Where Promises Die: A Second Chance Romance

by R. C. Stephens

  As Eisav got through his days in school, his mind continuously wondered to what Grace was up to and more so … with whom? He began to obsess over it. That didn’t mean he stopped his nightly visits to Des Moines. On the contrary, he upped his number of visits per week and included all kinds of parties that were happening around town. At school he was the bad boy with a guitar slung over his right shoulder, and he was popular. He had good friends on the football team, baseball team, and even the track team. That didn’t include the number of girls who watched him perform or who turned to putty at the first sound of his deep, gravelly voice. To a certain extent, his lust for Grace had actually kept him away from her almost completely. While Eisav was busy with his life, he took solace knowing that Grace had made some close friends at school and she busied herself with a vibrant social life. Eisav was not only lip locking with girls, he was now having sex with many girls who simply relieved the sexual tension that had built up in him years prior. The same sexual tension that began to bubble to the surface and nearly explode every time he sat next to Grace in their forest or took a swim in the pond. For that very reason, this past summer he refused to swim with her whenever she’d ask. There was no way he could stand being near her half-naked body and not attempt to take her in every imaginable position. As much as his need grew, he also knew he wasn’t any good for her. He promised her a first kiss, nothing more, and the truth was maybe Grace realized he was bad news because she never did come to cash in on that promise. He figured she was a virgin, still pure. He was anything but. It was simple: he had a dark soul and dark wants. No matter how he felt, he wasn’t going to bring the light of Grace into his darkness. His distance from Grace only cemented his parents’ dark views of himself in his own mind. He truly was a black sheep. It almost felt as if he was living life in a never-ending circle he couldn’t escape from: lusting after Grace then pushing her away, his quest for satisfaction and acting out on the needs, which only made him feel worse and pull further away from her. The past year was proof of his life going downhill without Grace in it. If it weren’t for his music, and Mr. Briar’s belief in him, he wasn’t sure where exactly he would be.

  As the school bell ushered in another end to a day, Eisav gathered his backpack and guitar and walked through the school doors into the early autumn heat. On cue, Jacob was waiting in the horrid orange pickup, windows rolled down and Grace beside him in the front seat. Their school finished twenty minutes earlier so it worked out well. As Eisav opened the door to the pickup, he caught Grace’s attire. It had been an excessively hot day for late September so her hair was pulled into a messy bun on top of her head. The first few buttons of her blouse were open, revealing cleavage. The bottom of her blouse was tied in a knot, showing off her flat stomach. Her plaid skirt was riding up her thigh, her slim, long legs a perfect sight. Eisav had seen her in this sexy disheveled state before, but with the hot sun beating down his back and the tumultuous emotions he had been feeling lately about them growing apart, he suddenly felt overwhelmed and took a large gulp. Jacob gave him a wide grin, watching Eisav’s eyes roam over the succulent body beside him. Eisav could tell his brother appreciated the view just as much as he did. Eisav frowned, letting out a grunt, and got in the car without a word to Grace or Jacob. He could barely speak, let alone control the growing erection in his pants or the pain in his heart. Thankfully, he was seated with his school bag in his lap, thinking of his mother to maintain self-control and not pull Grace into the forest the minute they arrived home, wanting to do all kinds of wicked things to her and listen to her whimper. He only hoped she had never done those things before, the thought of promising to give her, her first kiss while convincing himself that she was still untouched.

  “Nice to see you too, Eisav,” Grace scoffed, looking over to him. He hadn’t acknowledged her and now she was pissed. As Jacob drove down the dirt road and a hot breeze entered the car, he watched Grace out of the corner of his eye. She seemed worried about something, and he hoped he wasn’t the one causing her grief.

  He had to do something to break the tension. No matter what, she was still his Gracie. “How was your day?” he muttered, barely looking at her but still trying to appease her.

  “You know, the usual,” she began to say when Jacob cut her off.

  “Declan York asked her out,” Jacob blurted out, his eyes still on the road. “You know, the Declan York who doesn’t attend church. The Declan York who goes to the Christian Academy because his parents couldn’t find a military school to send him to—” Jacob continued to explain, clearly trying to get a rise out of Eisav. His brother seemed just as irate about Grace dating as he was.

  “I damn well know Declan York, Jacob,” Eisav cut in with a steely glare. Of course he did. Declan was a regular of the night scene in Des Moines for years. He screwed just as many or maybe more girls than Eisav. If Eisav wasn’t good enough for Grace, Declan York was even worse. At least Eisav wanted the best for her. At least Eisav cared about her happiness. When Grace had a hard time making friends in elementary and middle school, Eisav played the role of girlfriend and friend. He was her shoulder to cry on when she felt lonely and when she was missing her mom or her life in New York. Now in high school Grace made two girlfriends, Addison and Brooklyn. They both came from Christian homes where their parents attended Father Joseph’s church. That meant they were approved by Isaac and Dina. Despite their affiliation to the church their parents were not as strict and so like most teenagers, Addison and Brooklyn were a little wild and liked to party. Brooklyn more so than Addison. They dated boys, wore lipstick, and when they left the house they changed their clothes to something more provocative. Eisav knew this because he had a little kissing interlude with Brooklyn only last year. He prayed hard for the first time when he realized she was Grace’s friend and hoped she would never reveal the kiss they shared, though his gut told him she had divulged that tidbit of information.

