Page 12 of My Promise To Keep

‘I did. It was fun.’

I leaned across and rested my head on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around mine. I yawned, and he laughed, a deep, rumbling chuckle beneath me.

‘I told you that you were going to crash. Come on, I’ll walk you home.’

He squeezed my shoulder a little with his hand, and I turned my head to smile up at him, and as I did, I noticed the proximity. I could feel his breath on my lips, and it was so surprisingly intimate. It had been so long since I’d been so close to a man.

Time slowed down as my gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips, and I moved, pressing my mouth to his without a second thought.

Leo stiffened against me. His lips didn’t move with mine, but his hand lifted from my shoulder, and tension radiated from him. I pulled away, realization hitting me as I saw his wide eyes, his parted lips.

‘Oh my god.’ I gasped as I pushed back away from him and stood.

‘Zo.’

‘I have to go.’ I turned and started to walk away when I felt his hand on my wrist as he gently stopped me, but I couldn’t look at him.

‘Zoe, I…’

‘Don’t…fuck,’ I said quickly. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...’ I pulled my wrist from his hand and rushed from the porch without another word.

I kissed Leo, and I didn’t understand why.

Leo

She’d kissed me.

I’ve kissed Zoe on the head, the cheek, and the back of her hand, a million times over the years, and it never meant a damn thing. But she kissed me — on the mouth.

I wanted to go after her, but I knew she was going to need some space. I saw it in her eyes. It took her by surprise as much as me.

I hadn’t kissed her back. I’d frozen. She caught me off guard, and I panicked, all my reflexes screaming:you’re kissing Luke’s wife.Now I felt like a fucking asshole. She’d taken a leap, and I must have made her feel like shit.

‘Is this what you wanted?’ I said out loud and shook my head.

Luke was so sure he wanted me to be there for her, and I have, but he didn’t consider how this would make her feel.

I should have gone to her and made sure she was okay. Everything in me was pulling me toward her, to be there, take care of her, but I didn’t trust myself with her now. Even though I’d frozen, even though it scared the shit out of me, something in me changed the second she dropped her gaze from my eyes to my mouth.

I wanted her more than I ever have, but the guilt, the feeling of betraying him, was worse than anything I’d ever felt.

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, and I released a sigh. I knew it would be her, and I knew what it would say because it’s what I would have said if she hadn’t.

Munch:I’m sorry. I need some space.

And just like that, everything changed.

Let’s Get To Work

Leo

Six Years Ago

Me:Happy birthday, Zo x

Munch:Thank you. Hope you’re good x

That was it. That was the extent of my relationship with Zoe since the moment she kissed me a year ago. We went from talking often, checking in on each other, and staying on the phone to watch movies together even when we were apart to hardly ever talking at all. We went from making the effort to spend time together to avoiding it altogether.

---