Promise (25 page)

She stood up and picked up the now empty box.
"Well, you're running out of time, honey."

"I know," I whispered.

I had another night of crying and restless
sleep, my blouse and his shirt bunched around my face so I could
smell him. By morning, though, I'd decided I'd cried enough. I told
myself some fresh air and distraction was what I needed to clear my
head and think things through. I went for a short walk on the
beach. It wasn't a great idea; I felt so alone. So I went back home
and escaped to my book, losing myself in an imaginary love story
where everyone lives happily ever after.

"Do you know when he's moving?" I asked Mom
that night.

"I don't think he's set a date yet. I think
he's still waiting…."

I just nodded and went back to my book. I
spent the next day immersed in the fictional world I'd created.

"Has he set a date yet?" I asked Mom that
night. She shook her head.

Chapter
17

I spent the next two days the same way. I
worked on the book all day; I asked Mom the same question at night.
She said no both times. I breathed a sigh of relief. By the end of
the third day, I felt the novel was as good as I could make it
without input from others. It was time to hand it over—let someone
else delve into my fantasies and see what I think about, how weird
and twisted and lovely my imagination could be. I practically
danced around the printer as each page slowly slid out, feeling
both nervous and excited for Mom to finally read it.

Needing something to do to pass the time
before she came home, I took a long, hot shower and then painted my
toenails purple. Finishing the book and then pampering myself
cheered me up.
Maybe tomorrow I'll feel good enough to call
him
. Maybe.

When I came out of the bathroom, I heard
voices. I peeked into the kitchen to see who was with Mom. She
leaned over the counter, her head in her hands, the phone in front
of her. She had it set on speaker and when I heard Tristan's name,
I stepped back to listen.

"I've tried to talk sense into him, but he's
not listening," Mom said. "He insists there's nothing to keep him
here, there's no reason to stick around."

"Stefan has been over there, too, with the
same results," said a female voice through the phone's speaker. She
had a foreign accent I couldn't place. "We cannot let him go,
Sophia."

"I know."

"There is only one person who will get
through to him. You know that."

"She's still unwilling. I think she wants to,
but she's struggling to trust that he really loves her."

"Oh, of course he does! From what you and
Stefan have told me, there is no doubt!"

"I know, but she doesn't. Or if she does, she
won't admit it."

"You need to persuade her, Sophia. She needs
to understand. Otherwise, we will lose him forever."

Mom sighed heavily. "Yes, I'm sure of that.
I'm pretty sure he's going back to them."

"So am I."

My chest constricted, strangling my heart.
Oh, no! Oh, God, no!

"Do you think they'll kill him?" Mom nearly
whispered. My stomach lurched, filling my mouth with the taste of
vomit.

"I am not sure. They have a terrible desire
to control him again, but if they think they cannot, they will
undoubtedly kill him. Either way, we lose him."

I rushed into the kitchen and skidded to a
halt in front of Mom. Her eyes held mine. She had to see the terror
on my face, but put her finger to her lips. I wanted to scream at
her and the woman on the phone, but could barely pull air through
my constricting throat. I felt like I was suffocating.

"You have to convince her, Sophia! She is the
only one—"

"I think we have an answer. I'll call you
back." Mom quickly pressed the end button. "Alexis…"

The world fuzzed around the edges, then
started to go black. I thought I was about to pass out, but I'd
never done that before, so I wasn't sure. Mom caught me and set me
in a chair, pushing my head between my knees.

"Mom…" I gasped. "Tristan…?"

"Alexis, did you hear?"

My head shot up and pinpricks of light
flashed before my eyes. I looked past them at her face. Her
expression was a mix of several different emotions, none of them
good. Fear, worry, grief, anxiety…I'd never seen Mom so
distressed.

"Yes! What do I
do
?" I cried.

"I think you know," she whispered.

"How much time do I have?"

"I don't know. Tonight. Maybe tomorrow."

