The Promise (10 page)

M
y phone exploding into the familiar sound of the Beastie Boys broke me from my memory. That’s Chase’s ringtone. I’d assigned it to him after that first night at karaoke.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Chase. You busy?” he asks.

“No, Ana and Drake had a date tonight so I’m just hanging out. What are you up
to?”

“Not too much,” he pause
s like he’s thinking about something.

“Are you okay?”
I ask.

“Yeah
I’m fine it’s just that … well, it was a little strange not seeing you all day today,” he admits and I can hear the surprise in his voice, the same that floats through me at his words.

“Yeah, I guess it was,” I consider. “How was your day?”

“It was okay. Same ol’ same ol’, you know? Went to work, stopped by the bar for a couple of beers and came home. How about you?”

“Kind of the same, I g
uess. Ana was off so we spent the day hanging out around here and ran errands before we came home so she could get ready for her date,” I answer.

“Have you eaten?”

“No, actually I was just thinking about getting something.”

“Me
too,” he starts. “Feel like some company? I could stop by and grab some pizza or Chinese and we could hang out; maybe watch a movie if you want.”

“Sure
. Chinese sounds good,” I say before giving it anymore thought. This sounds oddly like a date to me and I can sense the nervousness in Chase’s voice. Did I want that? Oh well, too late now, I guess. He’s already on his way.               

***

Chase

I can’t believe Sophie actually agreed to a date, even though I never really specified that’s what I’d meant by it. Technically we’re just friends sharing a meal together like we’ve done every other night over the past week, but I really want this to be a date.

I ta
ke a quick shower, put on some cologne and walked over to the closet, unsure of what to throw on. I don’t want to wear anything too nice and freak her out. However, I don’t want to plant myself in the friend zone with by wearing the same shitty work clothes she sees me in every day.

This
is exhausting. I finally compromise and pull a dark grey sweater on over a white t-shirt. I think I’m ready and I take a deep breath as I lock my door, trying to remember the last time I’d been nervous about seeing a girl before Sophie but I’m drawing a blank. I’m halfway to my truck before I realize I’m not wearing shoes.

“Fuck!” I walk
back inside, put my shoes on and go back out to the truck, shaking my head. I have to get myself together before I get over there or she’s going to think I’m an idiot. I back out of the driveway and make it to the end of the street when I reach for my wallet, realizing it’s still sitting on the bar. After turning around and running back inside to grab it, and my cell which I hadn’t realized I’d left, I head out hoping the old saying ‘third time’s a charm’ is true and that tonight isn’t a disaster.

***

By the time I finally make it to Sophie’s with the Chinese, well over an hour has passed since we’d hung up. I’d finally made it out of my neighborhood after my second trip back to the house and got to restaurant to pick up supper without incident. I was pulling into Sophie’s apartment complex when I remembered I’d promised her I’d grab a movie.

“Shit,” I say
out loud as I turn the truck around for a third time. After pulling up to the Redbox, I stare at the new releases for what seems like an eternity, trying to decide what movie to rent. If I get something too romantic and this doesn’t turn out to be a date that could be really awkward. Most girls don’t tend to be into action stuff so I decide against the new Jet Li flick I want to see.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

I consider
calling to ask what she wants to watch, but I’m already late so I finally picked on a new zombie flick, not realizing until I got back in my truck the drawbacks of eating lo mein while zombies attack. “Damn it.” Well, I guess it’s too late now. Sophie is already opening her door as I realize the take-out bag is leaking all over my shirt. The whole way over, everything has gone wrong but when she smiles up at me, none of that matters anymore.

“Hey,” I sa
y with what is probably the dopiest smile ever on my face. She giggles, looking me over and pausing at the stain on my shirt.

“Rough night?” she asks
jokingly.

“Yeah, but I think it just got better.” She blushe
s and lets me in.

Fuck everything else.

***

Sophie

After running around the apartment frantically trying to decide if this thing with Chase is a date or not, I finally get dressed.

D
eciding I’d rather be safe than sorry, I throw on a cute navy tank top and a pair of jeans. I leave my hair braided remembering Chase telling me he thought it was cute this way. It’s then that it hits me; I
want
this to be a date. I can’t really believe it but it’s true. Even though I felt a tiny twinge of guilt at the revelation, I can’t deny that I really like Chase.

Three
panic attacks later and a kiss to my promise ring and I’m starting to breathe easier again. I think I’ve always known this day would come, but I still really don’t know how to feel about it. On one hand, Jack had told me himself that he wanted me to be happy if anything ever happened to him and I can’t deny my feelings for Chase. On the other hand however, I can’t deny the fact that I’m still very much in love with Jack.

