Promised (3 page)

I should be back home in time to watch you graduate. So get prepared to spend some quality time with me. I’m missing our weekends on the lake.

Well, I better get off here. Don’t forget, if you need any advice on this new girl, to shoot me a line. I’m sure I can come up with something good to tell you.

Like always, take good care of your mom and I’ll write as soon as I can. I miss you both like crazy.

Love,

Dad

A single tear slips down my cheek just as the door to Mrs. Mandevers office opens and out steps her and Wyn. I quickly wipe it away and shove my phone back in my pocket. I miss
Dad terribly and as soon as I get home, I’m going to reply. But right now, I need to focus on the girl in front of me.

Mrs. Mandevers looks me over to make sure I’m okay, apparently having caught the tear. Then deciding I’m fine, looks at Wyn. “Please think over what we discussed.”

“I will, but you know I can’t promise anything.” I can hear the disappointment in her voice. Whatever it is they talked about, she wants to do it. But for some reason, she can’t.

“Good. Now you two exchange information and let me know if you need me. I’m going to get back to work. Have a nice day.” She smiles at us both, then walks back into her office and shuts the door.

I stand up and rub the back of my neck. “So, where do we begin?”

“I guess we should exchange numbers.” She says, looking everywhere but at me.

“Sounds good.” I pull my cell back out of my pocket and hold it out to her. “Here’s mine; program your number in and I’ll put mine in yours.”

“Um, ok.” She pulls her phone out of her book bag and hands it to me. I quickly type in my phone number and save it.

“So, when should we get started on this?” I ask, exchanging our phones back.

“Well, I do tutoring after school on Wednesdays and I volunteer at an after school program for kids on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It’s up to you which one you’d like to join.” She tells me, putting her cell back in her bag.

“Well, I’d love to come and help today, but I have to go home and help my mom. Is tomorrow okay? And maybe next week I can come to the tutoring too.” I tell her.

“That’s fine. Tutoring was cancelled today anyway.” She pulls out a tablet of paper and a pen, then scribbles down an address and hands it to me. “Meet me at this address after school tomorrow.”

“I could give you a ride there tomorrow if you want.” I tell her, taking my wallet out and putting the piece of paper in it.

“That’s a nice offer, but I can’t. I’ll meet you there.” She says, putting the paper and pen away.

“Well, do you need a ride home today? I really don’t mind.”

“My brothers should be here by now. So no thanks.” She says, pulling the strap of her bag onto her shoulder and walking towards the exit.

“Well, at least let me walk you out. I’m going the same way.” I say, following after her.

She stops, looks me over and sighs. “Linc, it’s nothing against you, but I’d prefer you didn’t. It will cause me and you all kinds of problems if they see us together.”

“Wyn, your brothers don’t scare me.”

“That’s good because they aren’t bad guys. They just have their ways and I don’t want you drug into what those ways entail. I promise I’ll meet you tomorrow, but please, for me, stay here until I’m out those doors.” She pleads with me.

As much as I want to argue with her, I can’t. Once she draws me into those green eyes and pleads with me in that silky, smooth voice to do something for her, I don’t have any way of telling her no.

“Fine, but do you mind if I text you later if I have questions about tomorrow?” I ask, knowing quite well that the texts I’ll be sending won’t have any questions about volunteering.

“That’s fine, I guess.” She gives in. “Bye, Linc. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Wyn. I’m looking forward to it.” I give her my smile that more than one girl has referred to as
drop you to your knees gorgeous
.

She returns my smile and I must say, it’s ten times more potent than mine.

Chapter 4 – Wyn

~You Made My Night~

I step out the front doors of the school and just like I told Linc
, my brothers are sitting right out front waiting on me. I’ve tried to explain to them that I don’t need them all to pick me up, but they like to make a big show. So I don’t push it.

Adam is with them this time and he hops out of the back passenger side door so I can slide in. Then he gets back in.

“So, how was jail today, Wyn?” Aidan, my oldest brother, asks. Out of all my siblings, he’s the one that’s been the most vocal about not liking my decision to stay in school and graduate. So every day, he asks me the same question. I don’t know if he thinks referring to it as jail will turn me off of my studies. But so far, it hasn’t worked. Unlike them, I have always loved going to school and what I’ve learned from being there.

“It was fabulous, Aidan. I learned how to shank a man and hide the weapon before the guards show up.”

Adam tries to cover his laugh from beside me, but of course he doesn’t succeed. He’s the only one in my family that gets my sense of humor. I see the proof of that when Aidan glares at me in the mirror from the driver’s seat and my other three brothers stare at me like their shocked I could make such a statement.

“Would you like me to teach you later boys?” They just keep staring at me and Adam keeps laughing. “Fine, but it’s your loss. It’s a pretty handy skill to have.”

“If Dad only knew the kind of crap you’re picking up from being around those Gorgers.” Aidan says as he shakes his head.

“Yeah, and if Dad only knew you cheat on your wife.”

“Dad doesn’t care if I step out on Marley.” I can see through the mirror that he rolls his eyes.

“No, but he will care that your choice of mistress is a Gorger, who you happened to knock up.” I fire back. Aidan’s wife, Marley, is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet and the simple fact that she puts up with him should be enough to get her sainthood. I have no clue how she doesn’t know what he’s doing behind her back. Heck, everyone but her and my parents do. But somehow, the jerk wad has kept it from them.

“You little…” Aidan starts.

“So what do you think Dad will say about your Gorger kid? Or better yet, what do you think your wife will think?” Now don’t get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with a gypsy being with a non-gypsy, but the way Aidan is going about it is one hundred percent wrong.

“I’m going to slap that smug look off your smug little face.” Aidan slams on his breaks and turns in his seat to follow through on his threat.

