Page 101 of The Forbidden
A big reason I pushed Anais away was because of my best friend and how he would react. Right now, I couldn’t give a fuck about Harrison or his feelings. The only image flashing in my mind is Anais’s face. The hurt, the absolute devastation as she stared at me, silently begging me to choose her. My chest tightens painfully, the ache of loss slowly spreading through my body, making me numb. I squeeze my eyes shut, desperate to erase the memory ofher… but it won’t fucking go. I grit my teeth, trying to stem the unfamiliar emotions swirling inside me and rub at my chest. Jesus Christ. Am I having a heart attack?
And in that moment, something unsettling stirs in my gut. It hits me with a mix of horror and resignation. My brainis slow to engage but when it does, I realize the worst has happened.
I love the fucking brat.
I’m in love with Anais Lauder.
As much as I didn’t want it to be true, Anais is right. No matter how much I tried to fight it, how much I denied it, I have feelings for her. Real, inconvenient, fucking feelings.
I scrub a hand down my tired face.
Well, this wasn’t how things were supposed to go. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I should’ve known better. There was only one way this was going to end. And it wasn’t how I initially thought. Fuck. I have to hand it to the tenacious little thing; she really fucking worked her voodoo on me. Like a little thief in the night, Anais Lauder slipped past the walls I built and stole my heart without a second thought. And now? I’m fucking screwed in the worst possible way.
How do I tell her I love her?
How do I admit to my friend that I’ve fallen in love with his little sister?
I shake my head. Harrison is the least of my worries right now. With the look on Anais’s face when she walked out of here, defeated and a shell of her usual feisty self, she really is done with me. I need to catch her before she leaves, tell her how I really feel. Then I can deal with the fallout I know is coming.
I glance at all my friends, grimacing when I once again meet Jameson’s disappointed gaze. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “You need to fix this.”
I swallow over the lump in my throat. “Yeah.”
“I know he warned us all, but fuck what Harrison thinks, Maxwell,” Nathanial adds bluntly. “Anyone with eyes can see you’re in love with that girl.”
My immediate reaction is to deny it, but what’s the point?
“I’d hate to be you when Harrison gets ahold of you. But if you want to be with Anais, go get her.” Hayes contributes.
I look between them. My friends. Supportive no matter what.
My heart hammers in my chest as I look around at them. Inhaling a breath, I am up out of my seat, my feet pounding the tiled floor as I rush out of the apartment, trying to catch the woman who somehow caught me. I made a mistake not speaking up back there, and now I need her to know the truth.
Anais was brave. I have to be, too.
Sprinting past my best friend, I hit the elevator call button, hoping I’m not too late.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Harrison barks, but I ignore him. My frantic gaze scans the hall, landing on the door to the stairwell. When it becomes clear the elevator won’t be making an appearance anytime soon, I rush over, bursting through the door. As fast as I can - in a suit and dress shoes - I race down the stairs, praying to everything holy, I catch Anais before she leaves the building.
I’m probably being delusional considering I’m thirty floors up, but I at least have to try. Flying down the stairs, with the grace of a madman, I ignore the sweat trickling down my spine. Another balustrade blurs past as I descend another flight of stairs. I hit the landing hard, my dress shoes skidding out from under me. My hand flies out, grabbing the handrail, barely catching myself before I fall on my ass.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I curse under my breath, laughing sardonically.
If anyone could see me now. The always composed Evan Maxwell, sweating and chasing after a woman. No one would believe it. It’s unheard of. Me? A mess? No way. I’m the embodiment of cool, calm and collected. Yet, here I am, unraveling like an idiot. I just hope Anais sees what I’m doing,appreciates my efforts, and the lengths I’m going to… all to make her mine.
Maybe it’s too little, too late.That annoying voice whispers, and I growl, shoving it down.
It’s never too late.
Not for me and her.
Composing myself, I race down the remaining flights with the speed of someone looking to represent his country in the Olympics.
Finally, after what feels like hours, I burst into the lobby and freeze, ignoring all alarmed eyes on me, as I frantically scan the area for any sign of my brat. My gaze lands on the glass doors, heart sinking when I see Harrison’s town car pull away into traffic.
Eyes squeezed shut, I fall to my knees, trying to suck in air. My chest tightens, an ache radiating through my body. My palms hit the back of my head, as I stare up at the ceiling. Every little moment, every word, plays over in my mind on a reel. I fucked up.
Ireallyfucked up.
