Page 1 of Forever Mine
Chapter One
ELIJAH
Life is full ofwhat-ifs.Those little defining moments of reflection where you ask yourself what your life would be like if you had made different choices. Everyone has them. Thosewhat-ifscan become malicious and persistent, constantly niggling at your subconscious until they completely take over every thought inside your head. Like,what ifMom never left, orwhat ifI never met Julien, orwhat ifI went to Stanford.
The thing aboutwhat-ifs—they are nothing but conjecture. Stuff you can’t change. And to be honest, stuff I don’t want to change. Everything I went through that led me to this very moment was worth it. It shaped me into the man I am now, and I fucking loved that person. As many reservations as I had about coming to CU, I cherish the life I have carved out for myself and the friends that came with it. A life I also get to share with Julien.
No relationship is perfect, nor is it easy. There will always be bumps in the road. Arguments. Tears. Heartbreak. Julien and I could have walked away at any time. Ended our relationshipwhen things became too difficult. We didn’t. Love worth having was love you fought for, and Julien and I foughthardfor ours.
“Blondie, we’re here,” David says, pulling his Mustang into an empty parking space.
Ryder about passed out when he saw David’s car for the first time. Apparently, 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429s are a big deal to muscle car enthusiasts. David said that he found it in a junkyard. Got it for five hundred bucks. I swear Ryder teared up when he heard that.
I press the latch to unbuckle my seat belt. “Thanks for the lift.”
I had walked to David’s new apartment that morning since it was only a half mile away, but he insisted on driving me back.
“Thanks for the help. I owe you a dinner or something.”
“No, you don’t, but I won’t say no to free food.”
“How about Saturday? There’s this cool place Shawn and I stumbled across that serves the best fried chicken and grits I’ve ever eaten.”
That’s Southern cuisine at its finest. Anything fried or cooked with fat back. I could eat my weight in shrimp and grits from Ruby’s Diner back home.
“Saturday is date night. Maybe the weekend after?”
It takes a second before he replies, “Sure.”
Before I can pull the handle to get out, David turns in his seat and pins me with a serious, whiskey-brown stare.
“Just because I’m not living in the dorms anymore doesn’t mean we become ships passing in the night. Got it?”
Chuckling, I reply, “I’ll see you every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.”
“That’s different. That’s work.”
Before we left for summer break, Mr. Winters signed off on my aquatherapy program for athletes as part of my research study requirement needed to earn my Bachelor of Science insports medicine. But that’s not the best part. Julien submitted his change of major to his academic adviser in May. I’ll get more time with my guy since we’ll have three classes together during the week.
I hold my fist out. “You can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m a friend burr.”
Tapping his fist to mine, deep dimples pop when he grins. After spending the summer out in the sun, his mocha skin is tanned a rich ebony, enhancing the light brown of his eyes. He’s also packed on an extra ten pounds of muscle. He looks good. Happier.
David peers through the windshield and gestures toward the building with a lift of his chin. “So, what’s up with this Liz chick, and why is Julien freaking out about her?”
David was standing right next to me when Julien called and unfortunately heard everything. David doesn’t know what happened to Liz, and that particular nightmare isn’t something you bring up in casual conversation.
“Can I get a rain check on that?”
His brows briefly furrow before he smooths them out. “Sure. Text me later?”
“Will do.”
I wait until he drives away and can no longer see his taillights before I make my way up the sidewalk. I’ve spent so much energy worrying about Liz’s return and what it would mean for me and Julien. Now that she’s back, I feel all kinds of stupid for giving those anxieties merit. Liz isalive. The intense relief I feel is enormous.
It’s been over a year since she vanished from the hospital. Over a year of watching Julien, Jayson, and Ryder suffer. Where has she been all this time? Is she okay? Liz lost her entire family in one horrific night. She almost lost her life. The police in Fallen Brook still haven’t caught the person responsible. I canonly imagine the pain she must live in daily. The fear and the profound loss.
I take the stairs two at a time to the guys’ second-floor condo—only to stumble backward when the front door swings wide, and a blur in the shape of Jayson comes barreling past me.
