Pinkie Promises (A Promises Novella #1)

by Renea Porter

  “James was acting like an idiot. He asked me how I liked his leftovers. So I punched him, and he punched me back.” Jace looks to me. “I was defending you. He was drunk and didn’t know what he was saying.”

  “You know how he can be. You two like egging each other on until someone gets hurt,” I scold him.

  “You should see the other guy,” he says, teasing.

  I swat his arm. “I can’t even deal with you right now.” I can’t help but smile at him. And I can’t even be mad at him for defending me, because boys will be boys.

  “James eventually apologized, and everything is all good.”

  “Yeah. Well, I hope you two can at least be presentable for the wedding.”

  ***

  Jane’s kids’ rumbustiousness wakes me up. I don’t even try to know how she manages them. Jace is still sound asleep next to me, so I gently get out of bed and go change into a pair of shorts and a short sleeve tee.

  After m my way downstairs, I walk into the kitchen and see Jane sipping on coffee while Roger is outside with the kids. I sit next to her at the bar once I pour coffee for myself. “So how was last night?”

  “I’m sure you have some idea.” Her eyebrow arches up as she takes a drink of her coffee.

  “Yeah. Jace has a nice shiner for the wedding pictures. But it’s not my wedding. Boys will be boys, I guess.”

  “That’s for sure,” Jane agrees. “I guess they made up right after, though. James is really jealous of Jace and you. I think, at some point, he knew there was a possibility of you two hooking up.”

  “He’s getting married, so that should no longer be an issue. I get it would be weird. But it’s been a while. It’s not like we were hooking up right after we broke up.”

  Jane shrugs. “I don’t know. All I do is: Jace feels something more than he’s telling you. Something has to give. Either you feel the same or not. Whatever, you two have to figure it out, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

  “I know.”

  “The rehearsal dinner is tonight, and we have to go. Mom is already gone to help organize it. I can’t wait until it’s all over, to be honest.”

  Jace comes downstairs, and I rise from my stool to get him more ice for his eye. “The swelling has gone down some. Here.” He takes the cloth from me and holds it to his eye, and I pour him a mug of coffee.

  “What are you guys talking about?”

  “The rehearsal dinner is tonight. We all have to go. And try not to get in anymore fights,” Jane scolds him before going outside.

  “Does it hurt?” I ask Jace.

  “Like a bitch.” He tugs on my hand. “Come on. The next two days are going to be hectic. And I prefer to have you to myself beforehand.”

  I giggle. “Where are we going?”

  He holds the truck door open for me. “Just get in.”

  My stomach growls, and Jace gives me a quick glance as he starts the truck. So my money is he’s taking me to eat. Enjoying the drive, Jace pulls into a place called Estia’s Little Kitchen listed on a large white sign. The place looks like a small brick house with a fire place. The entryway is a pretty blue color. Almost the color of Jace’s eyes.

  “I got to keep you fed. Mom is gone for the day.”

  Inside, it has a homey feel to it. And we are seated at a table for two with the classic red and white table cloth along a window. A bar area lines the wall and has dark wood stools.

  “It’s so cute in here,” I say while looking around. We are given menus and the waitress comes by to get our drinks. “I’ll have an orange juice.” Jace orders the same.

  Jace looks over to me. “Celebrities flock to this place during the summer. Alec Baldwin has a favorite that the restaurant named after him called Big Al’s Burrito with egg whites.”

  “Nice.”

  The menu is Mexican inspired, which is one of my favorite foods. I settle on the Western Omelet.

  The waitress brings our drinks, and I order my omelet while Jace orders Robbie’s Gringo Hash breakfast bowl.

  “I hope the rehearsal dinner is not awkward tonight,” I admit.

  “I’m sure it will be fine once you meet Jennifer and everything. She’s not that bad of a person. I mean, the way it came about is shitty. But she’s okay, I guess.”

