Broken Promises

by S. K. Lessly

  I pulled up next to Lexie’s truck, turned off the car and got out. I rounded the hood, wondering if I should ring the bell, call her or surprise her. I decided to on the latter. Who doesn’t like surprises, right?

  I made my way to the side of the house and heard voices coming from the back. I picked up my pace and caught Lacy saying, “I’m sorry what?”

  Lexie sighed and said, “He doesn’t know.”

  “What do you mean, he doesn’t know. How can he not know?” Lacy asked.

  I made it to the back of the house, keeping in the shadows, and saw Lexie and Lacy standing on the porch facing each other. Lexie had her back to me. Lacy faced me, however he didn’t know I was there. He was too busy giving Lex a perturbed almost disgruntled look.

  I decided it was time to make my presence known. Lexie mentioned she hadn’t told him something. I had assumed him was me, but even if it wasn’t, I was still speaking up.

  I stepped out of the shadows just as Lexie admitted, “He doesn’t know because I haven’t told him.”

  “Haven’t told me what?” I asked making eye contact with my woman. I walked around the porch and shifted my eyes to Albert. I clocked the tension in his body language. I could taste it in the air. I had walked into something heated and I immediately tensed preparing for a fight I knew was coming. I just didn’t know the direction it would come from, Lexie or Al.

  “What haven’t you told me, Lexie?” I repeated, finally settling my eyes on her and froze dead in my tracks.

  “What the…” My eyes grew wide as hell, my mouth dropped open and I swear my heart stopped.

  I dropped my gaze from her face to her protruding belly.

  “Is that…” I stammered, stopped then started again. Yeah, it wasn’t my finest hour but fuck. “I mean, I…you… umm… fuck!” I ran my hand down my face. “Lexie, are you…?”

  Shit, I stopped trying to talk. I just looked at her expectantly, hoping she’d get the hint that I was at a loss for any type of words or sounds, and would finish my sentence for me. Yet, she just stood there, staring at me while I stared at her.

  “Oh shit,” came from Jessica, who appeared next to me.

  I looked over at her and saw she carried a huge smile on her face. She met my wide eyes, amusement dancing in her gray ones.

  When I looked back at my woman, I felt myself gaining a bit more control. I was still shaking like a got damn leaf, though. I couldn’t stop.

  “You’re pregnant,” I said lamely.

  “Yeah,” she replied softly.

  I heard Jessica call me an idiot. I ignored her. I needed a reprieve here. I was in shock.

  “I thought that was impossible?” I asked, my voice a bit shaky.

  Lexie shrugged but she didn’t reply. I frowned and finally found my legs. I stepped closer, my eyes still glued to hers.

  “I need a lot more than that,” I rebutted. A storm fell over her beautiful face but she remained quiet.

  I stopped at the foot of the steps to her porch and stared up at her. We stayed like that, me taking time to consume her and her watching me with hesitation all over her.

  This wasn’t what I had imagined our reunion would be like. Granted, I didn’t expect her to run into my arms, kiss me stupid, rip my clothes off and fuck for hours. Yeah, okay. I’m lying. I did expect to be fucking for hours; however, I knew it would take a lot of groveling on my part before that happened.

  Now? We just needed to talk.

  I cleared my throat and without moving my gaze from her lovely face said, “Will you excuse us? I need to speak to my woman alone.”

  Lexie visibly stiffened, her guard closing around her. My brows rose into my forehead, challenging her to refute my request. She didn’t move or speak.

  When no one moved, I looked over at Jessica, who still had a shit eating grin on her face.

  I nudged her when she wouldn’t stop smiling at Lexie and brought her attention to me.

  “Oh right, sorry.” Jessica shrugged sheepishly. “Come on, Lacy. Let’s give these two some privacy.” Jessica approached the steps to the porch and started to climb.

  “No,” returned Lacy, which made both me and Jessica look at him.

  Lacy puffed out his chest and moved closer to Lexie.

  “Lacy,” Jessica called in warning, but he didn’t look at her or move. His beady eyes held mine.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he declared and I felt my pulse began to rise.

