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Reese
The next day, the one-hour drive to Von Gruber's retreat is filled with awkward silences between Knox and me. When we do manage to exchange words, they revolve around safe topics like the retreat and work. Neither of us brings up Melody, her article about Prom, or Knox's apology from yesterday afternoon.
Occasionally, I sense Knox's eyes on me, his gaze tracing the contours of my face even when we're not speaking. I'm not sure what's keeping him quiet—whether he's reflecting on his explanation about prom, contemplating the seriousness of the situation we're walking into, or simply being considerate of the silence, knowing that I'm nervous and preoccupied, unable to engage in our usual banter.
My nerves have been getting the better of me since I woke up this morning. Knox's apology unsettled me and metaphorically knocked me off my feet. I've been working so hard to see him as my rival, to remember his hurtful judgments, but hearing his explanation and recalling the remorse in his eyes when he realized he had destroyed everything between us—the friendship and my senior prom...
My heart clenches in my chest. If Max is right and I have built walls around myself and my heart, it feels like Knox just came in and shattered them all with his apology.
And it couldn't have happened at a worse time because we're about to be thrust into intimate couples' activities. No wonder my pulse has been racing all day. Even before he apologized, I struggled to ignore how irresistibly attractive Knox is to me. So now that I understand his reasons, how am I supposed to pretend that Knox doesn't affect me as deeply as he does? His aftershave lingers in the air, and his proximity makes me as nervous as if I'm on a long-awaited first date—a first date I've been waiting for my whole life. I despise this feeling. Will he believe that I'm just playing a role while we're here? That everything I do is part of the act? I can only hope so.
"We're here," I announce, my stomach tying itself in knots as we drive through the grand archway of the estate.
I'm not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this serene, verdant landscape with the cacophony of unfamiliar birds chirping in the background. The whole place is a lush green oasis. As I step out of my car, the fresh air instantly invigorates me. Nature surrounds me, as if I'm standing in the heart of a rainforest. I stretch my limbs, which have grown stiff from the long drive, and begin to relax.
Knox, who has also exited the car, glances at his watch. "Check-in starts at two. The first seminar is at three."
"Should we check in first and then come back for our luggage?" I suggest.
"Sounds logical to me."
The gravel parking lot is dotted with several other cars, but I don't see any other couples around. Just as we're about to head toward the path leading to the reception office, another car pulls in and parks a couple of spaces away from ours. At first, I can't believe my eyes, but after a double take, my stomach sinks.
"Damn it," I mutter.
"What is it?" Knox asks, looking at me.
I quickly dart around to the side of my car, the farthest from the one that just pulled in, and grab Knox's arm, pulling him along with me so that we both crouch out of sight.
"Who is it?" Knox asks, his voice hushed, as I peer out from behind the side of the car.
"Jennifer and Brayden Wolf – a married couple who work at The Herald," I tell him, my voice filled with concern. "This is bad. Really bad."
Not only am I competing against Knox, but now we have outside competition. And to make matters worse, it's a couple that's already married.
"I don't believe in coincidences," Knox says.
"Me neither. They're here because we're here."
"Well, that's not good."
"Understatement."
No press has ever made it this far before and reported on it. Anyone from the press who attempted to gain access to this exclusive retreat was always thrown out by Von Gruber.
"How could they know we were coming?" Knox questions.
I hope he's not accusing me. I furrow my brow. "Did you tell someone?"
"Only Brendan knows, and he wouldn't have said anything. You mentioned it to Max. Do you think he-"
"No! Of course not."
After a moment, we lock eyes and say in unison, "CeCe."
She went on a date with someone from The Herald a couple of weeks ago.
"She must have let something slip," I mutter. "Damn it, CeCe."
Knox appears uncertain. "We don't know for sure..."
"No," I agree, "Maybe it wasn't her."
"Doesn't matter anyway. It's done, and now we'll have to deal with it."
"Jesus Christ, Brayden, what's the point of asking me for directions if you're not going to follow them?" Slam.
"If I had followed your directions, we would have ended up in that ditch miles back." Slam.
Knox shoots me a quick, amused glance. "They definitely sound like a married couple."
"They're coming," I whisper-hiss, standing up in a hurry. "If we don't do something, we're about to be caught eavesdropping and hiding."
My car is parked at the end of the lot, closest to the pathway leading to reception. They'll have to pass us in order to check in.
Knox also stands and raises an eyebrow. "What do you want me to do?"
"I don't know!" Panic rises within me. I'm not prepared to confront this other couple whom I only know from a distance.
On instinct, I grab hold of Knox's shirt and pull him closer to me, using him as a shield to obscure myself from their view. The anxiety of being caught by the other couple prevents me from realizing how close he is until it's too late. The scent of his aftershave has been driving me crazy the whole way here, and now, mixed with the fresh scent of gum trees, it becomes even more potent. As they approach, Knox steps closer, trapping me between my car and his body. Just as they walk past, he lowers his head, and before I can fully comprehend what's happening, he kisses me.
