Breaking Promises

by M. A. Lee

  I couldn’t believe how brutally honest I was being with Mel right now. Over the years I had known and been friends with Melanie, I had always been able to be honest with her and tell her the truth, even when it hurt. But today, I was almost being cold toward her. Not to say she didn’t deserve to hear my harsh words.

  “I know you think I am being mean, Mel. But I am only telling you the truth. And right now, you need to hear the truth. You need to move on and live your life before you wake up one day and realize you have nothing to live for.” I patted her shoulder and offered a smile before I pushed herself off of her bed and walked out of the room

  REMEMBERING THAT NIGHT and that argument made me realize all I could do was listen to my own words of advice. I had told Melanie to get over herself and make a decision. Now, I needed to do the same.

  “Good morning,” I said as I walked into the kitchen one morning.

  Both Cole and Melanie turned to look at me with wide eyes. I was sure I looked like the walking dead, but I had enough of my own self-pity.

  “Lauren, how are you?” Melanie asked as she jumped up and rushed to get me a cup of coffee.

  “I’m fine,” I lied as I mustered a smile.

  “Great,” Mel beamed. “I have a big meeting today with an author. Ever since Mrs. Harvey promoted me to lead editor and agent, I’ve been swamped with clients,” Mel finished.

  I was so proud of her for achieving her dream of working at MEA Literary Agency. She had always wanted to become an editor or agent- and now she was both.

  While I spent my teenage years reading Seventeen Magazine and Teen Beat, she was living the lives of characters through some of the greatest novels ever written. Melanie was smart and found books to be an outlet. I preferred glamour magazines where I could shop. Oh well, opposites attract, I guess.

  “That is great Mel. I know you can handle anything they give you,” I said.

  “I hope so,” Mel sighed.

  We sat there for a few minutes in an awkward tension.

  “What’s your plan?” Cole asked as he cut straight to the chase.

  “Cole!” Melanie snapped as she spun around and glared daggers at Cole.

  “It’s fine,” I said as I waved at her anger. “Cole is right. I need a plan. I can’t hide here forever. I have a job to get back to. I have to figure out my next move,” I stated.

  “Have you talked to Isaac?” Melanie asked as she looked at both me and Cole.

  As I began to shake my head no, Cole shook his head yes.

  “He’s been calling me. I was pissed at first. I mean, damn. He is my best friend. How could he betray me this way?” Cole asked as he ran a hand through his black hair.

  Melanie eyed him carefully as a look of sadness swept over her. It was clear she felt his pain too. A stab of guilt hit me hard as I realized it was my fiancé who had caused him this pain.

  “I’m meeting him today to talk. Look, I get it. Isaac really fucked up this time. But, he’s still my brother. I love him regardless. I at least owe him to listen to what he has to say,” Cole finished.

  This time it was my turn to speak. “Owe him? Cole be serious,” I began as my anger leaked out. “Isaac lied to all of us. He put your business and his life in danger. And for what? Money?” I screamed.

  Melanie ran over and wrapped an arm around me for support. I loved how she was now protecting me.

  “Calm down, Lauren,” Melanie said in a soothing and motherly voice.

  Stepping closer to us, Cole regarded me carefully. “Trust me, I know how upset you are. When I found out what had happened, I punched him. Me, Isaac’s best friend, hit him square in the jaw. I felt terrible but I was so mad I was seeing red. But, Isaac has left me voicemails pleading with me to understand. While I’m still angry, I understand one part of his excuse. He did it all for you Lauren,” Cole said as his eyes met mine.

  “For me?” I asked confused.

  “Yes,” Cole nodded. “For you. He wanted that money to pay off the shop so you all could buy a house. He wants to start a family with you. To provide a life for you so that you never have to worry about finances or anything else. Look, I agree he went about this all the wrong way. He was stupid. He was naïve. He was reckless. More than anything though, I understand the need to do anything and everything for the girl you love,” Cole finished as he looked over at Melanie with love filling his eyes.

