Promise Me Always

by Rhonda Shaw

  * * *

  I drove to the apartment over the garage, my temporary home after the fiasco with my father. I shut off the engine and turned to Gabrielle. “Wait here a second, okay?”

  She nodded and waited as I raced up the stairs, disappearing inside, getting everything ready and making a few adjustments. I had it all planned and was excited for our first Christmas together. I hoped she liked what I did.

  When she stepped over the threshold, she gasped in surprise, and my insides warmed. Strings of multi-colored lights hung around the doorframes, and there was a small tree with a gold star glowing on the top. Multiple tea lights glowed from every corner of the room.

  “Danny, this is beautiful.”

  I lifted one shoulder, but I loved that she loved it. “It isn’t much, but I wanted to do something for our first Christmas.”

  She smiled as she walked over to the bed, dumping her jacket into the chair. She patted the space next to her. “Come here.” I removed the sweatshirt I wore over a plain white T-shirt as I made my way across the room, and once I sat, she handed me a gift. “Here.”

  “You didn’t have to get me anything, baby.”

  “Of course, I did. Open it.” I studied the silver wrapping and red ribbon, overcome by the gesture, and made no move to open it. “Danny, is this your first Christmas present?”

  “From anyone who cares about me,” I murmured.

  She paused, but then she smiled. “It won’t be the last. Now open it.”

  I ripped off the paper covering a book with a leather cover, stamped with the letter “D” in the bottom corner. I fanned through the pages, all of which were blank.

  “It’s a journal. I figured you could write in this instead of carrying around loose papers. When you fill it up, you can replace the inside with new paper.” When I remained silent, staring at the book in my hands, she cleared her throat. “It isn’t much, I know, but—”

  I cut her off with my mouth. When I pulled away, my voice was rough. “It’s perfect.” My fingertips trailed over the embossed ‘D’. “Thank you.”

  She smiled, relief and happiness filling her face, and reached behind her. “Well, that’s not all.”

  I shook my head. “No, this is enough.”

  “Let me spoil you.” She took the journal out of my hand and replaced it with the other gift. “Open it.”

  I sighed before unwrapping a new digital music player, a newer and better model than the one I had before. “You didn’t.”

  “It was my fault your other one broke.”

  “Gabrielle, it’s too much. Take it back.”

  “Nope. I’m going to do it. Get used to it.”

  I captured her mouth with mine again, before resting my forehead against hers. “Thank you. I love you.”

  “I love you too, and you’re worth everything. I only wish I could get you more.”

  “I have you. That’s all I need.”

  She pressed her lips against mine. “You have me.”

  I sat back to place the gifts on the nightstand next to the bed. Opening the drawer, I retrieved a small box wrapped in red paper and handed it to her.

  “Danny, you shouldn’t have.”

  “You can’t tell me you can buy me things, but I can’t.”

  “But—”

  “No buts, open the damn thing.”

  She eyed me with one brow lifted before removing the foil paper from the package. When she spotted the logo of a jewelry store, she shook her head and tried to give the box back. “No, Danny. Whatever it is, it’s too expensive. Take it back.”

  “Just open the effing box before I toss you in the snow for being a pain the ass.” She grinned, but hesitated and I smiled at her. “Come on. Open it.”

  She lifted the lid and her mouth dropped open on a silent gasp. Nestled in soft padding was a fragile gold chain necklace with a pendant made of gold lines weaving and winding around each other to form a small circle on which sat sporadically placed chips of rubies and aquamarines.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “It represents our lives. The intertwined lines are our lifelines. The rubies and the aquamarines represent us. They’re our birthstones.”

  “Danny, it’s gorgeous. I can’t believe you did this. It must have cost a fortune.”

  I ignored her and pulled the thin gold chain out, fastening it around her neck. “It looks good on you.”

  “Thank you. I love it.”

  The candles and Christmas lights draped the room in a hazy hue, and she’d never looked so stunning. “You’re so beautiful.”