“You touch her, Aidan, and I’ll tell Dad myself about your bastard baby and its whore mother. And that’ll be after I make you regret ever laying a hand on her.” Adam warns him in his no nonsense voice. Aidan may be the oldest and the leader of the other three idiot brothers of mine, but Adam is badass and they all know it. He’s the tallest and most built of all five boys and he knows how to use all of that to his advantage. The other four know not to mess with Adam, especially when he’s using that no nonsense voice.

“You can’t always protect her Adam. You won’t always be around.” Aidan threatens.

“I may not always be around, but I swear if I find out you’ve ever laid one finger on her, I will beat you beyond recognition. And you can take that to the bank, brother.” Adam glares at our oldest sibling who finally realizes his best option is to turn around, so he does just that and drives us the rest of the way home.

Once we’re safely back on our way, Adam reaches for my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. I turn to him and mouth. “Thanks.”

He mouths back. “Anytime.” And winks at me before releasing my hand.

My brothers drop me off in the driveway and I grab the mail out of the mail box like I do every day and take it to the kitchen counter. Dad is sitting at the island in the kitchen when I walk in.

“How was my angel’s day?” He asks, taking a swig from his beer bottle.

“Good. I had to stop in the counselor’s office after my last class. There’s a new kid at school this year and she asked if I’d show them the ropes of tutoring and the kids’ program.” I tell him after going and placing a kiss to his cheek. I leave out the part that the new student is a boy because I know Dad would flip his lid about me spending time with a Gorger boy.

“I’ll never understand how you can be around those Gorgers all the time.” He grumbles.

“Daddy, we’ve discussed this. It’s not about me being around them. I like going to school and learning and I like helping people, especially those little kids.” I remind him, taking the bar stool beside him.

“You’re like your Nana Scott. She couldn’t resist helping a person in need.” He tells me the same thing every time we have this talk.

“If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?” I change the subject.

“Arwyn Elizabeth, when have I ever not told you the truth?”

“I’m sorry Daddy. I didn’t mean it that way.” I apologize, looking down at the counter.

“What’s your question, Arwyn?” He asks.

“Has Shay Dawson approached you for my hand?” I turn on my stool to look him in the eyes.

“He has.” He tells me with a smile. To him, this is a good thing. He’s never understood that I don’t want that life. That I don’t want to marry someone just because they’ve asked for my father’s permission without even trying to win my heart.

“Daddy, I don’t love him.”

“Arwyn, he’s a good boy and he’ll make you a good husband.”

“You’ll learn to love him.” My mom says as she walks into the kitchen and places her hand on my father’s shoulder.

“Have you already accepted his proposal?” I ask, looking between the two of them.

“Not yet, but Wyn, I have every intention of agreeing to this.” He tells me.

“Please don’t.” I beg.

“It’s happening, but don’t worry. I’ll let you graduate school. I gave you my word and you know I always make good on it.” Dad reaches out and grabs my hand.

“And if I refuse?” I ask.

Dad drops my hand and looks to Mom before responding. “Don’t joke about something like that, Arwyn.”

“I’m not joking, Daddy. What will happen to me if I refuse to marry Shay?” I straighten my back and look him in the eye when I ask him again.

“We’d disown you. You’d be kicked out of the family and that means no contact with any of us. Not even Dani or Adam.” I know he doesn’t want to do that and I don’t want him to, but it’s the way he was raised.

I can’t respond; I’m too upset so I nod my head so he knows that I understand. Then I get up from the stool and head to my room. Like always, when I’m upset with this life, I lose myself in my homework. I realized at an early age that even if I can’t control everything else around me, I can control my grades. So I shove my nose in a textbook and focus on getting the best grades I can.

It’s started to get dark outside my window and I’m just finishing off my English assignment when my cell goes off, signaling I have a text. I grab it off the dresser. It’s the new guy, Linc. In the uproar, I’d almost forgotten about him asking to text me and I mean almost. Linc is a hard one to forget about. That boy is flat out gorgeous. He’d give those guys from
Magic Mike
a run for their money. His dark brown hair is cut close to his head like a soldier and he has these golden brown eyes that suck you in. And his body…wowsa! That boy is cut! He’s bigger than Adam and that’s saying something.

I look at the text.

Linc: what r u up 2?

I send back a quick response.

Wyn: English paper. U?

I get an instant response.

Linc: Baking with my mom. I finished my English paper yesterday. :-P

Wyn: I’m just finishing up mine. What r u baking?

What am I doing?
I know I shouldn’t be encouraging him. I’m supposed to keep all the outsiders at arm’s length. Yet, here I am, texting with one of them. The hottest one of them, I should add. And it was only a few hours ago that I found out I’m being promised to Shay. Would texting Linc be considered cheating? Am I a dirty cheater?

My phone signals a new message so I go back to texting Linc and let my worry fall to the back of my mind for the night.

Linc: Cupcakes. It’s 1 of my mom’s friend’s b-day 2morrow.

Wyn: Cupcakes r my fav. I luv the sprinkle kind. It’s nice of u 2 help.

Linc: Do u want 1? I could bring it 2 school 2morrow.

Wyn: No that’s ok. But thx 4 offering.

Linc: Anytime. So can I confess something?

Wyn: Is it embarrassing? Bc if it is I should confess 1
st
that I have a big mouth. Jk

Linc: lol no not embarrassing.

Wyn: then shoot. :-)

Linc: I’ve been trying to find a way 2 talk 2 u 4 a couple days.

Well, poop. What do I do with that? Now would be the perfect time for me to push him away so he doesn’t get hurt. But for some reason, I can’t. Instead, I nibble on my lip as I send back my reply.