My ultimate decision i
s that neither Chase nor I had ever said that this was anything more than having dinner together and hanging out. Even though I can tell he likes me, that didn’t mean that tonight is anything more.

Even if it
tonight
did
take our friendship to the next level, I won’t feel comfortable with anything if Chase can’t agree to take things slowly. I still haven’t told him anything about Jack. I know that I won’t feel right jumping into anything with him unless he can understand that I still love Jack very much and always will. If he can’t accept that then things between the two of us will never work. As confused as I am about everything else, I know that this is a fact.

Right as
I’m considering calling to check on Chase, I hear a knock at the door. I’m not really sure what to think about him being late, but decide not to dwell on it. Maybe he just doesn’t want this to be a date after all. If that’s the case I’ll be disappointed, but there isn’t much I could do about it. As I reach for the door to open it, I hear him lightly cussing under his breath and wonder what that’s all about. I swing the door open and catch my first glimpse of him since finally acknowledging my feelings for him and am stunned.

He
has his long, blonde hair pushed back and his beautiful, azure blue eyes are locked on mine. He’s unshaven and there’s something about his five o’clock shadow that I find unrelentingly sexy.

As
I step out to greet him, I catch a whiff of his cologne and catch myself instantly grinning like an idiot. God this man is heart stopping. His face reflects the same silly smile as mine and as soon as I hear the tone in his voice, I know this is a date which makes my smile grow wider.

As though I ha
ve no control over my own eyes, I rake his body over and take in his chest hugging, grey sweater and his jeans before I notice a fresh but huge stain on his shirt. “Rough night?” I tease and his eyes dance a bit as he looks into mine.

“Yeah, but I think it
just got better,” he says making me blush as I let him in.

“Come on in. We’ll make our plates and see what we can find
to get that stain out.” Walking ahead of him into the kitchen, I feel his eyes on my body. I grab some plates and for him to set out and begin scouring for some club soda to remove the stain. We move carefully around each other in the kitchen. For the first time since we’d been around each other, we’re completely aware of our bodies. When I spot the club soda, I stand up to turn around and am met with his chest.

“Sorry,” we both say
in unison, although judging from the way his hands are clinging to my hips with mine lingering on his arms, there isn’t any truth behind it for either of us. We stand there staring at each other for a long time before I watch as Chase’s eyes lock onto my lips.

“Chase?” I whisper.

“Yeah?” he holds the same quiet tone.

“Is this a date?” I blurt
out breathlessly. Although I can’t deny feeling a little embarrassed by my sudden words, it’s short lived by his response.

“I hope so because otherwise this kiss is going to make din
ner really awkward,” he says and before I can think further, lips are crashing against mine for the first time in over a year.

Sophie

As soon as his lips me
et mine, my body feels like it’s being set on fire. This kiss is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. In fact even calling it a kiss would be a lie. This is nothing short of our lips devouring each other. There’s no soft, subtle lead-up and zero hesitation on either part. In this moment, Chase owns me. This is instant, hormone inducing, raw, animalistic, x-rated kissing. One of those kisses you see in the movies. The ones that get you so hot you can’t help but blush and feel naughty for having just seen it.

It’s a
kiss that has no place happening outside of a bedroom. As I hear the growl leaving Chase’s chest, he pushes me against the wall, making me almost come apart right there.

His tongue swe
eps across mine with a demanding intensity. One I don’t think I’ve ever experienced as he takes full control of my mouth, holding me in place by my waist.

Our tongues explore each other’s mou
ths with abandonment. As he begins to bite and suck on my lower lip, I can’t stop the whimper that escapes. I clawed at his stained sweater as I held onto him like I was drowning and he was my life preserver. I wind my hand up into the hair at the base of his neck and grip hard, eliciting a loud groan of pleasure from his mouth. When we finally pull away from each other, we’re both stunned and breathing erratically.

Taking a second to steady ourselves, Chase move
s a half a step back, catching me by the elbow when my knees threaten to give out. He moves his right arm up next to my head like he’s trying to make sure he’ll stay upright as well. He watches me as I bend at the waist and put my hands on my knees and I hear him chuckle slightly. When my eyes meet his, he looks happy but still a little stunned. Still breathing heavily, he leans his back up against the wall across from me and looks down at me with a panty melting grin.

“Damn, Sophie!”

