Forever and Ever (Complete #1-7)

by E. L. Todd

  “I thought you could handle going by yourself.”

  “You would prefer if I traveled alone?” I glared at him. “That’s how threatened you are by Cayson?”

  “I’m not threatened by him,” he snapped.

  I laughed. “It sure seems like it.”

  He growled again then opened his mouth to speak. I cut him off before he could get anything out.

  “This conversation is over. I’ll see you when I get back.”

  “I don’t think—”

  “This discussion is over. If it really bothers you that I spend time with Cayson, then you should just end this relationship. I’m never going to change the way I act with him. So this is an ultimatum; accept my relationship with him or walk away.” I watched his face, seeing the darkness in his eyes. I admit it was a little wrong to spend the weekend with a guy I wasn’t related to, but if he trusted me, it wouldn’t be an issue. I couldn’t continue to have this fight over and over again. He had the right to walk away if it really bothered him that much. “What’s it going to be?”

  He sighed, bottling his anger. “You know what my answer is.”

  I waited for him to say it. “Yeah?”

  “If you think I’m just going to walk away, you’re mistaken.”

  “Then I don’t want to fight about this anymore.”

  “Fine.” He clenched his jaw. “Breaking up isn’t an option.”

  I raised an eyebrow. That was an extremely serious thing to say. “We aren’t married…couples break up all the time. If you’re unhappy, then don’t settle for me.”

  “It’s not settling,” he said immediately. “It’s the opposite.”

  I loosened up a little. “So, can we put this behind us?”

  “Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “Have a good trip.”

  “I will.”

  “And be safe.” He put his arms around my waist and kissed me.

  I massaged his lips with mine.

  Cayson cleared his throat.

  I immediately broke the kiss, not realizing he was standing there.

  Cayson didn’t look directly at us. His eyes scanned the ground and the walls of the apartment. “Ready to go?”

  “Yeah.” I stepped inside and reached for my suitcase.

  “I got it,” Cayson said immediately. He grabbed everything and carried it to the car.

  Zack watched him like a hawk. His eyes smoldered but he didn’t say anything.

  Cayson came back. “We should go. We’re late as it is.”

  “Yeah.” I turned to Zack. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

  “Yeah.” He turned to Cayson. “Take care of her.”

  “I will.” Cayson straightened his shoulders while he stared at him.

  Zack looked like he wanted to rip his throat out. But he didn’t. “Bye.” He walked away, heading to his car.

  “Sorry about that,” I said.

  “No need to apologize.” Cayson didn’t look at me.

  After we were in the air, I finally relaxed. Flying wasn’t my favorite form of travel but I hid my unease. It was an irrational fear and something I shouldn’t be concerned about.

  Cayson crossed his ankle at his knee. “Thousands of planes, big and small, take off and land every day. The odds of anything bad happening to you are so low that you’re more likely to get hit by lightning and win the lottery on the same day. It’ll be alright.”

  Did I make it that obvious? Or did he just know me that well? “Yeah, you’re right. I shouldn’t be scared.”

  “It’s okay. A lot of people are.”

  “Are you?”

  “No.” He looked out the window and stared at the clouds.

  I settled into my seat and got comfortable. “Thanks for coming with me.”

  “Sure. I don’t mind. But Zack didn’t seem too happy…” Cayson never talked about Zack. I couldn’t even recall a time when Cayson said his name out loud.

  “He’s…complicated.”

  “I hope I’m not causing any strain.”

  “You aren’t,” I said immediately.

  He rested his hand on his thigh and the other on his armrest. The TV in front of the cabin was on and Ben Affleck’s face was on the screen. I watched it for a moment before I grew bored. I needed to go over my presentation again but I practiced so many times my head was going to explode.

  Cayson looked at me. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You can ask me anything, Cay” I assumed there were no secrets between us by now.

  “Do you love him?”

  Cayson never asked me about my personal life. That was one subject he stayed clear of. Perhaps it was because he saw me as a sister and it made him uncomfortable. Maybe he just didn’t know how to talk about it. “I don’t know…I think it’s too soon for that.”

  “Haven’t you been together for six months?”

  “Yeah…but love is such a strong emotion. It’s not a word that should be thrown around easily.”

  “I agree…but you shouldn’t need that long to figure out how you feel.”

  “What are you saying?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” he said immediately. “If you loved him, you would know. That’s all.”

  I hadn’t thought about it much. I had a crush on him from the moment I saw him. We had a good time together, when we weren’t fighting, and there were a lot of things I liked about him. But love? I was too young for that. “Love is such a complicated thing. I doubt I’d even recognize it if I experienced it.”

  “You would,” he said firmly. “It can’t be described in a way another person would understand. It’s totally subjective. And it’s illogical. It doesn’t make any sense. But the feeling is so paramount, so strong, that it can’t be denied. If you felt it for him, you would know. Your heart would burn with pain every time he left you. And it would burn even more when he was near.”

