Promised (4 page)

Wyn: U have?

Linc: Yes. Is that ok?

Is it ok that the hottest guy in school wants to talk to me? Umm, yes!

Wyn: Yes. Can I confess something?

Linc: Is it embarrassing? Lol

Wyn: No lol

Linc: Then ur turn 2 shoot.

Wyn: I’m glad Mrs. Mandevers asked me 2 help u.

Linc: Me 2.

Linc: Will u plz let me drive u to the kids program 2morrow?

I so want to say yes, but if I blow off my brothers giving me a ride, they’ll be furious and come looking for me. And if they find me with Linc, we’d both be in trouble. Him more than me.

Wyn: I wish I could but my brothers. Sorry. :-(

Linc: I’m not afraid of them Wyn. Is there any1 who could cover for u with them?

Hmm, I could ask Dani. I covered for her a bunch before she got married so she owes me. I send her a quick text asking her to cover for me. She responds quickly agreeing to, but says I have to clue her in when she does actually pick me up after I’m done volunteering.

I send her a text thanking her and then respond to Linc.

Wyn: Ok I’m in.

Linc: 4 real?

Wyn: Yes

Linc: Now I am bringing u a sprinkle cupcake.

Wyn: Y? lol

Linc: Bc u made my night.

Wyn: Ur goofy.

Linc: Not goofy. Honest.

Wyn: U can be both.

Linc: Ok but u make me goofy.

Wyn: I’ll take the credit. I should get off here and finish the last of my paper.

Linc: Alright. :-(

Wyn: Night Linc

Wyn: Night Wyn

I look back through the texts again just to see if they’re real before I finally set it back on my night stand and return to finishing the last of my English paper. I have a smile on my face for the rest of the night.

Chapter 5 – Linc

~That’s Not How It Works In My World~

I haven’t seen Wyn all day.
I looked for her in the library at lunch, but she wasn’t there. Now I’m standing in the parking lot against my car, hoping she doesn’t stand me up.
Stand me up? This isn’t a freaking date.
I’m only giving her a ride, but damn if I don’t feel like I’m being stood up.

The last student car pulls out of the lot and I let out a sigh. She did stand me up. I pound my fist on the top of the car, then turn and roughly jerk the driver’s side door of the Challenger open.

“Hey, now! She’s too beautiful to be treated that way.” Wyn calls from behind me.

I smile to myself. Then schooling my features, I spin around. “She is beautiful, but don’t let that fool you. She can be brutal.”

“Aren’t all the beautiful ones?” She asks on a smile.

“Yes. Yes, they are.” I smile back at her. “I didn’t think you were here today. I looked for you at lunch.”

“Oh, I don’t normally eat lunch in the cafeteria.” She admits, staring at her feet.

“I know. I went to the library, but you weren’t there.” I confess, watching closely for her reaction.

“How did you know that’s where I go?” Her head snaps up.

“I may have come looking for you the other day.” I admit honestly.

She looks back down at her shoes, but that doesn’t hide the crimson that’s now shading her cheeks.

“We should probably get on the road. The other volunteers are going to be wondering where I am.” She changes the subject.

“Ok.” I walk around to the passenger side and hold the door open. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

She meets my eyes as she walks around the car and slides into the passenger seat. The smile on her face is worth me acting like a love sick fool.

“Thank you, kind sir.” She says around her widening smile.

“My pleasure.” I wink at her and then shut the car door.

I slip into the driver’s seat and start the car. I hesitate for a moment and then, before I can change my mind, I turn around in my seat and grab the small Tupperware container off the back seat. I hand it to Wyn. Then I shift the car into gear and head us towards our destination.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her look between the container and me several times before she finally removes the lid. She pulls out the perfectly decorated sprinkle cupcake. She sucks in her bottom lip in an attempt to try to hide her adorably wide smile.

“You brought me a sprinkle cupcake.” She states as she turns to me.

“A sprinkle cupcake with sprinkles in the icing. That should get me a couple bonus points because everyone knows that the only way to best a sprinkle cupcake is by topping it with icing with sprinkles.” I inform her.

“A man after my own heart.” She jokes as she swipes her index finger through the icing and pops it into her mouth. She realizes what she insinuated and then she turns to me and mumbles. “Um, I didn’t mean it. Well, you know. I don’t think you’re trying to…”

“It’s ok, Wyn. I know you’re joking.” I reassure her.

“Thank goodness.” She lets out a sigh and then turns her attention back to her cupcake.

“Wyn, I think we should have a full disclosure.” I tell her as I pull the car into a parking spot outside the children’s center. I put it in park, take off my seat belt, and turn sideways in my seat so I’m facing her.

She mimics my action so we’re sitting face to face a foot apart. She puts the lid back on the Tupperware container and asks. “What are we disclosing?”

“Well, it’s more me disclosing than you. Unless you have something to add.” I rattle on.

“Linc, spit it out.”

“Wyn, I’m after your heart.”

“You don’t know me. I don’t know you. There are my brothers and my parents. Dog gone it, Linc! We can’t do this.” She turns away from me and rushes out of the car.

I move to follow her and catch her at the back of the car.

“We can do this, Wyn. I can go to your father and talk to him. Or if you prefer, we’ll keep this secret, but I want to spend time with you.” I plead with her.

“Linc, there are things in my life that you can’t understand and this…” She waves her hand back and forth between the two of us. “Will never be able to work out.”

“You can’t know that. You’re not even giving us a chance.” I cross my arms.

She throws up her arms. “You want to know how this will go if I give in?”

“Yeah, since apparently you’re a psychic, tell me how this will go, Wyn.”

