Page 58 of The Echo of Forever

She was silent for a moment, but her not having anything to say never bothered me.

“Did you mean it when you said your home is always available to me?” she asked softly after taking a breath, followed by, “Can I come over?”

It felt like an eternity since I heard such a beautiful request.

“Always to both,” I said, dropping my location in our abandoned text thread. “Have you eaten?”

Forever sighed.

“I don’t want food, I want to sleep through the night.”

You and me both.

“Hurry up and come lay with me then. Security knows you.”

She ended the call after humming a response, and I went to shower my walk off, and change the sheets. By the time I finished, security had texted that she was on the way up.

I hesitated for a second after her wedding band caught my eye on the dresser. Piling on too much at once might push her away; I knew my wife, and this was indeed alreadytoo muchfor her.

So, even though it hurt to hide, I locked the ring away in my office safe with a promise to give it to her soon. Hopefully before she remembered and tried to kill me for keeping it from her.

My baby had a violent streak.

I lowered the lights on my way to the door and gently pulled her inside after opening it.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I asked, looking down at her tired eyes as I backed us into the apartment. “Your head hurt?”

She nodded, and I steered us into the kitchen, where I kept pain medicine.

“I saw your mom trying to give you a pill at the gala. What’s that about?”

“Migraine meds…” She leaned against the counter and rested her head in her hands. “They don’t help.”

Deciding that offering another pill wouldn’t help earn her trust faster, I switched gears, did what I felt she came here for, and tugged her into my arms.

“Let’s lay down,” I whispered against her temple as she melted into me.

I guided her toward the bedroom, keeping one arm wrapped around her waist.

Forever trusting me to take care of her, to help her sleep, really did something to my spirit.

“Do you want to know what I did?” she asked as I lowered her to the edge of the bed and kneeled to take her sneakers off.

“Only if you feel like sharing.”

Her socks went next, and then I handed her a shirt.

“You can change in the bathroom.”

But instead of locking herself behind the closed door I offered, Forever stood and started to undress in front of me. She wasn’t playing fair, and I wasn’t that much of a gentleman. Our eyes stayed connected as she pushed her leggings down and reminded me why her toned thighs were my favorite.

“Does this make me a cheater? I am engaged.”

I chuckled and slid into bed, closest to the door.

There was no cheating with your own husband, but I found her concern to be cute.

“I’ve had my head buried between your legs on more days than I can count,” I mused, securing my hands behind my head and closing my eyes to keep myself from doing too much.