This Side of Forever

By Christal Mosley

In the small town of Harden Fields, summertime always seems to be the best time to set fire to old flames.

Laney Oliver is ready to start a new life. One away from the small southern town of Harden Fields. One away from the pressures of her estranged family. And one away from the shadows of her broken heart. But when Jeremiah Cutler - the bad boy who broke her heart - comes blowing back into town like a warm summer breeze, her heart has other plans.

Jeremiah Cutler left Harden Fields in a rage four years ago, leaving his heart behind. He knew he was shattering all hope for the world he and Laney would someday build together...but there was no other way. But now he's back in Harden Fields, with all intentions on winning back her heart. Only this time, the truth that he's held beneath the surface could destroy her.

Will their love be enough to overcome new obstacles as the past comes back to haunt them both?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christal Mosley
• Release date: Aug 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301501250

Christal Mosley

Christal Mosley is the author of books for all ages, including contemporary romance, young adult, and middle grade fiction. Her words are usually funny, sometimes sweet, and typically full of charm and southern sass. She’s a boy mom, so things are never dull, always loud, and typically caked in dirt. When she’s not whirling through the local coffee shop and carting her tribe to their next adventure, you can find her writing, having a car concert, or heading up the next dance party in her kitchen. And like any true southern girl, she loves Jesus, sweet tea, a good rom-com, and spending time with her family. She lives in Alabama with her husband and their three boys.You can visit Christal at www.christalmosley.com or contact her through email (she loves to hear from readers!). You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr. And follow her on Goodreads and Bookbub.

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THIS SIDE OF FOREVER

by Christal Mosley

Copyright 2019 Christal Mosley

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are fictitious in every regard. Any resemblance or similarities to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement of any terms used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

ISBN:9780463176290

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This Side of Forever

(Harden Fields, Book 1)

by Christal Mosley

Original Copyright 2013/Revision Copyright 2019 Christal Mosley

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Dedication

To my love, my one and only

Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away…

~ Song of Solomon 8:7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THIS SIDE OF FOREVER

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

SNEAK PEEK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OTHER BOOKS BY CM

THIS SIDE OF FOREVER

Prologue

"I want to hear you say it, he said, standing on my front porch in the fading southern sun. His arms wrapped around me, breathing me in. His bright blue eyes staring into mine. Out loud."

The butterflies stirred just like they always had.

Ever since we were kids – whether we were climbing trees or catching tadpoles down by the creek – he was my everything.

"Someone might hear us, I replied, pulling away and glancing around for signs of listening ears. And you already know how she feels about us. How everyone feels about us."

"I don’t care how anyone feels about me, about you, or about us.He stared deep into my eyes and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I care about you…and how you feel about us. He studied me, searching my face for treasure troves of answers. Laney –He threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled me closer. It’s you and me against the world. That’s my promise to you, Lane. Now, tomorrow, next week, next year…forever and always. It’s always been my promise. It’ll always be my promise. His eyes searched mine. Now, say it…I want to hear you say it."

I hesitated.

"Pretty please, he said, playfully begging with his lips poked out and his gorgeous eyes pleading. With a cherry on top."

"Well, you know how I am about dessert… He smiled, and I took a deep breath. I swallowed and licked my lips, dragging the words up to surface from the depths of my soul. You and me, Jeremiah. Us against the world." I paused and gazed up at him, dreaming about all the possibilities these promises could hold. I wouldn’t be afraid of what people would say. I wouldn’t worry with the fears in the back of my mind. I would take the plunge. I would jump in head first. Because that’s how much I trusted him, that’s how much I loved him.

"Say it…" he whispered against the air around us.

I took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale.

"Always and forever."

He smiled and dipped his head low and kissed me. And the world melted away.

The minutes ticked by, turning into hours.

I sat very still in the quiet darkness of my room and glanced over at the clock on my bedside table.

He was late. He was never late.

We didn't have long. My mom would be up soon. This would make things more difficult. I would have to offer explanations, and I wasn't prepared for that.

My parents weren't exactly fans of the boy next door.

My mom was completely against any decision that didn’t involve her and any decision that involved him. My dad settled on indifference for his own reasons – reputation, status, take your pick – but at least he kept his opinions to himself. Most of the time. My mom wasn't that diplomatic.

