Broken Promises (Broken Series) (18 page)

I knew she was thinking about Luke, how he had watched the only real father figure in his life die. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

“It’s not fair, Rainey. What makes Gabby so trustworthy and me not?”

I was a little hysterical over thinking about what was going on with her. I knew she wasn’t pregnant, of course, but it didn’t make sense why she wouldn’t tell me. We were supposed to be best friends. I felt betrayed that she felt close enough to Gabby to tell her, but not to me.

“It’s not about trustworthiness, Mallory. It’s about being able to handle the information. Gabby is a strong woman and she has dealt with an array of bad things in her life,” she said.

I considered this. Gabby’s mom had died of breast cancer when Gabby was young. She’d watched a parent die, too. I gulped. Did that automatically make her better at understanding a difficult situation?

“I’m dealing with Dad’s death, you know. It’s not like I haven’t experienced loss, too,” I muttered.

“Fine. You want to know? I’ll tell you,” she sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them, all I could see in their depths was pain.

I drove in silence the entire way to Boston. I wouldn’t even turn on the radio. My truck was loaded down with all my stuff—or at least as much as I could fit in it. I couldn’t quite believe I was actually doing it. I left behind my friends, my job, what little family I had—all to be with Mallory. She was the one person I couldn’t be without, though. She was my lifeline.

When Baker and Wolfe had laid it all on the table for me, my choice had been obvious. Nothing was as important to me as Mallory. She was it. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life with anyone but her. Even if it meant she had control of where we lived, or any other life decisions, I would gladly accept whatever she wanted just so I could be with her. It wasn’t a matter of being masculine or like a girl, as Baker often accused me—I wanted to be with Mallory, in whatever context and wherever she wanted to be. I was her loyal puppy and I would follow her to the ends of the earth.

Now I just had to convince her of that. We’d both made our fair share of mistakes over the years. I’d been an idiot to let her go. She had given up on our love. We were older now. We should be smart enough to figure it all out. We hadn’t been able to, yet, of course, but that was the past. I drove into the city with the knowledge that she would be mine again before the end of the day.

Baker had given me her address and although I was nervous and apprehensive, I parked as close to her building as I could and made my way to her apartment. I raised my fist and knocked, willing my jitters to go away.

A leggy brunette who looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine answered the door. She looked me up and down and then laughed.

“We didn’t order a stripper, cowboy,” she said.

I was in jeans and a t-shirt, but I would hardly compare my attire to that of a cowboy. City women were going to be fun to deal with, I noted with a sigh. When she went to close the door, I stuck my foot in the jamb.

“I’m looking for Mallory,” I said with a smile. She peered at me with judgmental eyes and I felt as if I was on the chopping block.

“She’s not here,” she said. To my surprise, she opened the door. “But she’s due back soon enough. Come on in.” She gestured toward the living room.

“I’m Luke.” I introduced myself, but didn’t offer to shake her hand and she didn’t seem to expect it.

“I’m Leila. The redhead on the couch is Sarah,” she said as she closed the door behind me.

The apartment was huge. The cathedral ceilings surprised me, as did the architectural design of the place. Given the location and condition of the apartment, I figured this place must cost a fortune.

“Great place,” I said to Leila, who was short but dressed to kill in a little black dress and stilettos.

Even with the four-inch heels she barely reached my shoulder. I would have laughed if it wasn’t so surreal.

“It’s okay. I’ve seen better in the city. But it works for now,” she replied.

I couldn’t imagine a better apartment than this. The kitchen alone had to be seven hundred square feet. Gigantic didn’t even begin to describe its massive size. I stepped toward the sliding glass doors that led to a large balcony and I was floored.

No wonder Mallory had fallen in love with this city. It was beautiful. And as much as I truly didn’t want to live here, I realized, in that moment, I would come to love this city as much as she did. I just had to convince her of that.

“So, Luke, are you the farm boy Mallory thinks she’s in love with?” Sarah asked from the couch.