  Even though I was still mad at Isaac, I understood what Cole was saying.

  “I guess that makes sense,” I stated.

  “I will tell you everything that happens when I get back home tonight,” Cole said.

  “Lauren, are you going to work today?” Melanie asked as she was clearly trying to change the conversation.

  “Yes, I promised my boss I would be back today. I have sat alone and cried enough. Our manager is moving to Texas. Her husband got a great job there and she is leaving in two weeks. If I want to even be considered for the position, I have to get my ass in gear and back to work,” I said as I felt myself stand a little taller.

  “That’s great!” Melanie cheered. “I have to get ready for work too. I have a big author coming in today to go over our edits. Cole is getting ready to leave for work too. We will meet tonight for dinner before Cole meets Isaac,” Melanie offered.

  “Sounds great,” I said as I smiled at my best friend.

  Melanie hugged me one more time before we all dispersed and began our day.

  13

  ISAAC

  Life without Lauren wasn’t living. I wasn’t even existing. I hadn’t been to work since she left me. I hadn’t showered and I had barely eaten.

  Just one conversation. That’s all I need to fix the destruction I caused.

  To be honest, I hadn’t slept in days. Without Lauren at our house, I couldn’t rest. The bed was empty without her. The house was void of any feeling without her laughter and her smile and her scent.

  Lauren was what made our house a home and now, it was just an empty space that made me feel lonely.

  After hundreds of unreturned texts and calls, Cole finally agreed to meet up with me. While Lauren was still ignoring me and avoiding me at all costs, Cole was the one who finally called me back.

  “I will give you an hour, Isaac. After that, if I don’t like what I hear, I will leave,” Cole said in a flat tone.

  It made me shiver to hear the ice in his voice. Cole was like my brother. We were family. However, right now we felt more like enemies.

  “I swear Cole. An hour is all I need. I will get you to trust me again. I will get Lauren to talk to me again. I just need you to see me and hear me out face to face,” I pleaded.

  I could hear Cole sighing as he thought everything over.

  “I hope you are right man. Because if you aren’t, you just threw away your family and the best woman that ever walked into your life,” Cole said. “Meet me at Wild Thing’s at nine tonight. I won’t lie to Lauren though, if she asks me anything I will tell her the truth,” Cole finished.

  “I know. Just tell me one thing,” I began. “Is Lauren alright?”

  “She’s living with me and Mel. She just had her entire world slipped out from beneath her. Damn man, she is destroyed. She is hurt. She is angry. I love you, Isaac. But, if you hurt her any more than you have, I will kick your ass,” Cole seethed.

  “I deserve that,” I said.

  Hearing that Lauren was hurting killed me. I knew she was upset, but to actually hear someone confirm my worst fears was like a stab to the heart.

  “You are right. You do. Nine tonight,” Cole said before the hung up.

  I sat on the couch, holding the phone in my hands long after he hung up. I couldn’t sleep in the bed, not without Lauren.

  Hopefully, tonight she would be back here with me and everything would finally be right in the world.

  14

  Lauren

  Somehow I found a way to shower, dress in a cute pair of black skinny pants and a red top. I had been wearing only sweatp
ants and t-shirts for the past week. I needed something to make me feel sexy and alive again. Thanks to Melanie, she had gone to my house and gathered all of my clothes, shoes, makeup and other essentials I would need until I figured out what I would do next with my living situation.

  As I stepped into the boutique for my first day back at work, I noticed the smiles of my co-workers. I know our boss had told them what was going on and I just hoped they wouldn’t treat me any differently. To my surprise, they respected my privacy and acted as though my entire world hadn’t just exploded.

  I set to work on unloading boxes from some of our suppliers and marveled at the adorable and sexy outfits we would be selling. This was probably one of my favorite parts of this job. Every day felt like Christmas as I got to explore boxes and find amazing pieces to try on and dress our store mannequins in.