They had their arguments, which were well-deserved. Jeremiah Cutler was no saint – he’d proven that time fact and time again. But were any of us? And what did they know about anything, anyway? They were under the same roof, living separate lives, sharing separate dreams. It had gotten worse, and my sister and I were caught in the crossfire.

Was it so wrong that I wanted things to be different?

Suddenly, the fear swept over me that maybe it would never be different. Maybe I was doomed to live out the life I avoided, the future I feared. Maybe if I'd only listened, I wouldn't be sitting here...waiting.

I peeked outside again, peering into the night from my bedroom window.

He was never late. Something was wrong.

I took a deep breath and pushed my thoughts aside, then glanced back at the clock. Time was slipping away. A knot had started to ball up tight in my stomach.

I had plans, we had plans. I grabbed my bag and pulled it across my body. I started down the hallway, suddenly meeting my sister’s sleepy stare.

Lane – There were questions underlying in her silence, but she already knew the answers. What’s going on? She glanced at the bag slung over my shoulder. Where are you going? It's –

Everything’s fine, Lyss, I said, interrupting her quietly. Go on back to bed.

It was still too dark to tell if she could see it, but regret had already settled in my eyes, blurring my vision. Suddenly, my future didn't seem so clear anymore. It was more like muddy water.

I turned, walking away, not wanting to meet her stare. I didn’t know which Alyssa she would be at the moment – a confidant with a voice of reason or an assailant with word daggers of treason – and I couldn't bring myself to hear them right now.

Instead, I listened as she shuffled against the floor and her bedroom door closed quietly. I rounded the corner, entering the kitchen, and poured myself a cup of coffee from the fresh pot of stout, timer-set, five o'clock brew.

The early morning light had yet to break through the dawning sky. I slipped out on the front porch steps and stared out at the purple night sky fading in the wake of the sunrise, curling my fingers around the steaming cup in my hand.

Suddenly, the door cracked open behind me and I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes.

Here it comes.

Laney, what are you doing out here so early? The sleepiness still lingered in my mother’s voice. Is everything okay?

I couldn’t bring myself to turn around and face her. She had been right all along. So, without admitting it, I opened my eyes and simply said, Just wanted to catch the sunrise.

Do you want some company? she asked. I could feel her studying me, though I wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for.

Sure.

This was new. But I would take it.

She slipped inside to pour herself a cup of coffee. Within moments, she returned and took a seat on the steps beside me, her body wrapped tight in a cozy, animal print robe. It's nice out here. I'm usually in too much of a hurry to notice. She curled her fingers around the mug in her hand and took a slow sip of her coffee as the steam unfurled from its insides. Laney, about our conversation –

It’s fine, Mom.

So, you understand where we stand on this… She paused letting her words fall around us like early morning dew. You and Jeremiah Cutler –

Mom – I said, staring straight ahead. It’s…done.

Good. She sighed as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders. But that one word settled heavy on mine. Because it wasn’t good. It was the furthest thing from good. It was terrible, and I felt awful. That one word felt so final, like she had won. And maybe she had.

I nodded, giving a disheartened smile.

He wasn’t coming, and the life I’d always known was falling away faster than I could comprehend, causing my heart to break into. And if my mom noticed, she didn’t let on.

Jeremiah Cutler had made promises that would never see another day in the world of us. But my eyes were beginning to see the light, and my heart was beginning to feel the weight of the truth.

My parents had been right all along. The boy I once knew was gone. He had been such an intricate part of my past, but he had never planned on being a part of my future. And the pain in that realization set hard in my chest, leaving it aching. My heart was slowing splintering into a thousand tiny pieces, and I finally knew what it felt like to be on the opposite side of the forever I’d been holding onto all my life.

Chapter One

Four years later

It was finally over. After the tedious torture that everyone deems as the best years of your life, I could finally breathe a little easier. At least for the next couple months, when I would be moving a few towns away to start an internship at a big city newspaper. It wasn’t the fabulous job I’d hoped for after graduating with honors, but it was a foot in the door. And away from Harden Fields.

Could that clock tick by any slower? Kasey Massoney asked, leaning over from the desk beside me.

