Page 59 of Promise Me

“Maybe next time,” I say. After all, until last week, selling them is what I did. “Let’s give these bars away.”

“Miles and Luca would love to take some, if we are just picking randoms.”

“My dad and brother too. Maybe even Betty.”

“And Brooke,” Hudson adds.

I don’t know why, but his suggestion to give these to another woman surprises me. Does he like Brooke?

“Brooke Sloan?” I ask.

He nods.

“Oh, are you two …”

He tilts his head as he looks at me. “You’ve stayed with me for three nights now. If I had a girlfriend, I would have told you by this point.”

“Oh” is all I say.

“I suggested Brooke since she works with you, and as far as I know, she’s your only friend. You can cross that off your list of questions.”

“What?” I say with a laugh. “Brooke works for me?”

“For almost two years now.”

I grab my phone from my back pocket immediately and scroll through my contacts. I tap her name since it’s at the top of the contacts list and open up a message thread with her. It instantly brings up where our last conversation left off the morning of my accident.

“Why do you think she hasn’t reached out?” I ask before I type anything.

“She’s been out of town for her sister’s wedding. Plus, were you friends the last you remember? Maybe she was scared.”

“I mean, we said hi in passing.”

“There you have it.”

I twist my lips and look down at our messages.

We talk about books and wine dates and clothes, and there seems to a lot of chatter about firemen. And lots of emojis.

The last one she sent contains water drops, a fireman, a firework, and then a bed. It’s almost like code text.

What does that mean?

“Do I have a crush on anyone?” I ask aloud.

“How would I know?”

Hudson is cleaning up now, wiping down the counters and putting some dishes in the sink. He keeps looking at the bars, though.

“Did you eat one?” I ask.

“Not yet.”

“Well, let's grab one.” I push a box toward him as I contemplate what I could text to Brooke.

What must it feel like to have your best friend forget you?

My heart hurts for her, so I quickly send a text.

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