When Tomorrow Never Comes

by Raven K. Asher

  I nearly choke on the bite I had just taken of my sandwich as his question comes out.

  Liam’s eyes go wide as he looks towards the girl.

  “What’s he talking about?” She clips out.

  “He’s full of shit, Amy. I wasn’t in her room. I was nowhere near their house.” Liam stutters over his words.

  I would have laughed at his horrible lie but my attention was still on Eric and the fact that he had called me his daughter.

  “I don’t believe you.” Amy whines as she crosses her arms over her chest.

  Eric grins triumphantly and gives me a quick wink before turning his attention back towards the train wreck happening right in front of us.

  “Come on, Babe, you know I don’t want anything to do with her. I hate her, remember.” Liam tries to calm her down.

  “I hate him just as much.” I chime in before taking another bite of my sandwich.

  “He could never compare to his brother no matter how hard he tries.” I add harshly.

  Liam glares at me but I continue on eating my sandwich.

  Eric’s presence was giving me the strength I needed to stand up to Liam.

  Liam opens his mouth to say something but Eric clears his throat, stopping him before he could say a single word.

  Thankfully the rest of the lunch period goes by without another word said between any of us.

  Eric finishes his lunch before standing to his feet only to lean down to give me a fatherly kiss on top of my head. “I’ll see you later, Princess.”

  I smile and watch as he leaves before standing to my own feet to leave.

  Unfortunately I don’t get very far before Liam steps into my path. “I dare you to stand up to me without your bodyguard around.” He taunts.

  I step right up to him without fear. “Get over yourself, Liam.”

  “I’m going to make your life a living hell, Eve.” Liam then promises.

  I shake my head and laugh lightly. “Your brother already made sure that my life would be hell after he left. Do whatever you want to me Liam it won’t make a difference.”

  Liam’s eyes soften for just a brief moment. “He loved you.”

  I snort. “He had one hell of a way to show that. He promised me tomorrow but tomorrow never came for him.”

  With those heavy words I walk away from Liam.

  I knew he would understand the meaning of my words.

  It was something that Cole and I had said to each other often. He had always promised me that tomorrow would come for us, that we would have a future together.

  But he had taken his tomorrow away from me.

  I went on and he had stayed behind.

  As soon as I walk through the doors of the cafeteria Eric grabs my arm and pulls me into a hug right before I burst into tears.

  He holds me as he whispers above my head. “Just breathe, Eve. Just like we did before, repeat the words I told you last night.”

  I whimper but repeat those words softly. “I’m broken, but I won’t be forever.”

  “Good girl, now just breathe in deeply again before letting it out slowly.” He then commands gently.

  I do as I’m told and before I know it my body relaxes and my tears begin to dry up.

  “Thank you, Eric.” I whisper as I look up at him.

  “You’re welcome, Princess.” He replies with a smile.

  Letting me go he glares at Liam as he walks past us.

  I snort and bring Eric’s attention back to me with my hand on his chin. “That’s enough for now, papa bear.”

  Eric grins brightly. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Of course you do.” I laugh as I drop my hand and then sigh. “I have to get back to my classes.”

  He nods. “I’ll be back to pick you up.”

  I nod and then walk away from him.

  Glancing back once he smiles, giving me the strength to continue on with my day.

  I could do this.

  Chapter 6

  Dear Diary,

  I wake up day after day wondering if I’ll be able to go on without you. The pain is always there though…I miss you, Cole. I miss you…

  I wake with a strangled scream as I sit up in my bed.

  In true Eric fashion he rushes in to comfort me but when he flips my light on I scream again as he curses out loudly. “What the hell?”

  I hadn’t been in my room alone.

  Liam had been in there and had been caught trying to escape out the window.

  Eric moves quickly, grabbing Liam before he can get away.

  Matt bursts into the room next with a baseball bat held high. He lowers it when he spots Eric holding Liam up against a wall.

  “What the hell is going on in here, Eve?” Matt questions as he motions between me and Liam.

  “I have no idea. I had a nightmare and when Eric turned on the light he was trying to climb out of my window.” I reply truthfully.

  Matt then turns his attention towards Liam. “What the hell are you doing in our daughter’s room? You could get into a ton of trouble for this, you know.”

  Liam barks out a laugh. “Why do both of you act like she’s actually your daughter? Neither of you know her.”

  Eric growls. “She is our daughter, and that’s final.”

  “Answer my question, Liam. If you don’t tell us why you’re here then I’ll call the police right now and have them sort this out with your parents.” Matt threatens.

  Liam closes his eyes for a moment before answering. “I just wanted to see if she was telling the truth. I wanted to see if she really did wake up screaming every night.”

  His response shocks me.

  Liam’s eyes then turn to me. “I’m sorry, Eve. I really am.” He apologizes.

  I nod accepting his apology, for now, even though I could clearly see that he didn’t really mean it. He was just weaseling his way out of getting into trouble.

