Promise Me This

by Sarah Ashley Jones

  “Somehow, I find that hard to believe, being a musician and all…” I tried hard not to succumb to the tingling sensation that was burning through my body again. A short little nip on my collarbone made me yelp.

  “Don’t forget master chef, too. And it was always their place, never mine.” His blunt honesty was forgiven once he found his way to my mouth and intertwined his tongue with mine yet again.

  Jhett stepped away, but I followed after him, matching each step, as I continued to get lost in the sweet taste of his tongue. Something else came over me while I fumbled with the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it up and over his head. When he reached the bed, he laid on his back onto the sea of fluffy covers. It was the first time that I really got to take in all of the art that covered Jhett’s body. My eyes explored every inch of uncovered flesh, scanning up his arms and admiring his chest, adorned with just as much colorful work. My eyes were pulled down his stomach and to his hips, where only small bits and pieces of colors were visible from under the waistband of his jeans.

  I was never assertive when it came to men. In fact, there was one other guy in my life who saw me in anything less than a bathing suit, and that was when I lost my virginity in the back of my high school boyfriend’s truck my senior year. After that, it was just a handful of letdowns and pointless hook-ups that I never wanted to speak about again. But seeing Jhett lying on his bed, his hands tucked behind his head, I couldn’t help myself.

  I climbed on top of him and straddled his body, my legs landing on either side of his hips. Jhett’s hand reached up, running the back of his fingertips over my hot cheeks and down my shoulders and arms, sending an electric shiver through my body. He finally rested his hands on my hips and pulled me into him as he sat up, catching my mouth with his once more. Passion crashed over us again; our lips only parting to catch our breaths.

  Jhett’s fingers slid under my tank top, now the only thing between him and my skin after changing back at the apartment. It was thick enough that I could go sans bra, and for once, I was thankful for that. My body screamed for more contact. Tracing his fingernails up and down my spine, my back arched and I pushed my body even closer to him.

  Without hesitation, Jhett lifted my hands above my head and threaded my shirt up along with them, tossing it to the floor. I got lost in the look he gave me after that. It was one of pure hunger; it was a hunger just for me.

  Jhett scooped me up with one arm and flipped me over onto my back. I watched with disappointment as he climbed off the bed, but soon heat fired back into my core. Jhett dropped the rest of his clothes onto the scattered pile on the floor, and then climbed back on top of me, taking my last article of clothing with him.

  I sucked in my breath; Jhett’s warm skin was like fire as his lips trailed from my stomach back to their familiar spot on mine. He reached down and laced his fingers with mine, only to bring them above my head, capturing both of my hands in one of his. He held them in his grasp as he explored the rest of my body with his own, filling all the right spots. If this were how things were going to be, I would die a happy girl. My body craved Jhett’s and begged for release. I didn’t have to ask. Jhett’s body answered for him, giving me just what I needed, and a feeling of euphoria swirled in my head. Nobody could take this moment of pure bliss away from me as I relaxed in Jhett’s arms, right where I belonged.

  The smell of sweet candy filled my nose, my body recognizing the scent before my mind could. My eyes were greeted with the unfamiliar sight of the soft curves that outlined Charlie’s body. Her back faced me; my tattoos a harsh contrast to her milky white skin as I held her close to me. Even though it was morning, the blackout curtains did their job by keeping the sunlight out of my room. My hands ran down the curve of Charlie’s back, her body reacting with a small shiver. I waited for her breath to change, to show some sign that she was waking up, but she continued her calm up and down motions as she inhaled and exhaled.

  When I was content that she was going to remain asleep, I carefully eased my body from hers and backed off the bed, placing my bare feet on the chilly wood floor. I took one last minute to admire the gorgeous view of her in my bed as the pang of reality hit me that she could wake up at any moment and regret what happened last night. I could replay her words to me over and over in my head, but ultimately it was her decision if she stayed or went, since I just made her life that much more complicated.

  There wasn’t much I could do while she still slept, so a shower was the next best idea rather than waking her up to hear her answer. I was still in the buff from the previous night when I stepped into the bathroom. A double sink, vanity and the door that partitioned off the toilet took up only a small portion of the room. The other half of the room held a claw foot tub and an all-glass shower.

  I let the water run at a much hotter than normal temperature from the showerhead. The room was already steaming up by the time I entered the glass box. The water relaxed my body, but did nothing to put my mind at ease. I tilted my head back and let the practically scalding water run through my hair and down my back. My thoughts drifted back to Charlie, remembering the way she moved, and the way she felt as she took what she wanted from me. She was a different person last night, confident and aggressive, leaving me with a desire for more of that side of her.

  I only wanted to convince her to move in as a roommate. I planned to make her room someplace she wanted to be, not to kiss her and leave her to feel even more confused. I would be lying if I said the thought never crossed my mind. I really tried though; I tried to give her the chance to say no and she almost did. I should have walked away and just let her live the life she deserved, instead of getting wrapped up in my complicated mess. But the way she grabbed me - I knew then that she was my endgame.

  Flashes of Cameron entered into my mind as I thought of one of the conversations we had a few months before he died.

