The Perfect Spiral (by Ashley Constantine) novel Chapter 105

Hours later, I have two cats wailing o

Hours later, I have two cats wailing on my bed, attempting to sing along to ‘Love Me Like You Do‘ by Ellie Goulding. They’re butchering the song.

My phone buzzes on the dressing table where I’m sitting, doing my hair and makeup for my date tonight. It feels like a dream, and any minute I’m going to wake up and I’ll be in my bed in Cali.

I burst out laughing at his message, but my two best friends are too engrossed in their song to notice. I quickly type back a reply, chuckling to myself.

His response is immediate.

I finish curling the last strand of hair around the wand, then grab the texture spray. I spritz a small amount into my hands and work it through my hair, breaking up the curls.

Slipping into my lilac dress and stepping into my strappy heels, I tousle my hair until it falls in loose waves, I swipe on a layer of pink lip balm and turn to face my friends, who have fallen silent.

“You look amazing, Alex! Can I borrow”

“Yes,” I interrupt Andy, rolling my eyes at her. We’re all the same size, which is fortunate. We often borrow each other’s clothes.

“Okay, let’s go!” I grab my clutch and unlock the door. My best friends fall into step behind me. As I descend the stairs, I see him waiting by the door, chatting with the guys.

He halts mid–sentence to watch me make my way down. His smile grows wider with each step I take in my heels. Once I reach the bottom step, he extends his hand to assist me.

“You look beautiful, Alex,” he murmurs. I blush and smile at him. I take a few more steps closer to him and he leans down to kiss me softly.

“You look handsome, Knox,” I manage to say, my breath hitching at the sight of him. He’s dressed in a

black suit with no tie, a crisp white shirt neatly tucked in. His hair is tamed back, but still casual.

He looks so delicious.

Taking my hand, we wave everyone off and I slide into the car. I wait for him to walk around and get into the driver’s seat. Once he’s in, he takes hold of my hand.

I can’t stop staring at him. He’s so sexy, and he’s all mine.

I’m so engrossed in him that I don’t realize the car has stopped until he turns to me with a wide grin on his face.

Then the flashes surround us in the vehicle.

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“Shit! I can’t go anywhere with you,” he jokes, staring out the window.

“Me?! I believe they’re here for you, Knox. Not me,” I retort, unbuckling my seat belt. He does the same, and I hear the swish of the material retracting.

Muffled screams echo behind the glass panes. Bodies rush around, trying to get a good angle.

“They’re here for us. They just want to get the first picture of us together. Our first outing as a couple… it’s stupid, but I want to show you off,” he says, grinning even wider.

“I don’t want to be shown off, Knox. I’m not a thing. I’m a person. I don’t need them in my business, seriously, I don’t want anything to do with the media,” I reply, my tone serious.

“I’m kidding, I know, babe. Just hold onto me until we’re inside,” he says, opening the door. He pauses, turning back to me. “You are absolutely the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on, baby doll,” he says, making me grin.

I can’t stop. This is a side of him I’ve never seen before. I love it.

I take my clutch in my hands and hear my door open, along with screams from the crowd. I slip my hand into his open one and glide out of the car without a stumble.

Patting myself on the back for not making a fool of myself, he closes the door and starts to walk in front of me. There are so many paparazzi in the way, I still don’t even know where we are.

“Alex! Knox! First date as a couple?”

“Will you be proposing officially to her, Carter?”

“Are you planning for a baby?”

“Will you move in together?”

“Do you love him, Alex?”

I stop and face the voice that asked the last question. I don’t hear any more voices, and Knox looks back at me from the corner of my eye.

“I do,” I say to the paparazzi, surprising myself. I usually ignore them, but he announced on live TV

that he loves me.

I look back at him, smiling down at me, and we continue to walk inside the restaurant. I feel the cold air hit me hard, and Knox turns around, pressing his lips to mine.

Cupping my face delicately, I smile into the kiss and he pulls back.

“I love you so much, Alex,” he says. I bite down on my lip and he leads us to the hostess. She beams at

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us and tells us to follow her.

