Promises

---

Promises - book excerpt

Friday,December5

Two months, I think as I stare at the television screen. Two months since Eve became my girlfriend. Two months since my life completely changed.

I resist the urge to look at Eve, sitting next to me on the couch, instead trying to divide my attention between Arthur Christmas playing on the Devereaux’s huge TV and the mental checklist I tattooed on my brain for situations like this.

Rule#1:holdherclose,butnottooclose.

Rule#2:whenholdingher,keepmyhandsonthedesignated“safeareas”atalltimes.

Rule#3:whenIlookather,keepmyeyesonherface,notherbody.

Rule#4:Notonguekissinguntilshesignalsshe’sready.Whichshehasn’tyet.

Theseruleshaveservedmewellforthepasttwomonths.Exceptthatthey’veturnedmeintoabasketcase.

This is not how I pictured having a girlfriend would be. I’m happy, but I’m also not. I’m afraid to say, do, think anything that will get me in trouble with her. I was in a very dark place when we met, and I’m terrified that losing her will shove me right back into it.

Sprawled on the carpet in front of us, Kirsten and Sophie throw occasional little-girl flirty looks at me, and I smile back. I love the attention, but I can tell how much it annoys Eve.

I’m vaguely aware of Eve pausing the movie so Sophie can use the bathroom and Kirsten can raid the fridge for something unhealthy to snack on. When both girls run giggling out of the room, Eve turns her beautiful brown eyes to me. “You know, sometimes I wonder if it’s me you come over to spend time with, or them.”

I plaster on an innocent grin. “You gotta admit, they give the greatest hugs on Earth.”

She laughs, and I relax.“ True enough. You should know, though, Kirsten and Sophie are never this well-behaved when it’s just me baby sitting them.”

My brow furrows.“ Really?”

“I’m not saying they’re terrors, they’re just not perfect little angels either.”

“That’s what little sisters are for, I guess.”

She reaches over and picks as tapled pile of paper soff the end-table, where she set it earlier. She shows it to me, tracing the large red ‘A’ at the top with her finger. “Thanks for letting me read this. Are you sure it’s okay?”

A few week sago, my English Comp teacher asked everyone in class to write a fictional story, any genre. I threw myself into the assignment, and it unlocked something inside me that I never knew existed: a desire to tell stories, just like the dozens of books that fill my bedroom shelves. While I recovered from Brent’s beating, when there wasn’t much to do but watch TV and stare at the walls, writing this story gave me something to focus on. By the time I returned to school, I’d written an eight-thousand-word story, nearly double the required length. When I showed the‘ A’ to Eve and her two best friends, Emily and Susan, they all squealed in delight. Is mile at the memory.

“Well, Mrs. Coxis pretty tough to please, so if she likes it, I hope you will too,” I say.

“Sir Joshua and the Dragon Queen,”shereadsoffthetitlepage.“I’llstarttomorrow.ThoughIwarnyou, I’maprettyslowreader.”Sheputsthestorybackonthetable.“Rightnow,Ijustwantyou.”

She leans forward, our arms snake around each other, our eyes close, and our lips meet. It’s all I can do to keep my ground rules in my head and my tongue locked in place while Eve’s soft, delicious lips are pressed to mine.

We separate moments before Kirsten and Sophiereturnwithabowlofpopcorn,parktheirbuttsatourfeet,andweresumethemovie.

The credits no sooner start rolling than Eve’s parents, Lizand Steve, return from their dinner date.“ Hey, girls. Hey, Joshua. How was the movie?” Lizasks.

Kirsten flashes a mischievous grin. “It ended the same way it did last time.”

Sophie’s bespectacled face breaks into an equally playful smile.“Yeah,gofigure.”

Eve and Irise to our feet. “Guess it’s time for me to go,” Isay.

“Awwwww,” Sophie and Kirsten say in unison.“ You need a ride home?” Steve asks.“ It is pretty late.”

My brain, already on overdrive, shifts into full-anxiety mode. Mr. Devereaux and I haven’t had many conversations, but he’s never given me a hard time about dating his daughter. Just the opposite, in fact. Even so, the idea of sitting in a car with him scares thes not out of me.

On the other hand, if I say no, Eve will think I don’t like him. Can’t have that.

“Uh…sure,” Isay.

“Alrighty. Let me change into something less formal and we’ll go.” Steve smiles at me, then leaves the room.

Liz sheds her coat and scarf and drapes them over the back of one of the recliners. “Time to say goodnight, girls.”