Promise You: A friends to lovers romance

by Fabiola Francisco

  I inhale a heavy breath that settles in my chest, adding weight to my already torn heart.

  Unsure of how to respond, I sigh and reach for his hand across the table. “It’s just that…” I tilt my head to search for the right words. “You’ve got your dreams to chase, and I know that’s a priority. Once you get your big break, because I know you’re so close, you’ll have a new life to focus on.”

  “I won’t do what he did to you, that’s a promise I can keep. I made sure to tell Peyton that I stayed true to myself.” When I tense, he continues, “I didn’t mention anything about you, so relax. Listening to you tell me about what happened opened my eyes. I wanted to make sure I didn't sign my soul to the devil at some point in my career. This is my dream, but if it makes me unhappy, then that dream means shit.” He shakes his head adamantly.

  I toss Dex’s words around in my mind, savoring them, but remain quiet.

  “This will only work if you can open up and believe me. Believe that maybe this time, things can work out differently. This may be our first formal date, but neither one of us are new to these feelings.”

  I nod. Dex is right, and I think back to what Joanne told me. Even though tarot card readings can be a joke, what she said resonated deep inside of me. I stand and make my way over to him, sitting on his lap. I cradle his face and smile. “I want to believe.” I kiss him, feeling Dex’s arms looping around my waist and my heart flipping inside my chest.

  “Stay the night,” he whispers against my lips.

  “Okay.”

  His lips crash into mine, his hands land on my hips, holding me to him. Heat rushes through my body, settling in my core.

  Reese

  I shake my shoulder to stop the itch, too tired to move and scratch my arm. I groan when it continues and finally slap my skin. A deep laugh fully wakes me up, and I blink open one eye and find Dex staring at me while running his fingers up and down my shoulder and arm.

  “You stayed,” he says.

  I yawn and move from lying on my stomach to my side to face him. “Did you stay awake all night to make sure I would?” I laugh as I tease him.

  I scream when he grabs me by my waist and tosses me over him. “Funny girl.” I straddle his body, my chest exposed to him. He tweaks my nipples with his fingers, leaving them hard. I arch into his touch and run my hand through my hair, moving it away from my face.

  “I actually feel very well-rested.” His hips buck up, causing me to moan when I feel him rub against my clit. Straddling him naked is not the best idea… or maybe it is.

  I run my fingers over the music notes tattooed on his arm. “I like this,” I continue to run my fingers over the ink adorning his body. His groan makes me smile as I brush his skin.

  Next thing I know, I’m on my back, and he’s leaning over me. “This throwing me back and forth is getting old,” I deadpan.

  “You’ll be thanking me for it in a minute.” He kisses me, lips demanding. I tilt my head up to catch his full lips, my tongue finding his.

  A mischievous twinkle lights up his eyes as he breaks the kiss and smirks. He moves his lips down my neck, trailing my collar bone until he’s taking one of my nipples into his mouth. I arch, moan, and grip the sheets beneath me all at once as he takes his sweet time teasing me.

  Pleasure builds throughout my entire body when I feel his mouth move further down, making his intentions clear. I’m about to explode when I see him looking up at me with a wicked grin and he winks. Before I can react, his mouth lands on my pussy, running his tongue up and sucking on my clit. His mouth is pure magic, he knows exactly what to do to light my body on fire as it burns with desire.

  My body trembles as he continues to pleasure me, two fingers hitting that perfect spot inside of me as his mouth builds the pressure between my legs.

  I come apart under his mouth, calling out his name and pulling his hair. My body tingles all over as he slows his movements. My heart races, my ribcage keeping it from sprinting out of my chest.

  He slowly returns the same path up my body with his lips, until I taste myself on his mouth when he kisses me again, lazily this time. I wrap my arms around him, keeping his body on mine.

  “You’re welcome,” he winks, leaning his head up a bit to look at me.

  I roll my eyes, still in an orgasm-induced fog. My hand wanders down Dex’s body as I catch my breath, grabbing hold of his cock. I wrap my fingers around his length and move my hand up and down his shaft, catching him off-guard. I raise a brow as I keep his gaze hostage. Parted lips, Dex groans and pushes into my hand.

