Filed To Story: The Perfect Spiral Book PDF Free by Ashley Constantine
It finally hits me how happy I truly am. The excitement rips through my body whenever I think of yesterday. Thinking of him announcing to everyone that he loves me.
Him telling me at the lighthouse, watching his features. It’s an image I will never want to remove from my brain.
I feel his warm hand start to stroke the outside of my leg in a comforting way. Seeing Andy draped in Kyle’s old football jersey makes me smile.
“I’ve always wanted a jersey with Thompson on the back and thirteen on it too,” I say to nobody in particular, eyeing the horizon out in front of us.
“You have Carter and thirteen on the back, that is not close enough for you?” He teases me, making me giggle.
I wrap my arm around his neck, leaning my head on his muscular shoulder. Allowing my body to relax on him. He can take my weight.
“It is, I love wearing it. But I used to want a Birthday jersey,” I say.
He sends me a quizzical look and I explain to him, “I used to pretend that when I wore this, the thirteen would be for the day I was born, and then I decided I wanted my name on the back.”
Rubbing my thumb across his jaw, his eyes are glued to the ocean displayed in front of us, contemplating my thoughts.
“Well, the whole reason why I chose that number was because of the day you were born. You’re my lucky charm, baby doll. You always have been.
I used to be eleven. Then I found out you were born on the thirteenth of July, and I changed my number to that. Since then, it stuck with me, so I would think of you as always with me when I played.”
Averting his gaze to meet mine, I sit up looking at him incredulously. Did he just say that? Did he just tell me the number on his jersey was because I was born?
“W-What? Are… Are you serious?” Staring at him, his head begins to gesture that he’s telling the truth. I continue to gaze at him in awe that he did that for me before any of this happened.
“Really?” Kyle asks with a hint of wariness in his tone. Knox turns his head to face him with a beaming smile.
“Yeah… I chose thirteen because of her. Only you could make that number lucky for me. I chose it and never regretted changing it. I wear it for you, baby doll.”
As he turned to face me once more, I felt my insides turn to mush, yet I was frozen in place. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me…” I heard a sniffle from across the room and whipped my head around, expecting to see Kyle, but it was Andy. She was crying, a smile on her face.
“That has to be the cutest thing I’ve ever witnessed. It’s like watching the fucking Titanic all over again… I can’t with the two of you.”
She waved her hand in front of her face, trying to fan away her tears, which only made us laugh. Kyle wrapped his arms around her until she stopped crying. Andy was a hopeless romantic at heart. She always had been. I admired that about her, even though I wasn’t much of a romantic myself. But with the right person, I supposed it could be romantic.
Later that day, we all headed down to the beach to soak up the last of the summer sun. It had been both the best and worst summer of my life, but in that moment, surrounded by the people I considered family and friends, I felt nothing but happiness.
??/p>
I sat in the wet sand with Hannah, watching everyone play in the water and the boys play football behind us. The paparazzi had been more present than ever, but I wasn’t as nervous as I used to be. Not with Knox by my side.
As I listened to Hannah gush about Ben, I couldn’t help but laugh. “No! Hannah! You kept that quiet!” I slapped her arm playfully, and she pulled me closer, her blonde hair whipping in the wind.
“Yeah, we were both so drunk and went outside. He like threw me up against the wall and we started to make out. It was a long time too because when we came back inside you were dancing with Tyson. It was so hot! Then he walked me back to my room and he kissed me again. Alex, he’s an amazing kisser! I really like him, I’m so annoyed that he has to go back to LA though… I’ll miss him… and you… and Andy! But I promise I’ll come to visit you all more!” She nodded, as if to cement the promise in her mind.
We both turned to look at Ben, who was hanging off Kyle, laughing about something. Kyle really liked Ben too, especially knowing he didn’t have a thing for me. Seeing them both laughing so freely, I couldn’t help but smile.
“You better come visit us! But I know he’ll miss you too, Han! I knew you’d like him,” I said, winking at her. She blushed, and we quickly turned back to face the ocean when Ben’s attention shifted towards us.
“Shit! He so saw us looking at him. Well, I was drooling… ugh, why am I so embarrassing?” Hannah groaned, running her fingers through her hair. I leaned over and hugged her, both of us laughing.
“Hey, if it makes you feel better, I was drooling over Knox at the wedding.”
“And Caleb,” she teased, and I nodded.
“And Caleb, but don’t tell Carter that! He would bury Caleb in the sand the next chance he gets.”
“And Wes,” she continued, poking fun at me.
“Oh my god, Hannah!” We both started to giggle, and Andy joined us after a while. I nudged Hannah with my elbow, trying to get her to stop.
“What? I don’t blame you! They all looked good in their suits. Plus, they were all over you that night too.”
We spent the next while gossiping about the guys and planning a girls’ night. “Girls’ night tonight!” Andy yelled, always the loudest and most enthusiastic of us all. That’s why Kyle loved her so much. They were perfect for each other.
“Yes! I need one of those! So we can gossip about the guys too!” I agreed, folding my legs and letting the sun hit my face.
I awaken to an empty bed and a slightly ajar door. “Knox?” I call out, sitting up and scanning the room. I call his name again, but there’s no response. Where could he be?
I don’t rise from the bed, feeling utterly drained from the torrent of tears I shed last night. After everyone had left the room, it was just Knox and me for the rest of the evening.
I had continued to weep into his shoulder while he gently teased me. Each time I managed to stop crying, I’d think about the movie and the waterworks would start all over again. And now, I’ve woken up this morning. Alone. In my own bed.
It’s such an unfamiliar sensation, even though I’ve only woken up next to him a handful of times. I feel so secure with him, so protected.
I continue to lie there, waiting for him to reappear, when I hear footsteps ascending the stairs. Seeing that it’s Ben and not Knox, I’m met with his signature smirk.
“Sorry, I’m not Carter, sweet cheeks,” he teases, kicking the door shut behind him and crawling over the bed to lie beside me. I settle back down with him and we gaze at each other.
“I’ll just suffer with you then…” I tease back, eliciting an even wider smile from him.
He’s always such a cheerful person, even in the mornings, and sometimes it irks me to no end. He knows this too. That’s why he often exaggerates his morning cheerfulness just to get a rise out of me.
How can someone be that happy in the mornings? I’m barely functional until lunchtime.
“Aye! I’m a delight and you know it!” He ruffles my already messy bedhead hair, making it even more disheveled. He then rests his hands behind his head and stares up at the TV screen mounted high on my wall.
The same screen where I watched people speculate about the identity of the girl in his Instagram picture, knowing full well who it was.
Pulling out my phone, I open the app and navigate to his profile. Ben leans over to look at the screen and I click on the picture he posted of me. Except it’s not the one where my face is hidden.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.