Forever and Always His

Chapter 1

                                Three Years Ago- Age 14

                “You love me, right?” Everett asked, his forehead pressed against mine.

                A small smile appeared on my rosy red lips, as my nose barely brushed against his. My eyes closed, as Everett pulled me closer to him from my waist. “I love you.”

                A laugh escaped Everett’s lips, hot breath tickling the top of my lip. I shuddered under my skin, as Everett’s hand traveled down to my spine. “Will you be mine forever, Riley Monroe?” he asked.

                “I’ll be yours forever and always, Everett Rosenfeld.” I whispered.

                                Two Years Ago- Age 15

                “I’m so happy that you skipped out on lunch with your parents to cheer me up today.” I sighed, staring at the big, fat D that was written in red marker on the top of my recent chemistry test. “I haven’t gotten anything lower than an A minus since middle school.”

                Everett smiled, as he stirred the marshmallows that were floating on top of his mug of hot chocolate. We were currently in our favorite local café in town, The Gingerbread House. We’ve been hanging around here since we were kids, and each time we came together, we always got the hot chocolate.

                “Well, I know how much your grades mean to you.” Everett smiled. “After all, you are a little nerd.”

                I gave him a playful glare, before I broke out a grin. As much as I pretend to hate it when Everett teased me for caring so much about my grades, I secretly loved it. “Shut up, Mr. I’m Barely Passing Algebra with a C.”

                Everett grinned, as he flicked my nose with his fingers. “You said you would never make fun of me for my grades.”

                I rolled my eyes, as I gave him a teasing smile. “Yeah, but you promised me that-“

                Suddenly, his phone vibrated against the table, as I my eyes darted towards it. “Who is it?” I asked.

                Everett picked up his phone, reading the caller ID, before cursing under his breath. “Crap. It’s my mother.” He sighed. “I was supposed to meet with her for lunch today.”

                My face immediately darkened with guilt, as Everett gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just tell her that I was with you. She loves you, remember?”

                I laughed, before Everett picked up the phone. Immediately, his face frowned. “Who is this? My mother’s in the hospital?” Everett’s eyes widened. “Uh, I’m Everett Rosenfeld, her son. Yes, I’ll be there immediately.”

                Everett hung up quickly, as he jolted up from his seat. My eyes were wide with confusion, as I stood up with him, exiting the café. “Everett, what’s wrong? Your mother’s in the hospital?” I asked worriedly, as we got into Everett’s car. Everett’s hands were shaking as he gripped onto his steering wheel, tears already welling up in his eyes.

                “They told me that she’s in the emergency room. She got into a car accident on the way home to find me.” Everett said, his voice barely on the edge of cracking.

                My breathing stopped, as my heart hammered against my chest. I could tell that Everett was trying his best not to cry. His foot was pressing harder and harder against the pedal by each second, on the edge of losing his patience.

                I gulped, as tears brimmed onto my eyelashes. Quickly, I wiped them away with the back of my hand, as we pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. Without saying a single word, Everett slammed the door to his car shut, running to hospital as I trailed behind him.

                When I got inside, Everett was already talking to the receptionist at the front desk. “I can only let family members inside. Mrs. Colette Rosenfeld is in a critical state.” The nurse raised an eyebrow at me, as I ran up behind Everett, panting.

                “I’m her son.” Everett said, as he glanced over to me. “This is my girlfriend.”

                The nurse eyed me skeptically, before typing on her keyboard. She let out a sigh, giving us a weak smile. “Mrs. Colette Rosenfeld is in the emergency unit, sixth floor, room 625B.”

                Everett gave her a short nod, as I mumbled a, “Thanks.”

                We got into the elevator, riding up to the sixth floor. Everett’s breaths were short and quick, from worry and fear. I stared at him as my heart cracked; never have I ever seen Everett like this throughout our many years of knowing each other.

