A Promise Kept

by Anissa Garcia

  “Can’t sleep.”

  He sat near her on the bench, his tired eyes still sharply blue. “Nightmares?” She nodded as he glanced over his shoulder. “Snowfall finally started.”

  She hummed resting her head back against the wall and appreciated the view. “I’ve never seen it like that. It’s so beautiful.”

  “Is this your first time seeing snow, Grace?”

  “Well, it snowed once in Austin, but it was about an inch and disappeared as rapidly as it fell.”

  His voice sounded more alert. “Wow, really? We gotta make a snowman. Now.”

  “What? Now? It’s crazy freezing out there!”

  “Come on.” He got up and grabbed her hand, leading her to his room where he began to open and search his dresser. She scanned his bedroom and saw his unkempt bed. On the nightstand sat about seven scripts along with a familiar paperback. “Is that one of my books?”

  He glanced to where it sat open faced down. “Yeah, I couldn’t sleep well either. And I’m anxious to see if Lady Ella ends up with Duke Seymour.” He threw a thick thermal at her along with some long johns. “Put those on and then put these over.” He handed her warm-ups and a sweatshirt with Mickey Mouse on it. “I have an extra pair of snow boots you can use.”

  She stood with the clothes in her arms. “Do you even know what time it is?”

  “It’s the best time to go out. Nobody’s around, Gracie. Get dressed. I’ll meet you at the door. Unless you want to change in front of me. I don’t mind.”

  “Going.”

  They stood near the entrance and she stuck her feet in the giant snow boots Evan had placed in front of her. “I look like that kid from A Christmas Story when his mom puts him in those layers of clothes.” She tried to move around in her wool coat as he laughed.

  “Don’t trip over your big feet, Grace.”

  “You’re the one with the big feet, Sasquatch.” Everything fit her twelve times too big, but part of her felt good in his clothes, like she was closer to him somehow.

  He put a woolen beanie cap over her head and pinched her cheek. “You look adorable, pumpkin.”

  “Shut up, Matthews.”

  He took her hand and they were greeted by a different concierge as they walked out. The cold air hit Grace with a strong force and she shuddered, her breath coming out in swirls of smoke. “Shit, this is freezing.”

  “This is nothing, Grace. Last year it was piled up like crazy.” The snowball came flying faster than she expected and hit her on her shoulder.

  “I can’t believe you just did that.” She gathered snow in her gloved hands and they began to fight each other, but she soon tripped over the big shoes she wore and he tried to catch her only to be taken down with her.

  They laughed as he rested on top of her, and he leaned to brush his lips on hers. “It’s romantic, isn’t it, Grace?”

  She nodded. “Except for the fact that I can’t feel my nose.”

  His husky chuckle coated her with heat as he let his lips touch the tip of her nose. He then lay flat next to her. “Snow angels?”

  “Snow angels,” she responded as they both moved their arms and legs back and forth. He then told her to stay there as he took out his phone and snapped photos. He helped her up and they took selfies. He leaned in on one of them and kissed her cheek as she smiled into the camera.

  After attempting to build a snowman, and singing along to Frozen, in which she teased him for knowing all the songs, they went back inside to warm up.

  “I never thought a grown man of thirty-four years loved Disney so much.”

  “I have a nephew. He loves Disney.”

  “He loves Disney? Then why am I wearing a Mickey Mouse sweater that’s your size, slick?”

  “I…I may have taken him to Disneyland last year, and Disney World. And I may or may not go with my family a few times a year.”

  Grace laughed as they took off all of the now wet shoes, hats, coats and gloves near the doorway. “I want to go someday.”

  “You’ve never been to Disney, Gracie? You’d love it.”

  “Busted. You’re such a fan, Matthews!”

  “I can’t help it! I love cartoons! And I have an annual pass. You should go with me.” They moved to the kitchen where Evan took out two mugs. She leaned against the counter, her eyes fixed on him as he took out milk and began to make them hot chocolate.