  “Leave, before I make you,” I ordered, the authority and maliciousness evident in my voice and my posture.

  To Lacy’s credit, he didn’t outwardly look concerned. Oh, but inwardly, I knew he was pissing his pants.

  “Fuck you, Wolf. I belong here. You, however—”

  “Al, it’s fine,” Lexie spoke up.

  “No, Alexis. It’s not." Lacy moved toward her, getting closer to what belonged to me. He then did the one thing that would send me over the edge. He raised his hand to touch her face. “You don’t have to speak to this—”

  “Touch her motherfucker and I’ll break your fucking hands, beat the shit out of you, and toss you over that cliff.” I meant every.single.word.

  “Ethan!” Lexie chided, but Lacy had to go and open his big mouth.

  “Yeah? And I’ll bury two in your chest and send you to hell where you belong. Try me.”

  I started moving toward him, ready to “try him” when Lexie stepped in front of Lacy, shielding him.m“Ethan, please,” she begged then turned to the now dead man. “Albert, give us a minute.”

  “No, Lexie.” Lexie? Did this fucker just…? “Listen to me, you don’t have to talk to him. Fuck him. You and I were doing fine until he showed up. Let’s continue what we were doing. We—”

  “Stop, Al. Please. Just let me talk to him.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes and it burned me to the core to see it. Were they fucking? Was he…? No, they weren’t. Couldn’t be. Lexie wouldn’t do that shit to me.

  Lacy finally sighed and sent a glare my way. I made the sign of a gun with my index finger and thumb, pointed my finger at him, and mimed pulling the trigger. It was the universal sign that he was fucking dead.

  I saw the fear enter his eyes the moment I did it. He knew he was done. If he was smart, he’d run and hide, or at least try to hide. It didn’t matter either way. I would find him and end him.

  “Ethan!” Lexie barked and I looked at her, never easing from the heat in my eyes.

  I held her gaze, letting her know I had no intention of easing up. I was getting my pound of flesh by any means necessary.

  “Please, Al,” she whispered and I reflexively tensed, hearing the sweetness in her voice that had only been for me.

  “Alright, fine. But I’ll be right inside. Call me if you need me.” The dead man squeezed her arm to grab her attention. She looked over at him, gave him a small smile and returned narrowed eyes on me.

  “Don’t fuck up, Wolf,” Jessica whispered in my ear. She then ascended the porch steps and stood in front of Lexie. “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m Jessica, Billy’s um…” Jessica shifted from side to side looking awkward. She chuckled. “You can fill in the blanks I’m sure. But I’m also his partner.” Jessica thrusted a thumb my way. “Don’t go easy on him,” she added. The traitor.

  Jess leaned further into Lexie and whispered something I couldn’t catch in her ear. Whatever she said made Lexie produce a genuine smile. She nodded and actually hugged Jess.

  I was stunned, especially when Jessica hugged her back.

  When my partner stepped back, she gave me a head nod and said before she disappeared inside the house, “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  Then there were two… or uhh three…whatever. We were finally left alone and I didn’t have a clue what I was going to say. No, wait. Yes, I did.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked lamely.

  I climbed up the couple of steps in one stride and faced the love of my life. I leaned aga
inst the patio banister, keeping distance between us. As much as I wanted to crowd her, the look in her eyes advised it wasn’t a good idea.

  “How do you know I didn’t? Did you read any of the emails I sent?”

  I didn’t respond right away, too mesmerized by how stunning she looked. I mean, damn. She was gorgeous all pregnant with my baby. Her skin glowed against the light from inside the house. She radiated joy and love and…

  “Yeah, I didn’t think so,” she countered and folded her arms in front of her ample breasts. I frowned, confused by her quick defensive voice but realized she must have taken my silence as confession. I wouldn’t apologize for not answering her question right away because damn, she looked good enough to eat, especially her breasts.

  Lexie harrumphed and started to leave. I stepped in her path and placed a hand up to stop her movements.

  “No, listen. You have it all wrong,” I said finally. “I'll admit, I haven’t read them all. But I’ve read quite a few.”

