"I Can't Make Any Promises" follows Riley and Blake, two high school students whose lives collide in an electrifying mix of flirtation and intensity. Riley's rebellious edge meets Blake's mysterious allure, sparking a connection that defies expectat...
I jolted awake to a firm hand slapping my thigh. "Wake up!" Dad's voice barked.
Squinting through bleary eyes, I saw him standing over me, still delivering a rhythmic assault. I groaned and mumbled, "I’m up, I’m up."
He sighed heavily, clearly frustrated. "For God’s sake, Riley, I shouldn’t have to wake you up every morning. You’re a woman; you should be doing that yourself."
I glanced at the clock—it was 5:20. "I’m going to work in 30 minutes," he said, heading for the door. "I better have my breakfast on the table when I’m done getting ready."
The door slammed behind him. I muttered under my breath, "The same thing every single day. His ass is going to a nursing home for sure."
Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. The cold water helped clear the fog, but not enough. I could already feel the weight of another day starting.
Downstairs, I made his breakfast, hurrying through the motions. I knew he'd criticize the kitchen and living room if there was the slightest mess, so I cleaned quickly, scrubbing surfaces and putting things away.
Dad's always on this outdated nonsense. Honestly, sometimes I think he's on something-maybe it's drugs, because his idea of a woman's role is straight out of the Stone Age. He actually expects me to cook, clean, and be up at 5 AM to make him breakfast. It's like he thinks he's some kind of royalty or something. No wonder Mom's cheating on his fat-pregnant , self-righteous looking ass.
Finally, I dragged myself back to bed. I wanted to catch a few more hours of sleep before the day dragged me back into its grind.
Two hours later
When I finally woke up, it was already 7 AM. Crap. I scrambled out of bed, hit the shower, and brushed my teeth like I was in a race against time. I styled my hair into some cute curls and threw on my outfit of the day. At least I wouldn’t have to face Dad’s bullshit today.
RILEY OUTFIT
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I headed out the door, excited for a day off from school. I’d texted Gemma earlier to see if she wanted to skip, but she wasn’t up for it—didn’t want to get in trouble, I guess. Alex was out too, thanks to a dentist appointment. But he’d sent me Blake’s address, so I knew where I was headed.
While I was waiting at the bus stop, Zaylen wouldn’t stop blowing up my phone. He called me multiple times, and each time I just ignored it. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with his crap today. But he wouldn’t let up, so finally, I answered.
“What?” I snapped.
“Yo, where are you?” he ask his voice already geting on my nerves.
“That’s none of your business,” I shot back, irritated.
