KNOCKOUT

Chapter 13

The phone rings loudly, startling both Holden and I. We turn our eyes away from the movie and toward Holden's frantic cell phone. Holden grabs the small piece of technology, furrowing his eyebrows at whatever is on the screen.

"Who is it?" I ask, unsheathing myself from the heavy blanket.

"Mrs. Darling."

"Answer it!"

He obliges to my request, shifting the phone to speaker so I can hear alongside him. We sit arm to arm and I lay my head on his shoulder, reveling in the closeness. Sterling flies out here next week to get me, so I don't have much time left with him.

The thought breaks my heart, but I know it needs to happen.

"Mr. Samuels, are you and Ms. Stevens together right now?"

"Yes," he says, turning to look at me. "You're on speaker, we can both hear you."

"Perfect." I can tell by her tone she's smiling, but I'm unsure of why. Losing Holden's case put a large dent in her career ⎯ I figured she'd be miserable about it. "I need the two of you to come to the courthouse, please."

"When?"

"Right now, actually."

Holden raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug, silently answering his question. I don't know why she needs us at the courthouse, but nothing can hurt at this point.

"We'll be there in about ten minutes."

Without another word, Mrs. Darling hangs up on us. I slip on some shoes, not bothering to change out of my sweatpants and one of Holden's shirts. As we walk toward the door, Holden hands me a jacket, bringing a smile to my face. It's something so small and meaningless, but it feels like the world. I wrap the fabric around my shoulders and follow him out to the rental car.

"Doesn't this seem a bit strange to you, petal?"

I shrug, closing the door behind me to block the wind. He starts the tiny car, waiting for my answer as he turns out onto the street.

"I guess. It just seems random, really. We've had the verdict for days, why call now?"

"Exactly," he nods. "We need a subject change before I keep thinking about it."

"Okay, new subject?"

He laughs to himself before finally speaking, "James Franco with Seth Rogan or Will Ferrell with John C. Reilly?"

"Fuck me," I groan loudly, resting my head back against the seat.

"Answer," Holden demands.

"It's not a fair question!"

Holden laughs loudly, throwing his head back and crinkling his eyes. I try to swallow the sound, to wrap it up in my mind so it can be mine forever.

I sigh, "Stepbrothers is one of the greatest movies of our generation, H. Seriously. It's a perfect comedic balance. Ferrell and Reilly work beautifully together. The scene where the two fight in the front yard? Genius. And when they interview for jobs together? Seth Rogan even had a cameo! It's a cinematic masterpiece."

"But?" Holden presses, enjoying my distress over something so simple.

"But James Franco and Seth Rogan are comedy best friend goals."

"What?"

Holden keeps his eyes trained on the road, but uses his free hand to move across the console and rest on my leg. I look over at Holden, focused on the way his curls wrap around his head when he leaves his hair down. His jaw is so sharp, only a little bit of stubble left from his shave yesterday. His tongue sweeps across his bottom lip, trying to get rid of the chapped feeling. But his eyes. His eyes are the centerpiece of his entire being, magnificent attributes capable of capturing anybody's attention.