Page 53 of Pretty Broken Promises

I toss up my hands. “You’re graduating too. Is there some reason you have to stay here? Cascade University has an excellent nursing program. Jen could finish her degree there since she has to go somewhere. You can find a job as an electrician anywhere. Who is stopping you?”

I pace back and forth. Now I’m the one getting angry. “You didn’t come in here to apologize to me, so what are you doing in here?”

“That’s a really fucking great question,” Ford’s voice booms from the doorway.

Shane jumps at the sound. “I did come to apologize, I just suck at it.”

Ford sweeps his hand out. “By all means then, continue.”

“Alright,” Shane says and squares his shoulders. “I am sorry I wasn’t a bigger help before. I should have called him on his shit, you’re right about that. I put up a half-hearted effort at best to keep my promise to you, and I’ve done very little to untangle all of the miscommunication I could see and the two of you were so twisted up in. Most of all, I’m sorry that when you called for help I didn’t listen to you and hung up.”

He finishes speaking and then stands there, staring at me. I don't know what to say to him, so I say nothing. The growing silence is awkward.

Shane rocks back and forth on his heels. “Well…so…yeah. I guess that's all I had to say.”

I purse my lips and pretend to be busy looking at the discarded dresses on my bed. What am I supposed to say? I forgive you? I'm not sure that I do. Am I supposed to tell him everything is all right? I don't think it is.

Shane continues to stand there, waiting for me to say something, and the longer he does the harder it is to breathe. One minute I’m standing there, clutching a dress to my chest, and the next, I feel strong hands grab my arms. My fight or flight instinct is triggered and I struggle to get free.

“Shh, hey, Tessa, baby, it’s just me,” I hear Ford say from far away. It's like there is a thick fog between us and it's hard for anything to cut through it.

I continue to hear his voice, but the words don't make sense. It's just the rhythmic sound that soothes me. I blink, and the spots that filled my vision start to clear. It's like the world comes back in a rush of sensation. Everything is too loud and bright.

“Why are we on the floor?” My voice sounds rough like I've been screaming. Seeing everyone standing in the hallway, outside of my room means I probably was. That's extremely humiliating.

I bury my face into his neck. He has me on his lap, cradled against his chest. I realize now it must have been his hands on my arms. The way I was starting to breathe, he probably thought I was about to faint. It's actually a pretty decent assumption.

“That's it. Just keep breathing for me. You scared the shit out of me, Vixen.”

“We're going to be late.” I have no idea what time it is, but I still really want his mom to like me. Not because she's my stepmom, but because at one time she meant something to him.

Ford's finger tips up my chin. “I don't want you to worry about that. Besides, I already called her. I told her we were going to be late, but we can cancel.”

“I don't want her to hate me,” I admit quietly.

“You know I don't give a shit what she thinks, but she's not going to hate you,” he reassures me.

“I probably look like a mess now,” I worry.

Ford leans forward and kisses me on the forehead. “You never look like a mess.”

He helps me stand up, and his large hands smooth out my dress. He takes extra care smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles around my breasts and ass. I know he's trying to distract me, and it's working. He winks at me, and I roll my eyes at him.

I playfully shove him out the door of my room. “You inside a bedroom is a dangerous combination. Let's go while I'm still wearing a dress.”

Shane steps forward when we make it to the living room, and I flinch. It's not like he's ever threatened me or done anything to hurt me physically, but right now, I can't disassociate him from my trauma.

Ford maneuvers me behind him and jabs his finger toward Shane. “You and I are going to talk later, but let me give you the CliffsNotes version right now, stay away from Tessa. Don't try and talk to her. No more apologies. Just leave her alone.”

“Come on Ford, you know I would never do anything to hurt her,” Shane begins to explain.

Ford doesn't want to hear it and waves him off. Shane starts to try and say more, but Sin steps forward and blocks the way.

“I think it's best if the group social ends right now. Everyone who doesn't live here or isn't dating someone who lives here needs to go home,” Sin decrees.

Almost everyone shrugs it off. Ted says something about going to Carlo's bar, and I know they're just going to relocate. Shane, however, glares at me on the way out.

“Well, if he didn't hate me before he certainly does now,” I mumble.

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