The clicks of her heels draw attention from the other customers dining tonight, and I feel many of the women’s eyes on Knox. All of them are staring at him lustfully. My boyfriend.

Every single woman I walk by is staring hard at him, devouring him with their eyes.

“Here’s your table, Mr. Carter,” the hostess says, placing two menus down in a secluded part of the restaurant. Knox pulls out my chair, thanking her, and I sit down. He bends down to kiss my cheek and sits adjacent to me.

Even though we’re in a secluded part of the restaurant, I can still see people looking at us. He starts to notice them too, laughing while he takes a sip of his water.

I feel his hand slip onto my thigh with a squeeze. Leaning on his elbow with his chin resting on his

hand, he studies me. He shuffles his chair closer to me.

“You just couldn’t sit across from me like a normal guy, no?”

“Hell no!” He bellows out a laugh. “I just can’t stay away from you,” he says, his thumb making circles on my skin. His eyes look up and scan the room, and I follow them.

I see every single woman in this building staring at him like I’m not sitting here. Not again.

I feel his hand slip off my thigh and onto the back of my head, making me turn around to ask what he’s doing. His lips softly meet mine and kiss me gently. I feel his tongue tease my lips and I open, allowing

him entrance.

Our tongues dance together gently, and I lean into him, my hand resting lightly on his chest. His low moan sends a shiver down my spine.

His hand covers mine, and we break away from our kiss. He pecks my lips once more before leaning back slightly and pressing a kiss to my hand.

He releases my hand and slides my chair across the floor, the squeak of it making me laugh and hide my

face in embarrassment.

His arm drapes over my shoulder, pulling me close to him as he lifts the menu for us to peruse.

“What are you doing?” I laugh into his shoulder, causing his nose to brush against my head as he turns

to look at me.

“I want to show everyone that I’m yours and you’re mine. I want you to feel comfortable, baby doll. We’re official, and I want everyone to know that.”

His words fill me with happiness. I had feared that tonight would be like the day we went shopping for his mom, when everyone ignored me and flirted with him. But it’s not like that at all. He’s paying

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attention to me, and only me.

“Thank you,” I whisper to him, leaning in to kiss him once more. We just can’t seem to stop kissing

each other.

“Anything for you. So, what does my beautiful girlfriend feel like having tonight?” I scan the menu, sneaking a glance at the women who are still staring at us, their glares directed at me.

Oh well, this is what I signed up for, I suppose.

“Carbonara?” His teasing tone makes me smirk at the elegant calligraphy on the menu. This place is very upscale. Floor–to–ceiling windows offer a view of the outside. Gleaming white tiled floors and tables draped with white tablecloths. Black leather seats with high backs for support and extravagant glasses for water. Spotless cutlery that shines when the light hits it just right.

“I feel like the cod and vegetables. I’ve been lacking in some omega three,” I try to keep a straight face but fail when I hear his breathy chuckle.

We order our meals and start chatting away as if we’re the only ones in the room. He hasn’t looked around since we walked in, which I take as a good sign.

“I literally had to fight Adam before we left to not come with us. The kid is so obsessed with you it’s crazy. He cries every time you leave to go back to college. I have to promise him all sorts of things just to get him to stop.”

We both dig into the food that was placed in front of us. The vegetables are so crunchy, just the way I

like them.

“What can I say? I’m irresistible,” I shrug with one shoulder, feeding myself. “Plus, Mila told me he cries when I leave, and he did the other night when he thought I left. At least I know someone will miss

me when I’m gone.”

I smirk down at my fishy friend lying on my plate. Poor fishy. The intricate design of the sauces was ruined due to how hungry I was at the start.

“Hey! I miss you all the time. I just didn’t vocalize it for years. But I will now. I always missed you. When you first went off to college, I used to make up excuses to go and see Wes over there just so I could bump into you.” I start to laugh loudly at him.

“Now I see where Adam gets it from!” I take a sip of my cocktail that was made for me earlier and I’m nearly finished.

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Nobody has approached us throughout the night because Knox had people stopping them from coming over to us. He said he wants us to be alone, and I liked that he did that. It was so thoughtful.