  “Fuck, Reese.” His voice is hoarse, his hands on either side of my head, holding up his body.

  I lean up, whispering into his ear. “Fuck me.”

  He doesn’t respond. He simply catches my lips with his, reaches for a condom and rolls it on blindly, before thrusting into me with purpose. And what a purpose it is.

  I gasp when he enters me, my nails digging into his back. We’re moving together, calling out each other’s names, and creating friction between us that pulls me further into this feeling. Dex runs his finger over my clit as my orgasm builds, causing it to climb until I’m tense, toes curled. I moan, my breathing heavy, as a silent wave rushes over me. Dex follows right after, releasing himself into me.

  His body drops slightly, his forehead touching mine as we both slow our breathing. The pumping of my heartbeat echoing in my ears.

  “This beats brunch,” Dex jokes.

  I laugh at his abrupt comment and tilt my head up a bit. “Shut up and kiss me.”

  “With pleasure.” His lips smash against mine.

  We spend the rest of the lazy morning lying on his bed, kissing, and giving each other more orgasms.

  This totally beats brunch.

  After getting out of bed and showering, I’m lounging on Dex’s couch in a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt he lent me. I could spend hours like this with him. As much as I love having his hands on my body, I love moments where I can be myself, and it’s the two of us talking and watching movies together.

  “I just ordered lunch,” Dex comes around the corner of the kitchen and sits next to me. “I like you in my clothes.” He pulls my feet onto his lap and runs his hands up and down my legs.

  Nodding, he smiles as he takes me in. “Yeah, I like it a lot.” He squeezes my thigh.

  “I thought you liked me naked…a lot.” I raise an eyebrow as he pulls me by my legs until I’m on him, and his hands are tickling me. “Okay, okay. Stop!” I yell as I try to catch my breath between giggles.

  “I’m going to pee,” I yell, causing him to laugh louder and tickle me harder. “Dex, you are not going to want a wet spot on your lap.”

  He stops suddenly. “Reese, your choice of words. Fuck if I don’t want you wet, just a different kind of wet.”

  “Stop before I pee myself,” I demand. I kiss him straight on the lips and hop off his lap, so I can run to the bathroom. His chuckles follow me, and his wide grin meets me when I come back out. “You play dirty, Dex Monroe.”

  “I never promised to be a saint.” My breath catches and I pause on the way to the couch. “That’s not what I meant.” He stands before me, cupping my cheek. “When I’m with someone, I’m loyal, one-hundred-percent. And I’m with you. All in.” His lips touch mine with a gentleness I would never expect from Dex.

  I reach around his waist, kissing him with purpose. I move my hands to his ribs and begin tickling me. He yells my name as I tilt my head back and laugh, never breaking away from my task.

  “Payback,” I say.

  Dex grips my ass and carries me, forcing my legs around his waist and my hands away from his ribs. He thrusts his hips, allowing me to feel his hard dick beneath his low-hung sweatpants. “That’s what your payback does to me.”

  A soft moan escapes my lips. Staring into his eyes, I sigh. “Who would’ve guessed I’d be shacking up with you.” I run my fingers over the back of his neck.

  He shakes his head. “We’re doin
g a lot more than shacking up.” Dex drops a kiss on the base of my throat, the doorbell interrupting the moment. “Food’s here.” He slaps my butt softly, and I climb off him. To say I’m wound tight is an understatement.

  “Choose a movie while I grab us drinks.” I watch as he adjusts himself, and then I do as I’m asked, knowing exactly what movie to pick.

  “You get me,” Dex chuckles when he sees the movie I’ve chosen. He places the food and drinks on the coffee table and sits next to me. He removes the containers of Chinese from the plastic bag, the sweet and salty smell of honey chicken and fried rice making my stomach growl.

  “For a tough guy, you’re a real softy with your love of chick flicks.”