  I nod. Our breakfast arrives, and the food looks and smells amazing. “Wow. This is so good.”

  “Right. Here; try a bite of mine.” Jace holds a fork of food out to me, and I take it.

  “That’s good, too.”

  To onlookers, we probably look like young lovers and not best friends.

  ***

  “Here. I brought this for you to wear,” Jane says, holding a dress to me while we get ready for dinner. It’s royal blue, and very rehearsal dinner appropriate.

  “Thank you so much.”

  I pair the dress with silver heels.

  “Sit,” Jane orders.

  I do as she says and sit in the chair at the vanity. She brushes my long hair and starts braiding it from one side and ending the braid as it hangs down in a fancy fishtail twist on one side. She loosens some of the hairs so it looks effortless.

  “I wish my hair was this Snow White. It’s so pretty.”

  “Thanks. I’ve thought about adding some crazy colors in it just to be funky. But I’m hesitant to mess up its naturalness.”

  “Don’t do that. Seriously, it’s gorgeous as it is.”

  She touches up my makeup, and then we meet the guys downstairs. I know she is trying to make James regret letting me go, and to maybe push Jace into making a move. My breath catches when I see him in a light gray suit, hands in his pockets, and black dress shoes.

  “We match,” he says when I reach him. “You look good. I like the hair.”

  “Thanks. You sure clean up well, too.”

  Jace and I take the truck while Jane and her family follow behind. It’s been nice getting out of the house today, but I still can’t help the nerves that swirl in my belly.

  “There’s no reason to be nervous. You only have to meet her and be done with it. I’ll be right next to you the whole time.”

  He knows me without me even expressing my thoughts. It’s like he can read my mind sometimes.

  “I know.”

  It doesn’t take us long to get to the beachside restaurant. It’s exquisite from the outside, as it sprawls wide with big white pillars on the porch. Another restaurant that looks like a house, but much bigger than the one we were at earlier.

  Everyone in this town oozes rich. But Jace and his family are far from that mentality, which is rare these days. Clutch in one hand and Jace holding onto my other hand, I stop, take a deep breath, and then enter with a smile plastered across my face. Jace winks at me right before we meet the clan. With Jace gripping my hand, he leads me to James and Jennifer straight away. Might as well get it over with. Jace gives my hand a light squeeze as we approach them.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” James says, bending down to hug me. I hug him back. “This is Jennifer,” he introduces.

  She smiles brightly. “So nice to meet you. You and Jace, huh?”

  “Yeah. It’s new,” I tell her as a matter of fact.

  “Well, we’ll catch up later,” Jace tells them. He leans in to whisper in my ear, “There. Was that so bad? Just laugh like I said something funny.” His hot breath against my skin sends a shiver down my spine.

  Getting acquainted with everyone, we finally sit for dinner and the conversation flows. But it seems Jace and I are the topic of conversation and we roll with it. His arm spreads out on the back of my chair. Once, he even leans in to kiss me on the cheek, but I wasn’t expecting it and it ended up being on the lips when I turned my head in surprise. I was in shock for the remainder of the dinner. The PDA was very much alive throughout dinner, and I played the part quite well, if I do say so myself. But part of me wonders: was I really acting?

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  SIMONE- Age 18

  It’s grad
uation day. Jace and I made it. But it was a day for goodbye, because he and I were going to separate colleges.

  “I didn’t realize I’d cry over saying goodbye to you,” I admitted, swiping the tears away.

  “Hey.” He bent down to look in my eyes. “It’s not like I’ll never see you again. I’ll see you on the holidays, and on breaks. I’ll even come visit you on campus. You can’t come to mine, because I have a reputation to build and a lot of girls to sleep with.”

  He was trying to make me laugh, and it worked. “You’re such a pig.”

  “I got you to laugh, didn’t I?”

  “This is just great, because now I’m laughing and crying.”

  “Come here.” Jace pulled me into him, and I didn’t want the moment to pass. He whispered in my ear, “You’ll always be my number one. So don’t think you can replace me just because we are going to separate colleges. Promise me.”

