My parents didn’t have a problem with Knox; they just thought I was going to miss out on life because all I wanted was to make it to my eighteenth birthday so I could be with him. And since that birthday was a few short months away, they thought I wouldn’t be focused on academics and all that came with being independent.

I wasn’t about to say they were right.

“Hey, does this look okay?” Zoe asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned my head and lifted an eyebrow. “Uh, yeah? You’ve been wearing it for the past couple of hours.”

“I know, but I want to look comfy without looking gross, because I don’t want to look like a skank.”

A short laugh burst past my lips. “Wow, I didn’t know all this thought went into what you wore around me for sleepovers, Zoe. I’m touched. Really.”

“Hush your face. Okay, so don’t be mad . . .” She trailed off, and my face fell.

“Zo!”

“He just texted me—it’s not like I’m gonna say no to him!”

“Who is he? And what is it you’re not saying no to?” I asked as I sat up. “I thought we were gonna veg and watch movies.”

She held up her hands to stop me. “We totally will . . . after. And he is—” She cut herself off and her eyes widened when there was a knock on her door. “Here. He’s here. But don’t worry, he knows that I have a friend here, so he brought a friend.”

“Oh nice, so now I won’t be a third wheel. I’ll just be the pity double date.”

Zoe scoffed. “It’s not like that; trust me. He’s just a guy I hooked up with a week ago.”

“Oh my God, wait! How do I look?” I hissed as we walked into her living room.

She stopped walking long enough to give me a once-over and a thumbs-up, and then continued to the door. I barely had time to glance in the mirror near the door before she was opening it, and my breath came out in a hard rush.

Knox.

I wasn’t sure if time had stopped or if we were just experiencing the most awkward silence as we stared at each other. Because even though I’d talked to him the previous day and seen him the week before, and he was now standing feet from me . . . he was standing there because Zoe had a guy coming over that she’d hooked up with.

My stomach dropped and my chest felt hollow. I hated our situation now more than I ever had. I hated even more that Zoe, my slutty friend, had had a taste of the man I loved.

Graham stepped up behind Knox and, the second his eyes landed on me, breathed a low “Shit.”

That one word fit this situation so well, and I suddenly wanted to laugh, and cry, and throw up. Hopefully not the latter in front of everyone.

“Low,” Knox whispered. There was a hint of a smile on his lips, but I didn’t understand what could be amusing about this.

All I could manage was a nod, which was probably a good thing since I wanted to yell at Zoe that he was mine.

Graham groaned then looked over to Zoe. “You didn’t say your friend was a minor.”

“Wait, you guys know her?” Zoe asked.

“Something like that,” Graham said with a sigh at the same time Knox tilted his head to glare at Graham and accused, “You said we were going to a party.”

“Because you needed to get over this,” Graham said back, and gestured to me.

“Wow, thanks,” I mumbled lamely.

“And look how well that worked out for you,” Knox taunted.

“Someone tell me what is going on!” Zoe said louder, and Graham finally spoke up.

“Nothing. Let’s go.” With another worried look between Knox and me, he grabbed for Zoe’s hand and towed her back to her room. As he did, he warned, “She’s still a minor, Knox.”

Zoe gasped, and yelled, “Oh my God! Like, Knox Knox? You’re the Knox?” just before the bedroom door slammed shut. Her next words were muffled through the walls, but I could still hear the excitement in them. “Don’t have too much fun, Low!”

“Don’t!” Graham yelled. “Don’t have fun.”

Knox and I stood there staring at each other for long moments after Graham’s clear warning faded, and the tension in the room slowly changed from anger to something that always accompanied us.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” I finally whispered, breaking the silence, and within seconds I was in his arms.

“God I’ve missed you,” he mumbled against the top of my head.

“It’s been a week,” I said laughing.

“Still missed you.”

“When Zoe opened the door, I thought . . . I thought you were here for her,” I admitted hesitantly.

“Are you serious?” Knox released me enough to look into my eyes, and his dark ones danced. “Low, I haven’t been with anyone since I met you.”

My eyes fell to his chest, and my cheeks heated in embarrassment. “Yeah, but—”

“No buts. Harlow Evans, I have waited for you for over two years, and I have loved you every day of that time. And in a few months, you are finally going to be mine.”

I couldn’t help but smile even as I said, “And you’ve wasted your—”

He cut me off with a searing kiss—one I hadn’t been expecting for another few months, and one I’d been craving since our first. His mouth never left mine as he backed me up against the wall, and I pulled him as close as our bodies would allow.

My breathing was ragged as he made a trail of openmouthed kisses and teasing bites down my neck and across my collarbone, and I had to place a hand against the wall adjacent to us in order to steady myself when he pulled my knee up around his hip. It felt like I was going to fall—but it felt like I was going to fall into Knox in a way I’d only dreamed of.

I’d never dreamed kissing could be like this, but then again, I’d only had a glimpse of kissing Knox before.

Grabbing behind my other knee, he pulled that leg up so it was wrapped around his waist too, and soon we were walking toward the couch. I had no thoughts as he sat us down, other than how much I loved him and my need to have him. After years of keeping ourselves from each other, I didn’t want to stop.

I pulled back enough to look into his dark eyes and whispered, “I want to finally be yours, Knox.”

A deep groan sounded in his chest, and his fingers flexed against my hips. Indecision played out on his face for countless seconds as he tried to catch his breath; and when he didn’t respond, I reached for the bottom of my shirt.