The Promises We Keep (Made for Love Book 1)

by Martin, R. C.

  I smile at her as I realize she just introduced me to Roman. When I manage to pull my eyes away from Addie, Roman nods at me before extending his hand. Somehow, as I accept his gesture, I get the feeling that he understands what Addie just did as well as I do.

  “Roman,” he says. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Same.”

  “I’m Logan,” says blondie, offering me her hand.

  “Interesting name,” I mutter as I give her fingers a squeeze.

  “For a girl, you mean,” she states with a smirk.

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Her parents thought she was a boy until she came out,” her friend explains. “But I think it’s a sweet name for a girl.”

  “I agree,” I reply honestly. Logan seems to appreciate my approval, as does her friend.

  “I'm Daphne,” she introduces herself.

  “Your hand is sadly void of a drink,” comments Logan. “Are you legal?”

  “Yeah. Just playing designated driver tonight,” I reply with a shrug.

  “How chivalrous. So, when you’re not up on your white horse, what do you do, Beckham?”

  Her simple question pulls all four of us into a conversation about college and our future career goals. I learn that Logan is about to enter her fifth year of her undergrad studies. She’s the same age as Daphne, but changed her major about five times before settling on interior design; bouncing around put her behind schedule. Daphne, on the other hand, graduated a couple of weeks ago with an English degree. She knows she wants to go back for her masters, but she can’t fathom jumping right back into school again after completing the first four years. Having no idea what she wants to do in the interim, she currently works at the Little Bird Cafe. I mention that I was in there the other day and she says I should definitely stop in again to try and catch her while she’s working. Considering their academic history, it’s no surprise how shocked they are to learn that I’m willing and eager to put in the time and effort to become a doctor—something I’ve wanted to do for years. They both seem to think that Addison looks like the perfect first grade teacher, to which I agree.

  I’m not sure how long we talk before Avery interrupts us, insisting that she has to go to the restroom and she refuses to go without Addison. While I may have lost track of time, it doesn’t escape me that Addie holds onto my arm until she and Avery head for the bathroom, laughing and whispering secrets as they go.

  Looks like I’m not the only one feeling possessive tonight.

  “Hey,” Grayson greets me, clapping his hand against my shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m having a good time. You?”

  “Oh my god!” Daphne exclaims. “Grayson O’Conner?”

  I laugh at the startled expression that crosses his face; remarkably, it seems to be a reflection of her own. Logan joins in on my laughter, only I’m not sure we’re laughing at the same thing. She confirms my suspicions when she speaks. “Daph, are you talking about the quarterback? First of all, you hate football—I love it, believe it or not,” she pauses to inform us. “Second,” she continues addressing Daphne, “our hunky QB has long hair, while this stud—”

  “I got a haircut,” says Gray, cutting her off as he acknowledges Daphne.

  “I knew you looked familiar. I’m Daphne,” she introduces herself. I barely hear her, distracted by the way Logan stares at him. I’d bet anything she’s undressing him with her eyes right now. I shake my head, amused by the way women respond to my best friend simply because he can throw a football across the field. “She’s right. I do hate football—but I used to write for the university’s paper and I’ve seen your picture a few times.”

  “I love your haircut,” Logan interjects. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you.”

  Grayson reaches up to rub the back of his neck, obviously feeling uncomfortable by her attention. “Don’t feel bad,” he manages. “Happens all the time with people I’ve never met before.”

  She giggles at his joke before extending her hand. “Well that, Grayson O’Conner, has to change. I’m Logan.”

  “Nice to meet you,” he says, politely shaking her hand.

  “You don’t have a drink either. Don’t tell me you’re—”

  “Designated driver? Yeah. One of the birthday girls is my girlfriend.”

  I can’t help but smirk at his mention of Avery. I know he did it on purpose, shamelessly dropping the hint that Logan can stop her advances. To my amusement, it works.

  “O’Conner has a girlfriend?” she asks, lifting her eyebrows in disbelief.