  “No need to insult my love for cheesy films. There’s something nostalgic about them,” he defends. “Think of me like Patrick,” he nods to the television where Ten Things I Hate About You begins to play. “He’s supposed to be a bad boy, but deep down he cares about Kat.”

  I shake my head, biting my smile. He’s something else. “You’re cute when you’re comparing movies to real life.” I nudge my shoulder with his.

  “Eat your lunch so you can lean into me and watch the movie.” His hand grips my thigh, his thumb close to where I want to feel him, causing me to clench my lower body. He gives me a lopsided smile, aware of the influence his touch has on me.

  As soon as we finish eating, he pulls me into him. His hand runs the length of my arm as we silently watch the movie. I love 90s rom-coms. With the right amount of mischief, they have an innocence you don’t find nowadays.

  I allow Dex’s body to hold me and sigh. I fought hard to avoid this, but I couldn’t fight off my feelings much longer. History doesn’t have to repeat itself. I think about my brother. If he thought Cassidy Rae would’ve ended up just like his ex-girlfriend, Christie, he’d never be as happy as he is right now. Maybe we just need to live the bullshit once so we can appreciate what comes our way next.

  I look up at Dex, his face relaxed. I like this. It feels right, so who am I to try to tear apart a good thing based on one heartache? Surely, I’m not the first nor the last to have her heartbroken and live to tell it. More than that, live to experience a new kind of something.

  When his eyes find mine, I smile. “Don’t stop moving your hand,” I demand. He continues to caress my skin as I ask him about his tattoos.

  “The music ones are pretty obvious. I got the guitar and music notes first. After that, I knew I’d want more to create a sleeve. I got the cowboy hat in honor of my dad. He used to love wearing that thing. I still have it.” His eyes stare at the tattoo.

  I trace the hat as he speaks. I know he lost his dad when he was young, and it’s sweet that he has things to remind him of the person that helped bring him into this life.

  “This is the title of the first song I wrote.” I read the scripted words, A Man Like You.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever heard that song.”

  He shakes his head. “I don’t perform it. It was also a tribute to my dad.”

  “You should perform it,” I encourage him. “Maybe add it to the list of songs you’ll be including in your set.”

  “Maybe,” he looks away.

  I grab his chin and turn his attention back on me. “It was just a suggestion, you don’t have to.” I hold his face as I speak.

  “I know, babe.” He’s been calling me babe since last night, and I won’t deny it does things to me. A silly nickname used by millions, but his voice gets deeper every time he says it.

  “And the arrow?” I ask.

  “Always keep moving forward, keep my focus and determination, so I never give up on my dreams.”

  “I like that.” I smile softly, taking in the man before me. Handsome, talented, smart, and funny. It’s a wonder I held him at arm’s length for this long.

  When I hear what’s happening in the movie, I turn to the screen. “This is my favorite part.” I recite the poem along with the actress.

  We sit in silence until the movie ends. Then, Dex chooses another movie. We stay like this for hours, getting lost in old rom-coms and each other’s soft touches.

  Dex

  I miss waking up to Reese this morning, hearing her moans fill my bedroom and the taste of her sweet lips. She’s done me good. I take advantage of my early start to the day to go over the long list of things Peyton left for me to do. I start with the branding exercise, writing down key words that describe my music and me as a performer. From there, I move on to a list of songs for him. I think back to what Reese suggested about the first song I wrote. It’s been years since I’ve played it, and if I want to add it, I’ll definitely need to practice. I’ve never shared that song before, and I’m not sure how I feel about performing something so personal to a crowd of strangers.

  That song is the foundation of my music, carrying bits and pieces of the man I barely remember from my childhood. I add a question mark to the title on the list and keep going. Feeling accomplished, I send Reese a quick text message.

  Dex: morning beautiful, hope you have a great day

  Reese: morning… you too

  Dex: missed you when i woke up

  Reese: don’t get me thinking about that right now. Im getting ready for a mtg

  Dex: good.. think of me ;)

  Reese: you’re bad

  I chuckle and let her get to work, continuing with my own. Once I finish, I grab my guitar and strum the chords to a new melody. I hum to a rhythm I’m unfamiliar with as I let my creativity guide this one.