“Adam is a mini–me! Everyone says it. He’s very particular with people, but it’s so clear he adores you. I think he may have a little crush on you?” I nod my head, making him stop his fork mid–air.

“Mila said that too! He’s such a sweetheart. I’m sure all the girls will love him when he’s older.” We smile at the thought. He is going to be another Carter heartthrob. I mean, he’s Austin’s son, of course, he’ll have the ladies chasing him if he’s anything like his dad.

“Of course they will! He’s a Carter! All the girls love us Carter boys.” Hearing the amused tone in his voice makes me punch his arm playfully. He’s not wrong. All three of them were the heartthrobs of my high school. All the girls were falling over their feet to catch a slight glimpse of them walking down the hallways.

Me? I used to run in the other direction when I was near Knox. But I did have a crush on Mason, mainly because he was so nice to me.

“But all us Carter boys have one special lady we get to call ours.” His voice drops lowly in my ear as I sip on my drink.

“Good attempt, Carter. But I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that.” I suck the liquid up the red straw as I see the ice drop down in the glass.

“How about this then… Some days I catch myself smiling for no reason, but then I realize I’m thinking about you and your smile… You’re the only thing I think about before I go to sleep and when I wake up. It’s always been like that, Alex, since I first met you. You made yourself at home in my mind. I haven’t been able to get the thought of you out of it, and to be honest, I don’t want you to leave…

This room is full of people, and the only person I see is you. You’re the only person who has caught my attention, and now that I have yours, I intend to keep it. I fell in love with you because you’re rare, an enigma, someone with the kindest heart I know, you’re someone I have respect for. Alex, you’re my entire world. And I fall harder and harder for you each day.”

“I’ll fall for you every day of my life, Alex,” Knox confessed, his voice filled with a sincerity that made my heart flutter. “From the moment you sat next to me and flashed that radiant smile, I knew. Even at eleven years old, I knew you were the one.”

His words were a balm to my soul, soothing and comforting. I felt a lump forming in my throat, my eyes welling up with tears of joy. I fought to keep them at bay, not wanting to break the moment.

His gaze never wavered from mine, his voice steady and sure. “I never knew you felt this way, Knox,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I saw how the girls in high school chased after you, but I never understood why. Now, I do.”

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“Alex, you’re the only girl I’ve ever felt this way about. No one else could ever compare to you. I was selfish in high school, keeping the other guys away from you. You were always the talk of the locker

room…”

His voice trailed off, his eyes never leaving mine. “All those other girls meant nothing to me. I could be talking to any one of them, but the moment you walked into the room, my attention was gone. My eyes were drawn to you.”

He paused, his gaze softening. “I lived to see you in school. It made my day when I did. When I didn’t, I’d come over to your house just to catch a glimpse of you. Even if it was just for a second.”

“You’re so beautiful, Alex. It kills me to know that you don’t believe me. I’m the luckiest man alive to have you as my girlfriend. You have no idea.”

He kissed the side of my head, and I leaned into him, wrapping my arm around his waist. “If you keep saying things like this, Carter, I’m going to end up looking like a mess! You’re so sweet. I’m lucky too, to be able to call you my boyfriend.”

“Do you know how many glares I get on a daily basis?” I teased, but his lips remained pressed against the side of my head.

“Probably the same amount I get when I’m with you, babe!” His muffled words made me laugh. Lies. All lies.

“It’s true. I see guys checking you out all the time, so I make sure they know you’re mine and mine only. So, I get the glares too.”

I shook my head, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Knox had ordered a dessert for us to share. Sharing is caring, right? To my surprise, an assortment of cakes and pies arrived, each in small slices for us to try.

My eyes widened at the sight of them, my sweet tooth practically doing a happy dance. I fed Knox a piece of chocolate cake, his favorite, and noticed a smudge of icing on his lower lip. I leaned in, kissing him and tasting the icing.

“You had some icing on your lip,” I whispered, my tongue darting out to lick the remaining icing.