  He carried both drinks to his room where they sat on his bed. He turned on the television, but the sound barely came through as they sipped on their cocoa.

  “You got more marshmallows,” Grace pouted, as she looked over to his cup.

  “I didn’t. I gave us each the same amount, crybaby.”

  “I didn’t see you count,” she defied.

  “Have a little faith in me, babe. We each got eight marshmallows.”

  “That was so much fun, Evan.”

  “Wasn’t it?” They stared at each other for too long until he broke the silence. “Wanna talk to me about those dreams now, doll?”

  She gnawed on her lip and played with the mug in her hands. “I keep having these nightmares about Nathan.”

  A coldness snuck over her, but she tried to stay on track, to open up to him, to let him in her disturbing thoughts. “They stopped years ago, and when I began working on the memoir, they started resurfacing.”

  He placed his mug on the table and reached for hers, doing the same. He then grabbed her hands. “What happens in them?”

  “Sometimes they’re of me drowning or unable to wake up. I’m alive, but I can’t move, can’t talk, and I’m left for dead.” Her eyes stayed focused on her hands inside his. She had no idea where she got the strength to continue to talk, but she did. “Usually I’m holding Nathan in my arms, begging him not to leave me, and sometimes he opens his eyes and he’s okay. When I wake up and realize that’s not true? That’s the worst feeling in the world, and all I can do to make it a tiny bit better is to remember to hold onto that promise I made him.”

  “What promise?”

  “I can’t…” She shook her head, not ready to share. The lump in her throat was too large to ignore, and when she looked up at Evan and saw the sadness he held for her, a few tears trickled down her cheeks. “The fight started because of Kyle Erikson. He was a friend of Nathan’s, although they weren’t close. I started seeing him, despite my brother’s misgivings. He sensed something wrong about him that I didn’t pay attention to. I slept with Kyle and he turned. He spread rumors about me at school. I got bullied pretty badly for it. Lost all my friends.” She shrugged, but continued. “At this party, as Nathan and I passed by Kyle, he was telling a group of people how I was a dirty slut. My brother instantly began to defend me. It didn’t end well.”

  Realization hit him as he exhaled. “That’s why you were so scared tonight at the bar.” She nodded. “I saw that look on your face and it just stopped me, Grace. God, sweetheart, I’m so sorry.”

  He hugged her to him and she found comfort in his arms. A piece of her wall was slowly crumbling, and as vulnerable as it was, it felt necessary to tell him.

  “The similarities freaked me out,” she confessed.

  “What happened when they fought?”

  “They were near this swimming pool. They both slipped in, but Nathan hit his head on the edge. Kyle and I pulled him out of the water. EMS came and I thought he’d be okay. They’d revive him by giving him CPR or that maybe he was just unconscious.”

  “He was already gone.”

  Tears welled as she tried to keep her voice steady. “My parents sat with me in the waiting room. They told me how disappointed they were with the way things were being handled with my drama. I don’t think they realized how serious it was. Then the doctor told us Nathan had broken his neck. I had to watch my parents take in the news. And I had to soak in the fact that it was because of me that their golden child was dead.”

  “That wasn’t your fault, Grace. It was a horrible accident.” His hand reached forward, removing tears
from her cheeks. “Look at me. I’m sure they don’t blame you.”

  “Years of therapy helped me to think that. Sometimes it’s a little hard to believe it though.”

  His hand ran through her hair and stopped at the base of her neck, squeezing and kneading it for her comfort. “And your parents just left?”

  “They moved as soon as I graduated. We were all so…empty. I stopped caring about impressing them. They had wanted me to be like Nathan. He had a full scholarship to Columbia, and he wanted to go into law like my dad.”

  “You’re an artistic soul, Gracie. You’re not like he was.”

  She smiled and nodded. “I was always different, and by that point, I just don’t think they cared anymore about anything. I was always into the arts, writing, drawing, daydreaming. They didn’t think I could be an author or make a decent living at it.” She laughed away the stirring of more tears. “I guess they were partially right, but I got a good side job and I can take care of myself. I don’t need their help.”