“Say my family doesn’t find out, which is highly unlikely. And say if they do find out and they don’t hurt you. And Linc, those are two huge obstacles to overcome right off the bat. Well, say we overcome those, then what?” She runs her hands through her hair before she continues. “We’ll spend a few weeks, a few months if we’re lucky, together. But it won’t last after that, Linc. It’ll be over and we’ll be left with what? Nothing.”

“You’re wrong, Wyn. We’ll have the memories and I’d rather have those than nothing.” I want to reach out and grab her. I want to hold her in my arms, but I know she has boundaries that I’m not use to and I can’t cross them. I’m afraid to even hold her hand, that it might cross some unseen line.

“I’m not sure I can handle the memories. Because if you give me everything I think you can and things turn out the way I know they will, I won’t be able to handle them. Knowing I had you and I had to let you go. I can’t do that, Linc.” There’s a quiver in her voice and I have to shove my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching out for her.

“You won’t have to let me go.”

“Yes, I will.”

“The only way I’m going anywhere is if you decide you don’t want me around.” I promise her.

“It won’t be me who pushes you away.”

“Well, I can promise I won’t push you away. I want to be with you, Wyn.”

“I’m promised, Linc.” As the words leave her lips, I watch the tears begin to escape her eyes.

“Explain please.” I have a feeling I know what it means, but I need to hear it aloud.

“My dad informed me last night that someone expressed interest in my hand. He’s going to accept the proposal.” She’s watching my face as she finishes. “I’m going to be married.”

“W-w-when?” I ask stunned.

“I haven’t been told that much yet.”

“Do you love him?” I must be a glutton for punishment, but I need to know. Her answer matters more than I should let it.

“That’s not how it works in my world.” She informs me as she wipes at the tears coming down her cheeks.

“Well in my world, it does matter. So please tell me, do you love this guy?”

She’s quiet for a long time and I’m on the verge of speaking again when she finally admits. “No. I don’t.”

“Then until your marriage is final, give me this time.”

“Linc...” She begins softly.

“No, Wyn. I’d rather have the memories than nothing.” I search her tear stained face as I wait for her to answer.

“Me too.” She whispers her confession.

“You’re going to give me a chance?”

“Yes.” She smiles at me. I close the few steps that are left between us to grab her up in my arms and swing her around. She holds tight to my shoulders and I don’t want to let her go. But she takes a step back and I feel the loss of her body heat against mine like a punch to my gut.

“Linc, we can only be friends though. We can’t do more than hang out. And as much as I hate it, we have to keep this a secret.”

“I can do that.” Yeah right! Like I’ll be able to spend time with my dream girl and not fall for her. And damn if I don’t plan on having her fall with me.

Chapter 6 – Wyn

~
Are you going to turn your back on us?~

For two hours, I watched Linc interact with the kids at the center. I tried to focus on my own tasks, but my eyes kept searching out the brown eyed boy. And every time I gave in and looked for him, I found him watching me with a sweet smile on his mouth. Then right before he’d turn his attention back to the child he was helping, he’d reward me with a wink. And that simple little gesture caused my cheeks to flame every time. That wink somehow seemed more intimate than a kiss. It stripped me down each time and I felt as if I was standing naked in front of him with all my insecurities on display. And instead of him scrutinizing each and every one of my flaws, he was taking them in and memorizing them so he could add them to the list of reasons why he wants me.

Now I’m sitting on the curb outside the center, waiting on Dani to show up. Who, by the way, is already twenty minutes late. Linc refuses to leave me here alone so he’s sitting beside me, not more than a foot away, though our hands are resting mere inches from each other. I wish I could have the courage to close the distance and hold his hand. But because of the strict ideals of how a Romani girl should be, I’ve never held the hand of a boy I liked. And I’ve definitely never kissed a boy. And right now, I want nothing more than to break out of that and be a normal teenage girl who can hold the hand of the boy she likes without fear of being looked down upon.

“So, how’d you like volunteering?” I ask to distract myself.

“I liked it. They’re good kids.”

“Yeah they are.”

“How long have you been coming here?”

“Since I was a little girl. My Nana Scott used to bring me here with her. She loved to help people and she loved kids. This place gave her a chance to combine those loves.” I tell him.

“She sounds like a sweet lady.” He turns his head to look at me and smiles. “I’d say you take after her.”

“That’s what everyone says.” I turn towards him and return his smile. The wind picks up a little and a shiver runs through me because my thin coat is doing nothing to keep out the cold.

“This is silly, Wyn.” He stands up and grabs my hand to pull me to my feet. “We’re going to wait in my car where it’s warm.”

He doesn’t let go of my hand as he walks me to the car and places me in the passenger’s seat. Then he swiftly moves around the car and into the driver’s seat, where he starts the car and cranks the heat. Once the heat is warming the car, he grabs both of my hands and rubs them between his larger ones to warm them up. I sit speechless while he does this.

I’m so wrapped up in the feel of his hands on mine and the comfort they’re bringing me, that I don’t think twice about reaching out to place my palm to his cheek. His hands stop rubbing and his head comes up to look in my eyes. I know if I just lean in, I could share my first kiss with him. And I want to so bad, but I’m afraid to move. To take that step that’ll lead me away from the path my parents have set for me. And somehow I know that out of respect for me, he won’t make the first move. If this is to go somewhere, I have to start it.

I suck my bottom lip in between my teeth. Releasing it, I draw in a deep breath. This is it. I want to take this step. I want to share this with him. I take one more deep breath and release it to gather my courage; then I close my eyes and lean forward. I feel the warmth of his breath on my lips, only a little closer and our lips will be touching.

Headlights shining across the front of the car cause us to jump apart. The moment’s gone and I’ve lost that little bit of courage I worked up. I look out the window at the car that halted us and see that it’s Dani.