When Tomorrow Never Comes (22 page)

When the class bell finally rings I slowly gather my books into my backpack before standing to my feet, thankful that everyone else leaves the room quickly.

“What were you thinking so hard about, Eden?” Levi questions while moving over to my side.

As we exit the room together, I sigh roughly. “My mom wants me to stay with my dad and his little family for the summer.” I answer in disgust and he lets out a loud huff of air.

He knew how I felt about my dad since he had left.

I hated him.

Since the moment he had left us for a whole new family I had hated him, and it killed me that he had never once tried to contact me personally after he had moved away.

“How do you feel about that?” He inquires gently and I turn to look at him with a glare.

I loathed even the thought of seeing my father, let alone staying with him for an entire summer.

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Levi backs away with a smirk. “Okay, definitely the wrong question to ask. How about this, how can we convince your mom to let you stay home?”

“That’s better.” I snort.

“How can we possibly convince her though, she already knows I don’t have any plans for the summer?” I huff out in frustration and continue our walk towards my locker.

“I don’t know, but I don’t want you to leave me alone.” Levi admits softly as we reach my locker.

Stopping I turn to him with a frown. “Are things really getting that bad with your father, Levi?”

He shrugs, but I could see a slight hint of fear showing in his dark eyes and it scared me.

Now, I really had to convince my mom to let me stay home.

I had to stay here for him.

He needed me to keep him safe, or at least as safe as I could.

“I really don’t want to talk about it right now, Eden.” He sighs sadly while letting his shoulders drop from exhaustion.

He suddenly appeared ten years older than he actually was.

It was sad to see him like this.

So beaten down and broken.

“Do you want to come over to my place for dinner today? I’m going to make a mean chicken casserole.” I ask changing the subject to something less depressing as I turn the worn out combination lock on my locker to unlock it.

Absently grabbing a few books I shove them into my bag.

“That sounds good, Edie.” Levi sighs softly behind me.

“I’ll meet you out by my car in five minutes then, okay?” I grin as I look at him.

He nods in agreement absently before walking off towards his own locker just down the hall from mine.

I watch as other students purposely bump into him and snicker as he walks past.

They wouldn’t have been acting that way if they really knew the real him like I did.

It made me so angry at how people passed judgment before even knowing someone.

As Levi’s back disappears I shut and turn away from my locker to walk out to my car, but before I get anywhere I slam into someone’s chest before losing my balance only to fall back on my butt on the hard tile floor.

Chancing a glance up I see my ex-boyfriend, Eric, looking down at me.

I groan inwardly.

It would be just my luck that I had to run into him of all people.

We had been the
‘it’
couple so long ago but as soon as my popularity had gone downhill he bailed out on me.

Now, I meant nothing to him.

I was just another little annoyance.

His eyes show a hint of regret as I stare up at him, but as his friends crowd around his back a mask falls into place and the cruel Eric I knew now points his finger down to me with a look of disgust.

“Watch out where you’re going next time, freak.” He snickers along with his friends before leaving me in a heap on the floor all alone.

Feeling tears building in my eyes, I fight desperately to hold them back. I didn’t need to give anyone more ammunition to use against me.

My heart hurt to think about what Eric and I had once upon a time.

I had fallen in love with him, and I had also foolishly thought that he had loved me enough to stay with me through anything.

Boy had I been wrong.

He had been my first love, my first kiss, and my first time.

I had given him every part of myself.

Back then I would have done anything for him, but now he was just another bully in the long list of people that I use to call my friends.

A shadow falls over me as I sit uselessly on the cold tile floor.

“Come on, Edie, let’s get out of here.” Levi whispers while holding out his hand for me.

Nodding I grab hold of him and he pulls me to my feet before gathering my bag from the floor, throwing it over his own shoulder.

With his hand still in mine, he then guides me down the halls and out of the school towards my beat up old car.

I hold out my keys to Levi as we make our way over to my sad looking little silver cavalier.

He takes them without saying a word, already knowing that I needed a few moments to gain control my emotions.

As I sit down in the passenger seat I shut the door and then hide my face in my hands. I listen absently as Levi starts the car’s engine and drives us out of the school parking lot and onto the little road that would take us home.

I finally break down and sob into my hands.

“I can’t do this anymore, Levi, I just can’t. Why does he have to be so cruel to me?” I cry softly.

“You can do this, Eden. You’re stronger than you think and as for your jerk of an ex…just forget him, you don’t need him in order to be happy. You have me now and you know that I will always be here for you no matter what happens.” Levi reassures as he continues to drive us down the roads through the small town where we both lived.

Pulling into a parking spot in front of my house he turns off the car and then turns his attention fully towards me.

I try to force a smile for him, but it falters.

