You Will Be Mine (Forever and Ever #7)

by E. L. Todd

  I grabbed it for her. “I’ll hold onto it.”

  “Okay.” Alex kissed her friend on the cheek. “Love you.”

  “Love you too.”

  I’d never seen two girls do that before. Were they French?

  Conrad came to my side. “Looks like you’ll be busy for the rest of the night.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.

  “She can hardly walk so I’m taking her home.”

  “Hopefully that redeems you a little.” He clapped my shoulder and walked away.

  “Hooking up with anyone tonight?” I asked. “Or are you just going to go home and think about Beatrice?”

  He rolled his eyes then walked out.

  “I’m ready.” Alex hooked her arm through mine.

  Her affection caught me off guard. “Okay.” I walked with her out of the bar.

  “Lucky bastard,” a guy said as I passed. “He gets to fuck that fine piece of ass tonight.”

  I froze on the spot, feeling pissed off. I dropped my arm from Alex then turned to the guy, ready to bash his face in. His eyes widened when I looked at him. I gripped him by the shirt and slugged him so hard I heard his nose crack. “Talk about her like that again and I’ll kill you.” I slammed his face into the counter before I grabbed Alex again.

  She eyed me hesitantly as she walked beside me.

  I reached my truck then opened the passenger door her for. I knew her dress would ride up when she climbed inside, revealing whatever panties she was wearing. I lent her a hand and closed my eyes while she climbed in. She shivered once she was inside, so I pulled off my jacket and lay it on her lap. Then I got into the driver’s side and turned on the heat for her. She pulled her knees to her chest and used the jacket as a blanket since it was large enough to cover her entire body.

  “Where do you live?” I asked. I lost the address Chan gave me and I couldn’t recall the way in the dark.

  “Uh…” She thought for a long time. “It’s a house…by Taco Bell.”

  Shit, she was drunk.

  “It’s painted green…I can’t remember.”

  I tried not to laugh. “It’s okay. We’ll head to my place.”

  “Your place?” she asked.

  “I have an apartment,” I explained.

  I headed down the road and kept the music off. She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. The temperature of the truck was scorching hot but I left the heater on because she still seemed cold.

  When I arrived at my place, I killed the engine then came around to her side. I had a feeling she would fall out of the truck once the door was open. The last thing I wanted was for her to break her ankle.

  “I got you.” I scooped her into my arms then shut the door with my hip.

  She automatically wrapped her arms around me, the jacket still keeping her body warm.

  Once I got inside the apartment, I set her down on the couch. “Want some water? Tea?”

  She shook her head and her eyelids looked heavy. “A burrito would be nice.”

  “A burrito?” I asked with a laugh.

  “With lots of cheese. I love cheese.”

  When she was drunk, she was actually really cute. “You want Taco Bell?”

  “God, I love Taco Bell. I could eat there every day for every meal.”

  I smirked. “I doubt your body would look as nice if you did.”

  “You think I have a nice body?” she asked in surprise.

  Was that a serious question? “Have you never looked into the mirror before?”

  “I was always teased for looking like a boy.”

  She looked nothing like a boy to me. Her behavior was making me realize her every day personality was just a front. She was hiding a lot of pain and doubt behind that pretty face. “I’ll run down and get you a burrito. Do you want anything else?”

  “An empanada!” Her eyes were wide with excitement.

  I laughed. “Okay. Sounds good.” I grabbed an extra blanket then tossed it on her. Then I turned on the TV. “Fresh Prince of Bel Air okay?”

  “That’s like the greatest TV show ever made!”

  “Then I’ll leave it on. I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  I headed to the door.

  “Theo?”

  “Hmm?” I looked over my shoulder.

  “Please hurry. My stomach keeps growling.”

  I chuckled. “Will do.”

  When I returned, she jumped up. “My burrito is here.”

  “And the empanada.” I tossed the bag on the coffee table.

  “God, that smells good. They could make that into a perfume.”

