Page 79 of When Forever Falls Apart

Ava finally pulls herself away from her phone, her eyes darting from me to Elliot. “Is everything okay?”

I let out a sigh, then yell over the music, which seems to have gotten louder. “This is Elliot. The best friend’s older brother.”

With a steady nod, Ava’s mouth curves into a knowing smile. “It looks like you’ll be busy the rest of the night. I hope you don’t mind if I head home. I’ve got a few things I need to take care of.”

“Are you sure you can’t stay for a bit longer?” The desperation is etched in my tone. If she leaves me with Elliot, I’m scared of what stupid move I may make next. I forgot in the few hours since I saw him last how devastatingly handsome he is. The simple black jeans and a dark gray shirt don’t distract from his mesmerizing blue eyes and unruly ash-blond curls.

Ava leans in, her lips brushing against my cheek in a polite gesture, but her smile appears strained, almost rehearsed. I assume it’s Austin who’s been texting her and, being a typical guy, he’s probably pissed she’s at a club. Earlier, she mentioned that her girls are with her mom and dad because this is a two-day trip. Since we arrived here, more than three guys have tried to hit on her. Like I said, she is a beauty.

“Let’s catch up again soon,” Ava says simply before waving goodbye.

Now it’s just Elliot and me, since Bowie and the rest are somewhere lost on the dance floor. I cross my arms over my chest tightly, the gesture a clear signal of my irritation. My tongue pokes lightly into my cheek as I inhale a long breath. The air between us feels charged, and I can almost hear the unspoken words hanging in the silence, fueling my frustration.

I’m sure he’ll come up with some pathetic excuse.

“We can talk another time,” I tell him. “I’m going to dance.”

“Then I’m dancing with you,” he insists.

Elliot trails closely behind me on the dance floor. The music slows down to the beats of “We Can’t Be Friends” by Ariana Grande. With my back still toward him, he moves in closer, lips inches away from my neck. I close my eyes, swaying to the music, and hear him whisper in my ear, “You look so damn sexy tonight, Bugs. Don’t think for one second you’re leaving here with anyone else.”

I turn around to face him, eyes full of anger as Nicole’s face flashes in my mind. “I’m not a side girl, okay? I’m sure your girlfriend wouldn’t be happy knowing you’re here with me,” I snap.

“There isnogirlfriend, Madelina. Perhaps, if you’d given me two seconds of your time, I could have explained the situation to you.”

I throw my hands up in the air. “So, you’re saying Nicole lied?”

Elliot purses his lips. “I’m saying, there isnogirlfriend. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a little preoccupied by someone else.”

I hate how one moment, I’m standing my ground, accepting nothing less than I deserve. And the next, my body betrays me, and what I want is for Elliot to strip me naked and make sweet love to me like I’m all he’ll ever need.

“We’rejust friends,” I remind him. “It’s supposed to be no strings attached and now you’re acting like a possessive boyfriend?”

Elliot leans in, his warmth enveloping me as his lips graze against mine, sending a shiver down my spine. He gently tilts my chin up, unveiling the delicate curve of my neck. With agonizing slowness, his tongue glides along the soft skin beside my throat, trailing upward until he hovers tantalizingly close to my ear.

His breath is a husky whisper, heavy with command and intention. “No more games, Bugs,” he murmurs, his voice a low growl. “You’re mine.”

CHAPTER 22Madelina

Elliot pins me against the textured brick wall behind a large column, his lips crashing against mine with an urgency that leaves me breathless.

The pulsating rhythm of Billie Eilish reverberates through the space, enveloping us in a haze of sound, while the dim lighting provides privacy in this part of the club.

His fingers creep beneath the skirt of my short dress, lingering on my thigh, and sending shivers down my spine as the heat of his kiss ignites a fire within me. He tastes like perfection, and even though I kissed him this morning, it feels like forever ago.

I pull away slightly, his eyes casting a spell over me as I try to regulate my breathing. He leans his hand on the wall, creating a barrier so no one can see me, then grazes my thigh again, but this time he doesn’t stop, going straight for the pot of gold. I draw my lower lip between my teeth, every sense heightened as his finger brushes against my clit. My stomach tightens, and my legs begin to wobble like jelly. The only thing holding me up at this point is my back resting against the wall.

In and out, in and out, he thrusts his fingers as the familiar build in the pit of my stomach is on the verge of erupting intoa blissful orgasm. I shut my eyes tight, biting down hard to control my body’s convulsing, but I have no control.

“Come for me,” Elliot demands in a raspy voice.

His simple demand sends me over the edge, the stars blinding me as flashing lights stream across the ceiling. I attempt to catch my breath, but the air inside the club is awfully stale and makes it harder for me to gain my bearings. Elliot slowly removes his fingers from inside me, then, in a bold move, he brings them to his mouth and sucks on them slowly.

Desire pools his eyes with every stroke of his tongue. Once again, my legs begin to shake, my gaze fixated on the way his tongue rolls around and sucks the juices off his fingers so effortlessly.

I want all of him, again, right here and right now. But as he leans in to kiss me softly, this time a surge of resistance brings me back to reality, almost like someone snapped their fingers and pulled me out of a spell.

“We can’t do this,” I tell him, pushing him away.