Page 42 of Meant for You

The water turned off, and several minutes later, Everly stepped out.

In skintight jeans and another tit-hugging shirt that made my mouth water.

“You kept them,” I said, motioning to the folder on the bed.

Her head tilted to the side. “Of course I kept them. I loved every drawing you ever did. They were precious to me. Still are.”

“Yeah?” It was all I could manage for some fucked-up reason. I shut the folder, not wanting to look at them anymore, not wanting to go back to that place, that time they took me to.

“Yeah,” she said back, voice soft, sweet.

When I said no more, she didn’t push, obviously working out I was struggling with something.

“I just need to dry my hair.”

I dipped my chin, put the folder back where I found it, and watched her, trying to get my shit under control as she dried her hair. When she was done, she applied something to her lips—gloss maybe. It made them shiny and matched her naturally pink mouth.

She turned to me finally. “Okay, ready. Where are we going?”

“You said to surprise you,” I said, amazed when my voice came out strong and not shaky as hell, and grabbed her hand. “Bring a jacket.”

She frowned but picked up a worn-looking denim one as I led her out the door. It was hot, but it could get cold on the bike.

When we stopped beside it, her hand squeezed mine. I turned to her and her eyes were wide, excited.

“We’re going on your bike?”

Jesus, I wanted to kiss her.

“Yeah.”

She did a dorky kind of bouncy dance and clapped her hands. It took all my effort not to reach down and adjust my dick.

“Can we go fast?”

Fucking hell. “You like going fast?”

She touched my bike seat almost lovingly. “Yeah, of course. My aunt had a dirt bike, remember? It used to be my uncle’s. I rode it all the time, and when Aiko flies across a field with me on her back, there’s nothing better.”

I handed her a helmet while swallowing, trying to get moisture back in my mouth. Excited Everly was a sight to see, always had been. But now I was looking at her in a way that wasn’t just friendly, and it did things to me.

Seriously hard, painful things.

Seeing her like this made my heart beat faster and my palms itch to pull her against me and let her feel how she affected me. “We better get going, then.”

She took the helmet from me and put it on, doing it up like a pro. Yes, I’d known about the dirt bike, but she hadn’t told me how much she loved it or that she rode it all the time.

Because you were a controlling asshat and told her you didn’t want her riding it, afraid Everly would kill herself.

She’d been my lifeline back then, and I’d been so afraid of losing her I’d clung so tight I’d suffocated her. I needed to remember that. I couldn’t make the same mistakes with her again. Not if I wanted forever with this girl.

She was done with that shit, with my shit. And if I let that fear creep back in, if I let it rule my actions, if I hung on too damn tight again, I’d lose her.

Forever this time.

I climbed on the bike and Everly climbed up behind me. Her arms came around me without hesitation, like I knew they would. Touch between us had never been something awkward. She’d slept in my bed for the three years we were together. I was used to her pressed against me.

But there was nothing similar between then and now. Not one damn thing. All I’d felt back then was fear, the drive to protect her, shield her. She’d been my best friend, my whole world.