***

Chase

I’ve
kissed more than my fair share of women in my life, but this is no kiss. I had no idea a kiss could be this hot.

As I put my lips against So
phie’s for the first time, it’s like something has taken over and we’re powerless. It’s fucking amazing. I want to kiss her like this every day for the rest of my life.

I hear
a sexy little whimper coming from her as she begins clawing against my arms and I swear it’s one of the hottest things I’ve ever heard before.

When she grips
the hair at the back of my neck, I almost come right there. I know then I need to pull away or I might suggest something she isn’t quite ready for. Even though it goes against every feeling I have when I’m near Sophie, I know I have to take things slow.

As we sep
arate, I start to back away but I feel her beginning to sway a little. I grab her elbow to steady her before leaning against the wall so I can at least try to keep from taking us both down right there in her kitchen.

I know I need a second to recover
but it makes me feel pretty good when I see she’s just as affected by the kiss as I am.

Bending herself in half and placing
her hands on her knees, I can’t stifle my quiet laughter. I’ve been thinking about kissing her ever since the second I saw her in her truck that day on Madison, but I never thought in my wildest dreams it would be that good.

I look down to see her smiling up at me and I want nothing more th
an to take her right here in this kitchen. In fact, I’ve never wanted anything more and I’m so hard, I can barely move.

“Damn Sophie!” I say s
tunned, causing us both to laugh through our panting.

Slowly, she stands upright and looks
at me again biting her lip. She looks so fucking sexy when she does that. I reach over to her and tug gently on her chin just enough to make her teeth release her lip from its grip.

She takes a small step over to me and begins to fidget with her hands
, obviously nervous and unsure of what to do with herself. I rub her arm, gently pulling her over against my side and she hides her face into my chest. I can’t help but smile as I plant a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

“Come on, let’s go watc
h the movie and eat,” I suggest quietly.

She nods
and smiles at me before grabbing our plates. I grab our drinks and put the movie on before sitting down close to her on the couch. Putting my arm behind her, I glance down, meeting her eyes.

“Is this okay?” I whisper
. We both know I mean more than the seating arrangement. She looks away from me but after a second, her gaze meets mine again and she offers a small smile. After what seems like forever, she gives me a slow nod.

“Yep, i
t’s okay,” she whispers as she presses her lips gently against my cheek, setting my skin on fire.

***

Sophie

For t
he rest of the night, Chase and I eat and watch the most disgusting zombie movie I think I’ve ever seen before. I’ve never been more thrilled to be one of the girls who didn’t have a weak stomach.

Once
we’re finished with our food, we cuddled up together on the couch and watch the rest of the movie.

Every once in a
while Chase moves his hand up and down my arm tenderly, making me smile. When I turn away from a particularly gross scene, I catch him smiling down at me, laughing when he affectionately teases me about my decidedly “girl” reaction. Sooner than I thought it would, the movie ends and I move away from him to stretch out.

“So, how d
id you like the movie?” he asks teasingly.

“Well, it was interesting but I’m picking the nex
t one,” I say making him chuckle.

“Deal,” he agree
s before standing up to turn off the TV and I watch as he starts picking up our plates.

“Leave it, Chase, I’ll clean up in a sec,” I sa
y as I excuse myself to the bathroom.

As
I come out, I see that he’s already cleaned the plates, loaded them into the dishwasher and is now walking back out into the living room.

“Well, I guess I’ll let you get some rest now
. Thanks for having supper with me,” he smiles down at me as he pulls me closer.

“Thanks for bringing me supper and the movie
, and for cleaning up even though I told you not to,” I smile back.

“Well, what kind of date would I be if I left a mess for you?” He win
ks which makes me smile as he leans closer to give me a soft but chaste kiss on the lips. When I open my eyes, he’s gazing into them. “Sophie, I really like you. A lot.”

“I like you, too, Chase,”
I start. “But if I’m being honest, this scares the hell out of me.”

“It’s okay, we can take things slow,” he sa
ys as he pulls me into his chest for an embrace.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“Of course I’m sure. We can take things as slow as you need to, okay?” I nod and smile at him. “Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Of course,” I answer
and with that he smiles down at me as he takes my hand in his before walking over to the door. When I open it up for him he walks out and then turns to look down at me again thoughtfully. After a brief moment, he leans down and kisses me again sweetly on the lips. “Goodnight, Sophie.”

“Goodnight, Chase,
” I whisper, watching him as he walks down the steps before I shut the door behind him.

