Page 35 of Where We Promise

“I just want you to know that I heard what you said. I’m graduating next summer…and my plans were to stay, but maybe I should go.”

My chest squeezed tight at her words, but I continued shaping the wood into something I wasn’t even sure of yet. It was starting to look like a bird. If she was considering leaving, that meant she wouldn’t be patching with Ryker…

“Do you—do you think I should go then?” she asked, pushing her hair behind her ears, her face flushing the smallest bit.

“Doesn’t matter what I think, Pen.”

She twisted her hips, so she was facing me.

“Yours is the only opinion I care about. It matters what you think of me, Jamie. I care if you hate me or have a low opinion of me. I can’t bear to think you’re ashamed of me.”

A sigh left my chest as I shook my head.

“I’m just a no one in your life, Pen. Live for you.”

She wet her lips, her eyes frantically roaming over my face.

“You’re not no one to me…surely after all these years, you understand that.”

I paused, dropping my knife and the piece of wood to look at her. Every time I saw how pretty she was, it was an invisible hit that would land, reminding me of something I’d never have. Having her this close was starting to become painful.

“I am no one to you, Pen. You stopped talking to me after last year. We hardly speak anymore.”

She let out a small sound of surprise. “Jameson, you kissed me and then went off with someone else at the bonfire. You broke—” She pushed her eyes closed, as if she were stopping herself from speaking. “You confused me…”

I picked up my knife and the wood. “You said you were there for other people, Pen. I wasn’t going to get in the way of that.”

She shook her head. “Then why kiss me?”

My heart raced, desperate to hide my reasons. I shrugged instead and continued shaping the wood.

“You were there…figured you’d need to know what it was like to kiss so some asshole didn’t ruin it for you.”

She stood, glaring down at me, her eyes red rimmed from unshed tears.

“No, that would have been horrible for another jerk to ruin my first kiss for me, wouldn’t it? Instead, I got stuck with you.”

Her chest heaved, and my eyes trailed down to the swells of her breast showing from the low cut of her tank. I wasn’t paying attention, so I didn’t expect it when she reached forward, grabbed the piece of wood from me and tossed it clear across the garage.

Without another word, she stormed out of the loft and ran down the stairs.

TEN

PENELOPE

PRESENT DAY

I woke to the sound of the shower running.

The door was firmly shut, which meant Jameson was awake.

What time was it?

I slumped back down onto the bed, pushing my hair back. It had to be early if the sun coming through the window was any indication. Then again it was December, and difficult to really gauge what time it was.

Turning on my side, I began reaching for my phone when my hand brushed against a velvet box.

Propping up on my elbow, I tugged it off the side table and flicked my gaze up to the bathroom. The shower was still going.

---