Broken Promises
By H. D’Agostino
Broken Promises
H. D’Agostino
Copyright May 2021 by Heather D’Agostino
All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect are appreciated. The character and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. The following story contains mature themes, profanity, and sexual situations. It is intended for adult readers.
Cover Design by Pink Ink Designs
Editing by Kellie Montgomery
Photography by Kruse Images
Cover Models: Manny and Davina
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Broken Promises Playlist
Other Works by H. D’Agostino
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Chapter 1
Riley
“Hey, Mom?” It was a Saturday, and I was finally free to do something I wanted to do. My parents had been busy the last few days, and I’d been relegated to babysitting my little brother. He wasn’t little and cute anymore. He was eight now, and full of attitude. Sometimes I wonder how we came from the same family. Easton is loud and obnoxious, and I don’t ever remember being that way.
“What?” Mom shouted from somewhere downstairs.
“Can I go to the beach with Claire?” I was already dressed and packing as I banked on her saying yes.
“Uh, sure. Why don’t you see if Easton wants to go with you?” I could hear it in her voice. She needed a break, and I was the one who was going to suffer.
“I’ve spent the last several days with him. Can’t I have some time with my friends? Please?” I stepped out of my room and glanced down the hall. My brother was grinning at me, and lip syncing my mom’s words.
“I really need to help your dad with some paperwork for the new class he’s starting this week. It would really help if you could take him. Just for a few hours, Rils.” The pleading in her voice told me if I wanted the car, I needed to tell her yes.
“Fine, but I’m not entertaining him. He’s going to have to do things on his own.” I sighed. Easton grinned from where he was staring at me, and then silently fist pumped as he rushed back in his room. He was probably adjusting his hair so his horns didn’t show. I knew he was part demon; I just wish my parents would see it.
ooooooooo
I met Claire at our spot, and spread out my towel. She’d already set up a radio and cooler. “Sorry,” I muttered as Easton dumped out a bag of sand toys not far in front of us. “I didn’t really have a choice.”
“That’s ok.” She smiled. “The view will make up for it.” Her chin tilted as she eyed a group of guys not far to our left. “They’ve glanced over here a few times, but no one’s said anything.”
“Nice.” I laughed. I recognized a few of them, but no one special.
“How are things?” Claire’s eyes narrowed. I knew what she meant, but I wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“Fine,” I grumbled.
“You know he left with Brittany that night, right?” She squeezed my hand where I was picking at my towel.
“I don’t care.” I stared out at the water. The truth was I did care. I cared more than I should. Dean and I dated for almost a year. He’d told me he loved me. We’d even made plans to attend the same college.
They were just words. All of it. Just meaningless words for him to get what he wanted from me. When he told me he’d rented a room for us and wanted to bail on prom, I knew he didn’t care. He didn’t care about what I wanted, didn’t care about the fact that I’d looked forward to the night for months, didn’t care about anything I did. I’d heard after I left that Brittany had left with him. I’d hated her before that, but now I despised her. I hoped that the two of them had a miserable life together, and I’d ignored them both for the rest of the school year.
Claire had been my best friend since grade school. We’d talked about school and boys, and anything else with each other. We didn’t have any secrets.
“He’s not worth it,” she murmured as a tear pooled in the corner of my eye.
“I know.” I nodded. “Doesn’t make it hurt any less though.” I wiped at my eyes and then glanced over to see my brother standing toe to toe with one of the guys we’d been staring at.
“What’s he doing?” Claire pointed at Easton.
“I have no idea.” I sighed as I started to get up.
“See? You’re going to get it now.” Easton grinned as he pointed at me. “That’s my sister.”
I tucked my chin as I made my way over to the two of them. I’d been embarrassed on more than one occasion by my brother. I knew the things he said, but being the good big sister that I was, I seemed to always come to his rescue.
“Is there a problem, Easton?” I stopped a few feet away.
“What’s a prude?” His head tipped to the side as his eyes darted toward the guy in front of us. “This guy says that you’re a prude. Is that bad, because I think he needs you to show him how you can kick his butt.”
My face was getting redder by the second. Every word that fell from Easton’s lips made me glare harder at the douche in front of us. “Go play with your stuff.” I pointed at the toys Easton had left on the sand a few feet away.
I turned back at the guy. “Not everyone can be smart. Some guys were born stupid, and no matter how much they try… they stay that way.” I aimed my words at Easton as I stared daggers at the guy. I didn’t know him, but as I glanced over at his posse, I saw Dean. He was laughing, and high fiving his friends. I don’t know why he thought trying to humiliate me was a good idea, but he did.
“You think you’re so cool?” I shouted in his direction. “You gotta send one of your goonies over here to harass my brother? What the hell is wrong with you?” I shouted. I was starting to draw attention, but I didn’t care at the moment. “Why don’t you do your own dirty work?” I stormed in his direction, and his buddies backed up, letting me pass.