I grinned at my friend, glancing back at the clock on the wall.

Tick, tick, tick.

I was more ready than I'd ever been for anything in my entire life. I wanted – no, I needed – distance between my heart and my hometown. I was ready to graduate college and I was ready leave Harden Fields, to start a fresh new life beyond its borders. All Harden Fields represented to me was heartache. This was my chance to start over.

The clock struck three and everyone around us stirred quickly, scrambling from their seats. Working at the campus newspaper had served me well, just not well enough to score me a permanent position at any half-ranking publications. But something would open up for me, I had faith.

Kasey and I stepped outside the paper’s double doors, immediately hit with the approaching summer sun. Kasey stopped to talk to someone she knew from an art class she’d taken the previous semester. A number of cat-calls and celebratory howls filled the campus lawn. Laughter and the slapping of high fives echoed all around us. I looked around, taking it all in. Freedom was a pleasant sound.

A familiar set of hands slid around my shoulders, giving them a light squeeze.

There's my girl. Jonah Cutler, my best friend, smiled down at me from his six foot four stature, his blue-green eyes shining bright in the southern afternoon sun.

Hey Jonah. I turned, giving him a hug and a smile in return.

"Hey Jonah – that's all I get? he gasped, dramatically placing his hand over his heart. I must say, I’m a little hurt."

I just saw you at the Cantina for lunch, I replied, dead-pan. "We ate tacos. Forgive me for not breaking out the band and the welcome back banners."

Yeah, I’m going to miss Taco Tuesdays. You think I could talk Belle into making that a thing at the Cutler house? he asked, clever and contemplative, and I rolled my eyes playfully in reply. He smirked and nudged my shoulder. And…casually changing the subject, did you hear that the Stannon's are throwing a party at their lake house? Just in time for our return to Harden Fields.

"You do realize that it’s not really casual when you have to mention that it’s casual."

Eh, details. Jonah waved away any negativity, and conjured a smile to my face. Ah, and that’s what I was looking for. Thought I was going to have to put up a few missing posters. That smile seems to get lost in the woods every now and again.

Well, you don’t have to send out the search party just yet.

He smirked. How’s everything on the home front?

All should be quiet and quite empty, I replied. That is the typical Casa Oliver fashion.

Where’s your mom? he asked.

Traveling. A work thing, I think.

Typical, he said. And Alyssa?

Same, traveling. But she’s with the father unit. I shrugged. A summer bonding experience before her senior year, I guess.

A senior? he exclaimed. Man, we’re old.

Yeah, time flies when you’re having fun. I glanced around the campus lawn. But I’m glad that they’re doing this, you know. I think it’ll be good for her. They’ve gotten much closer since I left for college, which is a good thing. I worry about her.

Speaking of – what about the two of you? he asked, eyeing me. Any change?

I shook my head. She and I haven’t been on the best of terms…for awhile. You know that.

Meaning, she still stares at you with devil daggers in her eyes for no reason and wields an ice cold stone where her heart should be. When I didn’t confirm either way, he tilted his head and studied me closer, silently asking questions to the universe. He nodded knowingly. That’s what I thought. So, what about you?

What about me? I replied. You see me every day.

I do…but I mean, your plans for this summer, he replied. Any summer shenanigans I should be aware of or plan to be a part of? You know, before we embark on our new adventure on being adults.

What – beyond me and my fabulous internship, and you and your newly signed baseball contract? Nope, I’m just holding down the fort all summer long, house-sitting while my mom’s out of town, before she preps it to sell.

Mine is only to the minors, he replied. But yeah…and I can’t believe she wants to sell your house.

I know, I said, shaking my head. It’s the craziest thing. I always thought we’d bring our kids to this house for the obligatory weekend visit to the grandparents, you know. I still haven’t wrapped my head around it. I mean, what is she thinking? Alyssa still has a year left in school.

What does your dad have to say?

He hasn’t said much at all, really, I answered. Which is strange, because he loves that house.

"Well, she did say prep, he offered. So, maybe that’s code word for just in case I feel like selling."

I don’t know. I shrugged. Though it’s strange, it makes no difference. Either way, I’m still on house duty until the end of summer. Then, I guess we’ll see.

Jonah