His hand comes up to my cheek to brush away a stray tear, and I close my eyes as I let out a shaky breath.

“You’re the only thing that keeps me going, Eden, when everything else seems like a disaster I look to you and you make me smile, you make me want to keep on living.” His hand falls away from my face as he sighs softly. “I want you to feel that way with me.”

I open my eyes surprised by his confession.

“For some crazy reason I still love Eric, Levi, and that’s why this hurts me so much. I’ll be fine, but only because you’re here with me. You keep me going as well, and I wouldn’t even be sitting here with you now if it wasn’t for you saving me.” I absently trace the ragged scars on my wrists, remembering back to that night.

I remember the loneliness I had felt in that moment of weakness.

Levi sighs softly, taking my hand into his much larger one.

I look up into his soft green eyes.

He closes them for a moment before opening them back up.

“I have a confession to make, Eden.” He whispers nervously and I squeeze his hand lightly to urge him on.

He runs his other hand through his hair and looks out of the window before continuing on, tripping over his words. “I…well, I…God, why is this so hard to tell you?”

He growls out in frustration before hitting the steering wheel with his fist.

Grabbing his other hand in mine, he turns to look directly at me, and his eyes soften.

“I love you, Eden.” He confesses in a barely there whisper.

It takes me a few silent moments to process his words.

He loved me?

My heart begins hammering in my chest, for what reason I wasn’t exactly sure.

Be it fear, or from joy I wouldn’t know.

“You love me?” I whisper in question unsure if I had even heard him right.

He nods and my heart beats faster against the walls of my chest feeling as if it was about to beat straight through my rib cage at any moment.

“I do, Eden. I know you probably don’t feel that way for me but I had to tell you, and I’m not expecting you to feel the same way…” I place my fingers over his lips to stop his rambling.

He grins as I move closer to him.

“I do care for you, Levi, my heart still loves Eric, but I know he’s not the one for me. He doesn’t understand me like you do. And I do see myself falling for you, Levi. I may not love you yet, but I will, just give me time.” I grin as his smile grows wider under my fingers.

I drop my fingers from his lips as he strokes his knuckles tenderly across my cheek.

“Can I kiss you, Eden?” He nearly pleads and I nod.

His lips crash into mine in an instant and I close my eyes enjoying the gentle caress of his tongue as it tangles with mine.

He pulls back for a moment while looking deep into my eyes.

“I love you so much, Eden. I will never let you go.” He vows right before his lips crash into mine once again in a passion filled kiss.

My heart warms at his words, and I rapidly feel my heart falling for him. I knew then that it wouldn’t take long for me to fall completely head-over-heels for this man in front of me.

Finally breaking apart, we pant hard for our breaths as we stare deep into each other’s eyes.

I could see so much love for me showing through his.

A sudden knock on the window causes us both to jump and we look over to my mom who was grinning from ear to ear while pointing a stern finger in our direction.

I shake my head grinning and laugh out in amusement. “She’s going to love teasing us about this now.”

Levi nods in agreement while opening the car’s door letting me crawl over his lap in order to get out, before getting out of the car himself.

“Hey, Miss. Grayson how’s work?” He asks shyly with a small wave as he stands before my mother.

“Don’t be trying to change the subject from the scene I just caught the two of you in, Levi, and how many times am I going to have to tell you to call me Pam.” She replies.

“At least once more, Miss. Grayson.” Levi responds with a smirk, my mom laughs softly and shakes her head.

When her eyes land on me with a look that only meant trouble, I visible gulp.

“We’ll talk about what I saw between the two of you later when I get off of work. As for now behave yourselves, and make sure you do your chores, Eden.” She states in warning.

I nod and she quickly gives me a kiss on my forehead before jumping into her own beat up little blue truck.

We watch as she leaves, her taillights turning down another street before walking into the small two bedroom house I called home.

The front door squeaks as we enter, and Levi has to slam it as hard as he can to make it shut properly.

It had a certain way that it had to be shut otherwise it would open all on its own later.

I groan as I sit down at the kitchen’s tiny white wooden table that Mom had gotten at a yard sale.

Levi joins me, sitting down in a metal folding chair across from me.

“I can’t believe my mom saw us. She’s going to let me hear an earful tonight.” I snort.

“Yes, she is, so why not make it worth it.” Levi grins mischievously as I look to him with a naughty grin of my own.

Standing up I make my way over towards him.

He pushes his chair out and pats his legs for me to sit on his lap.

Sitting down I lean in and he presses his lips softly against mine as his hands grip my hips, holding me tightly against him.

It felt so right to be here with him like this.

And I was beginning to think that maybe being in a new relationship with Levi was just what I needed in order to get passed the feelings I still carried for Eric.

Moaning softly as his kiss dives deeper I begin to wonder if maybe I was already in love with Levi.