Page 92 of Broken Promises

I walk into the room, coming out from the shadow of the kitchen I was standing in.

“I’m Declan. It’s nice to meet you.” Reaching out, I shake her small, cold hand. Her eyes assess me from head to toe. She doesn’t smile or say anything. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Adira scoffs and glares at me. “I’m sure Malikai has nothing nice to say about me.”

I open my mouth to argue, but Willa beats me to it. “I can’t do this!” she yells, throwing her hands in the air. “I love you, Adira. I really do, but you need to stop. You can’t keep blaming Kai for something that was out of his control. Kai does nothing but make sure the people he loves are happy and safe. He’s a good person. I won’t listen to you bash him anymore.”

“Obviously not,” Adira says, her face red with anger or embarrassment, I’m not sure.

“Ezra was an adult! He was twenty years old! Kai was not responsible for his actions, nor was he responsible for looking after him like a babysitter. Stop putting your guilt on him!” Willa’s chest is heaving, and Adira looks like someone slapped her.

“It was nice to see you again, Willa.” Adira turns in her seat, giving us her back, and she stares out of the window.

“I know you know something, Adira,” Willa says, her voice back to a normal volume. “Why else would you need to drink yourself stupid every day? Why else would Gavin leave you? And why the fuck else would you treat your only remaining child like dirt?” Willa spins on her heels and marches right out the front door.

I’m about to follow her but stop when Adira speaks up.

“A mother will do anything to protect her children.”

I look over my shoulder, but Adira is still staring out the window. Her eyes look blank in the reflection.

“Secrets never stay secrets,” I counter.

“No,” she says softly. “No, they don’t.”

FORTY-FOUR

willa

Declan has beenquiet most of the drive home. I know he’s giving me space to think, but I’m already feeling guilty for yelling at Adira and being less than engaging at dinner with his parents.

“I’m sorry,” I say eventually.

Declan glances at me before turning his attention back to the road. “Do you believe what you said to Adira?”

“I think I do. I just blurted it out in the moment, but I’ve been thinking about it more, and it makes sense.”

“You probably always had that thought in the back of your head, but didn’t want to even consider it being true,” Dec says, reaching over and placing his hand on my thigh.

I watch the street lights fly by my window. “What if she does know something? What if she knew how to help Ezra this whole time?”

Declan squeezes my thigh. “She said something to me after you left that makes me think otherwise. I could be wrong, though. I don’t know her.”

I turn in my seat so I’m facing him. “What did she say?”

“That a mother would do anything to protect her children.”

I snort.

“What if she’s trying to keep Kai away to protect him?”

I stare at the side of Declan’s face. He keeps his eyes on the road, but shrugs, knowing my eyes are on him.

I know my mouth is hanging open, but it feels like my mind just went blank. What if he’s right? What does she know?

“I don’t think it’s worth mentioning to Kai. At least not right now. If she really is protecting him, maybe we let her.”

I nod and lean back in my seat, trying to wrap my brain around the idea that everyone in Kai’s family abandoned him to either protect him or protect Ezra.

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