The Problem with Forever

My lips curved up.

“Hector? What? He’s a jerk,” she replied, sitting back. There was a pause. “Is he going to be at this party?”

This time I didn’t fight the grin.

“Nah, he’s got to work tonight.” Rider flipped back around and reached over to me, running his finger along the curve of the arm closest to him. “You really do look beautiful.”

My grin spread into a smile. “You look great, too.”

“In other words, she says you look freaking hot,” Ainsley added from the back.

And that was true. It was always true, but tonight Rider looked especially hot with the dark denim and worn white button-down shirt. I don’t know what it was about the shirt that I liked so much. Maybe it was because the material was so thin that I imagined if he held me, I could feel his body heat. Or maybe it was the way he had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing dusky-skinned, powerful forearms.

Or maybe it

was just him.

Probably just him.

Peter’s party was being held at his grandparents’ house since they’d left for Florida in September. The house was in the opposite direction of the Rivases’, on the outskirts of the city, where there were larger homes with yards. Keira had explained that Peter’s older brother would be there as unofficial chaperone, but he was twenty-one, so he wasn’t an adult-adult.

“Wow,” Ainsley murmured as the narrow, heavily tree-lined road cleared and the house came into view.

The house was really a farm—a big old farmhouse, and there were cars everywhere, parked in haphazard lines. My stomach twisted as I took in the sea of vehicles and the people milling around the side of the white-and-red farmhouse.

This...this was a lot of people.

“Probably smart to park back here,” Rider advised. “Alongside the road and keep some distance behind this car. You know, in case someone pulls...”

Oh my gosh, this was seriously a lot of people here.

Sweat dotted my brow. Blood pounded in my ears. Hot, I blindly smacked against the door until I hit the button. The window rolled down and cool air poured into the car. That wasn’t all. My mouth dried. Acid churned in my stomach. The scent of burning wood was choking me. Music pumped and the hum of conversation and laughter echoed in my ears.

I jumped when a hand landed on my arm. My head swung to Rider. His mouth moved, and for a second I couldn’t make out what he was saying. All I could hear was all the noise—screeching laughter and loud voices. I struggled to focus on what was happening in the car.

“Mallory?” he said.

I swallowed. “What?”

His brows slammed down as he searched my face. “You zoned out.”

“You okay?” Ainsley asked, clutching the back of my seat. “You’re super pale.”

“You are.” Rider cupped my cheek. “Holy shit, your skin is clammy.”

Our eyes met. “This is...so overwhelming.”

Concern tightened the corners of his lips as he leaned over. “We don’t have to do this.”

“We don’t,” Ainsley agreed from the backseat. Her arm reached out and she squeezed my arm. “Actually, I’d rather do something else. This is just a stupid farmhouse party, and I bet they don’t even have horses or cows. Now that would be cool.”

Rider’s gaze held mine as he nodded. “Ainsley’s right. It’s just a stupid party.”

But it was...important.

It meant I was trying.

And leaving wasn’t even trying.