The Beginning of Always

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Copyright © 2016 Sophia Mae Todd

All rights reserved.

www.sophiamaetodd.com

FIRST EDITION: July 2016

Cover design by Alyce Harley of a luxe contraband [lettering & design]

Prologue

W
here was Mom? She said she’d be back.

I scratched the back of my thigh. The stupid bugs kept biting me and it hurt. It itched. I was uncomfortable and I wanted to go home.

Once again, I wondered if I should go find someone. Mom had told me to wait for her here by the road, but it was dusty and I hadn’t seen any cars since Mom had sped away when the sun was still hot. I’d been here for most of the day and I was getting hungry and thirsty.

The sun was going down in the sky.

I didn’t want to come. Mom packed us a bag and shoved me in the car, and we drove for hours and hours. We drove for almost two days. Mom barely stopped and she hardly talked. I slept in the backseat and I missed my bed.

She’d been weird since she started dating that guy. I wasn’t an idiot; I knew he was Mom’s boyfriend. I’d never met him. Every time she’d go out with him, she’d lock me in the apartment and be gone all night. I guessed it was fine, because she put me in her room, where there was a bathroom and a TV, and I could play as many video games as I wanted.

She didn’t know that I would peek outside the window above her bed, and sometimes, I could spot that red sports car parked in the space behind our building. If I squinted, I could just make out a man in the driver’s seat. Mom would go to the passenger side, get in, hug the man, kiss the man, and they’d drive away.

I wondered if Mom loved him, to kiss him like that. She didn’t kiss me; she didn’t even hug me anymore.

I asked Mom if I could meet him one day, but she ignored me. She did that a lot, pretended I wasn’t around, especially when I asked questions. Mrs. Graves told me that we should ask questions, that it’s good to ask questions. I liked Mrs. Graves. She taught me how to read and let me help her clean the classroom after school.

I was really happy that I was in school because when I was just at home, it got really lonely. I didn’t usually like to go home right after class ended, but right now, I really wanted to go home.

I scratched the bottom of my legs with both hands and suddenly, a dust cloud began billowing down the road towards me. My heart leapt at the sight. Mom! I quickly stood up and ran my wet palms up and down my shorts.

Maybe we could go to McDonald’s on the way home.

I jumped up and down, waving my arms at Mom.

But as the dust cloud came closer, I realized the car was white. I stopped jumping and frowned. Mom’s car was blue. This wasn’t her. I hated the thought of more waiting, but what could I do? I crouched back down again, a little further away from the road so the dust wouldn’t get in my face.

The car drove down the road and as it got closer, I realized it was a police car. The front of the car was black and it had big letters on the doors that said St. Haven Sheriff’s Patrol.

I ducked my head down into my lap and stared down at the dirt as I waited for the car to pass. But as the sound of the engine grew louder, the crunch of its tires over the rocks also slowed.

I got nervous.

Was he stopping?

I peeked up right when the engine noise got so loud, it was as if the car was on top of me. The car had crossed the empty lane to come to my side of the road, and now it ground noisily to a halt. I made contact with a set of brown eyes peering down at me from behind the driver’s side window.

I stared stupidly back.

The police officer was young and had a nice, handsome face. He smiled gently at me and I gave him a small, uneasy grin back. I absentmindedly scratched my legs again.

The glass whined and whirled when he lowered the window.

“Hello,” the police officer said pleasantly.

“Good afternoon, sir,” I responded. I reminded myself to be polite.

“It’s hot today, huh?” he asked.

I nodded and licked my lips, tasting the dirt on them. I must have been disgusting and dusty.

The police officer considered me for a long couple seconds, and I glanced to the front of his car. The engine was loud, like thunder. Then, all of a sudden, the engine went quiet.

I quickly looked back at the driver’s seat.

“Hey, kid, are you okay?” The police officer leaned out his car window with a furrow on his brow. “I’ve never seen you before. You’re not from around these parts, huh? Are you visiting?”

