Page 113 of Promise Me

This isn’t the moment for life-changing epiphanies, but I'll be damned if watching him fall apart under my control doesn't spark something inside me.

I have the power to make my life the way I want despite what I can’t remember.

Looks like I’m getting everything I wanted after all, and it starts with moving in with Hudson.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

HUDSON

“You know, I think we should talk to your dad and brother before you start packing any more of your things to bring to our place.”

She grins. “I like it when you call it our place.”

Sadie goes back to pulling more clothes from her closet. We’re going on a hike today, but first we decided to stop and get more of her things from her dad’s house. Stopping before meant no one would be here, and Sadie liked that idea best. It meant fewer questions.

We haven't exactly figured out how to tell Linc about us. Her father, sure, he’ll be fine, but Linc is … more sensitive.

I’m pretty sure he’s going to slam his fist into my face, and Sadie is convinced he’s going to go on and on about how she shouldn’t be making these choices right now.

As adults, we both agreed that we should just get over it and tell him right away. As his sister and best friend, we want to wait and choose the right time.

We have dinner here tonight, so as of this moment, that’s the plan.

“What do you think of this dress?” she asks and holds it up to her body.

It’s a little black dress she wore last summer to one of the festival nights. It hits her about midthigh, and the fabric from just below her butt to her thighs is nothing but lace.

I noticed it on her last year and didn’t say a word. I just suffered in silence.

I grin. “The last time I saw you wear that, I wished that we were more than just enemies,” I admit.

She laughs. “Really? And you didn't say anything?”

“No. You spoke first and told me that I was serving stale beer, so naturally, I wasn't about to compliment how stunning you looked.”

“There you go again, showing me that you’ve been secretly pining over me for years.”

She walks to the suitcase laying open next to me on her bed, folds the dress, and sets it inside.

Before she can move back to the closet, I grab her hand and pull her back. She lands on me, so I roll us until she’s on her back. Then I kiss her.

Her hands wrap around my waist, sliding to my rear. She places one leg on each side of my hips and pushes her hands into my butt as I settle on top of her.

I’d only meant to kiss her, but the sparkle in her eyes tells me she has other plans.

And even though my mind is still blown from when she hit her knees this morning, and I will happily let her do anything to me she wants, we should stop.

“Sadie, baby, I cannot do this at your dad’s house.”

She pulls me back down and kisses me again.

“Yes, you can.”

“It’s wrong. This is his home.”

“It was mine once, too, and I’ve never had a boy in here before. It would be a first for me.”

“Really?” This woman is too good for me. “You didn’t bring one boyfriend into this room until me?”

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