FOREVER SERIES: COMPLETE BOX SET Read online

  After I made sure the door was locked, I turned off the lights and snuggled in my bed, burying my head under the covers to escape the reality of my life—at least for tonight.

  Chapter 2

  For the next few days, I did nothing but stay in my pajamas and concentrate on finishing my paintings. I called work and told them I had the flu. They told me to take the rest of the week off, which was something I didn’t have a problem with. I was afraid I couldn’t afford it, but I needed to get my paintings finished and off to the art gallery. I wouldn’t have been good company to anyone anyway.

  I made my third pot of coffee of the day and checked my phone to see if I had any messages. Kyle hadn’t made any attempt to contact me since he left. How does a person just forget about someone after being with them for four years? A fire stirred in my blood just thinking about it. The way I saw things, I had two choices: I could sit in my tiny apartment and let my life die out, or I could suck up what happened, go out into the world, and live. I opted to go out and live. I wasn’t ready to die yet; I had too many things that I wanted to do.

  I frantically cleaned my apartment, which was long overdue, and I was ashamed that I had let it get that way. I took a garbage bag and began tossing everything out that reminded me of Kyle. I was determined to rid this apartment of any sign of him. By the time I was finished, my little home was practically bare. The shelves in the bookcase that housed pictures of us now sat empty, reminding me of the emptiness that I felt in my heart.

  I finally had showered, and as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, I took my hand and wiped away the steam that formed over it. I looked at myself for the first time in days. My ice blue eyes—which Kyle used to tell me reminded him of the sea—looked tired with bags that formed underneath them. I ran a brush through my long, blonde hair and then fingered mousse through it so that it dried wavy. I put on some makeup to try to hide the fact that I’d been depressed and locked in my apartment for a week. I stepped into my favorite jeans and was surprised they were loose in places they never were before. My five-foot-seven, size four body appeared to have shrunk a bit since the breakup. I tore through my closet for my favorite pink shirt. Once I was ready, I took in a deep breath and called a cab. It was time to step out into the world and start my life again.

  * * *

  Manny pulled his yellow cab up to the curb of my apartment as I walked out the door. Seeing me struggle with the three paintings that I was carrying, he got out of the cab and helped me.

  “Hey, Elle, let me help you there.”

  “Hi, Manny. Thanks.” I smiled at him.

  Manny was my favorite cab driver, and I had known him since I moved to New York. When I called a cab, I always asked for Manny. Sometimes he was available, and sometimes he wasn’t. He stood about five-foot-ten with a muscular build. He always wore his black hair in a ponytail, and his brown eyes always sparkled when I’d ask him about his kids. He was a family man and one of the nicest people that I’d ever met. His cab was the one that first picked me and Kyle up when we arrived in New York. I climbed in the front of the cab with him so that my paintings could sit comfortably in the back.

  “How’s Mr. Kyle doing, Elle?”

  “Kyle moved out over a week ago, Manny.” I sighed.

  The expression on his face was sympathetic.

  “I’m so sorry, Elle. Are you okay?”

  I looked over at him as a light smile swept over my lips.

  “I’m doing okay. I was a mess last week, but now, I’m adjusting.”

  Was I really? Or was I just a good actress?

  He pulled up to the art gallery and helped me take the paintings out of the cab. I paid him the fare and thanked him for his help.

  “If you need anything, call me, Elle, and I mean that,” he said as he pointed at me.

  “Thanks, Manny. I will.

  Peyton saw me from the window of the gallery and came outside to help me bring in the paintings. She called the owner, Sal, and told him that I had arrived. He came down from his office and kissed me on both cheeks.

  “Ah, let me see what you’ve done here, Ellery,” he spoke as he took the paintings one by one and laid them up against the wall.

