Page 87 of I Promise You
But the bastard might be right, and I hate that.
This life ishard.
This military world has already eaten you up, chewed you, and spat you out, leaving practically nothing behind.
It’s not for everyone. It isn’t for you.
Those words stung and left a bitter taste…Is he right?
Danny still has a few years left before he retires, and I’m not sure if I’ll be strong enough to support him and watch him leave meoverand over again.
Fully aware he might not come back home to me.
When Kane almost kissed me, promising me things like a family and about the possibility of leaving the military, it did something to me. It made me realize that I want those things.
I want all of those things and more.
But not with Kane.
I want it all with Danny Rider.
It’s getting dark. Purple and blue shades barely illuminate the sky, and the raindrops from the rainstorm bang louder.
That’s when I catch Danny on my porch, sitting with his head hanging down on a bench he built for us. He carries a bouquet of flowers in his hands, dressed in all black.
Tulips.
Pink tulips dangle from his big hands. As I drive to park next to his truck, I swallow the rock in my throat. His betrayal weighs heavily on my spirit, and I don’t know what will pour out of my mouth when I walk out of this car.
All I know is that this should have never come from Kane. I wanted transparency from Danny, and I’ve told him this repeatedly. I’ve set my standards high after Shane, and I will not lower them or apologize for it.
I turn off my brother’s Bronco with a heavy sigh as I stare at the speedometer, and the engine transitions to silence. Thunder rumbles in the distance, rain drops blur my windshield and I can’t see anything clearly anymore.
My hands shake as I pull my keys out of the ignition.
I open the door, and the rain hasn’t let up. In fact, it just got worse. Freezing water hits me hard as I step out. I plant my running shoes into puddles of water, getting them soaked through until I feel water in my socks. I take a deep breath and close the car door.
My hair and uniform get drenched right away, and my skin explodes with goosebumps.
It’s so cold.
My thoughts are already scrambled as Danny stands from my porch and walks into the rain to get to me.
My heart breaks because the closer he gets to me, I know the wall I’ve built has shattered into irretrievable pieces, and Danny will unfortunately get cut by them. From breaking my vows to God to losing my best friend and my baby in the same shitty year, I’m letting this entire year’s trauma affect me now.
We stand there in the rain, our bodies facing each other, but my eyes linger on the ground. I still can’t look at him just yet because once I do, I feel like I’ll want to let him bury himself inside me. A part of me wants to keep pretending. Like our paths are fine, and I should give in to the dangerous lust we hold for each other until the sun comes up.
But I refuse.
“You’ve been ignoring my calls.” Danny breaks the icy silence first. He deadpans, his tone unreadable, and I can’t tell if he’ssad, mad, or disappointed. “Are you okay?” He leans forward, taking one step closer, but I don’t answer. “Let’s go inside and talk.” He offers his hand for me to take, and I push it away.
“No.”
“Ari.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I tilt my head up, glaring at him through the harsh rain hitting us both. My black hair sways from the wind and his dark blond hair is wet and shaggy. His light blue eyes darken, and his jaw tightens.
“Tell you what?” He takes another step closer, but it sends me another step back, creating a distance between us so I can say what I need to say without his magnetic, sinful attraction to alter my strength.