  You’re all I’ve wanted

  For all my life,

  A hand to hold,

  A life to build,

  A heart to love me

  A smile to turn the bad days bright

  I pause and write the words that are coming to me. Then, I keep going with the guitar, closing my eyes as I get lost in the music. Taking me back to being a kid, when I’d spend hours practicing the same piece on repeat. I wanted to make my momma proud and give her a reason for spending the money on that old guitar.

  I never knew I’d want a love like this,

  I never thought I’d need someone

  For all my life,

  But you crashed into me

  With those pretty lips

  And big, blue eyes,

  Making me believe

  You make me believe

  I deserve more than this,

  Empty nights and shallow words,

  When you can be my first

  First love, first heart I hold

  For all my life

  I want you by my side

  I scrub my hand down my face and set the guitar down. Reese has pulled me into her charm, thinking of lifetime love and inspiring me with new music.

  Great, I’ve turned into Hunter.

  I stand and stretch, needing to eat something. I head out, glad to be out of the apartment, and head to a nearby deli for lunch. I take a seat after I order and wait for my food to arrive.

  “Hello?” I answer my phone as I finish eating my wrap.

  “Hey, Dex. It’s Peyton.”

  “Hey, how are you?” I ask and wait to hear what he has to say.

  “All good. Listen, I know you work tomorrow, but I got the label to lend me a recording studio. I want to get an EP done to start promoting your work. Any chance you can be here in the afternoon.”

  “Of course,” I reply immediately. My excitement is evident in my response.

  “Great, I’ll see you at four. How’s that?” Peyton is all business, and I’m buzzing in my seat like a kid on a sugar high.

  “Perfect. Thanks, Peyton.” I hang up the phone and refrain from shouting, Yes. Instead, I throw away my garbage and go back home. Time to perfect my sound for tomorrow.

  I drop on my bed, exhausted, and ready to call Reese. I spent over seven hours with Peyton after work, going over the songs, sounds, and recording. I wish I could say I was a pro and got the entire EP done in that time. Not even close.

  My
phone rings and I pull it out of my back pocket.

  “Hey, you beat me to it. I was just getting ready to call you,” I answer, resting my arm behind my head.

  “How’d it go?” Reese’s voice is soft.

  “Good. Interesting. It’s different than playing live.”

  “Really?” I hear a rustling sound. “How was it different?”

  “The sound has to be sharper, so any tiny mistake stands out when you play the song back. We got started on the EP, but there’s a lot of work to do still. We got one song recorded, but we did get the dirty work done by choosing the songs and working together with the in-house band. I’m not sure how Peyton got the label to open up their space to me, but he did.”

  I close my eyes a beat while she speaks.

  “This is all new, so you have to be patient. You’re not the only artist that has to flesh out details and perfect your sound.” Her words ring in my ear. I left the studio feeling less than adequate when I realized that it took seven hours to record one song. Granted, we had other work to do and finalized the four songs to include in the EP. I also played “A Man Like You” for Peyton. He agreed to add it as one of the songs.

  “Thanks. It was a wake-up call, honestly,” I confess.

  “I figured. You’re too hard on yourself. I’ve known you for some time now, and you put on this front to the outside world. What they don’t see is the vulnerable, self-doubt you carry.” I hear her yawn as the truth she speaks rings loud and clear.

  “Go to sleep, it’s late,” I rub my eyes.

  “Okay. I wanted to make sure it went well.” She murmurs, as she holds back a yawn.

  “Thanks, Reese, I appreciate it. Goodnight.”

  “Night,” she sighs and hangs up.

  I stay awake, thinking about what she said. It’s true that I’m too hard on myself. I’ve spent years trying to achieve a goal that always felt just out of reach. Now it’s all happening, and I admit that the doubt of being good enough is creeping in. How can I be good enough if no one ever showed interest in my work before? It could be as simple as my name got lost in a sea of artists chasing the same dreams.