Forever and Ever (Complete #1-7)

by E. L. Todd

  “But you didn’t push her away. You didn’t walk away. You looked like you were having a great fucking time.”

  “Hey, watching a beautiful woman hit on me isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

  “Beautiful?” I hissed. “Beautiful? I thought you only called me that.” Every other chick had other names, like “hot” or “sexy.” Not beautiful. That was mine.

  “Baby, you know what I mean.”

  “You’re a fucking pig.” I twisted out of his grasp and walked away.

  I headed straight for the door, not wanting to talk to my friends and hear their opinion about our argument. Maybe everyone was right. Maybe Slade would never be what I wanted him to be. After everything we’d been through, how could he say that to me? Treat me that way?

  When I got outside, Slade caught up to me. “Would you stop making a scene?” he hissed.

  “You’re a jackass.” I crossed the parking lot.

  “Where the hell are you going?”

  “Home.”

  “You’re going to walk there?” He reached me then grabbed me by the arm.

  I twisted out of his grasp. “Just leave me alone, Slade.”

  “If you’re pissed, fine. I get it. But you aren’t walking home. I’ll drop you off.”

  “I don’t want to be anywhere near you.” Anger seethed out, leaking from my pores.

  “Trinity, what is the big deal? You thought all women would just suddenly stop asking me for a good time? It’s not like I have a website and I regularly make announcements about my relationship status. And I refuse to be rude to the women I’ve had a good time with. Some of them are friends. And it really shouldn’t matter, because you’re the only woman I’ve ever settled down for. So when you see a woman flirt with me, you shouldn’t be threatened at all. There’s absolutely no reason for it.”

  “But you flirted back.”

  He sighed. “Trin, all people flirt. It’s innocent. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Cayson doesn’t.”

  His face turned red. “Stop comparing me to Cayson! I’ll never be him. I’m me. You even told me you loved me for who I was. I’m not going to change and be perfect like he is. You knew that’s what you were getting when you decided to be with me. So don’t pull that shit now.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and looked across the parking lot.

  “You’re totally overreacting.”

  “No, I’m not. It’s a reasonable request for your boyfriend not to flirt with women he’s slept with.”

  “How do you know if I even slept with her?”

  I gave him a burning glare before I turned away.

  “Whatever, that’s beside the point.”

  “No, it’s not. Flirting with an ex is not okay.”

  “She’s not my ex,” he argued. “She’s just a warm body in a bed. You’re my one and only.”

  “Roland and Cayson told me what you did with her, how she’s so wild and thrilling.” I was pulling that out of nowhere, but I didn’t need the details to know how much it bothered me.

  He rolled his eyes. “And I’ve had wilder. But I’ve also had better. Trinity, you’re the best sex I’ve ever had, hands down. She can’t even compare with you.”

  “Then why would you flirt with her?” I snapped.

  “I wasn’t flirting! I was just talking!”

  “That’s not what you said a second ago.”

  “Well…whatever. It didn’t mean anything.”

  “Well, it means something to me, and I don’t want you to do it anymore. That’s final.”

  “That’s final?” he asked incredulously. “You don’t want me to do it anymore? Do what? Not speak to any girl I’ve slept with? You know how impossible that is, right?”

  “I just want you to walk away.”

  “Again…they haven’t done anything to deserve my coldness.”

  “If they mean nothing to you, why do you care?”

  “Because they are human beings,” he snapped. “Trinity, why the fuck are you so insecure? Why the hell don’t you trust me? It sounds like you’re the one who has issues, not me. Maybe you should get that figured out before you start lashing out at me and bossing me around. I told you I was faithful to you and I would never cheat on you. My word is good enough. Who cares if I talk to them? You’re the person I sleep with every night. You’re the person who I confess everything to. They are so insignificant. The fact that you’re acting like a brat is making them more important, which is your doing, not mine.”

  I kept my arms across my chest and stared at the ground.

  “I’m not going to just storm off and be a dick every time a woman tries to talk to me. I’m already a dick as it is. I don’t need to be worse. You can deal with that or leave.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. I don’t care who you are, how great your pussy feels, or how much I love you, I will not let you boss me around. That’s final.”

  The fact that he wasn’t compromising with me on this only fueled my anger. “I guess we’re done, then.”

  His face immediately changed. “What?”

  “You heard me. You want to have the freedom to flirt with whomever you want, fine. Then I guess having a girlfriend is only going to get in the way of that.” I walked off and headed to the sidewalk.

  “Trinity.” His voice was loud, but he didn’t yell.

  I kept walking.

  “Trinity!”

  I ignored him.

  He came after me then gripped me. “You’re so fucking annoying, you know that?”

  I twisted from his grasp and broke free.

  He pushed me against a car then pinned me down. “God, I want to slap the shit out of you sometimes.”

  “Then just do it. You don’t respect me anyway.”

  “And you don’t trust me.” His eyes burned in a bright fire. “My word isn’t good enough and it will never be.”

  “Speak with your actions, not your words.” I shoved him back hard.

  He stumbled then hit the ground.

  “Fuck off, Slade.” I headed the opposite direction since he was in my way.

