Page 38 of A Forever Love

“And here I thought you were a kind person.”

“You don’t need kindness right now. You need someone to remind you that you’re being stupid. Why do you do this every year?”

“It’s not every year.”

“Last year, I found you in the storage cabinet of your office. It’s good that I can track your live location.”

“Don’t push me too much. I can easily turn off my location sharing.”

She gasps, her eyes widening. “You wouldn’t dare.”

A sly grin forms on my lips. “Just don’t hurl insults at me like stupid, idiot, or dickhead.”

“Then don’t behave like this.”

I rise from the chair and make my way to the couch. I’m so disoriented that I collapse on the floor instead. “You should go. I’m not great company right now.”

“I’m not leaving,” Merida says as she joins me on the floor, bringing the noodle cups with her.

“Sometimes I get the feeling you’re like a loyal puppy, and I’m the bone.” No matter how much I argue with Merida, I know she won’t leave tonight. Her care for me remains steadfast, unconditional, and selfless, even stronger than my mom’s, who chose that asshole over me again tonight. She playfully kicks my leg, and in my intoxicated state, I stumble and end up falling on top of her.

“Thank your stars that I love you, or I might have broken your nose for calling me a dog.”

My head lands on her lap. “You should do that,” I say, my words slurring a little. “Not to me, but to anyone who makes you doubt yourself.”

A brief silence envelops us, broken when Merida gently places her hand on my head. “Did you ask your mom again?”

“I just want to know my biological father’s name. That’s all. I can handle the rest on my own.”

“Uncle Connor is your father, Carter. He adopted you, gave you his name. To him, you’re not just a nephew. He truly considers you his own. I’ve learned from watching my dad mourn my mom for a decade that delving into the past rarely leads to anything positive. You have a bright future ahead of you here. Why not focus on that?”

“Because to achieve greatness in the future, you need to know what made you.”

“Isn’t it enough that your mom, Lily King, brought you into this world, and your uncle, Connor King, raised you?”

As I remain silent, Merida shifts her leg slightly, prompting me to sit up. She then places the pink box in front of me on the floor. “I got you a birthday cake.”

Inside the box is a single blackberry lavender chocolate cupcake.

11

MERIDA

It’s fine. Maybe it’s time for me to confront my fears instead of avoiding them.

Yeah, that sounds like a completely rational plan.

My gaze shifts to the pastel yellow sundress I selected for myself. Now, however, I’m rethinking my choice because I’ve just remembered that yellow is Carter’s favorite color. I’m torn between searching for something else that’s entirely devoid of yellow or wrestling with the notion if this is my strategy to move on from him—second-guessing such a small decision.

“This is ridiculous.” I pivot away from the bed and the neatly laid-out dress. Instead, I opt for my green silk blouse and black pants.

When I’m finally ready, the clock reads eight fifteen. I lock my door and expect to see Carter in the lobby, berating me for being late. However, he’s nowhere to be found. I press his doorbell a few times and even give him a call. An image of Carter sitting in his bathroom with a half-empty Scotch bottle hits me like a freight train. No, his birthday is still months away!

“Carter.” I knock on the door, hoping against hope that he’ll somehow hear me even if he didn’t respond to the doorbell. Just as I’m about to turn away and go find Sam, a realization strikes me—the golden key has been hanging on my keychain since last night.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I insert the key into the lock and twist the knob.

“Carter,” I call out, sprinting through the vacant living room with a sense of urgency. There’s no time to waste. His apartment mirrors mine so accurately that it feels almost instinctual. Following an inner compass, I traverse his bedroom and push open the bathroom door, only to encounter Carter stepping out of the shower. Steam surrounds him like a sensual mist, revealing the chiseled lines of his glistening body.

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