  I was contracted to submit three paintings to his gallery as a trial. One of the paintings was a romanticism of a man and woman dancing under the moonlight and surrounded by clouds. The second painting was of a garden with a fountain surrounded by beautiful flowers. The last painting was of a child in a white dress sitting in a field of flowers as three angels looked down upon her from the sky. All three paintings spoke something about me.

  “Wow, Ellery, these are gorgeous! I’m sure I won’t have any problem selling them.” Sal smiled.

  I felt a little embarrassed because this was the first time that I was going to be showing my work to the world. He led me over to a small wall that was sitting bare.

  “This is where your paintings will be displayed. I’ll call you as soon as one or all of them sell.” I thanked him and, as soon as he walked away, Peyton started jumping up and down, clapping her hands.

  “Let’s go out and celebrate tonight!” she squealed.

  Going out was the last thing on my mind. I wasn’t ready to do the single girl out at night thing, but Peyton was persistent, and I knew I didn’t stand a chance against her. So, I hesitantly agreed.

  I left the gallery and started walking down the street. I fumbled through my large purse to find my ringing cell phone. I grabbed it and looked at the familiar number that found its way to my phone a little too much lately. I hit ignore and decided to walk the six blocks home. It wasn’t long before the new voicemail alert lit up my phone. By the time I made it home, I was exhausted. I threw my keys and purse on the table next to the door and listened to the message that so annoyingly remained on my screen.

  “Hi, Ellery, this is Dr. Taub calling. I noticed that you’ve cancelled the last two appointments since your last visit. I want to make sure that you’re still coming to see me. It is vital that we talk about this. I can help you, Ellery. Please call my office to set up an appointment as soon as possible.”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I hit the delete button. Walking to the bedroom, I decided to lie down for a while as the six-block walk home took its toll on me. I had only been sleeping for about an hour when I awoke to the sound of my ringing phone.

  Chapter 3

  “Hello,” I sleepily answered.

  “Were you sleeping?” Peyton asked rather loudly.

  “I was just taking a little nap.” I yawned.

  “Get up! I’m on my way over to your place to get ready for the club.”

  I heavily sighed. “Club? You said we’d go celebrate. I thought maybe that meant dinner, not clubbing. I don’t feel like going to a noisy, crowded club tonight.”

  “Elle, snap out of it! You’ve been a humdrum since douchebag Kyle left. Reclaim your life and have fun like you used to. You’re the most fun person that I know.”

  “I don’t know, Peyton; I’m not feeling the club scene tonight.”

  “You’ll feel it once you get there, and who knows, maybe you’ll meet your Prince Charming tonight.”

  Did she say Prince Charming? I didn’t want a Prince Charming. I didn’t want anything to do with men—period. It was important to Peyton that we celebrate, so I reluctantly agreed to go.

  “Okay, Peyton. I guess I’ll go, but I don’t want to be out late. I’m tired.”

  “Yay!” she shrieked. “Oh, my friend Caleb is picking us up at your place. Bye!”

  “Wait, who is…”—click—I silently laughed and hopped into the shower. Peyton’s exuberance attracted a lot of different people. I believed that was why we connected with each other so quickly.

  As soon as I got out of the shower, Peyton walked through the door and threw a bag from Forever 21 at me.

  “What’s this?” I asked as I peeked inside the bag.

  She looked at me and smiled as she flitted to the bathroom.
“It’s just a little pick-me-up that I bought for you to wear tonight.”

  Peyton was generous like that. We always bought each other things that we thought the other would like. I opened the bag and took out the most spectacular silver, glittery knit tank top.

  “Peyton, I love it!” I smiled.

  “I knew you would. I thought you could wear it with your black leggings and black boots,” she mumbled as she brushed her teeth.

  I went to the bedroom and put on the top. The length was long enough to cover my ass, which made it perfect for leggings. I walked into the bathroom where Peyton was doing her hair. She looked at me through the mirror and whistled.

  “Look at you, Miss Thing. Every guy at the club is going to want to tap that hot ass.” She smiled as she lightly smacked me.

