Page 24 of Promise Kept

“It was just a stupid joke,” I say. “What I said.”

“About what?” Love asks.

I don’t respond out loud.

Just in my head.

It was a joke. About Ellis. He’s my father’s best friend.

I could never.

I would never.

It just… it cannot happen…

5

The Whole “Little Purple Coffee Bagel Business” Thing…

ELLIS

I haven’t seen the club in a long time.

I also haven’t sat at a table with all the owners (my best friends from college) in a long time.

It’ll be different now.

We aren’t at a funeral.

Feelings, emotions, all that shit can be set aside for a minute.

We’ve said goodbye to Heston.

He’s gone.

Sealed up in a concrete tomb.

That’s the end of his story.

Our story continues.

And I’ve got one damn thing on my mind.

Two security guards stand outside the all black door.

I whistle at them and tell them to get the fuck out of my way.

Yeah, I’m red-hot at the moment. For good reason.

There’s a second where I think these assholes are going to attempt to stop me from entering my own business.

The door opens behind them and Julian is there.

“What the fuck is wrong with you two? Blocking Ellis? Are you fucking brain dead?”

They hear my name and snap into place.

Both apologize to me with a sir added for good measure.

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