  Her breath stuttered as she cupped my cheek, leaning in to touch her lips to mine. I lingered before tilting my head to deepen the kiss. Her arms circled my neck, and I tugged her closer, pressing her chest against me. I reclined, my hands making slow trails down her sides, and with our mouths never parting, I switched our positions, rising above her.

  I propped up on one elbow and brushed her hair away from her face. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  Gabrielle nodded, even though her throat moved as she swallowed hard.

  My mouth descended on hers again, but this time with more intensity. She pulled my shirt over my head, her eyes feasting on my bare chest. Her fingers lingered over my other tattoos, before moving to the ridges of my rib cage and over my stomach, causing my skin to tighten and raise in goose bumps, and my dick to twitch. My hand traveled up her sweater and she raised her torso so I could remove it, followed by her bra.

  She kept her eyes on mine. “I know I’m not big…”

  My gaze flew up to hers, and I cupped her in my hand with reverence. “You’re perfect,” I said before my mouth was on hers.

  She let me take her where I wanted to go, willing to follow wherever, and I started slow, but soon we were panting for air, our hands roaming over each other, never hesitating in one spot for long.

  I unzipped her jeans and dragged them down her legs. Clothed only in her pink bikini underwear, my eyes skimmed over the length of her, fully laid out instead of crammed into the backseat, and I palmed her strong calves. “I love your legs. They’re a fucking mile long.”

  She reached for my belt, unbuckling it, and once undone, along with the button and zipper of my jeans, she pushed down my pants. I pulled them off the rest of the way before throwing them onto the floor, where our clothes lay in a pile. I extended behind her and drew down the blankets so we could get underneath, before tugging off her panties and my boxers. My fingers brushed over her stomach before touching her, testing her readiness, and when I encountered wet, slick heat, I closed my eyes on a moan as everything in me flamed. I yanked open the drawer to the nightstand, desperate to be inside her, and grabbed a condom, rolling it on as she watched, her eyes wide.

  “Are you nervous?”

  “No,” she said, but her voice was thin.

  “Scared?”

  “No.”

  “It might hurt a little.”

  She nodded, but said nothing more, positioning her legs wider in silent invitation. I situated myself between them, and intertwined our fingers before placing our connected hands over where my heart thudded in a quick rhythm. “I love you, Gabrielle.”

  “I love you—” She cut off with a gasp when I eased into her, and squeezed her eyes shut. Waiting for her body to adjust around me, she sucked in a breath, and I held still, fighting the urge to move, and trying to ignore how fucking hot and tight she was, sweat breaking out on my skin from the effort.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she smiled, pulling me closer for a kiss, and I moved within her.

  “It will always be you, no matter what,” she said.

  “Always,” I promised before we lost ourselves in each other.

  Chapter 23

  ~ Danny ~

  Present Day

  Gabrielle padded down the back stairway, dressed in a snug yellow t-shirt and boxer shorts. She hadn’t seen me yet, so I stayed in the dark corner of the kitchen, watching her stroll over
to the fridge.

  True to my word, the crew had found another place to hang once I told them to move on, and I hoped she realized I was serious when I said this house was for a family—our family. I would do whatever I needed to, whatever she wanted me to, for that to happen. But my attempts at trying to mend things between us were not going as planned, as she had to be avoiding me. It was like she’d memorized my schedule and made herself scarce at the exact moments I was around. She would never be comfortable with me again if we didn’t work this shit out, and that would never happen if she continued to evade me.

  A few times, we’d ended up alone in the same room, and as soon as I even addressed her, we were interrupted, or she provided a lame excuse why she had to fly out of my presence. Beyond frustrated, I told myself the next time I was alone with her, she wasn’t getting away. We would have it out once and for all.

