Promises_A friends to lovers romance.

by Michelle MacQueen

  A part of him had hurt when he left Boston. They’d been friends most of their lives, but the boy Elijah once knew was not the man that had caused Maggie so much pain. That cocky but well-meaning kid had been drowned in cheap beer.

  “You good, man?” Jason asked as he came around from the storeroom.

  Elijah sat at the bar, drumming his fingers nervously and glancing at the door every few seconds.

  “You’re going to be pissed at me, Jason.”

  “Does this have something to do with why I’m open so early?” Jason cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. “Who are you waiting for?”

  Elijah didn’t have to answer him because the front door opened and a familiar face peered in at them. A low growl rumbled through Jason’s chest and he scowled at Elijah.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” he said. “Does Maggie know?”

  Elijah looked at him helplessly as Jake walked in.

  “Elijah.” Jake nodded his head. “Jason.”

  “I don’t know what you think you’re doing here,” Jason growled at him, “but I have to go call my cousin. Maggie is meeting me here in half an hour and I don’t think you want that.”

  “Are you going to tell her?” Elijah asked.

  “No, Elijah. You are the one that needs to do that. A little heads-up would have been nice before you let that piece of shit into my bar.” With that, Jason stormed back into the storeroom, leaving Elijah and Jake staring at each other in uncomfortable silence.

  “Oh, sit the hell down.” Elijah pointed to the stool next to him.

  “It’s good to see you, Elijah,” Jake said quietly.

  “Wish I could say the same, but all I really want is for you to say what you came to say so I don’t have to look at you anymore.”

  “I don’t blame you for feeling like that.”

  “What do you want from me, Jake?” Elijah asked. “Why are you here?”

  “I’m sober.”

  “Good for you.”

  “I’m serious. I haven’t touched a drop in three years.” He smiled slowly, and Elijah saw the briefest glimpse of the boy he knew. The boy he once thought of as a brother. It hurt.

  “I really am happy for you.” He sighed and stilled his nervous hands. “Is that why you’re here? Is this that amends step?”

  “Not for me, no. I don’t expect us to be what we were. Elijah, after you and Maggie left, I hit rock bottom.”

  “You forced her to leave.”

  “I know, and that was worse. Everything we went through destroyed me. It took me a long time to get over it. But I have my life back now. I’m finally a father.” He pulled out his wallet and flipped through it until he came to the picture he was looking for. Handing it to Elijah, he beamed.

  Elijah didn’t know what to make of any of it. Knowing Jake finally had the kid he and Maggie had tried so hard for was going to kill her.

  “She’s three,” Jake went on. “And before you ask, her mother’s not in the picture. She left when my girl was a baby, but we were never really together. My family is helping me raise her. We came to New York to visit my brother, but I came to see you on behalf of someone else.” He paused and looked Elijah directly in the eye. “Maggie’s father is dead.”

  “What?” That was not what Elijah expected to hear from Jake.

  “I need to see her, but I knew she wouldn’t agree to it unless you talked her into it.”

  “Why should I help you?”

  “Because you love her.” At the look on Elijah’s face, Jake laughed. “Come on, Elijah! I’ve known you two my whole life. It was never me that was supposed to end up with her. That kind of makes this your responsibility. Get her to talk to me. I have something from her father.”

  “Okay,” Elijah said slowly. “I’ll try, but you know Mags. She doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do.”

  He didn’t get a chance to say anything else because the door opened, and Maggie stood frozen in the doorway.

  “Hey, Mags.” Jason’s voice came over the receiver. “Change of plans. Don’t meet me at the bar. Give me an hour and we’ll meet at Michaela’s.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “Just, um... I’m already here.”

  “Sure, bye.” She hung up and shook her head. You are a terrible liar, Jason Marks.

  Something was up, and she wanted to know what it was. She’d been running early when he called, so she made it to the bar twenty minutes later. She was looking forward to spending some time with Jason and Michaela, and away from Elijah. She was still pissed about how moody Elijah had been the night before. Moodiness wasn’t anything new for him, but that didn’t usually extend to how he treated her.

  She was still thinking of Elijah when she pushed through the door to the bar and stopped dead. She couldn’t move as her eyes met the gaze of the man she’d hoped to never see again. The man she’d loved. The man she’d watched spiral into oblivion. The man who had shattered her.

  “Jake,” she said, proud that her voice came out cold rather than shaky.

  A full range of emotions washed over her, but there was only one she could hold onto. Anger. But not at Jake. Maggie stared daggers at Elijah as he made his way to her slowly.

  “Mags,” he said. “Let me explain.”

  “It’s good to see you, Maggie,” Jake said.

  “Shut up, Jake.” Elijah and Maggie said in unison, still locked in an unblinking stare.

  “I have to go,” Maggie finally said, turning on her heel. She rushed out onto the sidewalk.

  Elijah followed her and tried to grab her arm. She yanked it free.

  “I can’t talk to you right now, Elijah.”

  “I’m sorry, okay!”

  “No, not okay. What are you sorry for? That you met with Jake? I don’t care about that. You can hang out with whoever you want.”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “You don’t owe me anything. Except for the truth. You owe me that. And you lied to me.”

