Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

CHAPTER 1: THE PAST COMES BACK

SIERRA'S POV

The moment the teacher announces the seating arrangement, I freeze. My heart skips a beat when she calls out, “Sierra Vaughn and Axel Vale, please sit next to each other.” For a split second, I can’t move. The memories flood back like a wave crashing against the shore—memories of him, of us. It feels like no time has passed at all. I turn to find Axel, and our eyes meet for the first time in years.

His expression is neutral, but his eyes—those damn eyes—tell me everything. A part of me still wants to believe there’s something more between us, but I push that thought down. I’m with Lorenzo now. I’m happy with Lorenzo. But Axel… Axel will always have a piece of my heart, whether I like it or not.

I sit down beside him, trying to ignore the electricity in the air. My palms sweat, and I try not to fidget. It’s hard to breathe with him so close, especially when I’m reminded of how easily he could make me laugh, how we used to talk for hours until the sun came up. But that was before. Before the lies, before he pushed me away because of his parents. Now it’s just awkward silence between us, and I hate how uncomfortable it feels.

“Hey,” I say, breaking the silence. My voice sounds a little shaky, but I hope he doesn’t notice. “It’s been a while.”

Axel glances at me, his expression unreadable. “Yeah. Too long,” he mutters, then looks away quickly. His jaw tightens, and I can tell that he’s thinking about something, but he doesn’t say anything more.

I try to keep my focus on the teacher, who’s explaining the project, but all I can think about is Axel sitting next to me, our shared history hanging in the air like a thick fog.

The teacher announces that we’re going to do a role-playing activity for the class, and I can feel Axel stiffen next to me. I can tell he’s not exactly thrilled about the assignment either. But as we begin to read the script, I try to focus on the task at hand.

As I read my lines, the class starts reacting. I hear a few “ohhh” and “wow” from the students. Some of them are nodding, impressed by how well the scene is unfolding. Axel and I work through the script with an awkward but impressive chemistry that I didn’t expect. It’s like riding a bike—we’ve done this before, just not in years. Our classmates continue to watch, entertained by our performance, and I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia mixed with discomfort.

When we finish, the teacher claps her hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Great job, Sierra and Axel! You’ll be performing this in front of the class next month, so you’ll have some time to prepare,” she says with a smile.

The teacher goes on to announce that the class will be split into groups for the project. Each group will have seven members, and the four groups will work together on their respective tasks. To my surprise, Axel and I are placed in the same group, along with a few of our classmates. The rest of the group consists of other students from different sections. I can already feel the pressure mounting—working so closely with Axel is going to bring back memories I’m not sure I’m ready to face.

After the class ends, I quickly gather my things, trying not to think about the tension still hanging in the air between Axel and me. But before I can leave, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn to find Lorenzo standing there, his brows furrowed in concern.

“You okay?” he asks, his voice low. There’s an underlying protectiveness in his tone, something that makes my chest tighten a little. Lorenzo has always been so good to me, so patient. I smile to reassure him.

“Yeah, just… got lost in thought. Don’t worry about it,” I say, my voice a little too high-pitched. He studies me for a moment, but doesn’t press further.

“Alright,” he says, still eyeing me closely. “But if you need to talk, you know I’m here, right?”

I nod, appreciating his understanding. "I know. Thanks, Lorenzo."

As we leave the classroom together, I feel his hand slip into mine, and I hold onto it tightly, grounding myself in the present. I try not to let my mind wander back to the past, to the time when it wasn’t just Lorenzo’s hand in mine.

We walk in silence, and the moment I step outside into the open air, I let out a sigh of relief. The tension from the class seems to melt away, but a lingering discomfort settles in my stomach. I look up at Lorenzo, trying to push everything out of my mind. “Are we still on for tonight? Dinner at your place?”

He smiles, and I can see the spark of excitement in his eyes. “Of course. I made your favorite. We can just chill, talk, and relax.”

His warmth is comforting, and I feel a little lighter just being with him. But I can’t deny the flicker of doubt that crosses my mind—doubt about the unresolved feelings with Axel. I push it down again, focusing on Lorenzo, on the life we’ve built together. I’ve chosen him, haven’t I?