***

Drake

After our roadside r
endezvous, Analise and I actually start our date. We have a great time talking and laughing over dinner at this great Italian place we found before cuddling up at the movies, making out more than watching. I can’t believe how much I’m enjoying spending time with her but it seems the attraction is very mutual. She seems a little reluctant to discuss certain things about Sophie and her family, but I guess that’s was normal in any new relationship. Not everyone is as open as I am and that’s something I’ve grown used to over the years.

Our date ends much
later into the evening than I think we both thought it would have. Since I have to meet Chase early to be on the site of our current project, Analise invites me to stay over. I definitely don’t object to spending the night in her bed.

We’
re sleeping soundly after another round until I hear the screaming. At first, I can’t figure out what’s happening because the sounds don’t seem human. However, after Analise jumps up out of bed and throws on her robe, I realize the heart wrenching, guttural sounds are coming from Sophie.

“No!” s
he screeches into the darkness. My first instinct is to protect both her and Analise from whatever it was that is causing her to scream with such fear and desperation. I shoot up from the bed but before I can run from the room, Analise’s hand grabs me. She’s already slipped on her robe and is halfway across the bedroom.

“Wait, Drake, let me go,” she start
s.

“Are you fucking kidding me Analise? There’s no way I’m letting you go ou
t there! There’s no telling who …” she cuts me off.

“No one
’s here. I’ll be fine I promise, but you have to let me go now.”

“But
…”

“Jack! No! Come back!” Sophie’s scream cut
s me off this time.

Who the hell is Jack?

“I’ll be fine, just let me go to her!” Her eyes are tired and filled with desperation. “Now Drake!” she screams at me. I release her before watching her run to Sophie’s room.

Sh
ortly after Analise leaves, the screaming stops and is followed by deep sobs coming from the both of them.

After an hour
of sitting on the edge of the bed nervously waiting for her to come back, it quiets down. Realizing she may not come back to bed tonight, I try to force myself to sleep with no success. When I feel her climb back into bed as the sun is rising, I roll over to meet her weary gaze.

“Is she okay?” I ask
.

“No, but she will be,” she answer
s me quietly. I can see her thinking intently for just a moment before she meets my eyes. Hers are filled with sadness but hold a certain serious edge to them as she breaks the silence, “Drake?”

“What is it, B
aby?” I ask her, instantly more concerned.

“You can never
, ever tell anyone about this. Do you hear me? No one.” The way she says ‘no one’ makes it very clear that she means someone very specific. I have an idea I know exactly who that someone is.

“By nobody, do you mean Chase?” I ask her bluntly.
I don’t do the subtle thing and she knows it.

“It’s not our place, Drake. Promise me you won’t say anything. She has to do this on her own and I can’t tell you anything more
, but promise me you’ll keep this between us. You can’t even let Sophie know you were here when she woke up, okay? She’ll freak out if she knows. Promise me you’ll forget this ever happened. I swore to her I wouldn’t say anything,” she looks serious. I nod and pull her closer to me, knowing deep inside that I’ll never be able to forget Sophie’s piercing screams.

***

Sophie

Walking quickly into the house after
working a late shift at the bookstore, I make my way through the house and towards Jack’s room to put my purse away. Before I can finish braiding my long hair, the phone begins to ring.

“Oh thank God!” I whisper with relief to myself. I thought I might have
already missed Jack’s call after being stuck at work late again tonight so I’m really hoping that it’s him on the other end. I run over and frantically answer it on the third ring.

“Hello?” I practically scream
into the phone.

“Hey
, Babe. You okay?” I hear his voice and feel all the stress of my long day melt away.

“Oh thank God it’s you! I was so worried you’d called and I missed it
. Yes, I’m fine I just got stuck at work late. How was your day, Baby?” I ask as I settle down on our bed.

“It was good, I got stuck at work a little later than normal too so I was afraid you’d gone
to bed. I’m so glad I get to hear that beautiful voice of yours. Are you feeling better?” He asked, referring to the horrendous headache I’d had the last time he’d called me.

“Yes, thank you. I don’t know what happened, probably just allergies, but whatever it was seems to have passed.”

“Good, Baby, I’m glad. I miss you. I hate when you’re not feeling well and I can’t be there to take care of you,” he says sweetly.

“Me, too, but hopefully not much longer and we won’t have to worry about being apart so much,” I sa
y. Jack’s time in the Army is almost up and I for one couldn’t be happier. I’ve always respected his decision to serve his country, but I’m looking forward to not having to spend so much time apart from him. Since we’re not married and he’s in Afghanistan it isn’t an option for me to go with him.