Page 1 of Forever After Never

Prologue

Autumn

With my headphones in, I tried to block out the noise coming from the other end of the student halls.

Along with that noise, my telephone had almost vibrated itself off the end of the desk as it had rung at least five times in the last hour.

The overstimulation hit an all-time high.

“Ughhh, just leave a damn voicemail. I am studying.”I think the words out loud.

As much as I wanted to ignore it, the constant buzzing at the end of the desk and the racket from the atrocious music three rooms down was as irritating as a fly stuck in a lampshade. The more I tried to ignore it, the more annoying it got.

With a bin lorry added to the mix outside, I had just about had enough. When my phone rang for the sixth time, I slammed my headphones on the desk and reached for the telephone. As I swiped my phone from the desk, there was a sharp knock at mydoor. What now? I don’t think I am meant to study today. I’m not expecting anyone at all.

“Just a minute,” I shout with a little more irritation than I intended.

I open the door, and two police officers greet me.

“Miss Andrews?”

“Um, yes?”

“Miss Andrews, may we come in?” One of the officers says while removing his hat.

The tone of his voice is serious. My stomach drops into my feet, and I know to the depths of my soul that he is here to deliver unwelcome news.

Me: Ali, where are you? Answer you phone right now! Please. I really need to talk to you.

Alice: Hey, Queen, what's up? Sorry, I was working. Give me half an hour to get home, and I'll call you back.

Me: Alice, my mum and dad are dead.

Chapter 1

Autumn

“Are you fucking shitting me, Alice?” I shout while crying through the laughter. Alice is my best friend. We have known each other for twenty-seven years since we went to nursery school together in England. She has been through everything with me. Highs and lows.

I am listening to her latest date story about a guy she met online. Alice has no shame, and I love her for it.

“Absolutely not shitting you,” Alice claps back while twirling her hair through her fingers. “I swear to god, he built himself up so much, but when it came down to it - pun intended - he lasted approximately four seconds before falling asleep.” Alice can barely breathe as she recounts this story to me. “I grabbed my stuff and left immediately. The poor guy very likely thought I would stay and make him a sandwich in the morning.”

“I might give online dating a whirl. For the comedy value, if nothing else.” Before I can say anything else, Alice erupts into a fit of laughter.

“Yeah, right, Autumn,” she cackles. “You don’t date. I have never known you to date anyone. Which is a damn shame because there is an entire plethora of men who love what you have,” she says while wiggling her eyebrows and making the shape of a large ass with her hands.

I pretend to be shocked and flip her the bird. When I open my mouth to say something, I close it again immediately, as she is not wrong. I am a bigger girl, with a huge ass and the boobs to match. At five-foot-eight, I am what most would consider tall for a woman, but Alice is taller. I have shoulder-length, chocolate-brown hair and mahogany brown eyes. I am the typical girl next door, and dating is the lowest on my list of priorities, but I do love to live vicariously through Alice. I am not a saint, but I have also never had a boyfriend or genuinely dated anyone. One-night stands had been the easy option for a long time, as there were never any feelings involved, but the last time I had sex was about five years ago. I was always more focused on living the life I wanted to carve out for myself than being tied up in the mess of a man. Alice, on the other hand, gets more than enough dick for the both of us. Before the conversation turns more seriously into trying to find me a date, I gather my denim jacket from the chair. I don’t want Alice to play matchmaker.

“As much as I love listening to this, some of us have jobs to get to in the morning, and I have to get back for Jed,” I laugh. Alice stormed out of her job last week due to her ‘perverted as fuck, creeper boss’ – as she so delicately puts it - and is currently enjoying the free time she has. Alice has worked for the same company since moving here and has been promoted a fair number of times. She has savings behind her, so it doesn’t bother her at all not to be working.

“Fine, fine, but you’re still meeting me tomorrow for coffee after work, aren’t you? I need something to fill my time with,apart from men!” She wiggles her eyebrows at me again, and I roll my eyes at her.

“Yes, I will meet you tomorrow at the usual place. Three pm?”

“Perfect – I’ll probably be in bed until midday anyway!” Alice chuckles to herself as I shut the door on my way out.

Pine Harbour—I love the town I live in. I moved here ten years ago after my parents' deaths. We lived in Somerset, in England—the beautiful countryside.

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