When Forever Comes

WHEN FOREVER COMES THE FOREVER DUET BOOK ONE TAWNI SUCHY Copyright © 2022 Tawni Suchy All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the author, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. Visit Tawni online at www.tawnisuchy.com When Forever Comes Copyright © 2023 by Tawni Suchy. All rights reserved. Cover photograph of feather by klyaksun. All rights reserved. Cover designed by Tawni Suchy. Edited by Jennia D’Lima. When Forever Comes is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 To the girls who think all the ‘good ones’ are taken, God’s design for your life is beyond your wildest imagination. His plan for you is personal and His timing is perfect. ONE OLIVIA I can’t believe I let Dana talk me into this. One day after my almost wedding, and I’m on a private jet with my sister heading to what was supposed to be my honeymoon. Brad went overboard when he booked this crazy-expensive resort. But when I found out—at the airport—that he had also booked the resort owner’s private plane as part of our honeymoon package, I was even more surprised at his over-the-top plans. Although I shouldn’t have been. Brad has always been obsessed with status. Dana was supposed to cancel our reservation since Brad refused to help with any of the wedding-related cancellations. After she called and they informed her the trip was non-refundable, she convinced me to keep the reservation and go on my honeymoon with her… on Brad’s dime. “He owes you this much,” she had said. The moment I stepped onto this plane, I felt like I was walking into the living room in a beautiful home. Instead of rows of seats, two sofas face each other with a coffee table settled between them. Toward the back sits a dining room table for four with a beautiful flower arrangement placed at the center. The deep blue ceiling, with a spattering of white twinkling lights, looks like the night sky. Hardwood flooring spans the full interior and it looks as if it’s been freshly polished. The only other people on board are the flight attendant and the two pilots. I feel slightly guilty that we’re taking advantage of Brad’s extravagance without him. But Dana is right. I deserve some compensation for his betrayal. I spent the last five years dedicated to him and he thanked me by cheating on me the day before our wedding. So, yes, he owes me this. I’m just grateful I learned about his wandering ways before we got married. Better to learn about them now than after I take his name. “Liv!” Dana waves her hands in front of my face and points to the flight attendant. I blink my vision into focus and give the woman my attention. “What can I get you to drink?” she asks. “Ginger ale, no ice, please.” She disappears behind a curtain at the back of the plane. When she returns, she’s pushing a cart with two silver plates stacked high with delicious looking food and the drinks Dana and I asked for. “Do you need anything else?” she asks. After glancing over at Dana and confirming she needs nothing more, I say, “I think we’re good. Thank you.” “Enjoy your meal.” She disappears behind the curtain again. Guilt starts nipping at my conscience again as I stare at the platter. My guilt fades away as my hunger deepens. Dana mumbles, “He really outdid himself.” I think she’s talking about Brad, but she’s never been his biggest fan, and I doubt she’d give him credit for anything positive. Before I can ask her what she means, she shoves an apricot jam cracker in my mouth and all thoughts outside of this delectable food leave me. I eat to contentment, then lean back and get comfortable. “This is the life.” Dana kicks off her shoes and slides her legs onto the couch, I presume to take a nap. I narrow my eyes at her. “It’s the life, all right. But not yours or mine,” I say. “It could be,” she responds, sitting up. “Finish writing some books, publish them, snag a few movie deals, and boom, you’d be a millionaire.” “Easier said than done.” I huff and cross my arms over my chest. “I’d need to finish a decent manuscript first.” “Why don’t you finish one, then?” Dana asks, as if it’s the easiest thing in the world. I’ve always wanted to be an author. Not for fame or fortune, but to be the crafter of happily ever afters. To create a story with the twenty-six letters of the alphabet where it all works out in the end has been the dream of my heart since I was a little girl. In every one of my books, I have the heartbreak down. The breakups are solid. The hurt is palpable. But for the life of me, I can’t write the scenes where the characters find the light after their dark moments. Now that my heart is battered, I don’t know if I will ever have the skill to give my characters the happy ending they’ve fought for. “Have you ever written a book?” I snap. She lays back down and ignores me, as if she knows she doesn’t have a leg to stand on in this discussion. It’s a silly thing to get worked up over. I still work at the bank, so it’s not like I’m a starving artist. My steady income doesn’t give me near the satisfaction a completed manuscript would. Let alone how