Farm boy
? I hoped that wasn’t how Mallory referred to me.

“I’m not a farm boy, but I am from the small town where she grew up,” I answered.

I wasn’t sure about the
in love
part, either. So I left it at that.

She smiled. “I’m sorry, I just assumed you’d be a good ole boy, you know?” She rose from the couch and came to shake my hand. “Mallory hasn’t said much about her hometown boyfriend since she’s been back, but I can tell you mean a lot to her.”

“It’s no problem,” I assured her, but hoped she was right. “So the three of you have been roommates for a long time, huh?”

“Two years here and a year at the dorms. God,
that
was a mess! Little Mallory was so shy and afraid of her own shadow. You’d think it was the end of the world for her to come to college. While we spent our freshman year sleeping around and getting drunk, Mallory was a model student. She had a perfect GPA and everything. But we took her under our wing and I think she’s better for it,” Leila confided.

I had to agree. Mallory wasn’t the same girl—she had grown up in so many ways. She was still stubborn as hell, but I was glad about that. It reminded me of the girl she was and the woman she’d become.

“She’s been different since she’s come home, though,” Sarah interjected. “It’s like she lost herself when she went back to Maine.”

I knew what she meant. Joe was a huge part of both our lives. We were bound to be effected by his death, and more than just emotionally. I felt like a piece of my own heart had been torn away with no way to repair it. Joe was like a dad to me. And Mallory had always been close to him. He was her hero. So I could only imagine the heartbreak she felt at his death.

“Probably has something to do with her father’s death,” Leila commented. “I don’t know why she had to go, though. It wasn’t as if she saw him all that often, anyway. Her old man—”

“Don’t you talk about Joe that way!” I yelled. “You have no idea who he was or how he sacrificed time and time again in order to raise Mallory the right way. Don’t pretend for even a second that you can comprehend how much he meant to her.” I seethed.

A small gasp caught my attention. I turned toward the door and watched, stunned, as Mallory covered her mouth with her hands. The door was wide open behind her and I couldn’t help but wonder how long she’d been standing there.

“Mallory, I—” She pointed a finger at me in an attempt to tell me to be silent.

I closed my mouth.

“How
dare
you talk about my father?” She glared at Leila who had the decency to look embarrassed. “You know nothing,
nothing
about him. I swear, if I had any good sense at all, I’d knock you out right here.”

Leila seemed to think she might do it and took a hasty step back, even though they were ten feet apart. I barely contained my chuckle at Leila’s cowardice. She opened her mouth to speak but Mallory interrupted her before she could utter a word.

“
Get out
.”

“Come on, Leila, let’s go.” Sarah tugged on Leila’s arm and the two fled the apartment.

I kept my eyes on Mallory, though. She stood in the entryway, emotions raging and adrenaline rushing. The door clicked closed behind her and she finally turned to me.

Her eyes softened and she looked at me with awe. I was the one amazed, though. Mallory was the strongest woman I’d ever met. I took a deep breath before I spoke.

“Mallory,” I started.

She took three steps to me and put a finger to my lips. Then she kissed me. I reacted almost violently. My whole body shook with anticipation and my hands buried themselves in her satiny hair. I drank her in like a man dying of thirst. She was so damn sweet, I could hardly stand it. She kissed me like it was the only thing she wanted to do in the world.

I bit her bottom lip and she gasped in pleasure and gave me the opening I desperately needed. I thrust my tongue in her mouth to take absolute possession. I wanted to show her how much I loved her with my actions. Words would come later, but for now, we could feel. Her arms snaked around my neck and she pressed herself against me. It was a glorious feeling.

Even though my body was fully ready to take it to the next level, and I could sense she wanted to, too, the memory of Joe’s letter stopped me.

Luke,

This is my final goodbye. Death is a welcome event after these last few years of pain. The chemo was the worst, but I bore it in silence, and I wish now I hadn’t. I wish I had shared my cancer with Mallory, as I know she would have made the suffering less sufferable. If that makes sense. But you know Mallory. She would have insisted on being by my side for the duration. And I couldn’t have that.

