Between Here and Forever - Elizabeth Scott [0]
Also by Elizabeth Scott
Bloom
Perfect You
Living Dead Girl
Something, Maybe
The Unwritten Rule
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to
historical events, real people, or real locales are
used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and
incidents are the product of the author’s imagination,
and any resemblance to actual events or locales or
persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
SIMON PULSE
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Simon Pulse hardcover edition May 2011
Copyright © 2011 by Elizabeth Spencer
All rights reserved, including the right
of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
SIMON PULSE and colophon are registered trademarks
of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
or business@simonandschuster.com.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors
to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact
the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049
or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Designed by Tom Daly
The text of this book was set in Berkeley Oldstyle.
Manufactured in the United States of America
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Scott, Elizabeth, 1972—
Between here and forever / by Elizabeth Scott. —
1st Simon Pulse hardcover ed.
p. cm.
Summary: When her older, “perfect” sister Tess has a car accident
that puts her in a coma, seventeen-year-old Abby, who has always
felt unseen in Tess’s shadow, plans to bring her back with the help
of Eli, a gorgeous boy she has met at the hospital, but her plans
go awry when she learns some secrets about both Tess and Eli,
enabling her to make some decisions about her own life.
ISBN 978-1-4169-9484-8
[1. Coming of age—Fiction. 2. Sisters—Fiction. 3. Secrets—Fiction.
4. Coma—Fiction. 5. Self-perception—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.S4195Be 2011
[Fic]—dc22
2010051366
ISBN 978-1-4169-9486-2 (eBook)
Contents
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
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-four
Many thanks to Jennifer Klonsky and everyone at Simon Pulse for all they do, for their continual faith in me, and for making this book possible.
As always, thanks go to Jess, Diana, Clara, Robin, and everyone else who read drafts and held my hand and supported me, with a special shout-out to Jess, who always finds time to tell me that yes, I can do this.
I also want to thank the following readers for being such amazing and supportive people: Morgan Mavetz, Brittani Zarate, Jenny Davies, Katy Williams, Jessica Launius, Lucile Ogie-Kristianson, Denise Jimenez, Kalie Spurgas, Amber White, Andrea Burdette, Christina Rose Groff, Jhenne’ Martinez, Kat Werner, Stacey Mac, Sarah Wethern, Marina Ornelas, and Jess Faulkingham.
one
I lean forward and look at Tess.
She’s still.
Silent.
The machines that keep Tess alive beep at me. I’ve been here so often that sometimes I think they’re her way of replying. But today that’s not enough. Sunday is a day of prayer after all, isn’t it? So here’s mine:
Today I want Tess to wake up.
Today she has to wake up.
I lean in, so close I can see the tiny blue lines on her eyelids marking where her blood still pumps, still flows. Shows that her heart still beats.
“If you don’t do something,