Tomorrow Will Be Better: A Novel 소설 & 이야기

It feels full. Sophie murmurs something sleepy and nonsensical. I smile into the dark. This is what healing feels like. Not quiet. Not gentle. But bright and loud and ridiculous. A best friend who turns every moment into a celebration. A new apartment that already echoes with laughter instead of ghosts. I close my eyes. The day wraps around me like a blanket. Tomorrow we’ll finish unpacking. Tomorrow we’ll argue over where to put the cat planter. Tomorrow she’ll probably try to balance cereal on her head. And I can’t wait.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Joshua’s number, my fingers shaking with excitement. It rang once. Twice. No answer. Frowning, I tried again. Straight to voicemail. Disappointment tried to creep in, but I pushed it away. Maybe he was busy. It didn’t matter. This was good news. The best news. And it deserved more than just a phone call. I would tell him in person. I would go home, set the table, cook his favorite dinner—something special. Something unforgettable. Today wasn’t just a normal day. Today is the best day of our life.

My teeth bit down hard on my lower lip, until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. The craziest revenge I could carry out... was to leave alone, dragging this broken body with me. "Am I pathetic?" Rio didn’t answer right away. After a long silence, a deep sigh came through the receiver. "Hold on for two more days. I’ll arrange everything for your departure." After hanging up, I slumped to the ground and sat there for a long time. I couldn’t see the light outside fade from day to night. At dinner time, Anthony came upstairs and walked into my room on his own.

I forced a smile, even though it felt weak. “Yeah,” I whispered. “I guess” Inside me, Limene lifted her head. Her voice came low, deep, and soft: “Tomorrow.” “Tomorrow,” I repeated. And my stomach twisted. My chest burned. My soul shook. Tomorrow, everything could change. Or tomorrow… everything could break.

I smell the cedar and the soap, the scent that grounds me. I tell myself that I’m holding the line. That perseverance is key. But as I hold him, I can see the ledger in my mind’s eye. The red ink. The deficit. “Tomorrow,” I promise him. “Tomorrow will be better.” Alexei kisses my hair. “Tomorrow,” he agrees. But he doesn’t say it will be better. He just says the word like it’s a sentence.

I set the phone down and rested my hand on my belly, an old habit becoming a promise. Outside, the city moved on. Inside, the house held. “Tomorrow,” Luca said. “Tomorrow,” I echoed. And for the first time since the knock on my door weeks ago, tomorrow didn’t feel like a threat. —End Chapter 18

Something to look forward to. Something that might actually help. I just didn't know that by this time tomorrow, everything would be worse.

Snow poked his head out from the top of his new terrarium, his tiny crimson eyes darting around inquisitively, as if carefully surveying this pristine, magnificent new world. My phone vibrated once more in my palm. “See you tomorrow, Hill.” It was a collection of just a few brief words, yet a soft, uncontrollable smile tugged at the corners of my lips. What did the future hold for us? I couldn’t say for certain. But I knew with clarity that regardless of what came next, it would be a radiant, entirely unwritten future that belonged completely to me. (The End)

“I can smell how wet you still are. How much you want me to pin you down and remind you exactly who you belong with.” A whimper escaped me. My nipples tightened against the soft shirt. “This is too fast. I just left him. I can’t—” “You can.” His breath ghosted over my lips. “And you will. But not tonight. Tonight we plan. Tomorrow we fight. When it’s done, I’ll knot you so thoroughly you’ll forget every cold night he gave you.” The crude promise sent a gush of slick soaking my panties. I squeezed my thighs together, mortified and aching. Kael inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering half-closed in pure male satisfaction.