“Thanks. I should put icing on my lips more often then. I think icing is our thing. First, it was my mom’s cupcakes, and now this cake?”

He scooped up a piece of key lime pie and fed me some. I covered my mouth, laughing at his antics. “Your mom’s cupcakes though! I would get fat from eating them… But yeah, icing can be our thing. I remember that day so well. It started off pretty good but ended so badly.”

I sighed, thinking back to that day. As strange as that kiss was for me, I liked it. But then I had to go shopping with him. I had to get ignored. I had to get food with him. I had to get ignored.

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Then I just gave up. I couldn’t do it. The memory of that day weighed heavy on my heart.

“Hey, I know I didn’t stick up for you, Alex. And I should’ve. But I thought you were going to fight back. Then I saw your face when we got out of the car. Seeing you cry broke my heart in half.”

“I didn’t realize you were still sensitive after the breakup. I didn’t take that into consideration when I should’ve. I’m sorry that I didn’t stick up for you. I’ve been trying to make ”

“You don’t need to make up for it, Knox. What happened, happened. You can’t change the past, and you most certainly do not need to make it up to me,” I cut him off, his eyes focused on me, listening intently.

“Babe, I know you don’t feel like I need to, but I do. I can’t let that happen to you again. I don’t want to see you cry because of me. Ever. If you do cry because of me, I will comfort you and apologize endlessly.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his earnestness. His serious expression softened when he saw my smile. “Apologize endlessly?” I laughed, shaking my head. He was so naive about relationships. This was his first one, after all.

“Yeah? Isn’t that what boyfriends are supposed to do?” He asked, his face so innocent it was adorable. He reminded me so much of Adam.

“Kyle told me that in every fight or situation, the girl is always right, even if they’re wrong.” I laughed even harder at my brother’s advice.

After a few moments, I looked at him, biting the inside of my cheek. I stroked his face softly, and he leaned into my touch. “Knox, I’m not like normal girls. I will admit when I’m wrong. Not often, but I will… We will fight, but that’s how it goes. No relationship is perfect. But please, only apologize to me if you mean it.”

He nodded, taking a sip of his drink. He had limited himself to only one beer.

“I’ll always mean it, baby doll. I love you,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek as we finish off our dessert. Knox takes care of the bill–a very large bill.

I glance up at him, guilt gnawing at me. I should at least offer to pay for half. As I reach into my clutch to try to reimburse him, he grabs my hand and pulls me out the door.

“Knox! Wait, I need to get my-”

“No! As long as we’re dating, you’re not paying for anything. I won’t let you,” he insists, flashing a smile over his shoulder as he holds the door open for me. The darkness engulfs us until the flashes of cameras begin.

They’re so frequent, it’s almost like daylight. He pulls me closer to his body as we make our way to his car. I press my hand against his abdomen, feeling the hard ripples of his abs through his shirt.

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Once we reach the car, he opens the door for me. I buckle my seatbelt, watching the strangers snapping pictures of us. The door opens again, the overhead light illuminating the interior of the car.

As he slides into the driver’s seat, he takes my hand and starts the car. “Thank you for dinner, Knox. I really enjoyed it,” I say, glancing over at him. He grins back at me, leaning in for a kiss.

I meet him halfway, pressing my lips to his. As he focuses back on the road, he lifts our intertwined hands to his lips, pressing kisses to my knuckles every so often.

“You look so beautiful, babe. Every time I see you, it’s like the first time,” he says, breaking the

comfortable silence in the car.

I watch the trees blur together as we speed past them, the intermittent glow of the streetlights racing across the hood of the car. The cool air conditioning sends small chills up my spine.

“Ugh, Knox! Don’t get me started like last night!” I laugh, resting my head back against the headrest.

His laughter sends a surge of warmth through me. I love the sound of his laugh—it’s like music to my

ears.

“You were so cute last night, babe. Crying over Jack and Rose-”

“Stop! It’s one of the best love stories ever written. He died for her! No guy would ever do that!” I roll my eyes at him, teasing me about my emotional reaction to the movie.