  “You know that she’s my sister, so I’m obligated to tell you that if you hurt her, I’ll kick your ass straight into next year. No more of your funny business. I know she’s a tough pill to swallow sometimes, but you treat her right.” We sat across from each other in my living room, a guitar resting on both of our knees. I taught him to play on one of my older acoustics, but his true talent was singing.

  “Yeah, I can’t blame you. I’m the same way with Charlie, but I think I lucked out with her. She either doesn’t see all the guys who chase after her, or she’s just super picky. Either way, I don’t really have to worry about her too much in the guy department.” Cameron repetitively played the same few chords I taught him.

  “So when’s she coming out here? You said this summer, right?” I slicked back the hair on the side of my head.

  “Yeah, I want to show her the colleges out here. I can’t let her waste away back home. She’s so much more than what our family thinks about her. She’s an amazing artist, but our parents don’t see that as an acceptable career. Hell, the only reason they let her choose it was because she was the one who agreed to stay in Tennessee.” He set his guitar down next to him. He gave his shaggy blonde head a shake, and leaned against the back of the couch with a sigh. “And don’t get any ideas. I’m still contemplating even letting you meet her. I’ve seen you with the girls around here, and there’s no way I’m letting you put your ‘I’m-a-musician’ moves on her. She’s special.”

  “And what do you think Gracie is? She’s pretty special to me, too. I still let you meet her, and look what happened, southern Romeo,” I teased. I knew that Gracie was happy with Cameron, and honestly, I couldn’t have picked a better guy for her, except for the fact that he was terrified of commitment.

  “Yeah ,yeah. Well just promise me that when you meet her, you’ll keep your distance unless she wants otherwise. But I fully expect you to watch her back when I’m not there, too, even if it’s from a distance. I trust you to look out for her like I would. She’s not always the best at telling people what she really wants,” he said, making my mind wander to the image I created of hi
s twin sister in my head.

  “You know you don’t have to ask me twice. We all take care of each other around here. She’ll be safe with me, I promise.” I picked up my guitar again, and strummed the hard strings in a steady motion. There was no time to react when a pillow sailed my way and hit me square in the face. I held up my hands in a ‘what-the-hell?’ motion.

  “I appreciate the gesture, but…can you just try to sound a little less creepy about it? Seriously, don’t pull that shit with her. She’s not going to fall for the knight in shining armor bit, so don’t even try.” He raised his eyebrows in an expression that said he meant business.

  I felt as if I might be letting Cameron down. I didn’t plan on ever meeting Charlie after his accident, but she just showed up; her ice blue eyes broken and unsure. Watching her run out of The Pointe, I knew I couldn’t let her walk around the streets alone. But it wasn’t just for Cameron; it was for me, too. She made something new stir inside of me that I struggled to suppress.

  I prayed that things wouldn’t change between us and instead would continue to evolve. Whatever decision Charlie made when she woke up, I would respect it. Whether she wanted me or she didn’t, I would still keep my word to Cameron. The desire to protect her wouldn’t go away, but it would be so much more intense if she actually wanted me like I wanted her.

  The water ran cold, causing the rest of my shower to be rushed as I soaped down and rinsed off. I grabbed a black towel off the rack on the wall, rubbed my body dry, and wrapped it low on my waist. The steam filtered into the room around me as I opened the shower door and stepped out onto the mat, shaking my head side to side like a dog in order to rid my hair of the excess water. I didn’t even bother looking in the fogged over mirror as I passed through the bathroom and back into my bedroom.

  Charlie still slept soundly, surrounded by white cotton and down blankets. She rolled over while I was gone and was now laying in what used to be my spot, with thick threads of hair falling into her face. I hated to see her gorgeous face covered. I pushed the stray stands behind her ear gently and reached down to press my lips to her forehead, which caused Charlie’s eyes to flutter, just a little, but not open. She could sleep through bombs going off, I was sure of it.

  Still in my towel, I headed off to the closest place I could think of to clear my head: my studio. Careful to be as quiet as possible, I cracked open the opaque glass door and entered the tiny room. The space used to be an office, but I knew when I first saw it that it would become my studio. I spent months getting it together, soundproofing the walls and installing all the equipment I wanted. It may have been small, but it was a mighty setup.

  The far wall housed all my guitars. I guess I was known as somewhat of a guitar hoarder with my friends, because I had yet to get rid of any of them. Even my very first crappy acoustic was still there on the wall amongst newer and pricier ones. Picking up my favorite Taylor, I sat down in the chair closest to the computer and fiddled with a few programs before getting things set up to my liking.

  It didn’t take long to get lost in the music. I loved to play, and when I did, I drifted off into a whole different world; lost in the rhythm and feel of the various notes that ran through the air. There was no thinking when I played, especially when I got into it enough to sing, and that was something I really needed right now.

  Searching for my clothes was pointless. They were scattered all over Jhett’s room like in the movies. The only article of clothing that I could find was Jhett’s white shirt. This will have to do, I thought to myself as I slipped it on over my head. It was big, reaching right above my knees, but it was comfortable; Jhett’s scent still lingered on it.