                When we got to room 625B, Mr. Rosenfeld was already sitting outside in the waiting room. His head was dipped low, buried under his palms. I heard soft sobbing from him, as I bit down on my lower lip. When he finally raised his head and saw his son, he broke out into the verge of tears.

                “Where’s mom?” Everett asked, voice high and hoarse.

               I stood there frozen, as I watched Mr. Rosenfeld’s face turn pale and hollow. Before he even got to answer Everett, I knew exactly what and where his mother was.

                She was dead.

                “They couldn’t save her, son.” Mr. Rosenfeld said in a voice so low, I wasn’t sure if I had heard him correctly.

                I blinked, unable to move. I felt numb, as everything in my mind was blacked out. I felt the walls tightening in on me, as I heard a sickening cry escaping Everett’s lips.

                                One Year Ago- Age 16

                I called Everett multiples of times every day after his mother had passed away. Not once did he ever return my calls. I ended up calling him so much, that one day, he just changed his number.

                I didn’t want to think that Everett was pushing me away, but I knew he was.

                He hadn’t come to school for an entire month after his mother had passed, but when he finally came back, he was more popular than ever. People crowded him wherever he went, wondering where he had gone for an entire month.

                Since Everett’s locker was just down the hall from mine, I always saw him. I always tried to make eye contact with him, but he always looked the other way when he figured out what I was trying to do. I even tried to stop him in the hallways a few times before, but he always ignored me, and walked to other direction.

                One day in the junior year, I mustered up the courage to approach his table at lunch. It had been three months since he returned to school, and he’s been avoiding me for the entire time.

                The closer I came to his table, the more nervous I got. Everett’s friends, who sat around him, turned to look at me curiously, as I stood in front of Everett with a shy smile on my face. “Hi, Everett.” I whispered, voice so low, I wasn’t sure if he heard me.

                His vibrant green eyes flashed towards me for a split second. But during that tiny little second, I could see that he remembered who I was, and he remembered every moment we shared together. Hope rose up inside of me, until the bright tint in his eyes disappeared. It was replaced with a dull, cold glare that sent shivers down my spine.

                He put an arm around the pretty girl beside him, as jealously boiled up inside of me. Everett had never formally called the two of us off, so why was he acting like this?

                “You have five seconds.” He paused, glaring at me with eyes full of hate. “What do you want?”

                My lips parted open with disbelief, as I forced away the tears that welled up in my eyes. “Everett, I just-“

                “Your time is up, sweetheart.” He coldly spat. “You can leave now.”

                By now, I swear that a tear was trickling down my cheek. The second Everett saw the tear that was sliding down my cheek, his face softened up a bit, before it turned focused again. “Save your tears for someone who cares.” He simply said, before his circle of friends ignored the fact that I even existed, and continued on with their conversation.

                Sucking up a deep breath of air, I turned around, and walked away. I could feel many students’ eyes burning holes on my back, as I bit on my lower lip. My hands were trembling by my sides, as I ran out of the cafeteria.

                Then, I knew why Everett hated me so much.

                If I had never asked Everett to skip out on going to lunch with his mother, then she wouldn’t have come looking for him. And if she hadn’t come looking for him, she would still be alive.

                I was the reason why Everett Rosenfeld’s mother was dead.

                                Present Day- Age 17

              “Does anyone smell that?” Everett asked everyone in my biology class once I entered the room. “It smells like piss!”

                Everyone laughed, as they began to mock me. Everett had a smirk across his face, as I stared down at my feet. Clutching my books against my chest tightly, I made my way over to my seat in the front row.

                When my biology teacher, Mr. Richards entered the classroom, everyone began to settle down, the with exception of Everett and his crew of friends, who were chattering and laughing in the back of the class.

                Mr. Richards clapped his hands together once he set his stuff down on the teacher’s desk. “Okay, let’s review the homework right now.” He wrote the assignment on the whiteboard, as everyone took out their work.

                I had mine on my desk, written neatly. Suddenly, I felt something hitting the back of my head, as I turned around. Immediately, a spitball hit my left cheek, as I glared up at one of Everett’s friends, who had a straw dangling from his lips. “Hey nerd, you got my homework?” he asked.