  She bent over at the waist, scrounging around in the fridge, and I swallowed hard, taking in her long, golden bare legs, remembering what it had felt like to run my hands up and down them, or have them wrapped around me. I was desperate to touch her, to hold her, but I couldn’t make any move until we talked about what had happened between us. Even though she tried to hide the hurt, I saw the pain in her eyes when she thought I wasn’t looking. I felt the same way, but hid it better than she did.

  It was now or never, and I was going in. It was time we battled it out, and I would ignite the bomb and see where the pieces landed.

  Stepping out of the corner, I stood behind her and cleared my throat. She jerked upright in surprise and spun around, almost crashing into my chest.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” She attempted to back away from me, but could not move any further because of the refrigerator. “I didn’t mean to get in your way.”

  She sidestepped me, but I stopped her progress by stepping in front of her again. “You’re not in my way. I just wanted a bottle of water.” I reached over her shoulder and grabbed one off the top shelf, my eyes never leaving her face. She kept her gaze down, refusing to meet mine, so I retreated as I took a drink. “Grab what you want. Don’t let me stop you.”

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll get out of your way and head up to my room.”

  I slammed the bottle on the counter behind me and water spewed over the rim. “Why do you always do that?”

  Her eyes dropped to the puddle. “Do what?”

  “Take off whenever I walk in the room.”

  “I don’t want to be in your way.”

  “Jesus, G. You’re not a guest here. This is your home as much as it’s my home. You can come and go as you please. Do whatever you want. Redecorate the fucking place, rip out walls, I don’t fucking care.”

  “This isn’t my home, Danny.”

  Not yet, but it will be. I leaned against the counter, studying her. She was fighting not to squirm under my intense study, but was losing the battle as her hands fidgeted. “I want to talk to you.”

  She nodded, feigning indifference. “Sure. I hope there hasn’t been a problem with Dani or me—”

  “Stop it. Stop acting like you and Dani are a problem of mine.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, her attempt at a protective shield, and looked everywhere but at me. “Fine. What would you like to discuss?”

  “You and me.”

  “You and me? What do you mean? Like custody or something?”

  “No.” I shook my head and moved closer, pointing back and forth between us. “You and me, what went down.”

  She paled, and her fingers trembled before she clenched her fists, stopping them. She took a deep breath and stepped away, distancing herself from me, in preparation to flee, as she recited what sounded like a prepared speech. “There’s nothing to talk about, Danny. It’s the past, where it should stay. We’ve all moved on and it has no bearing on anything today. So, if that’s all, I’ll be going up…”

  She wasn’t escaping again. I planted myself in front of her, blocking the doorway, and she stopped short. “Danny, please move.”

  “No.” I clutched her arms with my hands, noting her skin was cold to the touch. “We’ve got to do this, G. For Dani, and for us.”

  She whipped her head back and forth, continuing to stare at the ground, but said nothing.

  “Yes,” I said.

  Spinning away, she jerked from my grasp and sprinted across the kitchen, trying to find escape up the back stairway, but I was quicker and snagged her around the waist, stopping her again. I pulled her tight against my chest and she strained to fight me off.

  “Please, let me go, Danny.”

  I held her as her body trembled, and rested my forehead on her shoulder blade, cursing myself for doing this to her, but there was no way to avoid this part, no matter how painful or bloody. “No, baby, I can’t. I’m sorry. We have to do this.”

  “No, please. I just want to forget it. Please.”

  She needed to get this out of her system, and I needed to be done with it. We both needed to hash this out so we could move on and start over.

  When she stopped fighting against me, I gentled my hold and turned her. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected to see on her face, but not the hot, burning fury glowing in her eyes; something I’d never seen from her before. This is what I’d asked for though, so I couldn’t back off now. I’d forced her to go back to the past, to relive all the horror. Now I had to deal with whatever the outcome ended up being, with whatever words she threw at me, with whatever she blamed me for. I straightened and prepared myself for the onslaught.

  “Let it out, G. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  Chapter 24

  ~ Gabrielle ~

  Six Years Earlier

  Tugging on my jacket, I turned when my ballet instructor said my name.

