Page 9 of Broken Promise

He stares at me until I face him. “I’msorry.”

“Great.”

“No, Karmen, I need you to listen to me,” hesays seriously. “I am sorry. You deserve someone that can give youthe world. You should be with someone that can make you happy.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Wesley. I knownow that I need to grow up and start living a real life, not somefairy tale I’ve conjured in my mind.”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

“You can’t choose who you fall in love with,Wes. It’s not your fault.”

Standing, I walk into my childhood homebefore the first tear slips down my cheek. I swore I was donecrying over Wesley Blake and someday I will be. But today is notthat day.

****

Wesley Blake

I sit on the porch until the sun sets and amillion stars dot the night sky. I should probably head to the barto make sure no one is fucking anything up, but I can’t seem toforce myself to get up.

Adam has been sitting beside me for thebetter part of an hour. He hasn’t spoken a single word, but I knowhe is dying to say something.

My phone rings and I ignore it. Once, twice,three times. I know it isn’t the one person I want to speak to, soit doesn’t matter who is calling. Then Adam’s phone rings, snappingme out of my stupor.

“Shane, how can I help you?”

He listens to our brother before hurriedlystanding. “I’m with Wesley. We’re on our way.”

“What’s going on?” I ask.

The look of fear on my brother’s face has myblood running ice cold.

“We need to go to the hospital. Mom had aheart attack.”

He is already walking away from me, stridingtoward his car. It takes me a split-second to process his wordsbefore I run after him. He is already backing out of the drive whenI jump in the passenger seat.

Adam drives like a crazy man, his hazardsflashing as he speeds through the sleepy streets of Severn. It’sonly a ten-minute drive to the hospital on the outskirts of townbut it feels like a lifetime has passed by the time we are stridingthrough the automated glass doors.

The moment I see Shane I know we are toolate.

“She’s gone,” he says, and I watch in slowmotion as Adam’s legs give out and he crumples to the pale bluelinoleum floor.

Adam is the youngest and the only one of usstill living at home. This is bound to hit him the hardest. Myheart cracks open as I watch my little brother sob, knowing thereis nothing I can do for him. Shane and I help him up and lead himto a chair against the wall. None of us speak but we all know lifewill never be the same.

Chapter Five

Karmen Jones

It’s been a few hours since we left Severnand with each mile I put between myself and Wesley, I feel a littlebetter. My heart still hurts, and I know I won’t simply be able toflip a switch and stop loving him, but I’m sure not seeing himevery day or constantly reliving the memories I have will help.

The fifty-mile marker flies past us and Ismile, knowing our new life is about to start.

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,”Lenor says with a laugh right as my phone starts ringing.

I contemplate ignoring Shane, but it mightbe something about the sale of the house, so I answer.

“You know normal people stop working afterfive in the afternoon, right?” I say, with a chuckle. “All work andno play makes Shane a very dull boy.”

Silence stretches between us for so long Ipull the device from my face to check if the call hasn’tdropped.

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