Page 59 of Broken Promises

“What else?” I ask, making a circle around her face with my finger. “I can see there’s something else.”

She sighs. “I was supposed to be your maid of honor. It’s probably a stupid thing to be upset about, but Kai pointed out that it’s potentially what I’m actually the most hurt by.”

I just stare at her, not sure what to say. We promised to be each other’s maids of honor when we were kids. That never wavered over time, either. “I’m such an asshole,” I mutter.

Belle laughs. “Well, at least it wasn’t something you thought about, judging from your reaction.”

“I’m sorry, Belle. I didn’t even think about it. We didn’t even have a real wedding.”

“Why did you get married so fast?” she asks, the humor leaving her face as she looks down at my stomach.

“No! Don’t look at me like that. I’m not pregnant!”

The server takes that moment to drop off our food. He’s nice enough to pretend he didn’t just hear me shouting about my empty uterus. “Can I get you anything else?”

“Gin and tonic. Two limes. Please.” He nods and quickly scampers off to get my drink. Or to avoid any more shouting.

Belle eyes me suspiciously. “You don’t need to prove it.”

“I know. I need it after that question.” She laughs, but doesn’t touch her food, waiting for me to answer her first question.

“It was my next adventure,” I say softly with a small lift of my shoulders.

Belle smiles sadly and nods. “Can we agree on no more secrets?”

I plaster on what I hope is a convincing smile. “No more secrets.” She must believe me because she returns the smile and then digs into her dinner.

I eat as much as I can, the guilt of keeping one more secret turning sour in my stomach.

Belle and I sing along to her Top 40 playlist the whole ride home. Which, luckily for her, was only about fifteen minutes. Knowing I can’t sing has never stopped me from doing it.

“What the hell?” Belle mutters, turning the radio down. I look where she’s looking.

“Is that Harlow?” Red hair flashes in the beam of our headlights as Harlow runs barefoot down the sidewalk in front of our houses.

“Why is she running?”

“Wait. Jo is chasing her. Pull over!” Belle stomps on the brakes and throws her car into park. We quickly get out and run after them. Harlow is already inside Maverick’s house with Jo hot on her heels. Another woman walks in calmly behind them. “Okay, maybe we could’ve parked in Mav’s driveway,” I pant.

“Oh shit,” Belle says. She’s in front of me but stops suddenly. I barely prevent myself from crashing into her.

“What?” I ask, looking around and seeing what she saw. “Oh, shit!”

Standing in the doorway is Eva Wolfe, Maverick’s bitch of a mother.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Mav shouts from inside his house.

I rush around Belle and shove my way past Eva to get to Maverick. Which turns out to be unnecessary when I see everyone already here. Kai and Cal are standing in front of Maverick like they’re ready to protect him with their bodies. Harlow is staring at Eva with wide eyes while Jo is bent over and huffing air from running over here. I stand next to Cal, trying to get in front, but he pulls me slightly behind him.

“I’ll take out the trash,” I offer, even though Eva is about half a foot taller than me. Belle walks in behind her, not hiding the disdain from her face, before standing next to me. Harlow and Jo move to Kai’s side, all of us a wall between her and the son she hurt.

“How did you get in here?” Harlow asks. “There’s a guard at the gate.”

Eva doesn’t spare a glance at any of us, her beady gray eyes zeroed in on Maverick. “Your father was arrested, and I don’t hear a word from you, yet you have time to visit him.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Maverick answers her.

Eva scoffs and crosses her arms. “Your father ruined this family, and you have nothing to say?”

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