Promise Me Forever

by Sarah Ashley Jones

  The bedroom door flew open as if it were the police conducting a raid.

  “Are you almost ready? Everyone is…” Her words trailed off as soon as she saw me. It was the first time I’d seen Ginger speechless, and it was kind of satisfying. She covered her mouth with her hands to hide the ever-growing smile as she crossed the room. “Charlie, you look….absolutely amazing.” She reached out and placed a gentle hand on my bare arm.

  My eyes shot down at the ground before looking back up at her. “Thanks. I feel pretty amazing right now. And hey - you don’t look too bad yourself.” At my request, she looked the most natural I remembered ever seeing her. Her lips were still painted their signature bright red, but the rest of her make-up was left to a minimum. Even her dress was - dare I say - modest.

  “Well you can thank your personal stylist for all this.” She motioned in circles over her face and down her body. “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t be caught dead in something so…plain.” She stuck her tongue out, knowing good and well I picked out her dress myself, and shook her head in disgust.

  I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Some things never changed, and Ginger was one of those things. At least now we understood each other, and feelings didn’t get hurt anymore. It took a while and a few choice words, but eventually we figured it out.

  She was the queen of tough love, but underneath all of her defenses was someone who really cared about the people she surrounded herself with. I found out when I experienced my first ‘emotional Ginger drive-by’ how similar we really were. It wasn’t easy to get along with someone just as stubborn as myself, but I owed her for teaching me how to keep my sanity when I thought I was the only one who felt the pain I battled daily.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind taking me home?” I shouted behind me at Danny through the rectangle opening where orders were handed over to the person on counter duty.

  “I’m sure. You know I’m not letting you ride your bike home with the weather like this.” I silently cursed the crazy San Diego weather. Apparently, winter in San Diego meant a crap ton of rain¸ not snow like I grew up with. And all the rain meant shutting down the Voodoo Kitchen early because no one came out to eat at the beach when the raindrops were the size of quarters – not even the locals. It also meant my usual mind-clearing bike ride home was a bust.

  I shrugged. “Yeah, I know. Though sometimes I think you’re worse than Jhett when it comes to things like this.”

  Something pinged off the back of my head, causing me to snap around and check the ground for the offending missile. A wadded up ball of paper towel rolled on the floor behind me. I gawked at Danny with an open mouth. “Hey! What was that for?”

  Danny ran a hand through his dirty blond hair, pushing the long front pieces so they fell to the side. “That may be the truth, but only because I would actually like to keep my job here. So no bike rides in the rain for you while you’re stuck working with me. Sorry, Charlie.” He chuckled at his own joke and continued to wash the remaining dishes in the sink.

  I rolled my eyes but secretly welcomed the extra time with him. Danny was a welcomed addition to the staff and really made an impression when Jhett offered him a job working with us at The Kitchen. He wasn’t just a nice, hard-working guy. He was the only guy Jhett approved to cook for us. That meant he was around often, and I don’t think anyone minded. His lighthearted attitude was infectious. And on the plus side, he didn’t put up with a certain redhead’s crap, either. Whatever she gave him, he shot back at her ten-fold.

  “So, you getting nervous about finals yet?” He dried his hands on a towel as he came around the corner and tossed it into a bin in the supply closet.

  “Well I wasn’t before you had to go and bring it up,” I teased. He gave me a ‘yeah right’ look. “Actually I’m terrified. Not only do I have to present my project, but I have to explain my business plan, too. I think I’d rather stab myself in the eyeball with a spork than give that presentation tomorrow.”

  Danny slapped his hand down on my shoulder and looked at me down the bridge of his nose as if he were about to have a very serious conversation with me. “This is where I tell you that you’re going to do great….but let’s be honest. You’ll probably trip and fall or something, since you seem to have that kind of luck all the time.” Danny tousled my hair like you would a child’s. “You ready to go?”

