Page 89 of Forever Yours

Movement behind David caught my eye, and a weighted stone sunk in my gut.

It was Jayson.

And by his murderous expression, he witnessed me and David embracing.

Sounding a little too chirpy, I asked, “Catch you later?”

David caught on that we weren’t alone in the corridor. He kneed open the door.

“Hey, Julien,” he said to Jayson, then he asked me, “You coming back to the dorm or staying with…”

“That’s Jayson, not Julien.”

“I can’t tell them apart,” he side-whispered.

“Go by the hair.”

Jayson kept his slightly longer, whereas Julien liked his shorter on the sides and longer up top.

He purveyed Jayson. “Nope. Still won’t be able to tell. If you come back to the dorms tonight, hit me up.”

We bumped fists, and it didn’t escape my notice his parting look. It was one of longing.

“Does Julien know about that?”

I leaned a shoulder to the wall. The air conditioning was chilling my still-damp skin, causing shivers to race up my spine, but dry clothes would have to wait.

“There’s nothing to know about.”

“You sure about that?”

Exasperated, I tucked the padfolio under my arm so I could wrap the towel around me.

“Yes, Jay, I’m sure. I’m allowed to hug friends. You hug Ryder. Doesn’t mean you want to fuck him.”

Jayson’s eyes narrowed on the doorway David went through. I got it. He loved his brother and was protective of him. But the fact he would even question me about David pissed me off. Heknewme. He knew I would never betray Julien like that, and his insinuation stung.

“I need to get dressed and clock out. Why are you here?”

Jayson looked stunned by my harsh tone. I rarely lost my temper.

“Came to see you. You’ve been avoiding me.”

My fingers tapped the leather case of the binder.

“I needed a break.”

Dejected, his head dropped between his shoulders, and his hands curled into tight fists at his sides.

“Seeing you in that hospital bed, and then watching you walk out… Julien wouldn’t stop crying for days. Fuck, E. That shit destroyed me. It was the same feeling when we lost Liz.”

I pushed off the wall and walked over to him. “I’m sorry about that, but I needed time to process and figure things out. Time to heal. And please don’t compare me with Liz.”

His lips parted with a retort, but he swallowed it down and nodded.

As much as I liked Liz, she had been part of the problem. Or the ghost of her had. Shit, bad analogy. It would’ve devastated me if we found out she had died, and we didn’t know about it. But in my heart, I knew she was alive. I knew she’d come back one day. A day I both hoped for and dreaded.

“We didn’t realize how bad things had gotten until you left. I’m sorry for everything we put you through.”

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