  “I know.”

  “I thought we trusted each other. Elijah, I thought ... you know what? It doesn’t matter what I thought because I was obviously wrong. Just leave me alone. I need some time.”

  Elijah did as she asked and left her standing there on the sidewalk. She looked up to see Jason watching her. She went to him and, as soon as he wrapped her in a hug, the tears spilled over her cheeks.

  She quit crying over Jake a long time ago. No, this was all Elijah. Her whole life, he’d been the only person she could trust. He knew everything she went through with Jake... well, almost everything.

  Michaela was waiting for them at her apartment. She immediately pulled Maggie into a hug and then led her inside. If there was anyone that would understand exes and painful pasts, it was Michaela and Jason. They both had their scars as did the little girl Maggie found sitting on Michaela’s couch.

  Kimberly stood up and ran over. Maggie bent down to look her in the face.

  “Why are you crying, Miss Maggie?” she asked.

  “I’m just sad,” Maggie responded, wiping the tears from her face.

  “I am too.” The young girl looked down, black hair spilling over her face as she did. “Grammy is sick.”

  Michaela put a hand on Kimberly’s shoulder. “Her grandmother is in the hospital. A few of us from the office are taking care of her until she’s out.” The look Michaela gave Maggie told her that she wasn’t so sure that was going to happen.

  Maggie straightened up and nodded. She suddenly felt stupid for being so upset about a lie. This little girl was about to lose everything - again - and she was holding it together. She held a hand out to Kimberly and closed it when she felt a little palm against hers.

  “Show me what you’re watching,” Maggie said. Kimberly’s face lit up and she hopped up on the couch and pointed at the TV where a Disney princess was singing at the top of her lungs.

  Maggie got home late. She dropped her keys on the counter and knocked on Elijah’s door. She had an ove
rwhelming need to see him. He was the only one that could make her feel better.

  The minute she’d calmed down and was able to think rationally, she realized everything Elijah did was to protect her. That was all he ever did. He’d always put her first, so there was no reason to think he wasn’t doing that now.

  All through the day, memories from the past had come back to her vividly, her father and Jake being the prominent characters. But then there were the ones that included Elijah. She needed his arms around her. It was the only time she felt safe.

  He wasn’t home, though, and Maggie knew there was only one other place he’d be when he was upset. He had always used his house projects as an outlet.

  She grabbed her keys and raced out the door. It only took a minute to drive around the block and stop in front of the large brick house. It really was beautiful, and Maggie knew Elijah would make the inside just as magnificent. She cut the engine and stepped out, slamming the door behind her. She heard the sound of a single hammer and knew immediately she’d been right.

  Past the gate, the glow from the floodlight reached her before she saw his silhouette bent over the deck, pounding away. She was surprised how far it had come, but he’d had lots of help. She looked to the sky to study the stars for a second and calm her nerves.

  The pain in her heart was making it hard to think straight.

  “Elijah?” Maggie stepped into the light, and he spun around to look at her. “I thought you’d be here.”

  He set his hammer down and stepped off the deck. “Maggie,” he said, walking towards her. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said quickly. “I mean, it does, but just don’t lie to me again.”

  “Deal.”

  She closed the distance between them and his arms came around her. She sagged into his chest and let out a soft sob. Her father’s image disappeared from her mind and she no longer thought of Jake.

  Her ear pressed to his chest, she could hear Elijah’s heartbeat, and it calmed her. He sighed into her hair and rested his chin on the top of her head.

  “Maggie, I need to tell you something,” Elijah whispered.

  She heard something in his tone that made her think she wasn’t going to like whatever he had to say. She pulled away and looked at him.

  “Elijah, just say it.”

  “Your dad is dead.”

  The words sent a shock-wave through her body. She’d barely spoken to her father since she was sixteen, so why did she suddenly feel like she wanted to throw up? She couldn’t move, and Elijah held her tighter. She wanted to cry, but her eyes stayed dry.

  Maybe it’s something in each of us, she thought. No matter what your relationship with your parents is, the fact that they’re out there is somehow comforting.

  “Let’s get you home.” Elijah kissed her head again and then released her to put his tools away.

  She didn’t move until he returned and took her hand in his. He led her around front and into her car. He drove them back, guided her into her apartment and finally to her room in silence.

  She let him put her in bed and pull the covers over her.

  “Can I get you anything?”

  “No,” she said shakily. “I just want to sleep and forget this day ever happened.”

  He nodded and turned out the light before shutting the door.

  As soon as he was gone, Maggie’s father’s sneering face entered her mind again. Elijah had saved her from him so many times. She’d saved Jason from him. But no one had thought to save the man himself. She’d never once tried to help him. She’d never asked him to get treatment. She wondered what kind of man he would’ve been without the booze. Would he have loved her? She’d never know now.

  Suddenly, she couldn’t bear the thoughts anymore. Her father was dead, but it was his life that was haunting her. She kicked off the covers violently and laid there with her heart pounding painfully against her ribs.