                I gulped, turning around as I ignored him. I kept feeling spitballs hitting the back of my head, and I knew that by the end of class, I would have pieces of paper on my back.

                When the bell finally rang, I quickly made my way out of the classroom. I didn’t want to be slow and wait for Everett, like the last time I did. I learned my lesson when he decided to pour an entire bottle of water on my head.

                “Riley!” a voice suddenly called, as I felt an arm latch onto my wrist.

                I flinched with fear, thinking that it was one of Everett’s idiot friends, but it just turned out to be one of my best and only friends, Max Hunter.

                I sighed with relief, as I gave him a small smile. “Hey Max.”

                Max gave me a lopsided smile, as he put an arm around my shoulder, which meant nothing more than a friendly gesture. Max was like my best friend, and nothing more than that. I met him last year when he came to the school as the new kid, shortly after Everett turned against me. He sat next to me in English, and we hit it off immediately when the teacher assigned us as partners.

                I wasn’t going to lie; Max was quite a looker himself. But, I wasn’t attracted to him, at all. He was more like a brother to me. He had blonde hair that curled slightly, blue eyes that were as clear as water, and a smile that showed off his dimples.

                With his gorgeous, people always wondered aloud why he decided to hang around me, out of all people.

                “How’s your morning so far?” he asked, walking me down the hallway.

                I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Unfortunate. Hey, do I smell or anything?”

                Max gave me a confused smile, before dipping his head down to sniff my shoulder. He took a deep breath, in taking my scent, before he pulled away, shrugging. “You don’t smell bad.” He grinned, his voice turning teasing and playful. “In fact, I think you smell like fresh lilies and a pretty rainbow that ends at a pot of gold down by the acres of bright green grass.”

                I gave him a glare, before giving him a light punch on the shoulders. “You’re an idiot, Max.”

                Max grinned cheekily. We entered the lunch room, where the atmosphere was warm and smelt of burnt toast. “But you love me, yeah?”

                I laughed, as I nodded. “Of course.”

                I couldn’t help but notice the dark glare that Everett was shooting at Max and I as we walked by his table. When I caught his eye, he pretended as if he hadn’t been staring at us the entire time. A smirk spread across his lips, as he gave me a challenging stare.

                “See something you like, Princess?” he asked me with malice lingering onto his tone.

                Max’s grip tightened around my shoulder, as his jaw clenched. “You think Riley was looking at you?” he defended me. “You’re need to calm that ego down of yours.”

                Everett looked as if he was about to jump from his seat and attack Max any moment, but I tugged on Max’s arm. “Let’s go.” I muttered, pulling him towards our usual seats, on the opposite end of the lunch room.

                “He’s such a douche bag.” Max mumbled, as he angrily sat down in his seat.

                I sighed, as I rubbed my palms against my forehead. After Max and I had become close friends for half a year, he quickly caught on about Everett’s hatred towards me. He would always question me as to why Everett always seemed to be glaring at me, or tripping me in the halls, but I ignored him. I finally told Max the truth once he forced it out of me one day.

                Ever since I told Max the entire story between us, he seemed to fume every time we encountered with Everett.

                “Max, stop.” I whispered.

                Max groaned. “I don’t even get why he has to be such an asshole to you. It wasn’t your fault that his mother-“

                “Max.” I grit out of my teeth, sending him a threatening look. “Just stop talking.”

                Max’s face softened up, as he gave me a small smile. “I’m sorry, Riley. He just has the ego a size of this.” He held his arms out wide to show me.

                I let out a chuckle, as I smiled at Max. “It’s fine, Max.”

This is the first chapter of my new story! If you like it, please vote or comment. And if you have suggestions or feedback, don't be afraid to tell me!

By the way, this story will have special apperances from characters of Don't Give Up, like I promised! :)

Love you all, and stay beautiful!

Vanessa ♥