Page 4 of Tomorrow's Never Promised

I scramble through my makeup bag, deciding on a smokey eye and a nude lip. Makeup has always been my favorite part of getting ready to go out. I love being able to accentuate my features, especially my eyelashes. They are naturally thick and long, but add a little liner and mascara and watch the magic happen. Suddenly my eyes look huge and doelike.

I’ve nailed it down to a sultry look in less than ten minutes—which is impressive for not doing a full glam look in a while. I dust some highlighter on my cheeks and nose and stare into the mirror for what feels like forever.

The girl staring back at me is one I didn’t think I would ever see again,but here she is.

“You look hot, babe,” Leah confirms as she leans against the bathroom door. She chuckles, and her eyes meet mine in the mirror.

“Jesus, Leah. You scared the shit out of me!” I shriek and throw my lipstick at her. “Put this in your purse tonight. I’ve got a small wristlet, and my phone takes up the whole damn thing.”

“Oooh,thesassis coming out already!” She tucks the lipstick into the bag wrapped around her body and moves forward to hug me. “You got this, girl. Now let’s go.”

Schitty’sispacked.Wall to wall is lined with college students grinding up against each other. Loud bass is pumping through the speakers, and the lights are going wild, painting the walls in a kaleidoscope of colors. The place reeks of stale beer, and the floor is stickyas fuck. Lee grabs my hand and drags us through the crowd to the bar. Her phone glows as she multitasks moving through the crowd while responding to a text.

Chase greets her when she reaches the bar. He gives Lee a once-over and licks his lips before shifting his focus to me—looking shocked. Leah pulls me closer, wrapping a protective arm around me. “Chase, you remember my roommate Maddy, right?”

Chase wraps a clammy hand around mine, giving it a hard squeeze. “Of course, so glad you came out tonight,” he slurs with sympathy in his eyes. “Let’s grab you ladies a drink. What’s your poison?” He gestures to the female bartender.

“Cranberry, vodka, club, and lime,” Leah chimes in. “Two, please.” She winks at me, knowing it’s my drink of choice as well. After living and working with this girl for three years, she knows almost everything about me.

I crane my neck and look around to see if my favorite bouncer is here, but I come up empty. Disappointment floods me.I could have used one of his big hugs right about now.

Chase retrieves his beer and our drinks off the bar. He shoots a wink at the busty bartender. She smiles sheepishly and taps his hand. “I’ll throw these on your tab,” she purrs. I wonder how many women in this bar he’sfucked?He is the university superstar after all.

He hands us our drinks and raises his own. “To the big win tonight!” He clinks his glass against ours while undressingmy roomie with his eyes.The nearby crowd and his teammates go wild, whistling and hollering. All I can think isthiscocky motherfucker. He isn't just talking about the win on theice.

Leah’s cheeks heat as she grabs my hand to tug me off to the dancefloor.David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj - Turn Me Onis playing. It’s amazing how my body gets right back into the swing of letting the music guide my moves. It feels like a goddamn sauna in here, and the tequila from earlier is still running through my bloodstream. Beads of sweat form on the back of my neck, making my hair cling to it. Leah and I are reciting the words and falling back into our same ritual of singing into our invisible microphones.

It doesn’t take long for Chase to find—or should I saystalkLee down like a wolf on the prowl. Within seconds, their lips meet, and his hands are all over her ass.Listen, as long as she’s having a good time—I don’t care. He’s a fuck boy, but she’s just looking for a good time. It’s not my place to intervene.

I dance by myself for a few more songs and start making my way to the bathroom. Do I really want to break the seal now? I will be peeingallnight. I mentally curse myself for wearing leather. Such a stupid idea—already, the material is clinging to my legs. I finish my drink to cool myself off, but I'm still hot as hell.

As I approach the bathroom, I notice the line for the ladies' room is ridiculously long.It’s one thing I never understood. Women are organized and diligent for the most part. How hard is it to get in, pee, and get out?I guess the drinks make us chatty, and we end up socializing more than actually using the bathroom.

Forget it!I bypass the line and head straight for the back door. My eyes immediately land on the rugged man standing there. My heart skips a beat.He’s here. His eyes meet mine, and a smile spreads across his handsome face. God, how long has it been since I experienced his warm welcome?That smile can make any girl swoon.Don’t even get me started on hiseyes.

“Hey there,love.''He picks me up in a big bear hug, lifting my feet off the ground. I genuinely smile for what feels like forever. I wrap my arms around his tatted neck as his beard tickles my face.Ugh, I missed his Irish accent, strong arms, and the way he calls melove. Never have I felt uncomfortable in his arms. If anything, they have always given me a sense of comfort and familiarity.

This man isallmuscle, beard, and tattoos. He’s gorgeous with his dark brown eyes and perfectly combed hair. He wears it slicked back with the sides buzzed short. His beard is trimmed neat but longer than most males in this bar, with exception of the other bouncers.

Let me tell you, the number of women in this bar trying to get this fine man home is off the charts. I don’t think there is one woman here who doesn’t know whoLiam Donellyis. He’s what the majority of the bathroom chatter is about.

Liam places me back down on my feet, steadying me with his arm on my lower back until I am stable. He has always been this way with me. Leah and I had many wild nights; some nights we even closed the bar down. I also had my fair share of nights where he had to toss my drunk ass over his shoulder and place me in an Uber home.

He may look super intimidating, but he's truly thesweetestman ever, always making sure I get home safe. And if I’m being honest,he makes me feel safearound him. His name is Liam, after all—which means protector.

We established this friendship my freshman year when Lee thought fake IDs could easily work to get us in if our charm—or revealing dresses—didn’t. And itdidwork the first few times. Except one day, the new bouncer at the front door refused me entry. Lee got in with no problem, but of course, he stopped me. Then thisbehemothof a man shows up to the commotion Lee was creating, grabs the ID from his peer, and asks me to state my name.

“Madelyn Marrone.”

Then he asks my date of birth.

“3/11/1989.”

He looks me up and down, asks me to smile, and then nods his head to the other bouncer.

“She's good.” He winked at me as he handed me back my ID.

Since that day we both shared the unspoken knowledge that I wasn’t of age until this year. Whenever I showed up, he would seek me out, whether it be by the bar or on my way to have a cigarette. Yeah I know, it’s aterriblehabit. I used to only smoke when I would drink. I'd usually bum one off Liam or buy my own pack for the night. After Sean died, I used it as a coping mechanism. Now, I’ll have one or two when I’m super stressed.

---