Page 115 of I Promise You
“Exactly. Take care of her, not fuck her.”
She rolls her eyes, snatching the keys out of my hand.
“Good night, Kane.”
My heart sinks when I realize what a fucking insensitive asshole I’ve become since coming back from Iraq.
I forced myself on Ari. Then I broke Meredith’s heart.
I stand there in the freezing parking lot, alone. I kick a patch of snow, and flurries explode everywhere.
“Fuck,” I curse to myself.
I need to make things right. I fucked up and I hope to God they all forgive me.
I’ll reach out to Grim and Meredith when things are more stable and settled. I don’t think they’ll ever want to speak again, but I’ll keep trying to mend the shit I’ve caused.
I watch the snow continue to fall on the ground, looking at the empty parking space where Meredith’s car used to sit, and I pace back and forth.
I need Ari to forgive me…I can’t lose her.
34
ARI
Danny threw me over his shoulder and stalked out of the military ballroom as if I weighed nothing; featherlight, a doll in his massive arms.
Every other sailor in the room started to whistle and chant immaturely as they watched us leave the building. They don’t know Danny just beat the shit out of Kane for cutting my lip open.
I stop thrashing, and instead, I’m trying to focus on getting my world to stop spinning. I hope Kane is okay, and I’m hoping Danny doesn’t go back there and kill him.
Everyone’s chants die down, along with the music, as we get closer to the exit. We’re outside, and I shout at him as I shake out of his arms, but it doesn’t work. He tightens his hold.
“Let me go!”
He slaps my ass. “You only bleed for me,” he snarls as he drops me into the passenger seat of his truck. He swings the door open explosively.
“Danny...” I complain, throwing my legs back outside, tempted to jump out of his vehicle. He stands there tall, holding the door open, ready to slam it shut.
“You’re drunk. And I don’t care that we’re not together. I’ll make sure you get toyourbed, in your pajamas, inyourhouse. You’re also going to take Advil for the hangover you’re about to have in the morning.”
Of course, he knows what’s going to happen to me. He’s an expert in hangovers. “But my coat, my purse, my phone…”
I don’t care if anyone can hear me complain. Very few people are in the parking lot because the ball hasn’t ended yet. We’re one of the first people to leave.
He grabs his phone and types away. I cross my arms over my chest like a petulant child being told no after having a tantrum.
“Zeke will take care of it,” he says calmly before looking back at me, shoving his phone into his pants.
I glare daggers at him, but he stares back at me, holding my gaze unphased.
Fuck him for being so irresistibly handsome.
Because even though I’m angry, the hold he has on me is tattooed into my soul permanently, like the ink on his skin.
“Don’t you have another mission to go on? Another deployment? Don’t bother,” I hiss, trying to jump out of his truck again. I look away from him and at the parking lot floor.
I grab onto the door handle for balance. The truck is lifted high, and there’s no way I’ll be able to hop out without holding on to something so I don’t fall.
