Page 40 of My Promise To Keep

I beam with happiness as Bowie runs up the porch steps toward me. Doug is having her little birthday party at Mama’s house since there’s more space here than at his place, and I got here early to help set up.

‘Bowie.’ I hold out my arms, excited to see her since she’s been out of town this weekend visiting with her mom, but alsobecause she’s my lifeline, my distraction, the thing that will stop me from having to look into Leo’s eyes when he gets here. ‘Did you have fun with your mama, honey?’

‘Uh huh.’ She nods, smiling widely, and it makes me happy.

‘Tell Auntie Zo about the sandcastle we built, Bo,’ Doug’s girlfriend Cara says, beaming with happiness.

‘It was huge,’ Bo’s little arms spread wide, ‘and we buried Daddy in the sand.’ She giggles, and it’s infectious. I can’t help but laugh right along with her.

‘You did?’

‘Look,’ Cara says, laughing as she holds out her phone to show me the photo of Doug, just a head sticking up out of the sand, complete with sand boobs and a mermaid tail. I crack up, cackling loudly.

‘Yeah, laugh it up all you want.’ My brother’s voice has me looking up, but I don’t hear another word as my eyes connect with the green ones I’ve been unable to stop dreaming about.

I straighten, standing up, and notice the way he’s trying to avoid my gaze. I hate that I made him feel that way.

‘Hey, Leo.’ My voice is soft, and as his gaze lifts to meet mine once more, he offers me a small smile.

‘Hi, munch.’

God, it feels so good to hear him call me that. Emotion wells up in me, and I rush forward, wrapping my arms around him. It takes a second, but when I feel his arms tighten around my back, the tears in my eyes push out.

‘Jesus.’ I hear Doug say softly behind me. I have no idea what he thinks this is all about, and just for the moment, I don’t care.

‘I missed you,’ I say softly, and Leo’s embrace tightens. Then he releases me and looks down into my eyes.

‘I missed you too, munch.’

‘So, that was intense,’ Bree says as she and I sit on the swing in Mama’s backyard. My siblings and I bought it for her after Daddy died, and it sits in his favorite spot, where he used to rest and listen to the birds every morning.

‘What?’

‘You and Leo. That hug out of nowhere.’

My stomach knots up, and I glance across the backyard to see him talking to his dad, Buck, and Mama’s partner, Merv, by the grill. He laughs at something Buck says, and the sound makes me smile.

‘Yeah, I know. I didn’t mean to.’

‘But you missed him.’

‘I didn’t realize how much.’

‘Zoe, you should talk to him.’

I want to. I want to march right over there and say it’s time, let’s do this, but I can’t do that. Having him back in my life as just my friend will be hard, but better than not having him in it at all.

‘What the hell did Doug think was happening?’ I mutter, covering my face with my hands, and Bree chuckles.

‘He knows y’all are weird when you’re together. He didn’t bat an eyelid.’

‘How did I let things get so complicated, Bree?’ I lean my head onto her shoulder. ‘We were best friends, and I fucked it all up.’

‘Well, he’s fine as hell, so that’s part one of that story.’ I roll my eyes. ‘I also think there’s a strong possibility he’s your soulmate, so there’s that too.’

I sit up and stare at her wide-eyed. She laughs.

‘Don’t look at me that way. One, we can have more than one soulmate in a lifetime, and two, think about it, Zo. You and Leo have been connected since day one. You gravitate toward each other, and you’re attracted to each other in every way possible.Being apart from him affected you on so many levels, and clearly it affected him too.’

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