Page 12 of Conquering Conner

“No.” The word comes out sharper than I intended, and I sigh when she visibly flinches. Straightening myself, I reach up and pull the hood down to slam it shut. “I promised Ryan.”

“Yeah… that’s what this is all about.” She laughs, the sound of it harsh and angry. “You promised Ryan.”

I know she’s gone. I know she’s probably never coming back, but I need you to look after her, Con. I know you can do that. I know you can do a lot of things you don’t want people to know about and I want you to do those things to make sure she’s okay. Promise me you’ll take care of her.

That’s what Ryan said to me after he enlisted. It was just me, standing with him in the bus station parking lot, next to the bus that would take him to basic training. There was no one else. Everyone else had either abandoned him or was too ashamed in themselves to show their face.

Promise me you’ll take care of her.

And I did. Even though the thought of her felt like hot needles were being jammed in my eyes and punched my lungs full of holes, I promised him.

I like to believe I’m keeping that promise because I’m a good friend. Because Ryan is family and I take care of what’s mine, but really, it’s about her.

It’s always about Henley.

Everything is.

“We’ve got four more.” I toss her the keys and jerk my chin at the concrete pad in front of the shop. “You want to argue, or you want to work?”

Tess snaps the keys out of the air and clenches them in her fist. For a second, I think she’s going to throw them at my head. She doesn’t. She just shoves them in her pocket. “You got it, boss.”

---