Page 36 of The Price of a Promise

“Wow.This is just—wow.I don’t even have the words.”

Tense silence settled between us.

“It’s like pulling teeth to get you on the phone anymore,” I blurted.“I’m shocked we aren’t messaging on Instagram right now, since that’s apparently where you love to conduct our relationship now.”

“Axel—”

“I never thought I’d see the day when you’d have to resort to social media to talk to me.I could solve this right now and send you a phone, but no.That’s not good enough.Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on, Cora?”

Her voice was thick with tears.“I think we should take a break.”

I stared at the wall in front of me for so long I forgot where I was.But the double doors opening for other students reminded me.

“Excuse me?”

“I-I…You heard me.”

“I just asked you to marry me, and you’ve got cold feet already?”

“Yes.”

“After three years together?”

“Axel—”

“Why didn’t you just send me a message on Instagram?”

She sighed shakily, quiet sobs escaping her.

“This is bullshit.I’m flying out there so we can have this conversation in person.”I fisted the front of my hair, my heart rate near fatal levels.I wanted to cry and break my phone and punch the cement wall into pieces all at the same time.None of this made sense.Not a fucking bit of it.

“You can’t,” she said.“My dad is here.”

“I don’t fucking care.What does he matter?”

“Don’t come,” she warned in a low voice.“It won’t end well.”

“Oh, and you asking for a break from two thousand miles away is the happy ending you dreamed of?Cora, what the fuck is wrong?Seriously—are you ill?Do you have a brain tumor?”

A soft laugh made it past the tears, but it was sadder than I’d ever heard.

“You yourself told me that your father did not matter when it came to making our future work,” I spat into the phone.A couple students slowed as they walked by me, and I glared at them before whipping around to stare at a different part of the wall.“Why does he matter now?The only reason I can think of for you breaking up with me is that he put you up to it.”

“He didn’t,” she said after a pause.“This is my decision.I think this is what is best.”More sobs rolled out of her.“I’m allowed to have second thoughts.”

“Second thoughts.”

“Yes.I’ve been thinking about what I want and I just…”

“You what?”

She sniffed.“You’re too much.I can’t even function when I’m around you.Seeing you and then not being with you and then—the future—I just—” She was blubbering then, like she’d been reading notes and dropped them halfway through.

“I don’t believe this for a second.”She sounded like a robot.Like a half-dead impersonation of the woman I loved.“You’re acting crazy, but we can talk this out.If nothing else, you need a welfare check.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted with a tear-clogged voice.

“Yeah.You sound real fine.”

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