You Will Be Mine (Forever and Ever #7)(16)

Silke hit Theo in the arm. “I can’t believe you asked her that.”

“What?” He shrugged. “It’s a reasonable question.”

“After you’ve been dating for a year, maybe,” Silke said.

“No, I need to know upfront,” Theo said. “How am I going to know if a girl is my future wife unless I ask?”

“Asking is the best way to guarantee she’ll run away,” Silke said.

“I’ve asked girls that before,” Theo said. “They didn’t have a problem with it.”

“Because they were whores,” Silke snapped.

“Did your boyfriend ask you that?” Theo asked.

“No.” Silke rolled her eyes.

“Are you lying?” Theo pressed.

“No!” Silke shook her head. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Have you?” Theo asked me.

“Maybe once or twice,” I said vaguely. Beatrice didn’t know I was a manwhore and I wanted to keep it that way. Since we were just friends it didn’t matter, but I didn’t want to scare her off either.

Silke gathered her things. “I’m out of here.”

“Good riddance,” Theo said.

“Go to hell,” Silke called back.

“You first,” Theo yelled.

I turned to Beatrice. “Sorry, my friends act like they’re five.”

“It’s okay,” she said with a chuckle.

“I should head out too.” Theo grabbed his backpack. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye,” I said.

Theo winked at Beatrice. “Let me know if you change your mind about anal.”

Beatrice laughed loudly.

I gave him the death stare. “Talk to her like that again and I’ll break your face.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” Then he walked away.

“I’m sorry about that,” I blurted.

“It’s fine, really. Your friends are nice. They’re a breath of fresh air.”

“I guess they’re alright…”

“I’ve never had a friend that was considered family.”

“Well, we were raised together so it was pretty much forced,” I said with a laugh.

“And how did that happen?”

“Our parents are such good friends they’re family. That oddness carried on to us. If you come to Christmas, you’ll see what I mean.”

She looked down at the table and examined her nails.

“I’m sorry I put you on the spot. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. But it’ll be fun. I’d rather you hang out with us than spend the holiday alone.”

“It does get pretty quiet…”

I didn’t press for an answer.

“Maybe you should ask your parents if it’s okay first.”

“Believe me, they’ll say yes. But if you want me to ask, I will.”

“And where would I stay?” she asked hesitantly.

“With my family, of course. We have extra bedrooms.”

“And they’ll be okay with that?”

“Seriously, it won’t be a big deal. My family is very welcoming. If I brought a homeless person, they’d make them feel just as welcome.”

“Well, I guess you could ask…”

I smiled. “Great. You’ll have a good time, I promise.”

“Will the rest of your family ask if I like anal?” she teased.

I laughed. “I’ll make sure they don’t.”





Chapter Three


Theo


The studio was closing over Christmas break and I was eager for time off. I was also excited I didn’t have to see that nuisance for two weeks. Every time I looked at her, my body tensed in annoyance.

She was a snooty know-it-all. She had to be the best at everything and rub it in everyone’s faces. She was a pain in my backside. And just because she was beautiful didn’t dim all her imperfections. I wasn’t sure why everyone adored her. I wished she would just go away. I’d been looking for a job at a different studio just to avoid her. Every time I ran into her at work I wanted to scream.

After a long day of work, I walked into the locker room and showered. The warm water ran over me and made the chill escape. Then I dried myself off and tied the towel around my waist. Having a coed locker room wasn’t a problem until Alex started working there. I didn’t care if she saw me, but I didn’t want to see her. It was best if we just stayed away from each other.

I came around the corner and saw her with a towel around her body. She was facing the opposite way, putting lotion on her arms. Her shoulders was chiseled and defined with muscle. Her torso was long, making her curves more prominent. The top of her spine was noticeable because everything was so tight. She had wide hips that were covered under the towel. I stared at her for a second before I gathered my bearings, remembering how annoying she was. Then I noticed the scars. She had a long one down her neck and another on her right arm. I recalled her mentioning she was in an accident. That must be where they’re from.

“Can you get away from my locker?” I hissed.

She tightened the towel around her body and looked over her shoulder. “Excuse me?”