  My first full day back at work had gone well and as I drove back to Melanie’s apartment, I began to feel a hint of worry. When Melanie and Cole arrived home tonight, we would have to have some serious conversations.

  Thankfully, I arrived home before the rest of them. I had time to change into a comfortable pair of jeans and grab a glass of wine and watch some trash television before they made their way home.

  Walking through the door, Melanie smiled at me as she dropped her large purse on the couch next to me.

  “Hey, how was work today? I tried to text and call you on my lunch break, but your phone is still off,” she said.

  I placed my now empty wine glass on the coffee table as I sighed. “Yes, sorry about that. I don’t want to see any texts or calls from Isaac. It’s just safe to keep my phone turned off,” I stated.

  Melanie only shook her head in agreement.

  She went and changed out of her work clothes and we sat around watching television until Cole made his way home. We enjoyed a nice dinner of home cooked lasagna, a specialty of Mel’s. We didn’t talk about Isaac or Cole’s impending conversation he would be having soon.

  After we ate and cleaned up the kitchen, Cole kissed Melanie before he turned to me as he was getting ready to walk out of the door.

  “Lauren, Isaac is going to ask me about you. I can’t lie to him,” he said flatly.

  “I understand and I don’t want to put you in a bad situation. Just be honest with him and tell him I’m hurt and confused. I just need time,” I finished.

  “I will,” Cole said as she left.

  HOURS LATER, COLE ARRIVED back home before midnight. Melanie and I were glued to the couch, anxiously waiting for his return.

  When he opened the front door, both Melanie and I jumped up, ready to hear what he had to tell us.

  “Hey baby,” Melanie yelled as she jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately.

  Watching them made me smile and tear up. Melanie deserved Cole. He worshiped the ground she walked on and it was Cole who had ultimately saved her from a deep depression. I would always be forever grateful to him for bringing my best friend back to life.

  “Hey,” Cole said as he held her tightly.

  Melanie grabbed his hand and pulled him to the couch where we were all sitting.

  Laughing, Cole had a look of surprise on his face. “You are anxious to hear about my meeting with Isaac,” he stated as he looked from Melanie and back to me.

  We both nodded our heads as we smiled and held back our own laughter. We must look really silly right about now.

  Taking in a deep breath, Cole relaxed himself into the couch before he began to speak. “Well, we met at a bar downtown. Isaac looked rough,” Cole began. “Honestly, he looked like complete shit. I mean, I’ve never seen the guy look so awful in our entire lives. As soon as he spotted me, he began firing questions at me about you,” Cole said as he pointed at me.

  “I’m glad he looked awful,” I said as I folded my arms across my chest.

  “Well, trust me he did,” Cole continued. “I told him that you were staying here but he can’t come by and see you until you call him and tell him you are ready. He argued with me for a while about this, but once Smalls and Jagger showed up, he finally got the message.”

  I could just see the group of sexy men sitting together and having a heated discussion. I felt my cheeks flush at the thought and I quickly dismissed the idea. I was mad at Isaac, I couldn’t get turned on thinking about him.

  “Good,” I said trying to distract my own thoughts.

  “He is really sorry, Lauren. I know he fucked up, but he did have the best intentions. Look, if I can forgive him I hope you can find a way too. The guys and I all threatened him. We told him if he ever did anything like this again, or anything else to hurt you; we would all beat his ass and then never talk to him again,” Cole finished as his voice rose in anger.

  I could see how this was affecting him and I was happy that Isaac had a support system around him who looked after him and who looked after me. There was so much love in this group of friends, it was hard not to fall in love with each and every one of the guys.

  “So, the conversation went well?” Melanie asked.

  She had been sitting silently, listening as Cole talked.

  “Yeah, I left once Jagger started inviting girls over to our table. There’s only one girl I want to be with,” Cole said as he leaned over and kissed Melanie on the cheek.

  She gushed and giggled at his touch and I smiled watching their affection. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my heart.

  “Wait, you said girls arrived?” I asked.

