All I Want Is You (Forever and Ever Book 1)

by E. L. Todd

  When we came back to my apartment, she immediately went into my bedroom. I followed her, knowing what was coming.

  “Can I sleep here?” she asked as she undid her scarf.

  “You don’t need to ask me that, Jasmine.”

  “Can I leave a few things here?”

  “Sure.”

  “Okay.” She stripped off her clothes until she was just in her cheeky panties. I was hard the moment I looked at her but I kept thinking about someone else. When Skye took off her bikini, I saw every inch of her skin. Her breasts were round and perky, cock-throbbing. Her waist curved into an hourglass figure, and her hips were wide. Her stomach was small and had an insignificant amount of flab, but I loved the sight. She had the curves of a real woman, someone I longed to have.

  I realized what I was doing and I stopped myself. I closed my eyes for a second then forgot about my dream girl, the woman I would never have. I was moving on, forgetting about her forever.

  I looked at Jasmine again and only saw her. Her skin was smooth and pale, reminding me of a winter morning. She had curves in all the right places. There was nothing wrong with her. She was perfect in her own right.

  “Are you going to keep me waiting?” She put her hands on her hips and stared at me.

  “No.” I pulled my shirt off then came to her, crushing my mouth against hers. My hands moved over her naked skin, squeezing and grabbing. The last kiss I had was the best one I’d ever had, but I couldn’t remember it. It was an embrace that never should have happened. And as far as I was concerned, it never did.

  Chapter Ten

  Skye

  “I brought Operation.” I tossed it on the table.

  Trinity gave me that look she’d been giving me my whole life. Her eyes narrowed together and she put her hands on her hips. It was a look that clearly said, “You’re stupid.”

  “What?”

  “That game is like twenty years old. Does it even work anymore?”

  “Cayson and I played it a few months ago so I’m sure it does.”

  “Well, that’s not something all of us can play.”

  “You never know,” I said.

  “Good thing you have big boobs because your brain is small.”

  I glared at her. “What games do you have?”

  “Twister. Clue. Uno. Guess Who.”

  “Ha! Guess Who is a two player game!”

  She gave me that same look again. “I’m just telling you what I have.”

  “Too bad your boobs are average size.”

  She threw a pillow at my head.

  I laughed. “Don’t argue with my father’s daughter. You will always lose.”

  “Don’t fight my father’s daughter because you’ll always lose.” She squeezed her bicep.

  “What are you squeezing? I don’t see anything.”

  She threw another pillow at my head.

  “You definitely aren’t good with the words.”

  She turned to grab another pillow but they were all gone.

  “Oh no. It looks like Trinity is out of ammo.” I grabbed the pillows and threw them at her. “Sucker!”

  Conrad and Slade walked through the door, carrying cases of beer.

  “The kings have arrived,” Slade said.

  “So bow down, ladies.” Conrad placed the case on the counter then ripped it open.

  Trinity and I exchanged a look then threw the pillows at them.

  Slade held up his hand. “Hey, what the hell?”

  “Don’t mess with the queens of this house,” I said.

  Slade grabbed a beer then tossed it to me.

  “Do you have a bottle opener?” I asked.

  “No. Do you have a lighter?” he countered.

  I raised an eyebrow. “What are you going to do with a lighter?”

  “You’ve never opened a bottle with a lighter?” he asked incredulously.

  “Should I have?” I asked.

  Conrad dug his hand in his pocket then fished one out. “Here.” He tossed it at Slade.

  “Why do you have a lighter?” Trinity demanded.

  “So I can see in the dark,” Conrad snapped.

  “It’s not a flashlight,” Trinity snapped. “It’s an open flame. Why do you have to be an idiot?”

  “Why do you have to be a whore?” Conrad countered. “That sounds like a more important problem to discuss.”

  She rolled her eyes. “So if I wear a slutty outfit on Halloween, I’m a whore?”

  “Yep.” He looked at Slade.

