Page 34 of Just Forever

Lake takes a deep breath. “I felt like it.” His gaze finds mine, eyes serious. “You make me insane,” he says in a low voice. “I don’t think it’s healthy to want anybody this much.”

I let out a shuddering breath and rake my fingers through my hair. “I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels this way.”

Lake laughs, and there’s a slight edge to the sound. “No. We’re in this together.” He blows out a breath, and he wraps his pinkie finger around my pinkie finger and squeezes. “One day you’ll kiss me in the middle of the street.”

My insides jolt. I want that. More than anything.

“Promise?” I ask.

He smiles. “Not just a promise.” He lifts our joined hands. “Pinkie promise.”

I laugh and squeeze his finger again.

“Come on,” he says. “Let’s get back inside and have some fun.”

We walk back into the bar side by side.

RYKER

It takes abouteight shots of tequila, but Lake is up onstage doing karaoke with Rachel.

And…

They’re both surprisingly good.

In all the years I’ve known Lake, I’ve never once heard him sing, and I’m honestly not sure why. He sounds great, which is an achievement seeing that, by now, he’s pretty damn drunk.

They’re singing a song fromGrease, and the whole bar is on their feet, singing along and absolutely losing their fucking minds for Lake and Rachel’s performance. A performance, I might add, that includes choreography. Shit, that makes the singing even more impressive, and now I really want to hear it sober and without the crowd.

I’m staring at the stage, mouth open, taking the performance in, my heart beating wildly in my chest. It’s hot. Really, really hot.

“Did you know Lake could sing?” Kelly leans toward me and shouts.

I just shake my head, still a bit dazed.

“I’m not gonna lie,” Kelly continues, eyes on Lake, head tilted to the side. “It’s fucking hot.”

The flash of jealousy is instant and burning hot.

There’s this renewed acknowledgment inside me. The two of them have slept together. I know it. Well, to be fair, it’s worse. I’ve seen it. I’ve also mostly blocked the image out of my head, but it’s back with a vengeance now. I grit my teeth and try to push the jealousy down. It doesn’t have a place here. Kelly and Lake were never serious, so there’s no reason to feel this fiery surge of possessiveness.

It’s there anyway.

“He’s good, yeah,” I say inanely and belatedly.

They finish the song, Rachel grabs Lake’s hand, and they both bow. Lake lifts the hem of his shirt and wipes it over his face. The roar from the crowd that follows is deafening. It’s accompanied by whistles and cheers.

“Take it off,” somebody shouts, loud enough that I can hear it over the noise and the applause.

Lake throws his head back and laughs, happy and carefree.

The urge to kiss him, always in the back of my mind, is stronger than ever. To just stride onto that tiny stage, grab his face in my hands, and kiss him.

It’s not a great craving to have to deal with right now because as a result, I’m rock hard in the middle of a bar. It doesn’t help that I get to watch Lake jump off the stage and stride through the crowd, right toward me with fire in his eyes and a determined expression on his face.

He’s close, closer, right in front of me, still with the flames in his gaze, when somebody stumbles into him. He pitches forward, and I’m immediately up from my seat, ready to catch him. I grab his elbow and steady him.

The noise of the bar fades into the background. Lake blinks, and I watch as reality kicks in.

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