Page 45 of Forever Mine
After Elijah made an offhand remark a few months ago, I began to truly understand Fallon’s motives for suddenlydeciding to attend CU. Elijah came for me. Fallon came for him and Ry. Just one more reason to love the guy. Fallon hides behind his rich-prick persona, but the heart he locks behind a barricade of apathy and fuck-you attitude is huge.
Elijah sets the box he’s carrying down on Ash’s bed and greets Fallon with a back-slapping hug.
“Dad’s coming. Come have dinner with us before he heads back to Highland. Belly’s is having another karaoke night.”
Even though he’s speaking to Fallon, his last comment is aimed directly at me. He blows me a kiss over Fallon’s shoulder.
You are such a troublemaker, I mouth.
Fallon jerks away, horrified. “I’m not fucking singing.”
Ash sends Elijah a quizzical look. Belly’s is where Justin attacked Elijah in the men’s restroom. After months of avoiding the place like the plague, he came with me and my teammates for one of our bonding nights. Said he needed to face his fear and not let it control him. I was so damn proud of him. Kicking the crap out of Justin was one thing—which he did spectacularly. Elijah is physically capable of taking care of himself. The lingering mental mindfucks he dealt with after what happened is a whole other story. He still doesn’t like to be in small, confined spaces.
“Just come have dinner,” Elijah insists.
Not able to withstand Elijah’s hopeful pout, Fallon huffs. “Fine. But you have to come to the frat party tomorrow night.”
Ash’s “hell yes” is drowned out by my and Elijah’s despondent groans. Every one of his parties ends in some kind of major drama that usually includes a fight.
Fallon takes our grumbled protests as an affirmation. “I’ve got shit to do.”
“Hey, Fal, we’re friends, right?”
I don’t trust the mischievous Cheshire grin that consumes Elijah’s face.
“That’s a really stupid fucking question,” Fallon retorts.
“So, if I kissed you, it’d be okay because we’re friends.”
“Elijah,” I growl.
Ash looks thoroughly confused. “Am I missing something?”
“Don’t you dare,” I warn.
“Tit for tat, baby. Liz kissed you. Only fair.”
“It wasn’t like that,” I immediately refute.
Ash’s mouth drops open. “Who is Liz, and why did she kiss you?”
Fallon suddenly hauls Elijah to him, and the kiss he plants on him is neither brief nor innocent. It’s also hot as hell to watch.
“Fallon, please remove your lips from my man before I drop-kick you out the window.”
Fallon releases a stunned Elijah. “Text me when Daddy Barnes gets here.”
When he opens the door to leave, a shrieking trio of girls comes toppling into the room. He steps over them as if they aren’t even there.
The brunette is the first to untangle herself from the pyramid sprawl. “Hi. Sorry.”
Stronger than her petite frame looks, she grabs the ankles of both her friends and drags them out of the room.
Elijah slides in next to me, curving an arm around my waist. “I’m so glad I’m gay.”
Without warning, I tackle him onto the bed and pin him underneath me. “Payback’s a bitch, Angel.”
“Will someone explain what the hell is going on?” Ash exclaims.
