Page 2 of Between Never and Forever
“Three more years.” I sighed.
“Yeah.” His square jaw worked up and down. “Exactly.”
“Look, just… I’m not stopping you from being with others.” I tried to be fair, even though the words felt stilted as I said them.
His jaw worked again, over and over. He stared at me like he wanted me to understand this wasn’t a good idea, like he was trying to see if I knew it wasn’t. When I didn’t show weakness, he said, “Fine. You know what? Fine. Let’s go.”
We both stomped through the woods, branches under our boots cracking and breaking like I thought my heart might. We traveled back up the hill to our friend’s home. Her parents were out of town, but the white ranch house was lit up with life. We saw Gabriella and Dimitri, Dex’s younger brother and my best friend standing there.
Gabriella squealed as we approached them; she’d obviously had more than one drink in the time I was gone as she screeched, “Where were you?”
She’d been a good, longtime friend but one I kept at arm’s length. No one had learned much about me in high school except Dimitri. I’d been a loner, throwing my songs on social media and running around the neighborhood with Dimitri and Dex as a freshman. My junior year, though, Trinity Enterprises had caught a video of me and signed me as an artist.
Suddenly, everyone at school wanted to be my friend, but Dimitri and Dex were the only ones I trusted. They were the only ones who’d been there before everyone else.
“Don’t make it so damn obvious next time. Gabriella’s been looking for you both for the past twenty minutes,” Dimitri whispered, “I’m not going to cover your asses just because you’re my best friend, Kee.” Yet, his glare was softer than Dex’s as he chastised me—nicer, sweeter. Dimitri would always be there for me even if the dynamic had shifted when I’d finally admitted to him that I had a crush on Dex.
Dex’s eyes locked on mine as Gabriella gave me a hug.
“Oh, I was just taking a call from my agent,” I answered fast.
She leaned into Dex. “Ugh. Isn’t Keelani amazing? I’m waiting for the day that I get a call from a freaking record label.”
I shook my head. “It’s not all rainbows and butterflies, Gabriella.” I might have been talking to her, but I held Dex’s gaze.
“Right.” She shrugged, and when the thunder rumbled again, she waved us all inside. We weaved through the crowded living room and found some space in the kitchen, where Gabriella continued on. “It must be nice, though, Keelani. You don’t have to hang out with us all the time. Instead, you’re hanging with celebrities like Ethan Phillipe.”
That comment had Dex’s neck flexing and the words in my throat catching. A silence that crackled with tension filled the space. Thankfully, Dimitri laughed right as Dex’s friend, Kyle, meandered up to us. His lopsided smile was full of delight as he lightly slapped Dex on the back. “Slumming it at home when you’re in college now, bro?”
“Just here to see my brother and apparently you.” Dex shrugged and then leaned against the island countertop even though his eyes were on me.
“And me!” Gabriella snuggled close to him, their hips side by side, her head against his chest, and her hand smoothing the T-shirt that I knew was thin enough for her to feel his six pack.
Dimitri swung an arm around me and then whispered, “You need a drink.”
“I need four,” I grumbled and disappeared with Dimitri into the basement where I knew there was a whole bar.
Dex didn’t follow me. I knew he wouldn’t. I walked away from the love of my life as my friend hung on his arm like she belonged there.
That night, we all drank too much. I remember offering Dex drinks, but he continued to say no, continued to say that we should leave.
Instead, I turned back to the oak bar counter and hopped onto it. “Who’s ready for a dance party?”
“You’re being reckless again,” Dex growled as he stared up at me.
“I’m letting loose.” I swayed my hips and smirked down at him. “You should try it.”
“We need to leave,” he said, but I ignored him. “You’ve had too much to drink, Keelani.”
“I hate when you call me that,” I whispered to him because he knew it was my formal stage name and I didn’t want to be that here. I didn’t really want to be her anywhere. The label was suffocating, the responsibility was draining, and the rules were binding. The last thing I wanted was a lecture from him now.
But I needed one. I was too stirred up in my emotions and too immature to think of the repercussions.
I poured alcohol down everyone’s throats, was the life of the party, and tried to enjoy myself so much so that I wouldn’t have to consider the realities of my situation. When Dex had finally had enough, Kyle offered to drive us all home.
Laid-back Kyle who’d drank just about as much as me. Kyle who was so sweet and genuine. He’d wanted to help.
Dex said no. Even Dimitri looked wary, but Gabriella and I were too far gone to listen to reason. We ran through the freezing rain and folded into his car without looking back at Dimitri and Dex, laughing like we were getting away with not obeying a parent.