  I shrugged his hand away. “You really know just what to say to make me feel better, don’t you?” Jumping to the floor, I reached under the counter and pulled out my jacket and purse and followed him down the hall to the back door. Turning my key in the lock, we ducked out into the rain and ran to his truck.

  When the car turned the corner by the white picket fence, my heart immediately jumped up into my throat. In the driveway was a candy apple red VW Beetle, and standing on the porch was Ginger; her back pressed against the door as she watched us park on the street in front of the white gate. I sat back in my seat and stared at my feet.

  “You know, she’s just trying to be your friend.” Danny put the truck in park and shifted in his seat to face me.

  I turned my head just far enough to see him out of the corner of my eye. It didn’t surprise me that he defended her, with the way they bantered back and forth. It reminded me a lot of Jhett and I. “I wish she didn’t try so hard,” I mumbled harshly.

  Danny let out a heavy breath and pursed his lips at me, clearly annoyed. “Maybe it’s you who needs to try a little harder, Charlie.”

  He might as well have just slapped me across the face. The words burned my ears. Or maybe it was my conscience that burned. Either way I couldn’t get angry at him, when I kind of already knew how I acted towards her. We were forced to be civil and work together because of The Kitchen, but it didn’t mean I enjoyed it. It wasn’t that I blamed her for what happened. I knew she was dealing with her own pain at the time, and I just happened to be the one who got the short end of the stick, but my heart still stung from that night.

  My gaze went back to Ginger. The rain slowed a little, but I knew she was probably still getting wet even with the overhang of the porch.

  “I feel like this wasn’t just a coincidence.” I returned my attention to my feet.

  “I plead the fifth. Now go play nice and I’ll see you guys later.” The engine roared to life.

  I narrowed my eyes at Danny. “You owe me.” Grabbing my purse, I threw my hood up over my head and climbed out onto the sidewalk. The thick raindrops seemed to return as soon as I was no longer in the safety of the truck. Danny was right about my luck.

  When I turned to wave goodbye to him, he was already looking past me and up at the house. It may have been the rain that clouded my vision, but I could have sworn there was a mischievous grin exchanged with a certain fiery redhead, and it creeped me out. I needed to keep an eye on those two.

  The rain didn’t bother me. I took my time making my way through the gate and across the front yard. The bright yellow house looked especially dreary in this weather. Or maybe it was the fact that my enthusiasm was zapped from every cell in my body.

  “Ginger,” I acknowledged her.

  “Charlie.” She moved out of my way without prompting and I inserted my key into the top lock. I refused to question why she didn’t just let herself in; I knew she had a key of her own.

  She followed behind me as I entered the house. “I don’t need a babysitter, you know.” I went through my usual routine: set my keys on the table, drop my purse beside the table, hang my jacket up on the hook behind the door, and flick on the lights. Ginger remained standing off to my left side. I paused at the sad sight of her - soggy jacket and damp hair that stuck to her face. “You can take off your coat before you get sick.”

  Her red lips drew up at the sides. “I’m not staying long.” I rolled my eyes. Whatever that meant. Oh well, at least I tried. “But neither are you. I need your help.”

  I must have heard her wrong, because it sounded like she said she needed my help. I made my way aroun
d the long grey couch and sat down; her eyes following me as I moved. “What do you need my help for?”

  She leaned over and gripped the arm of the couch, her head falling forward as she rocked on her heels. Instant regret overwhelmed me. Maybe I should have listened to Danny. Just because we were civil doesn’t mean I wasn’t afraid to make her mad.

  “Look - this would just be a lot easier if you could grow up for like, more than five minutes, okay?” She lifted her head and waited for me to respond. I didn’t. But it wasn’t like it was on purpose. My entire body was frozen and my mouth refused to produce any words. Her hands flew up in the air and behind her head. “Christ, Charlie! Are you serious right now? I know you’re bitter and ‘fragile’ still, but I feel like you’ve got to forgive me at some point. Isn’t that what you Jennings kids are good at?”

  “I can’t forget what you did…” My voice was low, steady and unfamiliar.

