyone was meant for the Tale brothers. He'd have a meltdown if he learnt I was back to being friends with them all the time. I think we are friends...that kiss sometimes. I've only kissed Sin and Knox...but that's bad enough on its own. I’m always thinking about Noah and Tobias when I’m not replaying my kisses with their brothers. I'm also not over Quinton, not one little bit, as I'm always thinking of him as well, and then I don't know how I would choose one of them. This is pretty complicated.

"Actually, I'm not surprised. My dad wouldn't be a fan of four sexy and dangerous men in my life," she says and then sighs. "Though I would not be opposed."

"I had five, remember? Quinton was always there, and dad hated him the most. I never knew why," I remind her, needing to add Quinton's name to this conversation. I look at the pillow, feeling like it burns a hole into my hand and begs me to call him. He asked me not to call him, remember, Madi?

"Most likely because he is human," she says, and I can hear the sympathy in her voice. I finish pulling my shoes on just as the door is knocked a few times. "See you later, Madi. Don't do anything I wouldn't do with sexy Noah."

"That doesn't leave much left not to do," I quip with a laugh following my words, and she throws a pillow at me, which I just dodge out of the way of before pulling the door open to see a beaming Noah leaning against the door frame.

"Morning, beautiful," Noah says, running his eyes over me and winking before looking up at Tavvy in bed. "Hey, Tavvy."

"Hey, I'm beautiful too!" Tavvy mutters.

“You know you are. See you later, Tavvy,” I say, laughing with Noah as we leave the room, and I shut the door behind us. I cross my arms, wishing I pulled a hoodie on because it is damn cold out these days. There is no snow, but I’m still waiting to see some fall.

"I know we usually do practice fighting on Sundays, but the gym is empty tonight, and it's a good idea to practice before fight class tomorrow. Roger is sick, so you will be teamed against someone new," he explains to me. “And I want to make sure you can defend yourself in close combat.”

"What is Roger sick with?" I ask. I didn’t think Tales could get sick like humans. We heal too fast, so viruses cannot bring us down for much longer than an hour. I read that somewhere in the ridiculous amount of homework I have.

"A broken rib and nose. Don't worry about it," Noah waves off my wide-eyed look.

"Who did that to him?" I demand, stopping at the top of the stairs as he walks down a few steps and stops to look back up at me with a sheepish expression.