Serenity King - Love Me Forever

“If we were an item, I believe I would take exception to you holding my woman’s hand as if you were waiting for an opportunity to bed her,” Brice chided. “I believe the lady asked for it back.”

“Uh, bro, you can’t hold her hand hostage,” Langston interjected with a chuckle.

Nevealise darted her gaze from one brother to the other, all the while trying to disengage her hand from Jarred’s. Langston apparently thought it funny, but Jarred’s eyes were not so happily fixed on Brice.

“We are not a couple,” Brice stressed. Nevealise could hear the smugness in his voice. “I told you, Nev and I are friends.”

The brothers had had a conversation about her? When? And more importantly, why?

“What’s going on, Brice?”

“Nothing, Nev. Just my big brother being his normal presumptuous self. Are you performing all weekend?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Playing it by ear at this point.”

“Have you spoken to your father yet?”

Nevealise tensed. “No, and I hadn’t planned on it,” she said easily.

“Maybe you should,” Jarred interposed.

Her father was a sore point with her, and she didn’t appreciate Jarred trying to tell her what to do.

“As I said, I don’t plan on speaking to him. And let go of my hand,” she snapped, finally snatching it out of his grasp.

“Do you have real daddy issues, or are you just throwing a tantrum?” Jarred asked.

Nevealise’s eyes flashed fire. “Excuse you! Throwing a tantrum! What am I, three? You don’t know me, so I suggest you keep your comments to yourself, especially where my father and I are concerned.” Nevealise breathed hard. The rapid rise and fall of her chest was a telltale sign that she was angry. No, she wasn’t angry. She was furious. Her father was a touchy subject, and for this know-it-all to assume she was the problem had her enraged.

“Calm down, Nev. Jarred’s just upset about the situation,” Brice said.

“Jarred, she’s right,” Langston interjected. “You have no business making assumptions about her and her father. You owe Nevealise an apology.”

“What situation?” Nevealise asked, perplexed. She was trying her best to follow the conversation, but couldn’t. What were they talking about? Apparently, whatever it was had something to do with her father. If so, she didn’t much care. As long as she wasn’t involved.

“What am I supposed to think when her father has left us with his mess of a company?” Jarred said.

“Wrong.” Brice shook his head. “Dad had a choice and he made it.”

“What mess? What’s he talking about, Brice?” Nevealise huffed. Oh, how she hated secrets. Hated them with a passion.

“I’ll explain later. This is not the time nor the place. Can you come by my house tomorrow? I’ll explain everything,” Brice stated.

“We’ll explain,” Jarred said.

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud knock on the door. “Nev, is everything okay in there?” Norman’s booming voice sounded through the panel.

“Everything’s fine, Norman,” she said, rushing to the door and pulling it ajar. Norman pushed the door open farther to peek inside. He glanced over at Brice, nodded and closed the door, apparently satisfied that she was, indeed, fine. When she turned back to her guests, she noticed Jarred looked as if he was rearing up for another altercation with Brice. And he’d accused her of acting like a child? Go figure.

Nevealise crossed her arms and looked at Brice. “I have a full morning and I’ll probably be back here tomorrow night. What time should I come?”

“Why don’t we make it Sunday, so no one has to rush?” Jarred suggested, cutting in.

“Sunday’s better for me, too,” Langston said.

“Brunch on Sunday. How’s that?” Brice asked her. “My place.”

“Sunday brunch is okay with me.” Nevealise shrugged. “Just know that if this has anything to do with me helping my father in any way, I’m not listening, nor will I help.”

“We’ll discuss this further on Sunday, Nev. That’s the point of the brunch,” Brice snickered.

“I’m just saying. You know my stance on my father, Brice.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say it often enough. Are you going back on tonight?” he asked, changing the subject, for which she was grateful. She didn’t feel like another showdown with Jarred.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” She smiled. “In any event I need to change out of this gown. Getting kind of sticky,” she said, wiggling her hips.

“I can take a hint. She’s trying to get rid of us. Come on, you two, let’s give Nev her space,” Brice said. He placed a kiss on her cheek, then walked over to the door and opened it.

“Nice seeing you again, Ner—Nevealise,” Langston said.

Nevealise chuckled as he caught himself. “You too, Langston. And for being such a gentleman, you can call me Nerd Girl for as long as you want. No offense taken.” She grinned. “If you aren’t comfortable with that name, my friends call me Nev.”

“Thank you, Nev. See you on Sunday.” Langston flashed his pearly whites again.

“What can I call you?” Jarred asked.

“I don’t know. However, I have a few choice names I want to call you,” she retorted.

“Fair enough. I apologize for my earlier assumptions. There, is that better?”

“I don’t know, is it? How do you feel?”

Nevealise heard Brice and Langston snickering in the background. Her eyes were still fixed on Jarred.

He cast a glance over his shoulder at his brothers. “I’ll meet you two outside,” Jarred murmured.

“Why?” Brice asked.

“I just want a word. I believe we got off on the wrong foot and I want to set it straight,” he responded.

Nevealise noticed Brice’s eyes seesaw between her and Jarred. She felt the change in the atmosphere. There was tension, but not the angry, frustrated strain that was present before.

Jarred turned back to her. His stare was bold and presumptuous, but she felt drawn to him. She hadn’t seen him since she was a teenager, so why was he affecting her in this way?

Nevealise didn’t like it. At all. On stage she was bold and vivacious. She was Nev. However, offstage she was nerdy Nevealise, who liked numbers and playing on her computer. She was not comfortable with how Jarred made her feel.

“Come on, Brice. Jarred needs to apologize for acting like an ass,” Langston said. “Honestly, I think he’s met his match.”

Nevealise watched as Brice reluctantly walked out the door, Langston right behind him, and closed it after them. Her heart raced uncontrollably as she turned to face Jarred. He had this look on his face, a look that clearly said he wanted her.

He walked over and stood in front of her.

“So you never told me what name to call you,” he smirked. The handsome devil knew he was getting to her. Nevealise’s breath hitched in her throat as he reached out, grabbed a lock of her hair and twirled the curly strand between his fingers. “Still no answer.”

Nevealise cleared her throat. “Nevealise. You can call me Nevealise,” she whispered.

“Nah, I don’t think so.” He gazed into her eyes.

“Nev then,” she murmured, and tried to back up a little, but his arm snaked out and pulled her closer to him.

“How about I make up my own name for you? I like Nevea. How about you?” he whispered.

“Whatever works for you. Listen, I have to change,” she breathed.

“Are you finished for the night?”

“Like I said before, maybe, maybe not.”

“Have it your way. See you on Sunday, Nevea.” He released her hair and then leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.

Then he simply turned and walked out, leaving her standing in the middle of the room staring at the closed door.