I know you never fully understood my reasons for keeping her in the dark, but it was a personal choice that had more to do with her happiness than mine. When you become a father, you realize what your priorities are and your child’s happiness and success is number one on the list. So I sacrificed for her. But I made choice I’m not proud of, too. Like leaning on you when you were so young. And you still are! So young and full of life. You have a long life ahead of you.

And if you end up with Mallory, it’s going to be a long life indeed. That girl is more stubborn and set in her ways than even I am. Which is saying something. I should be proud that she’s like me, though, since I am an all-around great person. Ha-ha.

But there’s more to the story than you or she ever knew, Luke. I had cancer several times when Mallory was a child. I always ended up beating it, so when this last bout showed up when she was seventeen, I thought I would again. That’s why I didn’t tell her right away. I have spent my adult life protecting her from pain and sorrow, and now I am the cause of her greatest pain. I know she’s hurting, and she’s probably already pushed you away, but I want you to keep the faith.

Mallory is nothing if not predictable. She will realize how much she loves you at some point. It may not be this week, or hell, even this decade! But don’t give up on her, son. She loves you. And I know you love her.

It would make me the happiest man alive (figuratively) if, when you decide on forever, you use the enclosed ring. It had been passed down in my family from father to son for generations. I have always considered you my son and I would be honored if you choose to make my daughter your wife.

But no pressure or anything.

Your father,

Joe

I pulled away from Mallory as his words repeated in my head.
Make my daughter your wife. Make my daughter your wife.
The phrase excited and terrified me. I wanted nothing more than to ask her to marry me; the ring was in my pocket. But I couldn’t do that to her. Not yet. She was fragile, more so than before Joe’s death and doing the wrong thing now could send her running for the hills.

I was going to have to take my time. And that meant we weren’t going to let this little make-out session go any further. Not until we had a serious talk about our future. Our immediate one, at least.

My brain was still reeling from the ridiculous day. Rainey had finally disclosed her secret and although it surprised me, I promised to be there for her as much as possible. Even being two hundred miles away. I would figure it out. For now, though, I was assured that she was going to be okay and that was enough. It had to be.

Walking into my apartment to find Leila talking about my dad and then Luke defending him—
that
was more of a shock than Rainey’s news. In fact, I had stood in the doorway for a few minutes before I made any noise. Not one of them noticed I was there, but after my gasp, Luke had wanted to comfort me.

I was beyond comforting, though. I was furious. Was Leila really the kind of person I wanted to spend any amount of time with? It was obvious she wasn’t as much my friend as I thought. And so I’d kicked her out of the apartment and Sarah with her. I had wanted to believe my roommates cared for me, but it was apparent they didn’t. Talk about a downer.

But Luke was there. He was the one person I’d wanted to turn to more than anything after Rainey’s disclosure and then after Leila’s outburst, I just wanted him to envelop me in his Luke bubble and never let go. So before he could protest, I kissed him. And oh, what a kiss it was.

His lips were warm and soft, his breath mingled with mine enticingly. I was more in love with him than I’d ever been, and if it took me all night, I would get the courage to tell him so. He was the only one for me. Even if it meant more sacrifices, I would do it so that we could be together.

When he bit my bottom lip, my gasp of surprise turned into a groan of approval as his tongue rubbed against mine. I pulled him closer so our bodies made contact at every available spot. The result was mind-blowing. He had always been a skilled kisser, but he was seducing me with this kiss, and I wanted nothing more than to be seduced.

When he pulled away, I figured he just needed some air. I was out of breath, too. But he moved further away, turned toward the balcony and I was left standing alone with my chest heaving uncontrollably. I was out of breath and my brain was goop. I was still trying to catch up when Luke turned back to me.

“What are we doing?” he blurted. He looked surprised by his own words. I guessed he didn’t mean to say it aloud.

“We
were
,” I stressed, “About to go to bed.”