  She slid down on the couch, still leaving a comfortable distance between us. “I’m not asking you to forget. I’m asking you to forgive.”

  I looked into her brown eyes and saw no walls or defenses. The person looking back at me wasn’t a stranger. In fact, I knew her well. She simply wanted to move forward with her life. She was me, and I was her. I just never realized it until that moment.

  “I forgive you.” Three short words, but as soon as I said them, my heart felt a little less weighed down. I wasn’t lying when they rolled off my tongue, but I wasn’t exactly telling the truth. Forgiveness was earned in my eyes, and even though she hadn’t done anything else wrong, she hadn’t exactly done much to improve the situation either.

  Ginger didn’t respond back to me, at least not with any words of her own. She held my gaze for a few more seconds before she bounced off the couch and bolted down the hall. I sat in stunned silence until the creak of a door echoed through the house, followed by the sound of slamming drawers.

  My pulse sped up as I leapt off the couch and followed the banging into the bedroom. Ginger’s curled hair swayed as she moved from one dresser drawer to the next. The calm between us was short lived. “What are you doing?” I yelled, marching up behind her while she dug through my neatly folded piles of clothes. So much for trying to make things work.

  “I know you have a bathing suit hiding somewhere in here. Find it. You’re going to need it,” she barked, and turned on her heels to leave.

  I grabbed her shoulder, which caused her to jerk backwards. She regained her footing quickly and shrugged my hand off of her. My arm dropped as the heat of embarrassment crept into my cheeks. What the hell was I thinking?

  “We’re leaving in five minutes.” She spun around again and made it back to the front of the house; the sound of cabinets opening and closing in the hall overpowered the nervous thump in my chest. It wasn’t Ginger that made me anxious. It was whatever she planned that left me terrified.

  I relented and pulled out a teal bikini from the top drawer of my nightstand, wadded it up in my hands, and not-so-subtly stomped back into the living room. Ginger was busy shoving various items into a bag on the couch. I folded my arms across my chest and watched her. When she looked up, her eyebrows rose.

  “I suggest you put that thing on now or else you’re going to be getting a lot of interesting looks when we get there, and I’m not so sure you can handle that kind of attention.” She flung the packed mystery bag over her shoulder.

  I tipped my head backwards in annoyance. “What do I need a bathing suit for, anyway? It’s the middle of winter and it’s pouring down rain outside. What weird thing do you need my help with?”

  She remained unflappable. “Please, just go get changed. It’s nothing bad. Your heart of gold will remain pure.” The struggle to keep my cool with her returned, along with the need to strangle her. “I’m teasing! Now, go get changed and grab some sweatpants and stuff to put on over it. You’ll want to have something warm for when we’re done.”

  I swallowed and forced the annoying lump in my throat away. As I began to walk to the bedroom, I peeled my clothes off and replaced them with my bathing suit. When I reached my dresser for a second time, I was ready to slide on the soft grey sweatpants and dark blue hoodie on. Filling myself with forced confidence, I met Ginger at the front door.

  “Well that was surprisingly quick. I’m impressed.” She opened the door, slipped out and waited for me at the top of the stairs.

  I chewed on the inside of my cheek and refrained from letting any type of rebuttal pass my lips out as I grabbed my purse and keys. Locking the door behind me, Ginger and I both ran with our hands shielding our faces from the rain and got into her car. The Beetle started and we backed out of the driveway before I could catch my breath. It was then that I decided to just relax and attempt to enjoy myself, but not before letting someone know where I was in case she really did intend to torture me.

  Pulling my phone from my purse, I sent Jhett a text message.

  Just to let you know….if I suddenly end up missing, your sister did it

  Within seconds, a reply came through.

  I worry more about her safety than yours

  I rolled my eyes when I read Jhett’s response. Why did everyone think I was the one who needed to chill out? I decided not to send anything back.

