Page 121 of From Us, Forever

It took me a second for my brain to start working again and push him away. “Jay, I need to get ready. You can’t distract me like that,” I chided, straddling him while he just grinned, feeling me up.

My eyes roamed over the thin vertical scar above his umbilicus. Although it was healed, it still looked red and puckered. “Does it still hurt?”

“Nope.” His hand ventured up, squeezing my breast. “What really hurts is you looking at me like that.”

“Ass.” I twisted his nipple, climbing off him. “Shower first,” I said, dashing to the bathroom.

“I love showers.” The grin didn’t leave his face as he followed me.

An hour later, I was biding time, smoothing my palms over the invisible crinkles in my skirt. I chose to wear a plaid pink tweed jacket and matching skirt; I paired it with Grandma’s pearl earrings and Auntie M’s open-toe pumps. That way, they were always with me.

“You look perfect,” Jay whispered from behind me.

I gave him a jittery smile from the mirror. He looked dapper in his long-sleeved navy polos and slacks, molding over his body in all the right places. He had grown out his hair. It was longer, curling just over his neck with a few pieces falling over his forehead like art. Those blue eyes seemed to shine brighter as they watched me gawk at him.

I blushed, averting my gaze back to myself, smiling at the mirror. I had gained a bit of weight and it added to my cheeks and hips. I wasn’t complaining because I looked happy—Iwashappy.

The past few months had changed us a lot. We had grown so much together and as individuals, basking in the calm of our slow days and enjoying every moment rather than rushing it. Nothing from the outside world touched us, and we reveled in it.

“Ready to go?”

I nodded, lacing my fingers with his as we headed out.

We planned to go to the local bookstore to see my book on the stands. They were officially going live at noon today, but Angela let me know that the shelves had already been stocked. I wasn’t as nervous as I hoped I’d be. I was actually excited to see the fruits of my labor in reality.

Jay adjusted his baseball cap over his head, donning a pair of Ray-Bans before we exited the car. Even though the store was practically empty at this time of the day, we could never be too careful. The whole band and the girls wanted to join us, but we couldn’t risk a crowd in case they got recognized. The store didn’t have that kind of security, and Jay insisted that today was my day and that his popularity shouldn’t ruin it. So instead, we were having a little party later at our place.

“Evelyn, congratulations!” Angela greeted me with a hug, smiling. “You’re officially a published author now. How does it feel?”

“Thanks, Angela, and I feel great,” I said softly. “And it’s only possible because of you. So thank you.”

It wasn’t long after our meeting that she called to inform me that we already had a publisher interested in my work, and the rest was just a breeze. Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without her because publishing a book was a lot different from writing it.

“You’re worth it, Evy.”

Glancing back, I tugged Jay closer to me. “Meet my boyfriend, J.J. You might know him if you’re into rock music.”

Jay’s lips curved into a wide smile, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Angela. Thank you for helping my girl with her dream.”

She flushed, shaking his hand. “Likewise,” she muttered, starstruck. I laughed internally because it seemed so out of character for her. She was always so put together and serene. But it’s not every day you get to meet a rock star, and I must say Jay did have that charm—it even got me from time to time although, at this point, I should be immune to it.

“This way.” She nodded, pointing toward the far-right end table with a sign that said New Release.

I held my breath as my eyes searched for my book, anchoring myself with the strength of the man holding my hand.

And there it was, stacked in a row, my name in print.

“Here it is. It all came out perfectly,” Angela commented.

“I agree,” I said as I held a copy in my hand. Even though I had proof copies at home, it wasn’t anything like this. I simply named itMe & You—very generic and unoriginal, I know. But this book was about Jay and me—our love, the highs and the lows, and the in-betweens. Nothing more, nothing less.

I had chosen a muted blue for the cover instead of pink; it was the exact shade of his eyes—a blue that made me want to drown every time I looked into them, a blue that was secretly my favorite color, but I would never admit that out loud, especially to him.

“It’s beautiful, sweetheart.” Jay hovered behind me, his arm loosely around my waist.

“Thanks,” I mumbled. Pulling out a marker from my purse, I swiped to the title page and signed it, adding an “I love you” at the bottom. “Here.” I spun in his embrace, holding it out to him. “My first signed copy. Just like I promised you all those years ago,” I said softly.

His eyes flashed to me, and my heart tugged at the emotions crossing through them.

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