His smirk made my blood boil, and when I reached him, I just stood there staring up at his smug face. “I can’t believe I ever loved you,” I growled.
“I can’t believe I lasted as long as I did without you giving it up.” He shrugged. “Better warn the next guy so he doesn’t waste his time.” He barely got the words out before I pulled my fist back and connected with his jaw.
“Bitch!” He hissed as he cupped his cheek.
I stood there, ready for a fight as his friends all stared at us. I shook my hand as my fingers stared to tingle from the impact, but refused to let him know that I was hurt.
“Let’s get out here,” one the guys muttered as he started to pull at Dean’s shoulder. “She’s crazy.”
“Damn right she’s crazy.” He glared at me as he started to turn away.
“Bet Brittany can make that feel better.” Another one laughed.
“I’m sure gonna find out.” Dean laughed as he walked away. His words hit me straight in the chest, causing me to stumble back toward Claire. It shouldn’t hurt like this. Now that I know what a tool he is, it shouldn’t matter, but it does. It hurts worse than any punch or kick could. It hurts enough that all I want to do is lie in bed and stuff myself with rocky road ice cream.
“You ok?” Claire handed me a bottled water when I sat back down.
“Not really.” I flexed my fist a few times. “He always was a hard head.” I laughed lightly to mask the pain.
“Where’d you learn to hit like that?” Claire asked with genuine interest. “As much time as I’ve spent with you over the years, I’ve never seen you punch something.”
“My dad taught me.” I shrugged. It really wasn’t a big deal to me. I guess growing up with a dad who was a professional fighter made this seem kinda normal. “I used to harass him all the time when I was younger. I practically lived at the gym when he was still on the circuit. Over the years, he’d teach me stuff. I haven’t used any of it since I was about fifteen. Boys were always kinda afraid to do anything to me. They knew I could beat their ass if I wanted.”
“Maybe you should get back into that.” Claire grinned. “Bet there are some hot guys at the gym, and you’d stay in great shape.”
“Maybe.” I stared out at the waves breaking on the sand. Beating the crap out of a heavy bag did sound mildly appealing, but then I’d have to deal with Caleb. He ran the front desk, and has been a thorn in my side since we were toddlers. Of course, I was always able to kick his ass. I grinned at the thought.
“See,” Claire pointed at my face, “it’s got you smiling already. I’m a genius.”
“You are pretty smart.” I laughed. “Let’s pack up. I’m not really feeling this anymore. Maybe I’ll swing by the gym tonight.”
“That a girl.” Claire jumped up and started helping me fold the towels. “We’re going to make sure this summer is awesome for you no matter what.” She danced on the sand. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Whatever it takes, huh? What if it’s more than you can handle?” I giggled.
“I can handle anything… even your devil child brother.” She pointed and I followed her gaze, catching my brother trying to catch a seagull. “Why is he so weird?” She rolled her eyes.
“I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” I laughed harder. “Easton!” I called. “Car is leaving in two minutes.” I grabbed our things and started walking to the parking lot. I knew he’d come. If he didn’t, he’d be stuck here. I was not waiting, and he knew this from experience.
Chapter 2
Riley
“Can you fix me something to eat when we get home?” Easton whined from his spot in the backseat.
“Sure,” I grumbled. “Only if you promise not to tell Mom and Dad about me punching that guy.” I shot him a warning glare.
“Why?” His voice climbed higher. “That was so cool.” He bounced in his seat as his excitement soared.
“Because I said so.” I flexed my fingers. They hurt, and were starting to swell.
“That doesn’t look good. When Dad’s hand does that, he puts ice on it.” Easton peered over the seat.
“I don’t have any ice here, dummy. I gotta get home first.” I rolled my eyes. As much of a pain in the butt my brother was, he made sense some of the time.
When we pulled into the driveway, Easton bolted from the car. He tossed his bag of sand toys toward the garage and then bull rushed the door. I didn’t understand what the big deal was until I heard the music. Dad was home. He and Mom were supposed to be working at the gym today, but he must have come home to work out.
When my dad built this house, he had a huge home gym put in. He used to train for all his fights here, away from prying eyes. His trainer even came out here and stayed with us a few times. When you heard music blasting from the gym, you knew Dad was working out. When it wasn’t a planned workout, you stayed away. Easton and I knew this, hence the reason he rushed in the house.
I laughed as I made my way inside. Everything was quiet, and when I called out for Mom, I didn’t get an answer. She must have stayed at the gym. Not sure how Dad got here since I had the other car.
I went to work making sandwiches for Easton and myself, and poured a juice for him and grabbed a water for myself. “Lunch is ready,” I yelled before hearing the thundering of Easton’s feet on the stairs.
“Is Dad still out there?” He peeked around the corner.
“Yeah.” I nodded as I grabbed a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you worried?”