  I nodded into his shoulder, gripping his shirt for dear life. “I pinkie promise.”

  Letting me go, we hooked our pinkies together to promise. “We’ll talk every day, okay?”

  “Okay.” I nodded.

  “Now, show me that gorgeous smile before I drive off.”

  With both hands, I wiped my tears away and watched as he loaded into his car. With a wave, I smiled as best as I could and watched my best friend since the age of six drive off. We were no longer attached at the hip, and this was the first time I had to be on my own.

  It was time for me to spread my wings and be my own person.

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  PRESENT: SIMONE

  It’s the day of the wedding. And the nervousness no longer resides in my belly. Jennifer isn’t so bad, but I will not be becoming besties with her. Maybe several years down the road things will be different, but I won’t be holding my breath.

  I can’t stop thinking about the kiss with Jace since it happened. My lips are branded by his and now there’s no going back. I want him, all of him, more than anything. But right now, we are getting ready for the wedding.

  The braid from last night leaves my hair in cascading waves, so I forgo washing it. With a fresh coat of makeup on, my hair hanging down to the middle of my back, I slip on the dress that Jane helped pick out. The off-white color shows off my tan.

  Jace is already at the venue since he is part of the wedding party, so I’m hitching a ride with Jane and her family. “Jace is going to freak when he sees you,” Jane mentions. “I mean, if I were a lesbian…”

  Roger shakes his head while their son Dylan asks, “What’s a lesbian?” I can’t help but bust out laughing while Jane tries to find the words that won’t form.

  It doesn’t take long for us to arrive to the venue. If I were getting married, I would get married right on the beach, barefoot, no shoes required. But that’s just me. James and his fiancée opted for a hotel resort instead, in a garden setting. Then the reception will be in one of the ballrooms.

  Finding our way out to the courtyard, I find my mom and sit next to her; Jane and her family on the other side of me. “You look beautiful, Simone.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I give her a kiss on the cheek.

  My eyes look forward, locking eyes with Jace, and I offer a slight wave and smile.

  He looks so handsome in his tux, standing up next to James. Before he left this morning, I was able to use some makeup to cover his black eye. You can hardly tell.

  The wedding march brings me out of my thoughts as Jennifer walks down the aisle on her father’s arm. Her father hands her off to James. I’ll admit, she looks stunning. The gown is strapless, form fitting, and flares at the bottom. The veil is almost as long as her dress, adding drama to the ensemble. I listen as they say traditional vows, every so often, I meet Jace’s gaze and find it hard to tear my eyes away, the words of the ceremony fading into the background.

  The bride and groom are announced as husband and wife, and make their way down the aisle together, hand in hand.

  Jace catches up with me. “You look…fantastic.”

  “Thanks.” I try not to blush. “You look really good, too.”

  Inside the ballroom, we find our table. “We should talk tomorrow,” he mentions with a serious tone.

  “We should,” I say, agreeing.

  Because that was a kiss that I can’t forget.

  “But tonight, let’s just celebrate and have fun.”

  I nod.

  The DJ announces James and Jennifer as Mr. and Mrs. James Prescott, and we all clap as they enter the room. Before dinner, the DJ makes another announcement. “Alright. We need all the single ladies out on the dance floor for the bouquet toss.”

  I remain seated, because, technically I’m with Jace…until he tells me, “You have to go up.”

  “No. I’m not single.”

  “Yes you are. We aren’t married, so you have to go out there.” He all but shoves me.

  I make my way and feel like a complete idiot as I stand in the back, so no one notices. Finally, Jennifer tosses the bouquet and it lands right at my feet. So my competitiveness kicks in and I almost have to fight for it as I snatch it up. Everyone claps while I make my way back to the table alive. Jace smiles his big cheesy smile.

  “You happy now?” I ask.

