Promised (13 page)

“Wyn?” I ask, shocked to see her standing mere feet away from me.

“Nate texted me.” She explains, and it pisses me off and pleases me at the same time. What the hell was he thinking?

“Why the hell did he do that?” I say, putting words to my thoughts.

“He was worried about you.” She says as she eyes the bottle of Jack in my hand.

“I’m fine.” I grumble, bringing the bottle to my mouth for another drink. Her eyes follow the bottle’s path and I notice they linger on my mouth even after I take the bottle away.

Damn! She shouldn’t look at me that way unless she’s ready for me to kiss her.
I really look at her for the first time since she showed up. Her hair is pulled up in a messy knot on top of her head. She has her normal coat on, but I spy a purple tank top underneath. She’s wearing purple and pink stripped pajama pants that are way too thin for this weather and a pair of running shoes. She was ready for bed, or already asleep, when Nate texted her and she still came. But how did she get here? She doesn’t drive.

“You look it, but I’d still prefer you give me your keys so I can drive you home.” She says, taking her eyes away from my mouth and sticking out her hand, waiting on me to hand over my keys. Why do they all think it’s as easy as them demanding and me giving? They both know me better than that.

“How’d you get here?”

“Dani, I was staying with her tonight.” She explains, sighing and keeping her hand stuck out.

“You don’t have a license.” I point out a big reason why I won’t hand my car keys to her.

Digging in her coat pocket, she pulls out a small rectangle card and holds it up for me to see. “I got it Tuesday.”

“Why?” I ask shocked again.

“I decided even if it was a limited freedom, I wanted it.” I sit up and stare at her for several minutes. Neither of us says anything. We both know this was a huge step for her. And if she can take that step, there’s hope she can take another step with me. I finally break the silence by pulling out the keys to the Challenger and tossing them to her.

“You can drive me home.”

Chapter 18 – Wyn

~Options~

For someone who’s working on his second bottle of Jack, Linc seems rather unaffected. He stumbled a couple times on the way to the
Challenger, but he isn’t slurring his words. He’s not hiding his emotions very well, but like I said, he’s had almost two full bottles of Jack so it had to hit him somehow. I get him in the passenger seat and then before getting in myself, I go to Dani’s car to let her know what’s going on.

“I’m going to drive him to his house and make sure he gets in alright. You follow, then once I have him settled, we can head home.” I explain, crouching down to talk to her at the driver’s side window.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay riding with him? He is smashed.” She asks, watching the Challenger closely, as if it’ll give her the warning she needs to pull me in her car and take off without having to help Linc.

I place my hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention back to me. “I might not act like a normal gypsy, but I still am one. So I’ve handled a lot worse than this. Plus, this is Linc. He’d never hurt me.”

Dani places her hand over mine. “Hate to break it to you, but he already has.”

“That was my choice, Dani. You know that.” I pull my hand back and shove it in my coat pocket.

“Fine, let’s get him home so we can get back ourselves.” She grumbles and rolls up her window, ending our conversation. She’s mad at Linc for the spot he’s put me in. She was fine with him at first, but I think seeing me be the good little gypsy fiancée with Shay has pushed her towards blaming Linc. She doesn’t like seeing me as anything but myself. And these past two weeks, I haven’t been myself. I’ve been playing my role. A role I hate.

I straighten up from the crouch I’m in and let out a sigh.
Time to get this over with.

“I’ve missed you.” Linc blurts out as soon as I have the car moving down the road. I let the pain wash over me at those three little words. I’ve missed him too, more than I can tell him, but he knows where we stand at the moment.

“Linc,” I sigh.

“Tell me you don’t miss me, Wyn. Tell me this forced separation isn’t hurting you just as much as it’s hurting me.” He demands. I can’t tell him that I miss him like crazy. And if I tried to form those words, he’d see them as the lie they are. So I stay quiet, focusing on the road in front of me.

He takes my silence as his answer and decides to switch from demands to questions.

“Why can’t you choose me?”

“Linc.” I sigh again, hoping he’ll hear the pain in my voice and leave it be.

“No, I deserve to know. If you’re going to throw our love away as easily as you would last week’s trash, I deserve to know why. This doesn’t only affect you.” He slams his fist against the dash to emphasize his words.

“Other than the fact that if I choose you I’ll never see my family again.” I turn my eyes to him for a second and see him watching me intently. God, I’ve missed those eyes. I let out a sigh and then I continue, “I won’t have anywhere to go. I don’t have my own money, so where would I live, Linc? How would I eat? What kind of future would I have?”

“Damn it, Wyn! Do you think I’d ask you to do this and not have your back?”

“Linc, you’re leaving for basic training at the end of the summer.” I point out what should be obvious, but apparently he needs the reminder.

“And you could stay with Mom and Dad until I’m back. Then, once I get my station, you can live with me in the base housing.” He apparently has thought this out, but his plan has holes the size of Texas.

“Linc, they won’t let you move your girlfriend on the base with you.” I point out, shaking my head.

“They’d let my wife.” The air leaves me at his words. Did Linc just propose?

Fudge!

Double Fudge!

“Linc-” I start, but he cuts me off.

“No, I don’t want to hear the next excuse. You have options. I’m your option! You can marry me instead of him. I’ll make sure you have a home over your head, food in your stomach and anything else your heart desires.” He pulls my right hand off the wheel and into his.

“I love you, Linc.”

“I love you too.”

“But I don’t want to be married at eighteen. I don’t want to depend on someone else to take care of me. I want to go to school and learn how to take care of myself.” I thought this would hurt his feelings, but Linc being Linc, he doesn’t let it faze him. Well, at least he doesn’t let it show if it does.