  “If that’s true—”

  “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “If that’s true,” she continued, “then why didn’t you write me back?”

  She asked a great question, one I knew would come up, and I had nothing to say to make this better.

  I sighed. “Lexie, you know I couldn’t.”

  She shook her head. “Yeah, you could have. Just a, hey I’m alive, would have been nice.”

  I narrowed my eyes, unable to stop the heat of jealousy from boiling over. “Is that why fucking Lacy is here? You’re trying to replace me because I was working and couldn’t respond to your email?” I barked and immediately regretted my words.

  “Fuck you, Ethan!” she growled and turned to leave the porch, taking the steps very slow but with determined strides. I watched her walk away, too enthralled by her.

  I mean, I had to give it to her; she looked angry as hell, waddling down the steps. She took her time making sure to stomp her foot hit a landing. She was breathing heavy by the time she made it to the grass as if she had run a marathon instead of taking three steps.

  She teetered from side to side as she moved away from the house, toward the cliff, and I had to hold my smile back. I knew if I didn’t, she’d kick my ass.

  “I don’t need this shit from you,” she scolded, panting over her shoulder. “You fucking leave me without saying goodbye, I don’t hear from you for months and you come here and… do you have any idea what I’ve been through? I—”

  I made it to her before she finished her sentence. I gripped her arm to turn her around to face me. She snatched away from me, walking away from me again. I reached for her a second time, this time successfully stopping her. However, she wouldn’t turn to face me.

  I stepped closer to her, inhaling her scent, feeling her shiver and loving the way her body reacted to me. I felt my own body start to heat, realizing just how much I had missed the hell out of this woman.

  I didn’t touch her at first as I crowded her, although I wanted to. She was pissed and by right she should be. I was fucking up bigtime and I needed to figure out a way to make this shit better. I took a moment to gather myself, stamping down the need to dominate and humbled myself. I stepped closer and laced my fingers with hers. I leaned in close and audibly inhaled her delicious scent.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry,” I admitted softly. “I should’ve written you back. I shouldn’t have put you through the anguish of not knowing if I was alive or not.” I kissed her shoulder then her neck and whispered close to her ear, “And I shouldn’t have left you the way that I did, without saying goodbye. I’m sorry, baby.”

  I heard her sniffle and I just about crumbled at her feet. I hated to see or hear her cry. It always made me feel helpless and like shit.

  I stepped around to face her, placed my hands on the sides of her cheeks and tilted her head up to face me.

  “I promise you it won’t happen again. I had some shit to work out, which took longer than I expected. But, I promise you, I’m here. Tell me what I need to do to prove to you I’m here. I’m never leaving you again.”

  Lexie stared up at me with doubt, fear and anger all rolled up into one pissed off look. She stepped back, letting my hands drop from her face and wiped her cheeks.

  “You can’t just come here with your…your apologies and your kisses, with your sexy deep voice, and think all is okay.”

  I fought another grin—she was so adorable—and placed my hands up. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “Stop!” she yelled, the aggravation and frustration bleeding through her voice. I sobered and gave her simple nod.

  “Okay, baby.” I rested my hands in the pockets of my black cargo pants and waited.

  She closed her eyes, opened them and took a deep breath. She walked away from me and headed back toward the house. I thought she was going to leave me out here but before she got to the steps of her house, she stopped and turned around to face me. “You can’t just come here, uninvited, and think I’m just going to forgive you and welcome you home with open arms. And you can’t insult my friends either.”

  “Lacy isn’t your friend,” I told her, not hiding the venom in my voice. I started for her but stopped when she spoke again.

  “Lately, he’s been more of friend than you’ve been.” Ouch, that shit hurt. I didn’t advance and she took my hesitation as her opening to continue. “He’s been here to take me to appointments. He brought me food late at night when I was hungry. He kept me company when I was scared, and he convinced me I would be a great mother when I had doubts I could do this on my own. So yeah, he’s been a great—”

  “Don’t,” I demanded, stopping her in mid-sentence, my voice cold as ice. The longer and longer she spoke, the angrier I got. She was praising this fucker as if he walked on water. The dickhead was a piece of shit.

