Broken Promises

46 | noah

I'm studying beneath the hood of the Ford in my father's garage when I hear the sound of a motorcycle engine roaring somewhere nearby, the sound piquing my interest.

I take a break from the never-ending task of working on the truck to step outside, wondering if I'll catch a glimpse of the motorcycle. I've always had s soft spot for them; after all, a motorcycle was the first vehicle I owned.

The sound grows louder, signifying the close proximity of the motorcycle. I see it overhead, heading down the road at an unbelievably high speed. It's sleek black Harley Davidson cruiser, one of the nicest I've ever seen. I assume the vehicle will pass me on its race down the street, finding my theory proven wrong when the driver recklessly swerves into the parking lot of the auto garage, slowing down slightly before coming to a perfect stop.

Something about the driver seems almost familiar as I watch the guy atop the motorcycle step to the ground, taking off his black helmet as he does so.

I'm instantly met with a pair of bright green eyes that I know all too well. Stunned, I take in the boy in front of me, from his messy dark hair, gray t-shirt, and sleeve of tattoos, to his tattered black jeans and matching sneakers.

I'm grinning before the guy's name even registers in my mind.

"You know we're closed, right?" I tease as I take a few steps toward the boy.

"Doesn't matter," he says with a shrug, smirking. "I heard you were in town. Decided to see it it was true."

"Well, you're looking at me, aren't you?" I still remember the first time I met him, maybe a year and a half ago. If I'm doing the math right, that mean's he's nineteen now, only a few months away from turning twenty.

I met Thorne Baxter at a party through a mutual friend of ours. We'd gotten along instantly and remarkably well, which probably had a little something to do with our similar personalities and life styles. That night was one I'll never forget. At least, the parts of it that I hadn't been too drunk to remember.

Thorne used to be one for parties; at least, until he met a girl named Mia McHenry. Something about him changed after he met her, and for the better. I started seeing him at parties less and less, and heard that he was cleaning up his life. Last I heard, he'd graduated high school and began attending the community college while his girlfriend went to the local university. Now that I think of it, I recall that Thorne lives in the next town over to Magnolia Heights, and Brooke and Mia attend the same college.

I can vividly remember the first time I met Mia McHenry, Thorne's girlfriend. It was about a year ago, and could instantly see why Thorne had fallen for her. She was beautiful, and not just because of her appearance. It was Mia's soul that made her so alluring, how kind and pure she was. It's girls like her that always have the reckless boys falling to their knees.

The night I met her, I'd pulled Thorne aside at a party after I'd had one too many drinks, noticing that Thorne was still sober. Drunkenly, I'd asked him if giving up the wild life had been worth it, and all for some girl.