Page 21 of Keep This Promise
Holden drops his head to his hand. “I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry. I wasn’tbad? That’s not a glowing endorsement.”
“I was not exactly sober either.” And while I remember most of it, I don’t want to admit how many times I’ve replayed it. “I honestly don’t remember all that much of the act, but you were wonderful during the lead up to it.”
“Good to know that I had game that night.”
I roll my eyes and let out a giggle. God, I haven’t giggled in a very long time. It feels nice, even if it’s just a moment. I trace patterns on the wood grains and stare at my finger as it moves. “You were kind. I remember that. There was a guy who was being aggressive, and you stepped in, pulling me to you and shielding me.”
“As much as I’d like to take credit for doing it out of chivalry, I was black-out drunk. For all I know, I could’ve been falling and thought you were a pillar, which was why I grabbed you.”
“Let’s pretend it’s the other,” I say, shaking my head. “Anyway, you may have been drunk, but you were still nice and told me I was beautiful.”
“I remember that. I thought you were so gorgeous. By far the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.”
“Thank you.”
“You still are.” He raises his hand. “Not that I’m hitting on you, I’m just saying that you’re still beautiful. It wasn’t past tense, that’s all.”
I feel the heat rise to my face.Jesus, Sophie, get a damn grip. He is not hitting on you as he said. He is being sweet.
“Well, you’re better-looking than I remember as well.” I offer the same compliment back.
Holden’s chest pops slightly. “How much better?”
“Slightly,” I say teasingly.
“Slightly because I’m like a fine wine that gets better with age, or slightly because you couldn’t see much in the club?”
More like you’re incredibly attractive and the last man who made me feel desirable.
“You’re trouble, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea . . . or, maybe you do, actually.” Our gazes move to Eden. “You named her Eden because of the club?”
I nod. “I didn’t know your full name or how to find you, but I wanted her to have a part of you in some way. It’s silly and a little ridiculous, but I liked the name, and she was heavenly to me. She is perfect, and I honestly can’t imagine a world without her. Theo agreed it was fitting as well.”
“Can you tell me more about him or what happened?”
There’s a lot to tell, and I am honestly not sure what to say. Jackson made it very clear I was to keep everything about Theo’s past to myself. I am to trust only a man named Holden, and I was to be very careful not to give anything more than superficial information. If my whereabouts are discovered, it could be dangerous for me and Eden. Jackson never did tell me what exactly I was running from or who the threat to me was, but if it was bad enough to send me halfway across the globe, it was bad enough for me to take seriously.
Still, it would be nice to know more than that. If someone does come for me or my daughter, I should have a way out of it. He also gave me two phone numbers of people who work for his security company and are keeping an eye out on us. One is Zach Barrett, who drove us to Rose Canyon and would be around for a few days before he had to return to Michigan. The other is Miles Kent, who Jackson said would be staying around longer than Zach.
All of this is a bit much for me.
“To be honest, I am not quite sure what happened.”
“I can understand that, but what about Theo? You mentioned you were childhood friends. Did you always have feelings for each other?”
I laugh and then look away. I don’t want to admit any of this, but I feel as though lying to Holden isn’t fair. The shaky breath escapes my lungs. “Theo and I were never...well, I loved him with my whole heart, but we were never intimate.”
“You were never . . . together?”
“Not in that way. We were best friends, but not lovers. I was never attracted to him either.”
I can see the confusion in Holden’s eyes, but I won’t say more than that. In all our years together, I just never wanted more.
“But you were married for a while, and you never . . .”
“Never. We tried to kiss once. It was quite funny because we broke apart and started laughing. Then, maybe after Eden’s first birthday, one of my university friends made a comment about how Theo and I should at least try to sleep together since we were married and all. We set a time and place, all very professional feeling, and when he came to my room, we ended up watching a movie and decided never to listen to anyone again. You are the last man I slept with,” I admit.