  “And the memoir? What’s going on with that?”

  “I don’t even know. I thought it was a therapeutic thing, but it might be causing more damage. I’m not even sure I want it published.”

  “Sure you do.”

  “I just want to write what I love. It might not make me much money, but at least I’m happy doing it.”

  He gave a gentle kiss over her lips and caressed her face. “You’re living the dream, Grace. That takes courage. Keep doing that because it’s beautiful.”

  “Thank you, Evan.”

  “Thanks for confiding in me, Gracie.”

  They both moved back over the pillows and fell asleep in each other’s arms, Grace never feeling closer to anyone until then.

  Evan woke up and gazed at the woman sleeping in his arms. He shifted slowly in an effort not to disturb her slumber. The rosy color on her cheeks, her dark lashes and the way they fluttered—she looked like a porcelain doll—and the last thing he wanted to do was wake her from the valuable sleep she never seemed to get.

  Those nightmares were intense. He hadn’t thought they would still haunt her the way they did, but he wasn’t so sure anyone could get over something that harrowing. He had wanted to ask about that promise she mentioned, but he didn’t want to pry, and if his instincts were correct, which they usually were, he already knew what that promise was.

  The asshole—this Kyle guy—seemed to be behind a huge part of Grace’s issues. He put the thoughts aside and watched her for a moment longer. She whimpered in her sleep as she stirred, and he inwardly groaned at the discomfort he felt near his groin. She was too beautiful, and he was horny as hell. But he would be patient with her because he figured the guys she dated weren’t willing to tolerate her standards, and they had let her down. Their loss was his gain.

  Her phone chimed on the dresser next to him and he quickly reached for it so she wouldn’t wake. He glanced at the screen and saw a text from her mother.

  “I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.”

  It was good that her mother made contact. There must have been a way to salvage this relationship somehow. Perhaps Grace was being harder on herself than they were. He moved to the kitchen, letting her sleep. Evan took his time fixing his coffee and worked his way through emails and eventually began reading the John Whitford script Mike had sent him.

  When Evan closed it, he exhaled from the mental exhaustion and ran a hand through his hair. It was a fantastic story, and it was a character he could play well. It wasn’t a typical role, nor a typical movie, and he never wanted more than to take the part. He reflected over what this meant for him and the woman sleeping in his bed that he craved terribly. Long distance was a bitch. He wasn’t so sure he could deal with her absence from his life, nor was he sure that she would be willing to commit to someone who never stayed put.

  He reached for his phone and began to text Mike.

  Evan: “I read the script. Set up the meeting with John.”

  His finger hovered over the send button as his mind battled with his heart. He had never put a woman over his career, but if he was going to commit to Grace—which he was very much considering—he’d have to make some type of compromise. Hesitating, he finally hit send.

  The response from Mike was instantaneous.

  Mike: “I told you it was an amazing script.”

  Evan: “I didn’t say I was taking the part. I need to meet with John first.”

  Mike: “I’ll set it up.”

  “Morning. Happy Thanksgiving.” The lilt of Grace’s croaky voice pulled Evan away from the phone. Watching her stumble to the kitchen made him instantly regret sending that text message to Mike, and his feeling of compromise didn’t actually seem like he would be. Not when he was spending time with her. She was swimming in his sweatshirt and her hair was piled up on her head with tufts sticking out all over the place, but she looked perfect.

  She served herself a cup of coffee and took out the creamer Evan had instructed Zach to buy. She yawned as she sleepily poured what must have been half a cup of it into her coffee. He laughed as she took a sip and gave a small sigh of content. “Happy Thanksgiving, snow angel. How’d you sleep?”

  “The best I’ve slept in a long time.”

  “And we didn’t even have sex,” he joked as he made his way to serve himself another cup of coffee. Before he did that, he swooped over and wrapped his arms around her center, pressing his chest to her back. Lowering his head, he nibbled her neck and trailed his lips to her ear.

