Page 103 of I Promise You
My heart skips a beat and my pulse awakens with hope.
I quickly fix my hair, tucking it behind my ears. Wiping away dried tears from my cheeks. I don’t bother pausing the movie as I throw my blankets off me and stand from the couch.
As soon as I take one step forward, I slant to the side.
Whoa.
I may be a little tipsy. I’m two wine bottles down and on my third. The world is buzzing, and I’m not sure how I’ll answer thedoor without slurring my words to my ex-boyfriend. Still, I have to try.
I stumble toward the door, ready to swing it open.
You can do this, you can face him.
I unlock my door, turning the lock sideways, and I’m prepared to meet light ocean eyes. But when the door opens, I see dashing, dark navy ones instead, on a beaming face.
Kane.
He’s standing there, with a bruised eye that’s slowly healing. His hands tucked into his pocket, shivering from the cold. I look around him, confused, searching for anyone else. I furrow my brows, my shoulders dropping when the reality hits that Danny still wants nothing from me after I said those horrid things to him.
“Oh, Kane? What? What’re you doing?” I slur, tightening my drop on the door. The trees that surround my house sway behind him. There’s a cold front that’s rolling in, and the temperature has dropped into the thirties already.
He shrugs, smirking. He looks me up and down and he’s suppressing a laugh, biting his knuckles. I’m in a Christmas onesie, with reindeer antlers on the hoodie.
“I came to see my favorite nurse…or should I say, my favorite reindeer?”
I cross my arms defensively. He’s one of the reasons why I’m in this predicament with Danny, and I’m not sure letting him in will do any good. It’ll make the lines more hazy…blurry. Tempting.
“Mr. Slaughter, at midnight?” Disappointment laced in my tone.
He shrugs again.
“Can I come in? It’s cold out here.” He motions toward the woods.
I bite my lip, looking at my living room TV, my messy couch, with a popcorn bowl and messy house. Usually, I clean like a neat maniac, and if there was one thing out of place, I go crazy, but lately, cleaning was the last thing I wanted to do.
“Sure…but my house is a mess.” I cave in and walk away, waving to him over my shoulder. “Just like my life.” I push open the door before I drag myself back to the living area.
I drop down on my couch, covering myself back up in blankets. Kane shuts the door behind him softly, following me to the couch. He sits at the other end. I inhale his risqué cologne as the air brushes in my direction, one cushion in between us.
“It’s not a mess, don’t say that. You could be me.”
I scoff, taking another gulp of wine.
“What’s so messy about yours?”
I swallow the sweet red wine down and glare at him.
But he doesn’t answer me. He stares at my throat, and his jaw flexes while he pops his fingers nervously. I can’t hold his gaze…my heart pounds and I turn back to the horror movie playing across the screen.
He follows my lead and watches the movie with me instead of answering me. A few minutes pass by before he breaks the silence.
“Shouldn’t you be watching Christmas movies? And not a movie about a guy in a mask who kills people?” He reaches for the bowl of popcorn in the middle of us and takes a handful of it, snacking on it.
“Christmas is over. What’re you doing here, Kane? Shouldn’t you be with Meredith? Or at work?” I snap.
He stiffens at my aggression. He blinks at me, and I sink deeper into the couch with guilt.
“Sorry…”