"
NO!
"

I bolted for my room.
Yes, I know what to
do.
I dressed quickly in what I knew he liked, just in case it
made a difference—the green blouse Mom gave me for Christmas and a
denim mini skirt. I threw my hair in a quick twist to get it out of
my face and emptied my school bag on my bed, scattering papers and
pens everywhere. I threw the framed poem and his note into the bag.
I tucked my ring into my hip pocket. I stood in the door and
glanced around, trying to think if there was anything else that
might help. My eyes landed on the manuscript I'd just printed. I'd
promised Mom first read.
She'll understand.
I grabbed it,
slipped it into a folder and shoved it in the bag. I flew out of my
room.

Mom waited at the door for me. "I drive
faster," she said.

"I can't be there without a car, Mom, just in
case…"

"I'll leave it."

She waved off the look I gave her.

"I'll get home fine. Don't worry," she
said.

She raced along the surface streets. It
didn't feel fast enough. I tried to think of what I'd say or do but
nothing came to mind. We turned into his driveway in two minutes.
I'd have to wing it.

"You can do this, honey," Mom said. She
pecked me on the forehead and then she was gone.

"
Tristan!
" I cried from the driveway.
I rushed up the stairs to the dining room door and banged on it.
"
Tristan!
"

I pressed my face against the glass to look
inside. It looked empty except for some boxes and furniture piled
at the far end of the living room.
He hasn't left. Yet
. But
he never came to the door and I wondered if he was even home. I
could see a light from the hallway, either the office or the gym. I
pressed my ear to the glass and heard blaring music.
He'll never
hear me over that! Damn, damn, damn!

I ran back down the stairs to the keypad by
the garage door. I had no idea what the code was and knew it was
hopeless. Unable to keep still, pacing the driveway, I tried to
think how he would think. It wouldn't be his birth date. He ignored
that date.
But maybe…
Without anything to lose, I tried my
birth date.
Holy crap! It worked!
The door right next to me
started lifting. As soon as I was able, I ducked underneath it and
hit the button to close it. I ran up the stairs to the house.

"TRI—"

His name lodged in my throat. A steel vise
grabbed me by the neck and pinned me to the wall two feet off the
floor. I couldn't breathe, couldn't even struggle. The bag fell
from my hand. I heard the glass frame break. My heart raced even
harder.

"
Alexis
?" The lovely voice twisted in
horror.

Just as my vision started to blur around the
edges again, I saw Tristan step back, his hand dropping from my
neck. Then I was free and fell to the floor. My lungs seized to
pull in air.

"Tri…stan…" I gasped, kneeling on all
fours.

"What are you doing here?" he growled. "I
almost
killed
you."

"I'm…sorry…I…banged…on the…door." I inhaled
as deeply as I could, the air tearing at my throat like
razor-blades. "You couldn't hear me."

"What are you
doing
here?" he growled
again. Fire blazed in his eyes.

I scrambled to my feet.

"I…I came to stop you." My voice sounded
small and weak with fear.

"Stop me from what?" His tone was unfamiliar.
I didn't like it at all. He folded his arms across his chest.

"From wherever you're going." My voice grew
stronger.
He won't hurt me…not on purpose anyway.

"It's too late," he growled angrily.

"But you're still here!"

"You've made your feelings clear, Alexis. I
have nothing to stay for."

"But I'm here! I'm here for
you
!"

He glared at me.

"Where are you going?" I could hear the edge
in my voice, the anger rising. I'd need that anger if I had to
protect myself.

"Exactly where you told me to.
Where I
came from!
"

"
NO!
You said you'd never go back!" I
lifted my chin and narrowed my eyes, daring him to defy his own
words.

"I've been wrong all along. I failed with
you. I failed at this life. It's where I belong."

"But you didn't fail with me. I'm here,
Tristan. I'm here for you!"

He glowered at me. "
They
sent you,
didn't they?"