  “Don’t talk to me about that piece of shit and don’t make it seem like I’m some heartless deadbeat. I had no idea you were pregnant. You said it was impossible. You told me it could never happen.” I pointed to her belly. “If you would have told me you were pregnant, you really believe I wouldn’t have gotten on the first plane home?”

  “No, honestly I didn’t think you would.”

  Hearing her say those words to me cut deep, long, and was painful as fuck. I guess it shined on my face because she tried to backtrack. “Look, I’m not completely blaming you, alright. You were working, Ethan. I get it. I didn’t want to bother you with—”

  I growled, warning her not to continue, and she stopped talking immediately.

  “Don’t say another fucking word,” Grit coating my voice. I stalked in her direction, closing the gap, my jaw clenched, nose flared, and face a dark mask.

  She tried to retreat and brace herself but I was too quick. I caged her between my body and the banister’s rail. What I wanted to do was rip the banister apart with my bare hands and beat the daylights out of Albert Lacy. I wasn’t saying it wouldn’t happen, because he had one coming big time. I just couldn’t focus on him. Instead, I focused on the woman before me.

  I got as close to her as I could and claimed her wide hips in a tight grip. I made sure she understood she was now at my mercy.

  “Now, tell me again how you don’t think I’d drop everything for you?”

  Her eyes widened at the tone of my voice. She swallowed hard but took her time answering me. When she did finally speak, the fire that once danced in her voice was gone.

  “I didn’t think you would. You left, Ethan. I hadn’t heard from you and I though you didn’t want…”

  Her voice trailed off mid-sentence, probably because… well… my tongue was down her throat.

  I had to kiss her to shut her up before my entire soul broke. Did she really think I wouldn’t come for her? You almost didn’t, you asshole.

  I pulled back abruptly and stepped back from her. I turned and walked away, putting distance between us because I didn’t have the strength to face her, to see the tru
th in her eyes.

  If she would’ve told me she was pregnant, I would’ve come home. I was one hundred percent sure of that. What I failed to realize was her point of view in all this. She wanted me to come home because of her, not just because she was pregnant.

  I had confessed I loved her before I left. However, I hadn’t done shit to prove it. My words were just that, words. No wonder she had no faith in them, in me. Shit, I fucked up royally. There was no amount of groveling in this world to fix what I’d done. I killed her confidence in us, in her feelings for me. I was surprised she hadn’t kicked my ass out the second I showed my face.

  I heard shuffling behind me, clearing of her throat and her soft hesitant voice.

  “I have to use the restroom. This baby is always on my bladder.” She chuckled awkwardly. When I didn’t respond, she cleared her throat. “I’ll um… be back.”

  I turned my head to acknowledge I’d heard her, but she had already turned her back and was heading up the steps.

  Yeah, you really screwed up, Einstein. Now, how are you going to fix this?

  I stepped farther from the house to take in the breathtaking view of the bay. I caught sight of a few wooden staircases belonging to neighboring houses on either side of us. The steps cut through the hillside and led to docks sitting on the bay. I clocked that Lexie had no such dock or steps. I’d have to change that. Perhaps I’d purchase a boat so we could cruise the bay during the summer and early fall. I smiled at that, at the idea of a future with the woman I loved.

  I heard the sliding glass door open behind me, and I prepared to do a lot of groveling. Heavy footsteps angled in my direction and at first, I thought it might have been Jessica, stomping over to cuss me out or something. Until I heard…

  “You son of a bitch!”

  I turned sharply to find Lacy charging toward me, his hands balled into fists, his face beet red. Lexie and Jessica were on the porch watching the spectacle. Well actually, Lexie was yelling something I couldn’t quite catch. I was too busy watching Lacy as he approached. I quickly sized him up and worked out how I was going to drop him. Maybe a quick punch to his solar plexus, knock the wind out of him, then a hard jab to his temple would make him think twice before touching what belonged to me. The fight would be over in seconds, or I could make it last and beat the shit out of him like I really wanted. I was feeling the latter when my eyes met Lexie’s.