  I rolled my eyes. Peyton was one of those people who didn’t have a filter. She said what was on her mind at that moment and never gave it a second thought. Her mouth spit before her brain thought.

  I smiled as I hugged her. “Thank you. It’s perfect.”

  “Aw, it’s nice to see you smile again, Elle.”

  I asked Peyton about Caleb, and she said he was a friend of a friend and that they went out a couple of times. I found it odd, since this was the first time that I was hearing his name. She said she started seeing him right when Kyle left me. She didn’t think it was appropriate to talk about her dating life so soon. To be honest, I was touched by her thoughtfulness to not mention it, but at the same time, I was pissed she didn’t.

  I looked at myself in the mirror one last time before going out. I decided to throw some soft curls into my blonde hair that I already straightened, and I rubbed off some of the eye shadow that Peyton painted on me. I was beginning to feel glad that I decided to go tonight. I needed some fun.

  Caleb arrived and whistled at both of us as Peyton opened the door. He gently kissed her on the cheek, walked over to me, and held out his hand.

  “You must be Ellery. I’m Caleb. It’s nice to meet you.”

  I shook his hand and told him the same. His grip was firm and, from what I could tell, so was his body. He wore his short brown hair messy but in an attractive way, and his black eyes were piercing. I could see why Peyton was attracted to him. The three of us slid into the cab that was waiting for us outside. Peyton had her arm around Caleb’s as they nuzzled each other. Suddenly, I felt like a third wheel.

  “So, what club are we going to?” I asked.

  Caleb broke his gaze from Peyton and looked over at me.

  “I thought we’d go to Club S.”

  I frowned, trying to think of how I knew that club, and then it hit me. My friend from the soup kitchen, Frankie, was a bouncer there. I gasped.

  “Isn’t that a sex club?”

  Peyton looked at me and smiled.

  “Elle, it’s a normal club. It just so happens that some people go there to find others to have sex with.”

  She said it so casually, as if it was no big deal. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the S stand for sex, as in Club Sex?”

  Peyton and Caleb both smiled at me.

  “Great. Now I’ll have to be on the defense all night.”

  “Live a little, Elle.” She laughed.

  I crossed my arms and looked out the window as they started making out. I wasn’t about to live a little by having a one-night stand with some random guy; that wasn’t me. I’d only had sex with one guy in my life, and that was Kyle.

  Chapter 4

  The cab dropped us off in front of the club, and I was astounded by the line of people who wrapped around the building for at least two blocks. I smiled because I knew there was no way we were getting in tonight, which was okay with me. I preferred to go out for a quiet dinner.

  Caleb slumped his shoulders. “Fuck! Look at that line. We should have gotten here earlier.”

  As the crowds of people in line were patiently waiting to be let in, and I was wishing to get the hell out of here, I heard someone yelling my name. My eyes grew wide as I cautiously turned my head.

  “Elle, is that you? Hey, Elle, over here!”

  I looked over in the direction where the voice was coming from. It was Frankie waving his hand and motioning for me to come over. The three of us walked to the entrance and stood in front of the large, burly man named Frankie Lasher. His six-foot-four wrestler body was enough to intimidate anyone. I could see why the club hired him as a bouncer. He put his arms around me and gave me a squeeze.

  “Good to see you, Elle. You guys clubbing here tonight?”

  I pulled from his embrace. “We were going to, but wow, look at that line. I don’t think tonight’s going to be a possibility.”

  “Nonsense. You three go on in.”

  I shot him a dirty look as he lifted the rope for us. Caleb and Peyton were ecstatic and beaming from ear to ear. Frankie lightly grabbed my arm as I walked past him.

  “If you don’t feel comfortable in there, or if you need me, just come out here, and let me know.”

  I smiled at his generosity and nodded.

