Forever & Always

Seven

In frustration, Matthew Richards slammed his hands against the club door, which caused it to slam open as he followed his latest girl into the parking lot. The bouncer glared at him and then nodded as he recognized Matthew.

“Sorry, man,” Matt said and walked off.

Ashlyn was starting to piss him off, and he knew he would have to end it soon.

This chick was so not worth the effort he was putting in, and the sëx was decent, but he had had better.

Not to mention, she irritated him with all her constant drama. Everything was drama with her.

“Ashlyn, come on. I didn’t even touch the girl.” He pleaded with her for some unknown reason instead of letting her walk away. He hasn’t even realized he was doing something wrong in the first place.

“I watched you flirt with that skank right in front of me, Matt!” She screamed at him, slamming her fists on his chest as he nearly ran over her. He rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb as she pounded on him. It barely hurt. He was not in the mood for this teenage bullshït. He felt her move away because he hadn’t done anything at all. Not reaching for her or speaking, she let out a small scream of frustration and walked away again.

“Ashlyn,” He tried again, and she spun, pointing her finger at him.

“No, we’re over!”

He threw his hands up and started to walk back into the club. Turning around after a moment, because he wasn’t an utter döuche, to ensure the lady made it to her car okay. Thankfully, they had driven separately, and he didn’t have to drive her home awkwardly after this fight. Truth be told, he was glad she had ended it.

Instead of bringing his truck, he drove his bike tonight and was already itching to return home. He sighed as Ashlyn slammed the car door of the brand-new convertible and took off. He watched her leave the lot safely before turning around and heading inside.

He needed a shot after this. Maybe a few.

“Hey bro, you good?” His best friend Trevor Hale said, and he rolled his eyes, pushing past Trevor.

“I can’t stand women like that man. She fücking played me, making me think she was all innocent and shït. This is the last time I am dating a younger chick.” Matt grabbed his beer, chugging the rest of it, and walked to the bar. He needed more than just beer to forget this night.

“Can I please get three shots of Jack and another beer?” he asked the bartender, passing him the empty Coors Light bottle. The bartender nodded, placed the shots on the counter, his beer next, and asked for the tab name. Matt gave him his last name. He took one shot, pushing the empty glass towards the back of the bar, grabbed the two full ones with his beer, and walked back towards Trevor. Kyle should be here any second.

“Honestly, what did you see in that chick?” Trevor asked, slamming the shot and grinning at Matt, making him want to punch and hug the man for being there.

He stared at Trevor dumbfounded when he couldn’t even come up with a half-decent lie and finally looked away, shrugging.

No idea, he had no idea.

“Hey guys, where’s your girl?” Kyle walked over from the entrance, and Trevor laughed loudly in Matt’s face.

Kyle Williams quickly became one of Matt’s best friends almost two years ago. When Matt introduced Kyle to Trevor, it was like a bromance made in heaven, and the three became inseparable. Despite meeting Kyle at work, he blended seamlessly into their lifelong friendships.

“She blew up ‘cause some chick felt up our boy here. She left by the look on his face.” Trevor laughed again, pointing to Matt, and Matt clenched his fist and gritted his jaw.

“Seriously? It isn’t even nine yet,” Kyle said, looking around like Trevor was playing a prank. His gaze was one of sympathy when he looked back towards Matt.

“Are we still invited to that girl’s party? Ashlyn made it seem like it was too good to miss, and I want to meet these people Ashlyn claimed were creatures.” Kyle asked, making air quotes around the last word, and Matt rolled his eyes, taking a swig of his beer.

“I don’t know, man,” Matt replied, wanting to go home.

Kyle looked hard at Matt and realized his mood was terrible. He distracted Trevor so Matt could work through whatever was bothering him, and soon, Matt relaxed and joined the conversation again. However, his thoughts still lingered on the girl he had spent the last few weeks with.

Ashlyn Taylor was hot, but her mood swings and constant self-doubt drove him insane. He just wanted a normal relationship. These days, he was lucky to have a relationship with his work schedule that lasted more than a month. It had been a while since he had one. Ashlyn’s name had joined the growing list of failures.

After an hour, Matt said goodbye to his friends and left. He found himself driving south on PCH in the moonlight. He didn’t want to go home yet, so he drove almost to San Diego before turning around and heading back to his father’s house in the valley.

After high school, Matt lived in the valley with his dad, which was closer to both their jobs. Their house was in a typical cookie-cutter neighborhood, and even though Matt was almost 25, his dad was a truck driver and needed help watching over the place on long hauls. Matt agreed to move back in and help take care of the place.

Matt’s father never talked about his mother, who had died when he was a baby, and Matt left it alone. Matt paid his dad some rent and took care of the utility bills since he lived at home the most, but it worked out between them since Matt was practically living alone.

He unlocked the front door and was instantly greeted by his dog, who was both excited to see him and pissed.

“Hey, Bullet man,” He scratched the silver fur of his pocket bully, who jumped up excitedly. Matt walked to the kitchen and saw a note from his dad taped on the refrigerator.

-

Hey Buddy, on a two-week haul. Limited cell service. Be good.

-Dad.

-

Matt sighed and looked down at his favorite silver bullet.

“Looks like it is just us, buddy.” He ripped off his shirt and threw it in the laundry basket, which was overflowing. He sighed and

reluctantly started a load. He topped off Bullet’s food and water before plopping down on his bed and falling asleep.

* * *

His phone blared music in his ear, and Matt rolled over, only to be pounced on and licked profusely by his dog. He shoved Bullet off his stomach and reached for his phone, not even looking at who was calling as it rang again for the second time.

“Hey, we got the limited edition shoe you wanted. Come grab it,” Trevor said and hung up.

Matt growled and threw the phone as Bullet pounced again, gentler this time. He pulled Bullet closer and snuggled into his coarse coat. He was falling asleep quickly once more.

Matt tugged on a clean shirt an hour later and laced up his riding boots. He had called Kyle to meet him at the mall to look at the shoes. Kyle would know if they were genuine limited editions, and at least he wouldn’t waste a grand trading shoes this time without him.

Matt pulled into a motorcycle spot at the mall in record time and took off his helmet. The weather was too perfect to pass up the opportunity to ride today.

He was shaking out his hair while stuffing his helmet into a saddle bag and locking it. When he looked up, he saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen running out of the parking structure. She yelled out to a teen with nearly the same face but brighter eyes, and he was mesmerized by her. He drank in every inch displayed before him as if she was the water he needed to survive. He never believed in love at first sight, but he’d be damned if he let her slip away without knowing her name.

She was relatively short, and he smiled at that. Her height didn’t matter to him, but she was tiny; his smile grew as he imagined sweeping her into his arms.

Her cream-colored skin was beautiful and not too pale against the dark colors she wore, but a slight tan that made sure she wasn’t ghostly pale. Her medium-cut hair fell at her shoulders in soft, full waves, and her brown eyes glittered in the sunlight. Her lips were thick and a delicious shade of red, and dimples crested her face when she smiled.

Although her body was tiny in height, good heavenly father above—her curves—they made him ache with the need to feel all those smooth edges of her body.

Feel the way her skin rippled at his touch. Her comfortable, worn jeans molded to her thighs and hips, and he wished he could be those jeans.

She was a runner based on the hamstrings highlighted in the shape of her jeans when she shifted her weight, and the baggie band tee-shirt that covered her made him want to know what lay underneath.

Her smile lit up everything about her as she waved to the now two teens walking away, and he froze. Ashlyn Taylor looped her arm through the brunette’s arm.

Fück, this must be her best friend, Emma.