“I’ve done enough wrong things to know that even when I’m right I should stay away,” he mumbled around a bite of sandwich. I don’t know what he meant. Easton was always getting away with stuff. I was the one pushing the boundaries most of our lives and getting punished for it.
Growing up, I would hang out at the gym. Mom’s best friend, Ally, would come by all the time with her son, Caleb. Caleb was always taunting me. If we weren’t getting into trouble, we were fighting. He’s the reason I learned to punch. He used to pick on me because I was a girl, so I convinced my dad to teach me some moves. Over the years I’ve gotten better, but Caleb had stopped coming around when I was about thirteen. At least, until recently. I went by the gym last week because I’d gone into town with Mom. She was harassing me about college, and I bailed on her to hang out at the gym. When I walked in, Caleb was working the front desk. I think he was just as surprised to see me as I was him. I haven’t been back since, and I don’t really know if I want to. A lot’s changed in the last several years, and now it’s just awkward.
“Earth to Riley.” I jumped when I felt the tapping on my shoulder. Easton had gone quiet, and by the look on his face I knew exactly who was standing behind me.
“Hey, Daddy.” I smiled as I glanced up at him.
“Daddy? You only call me Daddy when you want something.” He sighed as he gripped the back of his neck. Sweat was pouring off him and he looked weary.
“I don’t want anything, except maybe for you to shower. You smell.” I crinkled my nose.
Dad pulled his sweaty tank out and sniffed it. “Smells like I always do.” He shrugged before scowling. “Your mom likes the way I smell.”
“No, she doesn’t.” Mom’s voice chimed in as she breezed in the room, tossing her purse on the counter along with a stack of papers. “Joey and I went through all of these. Your first class starts tomorrow.” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Thanks, Angel.” Dad grinned before Mom melted. Whatever caused him to leave early was long forgotten and the PDA that I tried so hard to avoid was coming at me like a freight train.
“Ugh.” I made a gagging noise before grabbing my plate and standing. No one had said anything about my hand, so I thought I might just get away with it until I decided to take a step toward the couch.
“Rils? What’d you do to your hand?” Mom mumbled around Dad’s lips as he kissed her.
“I…” I tried to come up with an excuse that would garner the smallest punishment, but my brother beat me to it.
“She punched a guy at the beach. It was so cool. Dad! She made his face swell up.” Easton grinned, and I shot him a ‘you’re so dead’ look. “I mean, she was sticking up for me.” He shrugged as I continued to glare.
“Really?” Dad released Mom in favor of facing me.
“It was Dean. He was being a jerk,” I muttered as Mom came over to examine the damage. “It was nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing.” Dad crossed his arms. “Seems like a pretty big something, Rils. You could have broken your hand.”
; “Well, I didn’t. Can we move on now?” I sighed.
“No. What did he do?” Dad leaned against the counter.
“I don’t want to talk about that,” I mumbled as Easton blurted out, “he called her a prude.” My head jerked to the side as fire burned deep inside me.
Mom wrapped me in a hug, and as I tried to push her away, she squeezed tighter. “Oh, honey.”
“What’s that mean? Is it bad?” Easton’s eyes darted around as he tried to determine who would give him the best answer.
“Why don’t you go play in your room?” Mom shooed him away.
“Well? Is it bad?” Easton tried again.
“Hell, no it’s not bad!” Dad bellowed and Easton took off in a sprint for the stairs.
“Wes!” Mom scolded.
“It’s not fucking bad, Angel!” Dad threw his hands in the air. “That little punk is an arrogant prick. I’m glad she hit him.” He started pacing. “I want to go hit him now, only I’ll put him on his ass. What kinda parents let their son treat a girl like that?”
“The kind that are never around,” I murmured as I backed out of my mother’s embrace and removed the peas from my hand. I wiggled my fingers again to check and make sure none were broken.
“I hope you left a mark,” Dad grumbled as he checked over my hand a second time.
“He’ll have a swollen cheek.” I smiled as I thought about Dean’s reaction. “I would have done more if I had the right equipment.”
“No, you would not.” Mom’s shocked expression made me laugh.
“You’re not a prude, Rils. You deserve someone better than him, and I hope you stick to your beliefs until you find that person.” Mom kissed the top of my head. “He’s out there. I promise.” She smiled at Dad and I watched the anger he was trying to keep in check slowly leave his body.
“I know.” I nodded a few times. “So Dad, can I come to the gym tomorrow? I want to refresh myself on some moves.” I gave him that ‘sweet little girl, I love you Daddy’ face.
“Is this you trying to con me again?” He laughed.
“No.” I blinked up at him. “It’s just that there are people there that can help me if I’m doing something wrong. I don’t have that here.” I stuck my lip out in a pout. This always worked when I was younger.
Broken Promises: The Broken Series Second Generation Page 1
