Page 122 of I Promise You
“Someone taught me that instead of running from our problems, instead of letting them consume us, we have to learn to let go of the past.”
I snort, trying to hide my sorrow, raising my brow sarcastically as my eyes water. A hateful smirk crosses my face.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save your brother. I’m sorry that you think of me as some fucking curse. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop Shane from hurting you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the bullshit that continues to haunt us. I should’ve told you, and I’m sorry.” He gets closer. I’m inches away from his chest. I can smell his intoxicating scent as I sniffle. I’m doing my damn hardest to keep myself standing when all I want to do is crumble to the floor. I tighten every single leg muscle to stay upright.
“I’m sorry. If you need to blame me for everything, if you need to burden me for all the horrible things that you’ve gone through so that you can live in peace again,” he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, “if it means my little angel can smile bright again,” he forces a smile like he’s begging me to return one with my own, still holding onto the strands behind my ear. Then I feel his thumb brush over my bottom lip gently.
“Then hate me,” he states simply like it’s easy for him. “Hate me because the love I have for you is enough to withstand all the pain we’ve endured together and the pain that we’llcontinueto go through.”
My stomach swirls with magic as he continues to stare into my broken heart.
I’m crying even more grimly. I place my hands on his chest, and I’m about to embrace him because I think I know what’s coming.
“Don’t you fucking dare say it,” I cry out.
His eyes flash with tranquility as he stares into mine. My heart beats harder, thrashing.
“Damn it, Ari Natalia, I knew it from the moment I met you. I was ruined.” He clenches his jaw, cupping the back of my head, bringing me closer. “I lo—”
He freezes, and my eyebrows raise in confusion. My heart sinks like an anchor overcome by gravity when he stops talking. His eyes squint hard, and his whole demeanor tenses like a rock. He’s not looking at me anymore. Instead, his gaze isbehind me, looking inside my dark house like he’s searching for something, on high alert. His eyes flash with worry.
“Wha—?” My lips start to move, confused, but then Danny’s eyes widen.
“Baby, move!” he barks out. He throws me to the side so hard I fall to the ground in a split second. My hip collides with the ground, and I yelp from the sensation. He forced me away from him with extreme purpose. My hand burns when I fall. The collision scrapes my skin off in a split second.
It all happens like a fever dream because a gunshot ricochets, and my ears are in instant agony from the loud ringing. I look through my messy black hair strands to see my worst nightmare.
The blood drains from my face when I realize Danny’s been shot. He falls to the floor, and I can’t see him anymore.
I can’t see where he was hit, but I know it’s somewhere by his chest.Maybe his heart.
My whole soul decimates into a trillion pieces when I realize we’re in trouble.
“DANNY!” The sound that comes out of my mouth bellows with hysteria. It echoes into the dreadful night, with nothing and no one to hear me. I scramble up, trying to find some balance and strength to move my way up from the floor, but I slip andfall, my knees colliding with the ground. I’m too fucking shaken, and I feel like I’m going into shock.
What the fuck is happening?
Footsteps surround us.
I turn to see the shadow that appears out of my house, and my eyes widen when I see a familiar face holding a gun.
“You?!” I gasp, and I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, my spirit leaving my body.
It’s her.
It’s—
Suddenly, my vision goes dark.
Danny can’t die! He’s been shot! He can’t die!
I start to thrash against someone’s hold; they’re covering my eyes with no remorse, and I smell something strong as I begin to breathe hard.
Is this fucking chloroform?!
“We fucking got him! We killed him!” a male celebrates with a manic tone.
“NO!” I cry out.