  “Yeah…sure.” I sat beside her and pulled my food out.

  She took a big bite into her burrito. “We should put a Taco Bell right next to the studio.”

  “Yeah…” I finished my food then left the wrappers on the coffee table.

  She ate like she was starving. The empanada was demolished just as quickly as everything else. “Wow…yum.”

  Watching her made me smirk. Who knew she was such a fun drunk.

  “Thank you for getting me food,” she said with a sigh. “I feel a little better now.”

  “Sure.”

  She leaned back on the couch and pulled the blanket closer to her. “Now I’m tired…”

  “Ready for bed?” I asked.

  “This couch is pretty comfy…”

  “You can sleep in my bed. I just washed the sheets.”

  “No, it’s okay…”

  “I insist.” I picked her up again and carried her into my room. After I put her down on the bed, I pulled off her heels.

  “You’re so sweet, Theo…”

  I stilled when I realized she paid me a compliment. “I’m not as much of a jerk as you think.” I looked through my drawers until I found a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “You can wear these. They’re clean.”

  She held the fabric to her nose and smelled them. “Smells like Tide.”

  How did she know that? “Are you a fabric softener expert?”

  “Maybe…” She giggled and gave me a playful look.

  “Why aren’t you like this at work?” I asked. “You’re fun.”

  She laughed then waved me off. “It’s too hard to be happy. I try but it never works…”

  What did that mean? “Why aren’t you happy?”

  She sighed, suddenly getting sad. “He tortured me for so long and then I never had a family…I’ve never felt safe. I can’t count the number of times I’ve gone to bed hungry…the drugs.” She sighed again. “It’s hard to be optimistic when the world is full of bad people…but I try.”

  I processed her words, feeling my heart accelerate. What did she mean by any of that? Who tortured her? What drugs?

  She turned her blue gaze on me. “Theo, do you find me attractive?” Her thoughts jumped so much I couldn’t follow them.

  I let the question hang in the air.

  “Because you’re so handsome…there’s no way you’re attracted to a girl like me. I’m a tomboy. I’ll always be a tomboy.”

  I couldn’t deny her physical beauty but that paled in comparison to who she was inside. “I think you’re beautiful, Alex.”

  “Really?” Her voice was weak.

  “Yeah.”

  We sat together on my bed and let the silence stretch.

  She breathed hard then stood up, her bare feet on my carpet. Then she slowly peeled her dress away.

  What the hell was happening?

  She pulled it down to her waist, revealing her gorgeous tits. They were perky, big, and round. My cock hardened at the sight of her. When she got the dress down to her waist, I realized I didn’t want her to stop. I wanted to see more of her, all of her. She was the sexiest woman in that bar tonight. Actually, she was the sexiest woman in all the bars.

  But then my logic took over. “Whoa…” I grabbed my shirt then pulled it over her head, covering her. “You need to stay warm.” I got the shirt down to her stomach, reliev
ed I found the strength to exert control.

  “You don’t want me?” she asked sadly.

  “Maybe another time,” I said. “Not tonight.” I felt bad for wounding her pride and embarrassing her. But I knew she didn’t really want to sleep with me. She was just wasted and depressed. I usually had no problem sleeping with drunk girls but I couldn’t take advantage of Alex that way.

  I handed her the shorts. “Put these on. I’ll be outside.”

  She held them in her small fingers and didn’t speak.

  Once I left the room and shut the door behind me, I took a deep breath. It was hard to turn down a gorgeous woman when she was naked and on my bed. But I somehow found the strength to do it.

  A few minutes later, I heard her voice. “Theodore?”

  I cracked the door and looked inside. She was lying under the covers. “It’s Theo.”

  She sat up and pulled the covers over her. “Are you sleeping on the couch?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be here all night. Don’t worry about me.”

  She fidgeted with the blanket for a moment, trying to downturn her gaze. She seemed insecure, even afraid.

  “What is it?” I asked hesitantly.

