Promise of Forever

by Jessica Wood

My eyes immediately took in his dark faded jeans and the worn leather jacket that seemed to hug against his muscular build.

  He must have noticed my eyes moving up and down his body because his lips curled into a wide grin as he pulled off his aviator sunglasses. “Stop undressing me with your eyes…,” he began as he sat down next me on the lawn, “…and start using those luscious lips of yours. We’ll both get what we want sooner.” His voice was rich and husky, and I felt my body respond to his words.

  “I—I wasn’t,” I finally said with indignation and looked away from him, focusing my gaze on the “Rocky Steps.”

  “I was just joking.” He playfully nudged my shoulder. “Can’t a guy tease a girl?”

  I looked back to him and raised an eyebrow at him.

  He laughed. “Okay, so maybe I was only half joking. But you can’t hate a guy for trying.”

  “And why are you trying?” I challenged. Then I made the mistake of looking into his intensely dark, brown eyes, causing me to inhale sharply as a wave of nerves crashed through me.

  He held my gaze as he leaned his body toward me until we were just inches apart. “Because I like you. You’re feisty.” He grinned, and to my surprise, it was oddly sincere behind his casual, don’t-give-a-shit persona.

  “I’m engaged,” I finally said and blinked, breaking our locked gazed.

  “That’s too bad,” he responded coolly, making no attempt to move away.

  I watched in silence as his hand moved a loose strand of hair from my face and brushed it behind my ear. I knew I should move away from him, but something froze me in place.

  “So how are you feeling?” There was a warm smile on his face as he studied me.

  “What do you mean?” I managed to ask, confused by his question.

  “Well, when we met two weeks ago, you had just checked out of the hospital. So I assume you went in for something health-related. I was just asking how you are now?”

  “Oh. I’m fine.”

  “That’s good. So you like art museums too?” He motioned to the museum behind him. “I sometimes come here on my days off.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” I realized that I wasn’t sure if I’d liked museums before, but there was definitely something about the idea of a building filled with art that caused me to stop there.

  “You guess so?” He cocked his head and studied me.

  I looked away from him. “I can’t remember.”

  “Oh?”

  “I was recently in an accident…” I wasn’t sure why, but it felt nice to get this off my chest, to face the truth head-on. “And when you met me, I’d been recovering at the hospital after waking up from an eight-day coma. Since I woke up, I don’t remember many things about my life.”

  There was a brief silence as he absorbed what I’d said. Then he chuckled lightly and playfully nudged me, “Well, that explains our odd conversation about your name and whether or not you knew me.”

  I giggled. “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry that’s happened to you.” There was a deep sincerity in his voice that took me by surprise. Then he looked at me and I could see the sadness on his face. “I can’t imagine losing all of those memories. Whether they were good or bad memories, they were yours, and they shaped you to the person you are today.”

  “Yeah.” I turned away, trying to blink away the tears. I realized that in the past two weeks, this was the first time someone tried to imagine and understand what I was going through, and acknowledged the importance of what I had lost.

  Then I cleared my throat and forced a smile on my face as I looked back at Ethan. “So you have the day off?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Yeah. What about you?”

  “I’m…I’m currently taking some time off from work.”

  “Oh? To recover?”

  I nodded. “So what do you do, Ethan?” I tried to push the conversation away from me.

  “I’m a freelance consultant for various businesses.”

  I laughed. “Okay, that’s vague.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Feisty and honest. I’m liking you more and more, Liv.”

  I wasn’t sure why, but hearing those words made me happy.

  “So what’s on our agenda today, Liv?” He propped his hands behind him on the grass as he looked at me expectantly.

  “Our agenda?”

  “Well, the way I see it, we’re both free today. So why not be free together?”

  I stared at him, shocked by his boldness.

  “I—” I was about tell him off, but something stopped me.

  “What?” He smirked. “Do you have plans? Are you one of those girls that spends your free afternoons doing nothing but shopping and spending your fiancé’s money?”

