“Over my dead fucking body,” Elliot sneers, and my eyebrows furrow.
“That can be arranged,” Forrest mumbles, and Elliot takes a step closer.
I groan, stepping in front of Forrest, pausing both of the Alphas. My patience is gone. So gone, that everything that slips out of my mouth is like word vomit.
“Who do you think you are, Elliot Smith? For years I’ve pined after you, years! You’re not going to come on this ship and demand that I need to come home when you’ve been keeping me from my happiness. I’m here to find a pack, one that wants me back, and I’m not going to let you storm in here and have some hissy fit because my big brothers are worried about me. I thinkyou’ve hurt me enough. You should leave.” As the words slip out, tears are filling my eyes again, and damn, I’m so over tonight.
Everything was perfect today. I was absolutely going to go up to Forrest’s room and sleep with him for the first time, and it was going to be magical. Instead, it seems like two ghosts from my past are adamant on making sure I stay miserable.
Elliot’s standing there, his nostrils flared, and it’s almost like we’re in a standoff. He doesn’t know what to say, so I speak for the both of us.
“You really flew to Miami and bought a ticket for this cruise. To what? Bring me back home safely?” I question him.
“I needed to make sure you were safe,” he says, his chiseled jaw ticking as he says the words.
“I can take care of myself,” I snap back and he scoffs.
“That’s it. I can’t take anymore of this,” Forrest says, scooping me up with one arm, keeping me on the opposite side of his body where Elliot stands.
“Put her down,” Elliot demands and I roll my eyes.
“I’m not going home, and I won’t let you ruin this for me,” I tell him over Forrest’s chest.
“Well, I’m not leaving until you come with me. Get whatever this is out of your system like you always do and let’s go home.”
His words sting while also having alarm bells going off in my head. How much has Elliot been paying attention to me? All this time he’s acted apathetic, yet here he is, alone, demanding I come home with him.
Forrest puts me safely down, and crowds into Elliot’s space.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I mumble as I grab him by the wrist. He doesn’t budge as he gets right into Elliot’s face.
I might be seething mad at Elliot right now, but I definitely don’t want Forrest to hurt him. This is just how Elliot and I are. We can get on each other’s nerves, sometimes say things we don’t mean, but then we’re always fine the next day. We’reallowed to rib each other since we’ve known each other our whole lives, but even I can admit that last dig was too far.
Why does Elliot want to punish me so badly?
Forrest doesn’t punch him, instead he points his finger at his chest. Forrest grins at him, which somehow is equally terrifying. My eyes are wide, looking between the two Alphas when Forrest finally speaks.
“It’s eating you up inside, isn’t it? That I’ve only known her a few days and had her pinned against the wall and she’s claiming me as her Alpha? You’ve known her what? Her whole life? She could have your bond mark on her throat right now, lounging in some perfect fucking nest in the Upper East Side. But she’s not, is she? She’s here with me. You had your chance, and you didn’t fucking take it,” Forrest says rather calmly.
Meanwhile now I’m worried about Elliot hitting Forrest as his chest rises and falls.
“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Elliot growls back and I’m standing here stupefied.
“Don’t I? It doesn’t get any better than Claire. Only a fucking dumbass would let her go,” Forrest says, which is really sweet. I’ll tuck that away for later when tensions aren’t so high.
“You don’t think I fucking know that? Why do you think I’m here?” Elliot blurts out and Forrest finally takes a step away.
I’m slow blinking at the man I’ve known all my life, the one who hasn’t given me an inkling that he likes me back.
He knows it doesn’t get any better than me? Has this Alpha been body snatched?
“What?” I question him and he rubs a hand down his face.
Forrest looks downtrodden next to me and I’m trying to keep up with everyone’s emotions here, but hell, I don’t even have a grasp on my own.
“Can you please just come back home with me and we can sort everything out?” Elliot asks.
“No. I’m not leaving,” I tell him. He doesn’t get to storm onto this ship making demands of me when he’s had years to admit he has some sort of curiosity toward me.