Page 5 of Forever More

Think.

Fix this.

“You’re my best friend.” Her face falls and the sight of it guts me. I feel like a floundering teenager here. “I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t want to ruin this. Us. Who we are.” I fall face down onto the couch, my last sentence muffled.

But I hear her chuckle as I opt to stay where I am—face planted in the cushion—now that the room is spinning.

It’s not till later when I wake up staring at the cracked ceiling, listening to her soft snores from her open bedroom door, that I realize the entire night was about me. That Annie let me have a moment to shine and live in it. I’ve never had that before, and of course, I went and ruined it by kissing her.

By taking the one thing I’ve wanted from her for over a year, when she’s showed no outward interest at all in me.

Leave it to me to fuck things up.

The memory hits me hard and fast as I stare at her from across the table. I’ve relived that kiss more times than I care to count over the years. Hell, I may have even tried to find one to rival it in the many women I’ve kissed since then . . . but nothing has touched it.

Maybe it was the moment and the celebration that made it so special.

Then again, maybe it was her.

“So tell me, does your partner have you working on any exciting cases or are you still just doing the day-to-day stuff?” I ask, wanting to know what I’ve missed out on.

“Just the day-to-day. But Justin said—”

“Justin?” I ask, more than aware that it was Mr. Jenson last time I spoke to her and now it’s Justin.

“Yes.” She gives me an odd look. “The other associate lawyer I’ve told you about. Justin.”

“Yes. I’m sorry. I was thinking of Mr. Jensen. My bad.”

And so Annie McIntyre fills me on the details of her life. The details I want to hear despite knowing if that were my life, I’d slit my wrists from the boredom. But this is Annie. Steady-eddy, Annie, who loves routine and discipline, and everything in between.

My polar opposite.

And I wouldn’t want her any other way.

“Should we head over to the restaurant? I made reservations so we’d have a table.”

“Of course, you did.” I smile and just stare at her, lost in whatever this pressure in my chest is.

“C’mon. Let’s go. I made sure we’re in the back room so that no one bugs us for autographs or pictures from the rock star.”

“Rock star sex god. Get it straight,” I joke.

“Oh please.” She rolls her eyes. “Good to see your ego is still small and humble.”

“Never.” I laugh. “And that’s just how you like me.”

I throw some cash on the bar, wrap my arm around her shoulders, and head toward the chilly world beyond this cozy hole in the wall bar.

THREE

Annie

There is a slow hum to the restaurant. We’re seated in the back room, empty except for us. The light is dim, the atmosphere low key, and the food is killer.

Lyric caught the eye of a few people while walking our way over here. No doubt, that means that there will be paparazzi sitting outside waiting to take a picture of rock’s newest ‘it’ boy when we leave.

Good for him. He deserves everything great that is happening to him.