You Are All I'll Ever Need Read online

  “Slade, answer me.”

  “I…I don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do. Now tell me.”

  I stared across the bar, noting the TV in the corner. A baseball game was on.

  “I have all night, Slade.”

  “No,” I whispered.

  My dad didn’t react, just staring me down. “I don’t believe that.”

  “I can’t love anyone.” I felt the emotion in my throat and I swallowed it back.

  “Why not?” he whispered.

  “I’m not good enough for anyone—especially her.”

  “That’s not true, Slade.”

  “I’m not a little boy anymore. You don’t need to lie to me to make me feel better.” I stared at my beer, seeing that the foam was completely gone. It was almost lukewarm now.

  “I’m not lying. There’s nothing about her that makes her better than you.”

  I knew that wasn’t true. “She’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. Her lips are full but they aren’t too large. They blend perfectly with every curve of her face. She has these cheekbones that make her face thin and noticeable. Her neck is just as slender. Sometimes she wears these earrings that dangle from her ears, and when her hair is pulled back, she looks like a supermodel. She wears make up but she doesn’t need it. Anytime we’re together, I always think she’s out of my league.

  “And she’s smart, like really smart. She reads two books a week, and the books she likes aren’t easy to digest. She likes books about revenge, violence, and sex. Whenever she talks to me about a book she reads, she analyzes it like my English professor. Her favorite book is The Odyssey. How many girls are like that? And then she has the style of a stupid girl who’s obsessed with fashion. Everything she wears makes her look more beautiful than the previous time I saw her. And she’s funny. I can’t count the number of times she made water come out of my nose. She knows how to cook, and not just Top Ramen.

  “And despite how beautiful she is, she’s not vain about it. Actually, she doesn’t notice it. She’s one of the richest people in the world but she couldn’t care less. She could take a huge billion-dollar company but she prefers to chase her dreams. She’s…not like other girls. Every day I’m with her, I live in her shadow. Sometimes I don’t understand why she sticks around with me. I know I’m good in the sack and I give her what she wants but…I’m nothing compared to her. And the thing that surprises me most of all…she makes me feel good about myself. Despite how annoying and shallow I am, she accepts it without question. She compliments my intelligence and says she’s impressed by things I can do. She never asks me to dress better or hide my sleeves. For the first time, I feel like someone likes me for me…not just because I know my way around the bedroom.” I took a deep breath and realized I’d been talking nonstop for several minutes. My words echoed in my mind and I suddenly missed Trinity like crazy. When I turned back to my dad, he was staring at me.

  His eyes softened when he looked at me. “I was wrong. You don’t love her.”

  I didn’t react to his words. The table felt cold under my fingertips.

  “You’re head-over-heels in love with her.”

  My heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t good at expressing my emotions or even understanding them. The idea of loving Trinity frightened me. Where would it lead? Where would it go? Did I love her? I wasn’t sure. But even if I did, I could never admit it—not yet. I wasn’t sure what I could offer her. She deserved the best and I had a feeling I would never be able to give her what she needed. I could try every single day but it would never be good enough.

  “I’ll keep your secret, Slade. I just hope I don’t need to keep it much longer.” He left the booth, his glass untouched, and left me alone. My dad walked past the window toward the apartment, leaving me to my thoughts.

  I leaned back in the booth and sorted out my feelings. I’m not sure where my relationship with Trinity was going, but I knew one thing.

  We could never go back to what we were.

  Having You Is Never Enough

  Book Four Of The Forever and Ever Series

  AVAILABLE DECEMBER 29th

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading You Are Everything I Need. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you could leave a short review on Amazon.com, iTunes, or BarnesandNoble.com, it would help me so much! Those reviews are the best kind of support you can give an author. Thank you!

  Wishing you love,

  E. L. Todd

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