Page 34 of Promise Me Never

“I’ve seen it all before.” She takes a sip of her iced coffee. “Take it off, baby,” she jokes as I turn and push my biker shorts down. “Get closer, I can’t see.” Her nose is basically touching the screen as I back up toward the camera.

“It’s an awkward angle to get.” I finally position myself just right and the camera focuses on the mark.

“Oooo,” she coos. “He really said,mine.”

“Right?” I pull my shorts up and lift the phone. “But then he was like let’s go give treats to the horses and have small talk. Which is wild because he usually hates small talk. Any talk, really.” Except maybe dirty talk.

I drop down into my hanging pod chair on the balcony as a steady rain falls over the ranch. He drove past earlier on his way into town for something. All I got was a hand lifted off the steering wheel in greeting.

“So he just teased you, bit you, and fed the horses?”

“Well, no. He also told me a fantasy he had while he was working where he tied me up and went down on me.”

“Major vagina tingles.”

“For sure.” I push myself back and forth with my dangling foot. “I just don’t understand why he doesn’t push for more.”

“Babe, he’s edging you. Just on a grand scale.”

Interesting.

“Think of it like this,” she continues as she checks her mirror and merges onto the highway. “You have a good idea that the sex will be stellar with him, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, putting it off is only heightening your desire. Amps up your body for any type of stimulation. I think it’ll end up helping with the discomfort of your first time to be mega turned on.”

“You might be right.”

“Always am.” A loud horn blares behind her. “But I have to go. Traffic is a bitch today. Love you bunches.”

“Love you, too. Drive safe.”

I disconnect the FaceTime call and set my phone aside. I enjoy the perks of living in LA, but there’s something so peaceful about being out here. The air is so clear, and the most traffic I’ve experienced was the traffic from the rodeo in town. It may have taken an extra five minutes of driving around to find a parking spot. It can take five minutes to get out of a parking garage in LA.

Even on this rainy, cool day I feel more at peace than I ever had at home. Maybe it’s because I’m not feeling the weight of my parents’ expectations and disappointment. It could be the fun I’m having with Luke, but I’m hesitant to let my mind wander too far down that path. This is a summer thing only, and I have to remember that. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it, both for him and for myself.

Charlie jumps up into my lap which she’s almost too big to do for much longer. The vet thinks she’s a husky and shepherd mix of some type. Amber has started looking for apartments where we can have her next year, which reminds me I need to check out some of the virtual tours.

It’s getting chilly outside anyway, so I go back inside my room, closing the door behind me. Charlie curls up on her bed under the window, and I crawl under the covers to warm up while I look through our options. I rank my favorites based on four criteria and send a spreadsheet back to Amber.

After that’s done, I pat the bed in an invitation for Charlie to jump up for a nap. Something about the cool air and rain tapping against the windows always makes me sleepy. Since I’ll be doing more around the ranch when Grandma and Grandpa leave next week, I decided to take it easy today. I snuggle under the duvet and let myself drift off to the sound of the falling rain.

* * *

It feels strange to be sitting in Janey’s kitchen while she heats up a couple frozen pizzas for us, knowing that this was the house Luke bought to eventually live in with his wife. I can picture him doing all the renovations and painting the cabinetry. It must feel awful for him to step inside these walls.

“So what do you think?” she turns and asks me.

“Sorry. I completely spaced out.”

“I can tell,” she answers with a laugh. “I was just telling you about how I matched with this guy in Denver and wanted to hear your thoughts on whether I should go meet him.”

“Do a background check first, but if he passes, totally do it.”

I’ve gone on a few dating apps, even went out with one or two guys, but I never felt enough to go on a second date. Truthfully, I haven’t really spent much time thinking about dating at all. Aside from Brandon. But even the thought of something developing with him seems dull to me. One night with Luke, and I’m broken for other men.

His ego is already big enough, I’ll never tell him that and feed it even more.

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