  We walked through the small hallway that led into the main entrance of the club. I’d been to many clubs, and this was by far the most crowded that I’d ever seen. I looked around at the tables that filled the place. A massive bar sat off to the side with fluorescent lights that hung down from the ceiling. The oversized dance floor housed large projection screens that displayed a full color laser show, and the walls were suede with soft lights that glowed off them. The music was blaring as the floor was thumping beneath my feet, forcing my body to move with the beat.

  Peyton pulled me and Caleb to the dance floor, where we danced for what seemed like hours. I needed a drink, so I left them to dance as I made my way to the bar. I took the only barstool that was available at the end and ordered a Cosmopolitan. I was sipping on my drink when I noticed a man and a woman arguing at a table not too far from where I was sitting. She had her shaking finger pointed at him and then proceeded to poke him in the chest several times. I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh. I kept looking over at them to see if they would kiss and make up, but I noticed he was the one now yelling. His finger was pointing at her, and his face looked angered. The tall, beautiful woman slapped him across the face, turned on her heels, and scurried off. I stared at him and took notice of the look on his face, which showed no emotion whatsoever. He just sat there and stared straight ahead.

  I kept looking over in his direction because he was one of the best eye candies that I’d ever seen. His light brown, almost blonde hair was shorter on the sides, and his longer top had waves to it. I couldn’t help but stare at his prominent square jaw and chiseled cheekbones. I couldn’t tell the color of his eyes because he was too far away, and the lighting was inadequate, but I could tell just by looking that anyone could easily get lost in them.

  “Yum, Elle. I see that someone has stolen your attention.” Peyton smiled as she looked over at him.

  Oh god. I didn’t need her knowing I was checking this guy out because she would be the first one to run over, tell him, and try to set us up.

  “He only has my attention because he was just bitch slapped by some woman.”

  She let out a loud laugh, and that was my cue to change the subject. She dragged me out to the dance floor, where I danced and endlessly fought off horny guys as I kept getting shuffled in the crowd.

  It started to get extremely hot in the club, and I needed some fresh air. I told Peyton that I’d be back as I headed towards the door. When I stepped outside, I saw Frankie escorting Mr. Eye Candy out of the club.

  “Okay, Mr. Black, you’ve had way too much to drink tonight, and it’s time for you to go home.” He was stumbling from side to side and mumbling something.

  “Frankie, what’s going on?” I casually asked.

  “Hey, Elle, this gentleman has had too much to drink, and he started causing a scene when the bartender refused to serve him.”

&
nbsp; “What are you going to do with him?”

  “I just escort them out. What they do after that is not my concern.”

  I looked at him and cocked my head. “He can barely stand, so how do you expect him to get home?”

  My head was telling me to stop immediately because it knew what I was about to do, but my heart was telling me to help him.

  “I’ll make sure he gets home safe,” I said to Frankie.

  “Elle, that’s not a good idea. You don’t know who you’re dealing with here.”

  I put my hand up. “I know what I’m doing. He needs help.”

  Frankie shook his head. “You have a good heart, Elle, but sometimes, I think you’re crazy. Please be careful,” he spoke as he held his hand up and hailed us a cab.

  Mr. Eye Candy was sitting on the cement against the wall. I took notice of his expensive black tailored suit and the white shirt that was partially unbuttoned, showing off his muscular chest. His six-foot stature was lean and seriously muscular. Like his hair and face, his body appeared to be perfect. I walked over to him and grabbed his arm to help him up.

  “Come on; let’s get you home.”

  He looked over at me with his drunken green eyes. “Do I know you?” he slurred.

  I patted him on the back and walked him to the curb just as the cab pulled up. Before I pushed him in, I took his wallet out of his back pocket. He stumbled into the seat, and I climbed in next to him. Opening his wallet, I took out his driver’s license, and handed it to the driver.

  “Drop him off here.”

  He handed the license back to me, and I took it upon myself to read his name. I patted him on the arm.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Connor Black.”

  He looked at me and laid his head on my shoulder as I let a small smile escape my lips.

  Chapter 5