  Cole’s eyes grew wide and it was clear he didn’t mean to mention that part of the night to me.

  “Well, yeah,” he said nervously.

  He ran his hands through his hair and Melanie gave him a warning look to not say any more.

  “Was Isaac drinking?” I asked.

  I could feel my stomach drop and nausea taking over. I had broken up with Isaac. I was angry at him, but I couldn’t help but feel sick at the thought of him being surrounded by a bunch of women and alcohol.

  “Sure, he had a couple of drinks... but don’t worry Lauren. He is hell-bent on getting you back. He wouldn’t risk sleeping with some random woman when he is trying to make things right with you and the rest of us,” Cole finished.

  Standing, Melanie helped me up. I was sure my face was as pale as a ghost as I let her help me up off of the couch. “Lauren, you have had a long day. Go get some sleep and we can talk more tomorrow after work,” Melanie offered.

  Too exhausted to argue, I made my way to my bed in the guestroom and crashed into the bed. As I tried to fall asleep, all I could think about was Isaac and his arms wrapped around some girl. The images haunted me the entire night.

  15

  Lauren

  No time like the present to take a huge leap of faith. As I turned on my cell phone, I sucked in a deep breath.

  I had hundreds of missed calls and texts from Isaac and my parents. After everything happened, I had called them and explained the situation. While they respected my need to be alone, that didn’t stop them from calling me every day. Thankfully, Melanie was at my rescue and fielded most of the calls and talked to my mom for me. She kept her updated on everything that happened.

  The next day at work, I kept myself busy with working the cash register, cleaning the stock room, and taking inventory. By the time five o’clock rolled around, I was exhausted and ready to head home.

  I tried calling Melanie to see if she wanted me to pick up anything for dinner, but she didn’t answer. I decided I would try to create a meal from what we had in the kitchen or I would order delivery. I needed to do something nice for Cole and Melanie for everything they were doing for me. Maybe I would have a dinner prepared for them and then I could go see a movie so they could have some alone time.

  I numbly pulled into the parking lot and parked my car in the guest spot. I kept my eyes glued to my phone as I walked to the apartment Melanie and Cole were renting until they bought their dream home. I was catching up on e-mails and social media notifications
as I strolled into the apartment.

  Only, as soon as I walked through the front door, I felt all of the air get sucked right out of me. Standing in front of me was Isaac. His face was distraught and he had large circles under his eyes from obvious lack of sleep. Cole was standing next to him and his eyes were pleading with me not to be upset.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked as I stared at Isaac.

  I was fighting an internal battle as I looked at Isaac. Part of me wanted to smack him and scream at him for destroying us and another part of me wanted to jump into his arms and have him kiss me. I hadn’t realized until that very moment just how much I had missed Isaac. So much of my heart was filled with anger that I hadn’t allowed any other emotions to show themselves until now.

  “Please don’t be angry,” Isaac said softly. Even his voice sounded defeated.

  “I tried to tell him to wait, but he said he had to see you. I rushed over here so you wouldn’t be alone. Melanie is in a meeting and couldn’t leave work,” Cole said as he carefully watched me.

  The way both men looked at me as though they were afraid I would explode any minute. I wasn’t sure they were wrong.

  “Isaac...” I tried to speak, but I couldn’t seem to form the right words to say.

  “Lauren, just give me five minutes. I need to see you. I am dying without you,” Isaac said, his voice shaking with heavy emotion.

  “I’m going to be in the kitchen, yell if you need me,” Cole stated as he walked out of the room.

  Isaac and I stood silently as we stared at one another. We were both too afraid to speak or move.

  Finally, Isaac broke through our icy silence. “Lauren, I missed you,” he said softly.

  “I missed you too, but I am still very angry with you,” I cried.

  I couldn’t control my emotions and I was angry that tears were now falling down my cheeks. I didn’t want Isaac to see me this way. I wanted him to think I was strong and not breaking from his lies. But, I couldn’t hide my true feelings.