Page 100 of When Forever Falls Apart

This betrayal hurt more than a thousand punches using my already bruised knuckles.

I don’t need her to answer. Her actions say it all.

I’ll never be Myles.

I’m simply her best friend’s older brother, who happened to be in the right place, at the right time.

The perfect goddamnrebound.

CHAPTER 27Madelina

As I walk through the crowds by myself, with no particular place to go, I notice there are so many young couples this year. They walk with their fingers intertwined, appearing to be in the honeymoon phase of dating. I can’t help but lower my gaze to ease the pain, wishing things between Elliot and me were different.

Elliot’s sudden shift in mood during the hot dog competition has left me baffled.

One moment, we’re riding high on the Ferris wheel, his dirty talk leaving me breathless, like I’m the only woman he’ll ever need. Next, his sarcasm is laced with hidden resentment, leaving me questioning everything.

When we’re intimate, things between us are so intense that I can’t get enough. No man I’ve ever been with has made me feel the way Elliot does, not even Myles.

But now, I wonder if that’s all I am to him. Some chick that puts out whenever he wants, and that’s that. I mean, he ended things so easily with Nicole, and supposedly, he was in love with her. And that thought hurts the most.

Maybe, I’m not enough.

Not enough for him to fall in love with.

There are groups of teenagers goofing around, their carefree nature bringing a warm smile to my face as memories come flooding back, as if it were only yesterday that I was their age.

Somehow, time has managed to slip away, and I can’t help but wonder why fear stops us from living the best version of our lives. It’s almost as if we use the excuse “there’s always more time” when, in fact, our time could end at any given moment.

And then what?

We wake up one day and realize we let it all slip away.

My spiral is heading to a whole other level. It reminds me of the time I fell into a Mount Everest rabbit hole and learned all about the death zone. I couldn’t concentrate for days, researching everything I could because I was scared and fascinated by this phenomenon.

I’m trying to find an empty bench since my snug boots are starting to pinch, and tonight’s events have sucked all my energy. Just ahead near the trailers, I see a vacant one, so I walk over and remove my crossbody purse, about to sit down when I hear a familiar voice call my name. My heart skips a beat as Myles steps out of one of the colorful trailers.

“Myles?” I exclaim, startled and pleasantly surprised. “What are you doing here?”

His lips curve upward into a wide, infectious grin as he drops his gaze and takes in my outfit. “Just a bit of work. I had an unexpected catch-up with a family friend whose son is looking for an internship on Broadway. He’s part of the committee running this fair. Killed two birds with one stone.”

I tilt my head, then cross my arms beneath my chest. “What was the other bird?”

“Excuse me?” he asks with a teasing gaze.

“Well,” I continue, raising an eyebrow. “Meeting your friend counts as one bird. What was the other bird?”

Myles rubs his chin thoughtfully, his expression turning coy. “I was hoping to bump into you here. I know how upset you were last year when you missed the fair because of my family’s commitments.”

Myles, remembering how important this fair and this town are to me, brings a smile to my lips. As I lower my gaze, a warmth spreads across my cheeks. When I finally meet his eyes again, they search mine for something we once had.

“You look hot, Maddy. Any chance to dress up, huh?” he teases with a chuckle.

“I do love an excuse to dress in theme,” I reply playfully.

Myles laughs, a rich sound that stirs something deep inside me. “Oh yes, I remember that club opening last year. The theme was the 2000s, and you came as J.Lo.”

“Technically, it was ‘Jenny from the Block,’?” I correct him with a laugh. “That was such a fun night.”