Page 60 of When Forever Falls Apart

“Madelina,” I whisper, a wave of honesty overcoming me. “About earlier…”

“Don’t say it, Elliot,” she mumbles, urgency lacing her words. “Please don’t tell me you did this just to make Myles jealous.”

I hold back my words, my eyes drifting to Myles and his girlfriend, dancing not far from us. True to my suspicions, Myles is watching closely, calculating ways to intervene in whatever is happening between Madelina and me. I’m not stupid—I know when another man is teetering on the edge of insanity because his ego is heavily bruised.

“Again, you’re assuming,” I reply softly.

“Elliot…”

“Madelina,” I whisper in return, the tension thickening.

She narrows her brows, then bites her lip. The lips that keepteasingme. I battle with the conflict arising within me, torn between which move to make.

“What are we doing?” she asks the question we both are thinking.

“We’re just two friends, dancing.”

“Just two friends dancing. Is that reallyallwe’re doing?”she challenges, her gaze searching mine.

“Yes, that’sallwe’re doing,” I affirm, but as Myles diverts his stare back to us, I can’t resist the urge to show him what he’s missing. I lift my hands, cradling her chin, drawing her in for another intense kiss.

For tonight, this woman ismine.

And whatever we’re doing might be wrong.

But why does it also feel so damn right?

CHAPTER 17Madelina

The car ride home is quiet, unlike the ride over to Bluebell Ranch, where we lost ourselves in mindless chatter. The uncomfortable blanket of silence settles between us after tonight’s events.

Outside, the night casts a shadow on our somber moods, and the only light across the road is the gentle glow of the full moon radiating in all its glory. My eyes close for a split second, but the simple act makes me dizzy from all the wine I drank. I promised myself I wouldn’t drink myself into a stupor for fear of doing something stupid.

And perhaps I didn’t avoid it altogether.

I letemotionsget the better of me.

The road back to Cinnamon Springs feels desolate and lonely, with only an occasional car whizzing past, their headlights momentarily illuminating the dim surroundings. I glance out the passenger window, finding myself replaying my conversation with Myles like a memorable, yet painful, song. Dissecting every word in case I missed something.

When Myles asked to cut in, it caught me off guard, stirring up a storm of memories I thought I had buried deep, the moment I left on our wedding day.

But as his words came out, my mind was also on its own journey.

The kiss with Elliot.

“You look as beautiful as ever, Maddy,” Myles murmurs, his warm gaze searching mine.

“Uh, thank you. You look good, too,” I answer casually, trying to suppress the emotions swirling within me.

Myles smells just as I remember, his signature cologne taking me back to the time when we were first dating. When everything felt exciting, and the rush of being with someone new was all I could think about.

“So, is he your boyfriend?” Myles presses, urgency lacing his tone.

His hands have tightened their grip on me, making me slightly uncomfortable.

“Myles… why does it even matter? You have Lara,” I deflect, but his eyes are relentless. Myles was never a jealous man when we were together, so this side to him is something new.

“I think I deserve an answer,” he insists, his voice firm with a hint of vulnerability. “I saw him with you last week, and you claimed he was just your friend. Now, you’re all over him on the dance floor.”