by E. L. Todd
You Have My Heart
Book Six of The Forever and Ever Series
E. L. Todd
“I realized I’m in love.
It’s always been right in front of me.”
Richelle Mead, The Indigo Spell
Chapter One
Conrad
I had another year of school to get through, and I was dreading it. A lot of my friends and family had already left. I wouldn’t miss Trinity, but I would miss Slade, Cayson, and most of all, Roland.
He was my best friend. Who would I get into trouble with? Who would I watch the game with? Silke was still around but we weren’t particularly close. Theo was cool, but he wasn’t Roland.
I’d just have to suck it up and carry on.
I was jealous of Roland. I wish I could drop out of college. That would be awesome. But I knew my dad would butcher me. He was gentle with Trinity, but he was a dick to me. He had different expectations for each of us. Trinity could get away with pretty much anything. Me, not so much.
Hot chicks littered the campus. They were everywhere, left and right. And new freshman had just rolled in, providing new crops to pick from. I didn’t like younger women, but as long as they were over eighteen, it didn’t make a difference to me.
I sat down in the library at our usual table. But the gang wasn’t around. Slade wasn’t eating his lunch obnoxiously, my sister wasn’t whining—being obnoxious—and Skye and Cayson weren’t studying obnoxiously like nerds. The silence was eerie. I didn’t realize how much I relied on their presence until it wasn’t there.
“Creepy, huh?” Silke sat in a chair across from me. Her long brown hair was pulled into a braid over her shoulder. She wore a black jacket with a golden necklace. Her face was painted with make up, and her green eyes stood out. Sometimes I forgot she and Slade were twins because they looked nothing alike.
“A little.” I pulled out my phone and tried to find something to entertain myself with.
“I hate to say it, but I actually kinda miss my brother…a little.” She pulled out her textbooks then scattered them around. Then she pulled out an apple and took a big bite of it. “But don’t tell him I said that.”
“He wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
Theo came to the table then leaned back in a chair, putting his feet on the seat opposite of him. “Yo.”
I glanced from Silke to Theo. “I guess we’re all that’s left.”
“We’re the better ones anyway.” Theo rested his hands on the back of his neck, his brown hair dark and his green eyes bright. His skin was unusually pale, flawless. Sometimes I teased him for looking like a vampire.
“Yeah,” I agreed half-heartedly.
“Going to Cameron’s party?” Theo asked.
“Are you going?” I asked.
Theo shrugged. “I guess.”
“Then I’ll go.” I took out my binder and tried to motivate myself to get back to work. School sucked and it usually put me to sleep. I wasn’t sure why Skye and Cayson were so studious. Perhaps it was because they knew what they wanted to do at a very young age. I was still clueless.
“Um…hello?” Silke gave us a pointed look.
Theo eyed her. “Um…hi?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me?” she demanded.
I shrugged. “Come if you want. It just doesn’t seem like your scene.”
“It might be my scene,” Silke said.
“Well, come if you want,” Theo said. “We aren’t stopping you.”
“Hmm…” Silke thought for a moment. “Nah, I have something else in mind.”
Theo and I both shared a look then dropped it.
What else did she have in mind?
***
Theo and I grabbed our beers then moved through the crowd, mingling with other students we knew. The music was loud and the bass was thumping in my ears. Kegs lined the wall, and there was more trash underneath my feet than a full garbage can.
Theo eyed the girls surrounding us. “A lot of cute girls here.”
My eyes scanned the crowd. While there were a lot of beauties in the midst, I felt a tinge of disappointment in my stomach. “Damn, I slept with most of them already.”
“What about the blonde in the bootylicious jeans?”
I sighed. “Yep. In the back of my truck.”
He kept looking. “Brunette with curls?”
“Yep. On my couch.” She was a pretty good lay, actually.
“What about the girl in the black dress?”
I tried to get a peek of her face but her back was to me. “It’s hard to tell…” I kept looking then my eyes moved down to her ankle. There was a tattoo of a red rose. I recognized it. “Her too. Once in the locker room, and another time behind a bar.”
Theo laughed. “Damn, you made your way around the campus and now you’re going back for seconds.”
“Sounds about right,” I said with a sigh.
Cameron came over to us. “Hey, bros.” He held a red solo cup in his hand. “Thanks for gracing us with your presence.” He bowed in mockery.
He was drunk. “Hey, Cam.”
“Is this place the shit or what?” he asked.
I adjusted my feet since I was standing on a graveyard of red cups. “This will be a bitch to clean up tomorrow.”
“It’s called a cleaning service,” Cameron said.
“It’s still a bitch no matter who cleans it,” Theo said.
Cameron turned to him. “Oh hey, didn’t see you there.” He wobbled slightly then laughed.
“I’m pretty hard to miss,” Theo said in annoyance. He had five different black belts, and was arguably one of the best fighters in the country. He could do flips and kicks off roofs. He was the real deal. His thighs were thicker than tree trunks, and his abs could shatter a plank of wood easily.
Cameron started doing judo chops, spilling his beer on his shoes. “Hiya!”
I rolled my eyes and drank my beer.
