Page 87 of Every Broken Promise
Now, here I was years later, having sex with him. I wasn’t his first, not his second, or even his last. I was just another girl who had given in to the charms of one of the Kane brothers, and I didn’t like how that made me feel.
I didn’t want to say I felt cheap because it probably wasn’t the right word for it, but it was the only one that came to mind.
I had wanted Tyler Kane for so long that now I had gotten a part of him, I wasn’t sure if it was the one I wanted.
I wanted his heart, and instead, I got his body.
“Don’t you get tired of running?
Tyler’s words kept haunting me. They came at me at all times, just reminding me of every interaction we had since I came back to town.Fucker. Pulling up my big girl panties, I texted a number I had programmed into my new phone but never dared to look at.
Me:I know you think all I do is run away, and maybe you’re right, but right now, I just need some space to go over some things on my mind. Please don’t come over and push me when I’m not ready to talk.
Tilemaker:If you try to run, know that I will be running after you this time. And I know you don’t want me to talk about it, but I’m sorry, Astrid. I’m so sorry that I hurt you that night. I was stupid and immature. I took you for granted because you had always been there, and I thought you would continue to be there. I don’t blame you for not telling me you were leaving. I don’t blame you for cutting me out, even though at times I felt like the pain didn’t let me breathe.
What was I even supposed to say to that? I couldn’t find words, so I didn’t. That didn’t stop Tyler from sending another message. My heart skipped a beat at his words.
Tilemaker:When you left, you took a part of me. It wasn’t until you came back that I realized I felt whole again.
What did he mean by that?
Now he wanted me?
What was it about me now that he liked?
Was it the way I dressed? Was it the way my body changed? Why was this new version of me the one he found appealing but not the one that he had?
They were all questions only he had the answers to, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear them yet. So, instead of trying to figure him out, I took the weekend to just let myself feel.
By the timeMonday morning came again, I processed the fact that Tyler and I had slept together. On Tuesday, I kept replaying it over and over again, and a part of me wanted to do it again—soon. I told myself it was because a good sex partner was hard to come by, and you had to keep him on the roster, even if it meant only seeing him one day of the week so he could scratch that itch. Only, I knew too well that Tyler was one itch I would never get tired of scratching. It had been amazing sex. The kind of sex a girl kept going back for more so I didn’t judge myself too hard for having those thoughts.
Now, here I was on a Wednesday, wondering where we would go from here. The only plus side I had was that I was close to finishing my piece onDelicia’s. I just needed to have a one-on-one with Lupe and Luna, and it would be ready to go.
“Astrid,” Orianna called my name.
When I turned toward her, she was already facing me and began to hand me a white envelope.
“Clark and I eloped.”
“What!” I shirked.
“Shhhhh.” Ori looked around, making sure the others didn’t notice us.
“But what about your wedding?”
“We are having a small backyard shindig. We know his mom will lose it when she finds out.” She let out a sigh. “The wedding stuff was getting out of hand; my sister and I aren’t speaking, and my dad isn’t in my life. I didn’t feel the need for a traditional wedding. That’s not me. So, Clark whisked us away this weekend, and it was perfect. It was just us.”
“I’m so happy for you,” I told her, meaning it.
“I’m sure my mother-in-law will go all out for this, so you better come.”
“Can’t wait,” I told her.
Naturally, I opened the invitation, not worried that anyone else could see me since they were facing the opposite way, and I googled the address.
“Dude,” I said. “How did you get that location?”
There was a small strip behind Zeke’s bar that had access to the lake, but the majority of the access was near Sunny Pines. A few years back, developers bought the land and made some kick-ass houses.