  She rolled to the side and swung her legs off the bed. As she stood on shaky legs, she wondered what she was doing. Her legs took her out of her room and, before she knew it, she was opening Elijah’s door. His rhythmic breathing reached her ears, and she knew he was sleeping. Tiptoeing so as not to make noise, she reached the edge of the bed and watched his chest rise and fall. One arm was slung over his head, resting against his dark hair, and the other was placed against the bare skin of his stomach where it peaked above the covers.

  She gripped the edge of the sheet and lifted it just enough for her to slide underneath. His body reacted to her presence immediately and his arm pulled her to him. He was still asleep as she curved into him, his skin warm under her touch. When she placed her cheek against his chest, he held her more tightly against him.

  “Hmmmm,” he murmured.

  For the first time since she heard about her father, a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. Her chest heaved, and she felt Elijah’s arms start to rub her back.

  “I’m sorry I woke you,” she said, the words muffled by soft sobs.

  “Shhhh,” he said. “You’re going to be okay.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  Even though it was a game they’d played since they were kids, she always believed him when he said those two words. His promise took the place of her father’s angry eyes in her mind and she fell asleep, content in his arms.

  Chapter Seven

  The sun streamed through the windows of Elijah’s bedroom, causing Maggie to throw an arm over her face as she cracked her eyes open. She suddenly felt cold in the bed alone.

  Maggie had been sleeping alone for the past four years, and even before that, in the final years of their marriage, Jake had gotten into the habit of staying out late and then passing out on the couch. She was used to being alone. But this was different.

  When Elijah held her, he made her feel like her life hadn’t been one screwed up thing after another. When he was gone, she felt the full weight of everything.

  Sometimes Maggie thought she was better off alone. Then, she couldn’t get hurt. The two men in her life that had been supposed to love her, her father and her husband, destroyed her instead. She never again wanted to be in the position to be hurt like that.

  Elijah scared her. The way she could so easily fall asleep in his arms. The way her breathing hitched when she felt his skin on hers. The way he could make her feel safe. The emptiness she felt when he was gone.

  Maggie ran a hand over the side of the bed that still held a slight depression from his body.

  “Get a grip, Marks,” she said to herself. “It’s Elijah. He’s been there your whole life, and you’re just now noticing that his hair looks sexy in the morning when he wakes up or how good his chest feels when you’re pressed up against it.”

  Great, she thought. Now I’m talking to myself.

  She got out of bed and stretched before heading into the bathroom. Her face was a wreck from crying the night before. Her eyes were puffy and her eyeliner had created dark circles under them.

  “Maggie?” someone called from the living room.

  She went out to find Michaela and Kimberly standing in her kitchen. Michaela was pouring herself a cup of coffee from the pot Elijah had left.

  “Sure,” Maggie said, “help yourself.”

  “Ooh, someone’s grouchy this morning. I guess, under the circumstances, that’s okay.” Michaela set her coffee down and started fixing one for Maggie. “Elijah told me to come over.”

  “Of course he did.” She sighed and took the offered mug. “But I’m fine.”

  “He said you’d say that, but Mags, I know what it’s like to come close to losing my dad. I can’t imagine if he’d actually died.”

  “My dad was a drunk who should’ve never had a daughter.”

  “Maggie...” Michaela stopped and glanced over at Kimberly. Michaela’s situation might not be the same but Kimberly’s was.

  The young girl stared up at them with wide eyes. Maggie bent down and held her ar
ms out. Kimberly immediately stepped into the hug. When she finally released her, she stepped back and looked at Michaela.

  “What are you guys up to today?”

  “I have to get over to Legal Services.”

  “But it’s Sunday,” Maggie said.

  Michaela shrugged. “Big case. Kimberly is just going to come hang out there.”

  “Why don’t you leave her with me? She’ll have more fun here than the office, and I could use the company.”

  “You sure?” Michaela gave her a concerned look.

  “Definitely. Go.”

  After a few more minutes, Michaela left and Maggie looked at Kimberly. “What do we want to do today?”

  The girl just shrugged.

  “We could go to the park.”

  Kimberly shook her head.

  “How about the zoo?”

  Kimberly shook her head again and then spoke up. “I want to go see grandma.”

  Maggie’s heart ached when she looked at the kid in front of her. Her eyes were glassy from unshed tears, and her lip was quivering. She was just a kid and about to lose everything. Maggie couldn’t stop herself from imagining what foster care would be like for her. She’d heard the stories from Jason, and it killed her to think of Kimberly going through that. It sure put everything else into perspective.

  Deciding this girl needed her thoughts more than her father had, she said, “Okay. The hospital it is.”

  Kimberly’s grandmother was worse off than Maggie expected. She was pale as a ghost and hooked up to an ungodly number of machines.

  When they walked in, she struggled to open her eyes, but a smile lit her face when she saw Kimberly.

  “Gram,” Kimberly sobbed.

  Maggie started to question if bringing her was the right thing to do, but then she remembered being in the same position at a younger age than Kimberly. Maggie’s mother died of heart disease when she was eight. It may have been hard, but seeing her in the final weeks and the pain she was in had helped Maggie cope.