|1| Promise Me ✦ {Bucky Barnes}

Chapter 6: Wish You Wouldn't

A/N: Hi guys! Back with another chapter! 

Also, when was American Thanksgiving? I know it has passed but is it some time in November? I don't know, my Thanksgiving is in October. 

Anywho, enjoy!

- Harper E. Pierce

BUCKY:

I twitched as I heard that guy's voice come and pick Briar up at the front door. For some reason, everything but my mind was telling me to interfere, try to stop her from going on the date, but I couldn't explain why. I remembered the conversation we had two days prior to her going out, about some guy that had broken her heart. I had told her to not let it stop her from putting herself out there, just like a good friend should. But when I found out not even half an hour later that she was going out with our neighbour, something didn't feel right with me.

The worst part was, I didn't know if it was me who felt hurt, or if I was picking up on hurt feelings coming from her that night. When I called her my friend, although she seemed okay with it on the outside, something about her response told me it wasn't true. That there was a lie in there somewhere. Since that game of whatever it was called that we played, I noticed something off about her. Her story, the way she told it. I knew already that she had a difficult past, but it didn't seem right that one of the things that bothered her the most of an unrequited high school crush. There had to be more to it.

Briar was a smart woman, there was no doubt about that. A smart, beautiful little firecracker. But she was definitely secretive, something I knew all too well. But that along with the lies she told made me not trust her- I didn't make that outwardly clear, since I wanted her to think I did. And clearly, allowing her to think I didn't pick up on all of those subtle cues she gave when she told a lie gave me an opportunity the second she walked out that front door without me at her side. I could search her apartment, including her room, and find out why she wanted me to stay out of her room so bad.

Although I didn't trust her, I wanted so badly for whatever I found there to be solely based on her insecurities. That way, there was no reason for me not to trust her- and I could probably get to the point where she trusted me enough to tell me herself about it. And even though she let me in a little more two nights ago, and she answered some of my questions about her, more than anything, it just raised more questions about who she was. I felt bad about going through her stuff, but once again, for all I knew, she could've been a HYDRA agent, waiting for the perfect opportunity to capture me.

I left my bedroom and walked onto the balcony of the apartment, watching the ground as I saw the pair of them walk away from the building, down the streets of DC. The neighbour had his arm around her shoulders, as he smiled down at her gently, listening to her every word. A pit formed in my stomach as I noticed her smile as they walked away. I had never seen her smile like before. It was so... fake. That's when I deciphered something; Briar wasn't going out with him to move on from her high school crush, she was doing this out of spite.

Who was she trying to spite? And what was she hiding? I needed to know. Now that they were far enough away from the apartment that I could begin my search, I started with what I needed the most time to go through; her bedroom.

I walked back into the apartment and shut the balcony doors behind me. I locked all the doors around me, just to make sure no one was going to come in unexpectedly. Then, I looked at the door at the end of the hallway. I walked towards it, a feeling of guilt weighing on my shoulders.

When I opened the door and looked around, the first thing I noticed was how organized everything was- if I didn't put everything back in its perfect place when I was done, she would know I went through her room. I had to be careful, it wasn't like Briar was a messy person.