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“Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? Not just the good, but the bad stuff too. Sometimes I wonder if the universe laughs when we try so hard to control our lives. Like we never even had control in the first place.”
I nuzzle my head in the crook of his neck, staring out at the starry sky as I ponder his question.
“I feel like there are a million different ways to answer that question,” I sigh before continuing.
“But sometimes I feel like we have this instinctive urge to find a reason for why things happen, instead of just letting them be. I think some things in life are inevitable, and we try so hard to swim against the tide. When the inevitable wins, like it always does, we try to rationalize it. For example, the way I feel about you is inevitable. No matter how hard I try to fight it, it’s like there’s a magnetic force pulling me to you. We try so hard to use logic to make sense of our lives, when fate always seems to win.”
A beat of silence passes as Everett nods his head, pondering my answer.
“Wow,” Everett’s deep voice hums against my ear. “Skylar the philosopher, who would have thought?”
I roll my eyes as he lets out a soft chuckle before cupping my jaw between his hands. When he tilts my head up, I find him looking down at me with a serious gaze.
“I love that answer,” he mutters, his lips turning up in a soft smile. “And I love you,” he whispers before pressing his mouth to mine.
He sucks on my bottom lip before parting my mouth with his tongue. He swallows my breathy moans as he kisses me at a slow but carnal pace. As good as this feels and as much as I don’t want to stop, I have a question to ask him.
“Hey,” I pant, pulling away from his hungry lips. “It’s my turn to askyoua question. Stop trying to distract me,” I chuckle, arching a brow.
“I remember why I only made this game three questions,” he hums, a moan falling from my lips as he sucks my earlobe into his mouth.
“Everett,” I whine, playfully slapping his chest.
“Okay, okay,” he exhales. He leans back against the chair as he peers down at me, giving me his full attention. “Ask your question.”
“I uh…,” I clear my throat, nervously fidgeting with the strings of his sweatshirt. I take a deep breath, sitting up a little straighter.
“I want to know what happened between you and Elliot. You said he destroyed your trust… What happened?”
I immediately feel him stiffen against me. He peels his eyes away from mine, staring off into the distance. His throat bobs, the small sound cutting through the silence like a knife.
Fuck,I internally curse. Today has been perfect. Absolutely perfect. And I just ruined it by letting my curiosity get the best of me. It’s too soon. I shouldn't have brought up Elliot.
“I… Uhm, never mind,” I stutter, my words rushing out in panic. “Let me think of a different question.”
“No,” Everett counters in a hushed tone. “I want to answer your question. I want you to know. I just… It’s been a while since I’ve talked about it. It happened years ago.”
“You can always tell me later, Everett. It doesn't have to be now,” I say calmly as my palm caresses his chest.
“I want to tell you,” he exhales. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while because you probably think I’m a dick for despising my only brother, my own flesh and blood.”
“I’ve never thought that about you,” I immediately reply. “I mean you can definitely be an asshole,” I joke, pulling a laugh from him. “But I never once thought you were a bad person because you don’t have a relationship with Elliot. I just always assumed that something must have happened in the past. But the one time I asked Elliot about it, he tiptoed around the question.”
“Sounds exactly like Elliot,” he scoffs, shaking his head before exhaling a deep breath.
A beat of silence passes before he continues.
“Did you know that I used to play football?” He asks in a low tone.
“I’ve seen photographs in your parent’s house, so I figured you played in high school. But I didn’t know for sure because I’ve never heard Elliot or your parents talk about it.”
“Yeah,” Everett scoffs. “That’s because it’s a sore subject in my family. Long story short, I was signed to play Division I football at the University of Oklahoma. I had a full-ride scholarship. Football was my life up until I turned eighteen.”
“What?” I exclaim, my brows lifting in shock. “I had no idea. A full-ride athletic scholarship? That’s huge, Everett.”
“My parents put me in a flag football league when I was nine years old, and after my first game, I knew I wanted to play college football. It was my dream. I worked my ass off day in and day out to make that dream become a reality. It was so close, I could almost taste it. But of course, my brother had to make sure to royally fuck it up. He took everything from me, and he’s never once apologized or shown an ounce of remorse.” Everett clenches his jaw as he drops his head against the back of the chair.
I reach up to cup his face, brushing my thumb against his jaw. “What did he do?” I whisper.
