The Promises We Keep (Made for Love Book 1) (116 page)

He leaves me as if we didn
’
t just share our first kiss
—
like maybe that was our second or third or
one hundredth
kiss. As I watch him go find his sister, I
’
m in awe of how natural that felt and how unaffected he seems. Maybe I
’
m wrong and he
’
s going completely crazy on the inside. Either way, I know one thing
—
I
’
ll never be the same again.

It
’
s definitely starting to get too cold for my morning runs, but I
’
m determined to stick it out until it starts snowing. I do pretty well in my long workout pants, a turtleneck, a jacket, mittens, and my earmuff headband; but as I walk through my cool down after my six miles, my sweat makes me instantly cold.

I was the first to wake up this morning and decided that I
’
d head out and come back before everyone else got started with their days. I haven
’
t talked to Sonny about his plans before tonight
’
s game, but I
’
m hoping we can spend some time together
—
maybe have some breakfast, at the very least. However, as I
’
m walking back to my building, my plans seem to fall apart as I spot him heading to his car. I call out to him and he turns toward me as I approach.

He
’
s wearing a pair of fitted navy slacks and my favorite brown leather shoes with the green sweater I bought him for his birthday underneath his light jacket. It
’
s barely eight o
’
clock and he
’
s dressed and out the door headed who knows where?
Well, I
’
m going to find out
—
wherever he
’
s going is stealing my boyfriend from my boyfriend breakfast plan.

“
Hey,
”
I greet him as I close the distance between us.
“
Where are you going?
”

“
Hey.
”
He reaches for my chin and leans down to kiss me hello. He kisses me once. Twice. The third time he tarries and it makes my stomach tingle with delight.
“
How was your run?
”

“
Good. Cold but good.
”
I realize as I answer him, he didn
’
t answer
me
.
“
You
’
re up and out pretty early. Where are you going?
”

“
I just have something I have to take care of,
”
he replies, running his hands up and down my arms to help warm me up. I love it that he thinks to do such a thing without a single word from me. His vague reply to my question, though, leaves me wanting.

I squint up at him suspiciously.
“
Something you have to dress up for? On a Saturday? Before you can have breakfast with your girlfriend?
”

“
Yes, yes, and yes,
”
he answers, punctuating each
yes
with a kiss on top of my head.
“
And I should probably get going.
”

“
Are you really not going to tell me what you
’
re doing?
”

“
I
’
m
really
not going to tell you what I
’
m doing.
”

“
But why?
”
I ask, folding my arms across my chest with a pout.
“
I think, seeing as how this
something
gets to have you when I don
’
t, I should get to know what this
something
is.
”

He chuckles as he pulls my arms apart and scoops me up into an embrace. I wrap myself around him before he speaks.
“
I can
’
t tell you. It
’
s a secret.
”

“
What
kind
of secret?
”

“
The kind I can
’
t tell you right now. I need to get on the road, so you
’
re going to have to live with it.
”

I squint at him again.
“
On the road?
What road? Sonny
—”

He interrupts me with a kiss.
“
I
’
ve got to go. I
’
ll see you tonight. After the game.
”

“
You
’
re
killing
me, here. Are you sure I can
’
t just come with you?
”

“
It wouldn
’
t be a secret if you came.
”
He taps my backside and then puts me down. I let go reluctantly.
“
I love you. I
’
ll see you tonight.
”

“
I love you, too. Will you tell me this secret tonight?
”

“
Nope,
”
he says with a grin, climbing into his car.

“
Fine. Be that way,
”
I tease.

“
I will.
”
He winks at me and I watch him drive away before I hurry inside, where I find Addie
’
s up and dressed for yoga already. She
’
s in the kitchen drinking coffee and staring at what appears to be
nothing
.

“
Got any left over?
”
I ask, pointing to her mug.

“
Hmm?
”
she hums as she comes to.

“
Coffee, AJ, is there more coffee?
”

“
Oh, yeah.
”
She sets her mug down and turns to pour me a cup.

“
What were you thinking about?
”
She doesn
’
t respond right away and I scoff in irritation.
“
Really?
Another
secret? I haven
’
t even had a chance to have breakfast and already my day is filling up with them!
”

“
Roman kissed me,
”
she spits out as she hands me my coffee. I almost drop it before I discard it on the counter behind me for safe keeping.

“
Excuse
me?
”

“
And I kissed him back.
”

“
Shut. Up.
”
I stare at my other half as my jaw goes slack. I study her, trying to figure out what she
’
s thinking, but I can
’
t tell. She looks neither guilty nor remorseful, panicked nor anxious; in fact, she doesn
’
t appear to have any of the emotions that I would image she would have, given the magnitude of what has happened.
“
Okay, I didn
’
t mean that
literally.
Is that all I get?
”

“
Don
’
t tell anyone,
”
she says, her face still reading as impassive.
“
Especially not Sarah
—
not until I figure out what I
’
m going to do.
”

“
Wait, what?
”
I ask, her comment taking my shock up a notch.
“
What do you mean,
figure out what you
’
re going to do?
You
’
re not planning on a repeat performance, are you?
”
She shakes her head and offers me a shrug. All of a sudden, I no longer like Roman. Not even a little bit.
“
What about Beckham?
”
I ask defiantly.

“
I don
’
t know, Ave
—
I don
’
t know. I haven
’
t figured it out yet.
”

“
What is there to figure out? I thought you were waiting for him!
”
Now I
’
m fighting the urge to put Addie in the same camp as Roman. Or this woman who
appears
to be Addie. Verdict is still out on that one. I can
’
t believe her answer to my question about Hammy is
I don
’
t know.
How could she not know? He
’
s the love of her life, last time I checked. I mean, I knew that she might be falling for Roman, and I
’
m aware that she and Hammy aren
’
t exactly dating right now, but whatever might be going on between her and Roman doesn
’
t negate the
five years
she
’
s invested in her otherwise wonderful relationship with my supposed-to-be brother-in-law!

“
Maybe I still am. I don
’
t know,
”
she says, pulling me from my internal rant.
“
Look, just, don
’
t tell anyone, okay?
”
I
’
m speechless. Absolutely, one-hundred-percent, speechless.
“
I
’
ve got to go. I
’
ve got yoga.
”
She leaves and I feel like I need to go to bed and start this day over. So far, none of it makes any sense.