Page 49 of Between Regrets and Promises

“He promised me it would never happen again, okay?” I snap, wanting her to drop it right now. I think about Weston and everything he’s done over the last few days to make it up to me. I have to believe it was an accident. A man I love would never do anything to hurt me. Up until that night, he’s made me extremely happy, and what we have is special. My anger rises as I continue, “He loves me, Lennon. I know that’s hard for you to believe because no one is allowed to be happy except for you.”As soon as the words leave my lips, I wince at myself. I shouldn’t have said that.

“Are you serious right now? I want nothing but the best for you and Maddie. That’s total bullshit you’d say that to me.” Lennon turns to leave without looking back at me.

Guilt streams through me along with a handful of other emotions. I chase after her, not wanting her to leave but knowing she can’t. I refuse to be the reason Hunter’s plans fall through, and I don’t want my sister mad at me for eternity. Not when today is going to be one of the happiest days of her life.

“Lennon, wait. I’m sorry. I don’t want to argue with you.” She ignores me, not making eye contact because I pushed her too far. “I didn’t mean to say that. I have a lot going on right now and shouldn’t have taken it out on you. You only want the best for me.” Tears well in my eyes, but I try to keep them at bay. There’s so much I want to tell her but can’t. If Weston found out, he’d be pissed, and if Lennon knew how scared I was that night, she’d tell me to leave him.

“You need to be careful, Sophie. It’s not okay for someone to lay their hands on you, no matter what, and I’m worried about you. I already don’t care for the dickface, but then this happens.”

It’s the first time she’s admitted she doesn’t like him although I already suspected as much. None of my friends do, but I wish they’d give him a fair chance. Liam and Mason hate him. Hunter and Maddie don’t seem to care for him either.

“I know,” I finally say. “He promised, though, and I believe him.” I’m not lying when I say those words.

After knowing him for months, I’ve never seen him act that way. Alcohol makes people do stupid things and so does stress. His boss has been riding him, and although it doesn’t excuse his behavior, I want to believe he’ll change. Lennon continues but eventually drops it. I can tell it’s in the forefront of her thoughts,but I’m relieved all the same. I chat about Allie and Hunter, about work, and about anything other than myself.

Once I’ve grabbed a few things for lunch and dinner, we check out, and Lennon helps me load my groceries in the car. Before I leave, she pulls me into a big hug, and I feel something more behind it than usual. “Please take care of yourself and call me if something happens or if you need to get out because he’s drunk again.Promiseme.”

I look at her, noticing a tinge of fear for me in her eyes. I smile to appease her. “I promise. But you have to promise me something too.”

“What’s that?”

“You won’t mention this to anyone. Not even Hunter. Please,” I beg. The last thing I need is Hunter acting like a big brother and kicking Weston’s ass. And if Lennon tells him, Mason and Liam will find out too. It would be a bad situation and put me in a terrible position. I want to keep this all to myself, and if she hadn’t seen the bruises herself, she wouldn’t know either.

She narrows her eyes. “I will this time. But if I see even the tiniest of marks again, I’m not staying quiet,” she warns. “I will call the cops on him.”

And she went there. The last thing I need is the cops involved in my business too. Lennon’s blowing things out of proportion, but I don’t dare say that to her. I explained how he’s been stressed, and I swear to her I’ll let her know if something else happens. We exchange one last hug before parting ways.

On the way home, I think about what Lennon said, and while I agree with her, she doesn’t know Weston. She doesn’t know how much we love each other. The man would rope the moon for me if I asked. It was a one-time thing, and we’ll work through this and be better for it in the end.

I park and put away the groceries, then jump in the shower to get ready for Lennon’s secret proposal tonight. I’m so damn excited about it that I can hardly stand it.

After I’ve fixed my hair, I make sure I’ve covered the slight bruising on my face and add some foundation down my neck to blend it in.

Glancing over, I see the time on my phone and realize Weston should’ve been home already. Though I’m nervous because of what happened, I find the courage to text and ask where he is. He promised to join me. My parents are in town, and many of our friends will be there, so it’s important for him to attend because I want to introduce him. Weston could make an amazing first impression with my folks, and who knows, maybe he’ll get some ideas for our engagement too.

We need to leave in the next thirty minutes if we’re going to make it on time. Considering it’s a surprise engagement, we can’t be late.

Sophie

Hey, baby. You almost home? We need to leave soon for Hunter and Lennon’s thing.

Weston

Ah, babe. Sorry. I got held up at work because someone called in sick. Won’t be able to make it.

My entire mood shifts, and I’m upset he won’t be coming. Instead of replying, I grab my keys and leave. It’s better for me not to say anything at all than to text my emotions, especially since things are rocky at the moment.

Before I put the car in reverse, I text Maddie to see if she needs a ride. Thankfully, she does, so I won’t have to walk in all alone. When I pick her up, she’s her happy-go-lucky self, andI’m glad one of us is a giant ray of sunshine. The girl knows how to make me smile when I don’t feel like it.

“Where’s Weston?” she asks.

“He’s still at work and couldn’t make it.”

“That sucks. Mom and Dad wanted to meet him. They were talking about it at breakfast this morning.”

“I know.” It’s all I can say because no one is more disappointed by it than I am. Maddie changes the subject and talks about a ballet number she’s learning at the moment. Though she loves jazz, toe, and lyrical, she’s amazing at pointe too. I think about her life and how beautiful it is that she’s living her dream. It’s hard not to feel a tinge of envy by how innocent she is. I want her to stay this way forever.

Eventually, we arrive at the park, and Maddie wraps her arm around me as we walk in. She makes me feel young and free again, regardless that I’m five years older than her with a stack of responsibilities on my shoulders. As soon as we enter the Mother Goose concert area and say hello to everyone, an announcement is made to keep quiet because Lennon’s arrived.

---