Page 67 of Promise Me

“Hmm. For someone who used to hate me, you sure know a lot about me.”

Yeah, I do. I mean, part of my job is to remember those who come in frequently, but I couldn’t tell you what chips Mr. and Mrs. Winter like to eat or drink.

“I would have thought that with our history, you’d pretend I wasn’t there or choose not to wait on me. From what I gather, I’m picky, I’m bossy, I’m?—”

“You are many things, Sadie, but invisible is not one of them.”

This makes her pause. I sort of like that I made her speechless, even if it’s short-lived.

“Still, I like that you know all these weird facts about me. But I feel like I don’t know much about you. Not now that we are adults.”

I nod. I don’t really like to talk about myself, but from her view, right now, it must seem like everyone knows her better than she does, so maybe I can give her some peace and let her know something about me that most people don’t know.

“What do you want to know?”

“Oh, so much.” She smiles teasingly at me. “What are you willing to share?”

I think it over for a moment, then tap the lid on her drink. “I don’t like pop. Water, flavored water, or beer is all I need.”

She holds up her popcorn bag.

“I’d pick baked barbeque.”

“Favorite shirt brand?” she asks.

“Is that a thing?”

“Is it for you?”

“No.”

“Favorite shoes?”

“Tennis shoes.”

“Colored socks?”

I chuckle. “Just white.”

“White isn’t a color.”

I fake a gasp. “It is too a color.”

“A boring one.”

I’m about to ask her to ask me something else when she jerks forward in her seat.

“Oh! Is that an ice skating rink?” Sadie asks, her eyes wide as she grins and points out the front windshield. “We have to go.”

It’s the Wind Valley Recreation Center. I went there a lot as a kid. Since Lovers doesn’t have a year-round ice rink, my parents put me in private lessons on the weekends. Once I made the team, it made for a lot of long days to practice during the week. They had to take me out of school early on those nights just so we could make it. Which meant they left work early and put in a lot of time to help my dream come true.

All for me to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time and let it all fall apart.

That was the last time I was on the ice. I didn’t even try after the accident because I could barely walk. I wasn’t stupid. I knew the doctors were right.

So yeah, my skates have been packed ever since that night.

“I don’t think ice skating is something you should do,” I tell Sadie. “If you slip and hit your head, that would not be good. Your father and brother would kill me, and you know it.”

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