Page 59 of Every Broken Promise
Once I got her in bed, she instantly closed her eyes.
“Why can’t I call you beautiful?” I asked, not expecting her to answer. I refused to leave it alone—leave her alone.
A few seconds passed, and her words were faint, but they had the same effect as if she had shouted them.
“Because it hurts when you say it… You will never see me as something more.”
TWENTY-THREE
My mouth was dry.
I needed water, but I was too lazy to open my eyes. The thought of walking to the kitchen sounded draining. Instead of getting up, I furrowed deeper into my covers. Had my mom used a new scent? They didn’t smell floral, instead they smelled like a man’s cologne. When I tried to furrow deeper into my bed is when I felt it.
It felt like I was stuck in a cage.
Something warm was wrapped around my waist. My eyes still felt too heavy to open. Instead of trying to wake up properly, I shifted my weight trying to move, but froze when I realize I couldn’t. Something—someone—was behind me. My actions caused them to stir.
My eyes sprang open, and last night’s events started coming to me.
Rachel and I went out drinking. Did I pick up some rando? Shit, did I bring him home with my parents in the same house? That would be fucking embarrassing. No, that wasn’t possible. That cute cop who knew Rachel brought us home.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit.
I wassofucked.
What in the hell made me think it was okay to walk to Ty’s house? More importantly, how the hell did I find the courage to do so?
It was safe to say I would never be drinking again—ever.
My mind was racing with all the possible ways I could spin this to my favor. There weren’t many scenarios, but if there was one thing I could do was spin a good story.
I looked around the room, and I realized we were in his basement. He had the top little windows covered, but I could see some light peeking through.
Slowly, I began to wiggle my way out of his hold. My heart was beating like crazy; it was hard to breathe properly. If I weren’t so mortified, I would start to analyze the fact that I was not only in bed with Tyler Kane but also in his arms.
We used to sleep together when we were younger, and then, one day, Ty stopped coming over. I wish I had known the last time he slept over would be his last—so that way I could have done everything to remember it.
Memories slowly faded over time, and I was scared that one day I would look back and not remember the things I loved about my childhood. All I would have left was the feeling of nostalgia and like something was missing.
If I were being honest, something would always be missing.
I needed to get gone. I didn’t believe in running, but in this situation, I was ready to run like my life depended on it.
It’s not your life you should be worried about—it’s your heart.
I shifted my legs so I could prop myself away from Ty when he groaned into the crook of my neck. His hot breath on my skin caused my back to arch instinctively. It was one of my sensitivespots, and the fact that it was him, even if it wasn’t sexual, made it worse.
“Stop moving,” he mumbled.
I panicked and began to squirm. The asshole was not letting me get away.
“Beautiful.” It sounded like a warning.
“Don’t call me that,” I hissed at him, annoyed he kept saying that word.