He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and says. “Fine, we won’t get married at eighteen. You can stay at my parent’s house until we get you in a college. But I will marry you someday. If you don’t want it to be at eighteen, I can handle that, but it’s going to happen.” He sounds so sure of those words. So sure that it makes me think it could all be that simple. I could go to school, live at his parent’s house until I can afford my own place. Then, when the time is right, I can marry Linc. Can I do this?

He must sense my nervousness because he gives my hand another squeeze and says. “You don’t have to decide tonight, but I wanted you to know you have options. Please, consider them.”

I pull in to his driveway and put the car in to park. Then I release my seat belt and turn to look at him. I want to throw myself in his arms and tell him that’s exactly what I want, but I need to keep my head and think this over. “I’m going to think about it, but I have to keep up this show with Shay and my parents while I do it.”

He places his hand against my jaw and uses his thumb to rub my cheek. “I don’t like it, but I understand why you have to. But if I’m going to wait for my answer, can I at least see you while you’re thinking about it?”

“It’ll be hard. Shay’s my ride to and from school now, and Mom’s made me stop the volunteering so I can focus on the wedding plans. But we can see each other at school and I’ll try to find a way to see you other times. We’ll have to be careful though.”

The smile that lights up his face at my words makes me happy I’m giving in to him. I’ve missed that smile. “We’ll be careful. I don’t want to mess this up again.”

“I don’t want to either.” I whisper back. Dani flashes her lights behind us, reminding me we need to get in gear. I sigh and say. “We better get you inside.”

“Ok, but one more thing first.”

“What?”

He moves his hand to the back of my neck and pulls me closer, pressing his lips to mine for a gentle kiss.

Pulling back just enough that our lips are no longer touching, he asks. “Have I mentioned that I miss you?”

“Once or twice.” I smile against his lips.

“I better get inside.” He pulls back smiling himself.

“Do you need me to help you?”

“Nah.”

“You know for a guy who’s supposed to be drunk, you don’t act it.”

“I’m not drunk, maybe a little tipsy, but not smashed. Though, I can’t say I’m upset about Nate texting you. It made going to that party worth it.” His smile turns into his signature knee weakening grin.

“I can’t say I disagree with you.”

*************************************

“So?” Dani asks as she backs back out on to the road.

“I missed him.” I sigh, laying my head back against the head rest, turning my neck so I’m facing her.

“Tell me something I don’t already know.” She shakes her head.

“He pretty much told me he’d marry me if I choose him.”

She stops the car in the middle of the road and turns to me with her mouth hanging open.

I lean forward and using my knuckles, I push her mouth closed. “I told him I don’t want to be married at eighteen, but he did give me some things to think over.”

“Did you completely forget you’re already planning to be married at eighteen?” Dani points out, turning back around and putting the car in drive.

“Like I could forget.” I mumble, turning my head to look out the passenger window. The night sky is clear and the moon is shining down and guiding our way. I’ve always enjoyed this time of night. When the road’s clear of other cars, it makes me feel as if I’m one of a few people left on the planet. It’s peaceful, perfect for thinking over life changing decisions. I find the brightest star in the sky and close my eyes, sending up a quiet wish for guidance.

“What are you going to be thinking over?” Dani asks, drawing me back into the car and out of my thoughts.

“He gave me some ideas of what I could do if I chose him.” I tell the window instead of looking over to see what her reaction is. If I’m honest, the biggest thing keeping me from choosing Linc is the thought of losing Dani. I hate the idea of losing Adam and my un-born niece too, but mostly Dani. She’s been my best friend since I knew what a best friend was and I don’t want to turn my back on that. I don’t know if I can turn my back on that.

“He’s taking it seriously.” She whispers to herself. I can practically hear the wheels turning in her head. She probably thinks I’ve already made my decision.

“Dani, I haven’t decided yet.” I feel the need to reassure her.

“Uh-huh.” She mumbles. I look over at her and see the tears shinning in her eyes.

“I swear. I have a lot to think over, but I haven’t decided anything.” I reach across the seat and rub her shoulder to reassure her I’m still here.

“Wyn, I know you don’t love Shay. You can barely stand him. So I don’t have high hopes.” She takes one hand off the wheel to wipe at the tears spilling out of her eyes.

“You have the first part right, but you’re forgetting something.”

“What else could be so important that you’d marry someone you don’t love?” She asks on a sob. Her hormones have taken over and she’s full on crying now.

I drop my hand from her shoulder to her pregnant belly. “I have a little namesake on the way that’ll need me to teach her how to be awesome.” I look up at Dani and continue. “And a best friend who I wouldn’t know how to live without.”

She covers my hand on her belly with her own. “I don’t know what I’d do without you either.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be as awesome; that’s for sure.” I tease.

She pushes my hand off her belly and then grumbles. “I think you have that backwards. Kind of like you think my child is going to be named after you.”

“Hey, the middle name counts as naming her after me. She will forever be Lil Wyn.”

“You do realize she isn’t here yet, so I could change my mind about doing that.”

“You love me too much to change your mind.” I point out smugly.

“Hmmph. I’ve changed my mind; you should choose Linc.” She grumbles as she rolls her eyes.

“Oh hush, you know you love me.” I reply on a chuckle.

“Only on days that end in Y.”

February

Chapter 19 – Linc

~Help You Get Through~

“Let me make sure I have this right. You want your sort of girlfriend to move in with us while she tries to find a college so she doesn’t have to marry the man she is engaged to?” Mom’s sitting acros
s the kitchen table from me. She was trying to enjoy her morning coffee when I joined her. It’s been around three weeks since the party that brought Wyn back to me and I’m just now gathering the courage to bring my plan up to Mom for approval.