The Promise

Chapter Nine

A/N: Thank you all for liking and reading. I thought this book was dead, so I stopped updating on here. Here's the next part. 

As I walked downstairs, Mom was waiting for me. She was lying on a chaise lounge with a mug of tea in her hands. I knew what was coming - Mom was ready to interrogate me about the four guys who brought me home. It made a blush rise in my cheeks, but I sat across from her.

Mom pushed a cup of tea and a large blueberry muffin into my periphery. I took a sharp intake of breath, mentally calculating how many calories were in that muffin. It was an instinct to ensure that I didn't eat anything potentially fattening. Lord knows I needed to lose about another 10 pounds. I calculated about 370 calories. The smell of the pastry was mouth-watering, but I couldn't bring myself to indulge.

"Last night?" Mom raised an eyebrow as she sat upright to give me her full attention. The blush on my cheeks was more prominent, and Mom gave me that impish smile. "They seemed to be a lovely bunch of guys."

"Yeah," I muttered, breaking off a piece of the muffin. I rolled it between my fingers as I thought about what to say. Mom was open - but I didn't think admitting that I liked all four of them was something Mom would appreciate.

"Do you like them, honey?" Mom looked at me, worried for a moment. It took me a moment to realize that Mom had no idea if they were forcing me to keep them company.

"I think so," I smiled. It felt for a moment like nothing had ever happened. That we were still in Phoenix, chatting about boys and school before our world went to shit.

Mom and I used to spend our Saturday mornings going to the mall and chatting about life. We were so close in Phoenix before Dad started having an affair and Justin became abusive. Even while I was inpatient, Mom came every Saturday to talk to me, even if I refused to speak to her.

"That's good," Mom hummed, sipping at her tea. "They seem different, but I like them."

"They are different," I grinned, reaching down with my hand while Mom's attention was captured by something outside. Nanook's tongue licked the pieces of muffin away. "People seem scared of them, but they've been kind and gentle with me."

"I've missed this," Mom confessed, leaning across the table. She laid one of her petite hands over the top of mine. "I missed your voice. I hope that these guys help you find your voice. Please don't disappear on me?"

I blinked at the pain Mom was expressing. It encapsulated her voice, her eyes, her face. I felt guilt at how much pain I was causing Mom, the pain I had caused her. I felt the dam holding back the floodgate of secrets weaken. I wanted to tell her about everything Justin had done to me - why I didn't want to talk anymore. Instead, I pinched off another bite of the muffin, waiting until she stood up to take her mug into the kitchen.

I fed Nanook about a third of the muffin, breaking and pulling pieces to litter the plate. When Mom returned with a new, steaming cup of tea, her eyebrows knitted together at the mess. I stood up, taking the plate into the kitchen. I dumped the desiccated remains of the muffin into the trash as Mom sighed.

"Love you," I whispered into Mom's ear as I passed, kissing her shorn locks. The worried look disappeared as I said the words I had avoided for too long. I gave Mom a small smile before grabbing my messenger bag.

As I walked outside, I noticed the faded yellow paint of my bike; it was leaning against the toolshed. I smiled, knowing that they kept their promise. I walked to the paddock, sitting inside the horse enclosure to write.

I got lost in the world I was creating. Not even the horses coming over to investigate this human intruder made my focus waiver. It wasn't until Grandpa's voice carried on the wind that I tore my concentration from my journal.

"ARIA!" I heard Grandpa call. I snapped out of my reverie, realizing my hand ached from writing for so long. I looked at the sky to gauge the time, only to startle. The sky was darkening, meaning I had sat out here for hours. Grandpa walked over to the paddock. "Do you want to help me feed them?"

I scrambled to my feet, slipping my journal into the waistband of my jeans. I hurried to the stables, not wanting to miss helping Grandpa. He showed me how to mix the feed and how much to give each horse. I enjoyed the work, mixing the feed together. Then Grandpa took two buckets, instructing me to give mine to the chestnut.

The chestnut was excited, whinnying as he realized I had his food. I opened the stall, only to be headbutted by a large mammal. I laughed, pushing his muzzle away from the bucket. I hung it on the wall, watching for a beat as the chestnut strode over, muscles rippling in the light. He started to eat, enjoying the feed.

Once we were finished, I left the stables, looking up at the darkening sky. I hurried into the house, rushing up the stairs. I washed my face in the bathroom, debating the need for makeup. I decided against makeup and wedge sandals, instead sliding my feet into my worn boots.

I did, however, dab a small amount of perfume onto my neck. I loved this perfume because it smelled like cotton candy, vanilla beans, and oranges. Once I was done, I grabbed my messenger bag, trying to stuff Dwayne's jacket inside. The jacket was too bulky and oversized. After a moment's hesitation, I slipped the jacket on.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The jacket hung off my tiny, emaciated frame, making me appear like a child playing dress up with my father's punk outfit. I shook my head as I tried to make my fingers appear through the sleeves. I buried my face into the collar again before putting my bag over my shoulder.

I left the house, getting onto the bicycle Paul, David, Marko, or Dwayne had returned for me. I started pedaling, making my way toward the Boardwalk. The leather jacket was warm, protecting me against the biting wind coming from the ocean. I almost didn't want to return it, but I knew this was a prized possession of the group. When I arrived at the entrance, I locked the Schwinn into the rack, disappearing inside.

The sun hadn't set entirely yet, the rays sinking below the horizon. The sky was a myriad of colors, an artist's canvas. I looked at their usual place but haven't seen their motorcycles yet. I decided they would arrive later and wandered around. I was looking at all the niche shops lining the Boardwalk and the games.

I thought that maybe I could talk one of the guys into winning me a few prizes as I watched the people lining up to play games. I figured that was more of a date activity, and we weren't dating. I didn't even know if the guys thought of me in a romantic light; probably not, I mused. I wrapped my arms tighter around my body as I got lost in my self-deprecating thoughts of not being pretty or good enough.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize that I was walking past a group of drunks. They catcalled and wolf-whistled when I walked past. I tried to ignore them now that I realized the situation. But they continued to heckle me until they noticed what I was wearing.

"You're with those freaks? Wearing their jacket, huh?" One of the drunk guys called out. I ignored their comments, continuing to walk on the Boardwalk, but another guy cut me off. He stood in front of me, not allowing me passage. I backed away as they kept coming closer. Finally, my back hit the railing of the Boardwalk.