Page 84 of All Your Tomorrows

“How can I argue when it’s one of the only gifts I can give you today?”

“Smart boy.” I grabbed a sweatshirt from my drawer and pulled it over my tank top.

“Did you just call me a boy?” he asked, rolling onto his side with his cheek in his palm.

I laughed as I pulled on yoga pants.

“Because I’m pretty damn sure I’m all man.”

I rolled my eyes. “Be right back.” I headed toward the door.

“Hey,” Kyler called.

I stopped, glancing back at him in my bed wishing I was still right beside him.

“Best Christmas ever.”

I laughed and turned back to the door.

“Wait!”

I stopped again and turned around. “What? I’ve gotta go.”

He stared at me long and hard like he had something really important to say. “Never mind.”

I released a sigh, wishing I knew what he wanted to say. But, if I wanted to be back to him in ten minutes, I needed to go. I hurried downstairs, grabbed my coat, and headed outside still pushing my arms into the sleeves. Izzy’s car was parked behind mine. I hadn’t even heard her come in last night.

I took off toward the café. Silence surrounded me. I felt like George Bailey hurrying down a deserted street when everyone else was inside with loved ones—opening gifts or still sound asleep in bed. I turned the corner onto the main road. I expected to see someone taking an early morning stroll, but the sidewalks were vacant, the shops were dark, and it was eerily quiet.

I neared the café, cutting down the alley between it and the gift shop next door. The moment I turned the corner to the back lot, an explosion of pain tore through my chest as a solid object slammed into me, stealing away my breath. I fell back, landing on my ass on the hard pavement as I clutched my chest. Something was wrong. I couldn’t catch my breath. My heart raced. My vision blurred before I was swallowed up by a cloud of nothingness.

Kyler

Where the hell was Nora? I checked the alarm clock on her nightstand for the hundredth time. It had been thirty minutes. Nothing should have taken that long.

I knew I should’ve gone with her, but the way she wanted me in bed when she got back did weird things to my brain. I climbed out from under the covers and yanked on my clothes. I rushed outside and jogged toward the café. If I had a cell phone, I could have just called her. All that normal stuff just wasn’t ever going to be us.

I turned onto the main street, surprised to find it so deserted. I hurried over to the front door of the café and shielded my eyes from the sun, staring inside. Lights were off, no one was inside, and no alarm was ringing. I spun away from the door and moved through the alley, rounding the building to the back parking lot.

I froze as fear grabbed hold of my body.

Nora was sprawled on the ground, her arms and legs contorted in unnatural positions and her eyes closed.Fuuuuck. I rushed over, dropping to my knees at her side and shaking her. “Nora. Wake up! What’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong.” Her eyes didn’t open. I looked over her but couldn’t see any blood—or anything else signifying what was wrong. I dropped my ear to her chest and listened. I could only barely hear a heartbeat.

I sat up and looked around the deserted area. “Help!” I screamed. “Help me!” My body trembled as I scooped her up and rocked her. “Wake up, baby. Please, wake up.” Tears glazed my eyes. No one could hear me. No one was going to find her. No one was going to save her.

Think.Fuckingthink!

I lay Nora back down. “I’ll be right back,” I assured her before running out into the middle of the street. I looked from side to side. No one walked around. No cars drove on the road. I ran down the street looking every which way. I looked back at the café and closed my eyes.

I was fucking helpless.

Unless…

I ran back to Nora’s house, bounding up the stairs. The water in the shower ran. Izzy was awake! I tried the knob but my hand went right through it. Desperate times. I slipped through the locked door and slammed my hand into the shower curtain causing the rod to almost come off the wall.

Izzy screamed and yanked open the curtain, using the rest of it to cover her body. “Nora?” Her head whipped around. I knew she couldn’t see me. But she had to know I was there. I noticed the fogged mirror and rushed to it. Using my finger, I wroteNora.

“Oh my God,” Izzy screeched, watching as the letters materialized before her eyes.

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