“I would’ve done the same for you, baby doll,” he whispers so softly I almost miss it. My heart skips a beat at his words, and I feel his warm breath on the back of my hand.

“If it came to it, Carter, you wouldn’t have,” I tease, raising an eyebrow at him. I lean closer to him across the armrest, challenging him.

He leans in, not saying anything, just staring at me. His intense gaze sends butterflies fluttering in my

stomach.

His eyes glint in the dim light, and a smile tugs at his lips. He kisses the back of my hand again, watching my reaction.

As he turns his attention back to the road, I freeze at his next words.

“If you landed in New York and said your name was Alex Carter, I definitely would have,” he says, making me swallow hard.

My stomach twists into knots. My heart pounds in my chest as his eyes lock with mine. My breath comes in short, erratic bursts as I process his words.

Alex Carter.

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“Hey Becca! Open your eyes, sleepyhead! We’re almost at our hotel.”

I woke up startled. Ugh, my neck hurt. How had I managed to fall asleep during a thirty–minute ride? I turned my head and looked at my best friend, Kate.

She practically jumped with excitement, sitting behind the steering wheel of my Prius.

“Why are you yelling?”

“Are you kidding me?! Tomorrow you and I will be settling into our dorm, and tonight we are going to our first college party at the infamous Kappa Alpha fraternity! I don’t even know which I am more excited about!”

“Let me guess? I bet it’s the party!” I laughed because she’d noticed my sarcastic tone of voice and frowned.

“You’re no fun!”

“Sorry, Kate, I promise to behave.”

“I honestly can’t believe that our parents let us leave for college before tomorrow’s move–in day. I thought we would be coming here with them in tow, but I guess the fact that we’re both eighteen and never got into any trouble, they let it slide! I’m glad they don’t know our secrets!”

She winked at me, and I laughed.

“So, tonight is the party, and it will probably be my first one–night stand at college,” Kate continued. “Tomorrow, we will meet our parents and get settled into our dormitory!”

“Do we need to go to the party? Maybe we could just take a walk around town and find our way to the dormitory?”

“Rebecca Dawson, you’re starting to piss me off! We had a deal! You promised me you would go with me to this fucking party, and you will go with me. Even if I have to drag you there!”

“Okay, Kitty Kate, I give up. No need for violence!”

“Good girl, you know I love you. Besides, why do you need to walk around town? Home is only thirty minutes away. We have been here hundreds of times, and it’s a small town, nothing like the Big Apple, where you can be lost within a few minutes!”

“You have a solid point, girl. How long until we get to our hotel? I need to use the bathroom badly.”

“First you fell asleep, now you want to pee… Where is my best friend and what did you do to her, old lady?”

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“Shut up, Kate!” I lightly smacked her thigh, and she laughed.

“Well, thanks to my driving skills, we’re here! Go check us in, and I will park your

I groaned but followed her orders.

Later, Kate caught up with me as I strolled to the room we had just checked into.

car.”

I took my time using the bathroom and then walked back into the room to find Kate already in her lacy red underwear, staring at two dresses on the bed.

“You should go with the strapless pink dress. You look sexy in it.” I plopped myself down on my bed and looked at my friend. Her nose wrinkled with concern.

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah, but you will need to choose a strapless bra.”

“Consider it done.”

Kate laughed, unclasped her bra straps, and put on the pink dress I suggested. She looked stunning and unbelievably sexy.

Red curls enveloped her baby doll face, with its full lips and light green eyes. She already had makeup on, and it only made her look more beautiful, and also more mature. But I guessed that was her intention. We would be freshmen at the party, and she didn’t want that fact to stand out to everyone.

“You look perfect, Kate. That dress hugs all your curves in all the right places, and your cleavage… God, I almost pity the boys at the party!”

Kate spun in front of the mirror, looking at herself from all sides. She winked at her reflection and

turned to me.

“Yeah, I am dressed to impress and seduce one of the fraternity guys tonight! Are you sure that my round ass looks good in it?” She threw me a questioning look, and I nodded with a smile, which she

returned.

