Broken Promises (Broken Series) - By Dawn Pendleton Page 0,17
karma. I figured I deserved it for what I’d revealed to her today. But she and her drunk friends insisting on chatting with my girlfriend? That was more than just bad luck. I should have been smart enough to see what was coming and high-tailed it out of there.
I’d made a mistake today, several, in fact, and I should have stayed home. I’d left Mallory’s house feeling lower than low and I needed a drink. I remembered Carrie had wanted to hang out, so I called her and made plans to meet her at the bar after her shift.
When I saw Mallory, Rainey, and Gabby sitting at a table in the back of the bar, I wanted to tuck tail and run. I hadn’t believed Mallory would end up saying something to Carrie, but she surprised me. After spending no more than twenty minutes at that table of death, Carrie had marched over to where I was talking to Baker and demanded I take her home.
After a long discussion about our relationship and all the crap guys did not like to discuss, Carrie said we should breakup. It wasn’t unprecedented, but rejection was rejection. Of course, she felt like I was the one who rejected her, having almost kissed my ex. If it wasn’t so depressing, the whole thing would be beyond comical.
After I dropped Carrie off at her apartment, I made my way back to the bar, determined to talk to Mallory. I needed to know why she had to retaliate that way. I actually liked Carrie, and even though we probably wouldn’t have been together forever, it wasn’t easy to end the relationship.
I parked near Baker’s truck and waited for her to come out. Once she was tucked into my truck, my heart stuttered when she said she was fine. She wasn’t lying, of course, but I didn’t want to think about hot she was. I didn’t want to think about her at all. She wasn’t mine anymore. I needed to get over her. Easier said than done.
“You are that,” I said and closed the door.
I knew I slammed it but my brain was on fire. How was I supposed to stay the hell away from her like she asked when she was so damn gorgeous? I yanked open the driver’s side door and hopped in. I turned the key and whipped the truck out of the parking lot.
“Easy killer, not all of us are used to crazy back road drivers,” she purred.
She’d moved more toward the center of the truck and I gulped. I kept both hands on the wheel and did my best to ignore her. Despite my intentions to shout at her, she was too far gone for it to even be worth the trouble. I would have to let her know how angry I was tomorrow.
“Buckle up,” I instructed.
To my dismay, she belted herself into the center, the strap tight across her hips.
“Why does Daddy have to die, Luke?” she asked.
Crap. A drunk and emotional Mallory was not a good mix. And definitely not someone I wanted to deal with.
“Did you have fun with your friends tonight?” I ignored her question and hoped to distract her.
“Yeah, it was fun,” she said. “I’m sorry about Carrie, Luke. Did she dump you?”
“Yeah, it was fun,” I said, mimicking her words.
She laughed, the sound sharp and vibrant in the silent cab.
“I really am sorry,” she whispered and looked down at her hands.
I accepted her apology. It might be the only one I ever got. “I know, Mal. It’s fine. She wasn’t the one for me.”
“So who is the one for you, Luke?”
You are, I thought.
“I have no idea. Someday, I’ll figure it out,” I said, definitely not wanting to have this conversation.
“Did I used to be the one?”
She stared up at me and had to force myself to look back at the road and away from her pretty face and big blue eyes.
“I thought so, but things just weren’t meant to be.” I hoped she wouldn’t remember much of the conversation in the morning.
“I guess not,” she said glumly.
She rested her head on my shoulder and it felt like we were back at the prom.
It didn’t matter that we’d broken up at her senior prom, on a boat, no less—we had to endure each other’s company for the remainder of the night. She asked me to pretend things were okay and we could tell everyone tomorrow. I agreed, but only because I didn’t have much choice. Unless