  “That’s meee!” sings Avery as she and Addison return. She has no idea what she has just walked into, and she doesn’t care, either. When she’s close enough, she reaches her arms up, signaling Grayson to wrap her in an embrace. He responds to her silent request, lifting her from her feet as he does so. “I missed you,” she murmurs.

  “You were gone for five minutes,” he says with a chuckle.

  She pulls away from him, just enough to look into his eyes, and tilts the corners of her mouth down into a playful pout. “Are you saying you didn’t miss me, too?”

  “Shorty,” he pauses as he presses a kiss against her lips, which instantly curl up into a smile. “I’m saying next time, pee faster.” She giggles and he kisses her once more.

  I feel Addie’s hand wrap around my arm, again, and I look down at her. She’s grins at me and points at Grayson and Avery. “They’re disgusting,” I tease.

  She throws her head back in laughter. “Yes!” she says, as her eyes meet mine. “But you love it. I know you do.” I shrug, offering her a my reluctant agreement. “I do, too.” She watches them for a moment longer before she pulls her hand away from me and places both of hers against her stomach.

  “Are you okay?” I ask nervously.

  “Yeah! I was just thinking, could I get some fries?”

  “Absolutely,” I laugh, amused by her tipsy, scattered mind. “Have a seat, I’ll make sure you get your fries.”

  As soon as I sit Avery down on her seat, she spins away from me and takes a sip of her strawberry daiquiri. She hums contentedly as she turns around to face me, resting her back up against the bar. “Are you having fun?” She keeps asking me, as if my answer will change every fifteen minutes. It doesn’t.

  I reach for her hands, lacing my fingers with hers. “Of course I am. More importantly, are you having fun?”

  “Best. Birthday. Ever!” she declares, lifting our hands up over her head. “And not because I’m tipsy,” she adds. She pulls our hands down into her lap, causing me to inch closer to her. “But because this year, I have you… That’s right—Sonny and his brilliant green eyes are all mine. I hope he looks at me like this always.”

  I grin at her, knowing that last part was not meant for me to hear. Her filter shut off about a half an hour ago and I’ve been getting all sorts of insider information out of her without even prying. To say she has been simultaneously successfully boosting my ego and making me feel more secure in our relationship would be an understatement.

  “Did you check on Hammy while we were gone?” she asks in a mock whisper.

  I nod before leaning down to speak softly in her ear. “He’s doing great. I think they both are, all things considered. We should be proud of them.”

  “Then proud we shall be,” she tells me as I pull away. She glances at them and I do the same. Sarah has made her way over and the three of them are eating fries and chatting with Roman as he works, serving Daphne and Logan another round.

  I pull my focus away in order to admire my girl. I think she’s amazing—beautiful in every way. I don’t know what I was expecting tonight, but I shouldn’t be surprised with how things have played out. Right now, she has no inhibitions and no filters and yet she’s just as innocent as I’ve always known her to be—she’s good, so good, and carries this huge heart.

  It’s her birthday and she’s managed to enjoy herself while constantly checking to make sure the pe
ople she cares about the most are right there with her. Even in her intoxicated state, she’s both adorable and caring—making sure that other people’s needs are met. Mine included. The fact that she even checked with me to see if I was okay with her drinking tonight—it practically breaks me to know that I mean that much to her.

  If tonight has reminded me of anything, it’s that I don’t deserve her; and if it has convinced me of anything, it’s that I cannot be without her. Now that I know what it’s like to be hers, I can’t imagine being anyone else’s. The way she looks at me, the way she touches me—reaches for me—the way she thinks about me, I don’t ever want to lose that. I’ve never had this before. No one has ever cared about me like this before, or given me their heart like this. She makes me want to be better for her; she makes me want to fight against my past and strive for greater. She makes me believe in God’s promises. She makes me believe I’m worth…more. It’s not because I’m good at football. It’s not because I’m some trophy boyfriend. I didn’t have to do anything or prove anything to make her choose me…she just does.