  I processed his words, trying to sort them out in my mind. He spoke like he knew the emotion intimately, could recognize it even in a dark place. For as long as I could remember, Cayson didn’t have any serious girlfriends. Girls popped up here and there, but no one lasted long enough to be remembered. “Have you ever been in love?”

  He continued to stare out the window. He was quiet for so long I wasn’t sure if he would answer. “Yes.”

  With who? I wasn’t sure. “Who? What happened to her?”

  He rubbed his chin while his eyes stared at something only he could see. “She didn’t feel the same way.” He didn’t answer the other question.

  Oh. I found that hard to believe. Cayson was the perfect guy. He was a diligent student who was ambitious and successful. He never gloated about his perfection and intelligence. He was polite to everyone who was polite to him. He was humble and down to earth. And he was good-looking. I couldn’t count the number of times I caught girls looking at him. And they glared at me when they thought Cayson and I were an item. How a girl wouldn’t fall head-over-heels for Cayson was beyond my comprehension. “For what it’s worth, she’s a damn idiot.”

  He chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “No, she is. Cayson, you’re the perfect guy. I see girls stare at you all the time. Every girlfriend I’ve ever had wanted your digits. Maybe she was a lesbian or something.”

  He laughed again. “Maybe.” He rubbed his chin, where a light stubble of hair was growing. “By the way, the hotel was booked for the conference so I had to make reservations for a place down the block. It’s just a cab ride away.”

  “Down the block? Don’t be ridiculous. You can stay in my room.”

  He stilled for a second. “I would get the floor and you would get the bed?”

  “No. My room has two queens.”

  “Oh. If you’re comfortable with that.”

  “We’ve slept together before…countless times.”

  “As long as you’re okay with it.”

  “I am.” I pulled a blanket over me and closed my eyes.

  “I’ll
wake you after we land and all is safe.”

  “Okay.” I yawned and kept my eyes closed.

  We left the cab and walked into the hotel. “Reservation for Preston.”

  The woman at registration pulled up the room. “Here you are. Two nights in the presidential suite.”

  Huh? “No, I have a deluxe suite with two queens.”

  She checked again. “No, it says you were upgraded.”

  “But I can’t afford that,” I blurted. Could they just upgrade me then charge me like that?

  “It’s already been paid for.”

  Cayson chuckled. “Your father must be here.”

  I scowled. Only he would pull something like this. “That’ll be fine. Thank you.”

  She handed the keys over. “Have a great stay.”

  “Yeah.” I didn’t mean to sound annoyed but I couldn’t help it.

  The bellman carried our bags to our room on the top floor. When we stood in the elevator, Cayson smirked.

  “What?” I said.

  “Your dad is hilarious.”

  “Sometimes I wonder if he just does this stuff to piss me off.”

  “He probably gets a kick out of it.”

  “How does my mom deal with him?”

  Cayson shrugged. “Love makes people crazy.”

  “Insane, actually. She must be off her rocker to love such a madman.”

  Cayson rubbed the back of his neck. “I like Uncle Sean. He’s definitely a man who has my respect.”

  “You’re only saying that because he’s family.”

  “No.”

  I sighed. “Well, Slade really is an idiot. He actually pulled Trinity’s hair in the library.”

  Cayson laughed. “I feel like we are five-year-olds and playing in the sandbox all over again.”

  “Remember when I put sand down Roland’s pants and he cried?”

  “Could never forget it.” He smirked.

  The doors opened and we finally entered our room. The size of the suite was bigger than the average house. It had a full kitchen, two living rooms, and a master bedroom.

  I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? We’re not even going to be in the room most of the time.”

  Cayson walked to the center table and saw the enormous bouquet of flowers. “Skye, I think these are for you.”

  I came closer then stared at the white lilies. They were in full bloom and smelled like a summer day. I opened the card.

  Skye

  I’m sorry about the room. But my daughter doesn’t deserve anything less. I’m flying in tomorrow and I’ll see you then.

  P. S. I hope you like the flowers. They are your mother’s favorite.

  I dropped the note on the counter. “He’s something else…”

  “He just loves you.”

  “I know…”

  Cayson gave me a serious look. “You never let the wealth get to you, and you choose to be independent. You never take that for granted, and I respect you for it. But don’t take for granted the most important thing in the world, your father and mother. Sometimes he’s over the top, but a lot of daughters would kill to have a father who loved them as much as he loves you. Don’t forget that.”

  I sighed. “I know, Cayson.”

  “I’m known for my wisdom as well as my dashing looks.” He walked away then moved to his suitcase near the couch.

  I picked up a lily and brought it close to my nose, smelling it. I knew my father was crazy, but his intensity came from a good place. He could drive my mom up the wall, but he also made her love him even more every day.

  “I’ll take the couch,” Cayson said.

  “Okay. Too bad we don’t have our original room. It would have worked out perfectly.”

  “No, this is better. It’s a pull out bed.”

  “Good. That worked out.”

  Cayson took out his phone and typed a message to someone.

  “Hungry?” I asked.

  “Starving.”

