Page 35 of Forever Yours

“And you’re lucky I didn’t beat your ass when I caught you climbing through her window.”

That imagery hit too close to home, and I was glad Julien wasn’t there to hear it. Julien and Jayson used to climb through Liz’s window all the time.

Shawn stroked his shaved head. “Pretty sure Yo would beat both our asses if she hears us arguing about it again.”

“True.”

They grinned at each other.

Lamar came back to me. “So, you and Julien. Deets.”

It was weird talking openly to people who weren’t in my little circle of Fallon, Jessi, Jayson, Ryder, and Liz about my and Julien’s relationship. It was hard to know who to trust.

Keeping things vague, I replied, “We met in seventh grade.”

Shawn whistled low. “Damn. That’s a long time.”

“We were friends first. It slowly grew from there.”

I remembered the first time I saw Julien in the stands at a swim meet. The first time Julien and I spoke on the phone, and the long conversations we had every night afterward. The friendship we built over time that grew into a deep love. A forever love. A love worth fighting for.

I looked over at David. His gaze was firmly planted on me.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Smacking his hands to his thighs, Lamar got off the lounger. “I need a beer and hopefully a willing woman.”

Shawn back-slapped his friend. “Shouldn’t be too hard to find. I’m out of here. I came, I saw, I don’t need to see anymore. Besides, I have a phone date with Yo later. D, you staying or leaving?”

Since the time I had gotten there, the number of people had swelled outside. I’d hate to see how many were packed together inside. A lot of people had migrated over to the pool area where several girls sat on top of guys’ shoulders and wrestled each other in the water.

David clasped hands with Shawn, and they did some weird handshake. “Staying. That cool with you?” he asked me.

“It’s fine with me. I’m hanging out here until Julien comes back.”

I checked my phone to see what time it was and saw Ash had texted to remind me to have fun and that he would see me tomorrow morning for breakfast. I read the reason why. Ash had met a girl.

“You want to take a walk?”

“Huh?” I put my phone away.

David indicated toward where the tennis court was. There was a gravel path that led from the patio.

“The music they’re playing is making my ears bleed, and I’m restless. So… walk?”

I glanced through the window. Julien was standing with a group, Jayson right next to him. They were laughing.

Guess that Julien’s “won’t be long” was going to be the exact opposite.

Shoving my hands into my pockets, I started down the steps.

“Sure. A walk sounds good.”

CHAPTER 11

The gibbous moon hung overhead as the cicadas buzzed a racket from the lone oak tree whose branches reached across the fence to the other yard. Someone had wrapped white holiday lights around the trunk, and it kind of reminded me of the tree Jayson decorated with fairy lights and paper stars for Liz. My head breathed a sigh of relief when the thumping music pouring out of the house faded into the background as we walked the path that led to the tennis court in the back of the property.

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