Page 88 of From Us, Forever

He nodded. “Are you thinking about your last stint with an agent?”

“Not really. I just don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“You’ll be amazing, no matter what.” He sauntered to me and placed a kiss on my forehead. “Don’t overthink and just do it, okay?”

“Okay.” I nodded, smiling. “I’ll do my best.”

“Figured I’d find you here,” Jay’s deep voice echoed through the empty room, almost making me jump out of my skin.

I held my pounding heart as I turned to him. “Gosh, you scared…” The words stuck in my throat as my eyes scanned over his shirtless form, leaning over the doorframe, dripping with sweat.

The workout tank that he usually wore was long gone, and he used it to wipe his wet hair.

“Tongue-tied?” He smirked, folding his arms across his chest, which only made the muscles in his arms pop.

“What do you want?” I asked, a flare of annoyance shot through my bones.

Fucking asshole was too hot and gorgeous, and the worst thing was that he knew it.

So did a million other people and some reputable magazines in the world.

“I was coming in tocheck on you before I got ready.”

I nodded, dragging the cloth over the beautiful foiled spine of the book I held.

I had some time to kill and couldn’t sit still thinking about my meeting with Angela tomorrow, so I decided to clean up the library. Which was a place I constantly used now.

It was no longer desolate and lifeless. I had filled up the table with my laptop, pink notebooks, and glitter pens. I stuffed the window nook with a few pink dolls and pillows I stole from the pink room.

Even going inside the room that Jay made for me made me emotional.

My nerves always thrummed with a wild feeling just at the sight of it. Looking at the pictures, the presents, the memorieswe collected, and all the love he poured for me inside a square room, I was usually a crying mess when I stepped out.

“Why are you doing this? Don’t we have a cleaner?”

I shrugged, giving him a nonchalant look. “I’m used to it. Plus, you know how I don’t like others touching my things. Did you know that some of these are first editions?” I gestured to themassive collection of books lined up on the dark walnut shelves left by the previous owners. “They could sell for a few thousand.”

“I had no clue; you can sell them if you want.”

My eyes widened. “What, no! Just let them be. They are pretty, and I was thinking of reading a few.”

“Okay.” He chuckled, watching my every move as I placed the books back on the shelves. “Those ones are empty.” He pointed at the shelf at the far end.

“Yeah, I took them out. They were other language books and some study textbooks. I thought you could donate them.”

“Good idea. And you could fill it up with your collection.”

“That’s what I was planning to do.” I gestured to the two boxes full of books that I brought from my old apartment.

“Good.” He smiled before a sigh left his lips. “I miss you already.”

I sighed. “Yeah, me too.”

Jay was leaving for LA for some event that he couldn’t miss. I was supposed to tag along with him and face my fear of returning to that ominous city, but since I had a meeting I couldn’t miss, I was staying back home.

My soft eyes met his. It’s only for two days, but I felt like crying. After being inseparable for the past couple of months, this was the first time we were going to be apart.

In two quick strides, he was right at my face, barely an inch away from me. “I love you.”

---