Page 13 of Every Broken Promise
She was older than me, but man was she pretty.
My eyes didn’t latch on to her designer bag. No, my eyes were on the iced coffee in her hand. It looked expensive and tasty. The cup was clear with no logo, which meant she had a fancy coffee machine in her house.
We must befriend her ASAP!
“Hey!” I waved my hand at her.
She looked a little taken aback to be spoken to.
“Hello,” she replied.
“You’re new around here, aren’t you?”
Her smile was polite.
“I’ve been here for months now. I would say you’re the new one.”
“I’m back from college. This is my hometown.” The last part was said with less enthusiasm. “Do you like it here?”
“There is something charming about getting lost in a small town,” she added.
Obviously, she wasn’t trying to avoid her ex-best friend. One did not hide in the same town they grew up in.
I took a step toward her.
“I’m Astrid,” I said as I extended my hand so I could shake hers.
“Rachel,” she replied as she shook my hand.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll see you around,” I told her.
I went to my car before I opened my big fat mouth and asked her if I could have my own latte—now, that would be bad manners. The drive to work was fast. There was no traffic and no cops, so that meant I had free rein to step on the gas.
My car had just been serviced, and it ran smoothly—way better than it had the day before. The way it ran was more than just fixing a tire and an oil change, and that didn’t sit well with me.
Hell, I already knew he went above and beyond. The fucker cleaned my car. I mean, it wasn’t that messy, just a few bottles of water here and there, plus all my road trip snacks. If I wasn’t in a fight with the guy, I might have been embarrassed.
I did not want to owe Tyler Kane anything, even if it meant spending my money on fixing my car. As a girl, I was sure nothing sucked more than taking your car to the garage and finding out that all that extra money you thought you were going to have would be wasted on auto parts. Clothes, makeup, books, hell, even groceries were all an acceptable place to blow your cash—but cars? That sucked.
Once I was outside the doors toThe Willow Grove Herald, I sighed.
“We officially begin to adult now.”
SIX
6 years old
The right sideof the bed felt empty at all times. My dad now put me to sleep, and it felt like he was invading something sacred every time he laid down next to me. It wasn’t his spot, and as much as I loved him, he didn’t belong there.
During the days, I would know my mom was gone, and I continued playing with my toys even if sometimes tears would spring to my eyes. Other times during class, one of my friends would raise their hands and mention their mommy, and it would make me miss mine.
Daddy said that although I couldn’t see her anymore, she was always here with us. She was in my heart and would always watch over me from the sky.
I didn’t want my mommy in the sky, I wanted my mommy to be here next to me when I laid down in bed.
Why did she leave?
Why did she get sick?