  “Can I talk to him alone for a minute?” I ask as I look towards Eric.

  He turns his head to look at me with surprise before turning his attention back to Liam.

  He then points his finger at him sternly. “I hear her scream just once and you’ll be wishing that you would have fallen from that window, do you hear me?”

  Liam nods in understanding and Eric lets his grip go before walking out the door with Matt following close behind.

  The door shuts and I sigh roughly.

  “What are you really doing here, Liam?” I ask quietly as I stand up.

  He sighs roughly as he bows his head and runs his hand through his hair. “I don’t know.”

  There it was, the truth finally coming out.

  Moving closer to him I lift his chin to look into my eyes. “Why have you been so mean?” I whisper.

  “That’s just me now, Eve.” He replies simply.

  I shake my head. “That’s not you. You were never cruel.”

  “Eve, I don’t know who I was before anymore.” He sighs roughly.

  “It hurts too much, doesn’t it?” I ask gently.

  He nods as his eyes glisten with unshed tears.

  “Tell me why you’re really here, Liam, and don’t lie to me this time.” I plead softly.

  He turns and motions towards one of my pictures. “I knew you would have his pictures. My mom has thrown away everything of his. It’s like Cole never even existed in our house.”

  “Christ…” I curse.

  “I just wanted to see him again, you know.” Liam adds sadly.

  I nod in understanding. “I get it, Liam.”

  An awkward silence surrounds us as we stand so close to each other.

  “I have missed you being around, Eve.” He whispers, breaking that silence.

  “Nothing is the same anymore, Liam.” I sigh before stepping back from him.

  His jaw ticks as he nods his head. “I guess you’re right.”

  With that he moves towards my window before climbing out of it.

  Moving over to it I watch as he expertly clim
bs down the tree next to my window before running across the neighbor’s yard towards his own house.

  Eric bursts through the door and I turn back to look at him as he raises his hands into the air with a questioning look.

  “You let him get away?” He asks.

  I nod. “He won’t do this again.”

  Eric sighs roughly as he drops his hands. “He better not.”

  Once morning comes I make my way downstairs in a deep red sweater dress with my favorite knee high black boots.

  Matt lets out a low whistle. “Who are you trying to look pretty for?”

  I shrug before sitting down in my seat while he places a plate filled with bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. “I’m not doing it for anyone. I just figured today would be a good day to try and be myself again.”

  He nods while sitting down to enjoy his meal.

  “Where’s Eric at?” I ask around a bite of my bacon.

  “He had to leave early. He had an interview for a job nearby.” Matt answers.

  “I thought he was in the army.” I reply, confused.

  Matt nods. “He was but he’s ending that career since you came along. He’s looking for something in law enforcement now so that way he’ll never have to worry about being shipped out.”

  I grin. “You guys are really taking this fatherly stuff seriously, aren’t you?”

  Matt nods seriously. “We told you that this would be your home, Eve, and we meant it. Even though you haven’t been here that long you’ve fit in here perfectly. I’ve never seen Eric act the way that he has been since you came to live with us.”

  “We are filing the papers to adopt you.” He adds quickly.

  “You are, already?” I ask surprised.

  He nods. “We actually started the process the day you came to live with us.”

  Smiling gratefully I continue to eat my breakfast before standing up to leave.

  Matt stands with me but I motion for him to stay. “I can take the bus to school, Matt. I don’t mind.”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t trust any of the bus drivers around here. I’ll take you to school until we get you your own vehicle.”

  I snort and then shake my head as he moves through the house before we walk out outside together.

  Having Eric and Matt take care of me like this felt good. None of the other families I had been with had ever taken care of me like they had done.

  Getting into the jeep we soon set off down the road.

  Glancing to my right I watch Liam as he gets into his car as we drive past.

  “Hey, Matt, when I get out of school can I go to the store to print off some photos?” I ask abruptly as I turn my attention forward.

  “I don’t see why not. You’ll have to say something to Eric about it.” Matt replies.

  “Do I have a limit on how much I can spend?” I then ask awkwardly.

  He snorts. “I don’t mind what you spend as long as you don’t go completely wild on us.”

  “Duly noted, I won’t spend much. I never ask for much anyway.” I reply softly.

  Once we’re at the school I jump out of my seat and then rush into the school. I was ready for the day to be over already.

  Sitting down in my seat I wait until Liam walks into the room and sits down behind me.

  When he doesn’t say or do anything I turn to look at him with a raised brow. “What, no smart ass remarks or harsh words today?”

  “Not today.” He replies simply.

  I nod once and then turn back around as the teacher begins class.

  The school day goes by in a blur.

  And not once had Liam messed with me.

  For the most part he had pretty much ignored my existence along with his girlfriend Amy as they once again joined me in the lunch room.

  His eyes had been glued on me continuously though. Every time I had glanced in his direction I had caught him before he could look away.

  There was definitely something going on with him, but I just couldn’t place my finger on what it could possibly be.