  Jacob scoffed at his brother’s moodiness. “Relax, Brother. He’s taking her to the drive-in.” Jacob winked quickly to Eisav before returning his eyes on the road. Jacob had honed his own talent of goading Eisav.

  Grace elbowed Jacob in the side.

  “Ouch, Grace. Dammit. I’m driving. You don’t hit a driver when he’s driving,” Jacob chided.

  “Well, I’ll damn well hit you if you don’t shut your mouth,” Grace snapped, barely able to look Eisav’s way. Knowing anything that had to do with Grace and the opposite sex seemed wrong. If Grace was looking to get a rise out of him, it was working … that or she really had moved on. In that case, he was royally screwed because the thought of Grace with anyone drove him crazy.

  “The drive-in, huh?” Eisav finally spoke, his deep voice thick, rich, and questioning.

  “What of it?” Grace snapped. He knew he had no right to put his two cents into this conversation. He lost that right a million sluts ago.

  “Honestly, Grace, I don’t know if I like the idea either,” he finally responded.

  Eisav then realized that Grace was sitting between two men who were supposed to be brothers to her but were not even close. The only reason he and Jacob were watching out for her was because they wanted her for themselves.

  “It’ll be fine. Brooklyn is going with Holt to the same movie. She’ll be in the next car. If something I don’t like happens, I’ll excuse myself to the restroom,” she explained, looking between him and Jacob. Jacob nodded his head while Eisav clenched his jaw tighter to the point he feared it might lock on him.

  A quiet tension radiated through the old pick-up the rest of the ride home. When they arrived on the dirt drive of the Duncan farm, Eisav was quick to gather his things and leave the car. Only he didn’t go into the house. He stalked off toward the forest. His forest.

  Grace knew Eisav was irate, although she didn’t understand it. He had been having sex with girls left, right, and center while she had no say. As she watched him disappear into the brush, she remembered their promises to each other. He had promised to b
e patient, she promised to tell her story, and of course he promised to give her a first kiss. Over the years there had been more promises too. He promised to always be in her life. She made him promise that one when he told her he wanted to leave Sade to establish a career in the music industry. He also promised to always stay her best friend. As Grace thought of those promises, she realized that not one of them had been kept. Her stomach plummeted and without further thought, she dropped her school bag in the kitchen and stalked off toward the forest. Eisav had been her person since she was eleven years old. Lately, they had been growing further apart and there was no way in hell she was going to stand idly and watch the most important person in her life leave it.

  “Grace, wait,” Jacob caught her arm just as she was stepping out the door.

  She stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “What is it, Jacob?” she barked, unable to hide the impatience in her tone. She immediately felt bad.

  “Nothing. You just said you needed my help with math tonight. I’m free now.” He looked at her expectantly.

  Grace understood what he was really asking: why are you running after my brother when I’m here? She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, especially since he had become a friend over the years, taking her to and from school and helping her with homework, but he was only a friend. Nothing more. She didn’t know how to make that any clearer.

  “Later, Jacob. I need to go for a walk,” she said softly, feeling remorse for her earlier outburst.

  Deep down she wished he would have taken a liking to one of the girls at school. Based on the gossip she heard, many of them had a crush on him, but he seemed to have his heart set on her.

  Jacob finally released her arm and let out a disgruntled sigh. “I’ll be in my room studying when you’re ready.” He turned and left the kitchen.

  Grace inhaled a deep breath and went back outside. As she walked toward the forest, she picked up speed with each step, unable to get to Eisav fast enough. She approached the pond and noticed his clothes were strewn all over the grass. Her hot skin flushed at the thought of him in that pond naked. When she looked at the water there was no sign of Eisav. She let out an exasperated breath just as he broke through the surface of the water from below. His body shot up with such force, his strong arms and stomach on full display. Grace jumped, holding onto her heart.

  “Shit, you scared the crap out of me.” She took a step back. Sweat from the brisk walk caused her uniform to stick to her, and she fanned herself with her hand.

  “Not as much as you scared me. I thought I was out here alone,” he said with a dry chuckle.

  Grace’s eyes dropped to the clothes strewn on the ground, and she sighed. “Apparently.”

  Eisav’s eyes darkened then he pulled his gaze away from her. “Why don’t you come in here for a swim?” he asked with a taunting tone.

  Grace pursed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest. “Seriously? You haven’t invited me in there with you in over a year.”

  “Well, you don’t really require an invitation to my pond anymore because I saw you swimming in here on your own.” He cocked his right brow, goading her. Something more dark and primal had taken control of him.

  Grace tilted her head to the side, clearly shocked by his revelation. She had been insulted that he didn’t want to swim with her. They had been swimming in that pond together for years. It was his pond when she first arrived, but somewhere along the way it had become their pond.

  “You were watching me?” she asked incredulously.

