"No," he says through gritted teeth. "That means whoever hit you didn't want you to see them coming."
But I was in my dad's car, and it was dark. No one would've seen it wasn't my dad in the driver's seat. My dad is well known in Royal City which means …
"Someone was trying to kill my dad," I finish the thought out loud.
* * *
I've beenanxious about everything concerning the accident. I want to warn my dad but I can't. I'm a captive here and there's nothing I can do to help him.
"Here." I look next to me as Knox sits down after everyone except for him and Kai have left. He places a bottle of water and what looks like a tiny piece of a pill in my hand before sending me a soft smile, accenting the dimple on his cheek.
"Um, what's this? Are you trying to drug me or something?" I joke dryly.
"Or something. It's just Xanax. I can tell you're freaked out about the accident. I can recognize it," he says before rubbing soft circles on my back, soothing me.
"How can you recognize it? The others didn't seem to."
"They don't battle with anxiety every day like I do. Everyone in my family has bad anxiety, and I get these to help. I take much more than this but this should take the edge off."
I'm stunned as I stare at Knox and his easy-going expression.
"You have anxiety?" I ask.
"Yeah, so?"
"You just don't come across as someone who doesn't have all their shit together," I admit quickly.
"I'm eighteen. How would I have all my shit together? Do you have your shit together, pretty girl?" he asks, his tone tells me he’s completely unfazed by my statement.
"If I had my shit together, I doubt I'd be here right now," I say before taking the piece of a pill he gave me with the water. "Why do you always call me that? Pretty girl?"
"Why not? You're by far the prettiest girl in our school," he states, furrowing his brows.
"There's no weird reason behind it? It's not some way to make fun of me or anything?"
He smirks slyly. "I wouldn't make fun of you. I call you pretty girl because you're pretty."
My first instinct is to be suspicious of such a compliment but I can see Knox is being genuine. He just calls me that because that's what he thinks of me.
"Most people think redheads are psychos," I joke.
"You're not a psycho, and I've known plenty of redheads who aren't crazy at all. Stereotypes are bullshit," he deflects quickly.
"Like how all jocks are rapists and sexist pigs?" That might be going too far but it's a real stereotype, and it does have some truth to it. Based off what I've been put through this week, it's very real and pretty fucking scary.
"Not all jocks but there are reasons for stereotypes. Sometimes they are a generalization. Others it's a few bad apples who give the rest a bad rap like redheads."
Knox is truly a gem. Is it even possible to offend him? I just called him and his friends rapists and sexists and he just shrugged it off.
"Why do you do it?" I ask, curious on the subject.
"Do what?"
I give him myno bullshitlook and he chuckles, amused.
"Oh, that." His laugh turns awkward before he shoots a glance over his shoulder toward the kitchen where Kai is busying himself around the kitchen. "We all have our stories but putting it simply, we follow Kai."
That's not the answer I was expecting.
