Page 81 of Forever Mine
“Bye, Mei.”
As soon as she leaves, Ash pounces. “What the heck was that? Fallon isn’t going to like that David was bothering you again.”
With pleading hands clasped together, I implore him, “Please, for the love of all that is holy, donottell Fallon.”
Ash takes two cold bottles of water from the mini fridge and tosses me one. “Have you told Julien what’s going on with him?” He gestures at the door with his water before taking a drink.
“Not yet.”
“You need to tell him.”
I roll the cold bottle along my neck. “Julien is worried about me. He’s worried about Liz. He has a big game on Sunday. April is driving up tomorrow. Adding David to the pile of things to deal with will have to wait.”
Lining up the empty water bottle, Ash shoots a perfect free-throw into the wastebasket. “I like David, but what he’s doing is not cool. It’s also pushing the needle toward slightly creepy.”
“I honestly don’t know what to do, Ash. He won’t listen.”
“I almost shit my pants getting in the middle of you two. The guy could crush me with his pinkie finger.”
“You were badass.”
Ash puffs out his chest. “I was, wasn’t I?” He sits down at his desk and spins around in the chair a few times. “Have you told David to back off?”
“Pretty much. Several times.”
The chair creaks when he lounges back and kicks his feet up on the side of his bed. “Don’t play the martyr. Talk to Julien.Keep Fallon in the loop. And no matter what, you always have me to back you up.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
JULIEN
My elbow cracksagainst something hard. “Ow, fuck.”
Slowly blinking my eyes open, I frown at the big toe stuck in my face. How in the hell did I wind up at the foot of the bed? Liz and I had been studying for our chem quiz and… I must’ve passed out.
Raising up, I can just make out Jay’s slumbering form in the darkness. Sandwiched between him and Ry is a sleeping Liz.
Things between Jay and Ry have been eerily calm the past couple of days. They placed a moratorium on the shit between them for Liz’s sake, but I know the tentative truce is temporary. It’s only a matter of time before things explode, and I’ll be stuck in the middle of the destruction.
Trying not to wake anyone, I slink off the end of the bed but miscalculate the distance to the floor and land on my ass. At the noise, the bed sheets rustle, and a mumbled groan goes up. Jay rolls over to his side, his hand going to Liz’s hip. Ryder curls an arm around Liz and spoons her from behind. The sightof the three of them together makes my heart ache. How did everything get so screwed up between us?
Tiptoeing across the hallway to my room, I crack the door open and peek in. Elijah is curled up on my bed, lightly snoring. I debate whether to climb in beside him and go back to sleep, but I’m unfortunately very much wide awake.
Desperate for caffeine, I trudge into the dark kitchen, my body sore from lying in an uncomfortable position. Turning on the hood light so I can see what I’m doing, I pop a pod into the coffee maker and fill it with water. As I impatiently wait for my coffee to brew, I stretch my arms and legs in an attempt to relieve some of the stiffness—and about jump out of my skin when Liz materializes out of nowhere.
“Sorry,” she whispers, her sly grin saying otherwise.
It’s the third time this week she’s scared the crap out of me.
“Seriously considering putting a bell on you,” I mutter.
She walks into me and wraps me in a hug. “Please don’t.”
“Did I wake you?”
“Haven’t been able to fall asleep. Been awake all night. Heard you get up,” she sleepily replies.
Ry saunters in, scratching his bare chest and yawning. His amber eyes grump at me. “Thanks for loudly falling out of the bed.”