  “No,” I retorted, offended that he’d even think I was a girl like that.

  He smiled in amusement. “I didn’t think so. I think you’re more of the adventurous type.”

  “Actually, I don’t think I am.”

  “I think you are, Liv.”

  Before I could protest and disagree with him, he grabbed my hand and pulled me up from the lawn.

  “Come on.” There was an excited gleam in his eyes as he led me away from the “Rocky Steps.”

  “Where are we going?” As much as I tried to resist, I felt a thrill of excitement run through me.

  “We’re going for a ride.” He looked over at me, his eyes dark and mysterious, and I felt my heart pound a little faster against my chest.

  Before I could ask what exactly he meant by that, he stopped in front of it. I let out an audible gasp when I realized what he meant.

  There parked before us was a sleek, black Harley Davidson bike.

  I shook my head in protest. “I…I should get back home.”

  “Okay. Then let me take you home. I promise I won’t go too fast,” he coaxed as he watched me intently.

  I looked at him and then at the bike, trying to decide what to do.

  Suddenly, he grabbed my waist and pulled me against his chest. He leaned up against my cheek and whispered in a husky voice, “Live a little, Liv.”

  To my surprise, something about his words and the dangerous look in his eyes stopped me from objecting further. Against all rational thought, I felt myself nod in agreement. I wasn’t sure why, but there was something about his spontaneity, that made me feel more alive than I’d felt since I’d awoken two weeks ago. Instead of everyone else who seemed to dance around me and treated me like a fragile piece of glass—an object that was about to break at a moment’s notice, Ethan was the only person that seemed to not give in to that pattern. He didn’t treat me like an injured bird that needed to be protected. Instead, he pushed me to the limit and treated me like a strong and fearless person.

  “Feisty, honest, and adventurous.” His disarming, crooked smile sent a shiver down my back and I felt my body tense with anticipation. Then he tapped his hand on the motorcycle chair, motioning me to sit down.

  I looked at the small seat hesitantly, and instantly felt nervous. That’s a small seat for both of us.

  “Come on, Liv. Life’s waiting.” He flashed me a dangerous smile and I swallowed hard.

  I gingerly moved my leg over the seat.

  “That’s one lucky seat.” He raised his eyebrows and eyed my legs as they straddled the seat.

  I looked at him in disgust. “You’re such a—”

  “—An awesome person?” He finished my sentence with a devious smirk. “You’re abso-fucking-lutely right.”

  I glared at him and was about to get off the bike.

  But he stopped me and his face softened. “Please don’t be like that. I was just teasing you.”

  He put a motorcycle helmet over my head and secured the strap under my chin. Our eyes met and I was surprised by how warm and kind his brown eyes were at that moment as he stared at me. He gently brushed a wisp of loose hair from my face. “Ready?”

  I looked at him as panic set in. I’d never been on a motorcycle and
the thought scared me.

  He flashed me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

  I couldn’t explain why, but I believed him and my body relaxed as I felt the engine rev to life.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The wild blasts of wind hit my face at high speeds, assaulting my numb cheeks. My stomach lurched with every twist, turn, and dip the seat under me forced me to endure throughout the violent ride. My tiny hands gripped tightly onto the metal as I squeezed my eyes closed, wishing for the second we’d stop and be safely back on solid ground. I knew that I was screaming; my mouth was dry as gushes of air blew into my open mouth. Why did I agree to go on this roller coaster ride? I asked myself as I wondered how much longer it would be. I’m only nine. I don’t want to die!

  But somehow I knew that I should open my eyes and face my fear. I clutched at the metal bars tighter as I willed my eyes open. I gasped as I saw that we had just reached the top of a loop and braced myself as the roller coaster flew down the steep downward track. But this time, I forced myself to keep my eyes open.

