Promise

Chapter 10: Friend

I wasn't a mind reading enigma like Francis who said he'd marry my sister the first time he saw her. I didn't fall in love with a girl the first time she held my hand like Damon did.

I was born to be Robyn Hale's.

Polishing off half a bottle of vodka when I got home, I passed out cold, wondering if my mother be happy with who I was. Would she be proud of me? Would she want me to be with the girl who didn't even know she had my heart since the day I climbed to her goddamn window? Was I being someone the world couldn't let go of?

My chest hurt just thinking about my mother. Catherine Ryder was the kindest woman I had ever known. She was born to be a mother and had a heart too big for her own good. She loved fiercely and cared deeper. Mom was, without a doubt, the reason I was the man I was today. She helped me control my infamous temper, the one no one dared be around. She'd run her cool fingers through my hair and let me lay my head on her lap. And suddenly, nothing mattered anymore.

By the time family dinner rolled around, I was a ball of rage and surprisingly, nerves. I never got nervous. It wasn't who I was. Francis' car was the only one there when I showed up at Damon's house.

Sitting in my car for an extra minute, I deeply considered turning around and driving back home. Flat tire, I could say. Mauled by lions, perhaps. Hit by a meteor.

I covered the bruises on my arm with a long-sleeved T-shirt and kept my hands in my pockets as much as I could. We gathered in the living room, talking about all kinds of things, none of which seemed to interest me at all.

It was only when we were all just about to sit down at the dinner table that the front door pushed open and Robyn walked in, holding a covered aluminum tray in her hands. Her hair was pulled in her usual half-up half-down, a simple floral skirt and white sweater, no makeup on her face.

Her freckles stood out against her olive skin. That made me absurdly happy.

"Hi."

"Hey," I replied. "And what have you brought for us to indulge in today?"

A light blush covered her cheeks. "Peach cobbler."

I stared at Robyn all through dinner. Every once in a while, she'd look over at me to see if I was still looking at her. The answer was yes.

She had literally no idea that if she was in a room, I physically could not see anything other than her. My body was anatomically incapable of paying attention to anything in my life that was not her.

"Roll your tongue back into your mouth, asshole," Francis muttered next to me.

"Huh?" I asked eloquently, still staring at Robyn.

"You look like you'd rather eat her than your food," he drawled unapologetically.

I choked on my drink, shooting him a glare.

Grinning, he just shook his head.

After dinner, we all sat together in the living room on various couches and sprawled on the floor when Reyna tugged on Robyn's arm and dragged her to the Steinway piano in the corner of the living room. Robyn went with her and placed her gently next to her on the stool as Reyna hit random keys and produced the most painful noises known to man over and over again. The kid might be an academic and conversational genius, but she was seriously lacking in the arts.

I used the opportunity to refresh my drink and made my way over to the tiny piano stool where they both sat, sliding in onto the other side.

"You kept your promise," I stated coolly.