  He got to his feet then came after me again. He grabbed my wrist and yanked it toward him. Then he dropped his keys in my palm. “Drive home. Don’t walk. I’ll pick up my car later.”

  “I don’t want you anywhere near my house,” I snarled.

  “And I’ll pick up all my shit tomorrow. I’m sure I’ll be up late fucking some tramp I pick up tonight.”

  I slapped him hard across the face.

  He stilled after my hand collided with his face. His eyes burned in anger.

  And then I slapped him again.

  He took the hits and clenched his jaw. Then he stormed off and walked back inside the bar, his body tense and his hands clenched into fists.

  I got into his car and drove home, feeling the anger spread through my body. When I got inside my house, I grabbed everything that belonged to him and tossed it in a box then left it on the porch. I didn’t want to see him today or tomorrow. His face was vivid in my mind and I just wanted it to go away.

  I got into bed, still holding on to the anger. When I relived everything he’d said and done, the fury flooded back, vengeful and strong. I hated him, felt the rage hit a crescendo. I regretted ever wasting my time on him, ever letting myself fall for him. He was no good for me and he would never change. I was stupid for ever thinking otherwise.

  But hours later, I couldn’t hold on to the anger anymore. All I felt was pain. I missed him and regretted everything I’d said. He was the best thing that ever happened to me and I let my emotions break me. I pushed him away and ended a relationship I loved. I was still mad at him, but my longing for him was stronger.

  Hours after midnight, headlights came into my window. I peeked outside and saw Roland’s car. Slade jumped out then headed to his car. I’d left the keys on the seat so he would find them.

  Roland drove away, leaving Slade alone. He opened the c
ar door then grabbed the key. When he sat inside, he didn’t move. He stayed in the same spot, staring out at the road.

  I’d have given anything to know what he was thinking.

  I wished he would come inside. It was a disconcerting feeling. I wanted him to come even though I wanted him to stay away. If he came to me, I would act like I didn’t want to see him even if I really did. My emotions were complicated and indecipherable.

  Slade spotted the box of his belongings on my doorstep. He walked over then examined it. But he didn’t pick it up.

  I heard the rustling of the lock of my front door. Then it creaked as it opened. I moved back to my bed, pretending I hadn’t been watching him, pretending I didn’t care.

  His footsteps were heard in the living room. Then I heard the sound of something heavy hitting the coffee table. It was probably his box of stuff. Then footsteps came down the hallway, thudding and becoming louder.

  My heart was beating so fast I thought it would break.

  He opened my door then stared at me.

  I didn’t bother pretending I was asleep. I sat up and looked at him.

  He stared, his features blank and his eyes unreadable. It was dark without the lights on, and I could barely distinguish his face.

  He came inside then moved to the edge of my bed.

  “What do you want?” I whispered.

  He stared at my dresser, so still it was like he hadn’t heard me.

  “I asked you a question.” My hardness came back, feeling all the anger from earlier.

  “Yeah, I heard you,” he snarled.

  “Then don’t waste my time.” I was being so cold, unable to control my words.

  “Waste time?” he asked with a cold laugh. “God, you wasted an entire night.”

  The rage came back. “Give me my key and get the hell out. And don’t come back.”

  “Can you stop being a bitch for even a second?”

  I raised my arm to slap him, but he caught it.

  He gave me a merciless stare then gripped my leg. He yanked me down, pulling me toward him. Fury shone in his eyes and I thought he might hurt me. He clearly wanted to. His hands lifted my t-shirt then he ripped off my underwear, tearing it into pieces. His jeans were lowered until his cock was out then he slipped it inside before I could stop him.

  I gasped loudly then dug my nails into his forearms.

  He rocked into me hard, grunting and moaning while he did.

  My anger suddenly channeled into something else. Aggression and need overcame me. I gripped his shoulders and used mine to move him into me, fucking him harder than he was fucking me.

  “I hate you,” he said between thrusts. “You drive me crazy.”

  “I hate you,” I snapped, breathing hard.

  He pressed his head to mine when his thrusts started to slow and become deliberate and purposeful. His hand fisted into my hair and he kissed me while he moved, touching our bodies together in a binding way.

  His slow movements accompanied by his kiss made me come undone. My legs tightened around his waist as my body felt the pleasure he gave me. I moaned his name over and over again while I enjoyed every second of it. Just as I was finishing, he released.

  He made his final thrusts, adding a quiet moan as he depleted himself inside me.

  I lay back on the bed, feeling exhausted from the way we took each other so savagely.

  Slade pulled his pants back up and buttoned them. Since my underwear was in shreds, I had nothing to pull on. Without saying a word, he walked out of my house and locked it behind him.

  I went to the window and watched him. He didn’t take the box with him and he didn’t leave his key.

  What did that mean?

  72

  Slade

  I was pissed at Trinity. I wanted to wrap my large hands around her throat and squeeze.

  Hard.

  She drove me absolutely crazy. Everything between us was going great, and then Stacy had to come over and invite me to her place. The fact that I’d already fucked her and told the details to Roland and Conrad didn’t help.

  But Trinity had nothing to be jealous about. I didn’t even check out other girls anymore. And I wasn’t even flirting with Stacy. In fact, I told her about Trinity right in the beginning. Then we discussed the game.