LATER THAT EVENING

I walk into my house, exhausted from the day’s events. My mom’s in the kitchen, humming a tune as she cooks dinner. She looks over at me, raising an eyebrow.

“Long day?” she asks.

I nod, dropping my bag onto the couch and sinking into it. “Yeah. Just… a lot to think about.”

She eyes me with concern. “Is everything alright with Lorenzo?”

I hesitate for a moment. "Yeah, it’s fine. Just some stuff going on at school. Nothing too big."

She doesn’t look convinced but doesn’t press further. Instead, she brings me a glass of water and sits down next to me. “You know, honey, you’ve been through a lot lately. Whatever it is, just remember you don’t have to carry it alone.”

I give her a small smile. “Thanks, Mom.”

I’m about to head upstairs to my room when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, seeing a message from Lorenzo:

Can’t wait to see you tonight. I’ll be thinking of you.

I smile, my heart fluttering. He always knows how to make me feel better. But even as I read the message, I can’t shake the thought of Axel, the memories of our past together, and what that might mean for the future. I text Lorenzo back with a simple: Same here. See you soon. But my mind is far from settled.

Here’s the expanded version with the dinner and the moment when Lorenzo returns Sierra home:

HOURS HAD PASSED

I arrive at Lorenzo’s place, a cozy little apartment that’s always felt like a safe space for me. The warm smell of food hits me as soon as I step inside, and I can’t help but smile. Lorenzo’s been known to go all out when he cooks, especially when it’s for me.

“I hope you’re hungry,” he says with a grin, his eyes lighting up as he watches me take in the spread on the table. There’s pasta, my favorite garlic bread, and a salad—everything just the way I like it.

“I’m starving,” I admit, sitting down at the table and digging in. Lorenzo takes the seat across from me, watching me eat with a fond smile.

“You look like you’re really enjoying that,” he says, teasing, though I can hear the affection in his voice.

I glance up, catching his gaze. “It’s perfect, Lorenzo. Seriously. Thank you.”

He shrugs, a playful glint in his eyes. “Anything for you.” There’s something in his voice that makes me feel warm, like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

We talk about everything—school, our friends, our plans for the weekend—but as the night goes on, my thoughts drift. I can’t help but think about the upcoming role-play assignment, the strange tension with Axel, and the group dynamics that have shifted. It’s hard not to feel the weight of everything, but Lorenzo doesn’t notice. He’s focused on me, on making me laugh, on reminding me of the good things.

When the dinner winds down, I help him clean up, the sound of clinking dishes filling the space between us. We’re comfortable together, and for a while, I can pretend everything is fine.

“I’m glad we did this,” I say, breaking the comfortable silence. “It’s been a while since we’ve had time just for us.”

“Yeah, me too,” Lorenzo replies, his voice soft as he rinses the dishes. “You deserve this, Sierra. You deserve to feel good, to relax.”

As we finish up, he walks me to the door, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back. “I’ll take you home,” he says with a smile, always the gentleman. I nod, feeling a sense of calm wash over me.

The drive to my place is quiet, but not uncomfortable. Lorenzo plays some soft music, and we both enjoy the peaceful moment. When we arrive at my house, he parks the car and turns off the engine, but neither of us makes a move to leave just yet.

“You sure you’re alright?” he asks, his gaze searching mine. “You’ve been distant all night.”

I try to smile, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “I’m fine, Lorenzo. Really.”

He doesn’t buy it, his lips pressing into a firm line. “You know you can talk to me, right? About anything. I want to be there for you.”

“I know,” I say softly, my heart swelling at his words. “Thank you.”

He leans over, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Get some rest, Sierra. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

I nod, grateful for his patience. “Okay. Thanks, Lorenzo.”

I get out of the car and head inside, the door closing softly behind me. As I walk up the stairs to my room, I can’t help but think about Axel again. It’s like he’s always there, lingering in the back of my mind. I shake my head, trying to push the thoughts away, but they won’t go

I lie down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, the quiet of the house echoing around me. Part of me wishes things were simpler, that I didn’t have to choose between the past and the present, between what I had with Axel and what I have with Lorenzo. But as I close my eyes, I realize that I’m not ready to let go of either. Not yet.