  “Can you…sleep with me?”

  People were different when they were drunk, but she was such a different person I didn’t recognize her. “Um, okay.”

  “Thanks…”

  I came inside then shut the door behind me. Then I pulled off my jeans and t-shirt. She’d seen me shirtless before so I didn’t see the point in being clothed now. I got into bed then pulled the covers up.

  The moment I closed my eyes, she snuggled into me and wrapped her arm around my waist. A quiet sigh escaped her lips, and the smell of her hair came into my nose. Her skin was soft and had the fragrance of flowers. When her strands touched my arm, it tickled. She was lighter than air and soft like a teddy bear.

  For the past few months, all we did was hate each other. But she was in my arms and sleeping in my clothes. When she woke up in the morning, she may not remember any of this. Or maybe she would.

  I just hoped our relationship had changed forever, that we would finally be able to get along.

  And maybe we could even be friends.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cayson

  Even though three months had passed, it felt like time had stood still.

  I was still in agonizing pain.

  I still couldn’t breathe.

  Skye wouldn’t leave my thoughts.

  I concentrated on my studies and forced myself not to think about her. Whenever I went on my nighttime jogs, she came into my mind. But then my anger rose. When I thought about what she did, it made my lungs burn.

  How could she hurt me like that?

  Did I not mean anything to her?

  I hated her. I hated her.

  No…I loved her.

  But that made me hate her more.

  The best part of medical school was the rotations. It was nice utilizing my education on actual patients. Being in lecture and learning mounds of information was stressful, but I felt rewarded when I actually got to apply it. Being with my patients was what I enjoyed most. When I made them smile, I felt like I accomplished something.

  Other than that, I was fairly miserable.

  There were a lot of girls in my class, and most of them were cute. But they didn’t catch my attention. Anytime I saw a brunette, I thought of Skye. She wouldn’t leave my thoughts.

  Suzie, a blonde girl in my class, was always staring at me in lecture. Every time I caught her look, she turned away. She was nice, but shy and quiet. I could tell she was into me so I steered clear from her.

  When class was over, I ran into Mitchell in the hallway.

  “How’d the midterm go?” he asked.

  “I did okay,” I said with a shrug.

  He rolled his eyes. “You mean you got the highest score?”

  I shrugged again, unsure what to say.

  He clapped my shoulder. “Well, congratulations. We should go out for a drink later.”

  I didn’t like going out. I preferred staying in my room where I could be miserable without ruining anyone else’s day. “Maybe…”

  Suzie approached us, looking nervous and fidgety. “Hey…”

  “Hi, Suzie,” I said politely.

  Mitchell nudged me in the side. “She’s cute.” He pushed me forward, encouraging me to talk to her. “Invite her for drinks tonight.” He walked away and winked at me.

  Suzie smiled but it was forced and uncomfortable. “So…how’s it going?”

  “Good. You?”

  “Good.” She nodded. “I did well on my midterm so I’m happy.”

  “Congratulations.” I didn’t know what else to say. I just wanted to walk away.

  She played with a strand of hair. “Do you…like…want to get coffee…or something?”

  I felt cornered and awkward. I knew it took a lot of confidence to ask me out. It was clear she didn’t do it often. But I couldn’t imagine being with anyone. And I didn’t want to waste her time. “I’m sorry, Suzie. I’m going through a break up right now and I’m not…in the right place to date.”

  “Oh.” Sadness and disappointment came into her eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. But thanks for the offer.”

  “Well…see you later.” She drifted away, her shoulders looking heavy.

  I felt like a jerk for turning her down, but I didn’t know what else to do. I decided to head home and barricade myself in my room. Like a bat, I preferred the silence and solitude.

  ***

  I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. Whenever I tried to study, Skye came into my mind. My phone was full of pictures of her, but I hadn’t deleted any of them. It was too hard.

  But I couldn’t stop staring at them either.