  Then Trinity had to be a drama queen about it.

  Fucking annoying.

  When I went to her place after the big fight, I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I’d never had a fight with a girl before, and I wasn’t sure how to behave. I wanted to fix it, but I didn’t want to cave either. And since our relationship started with sex, I figured that was the best way to repair the damage—at least some of it.

  Then I left. I wasn’t going to sleep beside her and act like everything was okay.

  Because it wasn’t.

  “I’m here if you want to talk…” Cayson dribbled the ball then made the shot.

  “There’s nothing to talk about.”

  “Skye told me you guys broke up.”

  “No.” I grabbed the ball then ran past the free-throw line. Then I made the shot.

  “Are you sure…?”

  “We aren’t broken up,” I snapped. “I don’t know what we are, but we’re still together.”

  “I’m not sure if Trinity agrees with that…”

  “Well, she probably said that to Skye before I went to her house and fucked her last night.”

  Cayson watched me dribble the ball. “Actually, she told her this morning.”

  I dropped the ball. “What?”

  He shrugged. “That’s what she said.”

  “Well, we aren’t.”

  He scratched the back of his head. “Maybe you should apologize…”

  I glared at him. “You better not be taking her side!”

  “I’m not…but if Skye was flirting with an ex, I wouldn’t be too thrilled about it.”

  “I wasn’t flirting with her!” I wanted to scream. “All we did was talk, and Trinity made a big deal out of it. It’s like she doesn’t trust me, which she should.”

  “Well, letting Stacy touch you didn’t help…”

  “So, Trinity can hug other guys, but some girl can’t touch my arm?” I asked incredulously. “Yeah…that makes total sense.”

  Cayson shrugged, not having an argument against that.

  “That’s what I thought.” I grabbed the ball and passed it to him, not wanting to play anymore. “She owes me an apology. I’m not going to let her boss me around. I’m faithful to her and give her whatever she wants. I don’t even care that she came over and claimed me. That was fucking hot. But she doesn’t have the right to get mad over something so stupid. If she wants to make it right, she needs to apologize to me. I’m not going to cave.”

  “First of all, there’s no such thing as ‘caving’ in a relationship. You compromise and move on.”

  “Well, she needs to make the first move.”

  He sighed. “Don’t lose her over something stupid.”

  “You should tell her that.”

  A week passed and neither one of us made the first move. I avoided the library and places she would normally go. I assumed she did the same even though I wasn’t sure. Cayson stuck by my side but didn’t bring her up again. As the silence stretched, I wished Cayson would bring her up. But I still didn’t ask.

  Every night, sleep evaded me. I couldn’t sleep without her. Being alone in my bed made sleep impossible. I tossed and turned all night, dreaming of her smell and her touch. Countless times, I woke up in the middle of the night and checked my phone, imagining it ringing because she called or left a message.

  She never did.

  I was going crazy without her. I even considered apologizing just to end the feud. My stubbornness was waning with every passing day. Eventually, every hour was an ordeal. Did she miss me? Was she going crazy too? Could she sleep at night without my arms around her? Why hadn’t she just apologized?

  One night, I didn’t even both
er sleeping. I stayed on the couch and drank beer while I watched the crap on TV at the odd hour. My eyes never grew heavy even though I was exhausted. I hadn’t been this depressed in a long time, not since her accident.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket.

  Who would be texting me at this hour? Hopefully, it was Trinity. Anxious, I pulled out my phone and checked the message.

  It was her. I’m horny. Are you?

  It wasn’t an apology but at least she missed me. Always.

  I’m outside your door.

  She was? I turned off the TV and left my mess of empty beer bottles and trash on the table. I opened the door, relieved to see her face even though I didn’t show it.

  Judging by the scowl on her face, she was still mad. Without saying a word, she walked inside and headed to my bedroom.

  I followed behind her then joined her in the darkness of my room. My sheets were unkempt, and judging by the mess and disarrayed covers, I’d been thrashing rather than sleeping.

  She undressed herself, not looking at me.

  I’d had sex with strangers, but nothing was nearly as awkward as this.

  When she was naked, she got on all fours, facing the opposite way.

  I took off my clothes then came up behind her. But I flipped her onto her back, forcing her to look at me. My lips found hers and I kissed her the way I wanted, telling her I loved her without actually saying it. I slid inside her because I was desperate for her. Then together, we started to move.

  Her hands dug into my hair and she held on to me, clinging to me. She tried to hide how much she needed me, tried to pretend she was indifferent to me, but she couldn’t fool me.

  “Baby, I love you.” It came out as a whisper, barely audible.

  “I love you too.” She said it with the emotion she’d been hoarding all week.

  “We aren’t broken up.” I kept moving inside her. “So stop telling people that.”

  “Okay,” she said with a moan.

  “And I’m here whenever you’re ready to apologize.”

  She flinched for a moment but kept moving. “Me? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

  I shouldn’t have said that last part. “Yes, you did. You got mad over something so stupid. If you trust me, watching me talk to some girl shouldn’t bother you.” I thrust into her like nothing was amiss.