Page 33 of Promise Me

An unspoken agreement of some kind.

“It’s a lot right now, I get it, but maybe on another day, you’ll come back here and see all the spots where you left your mom. You honored her really nicely, Sadie. She’d be so proud of you.”

The air around us buzzes then as silence fills the room.

A few minutes pass as I pull myself together. I whisper, “I wish I could remember her funeral.”

“Yeah, I know you do.”

“Were you there?”

I look up into his eyes just as he shakes his head.

“I wasn’t. I hadn’t been released from the hospital yet.”

He was in the hospital?

“Why? What happened to you?”

With my tears now controlled, he moves away from me and stands. I do the same so as not to be weird and sit on the floor while he talks.

He scratches the back of his neck as he takes a breath.

Clearly, whatever it is, it’s hard for him to talk about. I have no doubt it’ll answer all my questions on why he’s back in Lovers, but I also get not wanting to talk about yourself—more than he knows.

I wave my hand in the air.

“You don't have to tell me. I know we don’t have that kind of relationship, and you probably already told me anyway, so it’s no fun for you to have this conversation twice.”

“Actually,” he says, “you never asked about it. I assumed Linc told you at some point, but this conversation between us has never happened.”

I wrinkle my nose. “We really still don’t like each other?”

He just shrugs.

“Since I have nothing to lose—or nothingmoreto lose—I’ll admit that I’ve always told myself that if you ever came back, I’d make amends.”

“Seriously?” he says as if he doesn’t believe me.

“Yep. Clearly, I changed my mind.”

“Clearly.” He chuckles.

I smile at the sound. I think I could enjoy being friends with Hudson Asher.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened?” I ask again.

His mouth opens, but he closes it and points at the coffee machine instead.

“Let’s make a cup first. The sun is barely out, you know.”

“Okay,” I say, and I watch as he takes over.

Mom would have loved to see this.

Me and Hudson, mingling like normal humans.

He makes two cups, handing me one that is more creamer with coffee than coffee with creamer.

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