“Becca, I can’t believe that in three days we will start college! It’s like my dream come true! I am going to study with my best friend in the whole world, and we are both finally single!”

She shut up almost immediately after spilling out those last words and looked at me for my reaction. I shrugged my shoulders; I didn’t want to think about my newly single life tonight.

Kate noticed my movement and tried to ease the atmosphere.

“The most important question now is, what are you planning to wear tonight?”

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I shrugged again because, truth be told, I didn’t care.

I didn’t want to go to this party, and I would have been perfectly fine arriving here with my parents tomorrow. But Kate made me come, she drove us here and even chose this hotel for the night. I sighed.

“I brought only one dress with me. This.”

I dug in my travel bag and pulled out a white summer dress. It was a scalloped lace, A–line dress with three–quarter sleeves, and it contrasted with my tanned skin.

I changed into it without hesitation and without waiting for Kate’s approval. I knew she wanted us to look sexy tonight, but I was going to look lovely. I put on blue flats and let my brown hair down, tossing it around a little. Since my hair was often braided, it had a slight curl at the ends now, just the way I

loved it.

“Please, tell me that at least you’ll let me do your makeup?”

“No, I’m good,” I answered.

I applied colorless lip gloss to moisturize my lips and added green push–up mascara to my eyelashes.

Kate and I both had green eyes, but mine were a darker shade. My mom had always told me that my eyes were almost emerald green.

When she saw me for the first time as a baby, she thought my name should be Dorothy. Thanks to my grandmother who didn’t let her do that! I loved my name, my full name actually–Rebecca–but as most of my friends called me Becca, I got used to that.

“Well, I must say. You look stunning, even in this boring dress.”

I pouted my lips at Kate, and she laughed.

“It’s a lovely dress, but I was hoping for something sexier, you know. But I guess, as long as this dress highlights your slim waist, big boobs, and long legs–I’m okay with it. Even if your round hips and tight ass will stay hidden from everyone.”

“We always have your ass and hips on display anyway, right?” I winked at her and walked to the door. “Do you even know where this party is?”

“You forgot that I had a spring fling with a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity last year? Of course,

I know,” Kate answered and walked next to me.

She put her hand on my hip. “Ready?”

“Always.” I smiled, and we sauntered out of our room.

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My phone buzzes on the dressing table where I’m sitting, doing my hair and makeup for my date tonight. It feels like a dream, and any minute I’m going to wake up and I’ll be in my bed in Cali.

I burst out laughing at his message, but my two best friends are too engrossed in their song to notice. I quickly type back a reply, chuckling to myself.

His response is immediate.

I finish curling the last strand of hair around the wand, then grab the texture spray. I spritz a small amount into my hands and work it through my hair, breaking up the curls.

Slipping into my lilac dress and stepping into my strappy heels, I tousle my hair until it falls in loose waves, I swipe on a layer of pink lip balm and turn to face my friends, who have fallen silent.

“You look amazing, Alex! Can I borrow”

“Yes,” I interrupt Andy, rolling my eyes at her. We’re all the same size, which is fortunate. We often borrow each other’s clothes.

“Okay, let’s go!” I grab my clutch and unlock the door. My best friends fall into step behind me. As I descend the stairs, I see him waiting by the door, chatting with the guys.

He halts mid–sentence to watch me make my way down. His smile grows wider with each step I take in my heels. Once I reach the bottom step, he extends his hand to assist me.

“You look beautiful, Alex,” he murmurs. I blush and smile at him. I take a few more steps closer to him and he leans down to kiss me softly.

“You look handsome, Knox,” I manage to say, my breath hitching at the sight of him. He’s dressed in a

black suit with no tie, a crisp white shirt neatly tucked in. His hair is tamed back, but still casual.

He looks so delicious.

Taking my hand, we wave everyone off and I slide into the car. I wait for him to walk around and get into the driver’s seat. Once he’s in, he takes hold of my hand.

I can’t stop staring at him. He’s so sexy, and he’s all mine.

I’m so engrossed in him that I don’t realize the car has stopped until he turns to me with a wide grin on his face.

Then the flashes surround us in the vehicle.

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