  Going outside the school I wait near the main entrance until Eric pulls up in his truck.

  As soon as he stops I jump inside.

  “How was your day, did he mess with you at all?” Eric questions quickly.

  “My day was good actually, and no he didn’t mess with me. He pretty much ignored me.” I reply as we pull away from the school.

  “Matt said that you wanted to go to a store?” Eric then asks, changing the subject.

  “Yeah, I wanted to go somewhere where I can print off some photos.” I reply.

  He nods and then grins. “I know just the place.”

  Chapter 7

  Dear Diary,

  I’m not even sure if I’m doing the right thing or if I’m only going to make things worse. My heart hurts…I miss you.

  “Why did you want to get those photos printed anyway, I thought you already had a room full of pictures?” Eric questions curiously as we drive away from the local photo shop.

  It was neat little place owned by an older couple who could pretty much do anything photo related.

  The older man was even able to crop one of my pictures for me.

  “I just…I did it for Liam.” I admit quickly and then wait for Eric’s response.

  “Why?” Eric asks with a raised brow.

  I shrug. “He said that his mother threw out everything that reminded her of Cole. I figured that I would give him some copies of the pictures I have.”

  “You’re pretty awesome, do you know that?” Eric grins.

  I smile but shake my head. “I’m not that great of a person, Eric. I’ve made some very bad decisions.”

  “Everyone has at one point in time.” Eric replies.

  As we drive on silence surrounds us.

  I was lost deep in thought about the poor choices I had made. They were very choices that had changed everything and they had also torn my world apart.

  “We’re home.” Eric states abruptly.

  I hadn’t even realized we had already pulled into the driveway.

  Shaking my head I exit the truck before following Eric into our house.

  Going up the stairs I quickly make my way to my room.

  Inside I nearly have a heart attack. Liam was sitting on my bed holding a framed photo of me and Cole in his hands.

  He doesn’t move as I shut my door and then move closer.

  “What happened between us, Eve?” He whispers as he trails his finger over me in the photo.

  “Nothing happened.” I clip out.

  I didn’t want to think of the memory he was trying to bring back.

  He turns his head to look at me. “You know it was more than that.”

  “It was nothing but a mistake.” I then reply harshly.

  He nods his head once before standing up to his feet. He then places the picture back onto my shelf where he had gotten it.

  After a moment he turns his attention to me again as his jaw clenches. “You may have thought it was a mistake but I didn’t, and in the end it cost us more than you’ll ever know.”

  “Your mistake was coming back here again, Eve. I’m going to make your life a living hell from here on out.” He adds as he begins to walk towards my door.

  “Wait, Liam.” I call out quickly.

  He stops and turns his head towards me.

  I rush to grab the envelope of photos I had done for him before tossing them towards him.

  He catches it before his brow rises in question. “What’s this?”

  I sigh. “Just something I thought you’d like to have.”

  “I don’t want…” He begins to argue before I cut his words off.

  “Just take it and leave.” I bite out while pointing towards my door.

  His jaw once again clenches and then ticks with built up anger while he opens my door before rushing out, slamming it closed behind him.

  Sitting down on my bed I wait for Eric and Matt to rush into my room.

&nb
sp; I knew they were going to have a lot of questions.

  Sure enough after just a few minutes Eric bursts into my room. “Did I just see that kid leave the house?”

  I nod and then laugh. “Yeah, you did. He snuck into my room again.”

  He lets out a string of curses before calming down. “I swear I’m going to put razor wire up around the yard to keep him out.”

  I snort. “That probably wouldn’t work.”

  Eric nods his head and then sighs as he wipes his hand down over his face. “He’s persistent, I will give him that. So, what did he want this time?” He then asks.

  “He wanted to bring up bad memories.” I answer simply.

  “You know you can talk to me about the stuff that happened, right.” Eric replies as he sits down next to me on my bed.

  I nod but remain quiet.

  As much as I wanted to I just couldn’t talk about what had happened.

  That is until the confession falls from my lips against my will. “Liam and I slept together once. It was while I was dating his brother. It’s a secret I’ve never told another soul.”

  Eric nods his head. “That explains a lot. I take it Liam still has feelings for you?”

  “He had feelings for me but that night was a mistake. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I loved Cole, he was everything to me.” I reply.

  “Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.” Eric sighs before standing up.

  “Matt has dinner ready downstairs for us when you’re ready to come down.” He adds, changing the subject.

  After I nod he leaves my room.

  Placing my head into my hands I sigh roughly before moving them through my hair, tugging on the roots lightly.

  Closing my eyes I repeat Eric’s words in my head over and over again.

  Did my heart really want Liam back then? Maybe, but I still shouldn’t have cheated on Cole no matter how I felt.

  Sighing again I stand to my feet and then walk out of my room before heading downstairs to eat with Matt and Eric.

  There was nothing I could do about my past. All I could do was move forward and that meant keeping Liam away.

  I would never let him get that close again, I couldn’t.