Page 111 of The Echo of Forever

“You can’t keep doing this to me, my forever,” I whispered, knowing she was out for the count. “My heart can’t take it.”

The compound was safer than anywhere else right now, but still, I found myself texting Joel.

Double security on rounds.

My eyes eventually focused on Forever while she slept, counting the rise and fall of her chest like it might stop if I looked away. I dozed off at some point and woke to Lex’s movement around the room.

“IV’s done,” he said, once I sat up. “Her blood pressure is better, vitals are normal. Joel is waiting to drive you two to your place. I wouldn’t suggest carrying a sleeping woman no one’s met before across the compound, even this late at night.”

I’d kept Forever a secret from all of them and used my mother’s life as a reason to get closer to my wife again.

The minute we entered those gates, I opened us up to scrutiny from the family. Moving in secret tonight wouldn’t stop what tomorrow would bring.

“Where am I?” Forever mumbled as I carried her up the path leading to my front door.

“Home, baby. Go back to sleep.”

Joel jogged around us to open it with the master key.

“I’ll lock up,” he said, stepping back. “How should I handle the questions to come?”

I paused halfway across the threshold and adjusted Forever in my arms. The questions would come regardless of how I handled it from here.

“Spread the word, there’s a family meeting tomorrow night at six. I’ll bring her before then to be added to the system.”

I carried Forever upstairs, rested her gently on the bed, and undressed her. After she was down to her bra and panties, I tucked her beneath the blanket, stripped, and got in beside her.

Forever turned against me, and I wrapped her up in my arms from behind.

“Loving you is never going to be a problem for me,” I whispered against her hair, eyes shut even though I had no plans of actually sleeping. “Even if you were a black cat.”

But eventually listening to her breathe took me under until I woke the next afternoon to the feeling of being watched.

“How long you been staring at me, my forever?” I asked, opening my eyes to find Forever on her side, head propped in her hand, while those pretty dark eyes intensely studied me.

A slow smile spread across her face.

“Long enough to count every one of your eyelashes and wonder how I forgot a face this beautiful.”

I chuckled and rolled onto my back, but kept my head facing hers.

“How you feeling, baby?”

She shifted closer, rested against my chest, and whispered, “Like I’m coming down off Ativan. Is that what she gave me again?”

I hummed.

“Think so. I brought you to the compound, and Alyssa’s husband checked your vitals and gave you fluids before letting me bring you here.”

Forever pushed herself up and looked around like she hadn’t put that part of the story together yet, but I knew her well enough to know she’d snoopedand thenclimbed back into bed and focused her attention on me.

“You know we can’t go backward now, right?”

She looked back expectantly, and I nodded.

“I can’t let you go, no matter how much they might not like me,” she added, kicking a leg over mine. “Do you understand? I don’t care about anything more than the feeling you give me.”

And that was all I needed to know.