"No! I'm here for
us
! I love you! And
I know you love me, too! And that means you did not fail at this
life! You belong with
me
. Stay for
me
." I lost the
edge as tears burned my eyes.

"How can you say that? You don't even
trust
me, Alexis. You
can't
love me!"

"But I
do
, Tristan. I love you! I
trust you! You are
everything
to me." I stared at him as he
glared back with those fiery eyes.
Oh, God, please help me. I
can't lose him!
I knelt by my bag and pulled the broken frame
out. I held it out to him. "Here! This comes from my heart. It
still holds true. It always
will
."

He ignored it.

I put it on the floor and pulled the note out
and waved it. "Your letter! I cried over it for days. You said you
wanted me back. I'm here!"

No reaction. I pled my love to a boulder.

"
Please
, Tristan," I begged. "Please
listen to me."

I wiped the tears out of my eyes with the
heel of my palm. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't budge. I pulled
the manuscript out of the bag and held the folder open.

"My novel. I want
you
to be the first
to read it, Tristan."

I thought I saw a slight change in his eyes.
The fire dimmed just a bit. I stood up and held the manuscript at
him, but he didn't take it.

"
Please
. I've shared it with no one
else. I
want
you to be the first."

He didn't budge. I tossed it on a side table
standing next to the three remaining kitchen chairs, waiting to be
hauled onto a moving truck. His eyes followed the folder, then flew
back to me. I took a deep breath, trying to think of what to do
next. I fished the ring out of my pocket and held it up.

"I
will
keep this forever, but only
when
you
put it back on my finger."

He still didn't move, but his eyes
softened.

"I want to marry you, Tristan. I want to
spend the rest of my life with you. Forever with you. You and me
together. You
can't
leave me!"

I put the ring on the manuscript and pulled a
chair over in front of him. I stepped up on it so I could look
directly into his eyes. The flames still flickered, still bright,
but I'd seen worse. I touched his cheek and flinched from the
powerful electric pulse, but I didn't let it stop me. I put my
hands on each side of his face. He stood completely still. I looked
deeply into his eyes, noticing the flames dimming more.

"
I love you, Tristan Knight. You will not
leave me!"

Still no reaction except that slight change
in the eyes.
Give him everything
. I knew it was risky, with
that fire still burning, but I didn't know what else to do. I'd
already offered him everything I had. The book had softened him and
I knew there was one last thing he wanted. One more way to show him
I could give him all of me. I unbuttoned my blouse and let it fall
to the floor. I scooted my skirt down my legs and stepped out of
it. I unhooked my bra and let it fall, then slid my panties off. I
stood naked on the chair right in front of him and held my arms out
wide.

"You have
all
of me now. I am
all
yours!"

His eyes traveled up and down my body.

"You're being really stupid," he growled. His
hand twitched.
Finally, a reaction
. "I could
kill
you
right now."

I lifted my chin and firmly set my voice. "If
you're going to leave, if you're going back to
them
, then I
want
you to kill me."

The fire dimmed, though, instead of
brightening. I knew it was okay. I took his face in my hands again,
ignoring the shock this time.

"But you're not going to. You love me and you
won't hurt me," I whispered. I pressed my lips against his. He
remained unresponsive but I continued to kiss him, looking into his
eyes the whole time. "
Please
, Tristan. I know you love me.
Please show me you're still here with me."

I slipped my hands back into his hair,
tugging at it, and moved my lips over his cheekbone, to his ear and
down his neck, then back up around his jaw.

"Please, Tristan."

When my lips returned to his, he opened his
mouth slightly and I tasted him. I traced my tongue over his lips
and slipped it between. He started to respond, moving his lips
slowly with mine, tasting me. I moved my mouth over his face and
neck again, kissing and sucking. I undid the buttons I could reach
and gave up and tore his shirt apart, pressing my naked breasts
against his bare chest. I felt his hands on my back, sliding down
over my butt and back up again. I shuddered. Our mouths crushed
against each other and we hungrily kissed and bit and tugged.