Page 100 of The Forbidden
A knock on my door startles me from my meltdown. I climb off the couch, pad to the door and pull it open. Lana’s smile drops the moment she sees my face. She steps forward, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.
“Oh, Nais,” she whispers.
“It’s over,” I choke out.
She pulls back to look at me, then grabs my hand and kicks the door shut behind us. Leading me to the living room, she eyes my heartbreak set up, then pulls us both down onto the couch.
“Tell me everything,” she insists.
So, I do. For the next thirty minutes, I pour it all out from start to finish, every messy, painful, humiliating detail. Lana listens to me vent, never interrupting, never judging. Just sits there offering silent support. When I finally finish, my mouth is dry. My best friend moves off the couch, disappearing into the kitchen and returns with two bottles of water. She hands me one. Screwing off the cap, I take a big gulp, wetting my dry, raw, throat.
“Why him, Nais?” Lana asks softly, breaking the silence, “I mean, you could have any man you want. So why him?”
“I love him,” I say simply and without hesitation.
She sighs, “I know you do. But sometimes love isn’t enough. What you had …” she trails off, chewing her lip as if debating what to say next. “Well, it wasn’t a relationship. It was a fucking secret. And you, my best friend, are nobody’s secret.”
Her words sting. Because, no matter how much I wish differently, they’re true. I was a secret. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m hopelessly, pathetically, in love with Evan Maxwell.
“I know,” I choke out through the lump in my throat.
“So, I’ll ask again. Why him?”
I stare at her, mulling over the question. It doesn’t take long. Really there is only one simple answer. I swallow, preparing myself to say something that might sound stupid, but no matter what, it’s true.
“Have you ever heard of the red string theory?” I whisper.
Lana’s brows jump to her hairline, and she shakes her head. “Red string theory?” she repeats.
My smile is sad. “Yeah. According to an ancient legend, it’s a belief that we’re all connected by an invisible thread. An invisible red string ties us to people we’re destined to meet. That string, it may stretch, knot, or disappear, but it never breaks. It connects soulmates, twin flames, karmic partners, long before you meet in this world.” I whisper wistfully. “You might feel it as instant recognition. A strange pull. A love that doesn’t make logical sense, but it feels like home.” I swallow. “And Evan, despite everything he’s done, he is my home. My soulmate. My red string. I know it. Feel it.”
Lana stares at me as if I’ve lost my damn mind, and maybe I have. “So, these…” she trails off, eyeing me carefully. “You think there’s a red string tying you to Evan?”
I nod. “Yeah. But not just him. You.” I smile and despite the heavy conversation, Lana grins. “It’s not always romantic, it’s about soul contracts. Some strings teach. Some trigger. Some stay forever. But they all shape you.” I pause, as tears burn the backs of my eyes. “I thought the string between Evan and me was forever.” Emotion tightens my throat. I swallow. “But maybe, he was sent to teach me.” The sob breaks free at that thought.
Lana pulls me into her arms, whispering words of comfort into my ear and I cling to her like a lifeline. I couldn’t be moregrateful that my friend is here. But even with her hug, her solace, I know I will never recover from Evan Maxwell.
“Sounds to me like you need to cut that damn string,” Lana murmurs, grinning.
I pull back to look at her, wiping the tears from my eyes. “I don’t think I have any scissors,” I sniffle.
My best friend grins, mimicking scissors with her fingers. “I do. And there’s only one way to cut a string like that.” She waggles her brows, snipping the air. “Snip. Snip.”
Despite everything, I snort a laugh. “I love you Nana, but honestly…” I inhale a shuddering breath. “I don’t think it’s a string that can ever be severed.”
Chapter 43
Evan
“What the fuck was that?” Hayes is the first to break the silence, his wide eyes taking in the mess around us. My heart pounds in my chest, as panic grips me by the throat. Not because of Harrison, but because of the look on Anais’s face.
I finally glance around at my friends, noting the confusion on Rowan and Hayes’s expressions. My gaze shifts to Parker, who watches me knowingly. To Nathanial, whose lips twitch in amusement. And then there’s Jameson, shaking his head in disappointment. Though Parker suspects, only Jameson and Nathanial know something happened between me and Anais, but they don’t know the full story.
“That wasn’t just Anais acting out because you embarrassed her at the office, right?” Rowan asks slowly.
I shake my head.
Parker whistles low. “Man, I knew something was going on. Harrison’s going to kill you.”