  “Want to go out to dinner?”

  His thumb hit the screen a few times. “There’s a nice restaurant in the lobby.”

  “Black tie?”

  “Yeah.” He put his phone back in his pocket. “You want to go?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  After I showered and got ready, I walked out and saw Cayson sitting on the couch. He was wearing slacks and a button up shirt.

  “Ready?”

  He looked up and took me in. His eyes widened slightly before they returned to normal. He stood up then turned off the TV. “Yep.”

  I grabbed my purse off the counter then walked in my heels to the door. I was wearing a black dress that only had one shoulder. There was slight padding in the dress to support my chest. But it was nice not to wear a bra.

  Cayson opened the door for me then let me walk out first. We took the elevator to the ground floor.

  “What kind of food do they have?” I asked.

  “Steak, greens, stuff like that.”

  “Good.”

  We were led to a table where Cayson pulled out the chair for me. He always did that no matter where we were. I was used to it. When Zack didn’t do it, it threw me off sometimes.

  I immediately grabbed the wine list. “Would you judge me if I ordered alcohol?”

  “I never judge you for ordering alcohol.”

  “I knew we were friends for a reason.”

  He smirked while he stared at me.

  The waitress arrived at our table. “Good evening.”

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Special occasion?” she asked. “An anniversary perhaps?”

  I tried not to laugh. “Oh no, we’re just friends.”

  Relief filled her eyes. “Oh, I see.” She gave Cayson a long smile before she turned back to me.

  Well, at least she made sure he wasn’t taken first.

  “Can I get you a drink?” she asked.

  “I’ll have a chardonnay.”

  “Excellent choice.” She turned to Cayson. “And for you?”

  “Whatever you have on tap.”

  “You got it.” She walked away.

  Cayson didn’t stare at her ass. His eyes were glued to mine.

  “She was cute.” Her blonde hair was in a French braid and she had nice lips. I wasn’t gay, but I knew an attractive woman when I saw one.

  Cayson didn’t respond. He looked at his menu and browsed the selections.

  “So, are you seeing anyone right now?”

  He stilled at the question. “No.”

  It was impossible to get anything out of him when it came to this subject. “Do you hit it and quit it like Slade?”

  He cocked an eyebrow while he looked at me. “Hit it and quit it?”

  “Isn’t that what they used to say?”

  He smirked. “I’m not like Slade. I thought that was obvious.”

  “But you never talk about girls with me. You tell me everything else but that.”

  He shrugged. “There’s not much to say.”

  “Come on. You must have some juicy stories.”

  He seemed uncomfortable. “I don’t have an active personal life like other people do.”

  “Is it because you’re too busy with school?”

  “Yeah…”

  I looked through the entrees until I selected the New York sirloin. I put the menu aside. “Is there a reason why you’re so quiet about it?”

  “No. I just don’t have much to say.”

  “Okay, you can’t be celibate.”

  “Well…no.”

  Why was he being weird about this? “When was the last time you had sex?”

  His eyes widened slightly. “Uh…that’s a personal question.”

  “We tell each other everything. Why is this the only subject you aren’t comfortable discussing?”

  He pressed his lips together but said nothing.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” I backed off and looked at the menu again even though I already knew what I was
getting.

  “You didn’t. You’re right—we tell each other everything. I guess I’m just not a kiss and tell type of guy.”

  “It’s your privacy and I respect it. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

  He sighed then leaned back. Conflict was in his eyes. He was battling for a decision, trying to make up his mind about something. His fingers drummed the surface of the table. “I had sex last week.”

  He was finally opening up. “With who? Someone I know?”

  “It was a woman I met at a bar.”

  “How was she?”

  His cheeks reddened slightly. “No complaints.”

  This guy was as unreadable as a tree. “Are you going to see her again?”

  “No. She’s not my type.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He shrugged. “She’s just not a woman I see myself falling for.”

  “Any reason why?”

  “No…the chemistry just isn’t there.”

  I nodded. “I feel like that’s all Zack and I have.”

  He stared at me but kept his mouth closed.

  “He’s okay in bed. He does this thing that makes me—”

  “Stop.” He said it like he was in pain. “Sorry, I just…it makes me uncomfortable.”

  “Okay…” I even told my brother about my sex life and he didn’t cringe and practically gag.

  Cayson became flustered. “Sorry…I guess I see you as a sister and it’s weird…” His voice was at a different pitch and tone. He didn’t sound like him.

  “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  “Let’s just…talk about something else.”

  “Okay.”

  The waitress returned with the drinks and took our order. She batted her eyes at Cayson then smiled like her life depended on it. When she walked away, Cayson still didn’t look at her.

  “How’s school?” I asked.

  “It’s good. Pretty uneventful.”

  “I barely passed my biology class last semester.”

  “Didn’t you get an A?” he asked with a laugh.

  “But it was hard. I had to go to tutoring and everything.”

  He smirked. “Well, you did well and that’s all that matters.”

  “I need to get good grades otherwise I won’t get the company.”