Page 35 of Be Your Forever
The plans I have for her and that body
Whatthefuckhappened?When I left, Bri was purring like a content kitten. Now, she’s one second from fleeing. I’m simultaneously serving a patron while wracking my brain as to what happened when Gage claps me on the shoulder.
“Hey, Ace. Just a heads up, Giselle is here,” he informs me.
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Fuck…This won’t be good.
“Okay, and?” I could give a rat’s ass about that woman.
“Well, Giselle spotted your girl on her way to the bathroom and made a beeline for her. I saw Giselle walk out with a smile on her face, and Bri looked like she wanted to disappear.”
Everything makes sense now. Giselle lives for drama. Rage bubbles like lava in my veins as I think about all the possibilities that could have transpired in that bathroom. Spoiler alert, none of them are good.
“Hey, do me a favor. Close down early. I need to talk to my girl.”
“You got it.”
Groans and curses erupt within the bar when Gage announces last call, but I couldn’t give a shit. My priority right now is Bri.
I step into my office to find Bri curled in a ball on the couch, tears streaming down her face. Pain wraps around my heart like a noose threatening to squeeze the life out of me as I watch her body shake with hurt I’m determined to fix. I crouch down in front of her, brushing some of her wavy tendrils from her face.
“Look at me.” Desperation seeps from my voice.
She shakes her head a few times, but eventually, her eyes meet mine. My stomach bottoms out and my heart threatens to fall to my feet. Bri peers up at me with bloodshot eyes, puffy cheeks, and fuck does she look beautiful. Even with tear-stained cheeks, she’s stunning.
“What did she say?” I ask. Her eyes widen and a soft gasp escapes past her lips.
“H-How did you know?”
“Gage told me about her following you.”
“It’s stupid. We aren’t even, like, together or anything. I mean, we never said we were exclusive. We haven’t even had sex yet, so just for—”
“Let’s get a few things straight. One, you and me? We’re fucking exclusive. Two, I don’t know what Giselle told you, but her and I have never happened. And three—” I grip her chin in my hand, my gaze burning into hers. I need her to understand that I’m serious. “And this is the most important part, bear. It’s only you and me, baby. I’m fucking you, and only you. My cock belongs to you andonlyyou. Just like your pussy belongs to me andonlyme. I’m not opposed to murder, so there better not be anyone else.”
“N-No. There isn’t anyone else. Giselle got in my head about high school, and my brain went wild after that,” Bri admits.
“What are you talking about, Bri?”
“Remember that one party? Where I, um…” Bri’s voice trails off, her gaze ping ponging around the room, looking for something to focus on. I gently cup her cheek, watching as her eyes flutter closed.
“Care to finish that sentence?” I knowexactlywhat party she’s referring to, but I want to hear her say it. Ineedto.
“Asher.” My name comes out in a hushed whisper, caressing my body like a feather.
“Brianna.” I refuse to let her cower.
“When I, um, asked you to fuck me.”
Bri’s chin lifts, her eyes sparkling with fierce determination.
“Bear, that’s not something I’deverforget. But if I remember correctly, I tried getting your attention later that night and instead received the cold shoulder.”
“Yeah. I had the biggest crush on you back then. I had this plan to make my move only to have it ruined by Giselle saying y’all had sex earlier that night. When I saw you trying to get my attention, I saw red. I hated you so much at that moment. And I—”
“She lied.”
“W-What?”
