Page 61 of Forever Always

“I ain’t takin’ you on a cruise, butterfly. We’ll be fine. Now go on. Go, so we can get goin’.”

Riley’s frown turned into a smile, though he still looked a little unsure.

I smacked his thigh playfully. “Go, butterfly.”

The smile came for real this time, and he leaned over and kissed me quickly before scrambling outta the bed and to the bathroom.

Once I heard the shower, I finished getting dressed before I stumbled out of the room to find some coffee. My body was starting to ache, and I wished I’d thought to grab the painkillers while I was still in the bathroom.

When I made my way to the main rooms, I noticed everything was cleaned up. All the broken glass was in the trash, and someone made an effort to try and clean up the carpet, though that thing was a lost cause already. I really didn’t deserve Jay. He was the best fuckin’ friend.

Jay was sleepin’ on the couch but shot up when I came in.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He waved me away. “It’s all good.”

I went and took a seat next to him on the couch. “Ri and I are goin’ out, so you can take the bed if you want.”

He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand and nodded. “I’mma take you up on that. I’m fucking exhausted.”

Guilt churned when I remembered last night. I knocked his shoulder. “Thank you for everything. I’m really sorry about yesterday.”

Jay sighed. “It’s all good. I was pissed but mostly cause I was scared. I get why you did it, and I’d probably have done the same. Just don’t fuckin’ do it again.”

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. Jay leaned back, his head against mine. “I won’t. And was everything else okay? With him? I shoulda checked last night. I was just . . .”

“Bro, get over yourself. You had enough shit to deal with. I dropped the fucker off at his place. I even had Dakota look at him, said nothin’ was broken.”

I side-eyed him. “So, you and Dakota, huh?”

Jay smiled, lighting up in a way I rarely saw. “I really like him, Becks. Thanks for handlin’ that with him. I would’ve hated if y’all had issues.”

“He’s a good guy. Was just tryin’ to protect you. Nothin’ wrong with that.”

“Yeah, I know. Actually, he invited me to spend a few nights at his place. I think I’m gonna.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. That was . . . fast. “Shit, really? It’s not cause of us, right? You know you’re always welcome here.”

“I know, man. And no. Though, you and Ri need some privacy for a bit. But I just—I don’t know. He makes me feel like maybe I’m not as big of a fuckup as I really am. It just feels good. And I know we’re movin’ fast, but nothin’ has ever felt so right before. Am I being a dumbass?”

“The only reason you’re a dumbass is for sayin’ you’re a fuckup. We’re all a little fucked up, yeah, but you’re makin’ the most outta a shitty situation.”

Jay glared at me. “I couldn’t even keep my crap hole apartment I shared with my drunk mom. How am I not a fuckup?”

It was a sensitive subject. He’d ended up breaking the lease after his mom died since he couldn’t afford it completely on his own. Not that she could work, but she’d been getting some kind of social security or something and without that, he couldn’t manage. It sucked, but it didn’t mean he was a screwup. That was just life.

Jay squeezed my thigh. “I don’t wanna talk about that right now. I just wanted to let you know I probably won’t be here when you get home tonight, so don’t worry. I’ll be back in a few days.”

“Okay, man. Whenever you need it, you can stay.”

“I know. Thanks, Becks.”

“Course. We’re family.”

I hauled myself off the couch after another minute and started making coffee for all three of us. I got an idea and quickly started to make some sandwiches and shove some snacks we had into my backpack while Ri was still showering. I even had time to set up some plans for our date. I heard the water shut off just in time. I brought Ri’s coffee into the bedroom and drank mine while I watched him get changed.

Half an hour later, we were finally on our way out.

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