  Slade flicked on the flame then held it under the cap for a few seconds, burning it. Then he flicked it off with his thumb. “Works like a charm.”

  Conrad did the same thing and popped his off.

  I rolled my eyes. “Boys…”

  The door opened again, and Roland came inside. “We better play poker for some serious dough because game night is lame.”

  “You can only throw so many parties and not get sick of it,” Trinity countered.

  Roland tossed a few bags of chips on the counter. “Look how polite I am.” He grabbed a beer and then snatched the lighter from Conrad’s hand. He did the same thing to his beer then popped off the cap.

  “How did you know that?” I asked.

  Roland shrugged. “Dad has taught me a few things.”

  We hadn’t discussed the night he got in trouble, but I knew he didn’t think I ratted him out. He’d done a lot of things when we were growing up and I always kept my silence. My brother and I weren’t extremely close, but that was a silent agreement we honored, not to tattle on each other. It made us a united front against our parents.

  Theo and Silke walked inside.

  “Yo.” Theo put another case of beer on the counter.

  “This isn’t a frat party,” Trinity said.

  “I drink this like water,” Theo said.

  Silke put a bottle of wine on the counter. “Because I have some class.”

  Theo laughed. “Yeah, okay.”

  Trinity looked at me. “Is Zack coming?”

  I just wanted it to be family tonight. I invited him sometimes, but most of the time I didn’t. The time I spent with my family was holy and sacred. It was a circle hard to penetrate by outsiders. I guess I didn’t like sharing it with many people. “No.”

  “Good.” She stood up then placed the games on the floor of the living room.

  The door opened again, and I looked up, hoping to see Cayson. I hadn’t seen him in almost two weeks. For some reason, his absence was always more profound than everyone else’s. He was my best friend in the whole world. Plus, he owed me dinner and had never taken me.

  He stepped inside wearing dark jeans and a gray hoodie. His eyes looked a brighter shade of blue when he wore light colors. Sometimes I saw flecks of different colors deep inside if I looked hard enough. His chest was defined even in his sweater. I never noticed that before. His shoulders were broad and thick, like he rowed often. I stared at him for several seconds, taking him in.

  Then a woman walked in behind him. In her tight clothing, I could see the curves of her body. She had the hourglass figure guys loved, a great ass, and a chest that almost rivaled mine. Her blonde hair was pulled over one shoulder, but it looked like a curtain of silk. Red lips and blue eyes highlighted her face. She was very pretty.

  “Hey, guys.” Cayson kicked off his shoes by the door.

  Everyone eyed the girl with him. He hadn’t brought anyone into our circle in years, so everyone understood the significance.

  Cayson put his arm around her waist. “This is my girlfriend, Jasmine.”

  Girlfriend? He had a girlfriend? I know he mentioned he went on a date but…I didn’t think it was anything serious. How long had this been going on? Did he love her? Why hadn’t he told me about her?

  “Hey.” Roland waved at her. “Welcome to the party.”

  Conrad came to her and shook her hand. “I like blondes too.”

  She laughed. “Good to know.”

  Cayson
pushed him back. “Ignore him.”

  Slade came to her then nudged her in the side. “Please tell me you have a twin sister.”

  Cayson pulled her closer to him. “She’s off limits, guys. Leave her alone.”

  “Now we have to play strip poker,” Theo said. “But just with Jasmine.”

  Cayson rolled his eyes. “They’re teasing. Just ignore them.”

  She smiled. “I know. I’ll take it as a compliment.”

  She was sweet too. Ugh.

  They came further into the room then headed to the counter.

  “What can I get you to drink?” he asked her.

  I stayed on the couch and stared at them, watching how gentle he was with her.

  Trinity caught the look. “You’re staring awfully hard…”

  “What?” I said. “I was just admiring her boots.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Skye.”

  Cayson grabbed her a beer and twisted off the cap with his bare hand. Then he grabbed himself one too.

  Why was this bothering me so much? Was it because he never mentioned it to me? Was it because he kept me in the dark? I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “Why don’t you mind your own business over there?” Slade snapped.