Theo watched him, not impressed.
“You need to show me your moves,” Cameron said. “You must get chicks all the time.”
“I do.” Theo said it simply and without emotion. He was quiet about his personal life, at least for the most part, but it was common knowledge he had a lot of flings and a long list of girls. I was a little jealous. I wished I could do crazy flips to impress women. I had to rely solely on my looks and lines.
“Bad turnout, huh?” Cameron asked, surveying the crowd.
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “There’re loads of people here.”
“I meant chick wise,” Cameron said. “It’s the same slutty girls over and over, you know? You would think they’d make friends and bring them along.”
“Word,” I said.
“Pete was just telling me an awesome idea.” Cameron shifted his weight and almost fell over.
“You okay, man?” Theo asked.
“Fo sho,” Cameron said, shaking it off. “There’s this speed dating thing they have at some girl’s place. I guess it’s where all the classy debutantes find suitable partners. They aren’t the skanky kind that we usually go for, but that’s not a bad thing, right?”
Theo’s eyes shot up in interest. “Like, the girls looking for relationships, not one-night stands.”
“Bingo!” Cameron added a nod. “It’s perfect, right? We can hang out with some classy women for once in our lives.
I was always honest with my intentions toward women. I never pretended I would call if I didn’t plan on it. Women were more sensitive about that sort of thing than men. But there had to be some kinky girls there that wanted to have fun for a night. It was worth a shot. “I’m down.”
“Me too,” Theo said. “When I show them my martial arts, they’ll be a puddle at my feet.
”
“Alright!” Cameron gave us awkward high-fives. “Let’s do it.” He walked away, tripping as he went, but he regained his footing and kept going.
“This will be fun,” Theo said with a smirk.
“Too fun,” I said with a laugh.
A few girls started dancing in the center of the room. Judging by their quick movements and loud screams, they were drunk off their asses and having a good time.
“Come on!” A blonde girl wearing pearls and a skirt pulled her brunette friend onto the floor. “Loosen up!”
The brunette rolled her eyes then did the bare minimum in terms of dancing so her friend would stop pestering her.
My eyes immediately moved to the brunette, and my heart suddenly stopped.
Her brown hair was shiny, shinier than any other girl’s I’ve ever seen. It had a bounce to it every time she moved. It was long, moving down her chest to the area just above her breasts. Her skin was fair, and a slight pink colored her cheeks. Her eyes looked like emerald gems, the kind you found in a buried treasure chest. She wore dark jeans that fit every curve of her ass and thighs. A blue blouse clung to her hourglass frame, showing her petite waistline and birthing hips. A gold bracelet was on her wrist, and one hand wore a silver ring.
Even when she forced a smile, it was captivating. Her eyes sparkled while she moved, trying to convince her friend she was having a good time when she wasn’t. Even though she didn’t want to dance, she was clearly good at it. She had perfect form and natural flow.
I stared at her for a few seconds but it seemed like minutes. I took in every inch of her, examining each feature more than once.
“Dibs,” Theo said, looking at her.
I glared at him while a growl escaped my lips. “No. Mine.”
“No, you get the blonde,” he argued.
“Fuck that. I want her.” She was a rare find, like a pearl that just washed up to shore.
“Hell no. The blonde looks annoying.”
“And you’re annoying—it’s a perfect match.”
“I’m going for it.” He tossed his cup on the carpet, the wasteland of garbage.
I don’t think so. I tossed my cup then moved into the crowd, trying to get to her first. The number of people on the dance floor had increased, and since everyone was so drunk, it was a hassle to get through. I accidentally knocked a girl over and I had to pick her up because I felt like an ass for slamming into her. When she was back on her feet, I looked for the girl again.
Theo was on the other side of the throng, trying to find her.
I searched for a blue blouse, relying on my peripheral vision to spot it. Nothing. I didn’t see anything. Instead, I looked for the blonde girl. I saw her clapping her hands to the beat while she danced.
Theo spotted her at the same moment.
Immediately, we both rushed to her.
“Where’s your friend?” we both yelled at the same time.
She startled then moved back. “What?”
Theo and I both repeated the same question.
“I don’t know.” She was clearly irritated, probably annoyed that both of us preferred her friend over her. “She probably went to the bathroom. I don’t keep tabs.” She rolled her eyes then returned to dancing.
Theo gave me a look then darted down the hall to the bathroom.
I remembered the annoyed look on the brunette’s face. She clearly didn’t want to be at this party. It was obvious she’d been dragged there. And judging her clothes, she wasn’t dressed for the occasion. I decided to take a risk and headed outside.
I burst out the front door then headed across the lawn. Then I spotted her getting in a taxi down the road.
I panicked. How would I find this girl again? I didn’t even know her name. “Hey you!” I started chasing after her like a madman. “Wait! Stop!”
She turned to me and gave me a frightened expression.
I didn’t blame her. I probably looked like a psychopath. “Wait! You’re really hot!” Uh, why did I say that?
She got into the car and slammed the door. Then the taxi driver stepped on the gas and took off.