  “Yes,” he answered, mischief gleaming from his charcoal eyes.

  Grace wasn’t sure of what to do or say next. She was used to this challenging side of him, but now his intentions were of a different nature. It almost seemed like flirting. Boys flirted with her at school, but coming from Eisav it was a completely different ball game. She had loved him before she even understood love, and probably because she knew he was all kinds of trouble. She knew Declan York was also all kinds of trouble, and he was seriously handsome, but she had waited for Eisav too long. Maybe she had an affinity for the bad boys in town.

  As she stood staring at Eisav’s wide, hard chest, she was overcome with a bold streak and began unbuttoning her now practically see-through white shirt.

  “What are you doing?” Eisav’s eyes went round.

  She internally giggled to herself as she played his own game. “You wanted me to come for a swim,” she replied nonchalantly with a hint of mischief in her own cool stare. Eisav wanted to goad her? Fine. She hoped he was ready for his own medicine. He was a wild one, but so was she. She may have been a good girl, but her heart was soring and free as a bird.

  “Can you keep your clothes on?” he asked, holding a hand over his eyes.

  “Come on, Eisav. I’m sure I don’t have anything you haven’t seen before,” her words were playful but also meant as a jab.

  He separated his middle and index finger slightly when he spoke. “I don’t think those girls have anything like what you have Grace. I think swimming with clothes on is definitely a good idea,” he replied with an insistent and slightly frantic tone. Grace couldn’t help but cackle inside. Just moments ago he had seemed so bold.

  “I can’t believe you. You don’t have any clothes on,” she said, looking at the clothes littering the ground.

  “Are you sure about that Gracie?” he asked, looking down into the water.

  Grace wasn’t so sure. Maybe he had boxers on in the water. She was so overwhelmed by his bare chest, she almost stripped naked in front of him.

  “What does it matter? It’s a bra and panties, just like a bathing suit,” she insisted as a wave of courage continued to wash over her. She moved her fingers swiftly over the buttons of her top, allowing it to drop to the grass, followed by the horrid plaid skirt, which was too warm for this weather anyway.

  Eisav’s glare heated as his eyes roamed over her milky skin. Her bare body made his throat bob, and it gave her satisfaction.

  “Green-eyed angel, eyes so bright, don’t take one step further. I promise it will cost you your virtue and you can’t ever get it back. Trust me, angel, I am black. Black to the soul, like I was told, so please, angel, take a step back.”

  As Eisav created another melody, Grace’s heart fluttered in her chest as it always had when he recited song lyrics he wrote for her. Only this time his words stung because he was calling himself black and threatening her virtue. Something in his words snapped her back to reality, and she took a few slow steps toward him into the water.

  “You were never dark or black. They don’t know you because they won’t take the time to know you, but it’s their loss, Eisav. It’s their loss that they don’t know what a kind and gentle soul you are,” she said as she moved even closer to him. The water was cool and welcome against her dewy skin. When she reached him, she placed her arms around his neck. “There was a reason I followed you out here,” she began, and he took a big gulp.

  “And that was?” he asked with a stammer. It was actually laughable that a guy with his experience around girls was so nervous around a virgin.

  “Something hit me, Eisav. Our promises … We managed to keep some over the years, but there were some important ones we forgot.” She swallowed through the pain she was feeling.

  Eisav’s eyes closed and when they opened again, there was a gentleness that had not been there for a while. “I’m patient,” he immediately responded. “I have not tried to kiss you or take your virtue.” He laughed.

  “Yes, but you’ve taken the virtue of almost every young woman in a twenty-mile radius.” She tilted her head to the side, almost challenging him to say different. Of course he couldn’t disagree with the truth.

  “I’m embarrassed to say that I had to relieve myself somehow. Sleeping across the hall from you, watching you leave the shower in your robe in the evening, knowing you were wet and naked beneath it … You can’t blame a guy.” He shrugged.

  Grace swallowed hard again then colle
cted herself. “I can blame you for being a pig, which you are, but you are also my best friend and you’ve always been there for me,” she replied with a serious tone.

  Eisav’s chest clenched. “I’ve tried, Gracie. I’m still trying,” he admitted with a husky voice.

  “I want to tell you my story,” she said.

  His breathing had picked up, and he looked back to her with reverence. “You still want to share your story with me?” he asked with surprise in his tone.

  Grace understood his real question: you still trust me after being the town’s biggest manwhore? She noted his worried expression and smiled. He was still her friend.

  “Christ, I thought I was losing you.” He sighed heavily. “I know I’ve behaved badly, and we’ve been drifting apart. It’s just us … I mean you and me … we’re complicated.”

  “I know. A part of me hates what’s happening, but I get it, I think,” she murmured.

  “I want to hear your story, Gracie. If you’re ready, I want to listen.” Letting out a soft breath, he caressed her head and his hand ran down her cheek.

  His gaze pulled to hers and there in the depth of his dark eyes she felt that spark that had always been present, and she fell even deeper in love. She felt like he did too. It was a rare connection to have with another person, feeling so entwined with another’s emotions.