“Yeah," Knox wheezes softly, his eyes shining with quiet humor. “Guess… guess it takes two in the chest to knock the asshole out of me, huh?"
“There's still a little bit left," I say, wiping a tear from my cheek with the back of my hand. “You’re a pretty irredeemable asshole."
The heavy, metallic stench of the warehouse seems to soften as Knox turns his head slightly, his eyes tracing the broken lines of the rafters. His breathing is a fragile, shallow whisper now, but the desperate panic has completely vanished from his frame.
"Hey, Zara,” Knox rasps, his fingers pressing weakly against mine. "Do you... do you know when I actually noticed you? Like... really noticed you for the first time, back when I was still Mayhem’s best friend?”
My brow furrows slightly in surprise. I look down a