I sighed in sadness, bummed she was gone. But based on my poor moves, I wouldn’t have gotten her anyway. I stayed on the sidewalk and tried to think of a plan. Then I realized her friend was still inside. All the information I needed could be extracted from her.
When I walked back inside, the crowd on the dance floor had disappeared. There seemed to be too much garbage on the ground for anyone to move around. I searched for Theo but didn’t find him anywhere. And the blonde girl was gone.
I spotted Cameron. “Hey, have you seen Theo?”
“Theo rhymes with Leo. Like Leonardo Dicaprio.” He laughed then slapped his knee like he said something extremely witty and funny.
“Yeah…have you seen him?”
“Nope.” He jerked his arm then splashed beer on his shoes. “Ugh, damn.”
I rolled my eyes then texted Theo. Where did you go? Hot girl left.
I settled for some other girl. Talk to you later.
I sighed then put my phone away. Theo hooked up with some girl and now I was alone. I looked at the girls before me and wondered if I should just settle for a girl I already had before.
At that moment, Chelsea, a girl I’d banged several times came up to me. “I’m headed to the bathroom…” She batted her eyebrows at me then walked away.
I stayed in my spot and thought about the offer. Even though she didn’t excite me that much, she was an easy grab. There would be no effort on my part. We didn’t even need to speak. I shrugged then followed her.
Chapter Two
Silke
I stood outside my apartment then glanced at my watch.
He was late.
I wore my black pants and thick jacket, something to keep me warm against the nighttime chill. The street was deserted and there weren’t any cars passing. Then I heard the distant sound of a raging muffler. As it got closer, I knew he was just down the road.
A black Harley came down the street then stopped in front of my apartment building. Arsen pulled off his helmet then flashed me a grin. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No, you aren’t.” I walked to him then stopped when I was an inch from his face.
“You’re right. I’m not.” He grabbed the front of my jacket then yanked my lips to his. He crushed his mouth against mine then sucked my bottom lip. I playfully bit his upper lip then pulled away. “Now sit your ass down.”
“Helmet?” I held out my hand.
He handed me his. “Look, I’m a gentleman.”
“No, you aren’t.” I put it on then fastened the clip.
“So, if we crash, you’re okay with me dying?” A playful look was in his eyes.
“It’s your own fault,” I said with an attitude. “You’re the one who crashed.”
He patted the seat behind him. “Shut up and wrap your arms around my waist.”
“You should invest the money on another helmet—since you’re always riding around with so many girls.”
He laughed. “You’re the only one, baby.”
I sat behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Then I rested my feet behind his.
“You ready for this?”
“I’m ready for anything.”
***
We headed to Boston, the wind moving through our hair as we drove on the highway. The lights from other cars were blinding but that didn’t seem to bother Arsen. I kept my arms around his waist, feeling free and reckless.
When we arrived at the bar, I left his helmet on the handle. “Smooth driving.”
“I know what I’m doing.” He hooked his arm around my waist then we headed inside the smoke-filled room. Pool tables were against the wall and the distinct smell of cheap liquor hung in the air.
“Two shots.” Arsen knocked on the counter. “One for me, and one for my pretty lady.”
I moved to the stool next to him.
The bartender han
ded us the glasses.
Arsen grabbed his then clanked it against mine. “Bottoms up, lovely.”
I lifted the glass to my lips then downed it. I didn’t make a face or even notice the burn as it went down my throat.
“That’s my girl.”
“We can’t get too drunk,” I said. “Otherwise driving that Harley will be a mistake.”
“It’s called a taxi,” he said. “But don’t worry, I’ll still fuck you the way you like when we get back to my place.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not sure where you get your cockiness from.”
He leaned against the counter, looking like a younger version of James Dean. His dark brown hair was messy in a sexy way and he had nice shoulders and a muscled chest. He was tall, and I liked tall guys. “It’s from girls like you wanting me all the time.” He accompanied his words with a dark, smoldering look.
I wasn’t sure what I saw in Arsen sometimes. He was a classic bad boy that couldn’t be tamed. He had trouble written all over him. Yet, I couldn’t stay away. “Girls like me?”
“You know, the snooty college girls who want something fun, not those stiff and boring Harvard dudes. Something that will burn out just as quickly as it begins.”
There was a lot more to him than the façade he put on. He tried to act like a jerk, an asshole that only cared about himself, but I knew there was more to him than that. “Maybe girls like me know you can offer a lot more.”
He laughed. “Baby, we both know I can’t.” His eyes scanned the room and landed on a brunette with big tits. Not caring that I was there or the fact I could see him, he blatantly checked her out. “She has a nice rack.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re just doing that to make a point.”
He turned back to me. “I am?”
“Yeah. You’re afraid to get hurt. Someone obviously already broke your heart once. Maybe you can fool everyone else, but you can’t fool me.”
He turned away, watching a group of guys play pool. His hand gripped his glass even though it was empty. Something was going through his mind but I wasn’t sure what it was. “And why does a beautiful girl like you spend time with me? I’m obviously no good for you. Sounds like someone else had their heart broken. You’re accepting less than what you deserve.”
