Read Never (The Ever Series Book 2) for Free Online Page B

By the time I turn off the water, I feel almost human again. I dry my hair and get dressed. Then, looking in the mirror, I stare at this new version of me. My olive green eyes, which get mistaken for brown more often than not, are nearly as bright green as Ever’s, but this is mostly an after effect from crying. I return to my room and take a few deep breaths. After hesitating only a second, I say his name and reach out with my thoughts.
    “Ever.”
    His arms wrap around me almost instantly, crushing me to him. I look up at him and start crying again.
    “What did he do to you?”
    His question comes out as a growl, and I shake my head into his chest.
    “Nothing,” I whisper. “I made a deal with him.”
    Ever stiffens and stares down at me like I just ran him through with a blade.
    “A deal?” he asks without emotion.
    “He said he wants to be …” I trail off, because there’s no good way of putting this. “He said he wants to prove himself.”
    Ever laughs indignantly.
    “It’s only until the beginning of summer, though,” I explain quickly. “Then he swore he would leave me alone. So? He hangs around here for a few months. After that, he’s gone. See? It’s fine.”
    “And I expect he insisted that I leave so that he could insinuate himself into your life?”
    I shake my head.
    “Give me a little more credit than that. I told him that you stay, or we have no deal.”
    Ever raises an eyebrow.
    “And he agreed?”
    I straighten up.
    “He agreed to all of my conditions.”
    “Whether he keeps to them is another thing,” Ever says, his eyebrow arched.
    “I told him the deal is over if he goes back on his word. I also told him that the two of you were to keep a truce until then.”
    Ever laughs again, his bitterness evident.
    “You haven’t known him as long as I have. He won’t keep his end of the bargain. He is shrewd and manipulative.”
    “And I’m not an idiot,” I remind him.
    He smiles.
    “Beautiful and brilliant.”
    Ever’s exaggeration only reminds me of my precarious math grade.
    “Not quite,” I groan. “And I have homework and other mortal things to take care of, like dinner.”
    Ever nods. Then he reaches out and unzips the pocket on my sleeve, retrieving the pendant I took back. I turn away from him, shivering as his fingers touch my neck to fasten the chain.
    “I can nullify his mark,” Ever says quietly, almost like he regrets mentioning it. “It will remain, but it will not hold as much power over you.”
    My eyes widen as I turn to face him.
    “Well! What are you waiting for, then? Do it!”
    He searches my face.
    “Are you sure?”
    “Of course!”
    “Wren, listen to me. I will have to mark you myself to offset his. Do you understand?”
    I frown. Another tattoo.
    “Will his ever come off?” I ask nervously.
    Ever nods.
    “When he releases you.”
    “Good. Because two tattoos before I turn seventeen is a little much.”
    Ever smiles, but just barely.
    “After I do this, neither one of us will be able to find you as easily, unless you want us to. And if you’re with one of us, the other will be blind to you, so forgive me if I seem overly protective for the foreseeable future.”
    I nod, but this is actually kind of a relief to me. I wouldn’t want Alex watching me with Ever, or vice versa. Just the idea gives me the creeps.
    “Are you certain you want this?” he asks.
    I shrink back a little bit.
    “Will it hurt?”
    In sudden and vivid detail, I remember the pain of getting my ears pierced as a little kid. I thought I was going to die, and my mom still has a tiny crescent-shaped mark on her left hand where I squeezed too tightly and dug into her skin with my fingernail. To this day, she points to it and calls my tolerance for pain nonexistent at best .
    “I will be careful,” Ever says.
    I nod, and a moment later he bends down and touches his lips to mine. My apprehension begins to fade. This wasn’t what I was expecting, and the heat of Ever’s touch