  Grace wrapped her arm around the back of his neck and gave him better access to her skin that smelled like strawberry and honey. Her moan made him tighten his grip on her waist as he showered her with slow and light kisses. His body responded, but he set to control himself as she breathlessly spoke. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

  “You looked so peaceful. I didn’t have the heart to do it.”

  Her hand in his hair spurred him on and he cupped her jaw, guiding her body to face his. Circling his arms around her back, he pressed her to him as he took her mouth with eagerness. Grace let her arms cloak his neck as she stood on her toes, trying to get better access as he bent low and encased her body.

  Their mouths fused with heat and lust, their tongues dancing against each other in a perfect waltz that made him feel like he was floating. Her hips bucked against him in a move that surprised and aroused him to an ache almost unbearable.

  Her taste was an intoxicating blend of mint and coffee, and he was ready to go caveman, hoist her over his shoulders, drop her on his bed, and see how great she tasted on the rest of her body, specifically between her thighs. She coveted him just as much. He knew she did. Impatient fingers stroked his shoulders, and the way her lips trailed his jaw to his neck told him she did. And he was sure if he stuck his hand down her panties, he’d feel just how turned on she was by him.

  Grace enraptured him, made him lose his senses—made him want every single bit of her with a ferocity he couldn’t understand. How was this girl knocking him off his feet and creating sensations in him that were beyond unexpected? He forced himself to gain control, recollecting how vital it was for her to feel full confidence with him. And as much as he thought that perhaps she might feel ready, he guaranteed she wasn’t. And he promised he wouldn’t pressure her.

  With heavy reluctance, he pulled his mouth away from hers as they both caught their breath. Her rose petal lips were puffed and she sulked as she reached forward trying to take his mouth again. He chuckled and embraced her jaw with his hands holding her back. “Gracie, we gotta slow it, babe. My body might not be able to take too much of this right now without wanting more.”

  “Oh.” She looked down, her eyes widening as she saw his evident erection through his sweatpants. Her cheeks and neck flushed a deep crimson as she spluttered her regret. “I’m…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Evan.”

  “Don’t be sorry for turning me on, doll.” He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose, letting his hands ca
ress her cheeks.

  “No, I mean, I should’ve stopped. I knew better, and I didn’t mean to tease…I’ll just get ready.” She maneuvered her way around him as she continued to uncomfortably fumble through her words. “I’m sure you need to get ready too, and I need to…you know, um, get-get r-ready.”

  “Yeah, I’m gonna need one hell of a cold shower, Gracie Lynn.”

  He watched as she shuffled toward him and picked up her coffee mug. “I’m going to take this with me. Because, well, because, I want to drink it. And, um, yeah. We’ll get ready.”

  He laughed as he watched her walk away. This woman was driving him mad, and he was enjoying every single minute of this whole foreplay thing that would eventually lead to some amazing sex. But for now…Patience. Keep your promise, Matthews. You asshat.

  The drive to his hometown of Cohasset was almost an hour commute, and it was one Evan was accustomed to making. Grace was enjoying the scenery, but he could sense the anxiety that ran through her. Her leg bounced as she stared at the snow covered trees that surrounded the highways. He reached his hand out and clasped hers. “Don’t be nervous, Grace. My family will adore you.”

  She nodded, a crinkle in her forehead showcasing that what he said didn’t make a bit of difference. “Jonah hates Star Trek,” she recalled.

  “Oh, yeah, he hates it. Says I’m way cooler than Captain Kirk. Don’t ever mention you dressed up as him for Halloween. He’ll hold it against you forever.”

  Grace became apprehensive. “Okay, then. Um, Hilary runs her own blog. Katie is a drama teacher. Her husband, James, is a dentist.”

  “Yeah, he’ll probably ask you when you had your last dental appointment.” He heard her groan and he laughed. “No dental insurance?”