Page 47 of The Echo of Forever

“Please tell me that didn’t work, that isn’t how you won my love, is it?” She was smiling, too, when I looked up. “I’m way too cool to let that happen.”

Forever was a completely different person in love. But I enjoyed every version of her, the one sitting in front of me included.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” I asked, hoping to piece together a definite timeline for her and me.

She shook her head.

“I don’t… I never thought of what else I might’ve forgotten, just that I didn’t remember the job I’d been on.”

Right.

“Can you tell me why you accepted the marriage alliance?”

Her eyes searched mine, and then she stood and turned toward the door.

“It was supposed to be a favor, and now I’m sort of stuck.”

I got up to follow.

“Not for long,” I said, stopping halfway. “You won’t be stuck for long, Forever. I want you to know this isn’t me trying to save you because I think you need it. I’m doing it because I’m selfish. None of them can have you.”

She pulled the door open and looked over her shoulder.

“You can’t have me either, not until I say it’s okay.”

Then she was gone, and all I could think was that my heart really didn’t belong to me. Wherever she went, that’s where it wanted to be.

“I can’t take the sad puppy dog look,” Solei said, snapping me from my thoughts an hour later.

Had I been sulking since Forever left? Maybe, but I couldn’t help that shit.

I was down bad formywoman.

“What can I do for you, Sol?”

“Can I tag along later?” she asked, dropping down where Forever had been sitting.

“What’s happening later?

She frowned, and Oliver burst into my office, saving me from having to turn her down. What I needed to do from here on was on me alone.

“I saw Forever and she asked if I knew her, too,” Oliver blurted, slamming the door behind him. “Didn’t we say you wouldn’t reveal yourself too soon?”

Solei cleared her throat, then let out a little chuckle

“Sorry, I got excited and ran my mouth, but she should know we’re her real family!”

I sighed when the tears filled her eyes, but it wasn’t shit I could do about it.

Forever meant everything to me, but my siblings loved her too. Almost two years of building together were gone, and I wasn’t the only one suffering.

Mine was just… soul deep.

A part of me was missing without her.

Thankfully, Solei and Oliver were the only ones to know in our family. My aunt and uncle would have a lot to say about me falling in love with her.

But she hadn’t been the Broker when we met or during our time together. I left for six months and came back to her flying up the ranks in a matter of months.