Page 16 of The Echo of Forever

I dug my fingernails into his skin until he loosened the grip. Hazel eyes met mine, and I smiled through the drilling inside my head.

“How focused would you like me to be?”

The longer I had to be around him, the worse my migraine became.

“Act like you fucking love me,” he murmured harshly, though his expression gave we were whispering sweet nothings.

Jayden Carroway was a handsome man, the perfect blend of his Black father and Korean mother.

His usual silky curly mane had been slicked back into a bun, the sides cut into a fade. He had almond-shaped eyes, one hazel and the other a deep brown, something the society girls fawned over since I’d known him.

I saw pieces of his parents all over him, but that unpredictable temper belonged to his mother.

“Can’t fake it even if I tried.”

He opened his mouth, but thankfully, my brother interrupted.

“You two aren’t pretending very well,” Kai mused, swirling the drink in his hand as he regarded us. “The forced smiles are creeping your guests out. Go talk whatever the fuck is happening right now out in another room, before our parents arrive.”

I tugged my hand from Jayden’s and started toward the study, knowing he’d begrudgingly follow. The second the door shut behind us, he pinned me against it with his body.

“There he goes,” I taunted, biting down on his jaw until he stumbled back. “Did you forget I don’t belong to you, Carroway?”

When I agreed to the marriage alliance with his family a little over six months ago, it was under the guise that we were pretending. He’d come to me before they made the offer, wanting to get ahead of my unequivocalfuck noto come.

But he’d caught me at the right time.

The rumblings of my father wanting to marry me off started circulating almost nine months ago. I had a bad feeling and decided to beat him to the punch.

Jayden and his family were nothing but leeches, using whoever they could to get ahead. But the devil you know was always better than the one you didn’t.

“We agreed to make it look real, Forever,” he argued, raising his voice slightly, knowing the room was soundproofed. “You’ve been fighting me at every turn. Holding my hand is part of the script.”

I closed my eyes, willing the ache in my head to give me a break.

“You know exactly why,” I said slowly, blinking some of the fog away.

He stood tall in front of me, not too close but enough to make me feel his presence regardless.

“We could be good together.”

I shook my head.

“No, we can’t…” I waved my hand and turned. “I made myself very clear that this marriage wouldn’t happen. You’ve got six months left on our contract to figure your shit out.”

He dramatically exhaled.

“Forever…”

I moved toward the drawer with his father’s hidden liquor stash, pulled a decanter filled with Irish whiskey from it, and one of the four glass tumblers beside it.

“What can I offer that’ll change your mind? An open marriage? We can see other people in private.”

He hadn’t learned yet.

None of these people knew me at all.

I sighed and knocked back two fingers of whiskey, letting the burn run through my body before responding.