Page 66 of When Forever Falls Apart

The thriller I’ve been reading promises to be the perfect distraction, so I climb into bed with the soft glow of the lamp illuminating the pages.

The chapter where I’d left off was a mass murder in an underground club. Between the psychological mind games and the fast-paced plot, this should keep my mind occupied for the rest of the night.

As I delve into a gruesome scene where the killer unsheathes his blade and beheads his victims, a sudden knock on the door breaks my concentration.

I set the book aside, assuming it’s Ronald. But when I open the door, Madelina is standing in front of me wearing denim shorts and a tank top that reads “STFUATTDLAGG.” I have no idea what the hell that means, but I assume it’s something Madelina finds amusing.

Her usual jovial smile is replaced with a dull, vacant expression, which is out of character for her.

“I… I need a friend,” she says with a quiver in her voice.

I gesture for her to step inside, but I know where this is leading.

I bet her melancholy stems from missing her ex.

A part of me braces for the inevitable moment when she reveals she made a mistake and is still in love with him.

The guy has made it perfectly clear that he would take her back with open arms, even if he hasn’t explicitly told her that. It’s obvious from the way he looks at her.

True to her unpredictable nature, she questions my absence today and why I chose to tell Billie and not her. My private life should be the least of her worries. I definitely don’t want to recount how I helped Ronald with a doctor’s appointment for his back pain, then spent the rest of the afternoon drowning my sorrows at Franklin’s.

But then I see the flush coloring her cheeks as jealousy reflects in her eyes.

All of a sudden, something sparks within me. Her jealous tirade about how I told Billie instead of her about my plans? I hold back the smirk, admiring how irresistibly seductive she looks standing inside my bedroom when she’s jealous.

To rile a further reaction from her, I tell herI need time to process. Her famous words, not mine.

The tense tug-of-war of emotions shifts gears when she reveals that her father paid her a visit. Eva has mentioned him in conversations before, and as far as I know, the man is tiresome, selfish, and hardly worthy of being called a father.

And this visit left Madelina upset.

I take a deep breath, my frustration dissolving as I watch her shoulders droop, and I invite her to lie beside me. The warmth radiating from her body forces me to fight hard to remain amicable beside her. I remind myself that this isn’t the right moment for anything more.

Madelina needs a friend.

And that’s all I can offer her.

Nothing more, nothing less.

That’s all Ishouldoffer her.

Until she opens her mouth and tells me she wants to fuck.

My body stiffens, and my dick refuses to settle at the mere mention of her wanting to fuck me.

But I’m not stupid.

Women attract feelings.

And the last thing I need is Madelina falling in love with me when I’ll be off in Paris soon. So I tell her the truth, but she insists there are no strings attached.

Then, with fire in her eyes, shebegsme to fuck her.

And the simple plea drives me to the point of no return.

I lock my gaze with hers, watching the flame burn bright in her eyes. She gently parts her lips, drawing in a deep, trembling breath that electrifies the air between us.

Resistance is futile.