  She catches me staring and an endearing blush fills her cheeks. My heart swells at the sight. I do that to her. Me. Grayson. By just standing here looking at her, I do that. I can’t explain why, but I know that she makes me feel like more of a man than I’ve ever felt.

  Oh, shit. I’m in love with her.

  “Sonny?” she asks, pulling me out of my head.

  “Yes, sweetheart?”

  “This daiquiri makes me want to kiss you, very, very much.”

  “Avery Jade Grant,” I begin to say with a chuckle, “you can kiss me any time you want.”

  She reaches for my vest, clutching the fabric as she pulls herself away from the bar and tugs me toward her at the same time. I grip the counter behind her as she kisses me once. Twice. Three times. When she pulls away, it isn’t by much and I can feel her lips graze mine as she tells me, “I love it when you call me sweetheart.”

  Her words send me into a tailspin and our chaste kisses are no longer enough. I scoop her into my arms, clutching her against me with one arm around her waist, my other barred across her back—my hand cupped around her neck, preventing her from pulling away from me. Not that I need to worry about that, she’s in this moment with me, inviting me to kiss her deeper as she parts her lips and teases the opening of my mouth with her tongue. She tastes like liquor and strawberry syrup and like Avery. My Avery.

  “Hey!” We stop only when we start getting assaulted with flying french fries. “We get it. You two are hotter than hades, together. Now stop sucking face and let her finish her drink!” Claire demands.

  I grin at her before looking back at Avery, whose eyes are glued to my face. “Good Lord, I think I could kiss him forever. It’s official—I’m addicted to his lips.”

  Grayson’s Ego-7. Avery’s Filter-0

  “Right back at you, sweetheart,” I murmur before offering her another kiss.

  “AJ!” Addie giggles and we’re struck with another fry. This one lands on top of Avery’s collarbone, which makes her throw her head back in laughter. I reach for it with my mouth and eat it right off of her.

  “Hey—I want one,” she teases.

  “Then get your booty down here, Twinkles,” says Sarah, smacking Avery’s backside.

  “Kiss me later?” Avery whispers, aligning her gaze with mine as she reaches up to run her fingers through my hair.

  I take a deep breath and set her down, before she makes me change my mind. “Promise.”

  My alcohol induced sleep has me out for hours. I’m already hard to wake up as it is, so I’d bet anything that I was practically in a coma last night. Or this morning, actually. We didn’t get home until two and I’m not sure how long it took me to get ready for bed. I’m shocked when I wake up and see that it’s almost three in the afternoon. I never sleep that long, no matter how late I’m up. I hate wasting daylight in slumber. Today I don’t complain for two reasons. First, I think the rest—along with the copious amounts of water I drank last night and the ibuprofen I swallowed before bed—helped chase away any possible hangover. Score! Second, with most of the day gone, I only have to wait a few hours for my birthday date with Sonny.

  Despite the late hour and my lack of hangover, I have a craving for coffee I can’t ignore a minute longer. I yawn as I sit up and rake my fingers through my hair before grabbing my phone, which I surprisingly thought to charge before I passed out, and pad my way along the carpet trail to the kitchen.

  “Hey, sleepy head.” Addie greets me from the living room. I smile at the sight of her, all cozy and curled up on the couch with a book in her lap. I notice her coffee mug on the table with a small plate that holds the remnants of what looks like the birthday cake Sarah baked us.

  “Hey, how long have you been up?”

  “Couple hours. I had a wakeup call. Sarah was singing in the shower, again, today.” I hum a laugh as I continue my journey to the kitchen.

  “Where is our Baker Babe?”

  “Work. She had to be in by one.” I nod in acknowledgment as I gather what I need to make a fresh pot of coffee. As it brews, I cut myself a piece of cake, stealing my sister’s brilliant idea, and make my way over to the couch to join her. “You had fun last night,” she tells me, poking me with her toe as I sit.

  I cringe instinctively, unsure what she means. I replay as much of the night as I can remember before I ask, “Was I embarrassing?”

  “No,” she replies with a laugh. “You’re a cute drunk and you’ve got yourself a good guy.”

