Promise Me Always Read Online Free Page A

knew that it wasn’t going to happen though— we were just friends and she deserved someone better than me. Someone that wasn’t so fucked up. We slowly got dressed, both of us seemed to know that as soon as our clothes were back on—this was over. I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. My head was a mess. I knew I had to take her home before this got weird, before she got the wrong impression. At the same time, that was the last thing I wanted to fucking do. Wanting to hold on to this moment, one I had dreamed about but one I also knew had to end, I reached over and held her hand the whole way back to her house.
    When I pulled up in her parent’s driveway, she looked at me with that sexy smile and squeezed my hand. “Do you want to come in and meet my parents, Blake?” I’m pretty sure all the color drained from my face.
    Oh shit! Not good.
    She started to laugh. “I’m just kidding. Gosh, don’t have a heart attack.”
    “Don’t fucking scare me like that!” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Plus, I heard your dad is hardcore, so I think I will pass. Especially since we just … you know. I wouldn’t want him to get the wrong impression of me,” I said as I winked at her.
    “Thanks for the ride, Blake. I really appreciate it.”
    “You remember what you promised me, right, Tess?” I asked her, concern filling my voice. I really didn’t want to ruin our friendship over what had just happened.
    “Of course, douchebag, I remember,” she teased as she gave me a wink. “You going over to Cole’s tonight?”
    “I sure am, baby girl.”
    “Okay. Then I’ll see you there. Bye!”
    And just like that we were back to normal—like nothing had ever happened.

    That is how it had been for the past three years now—flirty friends. Nothing ever happened again between us; we were just friends. It killed me to just walk away after what we had done, but I didn’t deserve her. She deserved so much better than me.
    No wonder I was so pissed. I had wanted Tess ever since that day. She was special to me—she wasn’t just another girl and Jared, the jackass, went and screwed her over. Twice.
    I swore to myself that the next time I saw Jared I would beat the shit out of the fucker until he begged me to stop. He wasn’t worthy of her at all. Hell, I was better for her than him! At least I would never cheat on her. If I didn’t deserve her, neither did he.
    Palmer left to go meet Tess in the parking lot while I was having my little flash back. I actually was really excited to see her again. Ever since she got back together with the jackass, I hadn’t really seen her very much. He was keeping her away from her old friends and I couldn’t figure out why.
    “Blake! Dude, snap out of it,” Cole said, getting the tequila bottle out of the cabinet. “Get over here and help me get these shots ready for Tess.” I got to my feet and braced myself to see the only girl that I had ever really been myself around.

As soon as Palmer told me Blake was inside, I got all giddy. Twirling my hair like I always did when I was nervous, I completely forgot about Jared. I had known Blake for over four years and we were just friends—albeit very flirty friends. I loved hanging out with him; he always made things so easy. I felt like I could be myself around him and he would never judge me. Even after our “friends with benefits” moment when we were eighteen, things were never weird between us. Just thinking of that day in his truck made the butterflies start fluttering in my stomach and I realized how much I actually missed him. I hadn’t seen him since Jared and I got back together, which was just over two months ago.
    As I walked through Palmer and Cole’s apartment door, he was the first thing I saw. And, for some reason, it was like I was seeing him for the first time. There was no doubt he had been working out and, as attractive as he was before, for some reason I now found him irresistible. He large, six