Page 101 of When Forever Falls Apart

His eyes narrow in on me. “It doesn’t have to end, Maddy.”

“I know,” I murmur, twisting my hands nervously at the sudden realization that Myles wants more than I can ever give him. I hate admitting the truth, but Elliot is all I want, despite him pushing me away. “But Myles, my heart isn’t—”

Before I can finish, Myles pushes me up against the trailer. His lips crash against mine and the unexpected warmth leaves me momentarily dazed, but it feels all wrong. The second his tongue presses harder, I pull back, my eyes wide in disbelief.

As my chest rises and falls rapidly, a nearby shuffle catches my attention. I turn quickly, but all I see is Elliot’s fist hitting Myles’s jaw.

“Elliot!” I shout, panic engulfing me.

My hands press against his chest to push him away from Myles. Aston intervenes, holding Elliot back. His eyes are wide with this animalistic glare, like he’s ready to tear Myles apart.

I stand anchored in place, shocked by Elliot’s sudden violence toward a man who doesn’t deserve this. Yes, Myles kissed me against my will, but I was going to handle it myself. Elliot didn’t need to step in and create this absolute clusterfuck of a situation.

Now, everyone knows the truth.

The cat is officially out of the bag.

With Aston doing his best to calm Elliot down, I instinctively stretch out a hand to check on Myles, concerned about the swollen jaw from Elliot’s punch. Thankfully, he’s not bleeding, but his wincing indicates he’s in pain.

“I’m sorry, Myles…” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. “Elliot shouldn’t have punched you. But you shouldn’t have kissed me. I left you that day because I wanted more. I love you… loved you, but what I felt, it wasn’t enough to last a lifetime. I got caught up in the excitement of getting married and I didn’t stop to think about forever.”

“I think,” Myles grits, his fingers grazing his swollen jaw, “we’re done, Madelina. I’m not going to fight for you if you’re not even going to try to fight for what we had.”

As he turns and walks away, I fight to hold back my tears—not because I’m losing Myles, but because Elliot has jumped to conclusions, convinced that my heart still belongs to Myles. After everything Elliot and I have experienced, his trust is not there.

It only confirms the obvious—this is all about Elliot’s ego.

And there lies the crux of it. There was noI love Madelina, back off.His actions were those of a man whose ego was heavily bruised.

Billie wraps her arm around my shoulders, her warmth a fragile barrier against the storm raging inside me. I continue to stand here, frozen in the moment, with my thoughts scattered and my heart beating so rapidly that it feels like it’s going to jump out of my chest.

Elliot walks away angrily, and Aston follows him, trying to calm him down.

Eva stares vacantly at me, a familiar look that means she’s trying to process something in her head. People who stopped to see the commotion grow bored with the three of us standing in silence.

“Are you and Elliot… I mean, what’s happening?” Eva asks finally, blinking her eyes in confusion. “Did Elliot punch Myles because he’s jealous? I don’t understand what’s going on.”

I feel a tightness in my chest, making every breath laborious. I don’t have enough mental bandwidth to answer her questions. All I want is to get out of here and be left alone.

“It’s probably best…” Billie interjects, her voice steady yet soft, “if we head back home. A long walk might help clear our heads.”

As we step away from the enchanting twinkling lights of the fair, the bittersweet glow fades behind us.

The journey back home feels heavy, each step we take laden with unspoken thoughts. The dark sky, illuminated only by the lampposts, is a welcome change from the overstimulating lights and noise of the fair.

“We don’t have to talk,” Billie proposes, sensing the weight of the night. “Unless you want to, Maddy.”

“How serious is this?” Eva presses, ignoring Billie’s suggestion to keep things quiet.

I let out a resigned sigh, my heart feeling heavier with each moment. “I don’t really know.”

“How can you not know?” she asks, her brows knitting in confusion.

Suddenly, I stop walking, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Did you not see what went down back there? Your brother is spiraling. To answer your question, whatever we had… it’sprobably not serious. I was just a chick for him to pass the time with before he’s out of Cinnamon Springs.”

Eva reaches out, her hand brushing against my arm, a gesture of understanding. “I’m so sorry if I seemed insensitive. I was just caught off guard. I’m surprised, but happy if the two of you want to start, or have started, something. I mean, my brother and best friend. It’s perfect, to be honest.”

I slowly tilt my head, eyes wide like a possessed doll in a horror movie. “What part of what I just said didn’t land?” I ask, my voice rising in anger. “I’m not enough for Elliot. So whatever twisted fairy tale you’re imagining of us getting married and having kids, get it out of your head. It’s obvious after tonight, things are over between us.” I take a deep breath as my two best friends stand in front of me with pity in their eyes.