Page 77 of The Promises We Break

“If you think I’m leaving you here after that display of complete fuckery, you have lost your goddamn mind.” I am never leaving her alone with them. If they say shit like that to her in front of me, I can’t even imagine what they would say privately. I pull her close and she melts into me. I revel in the feeling that she’s no longer running and finally letting me be whatever she needs me to be.

“I think maybe we should show them a recap of our wedding night. I can request some112from the DJ, and he can playAnywherefor us so we can show Elliot what a real Vegas show looks like?”

“Oh my god, don’t you dare.” She pulls away to look at me, showing me how serious she is, but with a hint of a smile behind her eyes.

“Okay, okay. I’ll behave.” I chuckle, before I lean in to whisper in her ear and show her how serious I am.

“Unless I see Elliot come near you… then I will claim you in front of him and burn the vision of us into his thick skull, and I don’t care who sees.”

38

EMBER

The excitement of the night tapered off after the initial introductions, and I’m thankful that it’s been quiet and uneventful since then. My father has walked around like he owns the town, which he pretty much does, and my mother acts as if they are happy, loving and doting on him at his every whim. Smiling like the matriarch she is.

I was mortified by the way my dad spoke to me. I mean, it’s nothing out of the norm, but in front of Hudson, who has never seen me at my weakest—for him to witness that was humiliating. As withdrawn as I’ve been with my relationship with my family, he knew to expect some pushback, but full-blown berating… I realize now how unfair it was for me to ask him to come here.

Although we were able to get some quality time with Benson and Cody, who also took time to get to know Hudson a little, which I’m grateful for. Bobby, of course, stayed at a distance—attached at the hip as usual with Elliot—stealing glances our way, in which Hudson would become a walking PDA poster. Eventually, it just became fun to tease from afar. Admittedly, I’ve always liked watching, but being on display foryour ex, while your new, sexy, fake husband teases you, well, I’m not against exploring some exhibitionism, apparently.

“I have to use the restroom.” Placing my hand on Hudson’s arm as I stand, he mirrors my movement to follow me.

“No, it’s okay. Stay here and get to know Benson and Cody better. I’ll be super quick.”

“I don’t want you walking around by yourself,” he insists.

“It’s my parents’ house. Seriously, everyone is engrossed in the party. It’s fine.” I stand on my tippy toes to kiss him on the cheek, except he turns toward me, catching his lips to mine. Running one hand behind the nape of my neck and the other holding me upright at my waist, giving zero shits that he’s devouring me in front of my brothers.

“I couldn’t help myself,” he whispers over my lips as I float back down to earth.

“Dude…” Cody whines out as he gives Hudson a smack on the arm as I walk away. I can’t hide my smile. The fact that they are getting along makes my heart soar. My parents may not appreciate or support my decisions, but Benson has always been my biggest cheerleader. And Cody plays Switzerland more often than not, but when he knows something isn’t fair, he does have my back.

I enter the house through the patio doors and walk down the hall of my childhood home. It’s as empty as I remember it feeling when I was little.

Things usually feel bigger and scarier when you are a child. The ocean feels enormous and overwhelming, horror movies are more terrifying. Bugs were bigger, and the unknown was just frightening.

But this home, somehow it feels bigger and more grandiose than ever. It’s like it’s had to expand with the ego of my parents. They have always been a staple in our small town, but over time, it’s grown into something where they feel more powerful and superior to others. It feels as if, the more self-importantthey feel to the general population, the less love they have to share with their family.

And as I stare at the pictures on the wall, they feel just as vacant. Taken as a boilerplate, and placed strategically on the wall out of duty and obligation to make a home a home.

I know they love us, especially my brothers. God, we know they love them. A majority of the pictures, except a select few, are all of my older brothers. There is a small age gap between me and my brothers, since my parents had me late and I was unexpected. Still, the lack of my presence in the pictures only accentuates how exiled I have felt my entire life.

It’s a far cry from how Hudson has made me feel from the moment he came into mine.

I exit the bathroom and hear the distant noises from the crowd and muffled music throughout the house. The DJ is getting a little rowdier as the night goes on. The music is louder and the songs are a bit more risqué than earlier, which I assume is from the excess amount of alcohol being dispersed like dinner mints.

Before I round the corner back outside, elevated voices catch my attention, preventing me from taking another step.

“You need to get control of this situation.”

“I will, Robert. I promise. Please don’t be upset.”

“Upset? Upset? I’m not upset, I’m fucking embarrassed, Esther. She’s humiliating this family and making us look like low class pathetic losers. I’m announcing my campaign soon. If she continues this shit, it’ll ruin my chances.”

“I will fix this. I’ll… fix it. I will.”

“The only reason I didn’t leave you when she was born was to protect my fucking image. I wasn’t going to be humiliated by your indiscretion then, and I won’t be now, Esther. Get your daughter under control or I will throw you out with nothing, like I should have twenty-four years ago.”

Oh my god. The words are barely registering. There is aheaviness in the middle of my chest, the air is weighing on me like immovable bricks. I can’t catch my breath.

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