“You sure you’re good?” he asks, his brow furrowed like he’s trying not to look too concerned but failing miserably.
I blow out a breath, pressing my palms to my temples for a second before letting them fall. “I’m fine. Just… thrown. I didn’t expect to see him. And definitely not with her—or the whole about-to-be-a-dad situation.”
Ash’s jaw flexes, his hands sliding into his pockets like he is trying to anchor himself. “You handled it way better than I would’ve.”
I open my mouth to respond, but before I can, I hear heavy boots on the floor. Knox rounds the corner, his broad frame moving fast, his face set in a tight scowl.
“There you two are,” Knox huffs out, his shoulders still tense, like he hasn’t cooled down yet. “I saw that entire scene back there.”
Ash shoots him a look. “Wasn’t exactly subtle.”
Knox shakes his head and drags a hand through his short hair. “It took everything I had not to lay that guy out right there on the damn sidewalk.”
A startled laugh bursts out of me before I can stop it, sharp and unexpected. “You? Really?”
He crosses his arms and pulls his mouth into a half smile. “Amelia, the dude was standing there like he wanted someone to swing first. I was this close.”
Ash snorts. “Trust me, it was a coin toss between me and him.”
“Would’ve been worth the bail money,” Knox mutters, but his face softens as he glances at me. “You good though? For real?”
I hesitate—just long enough for both of them to notice—before I nod. “Yeah. It just… sucked seeing him, you know?”
“Of course it did.” Knox bumps my shoulder with his. “But you handled it like a damn pro.”
Ash grins. “She always does.”
I roll my eyes at both of them but can’t stop the warmth that spreads through my chest. “You two are impossible.”
“Yeah,” Knox agrees easily. “But we got your back. Always.”
And standing there, between the two of them, I actually believe it—like, really believe it. The sting of Preston’s face, the awkwardness of seeing him with his new wife—it all fades just a little.
“Thanks, guys.”
Ash’s hand brushes mine, subtle but intentional. “Anytime, Phoenix. You know that.”
Amelia is the sole object of my focus. She does that thing—standing straight, chin up—but I can see from the slight tension in her jaw and the way her fingers curl into her palm, she is holding the weight of it all in.
I am not about to let her carry that alone.
Without thinking, I reach down and slip my hand into hers. Her fingers hesitate for a beat—just long enough for me to wonder if she’ll pull away—before she laces them through mine, holding tight.
“Alright,” I say, turning to Knox, who is eyeing our joined hands with a smirk he isn’t even trying to hide. “We’ll see you in the morning at the airport.”
Knox’s grin widens. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Then we’re cleared for pretty much anything,” I shoot back, earning a bark of laughter from him.
“Fair point.” He gives me a two-finger salute, then glances at Amelia. “Seriously, though, you good?”
She gives him a small, genuine smile. “I’m good, Knox. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” He winks before heading off toward his room, whistling low under his breath.
The moment he is gone, I squeeze Amelia’s hand and feel the tension still coiled tight in her. “You wanna talk about it?” I ask gently.
She is quiet for a moment, then shakes her head. “Not tonight.”