  As the roller roaster plummeted down the loop, my body heaved upward against the bars that secured me against my seat. I screamed, but this time, they were screams of exhilaration and laughter as I flew through the air. This time, instead of a sickening lurch in my stomach, I felt an intense rush of adrenaline surge through my body. The feeling was incredible! For the first time, I couldn’t think about anything else but this moment—not the tension at home, not my father’s drinking, not my mother’s secret crying behind closed doors. For the first time, all that mattered was the incredible high of this moment. For the first time in months, I felt free.

  “Liv, can you hear me? Open your eyes. It’ll make it better!” His voice brought me back to the present as the flashback faded into the background.

  I felt the wind blowing past us as the bike zipped through the street. I realized that I had my eyes closed tightly as my arms gripped around Ethan’s muscular body for dear life.

  “Open your eyes,” I heard him say again.

  I felt the same lurch I’d felt in my flashback, and I realized that he was right. When I opened my eyes, I realized we weren’t going as fast as I’d thought when my eyes were closed. We were flying through a wide, busy street, weaving effortlessly through the early rush-hour traffic, but I noticed that Ethan made sure we kept a fair distance from any cars.

  “Atta girl!” He met my gaze through one of the rear-view mirrors on the bike. “It’s not as scary if you can see where you’re going.”

  “You’re right. Thanks.” The nauseous lurch in my stomach was gone. Instead, I felt the same rush of adrenaline course through me that I’d felt in my flashback on the roller coaster. I felt free.

  As my body began to relax, my mind registered other things. My hands could feel the muscular frame of Ethan’s hard body under his leather jacket. I could smell the intoxicating mixture of his aftershave and masculine scent as my face nestled against his shoulder. I felt the powerful vibration of the bike as my legs straddled tightly against his backside. I was immediately turned on and began to wonder how it’d feel to be touched by this dangerous and exciting stranger. I wondered how it’d feel to have his hard, naked body wrapped around me, on top of me, inside of me.

  “Are you having fun?” His words broke through my fantasy, causing me to grow hot with embarrassment and shame for what I’d just been thinking.

  “Yeah,” I managed.

  It wasn’t until then that I started to take in our surroundings and noticed that we were in a neighborhood that I didn’t recognize at all. The houses were smaller and the streets were busier than the pristine, opulent houses that lined the neighborhood where Connor and I lived. How long have we been on this bike? I live less than a mile from the museum. It should only take a few minutes to get back to my place.

  “I think we’re lost,” I screamed through the rush of wind that blew at my face.

  “No we’re not.”

  “But this isn’t where I live,” I cried. I started to panic, realizing that I’d just allowed myself to be taken by a complete stranger without paying attention to where we were heading.

  “Trust me.” That was all he said, and it sent a jolt of alarm through every nerve of my body.

  Seconds later, my fear reached its peak. “Stop!” I demanded as I shook his back, urging him to listen to me. “I said stop!”

  But he didn’t listen.

  It wasn’t until we passed through a busy, narrow street that he’d finally slowed down.

  As soon as the bike came to a stop, I leaped from the seat, yanked my helmet from my head, and threw it into his arms.

  “Where did you take me?” I demanded, trying to hide the alarm I felt inside.

  He gave me a small smirk as he slowly took off his own helmet, making it clear that he wasn’t bothered by my outburst.

  “You said you’d take me home!”

  “And that’s what I’m going to do.”

  His nonchalant attitude grated against my fear and made me more brazen. “This is not where I live.”

  “Relax. I told you I’d take you home, and I will. But I didn’t say that I’d take you home immediately.” He flashed me a devious smile as he got off his bike. “I thought you’d appreciate a pit stop.” He motioned at the busy street that was lined with tiny mom-and-pop shops that appeared as if they’d been there for decades.

  I crossed my arms, taking a step away from him as I glared at him. “I only agreed to get on your bike because I thought you were taking me home. Had I known this was your plan, I would have just got an Uber ride.”