My heart began to pound furiously and I swallowed the lump that was in my throat.

“Umm …,” I stuttered, and despite the sticky, humid air, I suddenly grew terribly cold.

The cop squinted at me, as if he was trying to see right through me. “The sun’s almost set—it’s getting a bit late to be out by yourself.” He cocked his head to one side. “Where are your parents? You’re a bit young to be out up here by yourself.”

I got up slowly and took a step back, torn about what to do. Mom had told me to wait here, but I didn’t know what I was supposed to do if a cop showed up. Mom always told me not to give them any lip. Mrs. Graves told us to respect them.

The way he was looking at me made me nervous. As if I was doing something wrong by waiting here.

“What’s your name, son?” The police officer began to open the door, and it was then I decided to run.

The policeman barely got out a yell of surprise before I tore away from the road and ran. I didn’t know where I was going, but for some reason I knew I had to run. The cop yelled at me, and then swore. The crackle of his radio echoed, and he spoke angrily into it. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I ran faster.

He was mad. I’d made a police officer mad. This was bad.

I was the fastest kid in our class. I always won tag. Now, I ran as if the biggest, baddest monsters were chasing me.

Soon the sounds of the policeman faded and I burst into a grove of trees. I dodged the tree trunks, looking behind me to see if anyone was following me. After a long time, when I ran out of breath and it seemed safe, I slowed down, then stopped.

I placed a hand on a tree to catch my breath. My chest hurt and my mouth was dry.

“Argh …” To my horror, tears spilled down my cheeks. I couldn’t cry. Crying was for babies. I scrubbed my face with my dirty palms, telling myself to stop, stop, stop. But I couldn’t. Those stupid tears kept coming, and I was so scared and so thirsty and my heart was acting as if it was trying to detach from my body.

Mom, help me.

Come back.

I slumped over and leaned against the tree, then slipped down to the ground. The sounds of the woods sprung all around me and my throat seized, not knowing what was out there. The wind howled around me and I was cold.

I waited and waited, crouched down in the dirt and the leaves, wishing Mom would come and get me and take me home.

The sky grew darker and darker.

The sounds and footsteps of men stomping around the forest got louder and louder.

But Mom never came back for me.

She didn’t even say goodbye.

Chapter 1

“F
lorence!”

A flurry crashed into me the second I set a foot off the escalators. The other passengers threw amused glances our way while I flailed my arms about, trying to untangle my attacker.

“Nic! Get off me!” I wheezed in between the crunching, rib-breaking hug I was trapped in.

Nicolas broke into exaggeratedly loud sobs and clutched me louder while rocking me back and forth in his arms. “Sis! I’ve missed you so much! Why did you leave me?”

There was a hail of arms swatting and legs kicking each other, fleshy parts of the body that were struck and yelps emitted. Finally, I disentangled myself from my brother and shoved him back.

“Nicolas Reynolds! Get. Off. Me!”

Nicolas detached from me with a laugh. I was no petite flower, but Nicolas towered almost a foot over me at six foot three to my five foot five. His monster grip had almost crushed my skull and now he stood over me, grinning like a fool to my scowl.

“Florence Vita Reynolds, as I live and breathe. Let me take a gander at your sorry face.” Nicolas leaned down and slapped his hands onto the sides of my head, his giant palms enveloping my ears. Grinning, he squished my cheeks until my lips puckered up. As I tried my best to glare at him, he smiled broader.

“Stop it,” I sputtered. He winked and pinched my cheeks hard before letting go. I made sure to push his face back with my hand just for good measure, but before I could withdraw, Nicolas seized my fingers in his grip.

“The prodigal son hath returned.” Nicolas clutched my hand against his chest. “I could just cry with joy.”

“I don’t think that means what you think it means.” I yanked my hand back.

“Whatever.” Nicolas straightened up and announced importantly. “Enough dramatics, let’s get your luggage.” And then he stomped off without a glance backwards.