  He doesn’t answer. Instead, he laughs as I plop the bouquet on the table.

  The bride and groom make a toast before dinner is served.

  “Just think, you could be hitting on those single girls and taking one home tonight.”

  “What makes you think I’d rather be doing that?” he asks.

  I shrug. “I just know you like to have a good time with random chicks.”

  “Are you saying I’m afraid to commit?”

  Yes.

  “I’m saying you like to play the field.”

  “Are you comparing me to James? Because that’s totally different. He sleeps around behind peoples’ backs. I’m straight up from the get go. My sleep overs know that after a night of sex, it’s not going anywhere but a cab drive home.”

  Somehow, the conversation turns more serious than I intended.

  “We’ll continue the conversation tomorrow. Let’s just have fun.” He tosses a jack and coke back.

  “You’re right.”

  We finish eating, and the bride and groom start to slow dance to a song. Then people flock to the dance floor, and Jace holds his hand out to me. “Come on and dance with me.”

  “It’s a slow song.”

  “So. We are going to dance to every song tonight,” he tells me. Jane offers me a wink when I look at her for help. I am not a dancer. “Just follow my lead.”

  He brings me in to him. We are so close nothing can squeeze in between us. That’s when I realize I don’t want him to let go of me. He leans in to whisper in my ear. “Have I told you how stunning you look?”

  I bring my head back to look in his eyes. “You have. Thank you.”

  The song ends and Jace tugs on my hand, leading us off the dance floor as we head to the bar. “Two champagnes.”

  “Oh. Fancy,” I tell him jokingly.

  “This is a very special toast,” he says when the bartender hands us two glasses. “This is to new beginnings,” he declares.

  “I like that. To new beginnings.”

  We toast by clinking our glasses together.

  Discarding our empty glasses, we make our way back on the dance floor…where I feel like a duck. We only stop to drink and use the restroom. It’s around midnight when I excuse myself to the restroom again but James corners me when he notices I’m alone.

  “What? You couldn’t have me so you go for my brother?” he sneers. “Is his dick as good as mine?”

  “You are way out of line, James. I suggest you go find your little wifey and stop hassling me. Jace and I have been friends forever. So what I do, and with whom is none of your business anymore. If you make any more trouble for me, or speak to me in a disrespectful manner, I will tell little ole’ Jenny that she wasn’t the on
ly one you were sleeping with.”

  James’s face turns white.

  Jace approaches us. “What’s going on here?” He notices the strain on my face.

  I roll my eyes. “Just James being James.”

  I turn and walk into the restroom. James is drunk and doesn’t know what he is saying. So there is no need for a confrontation between brothers.

  When I come back out, Jace is there. “What was that about?” he asks.

  “Your brother being his usual asshole, drunken self. I handled it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I can handle James. Everything is fine. Let’s go back to the party.”

  We dance until people start to leave. Jace disappears while I bid Mom goodbye as she insists on driving back home. “Call me when you get home.”

  Jace meets me, and flashes the bottle of champagne he took. My mouth drops as we run out to the truck. Laughing, Jace passes me the bottle when we get in the truck. “We’ll save that for tomorrow.”

  “Good. I want to enjoy at least one more day at the beach.” My head sways, but I’m not drunk. “Wait. You don’t need to be home for the launch of the game?”

  “Nah. It should go off without a hitch. That is the last thing I’m worried about.”

  When Jace and I get home, I immediately head for the shower. Once I finish, I put on a pair of short pajama shorts and a matching tank. Jace is already sound asleep as I get in bed. I can’t believe how quickly the weekend has passed.

  We had everyone fooled, but the only person I am fooling is myself. Because I’m in love with Jace Prescott. Things gradually shifted between us, and I have to admit, I’m in love with him. And I really want to feel that kiss on my lips again. Sighing at the thought, I close my eyes and try to sleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  PRESENT: SIMONE

  “Hey, sleepy head,” Jace says when I roll over to face him the next morning.