Page 36 of Promise You Forever

“What do you need?” I walk past him toward my office. I need to do something to distract me from that kiss.

“I overheard something the other night. Janey, Amber, and Eli were on a group FaceTime call.”

That stops me in my tracks. “Yeah?”

“I probably shouldn’t say anything but—” He stops as if he’s contemplating not telling me.

“Tell me.”

“You cannot say anything to Janey. Not. A. Word.”

“Promise she’ll never know.”

“Eli broke up with her fiancé the day of Jo’s funeral. I don’t know why the hell she’s still wearing that dickhead’s ring, but from what I heard, it’s over. Was probably over before it even began. She was talking about how awkward the proposal was.”

I’m a mixture of elation and curiosity. Is she wearing the ring because she’s working through letting go of the relationship? Or to help her keep distance between us? The latter obviously failed; I wasn’t deterred by her engagement. If she had told me no at any point, I would have backed off but only out of respect for her.

I have none for him.

“What are you thinking?” Sam asks when a moment goes by without me saying anything.

“I think it’s time for me to get my girl back.” His smile mirrors my own as we bump knuckles.

It’s just after ten p.m., and I haven’t seen Eli step foot outside of the den. I’ve stayed in the living room, so I’d have a clear line of sight between the stairs and the kitchen. Even if she uses the back staircase, I’d still be able to hear the door creak open. I’ve been meaning to oil the hinges but keep forgetting. Luckily, that works out for me.

I don’t know what I’m going to say to her when I do see her. Confronting her seems risky. But she may never tell me the truth about her breakup if I don’t press her. I don’t want to pressure her, but I want her to know I’m not going anywhere either.

There are no dishes in the kitchen sink, and the dishwasher is empty aside from the plate and fork I used tonight. She must not have eaten yet. That realization makes my stomach drop. She’s so small to begin with now, she shouldn’t be skipping meals.

I walk over to the freezer and pull out a couple of burritos someone made for us after Jo passed away. While those are heating up, I grab the premade lettuce mix she likes and make a small side salad for her. After that I make a list of everything we need from the store. I’ll stop after my therapy appointment and pick up everything we need.

I’m taking her last diet soda to her with her dinner, so I add those to the list, along with her ice cream, and a few other things I’ve noticed she likes. I finish just as her food is fully heated.

Light streams from under the crack in the door as I approach. I hang back a second before knocking, making sure she’s not on a late-night call with anyone. When the only sound that greets me is the clicking of keys on her keyboard, I knock softly.

“Can I come in?”

There’s a hesitation in her voice when she responds. “Yeah, sure.”

I push the door open and find her sitting cross legged on the chair in front of two computer monitors. Her hair is piled on top of her head and glasses are perched on her nose. She’s fucking adorable.

“I brought you dinner.”

She watches me as I approach her desk with the food. Her lips tilt upward slightly and hope blooms within me.

“Thank you. I didn’t even realize it was so late. I just have so much work to catch up on from the past few weeks.”

“Your boss riding you hard?”

“No.” She shakes her head as she cuts her food. “He probably should be, but this is all me, I hate falling behind.”

“I wanted to let you know that I’ll be gone for a few hours in the morning. I have therapy every other week in Crested Butte.”

“Okay, if you ever need more time, I’m totally okay with it. Not that you need my permission.” She takes a drink and looks out the window pensively, but then brings her gaze back tome. “Actually, how does this work? According to everything the lawyer told me, I’m now the owner of the ranch, but you know so much more than me.”

“I do.” I stuff my hands in my pockets. “We’ll just take everything day by day. Have you decided what you’re going to do yet?”

“No,” she says quietly, but her eyes glance to the side.

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