Page 41 of Forever Yours

He opened his mouth, shut it, opened it a second time. “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. He loves you, El. Elizabeth coming back, whenever the hell that’ll be, won’t change that.”

I wasn’t so sure.

Standing up, I released a tiny bit of the turmoil I was feeling by kicking at the side of the stair railing.

“I’m tired of competing for his attention, and I’m tired of second-guessing if I would be the person he would choose if… no, when she returns. And I’m so very fucking sick and tired of all the sleepless nights, mood swings, drunken brawls, and cleaning up puke. But most of all, I’m tired of her being the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up and the last thing when he passes out. Where the fuck do I fit in anymore?” I pounded my chest above my heart with a clenched fist, and my voice cracked when I lamented, “Love shouldn’t hurt this much.”

His face crumbled in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, and he reached for me. “Jesus, El. God, you’re kil—”

“Hey.”

Fallon and I turned to find Julien standing in the open doorway, the light from inside filtering out and bending around his tall frame. So goddamn handsome, I forgot for a second that I was mad at him.

Fallon started down the stairs. “I’m taking off.”

Not ready to deal with Julien, I called out to stop Fallon from leaving.

“I need a ride back to campus.”

“No, you don’t.” He chuckled and kept descending.

Infuriating, meddling asshole.

Fallon’s departure left nothing but silence in its wake.

Julien stuffed his hands in the back pockets of the jeans he must have recently changed into. He was also wearing one of my shirts, an old Highland High swim tee he stole from me. The faded denim hung enticingly on his narrow hips, while the tee hugged tightly to his chest, delineating every defined bump of muscle in the most amazing way.

Julien chewed on his bottom lip. “Please come inside.”

Love and want warred with my anger. Anger won.

“I think I’m going to head back to the dorms. It’s been a long day.”

“Please, E. Don’t go. Please don’t leave. Come inside so we can talk.” He reached out a hand. “Please.”

An invisible vise clamped around my heart, constricting it, and I cursed myself for being weak even as I took his proffered hand.

But I was weak when it came to him. Julien Jameson owned me—body, heart, and soul—and there was nothing I could do to stop from following him wherever he led me.

With fingers entwined, he directed me past the living room where Ryder and Jayson were sprawled out on the sofa.

Jayson sat up when he saw me. “E, hey, man—”

“Later,” Julien told his twin, but I pulled on our joined hands to stop.

Using every ounce of seriousness I could infuse in my voice, I said, “You terrified a fifteen-year-old girl.”

Jayson swallowed thickly. “I know.”

“No, I don’t think you do, Jay. You tried to force yourself on afifteen-year-old girl. Fifteen!” I shouted.

He jumped at my outburst, eyes going round with shock. “I’m sor—”

I couldn’t bear to listen to another useless apology. “This shit needs to stop, right fucking now. No more excuses. No more I’ll-do-betters. Get your shit together. All of you.”

My gaze landed on each of them, one at a time.

With those parting words, I practically yanked Julien down the hall to his bedroom. Letting go of his hand, I paced over to the bed and sat down, feeling the weight of the world sitting on my shoulders.

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