  I glared at him. “I’m just surprised. Cayson never mentioned her to me.”

  “He doesn’t have to tell you shit, Skye. He doesn’t owe you a fucking thing.” Venom dripped from his voice.

  Why was he being so hostile toward me?

  Cayson and Jasmine came to our circle and sat down. He sat close to her, whispering with her and making her giggle.

  Was he not going to say hi to me? I was always the first person he spoke to, the first one to share a story with. Now I didn’t even exist.

  “I think we should play UNO,” Trinity said. “It’s easy to play with a bunch of people.”

  “I think we should play strip poker.” Theo wiggled his eyebrows.

  “In case you haven’t noticed, a lot of us our related to each other here,” Roland snapped.

  “Not my problem.” Theo picked up a deck of cards and winked at him.

  “UNO it is.” Trinity shuffled the deck and handed out the cards.

  When I was looking at Cayson, Jasmine turned her stare onto me. She watched me, studying my face. Then she turned away, not saying a word to me.

  What was that about?

  We got the game started, and like always, Cayson won the first round. He was good at everything he did. Sometimes it annoyed the other guys because they felt like they couldn’t compete.

  When we played again, Jasmine won.

  That ticked me off but I wasn’t sure why.

  Eventually UNO got old so we just sat in a circle and talked while we drank.

  “How did you guys meet?” Trinity asked Cayson.

  “Well…” He tore the label off his bottle.

  “I spotted him in a bar I work at and I asked him out.” She said it without shame. “I knew he was a catch the second I laid eyes on him. And the rest is history.”

  She works in a bar? Is she a waitress?

  “And I couldn’t say no.” Cayson smirked. “I mean, look at her.”

  I felt a pain in my stomach.

  “So, you got some cute girlfriends?” Slade asked. “Cute, slutty, girlfriends?”

  “I got all kinds of girlfriends.” She said it with a smile. “It just depends on what you prefer.”

  “Slutty,” he blurted. “Like, really slutty.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Can I get in on that?” Roland asked.

  “Aren’t you only into married women?” Conrad jabbed.

  “You slept with a married woman?” Trinity’s eyes practically fell out of her head.

  Roland shrugged. “I may have…”

  Trinity cringed. “That is so gross.”

  “You’re gross,” he snapped.

  This could go on forever…

  “Did you get caught?” Slade asked.

  “Not by her husband,” Roland said. “But my dad found out I stole his car.”

  “Oh shit,” Conrad said. “Your dad must have been pissed.”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe…” Roland sighed.

  “If I pulled that number on my dad, I would have a broken leg,” Conrad said.

  “Well, our dad is a little intense,” Trinity said. “I’m not sure how Mom puts up with him.”

  “He’s a billionaire,” Conrad said. “That’s how she puts up with him.”

  “Mom doesn’t care about that,” Trinity said.

  “Neither does mine,” I said.

  Jasmine eyed all of us. “I didn’t realize I was mingling with that kind of crowd…”

  “We’re pretty quiet about it,” Roland said. “But if you’re into money, I got it.” He winked at her. “Cayson’s family is poor compared to mine.”

  Cayson rolled his eyes. “Thanks, man.”

  Roland shrugged. “I’m just saying…”

  Jasmine leaned in close to him. “I’d take a poor perfect man over a rich jerk any day.”

  Cayson put his arm around her shoulder and smirked. “I like what I’m hearing…”

  I couldn’t stop watching them. He was affectionate with her all the time, touching her and holding her. I didn’t like it even though I couldn’t explain why.

  We spent the rest of the night talking, but I didn’t participate much. Seeing Cayson with a girlfriend rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn’t stop staring, seeing how he held her hand and waited on her hand and foot. The love shined in her eyes, and she looked at him like he was the most amazing man in the world. Her hands touched his arm and then his thigh. The sexual attraction was evident.

