A Promise Is A Promise

[8] Claire

I couldn't get what had happened with Kayla on Valentine's Day out of my head. She had been a mess that night. Kissing my cheek out of nowhere and breaking down on my couch, yet refusing to tell me what was wrong? I mean, I was so confused, but I was also really worried. We hadn't always told each other every little thing because we knew that neither of us owed it to the other, best friends or not, but I was dying to know what was going on. I was dying to help her with whatever it was.

She hadn't said a word about it since, so I didn't even think about trying to bring it up. I could tell she didn't want to talk about it and she wouldn't tell me anything if I did bring it up, so I kept all of my wondering to myself.

In some ways, it felt like that was all I'd been doing lately. I was constantly thinking—of her, of what she was thinking, the list was endless. It didn't stop, even when I got a text from Frankie saying, My dad's reception is over soon. Are you home?

I stared at my phone, wondering what the hell that meant and also wondering what I wanted it to mean. Of course I was home, it was nearly eleven. But did she mean was I home for something specific? Something we hadn't quite done yet? Was I ready for that? Did I want to do that with her?

The way her message had sounded made it seem like she was upset about something. Part of me hoped that she would want to talk about it, but the rest of me knew I was stupid for thinking that. Frankie had never been one to want to talk things through. What would make this any different?

Yeah, I'm home, I started typing back. My parents are out, if that's what else you were wondering. They were visiting my older brother in Shelby.

She responded much sooner than I expected her to, which made me think that she was really counting on me to be alone.

Be ready in forty-five minutes, gorgeous.

The second I'd read her text, I was off the couch and heading for the shower. I had forty-five minutes to wash and dry my hair, shave everything, and find something to wear that would make it seem like I was trying, but not too hard. How was I supposed to do all of that?

You don't have time to stand around figuring it out, just start doing something, I told myself and stripped my clothes off to get under the water that was still a little too cold. My heart didn't stop racing, especially not when I opened the door for her in the oversized T-shirt I'd chosen to throw on. In my experience, the less layers someone wore, the easier things were.

She was not going by the same philosophy, considering she was still in the suit she had probably been in all day. I had to admit that she looked really hot in it, though, so I didn't care. "Hey, um, how was the wedding?" I asked as I let her in and shut the door behind her.

Something in her shoulders had stiffened at my question, but I wasn't sure she even noticed how tense she got. "I don't want to talk about it."

I hesitated to keep speaking, but decided to push her a little more. "Did you not want it to happen or something?"

"Claire, seriously, I don't." She closed her eyes and sighed. I could tell her patience was running thin, so I knew enough was enough.

"Okay,"I muttered, feeling like I never should've opened my mouth. "Sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your problem," she snapped and I tried not to flinch. There were multiple times that I'd seen Frankie's anger firsthand, but I'd never been on the receiving end of it, and I really didn't want to start now.