  I’m just messing with you. See you soon. Love you

  My heart tingled in my chest and I let the happiness ease over me; my eyes closing and blocking out everything around me as Ginger drove down the side streets of our neighborhood, until we came to a jarring stop. Ginger had the car off and was out the door before I could even open my eyes again. I gripped the door handle and stepped out into an empty sand-covered parking lot.

  The rain was barely falling now, but the wind sweeping in off the ocean was bitterly cold. I narrowed my eyes as I walked around the back of her VW Beetle to meet her, but she wasn’t there. Continuing around her car, I scanned the parking lot and beach in front of me for any signs of Ginger.

  “I guess you do have some luck. The rain stopped,” a familiar voice came from behind me. I turned and was suddenly face-to-face with Danny. Confusion caused me to shuffle backwards. What the hell was going on?

  “Why are…? How did you…?” I shook my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts. “What are you doing here?” I questioned him accusingly.

  “I needed his help, too.” Ginger’s sing-song voice was filled with satisfaction. She walked up behind me and tossed her keys to Danny, who smirked when he saw her. “We’re only trading vehicles,” she explained to me, before turning again to Danny. “I’ll be sure to bring the truck back in one piece. I wish I could say the same about the rest of it,” she teased him.

  “I’ll take one for the team this time, but next time, you’ll pay.” Danny winked at her and then at me. “Good luck, Charlie.” He seemed a little too enthusiastic about the whole situation.

  My nerves returned when he left in Ginger’s vehicle, but she gave me no chance to dwell. “Come on, before the rain picks up again.” Her hand went around my wrist and she dragged me along behind her like a mother would her child. When we reached Danny’s truck, she opened the passenger door and shoved a bundle of black in my arms.

  I stared down at the mass of fabric. My fingers ran over the foam-like material and I recognized it instantly.

  “Oh no, Ginger. I am so not going out there. No way.” I tried to pass the wetsuit back to her, but she was already stripping out of her clothes; revealing a black bikini that appeared to be almost painted on her body.

  My insides screamed. The ringing in my ears drowned out the usually melodic sounds of the ocean as panic mode ensued. A hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

  “Hey….you’re going to be fine. This wasn’t supposed to make you freak out. It’s supposed to be a learning experience.” Her voice was eerily soothing. “Okay, jeez. Sit down.” She put her other hand on my shoulder and guided me into the passenger seat. “Let’s have a little heart-to-heart moment, here. I’m going to st
art off by saying that neither one of us has been the friendliest person the past few months, and I know it’s been for different reasons, but we have two people that I know we both love in common: our brothers. And it’s because of them that we’re going to have to start getting along, especially considering you’re going to be my sister-in-law.

  “So here’s where I get real with you. I’m no good at this girl stuff. All your extreme emotions and the way you’re just this…this huge bucket of rainbows and sunshine all the time….I don’t get it. You’re either inhuman or you’re really good at hiding things, and right now, I’m leaning towards the second. Which in that case means we’re more alike than anyone wants to believe, because you know what, Charlie? Part of being human is not knowing how your life is going to turn out. The only thing you can do is deal with your feelings and move forward, or else, well….you saw what happened when I hit rock bottom, and I don’t want to see that happen to you.”

  Her words made perfect sense, but I just couldn’t wrap my mind around why she cared about me all of a sudden. “I appreciate your concern, but you’re wrong about one thing. I’m not you.”

  Ginger leaned in so she was mere inches from my face and whispered, “If you could hear yourself right now, you would think otherwise.” She waited for my response, but I had none. “I’ll take your silence as admission that I may be right.” She backed away from my face, giving me room to breathe once again.

  “I’ve watched you since you first got to San Diego, and I’ve felt many emotions towards you since then. But none of them are as strong as the ones I feel now, and that’s why I brought you out here - to share this with you. To tell you that a lot of people may say they know how you feel, but I really do, and I want you to know you can let people help you. It took me a while to figure that out, but when I finally did, I realized how much easier it is just to deal with your pain instead of pretending it doesn’t exist. Don’t let the world and your pain make you hard like me.”