Page 18 of From Us, Forever

I shook my head. “I can’t accept it.” I pushed the key back to him, my heart pounding. “I’m glad you have it, but it’s too much.”

He shook his head, closing my fingers over the key in a fist. “I bought it for you. It isyours, and it will always be yours. Now you have a home that you can always go back to, Evelyn.”

A single salty trickle escaped from the corner of my eye, and my vision glassed as I clutched him tight, tucking my head in his chest. “Thank you,” I whispered through the array of emotions clouding my senses.

I always thought that he was my home, and he always would be, but that worn-down blue-painted house in Bellevue was also my home because of its memories.

Every nook and cranny held a memory that was close to my heart. Memories of me falling in love with Jay and the best years I spent with Auntie M. I would give anything to go back to those days, and that house was proof of that.

And now it was mine.

CHAPTER 5

A weird sense of trepidation flowed through my gut from the moment I woke up the following morning and found that Jay wasn’t by my side.

He always was.

He even switched his workout time so he could wake up with me.

So where was he?

Maybe he didn’t get enough sleep last night.

Or maybe something woke him up.

Or maybe it was nothing at all.

It was past ten o’clock so he was probably making breakfast. I knew he was anearly riser, unlike me who loved to sleep in.

I eased out of bed and carried my half-awake self out the door.

The entire apartment was quiet as I descended the stairs, which only made my heart thunder with every step I took.

Hushed whispers carried through the walls as I trudged down the hallway, and my stomach twisted with unease for some reason.

Maybe Jay had a guest or guests, given three distinct voices thatreached my ears.

My heart settled a little when I saw that it was Jay, Matt, and Mikey hunched down in the living room in deep discussion, their expression grim and serious.

“Jay.” My feet carried me toward him on their own accord. A disturbed look swept across his face, but his eyes softened when he saw me approach.

“Morning, sweetheart. Sleep good?” he asked as I dropped down beside him.

I nodded, waving to the boys. They were all still in their hoodies and sweatpants, so whatever caused this early morning meeting was unplanned.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, cutting straight to the chase. Ever so impatient as always.

Jay heaved a sigh, his vacant eyes glancing at me. “Dorian was found dead this morning.”

Lines formed in the corners of my eyes, and I had a minute of confusion before I understood who he was talking about. “Dorian? White’s father?”

“Yes,” Jay replied.

“But he was fine. He was just here a couple of weeks ago.” My brows knotted as I reeled back to his unwelcome visit with his daughter. “What happened to him?” I whispered.

Jay’s eyes were rooted on the floor as I shifted my gaze to Mikey.

“They are saying it was suicide,” Mikey admitted, leaning forward as he propped his elbows on his knees. “We still don’t know the details. But the news was confirmed this morning. It happened last night.”

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