Just One of the Guys
Chapter Two

Averi

"Knox, I'm scared..." My words come out choppy as I start to cry and bury my face into my hands.

Grasping ahold of my wrist, he pulls my hand away from my face and slips his palm against my own, threading our fingers together, once again. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he says, giving my hand a squeeze. I can hear the conviction in his words, he believes what he's saying but he doesn't understand the severity of the situation.

My father is a *bad* bad man. I'm in freaking witness protection because of how bad he is.

Shaking my head, a sob escapes me, my heart aching over the thought of losing him. "Baby...I promise you."

As we pull into the parking lot for the Emergency Room and find a place to park, I glance over at him, my heart aching with how much I love him as I say, "It's not that simple, Knox. He's found me. I can't stay here."

Putting the truck in park and shutting off the ignition, Knox releases my seatbelt and grasps ahold of my hips, lifting me up and placing me down on his lap and cupping my face in both of his hands, his onyx eyes peering into my soul as he purses his lips, thinking about his next words before speaking them. "If you leave, then I'll go with you. Wherever you go, I go."

Tears well in my eyes and I shake my head and open my mouth to argue back, but before I get a word out, he lowers his mouth to mine, effectively shutting me up. All too soon, he pulls back and he rests his forehead against my own and utters, "Baby, I'm not going to lose you. Not again."

The first tear slips down my cheek and using his thumb, he swipes it away as I try to figure out how he can so easily put his life aside, "Why would you do this for me? Your life is here in Endover. You have graduation and-" "You," he growls, "*You* are my life. *You*, that is the only reason I need."

"But " I start, but get cut off by his lips again.

Knox pulls back, staring me straight in the eyes as he says his next words, "No buts, baby. You mean everything to me. I've told you that I fucking love you, I just wish you would believe it." "Knox..." I whisper, knowing that he does but so damn scared of his life being ruined because of me.

"I love you, Averi. I've said it before and I will keep on saying it until you believe me. I. Love. You." His voice is low and rough as he speaks, "I know that there's a lot that we have to learn about each other but no matter what, wherever you go, I go. I don't want to live my life unless you're in it."

"I know that you love me, Knox. I just don't want something to happen to you. What if "

"You can **what if*' things until you're blue in the face, the fact is that no one knows what the future holds, we could both die tomorrow. But what I do know is that regardless of what happens, I'm not willing to give you up."

"I'm just so damn scared of something happening to you." I tell him, as I lean forward and bury my head into the crook of his neck, "I love you, so much and I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to you because of me." "Averi, you-" he starts, but I cut him off, needing him to understand.

"I *know* that I can't change whatever the future holds. I *know* that whatever is going to happen is going to happen." I pull back, and cradle his face in my hands just as he had been doing to me, and take in his handsome features and the intensity in his eyes.

I know that I'll likely not be able to change his mind, and part of me doesn't want to because I don't want to be without him, but I can't be selfish. Not when it comes to his life.

I trace my thumb along his plump lower lip, and begin to speak again, "But, I also *know* what kind of man my father is. If you want to give up your life for me, then you need to understand what you're getting into."

"Okay. And I will listen, but we've been sitting in the truck for too long already. We need to get inside, as we were told to do."

With that, Knox opens his door and shifts so that I can slide off of his lap and out of the truck first, him following right behind me.

Grasping ahold of my hand and threading our fingers once more, he lifts our hands and places a chaste kiss against my fingers and mutters, "I love you."

We quickly rush into the Emergency Room entrance and look around for a place to sit that will allow us to keep sight of the entrance, but also leaves us in view of the officer on duty.

Once we're seated, I turn to him and squeeze his hand to get his attention. "And I love you, so much." I tell him, "That's why I need you to understand what you're getting yourself into."

He nods in understanding, so I continue, "I don't want you to resent me, because you gave up your life to be with me, when we could end up living the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders."

He watches as a frantic couple rushes in, holding a little baby, "I don't think that here is the place to have that conversation but it may also be a moot point because your father knows who I am. He's purposely made his presence known to me. I may not have any other choice either but we can talk with your handler and go from there, okay."

"Okay." I mutter, realizing that he's right, he may no longer have any other choice.

Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he pulls me closer and places a kiss against the side of my head and then whispers against my ear, "But to be clear, I don't care where we are, as long as you're by my side, that's where I want to be."