  My fork full of cake hovers as I pause its journey to my mouth. “Did we make you uncomfortable?”

  “No, Ave—stop. Eat your cake,” she demands with an eye roll. “From what I could gather, he’s very protective, which I find sweet. I know that I know him, and I have for a while now, but now I’m getting to see this different side of him; I’m getting know my sister’s boyfriend, who is different than just Grayson. I like seeing him with you almost as much as I love seeing you with him. You make each other happy.”

  “Well, what about you?” I ask, speaking around the cake in my mouth. “It looked like you and Hammy did pretty well, last night.”

  She smiles as her eyes glaze over in memory. “Yeah. I had a lot of fun. It wasn’t easy keeping my hands to myself…but it kind of reminded me of the summer we first met.”

  I study her for a moment. She looks more relaxed and genuinely happy than I’ve seen her since the breakup. I noticed it yesterday, but I thought maybe it was just the excitement of our mini-holiday. Today is a new day, though, and there’s a peace she seems to be holding onto that I can’t miss. “You’re different,” I tell her. She discards her thoughts and meets my gaze. “What’s changed?”

  “It’s simple, really,” she begins with a shrug. “I’m remembering to trust. Trust him, trust God—trust the promises that both of them have made to me. It’s all I can do, you know?” She takes a deep breath and sighs before she continues. “Pastor Doug said something during his relationship series; he talked about marriage and how when that’s something you want, you can’t just walk into it, you know? You have to prepare yourself for it. That was advice for single people just as much as it was for people who are in relationships.

  “I know what I want. I know who I want. So does God. So does Beckham. Now it’s a waiting game. Beckham has some things he needs to work out. I don’t know what exactly, but our breakup is his way of preparing himself for what he wants. I love him enough to give him the space to do that. Honestly, Ave—it’s my love for him that makes this so hard and, at the same time, it’s my love for him that gives me the strength to be patient.”

  “And your faith that God keeps all of His promises,” I add.

  “Yes. He loves me and has a plan for me and wants the best for me and I believe with my whole heart that that’s Beckham. If it’s not…I guess I’ll have to learn to trust Him anyway. But I’m not going to think that way. I—”

&n
bsp; The rest of her sentence is forgotten as I set aside my cake and hurl myself at her, wrapping my arms around her in a fierce embrace. She squeals in surprise and then laughs as she hugs me back. “I’m so freaking proud of you! You’re, like, my hero. For real. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, AJ. You’re cutting off my air supply, but I love you, too.”

  I laugh as I pull away from her. “You’re lucky I smell coffee or I might have hugged you until you passed out.”

  “Wow—now that’s love.”

  I grab another bite of my cake before heading back into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. I’m about to make my way back to the couch when my phone alerts me to a text. I left it on the counter by the coffee pot earlier. I grin when I see that Sonny is trying to reach me. Man, he makes me giddy. When I go to open his message, I see that he sent me one while I was still sleeping, too.

  My Hottie: How’s my girl this morning?

  My Hottie: Shorty? Just checking on you…are you alright? Are we still on for tonight?

  Me: Hey, you. Just woke up! :) Crazy, right? And I’m counting down the minutes until I get to see you!

  Me: Wait…haha, I don’t actually know when I get to see you. What time are we going out?

  My Hottie: There she is! And I’m going to pick you up at 7, but dress like we’re staying in. SUPER comfy.

  Me: Hmm…I’m intrigued.

  My Hottie: Good. ;)

  Me: Can I get a hint???

  My Hottie: Nope.

  Me: :(

  My Hottie: Miss your face.

  “What are you doing in there? Don’t be surprised if your cake is mysteriously missing by the time you get back,” says Addison, pulling me from my Sonny-induced-trance.

  “Hey, hands off,” I insist as I grab my coffee and rejoin her. I shovel another bite of cake into my mouth before I point at my phone. “Sonny,” I say with a smile.

  “Oh, I see. Okay. Keep flirting, but keep me company,” she insists, stretching her legs out so that her feet rest in my lap.