  He snorted as he walked up to me, closing the few feet that had separated us. “Come on, Liv. We both know that’s not true.” His voice was smooth and deep. “We both know that you wanted to get on my bike because there’s something about the idea of riding on the bike—and the idea of riding with me—that excites you.” His smoldering eyes were wild as his lips curled into a crooked smile.

  Before I had a chance to object, to tell him he was wrong, to convince myself that he was wrong, he spoke again. “Now come on, let me show you around.”

  He held out his hand. I looked at it and then up at him. When our eyes met, I felt my annoyance waver. There was something behind the spark in his dark, dangerous eyes that caused me to push past the apprehension I felt. I reached out and placed my hand on his. He grabbed it and led me down the busy street of tiny shops.

  “Where are you taking me?” I struggled against his strong grip.

  He looked at me and flashed an arrogant smile.

  I knew he saw right through me. I wasn’t really wholeheartedly resisting him. Something about his unpredictable, take-control attitude did excite me—it was as if I had been awakened to a heightened sense of curiosity and desire that I couldn’t remember feeling before.

  “Paesano’s. You’ll love it.”

  “What’s Paesano’s?” I frowned as I looked around at the various hole-in-the-wall establishments—a cluttered spice shop, several markets with fruit and vegetable stands, a cheese shop, and a butcher shop.

  “It’s a sandwich shop. They’re hands down the best sandwich shop in Philly.”

  I frowned. “You took me to get a cheesesteak?”

  He laughed and looked at me with pity in his eyes. “No, this is so much better than a cheesesteak shop.”

  When we stopped in front of the door to Paesano’s, he studied me. “You seriously have never heard of this place?”

  I looked at him skeptically. “Nope. And why are you taking me here? I didn’t say I was hungry.”

  He smiled and opened the door for me. “Liv, if you haven’t had a sandwich here, you haven’t lived. And like I said, life’s waiting. I’m just making sure that when you’re hanging out with me, you live a little.”

  “I…” I was about to tell him that I was living my life just fine, but I was stopped by the intense savory aromas that immediately hit me as I w
alked into the small, crowded shop.

  “You smell that, huh?” He beamed at me, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

  I finally felt all my resistance leaving me. My eyes lit up. “Yeah. That smells amazing.” My stomach growled, and it was only then that I’d realized I’d only really had the peanut butter, bacon, and banana sandwich today.

  “Hungry now?” He eyed me with amusement. Clearly, he also heard my stomach’s admission.

  I smiled up at him and nodded eagerly. “Okay, you win. So what’s good here?”

  He chuckled. “Well, that was easy.”

  I made a face at him.

  “Well, everything’s good here, but I love the Italian beef brisket with the fried egg in it.”

  I frowned. “A fried egg? On a hot sandwich?”

  He laughed. “Don’t knock it till you try it. Did you know this place was on the show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and that sandwich actually beat Bobby Flay? Do you know how hard that is?”

  “Oh. Wow.” I wasn’t sure how my mind worked, but I knew about this show Ethan was talking about. I couldn’t recall any episodes, but I had a feeling that I’d watched it several times. “Okay, fine. You’ve convinced me. I’ll get that.”

  He beamed and swung his arm over my shoulder. “Had I known you were this easily swayed, Liv, I would have taken you somewhere else.”

  I rolled my eyes and pushed him playfully. “Don’t get any ideas. I’m only agreeing to stay and eat here because I’m trying to be nice.” I kept my tone casual, but on the inside, I wondered where else he would have taken me if he knew I was willing. As I watched him place our food order, my body became increasingly sensitive to the fact that his arm lingered around my shoulder, and his seemingly-casual touch was sending waves of desire to ripple down my body.

  Finally I took a step back from him and casually combed through my hair. “So you seem to really know Philly, Ethan. How long have you lived here?”

  “About five years now. What about you?”

  “About two years.”

  “Ahh, so you’re still a newbie,” he teased. “Good thing you have someone like me to show you around.”

  I laughed.