I don't have time to protest or prepare myself for his kiss. Instead of a brief peck on the lips, our lips meet and the kiss takes on a life of its own. It feels like a continuation of the kiss we shared a decade ago, but this time, Knox is even more commanding and confident. He's not the eighteen-year-old boy I once knew; he's a man who knows how to make a woman weak in the knees. The attraction I’ve always felt towards him explodes in the pit of my stomach, sending a wave of heat through my body. I can't help but throw my arms around him, my lips softening and parting against his. My body presses against his, involuntarily responding to his touch. His hand tangles in my hair as he deepens the kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth with an intimacy that leaves me trembling and powerless to resist. Even my heart trembles as desire settles and throbs low in my belly.
"They clearly don't need couples therapy," Jennifer says as she walks past us.
Knox pulls back the moment Jennifer and Brayden walk past, his finger stroking the side of my face. "We should move, Cameron. They'll realize who we are soon enough."
It takes a moment for me to realize who he's referring to—that the kiss was for their benefit, not just an impulsive act. One kiss is all it took to show me how quickly I can lose myself and forget the purpose of our presence here.
Still reeling and feeling a bit unsteady, we continue walking towards reception. Any hope I had of convincing myself that I don't want to be with him, that I can control the attraction between us, just went up in smoke. Meanwhile, Knox remains oblivious to the fact that he just set my whole world on fire with that one kiss.
As he places his hand on the small of my back and walks beside me, I attempt to gather my thoughts. It's a relief when we finally reach the reception building. We have a purpose, a job to do—to uncover what Von Gruber is doing here. But before we can enter, Jennifer and Brayden suddenly emerge from the building, causing us to take a step back.
"Well, well, well," Brayden says, "if it isn't-"
"Shh!" I hiss, interrupting him.
Brayden scowls at me, while Jennifer glances at Knox before motioning for us to follow her. She leads us towards a cluster of ferns that will provide cover from those entering the car park or approaching reception.
The four of us remain silent until we come to a stop. Jennifer focuses her attention on Knox instead of me. "Knox Casey. It's been a long time."
I turn to Knox, confused as to why he didn't mention knowing these people. However, Knox seems to be trying to place the female journalist from The Herald.
After a moment, he says, "Jennifer Monroe."
"I go by Jennifer Wolf now."
He nods. "I thought you moved to Brisbane."
"I did. I thought you lived in Melbourne," Jennifer says to him.
"I do."
My gaze shifts between the two of them. "You two know each other?"
"If by 'know him' you mean being taken for a ride and completely fooled by this jerk, then yes, I know him."
Knox scoffs. "Let's be fair, Jen. You were out to screw me over. I just beat you to it."
Her scowl deepens, and she pushes her finger against his chest. "You should come with a warning label. I assume you're here for the Von Gruber story." Her eyes land on me. "You're the journalist from The Sun, right?"
"That's correct."
Her gaze moves between us. "You're here together? Is this some kind of partnership between the two papers?"
I nod, and Brayden looks smug as he wraps an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Looks like this won't be the competition you were expecting, babe. Sorry, but they'll be too busy fighting each other for the scoop to pose any threat to us."
Jennifer takes a moment to ponder before her gaze returns to me. "I'd be careful with him if I were you. Don't believe for a second that you can trust him."
Knox is married to his job, just like me. I know he betrayed me once, turning his back on our friendship because of a misunderstanding. If Jennifer's warning had come just a day ago, it would have been easier to believe her. But after the apology he gave me yesterday, I understand why he did what he did, and I genuinely believe he regrets it. What I don't know is whether he'll betray me again for the sake of an article.
He misjudged me once, misunderstood my intentions. Will he do it again? Can I trust that he won't? Jennifer trusted Knox at some point and got burned for a story. He's competitive, always has been, and even though he's sorry, he admitted he misses our rivalry—that I'm his favourite opponent.
Besides, technically, we're not even working together anymore. We're here to compete. We still have our bet, and so do our bosses. There's too much at stake to forget the past. That's the reality of the situation, and I can't afford distractions or complications, no matter how sincere Knox's apology was yesterday.
Well, I've been warned now. If I allow my attraction to him to interfere with doing my job properly, I deserve any consequences that come my way. I'm here to work, not to play. Knox is my rival, and I've just found the extra motivation I need to stay focused. I'm not just competing against Knox anymore; I'm also competing against Jennifer and Brayden. If The Herald outshines The Sun, I might as well resign right now. Bob could be in trouble with the board for putting me on this assignment. I can't afford to be distracted. I can't lose sight of the prize.
Knox rolls his eyes. "You're just mad that I beat you to Whittleman."
"Well, you shouldn’t expect this story to come so easily," Jennifer tells him. "Your presence here just made it personal."
She walks away with Brayden while I shoot a glance at Knox. "Another woman you need to apologize to?"
"That was different, it was work."
"Right," I avert my gaze and swallow. I get it. Apology or not, I can't rely on him to have my back when it comes to work.
As we step into the small building labelled reception, I push aside my growing list of troubles. The fact that the other woman is now angry with Knox will only fuel her determination for the story. Combining that with the challenge of working closely with someone I'm attracted to but can't trust, and the looming danger of potential hypnosis, it's tempting to succumb to panic. However, I know that panic won't lead to the clear thinking required for this article.
Great to see Bet Me back Elle 😄.