Page 3 of No Broken Promises

“Thank you,” Danny slurred drunkenly. “For pushing her away.”

“I didn’t do anything.” The lie slipped out easily enough when we were at Lucy’s Bar, drinking before we left Birch the next day. “She chose you.”

Danny snorted, and his eyes went to the woman he’d married that morning, with me and his brother as witnesses.

“She’s not mine, and we both know it. I fucked up. And this is the only way to fix it. For now. We’ll fix it, and right now, the baby is enough.”

I cringed at his words and bit my tongue, wanting to remind him that a baby was never a good reason to get married. But I didn’t. It wasn’t my place. It would never be my place, no matter what he said.

Suddenly sounding very much sober, Danny grabbed my shoulder. He waited until I glanced up from the bottle of beer I’d been nursing half the night as I tried not to stare at Parker. She was sitting across the bar with a group of her friends, my sisters among them.

“I didn’t mean to take her.” His voice broke. “Love her. Any of it. But if something happens to me. My family wouldn’t forgive me if I left her pregnant.”

Bristling, I tried to shrug him off, but he held tight. “Come on, Danny. Nothing’s gonna happen.”

“I didn’t mean to, Remy. You gotta know that. You’re my best friend, and I know.” He hiccupped. “I know you love her. I’ll do my best.”

“It’s fine,” I hedged. Nothing is ever going to be okay again. Not when he’s got her. “She’s having your baby. She’s got your ring on her finger.” Even though I wanted to scream from a mountain that I’d always protect her, if she were mine, I didn’t. She wasn’t mine. She’d never be mine. He made sure of it.

“No.” Danny shook his head somberly. “I know you say it’s fine.” He swallowed another gulp from the beer in his hand. “It’s not. I didn’t want her, Remy. Not really. But you…” He looked around, making sure no one was close enough to eavesdrop. “You’re the only one who deserves her love. The only one who deserves to love her.”

I swallowed hard at his words, trying to figure out how to lie to one of my best friends.

In the end, I didn’t have to. He got up, stumbling over his chair, and I was saved from myself.

Until my eyes caught her. Where Parker should have had the biggest smile on her face, she looked almost sad.

If she were mine, I’d protect her.

And right there, more sober than I’d ever been in my entire life… I made a promise to the woman I pushed away.

A silent, broken, ruinous promise that I knew would destroy me one day.

“I’ve got your six, Parker.” The whisper left my lips, and I swore I felt the world shift on its axis.

“I’m sorry.” I open my eyes, feeling once more like he’s standing right next to me. “I don’t think I can keep my promise.”

“Yeah, you can.”Danny’s voice echoes in my head, a faint memory of words he never said.”Let yourself love her.”

“One day,” I whisper to my best friend’s ghost. “Maybe one day.”

I walk away, refusing to admit I’m lying yet again.

2

PARKER

MORE THAN 5 YEARS LATER…

I can’t make my piece of shit car go any faster. Not if I want to avoid any chance of getting pulled over. But the sound of my son crying in the back seat crushes my heart into dust.

Too much.

We’ve already lost too much in our lives. Even though I know it won’t make a difference, there isn’t a chance in hell that I won’t do everything possible to make this hurt less.

“I’m so sorry, Nox,” I whisper, wishing more than anything that I could take away the pain breaking through his quiet grief.

“She’s not breathing anymore,” he sobs.

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