  I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness. It was deep in my veins and heavy in my throat. I couldn’t explain why. I didn’t know what was going on. It was just a feeling.

  Cayson and Jasmine left early and walked out. I couldn’t help but wonder what they were going to do when they got home. When I imagined him kissing her, it made me uneasy. Was it because I saw him as a brother? As family?

  When he was gone, I realized he didn’t speak to me once.

  He didn’t even look at me.

  ***

  A week later I texted him. Hey. How’s it going?

  Cayson always responded in a heartbeat. Even if he was in class, he typed back a response. This time, three hours passed before he said anything. Good. You? It was short and to the point.

  You still owe me dinner.

  Twenty minutes went by before he responded. Maybe next weekend. I got a lot of stuff going on.

  Something wasn’t right. He was off. He’d been off for a while. Can we meet right now?

  Like, right this second?

  I need to talk to you.

  This time his response was immediate. Is everything okay?

  Yes, I’m fine. But I want to talk to you.

  Then another fifteen minutes went by. I’m in the library. I have a few minutes to spare—nothing more.

  A few minutes to spare? He used to have all the time in the world for me. I’ll be there in a second.

  K.

  I reached the library then moved to the corner where he usually sat. He was wearing a black jacket with a gray t-shirt underneath. He didn’t smile when he saw me. In fact, he looked annoyed.

  “Hey.” I sat across from him.

  “What’s up?” He flipped through the pages of his lab book. His voice sounded bored, hollow.

  What was going on? It was like we weren’t even friends anymore. “Can you at least look at me when you talk to me?”

  He stilled for a second. Then I noticed his left hand clenched into a fist. I’d known Cayson long enough to know when he was angry, and for some reason he was. He released his hand then met my gaze. “You have my full attention.”

  His eyes didn’t hold the same warmth they used to. It was like he loathed me, hated me. So much had changed and I had
no idea what caused it. Did I offend him? Say something to hurt his feelings? I felt like I lost my best friend and I didn’t even know why. I controlled my emotions so I wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t expose myself to him. “Cayson, did I do something to piss you off?”

  “No.” His voice was hollow.

  “A few weeks ago you stormed out of my apartment without saying goodbye. Did I do something?”

  “No.” His eyes were guarded.

  “You didn’t even talk to me at game night last weekend.”

  “What are you talking about? I talked to everyone. We were sitting in a damn circle.”

  Damn circle? “Cayson, why are you different toward me? You keep saying I didn’t piss you off but I feel like we aren’t even friends anymore.” I was barely holding on, about to break.

  “Now that I have a girlfriend, I guess I don’t have all the time in the world to spend with you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about her? You tell me everything.”

  “My personal life isn’t any of your business.” The venom was heavy.

  What the hell was going on? It was like he was a different person. Now I was breaking apart. My best friend wasn’t even there anymore. Cayson loathed me for reasons I couldn’t understand. What did I do? What the hell happened? I couldn’t sit across from him a second longer. I stood up then hid my face. “I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.” I walked away without saying another word.

  When I was finally out of the library, I broke down into tears. The icy wind stung my face and burned my skin. I sniffed in the cold air, feeling my lungs hurt with every breath. Cayson was the person I relied on for everything, and he literally disappeared overnight. He didn’t exist. The last time I remember him was when we went to that conference. When we came home, everything was different.

  He was gone.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cayson

  I knew I was being a dick to Skye but I couldn’t help it. The only way for me to get over her was to push her away. Believe me, hurting her hurt me. But this was the only way. If I babied her like I used to, I would make no progress. If I spent all my time with her, noticing the curve of her neck and the rosiness of her cheeks, I’d be in love with her forever. This was how it had to be.

  But I didn’t feel good about it.

  As the weeks went by, I focused on school. I didn’t hang out with the gang as much as I used to because I was avoiding Skye. I hung out with Slade and Conrad, hitting the gym and playing ball with them, but other than that, I avoided everyone. Jasmine came over often, sleeping at my place then leaving late in the morning.