  “Gabrielle, honey, your mother called. She’s going to be a few minutes late,” Mrs. Greiger said.

  “Oh.” I swallowed the disappointment that I’d have to wait despite being tired and wanting to get home to a warm shower. “Okay, thanks.”

  I sat in a metal folding chair in the small waiting area, watching the cars as they passed on the street in front of the building. It was dark and cold outside, and I was thankful I didn’t have to stand out in it. But Ms. Greiger would be eager to lock up after everyone had cleared out, so I hoped my mother showed up sooner rather than later. I peered out the windows, willing my mom’s car to pull up to the curb.

  Ten minutes passed, and she still hadn’t arrived while the last of my classmates left. Ms. Greiger walked around the studio, turning off the lights, and came to a stop next to me.

  “Not here yet, huh?”

  “No.” I glanced at her. “I can wait outside so you can leave. I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”

  “Oh, no, honey. It’s fine. We’ll wait,” she said, but the tired lines on her face were unmistakable.

  I stood and walked to the door. “Really, it’s fine. I’m sure you want to get out of here after a long day, and I don’t want to keep you any longer. I’ll be okay.”

  She hesitated, but the desire to get home must have won out. Following me outside, she locked up behind us before eyeing me. “Are you sure, honey?”

  “Yes. Please go home, Ms. Greiger. I’ll be fine.” I smiled. “My mom is probably coming now.”

  She still didn’t look at ease, but continued to move toward the parking lot around the back of the building. “Okay. You stay safe and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I will. See you tomorrow.”

  She rushed down the dark sidewalk, tugging her jacket closed to block the frigid air, and turned the corner out of sight, leaving me alone and exposed. An icy breeze blowing across my face and neck, mixed with fresh panic of vulnerability, made me shiver. I huddled further into my coat and shoved my hands in my pocket, staring up the street with longing.

  I bounced from foot to foot, trying to keep warm, and moved closer to the building, hoping to find shelter from the brisk wind. A constant stream of cars buzzed past, but n
ot one slowed with my mom at the wheel. A few minutes later, I noticed noises behind me, and glancing over, my stomach took a violent pitch.

  The temperature of the surrounding air plunged as a bone-deep chill of terror raced through me. Eerie silence surrounded me when a sudden break in traffic had the streets empty, without a soul in sight. Paralyzed with fear, I stood frozen, unable to move as the group approached.

  “Well, well.” Terrell stepped up with a wide grin. “If it isn’t the woman I been looking my whole life for.”

  He stopped in front of me while four others formed a circle, placing me in the center. My gaze jumped from one leering face to another before coming back to Terrell’s pleasant-looking expression. It was almost easy to believe he meant me no harm and wanted to be my friend, but I knew that wasn’t the case.

  My breaths came in short pants as my lungs clamped up, refusing to allow even a puff of air to pass.

  “What do you want?” Fright clogged my throat and turned my voice into a breathless squeak.

  “It’s all you, babe. You hot as shit.”

  The gleam of maleficent want in his eyes was unmistakable, and I took a hesitant step back, but stopped when I banged into the solid wall of a chest behind me. “Please, leave me alone.”

  “Now, why would I do that?”

  “Please.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. “Please.”

  He stepped forward and leered over me as he fingered the track of moisture on my cheek. “Now, come on, baby. There ain’t nothing to cry about.”

  I tried to turn away from his contact, but the move only pushed me into another body. Even in the cold air, I smelled their mixed odor of sweat, alcohol, and something else; a sweet aroma I couldn’t identify. The scents collided and weighed on me, making me want to gag, but I forced myself to breathe through my mouth and ignore the bile rising in my throat. My heart threatened to burst out of my chest, but I recognized I had to fight or else I would never make it out of this mess alive. Somewhere in the back of my head, in the midst of the terror, I wondered where the hell my mother was.