  Whenever I looked through them, I saw her smiling. My arm was around her and we were sharing an ice cream cone. Was she really happy? Or was it a front? Why did she have to tell me she loved me if she didn’t?

  There were even a few dirty pictures of her. She sent them to me when we couldn’t be together. As ashamed as I was, I still looked at them. I couldn’t imagine being with another woman, even in my fantasies. As unhealthy as it was, I thought of Skye when I touched myself. It only made me feel worse when I was done.

  Mitchell knocked on the door. “Yo. You got company.”

  I stirred at the sound. “Who is it?” Who the hell would be visiting me? I didn’t have friends. Whenever someone came to the door, my heart always hoped it would be Skye. Hoped she came to apologize and fight for me. But it was usually one of Mitchell’s friends or a girl he was seeing. I gave up on my wishful thinking months ago.

  “Slade.”

  Slade? Why was he here? I got out of bed then headed down the hallway.

  Slade was sitting on the couch watching the game. “Damn, did you see that play?”

  “Seahawks are going to be in the super bowl. I’m telling you,” Mitchell said.

  “You wanna bet?” Slade challenged. “My money is on the Broncos.”

  “You’re on.” Mitchell extended his hand.

  Slade shook it.

  “What are we betting?” Mitchell asked.

  “A dime.”

  “A dime, it is.”

  I came closer to Slade. Seeing him made me feel better. I could be myself around him, and he was the only person who could cheer me up.

  “Hey, man.” Slade stood up. “You’re looking…better.”

  Without thinking, I hugged him. We hardly ever embraced each other but I missed him. I missed home. I missed my old life. I missed my life with Skye.

  Slade returned the embrace and didn’t tease me. “I missed you too, man.”

  I pulled away and tried to act normal. “What brings you here?”

  “I miss my best pal,” Slade said. “I was starting to go crazy.”

  “Well, thanks for flying all the way out to see me. I appreciate it.”<
br />
  “Sure.” He fist-bumped me. “Have you eaten?”

  No. But I wasn’t hungry. “I’m starving.”

  “Let’s get some Chinese food. My flight attendant was Asian and I’ve been craving it ever since.”

  I laughed. “That’s not racist.”

  He shrugged. “Well, it’s true.”

  “Mitchell, you want to come?” I asked.

  “No, you girls have some alone time,” Mitchell said with a smile. “Cayson needs some cheering up.”

  “Cool,” Slade said. “Let’s head out.”

  ***

  “This is the best Mexican food I’ve ever had.” His plate was wiped clean, and the chip bowl was empty with the exception of a few crumbs. “They don’t make it like this on the east coast.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty good.” Food wasn’t that enjoyable when I was depressed. Most of the time, I forgot to eat entirely.

  “Shit, I’m going to move here just so I can eat that every day.”

  “But there’s no Mega Shake.”

  “Hmm…that’s a toughie.”

  I smiled for the first time in months. “How’s Trinity?”

  “You know, sexy like usual.” He downed his beer then rested his elbows on the table.

  “So everything is good between you?”

  He shrugged. “For the most part. She’s still annoying and stuff.”

  I smirked. “You don’t have to downplay your happiness because of me…”

  His eyes filled with sadness. “She’s everything to me.” His voice was serious.

  “That’s better.” Living without Skye was hard, but I didn’t want people to walk on eggshells around me. That wasn’t fair. I wanted to ask about Skye, to see how she was doing, but I refused to. No good would come from it. She was probably dating other guys. She was the leader of the Preston Empire, running it like a pro. She was having the time of her life while I…lived a pathetic existence. “How’s life in the parlor?”

  Slade rolled his eyes. “I’m a damn janitor.”

  I chuckled. “Sounds perfect for you.”

  He threatened me silently.

  “Your dad will give you more responsibilities as you go on. You can’t just start off on top without learning the basics. He’s just trying to teach you.”

  “Well, he’s taking his sweet ass time,” Slade said bitterly. “I’m making minimum wage right now. I can’t even afford my own place.”