Page 3 of Forever Mine

Yeah, that was something I was still struggling with. I didn’t get to have nice things. I was a fuckin’ deadbeat street kid. I didn’t deserve shit like this.

It was crazy how much things had changed in the last year. Since I was little, it had just been me, my best friend Beckett, and his kid-brother, well step-brother, Riley just trying to survive. Sure, I had my ma, but most of the time, she was too lost in the bottle to remember she even had a fuckin’ kid. As we got older, not much changed. We still had shitty parents we were responsible for keeping alive and we did whatever we could to get by.

Then things started to change. Beck and Riley fell in love, my mom died, and I met Dakota. Suddenly, I wasn’t just the third wheel to Beck and Riley. I had someone. Someone who cared about me. Someone who would put me first. Someone I could trust and lean on. Someone I loved, even if I hadn’t been able to say the words yet. It was fuckin’ wild, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.

Then things got even stranger when Riley realized he had a dad out there that actually gave a shit about him, and next thing we knew, we were moving into a two-bedroom apartment, with more security than a busted-up lock, and no bloodstains on the carpet. What was even life?

I held Dakota tighter, like he would somehow slip away if I wasn’t squeezing the life outta him. Every time he was out of my sight—shit, every time I closed my eyes—I was sure it would be the last time I’d see him. Someone as good and pure as Dakota deserved so much more than I could ever give him, and I was just biding my time till he realized it.

Dakota’s alarm went off. It was his reminder that he needed to get up and get ready for his weekly family dinner. Seriously. I was dating a man that went to his parents’ houseevery weekfor a family dinner. Everyone went—his siblings, their kids, even some aunts and uncles sometimes. I’d never even heard of such a thing outside of movies before. I didn’t think families like that existed, but Dakota was proof that they did.

Reluctantly, I let Dakota go so he could get dressed. Immediately my heart started hammering in my chest. He hadn’t even left yet, and I was already melting down. There was something wrong with me.

As usual, Dakota could see right through me and climbed back into his bed. “I won’t be gone long. You can stay here, you know? You don’t have to leave the apartment every time I do. I trust you.”

I shivered. Did he know what those words did to me? How much they meant to me? I smiled and shrugged. “It’s all good. I agreed to pick up an extra shift anyway. Gotta save all the money I can before the move.”

“Yeah, okay. But you don’t need to keep making excuses to leave. I like you being here.”

I turned away and climbed off the bed, needing space. Fuck, I was a mess. Dakota didn’t get it. There was no way he could. But I couldn’t stay at his apartment when he was gone. It would be too real that way. Way too hard to get over him when he left me.

But I was Jay Parks. I didn’t get hung up on my feelings. I let shit go with a smile and a joke.

“Baby, talk to me.”

Dakota stood in front of me, cupping both my cheeks and lowering my head so we were eye level. I might’ve had nearly seven inches of height on him, but it never felt like that when we were together. He was like Riley that way. Height meant nothing.

I forced another grin. “Nothin’ to talk about. I’m fine. Go on and get dressed. Your ma always sends the best leftovers. I don’t want her to get mad at me for makin’ you late and decide not to send them. What did you say she was cookin’ today?”

Dakota wasn’t buying it for one minute. “You know, if you came you wouldn’t have to eat reheated leftovers. My parents would love to meet you.”

I wrenched away from his hold before I puked all over him. It wasn’t the first time he mentioned me coming with him to one of these dinners, but that was even worse than staying at his apartment on my own. He swore his family wouldn’t judge me, that they would love me, but it was impossible. They’d take one look at me and know I wasn’t good for their son and then Dakota would realize it too.

“Maybe. One day.” I tried to act like I didn’t notice how Dakota’s face fell. Fuck, I was an asshole. “I’m sorry, Kota. I’m tryin’.”

“I know you are. Jay, it’s okay, it’s no rush. But I swear I’d never put you in a position where you’d be uncomfortable. My family would love you.”

I snorted and walked to the other side of the room to find my clothes. I needed to get the fuck outta here. I was all over the place.

“Yeah, I’m sure every parent wants their kid with the tatted-up, drug-dealing, practically homeless street kid. I’m a fuckin’ catch.” I tried to say it in a joking tone, but no one was buying it.

“Jay, you’re so much more than that. Besides, I told you my parents won’t care about any of that. They’ll only care about how you treat me and what you’re doing now. I know I told you my dad grew up on the streets, right? He used to run with the Irish mob back in the day. They get it.”

“Look, can we not talk about this right now? I gotta get to work, and you gotta get to their house. I promise I’ll try. I’m just—fuck, just not yet, okay?”

Dakota sighed, resigned. It sucked how I made his face fall and his shoulders slump like that. I hated hurting him, but that was all I ever fucking did.

“Yeah, that’s fine. Just know my mom only has so much patience. She is honoring our wishes now to give you somespace, but that will only last a little longer before she shows up at my place because she ‘happened to be in the neighborhood.’”

I glared at Dakota, but he looked completely fuckin’ serious. “For real? She’d do that?”

“Oh, without a doubt.” Dakota shrugged unbothered. “I’ll hold her off as long as possible, but baby? It’s time you start to come to terms with the fact that this is the real deal, and I’m not going anywhere.” He grabbed his underwear and gave me a quick kiss. He went to step back but my fingers curled into his reddish brown hair, keeping him inplace. I was hot and cold, but I couldn’t let him go yet.

I deepened the kiss, melting into him. He always tasted so good. Even after a twelve-hour shift at the hospital, he tasted minty and sweet, and I couldn’t get enough. I back-walked Dakota, never breaking the kiss until his back was pushed against the wall.

“Fuck, darlin’. I just can’t get enough of you. I don’t know how I’ll be able to let you go.”

Dakota’s expression was fierce as his eyes met mine. “You never have to, Jay. I’m not going anywhere.”

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