Page 10 of My Promise To Keep

‘No, stop it. It’s Leo.’ I didn’t want her thinking of him, talking about him that way. It was Leo,myLeo.

‘I might just go and see if he needs any help in the kitchen.’ She waggled her eyebrows and stepped toward the door, and panic rushed out of me.

‘Bree, stop.’

Turning to me, she narrowed her gaze for just a second, then put her hand on my arm.

‘Relax. I’m just going to the bathroom.’ She started to walk away, then turned back to me. ‘Maybe you should go see if he needs help, though.’

And I stood still for a moment, watching her walk away, wondering what she meant by her tone and the look in her eyes before doing exactly as she said.

Think You Can Get Me Off?

Zoe

Seven Years Ago

‘That guy is checkingyou out.’

I turned to glance in the direction my sister was looking. She was right. I knew she was right; he was making it pretty obvious.

‘He is not.’

‘Zo, he is, go talk to him.’

‘No, Bree, I don’t want to.’

I returned my attention to Leo and Doug, who were trying to knock each other off inflatable podiums with inflatable paddles and laughing their asses off.

‘Zoe.’ Bree gently gripped my bicep. ‘You promised him you would move on, meet somebody new, fall in love again.’

I did promise to fall in love again but I didn’t say when.

‘Not with some random dude watching me over the top of his hotdog at the fair,’ I snapped, then took a breath and blew it out. ‘I’m not there yet, Bree.’

She released me with a sigh as Doug knocked Leo down, and the watching crowd cheered while the guys laughed their asses off, and I smiled. I was living. I told myself that daily, hoping Luke could hear it, hoping he could see that I was trying.

‘Munch, you’re up,’ Leo called out, and I shook my head.

‘Against you? Hell no.’

He pointed at me as Bree laughed and shoved me toward him, and Doug handed me the paddle.

‘He’s just choosing a smaller opponent so he can actually win,’ my brother said, and Leo laughed.

‘You’re damn right I am. Now come on, get your ass up there.’

I was barely upright before he took the first swing, and I glared at him.

‘You play dirty,’ I sassed, and he laughed, ‘you’re going down.’

He grinned. ‘Mmm, my favorite pastime.’

I blinked, distracted by that comment, when he swung again, and I growled.

‘Leo,’

‘It’s the name of the game, munch. Think you can get me off?’

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