  The dulled sound of a guitar caught my attention and stopped me dead in my tracks. I was headed to explore the bathroom, but the music coming from the door that I wondered about last night was too much to walk away from. I’d heard Jhett play twice now, but this time was different. It sounded like someone else in there singing with him.

  My curiosity got the best of me. I stopped in front of the clouded glass door and pressed my ear against it, listening intently. I was right, there was someone else singing.

  Pressing myself closer against the glass, hoping to find a better spot to listen, the door went flying open beneath me, creating yet another unexpected grand entrance from me. It took a few seconds to catch my balance, especially considering that it was hard for me to be graceful in a normal situation, much less one where you got busted snooping on the guy you just spent the night with.

  Jhett spun around in time to witness most of the fall, immediately jabbing buttons on the computer to stop whatever music played over the speakers. I barely noticed what else was going on, when I looked up to see Jhett still sitting there with only a towel wrapped around his waist and a guitar over his knee. He stared at me with a flustered expression.

  “Eavesdropping?” Jhett’s eyebrow rose as he called me out before I got a chance to formulate an excuse.

  “I wasn’t…I mean…well, I was listening…but…I…” None of the right words came out. I was still dumbstruck by the fact that I stood in the center of a studio with an almost-naked Jhett while only a thin t-shirt covered me.

  “You do know it’s not polite, right?” he asked with a condescending tone filtering back into his voice.

  I sighed. I honestly didn’t know how to take this side of Jhett after last night when he was so different. So…loving. “It just sounded like someone else was in here with you. I was curious.”

  “Curious….or jealous?” He grinned. I was used to his teasing now.

  “What’s it to you if I was jealous?” I ran a finger through my thick waves, and popped a hip out to one side.

  A familiar flicker of passion appeared in Jhett’s eyes as I moved. “You wouldn’t be the first girl to get jealous,” he spat.

  Now he was back to irritating me and it was no longer funny. This was war. “And probably not the last, I assume. I’ll just go check out my room, I guess. Oh and by the way, here’s your shirt back, roomie.” Slipping his shirt off over my head, I flung it back in his direction and turned to walk out of the room wearing nothing but my birthday suit. I took a deep breath, hoping that he would know I didn’t mean it. I didn’t want it to be that way. But if he was going to be a nonchalant jerk, I could be a tease.

  “Good God, woman. Are you trying to kill me?” Jhett called from the doorway of his studio. I turned around and waited for some other indication of what he was thinking. Instead, his shirt smacked me in the face, falling into my hands. “Please put that back on before I do something crazy.”

  I sighed and slipped the shirt back over my head. “Better?” I asked, my head bouncing with attitude. What? Now he can’t even look at me? This is going to work out real well. Way to go, Charlie.

  “At least now I can think straight without all that distracting me.” He motioned with his hands up and down, following my form from head to toe in the air.

  “Really? You know, I don’t know why I thought this was going to be any different. I trusted you…I thought you were special.” I whispered the last part, suddenly feeling vulnerable and exposed.

  Jhett move quickly before, but this time he made it to me in record time; his hand slipping into my hair, his lips eagerly upon mine, searching out my tongue. My arms wrapped around his neck as my body found its familiar spot pressed up against him. I didn’t see that one coming.

  “Charlie…” Jhett said in between breaths. I didn’t want to hear it - not yet, anyway - so I covered his mouth with mine and refused to let any more words escape from his lips. His hands wrapped around the hair at the base of my neck, causing a gasp to escape from somewhere deep inside me as he exposed my neck and kissed the soft spot behind my ear. “Tell me you want me.” His voice was husky and raw as he whispered in my ear, making my heart beat faster than it ever did before.

  “I want you.” The words slipped off my lips like honey; I never uttered truer words. In reality, he didn’t have to ask
me to say it. I knew those words would come out on their own eventually.

  He refused to tear away from me, like kissing me was the last thing he was ever going to do. Finally he brought his hands to my face and forced me to open my eyes and look directly into his. “This is okay, right? You and me?” he asked; his eyes darting back and forth from mine, eagerly awaiting an answer.

  “Nothing has ever felt so right.” My hands still around his neck, I ran my fingers over the spot where his hair stopped and his neck began. “I told you last night…” I started to say, but Jhett cut me off, putting a finger up to my lip.

  “I know what you told me last night. Believe me, I’ve replayed it more times than necessary in my head. I just wanted to be sure.” His eyes shone with sincerity. Pulling me closer to him, I let my head rest on his chest while wrapped his arms around my waist. It was simple and sweet, and just what I wanted.

  I sat in the practically empty apartment and leaned up against the living room wall. My arms were wrapped around my knees, holding me together in a tight human ball. I spent most of the morning making arrangements with a company to pick up all of the items of Cameron’s I decided to donate. As much as I wanted to keep all of his things, some of them I knew I just couldn’t; mainly the furniture, like his couch and bed, had to go. It wouldn’t do me any good to hold onto those things, and someone who needed them could definitely use them.