Free Forgotten Promises (The Promises Series Book 2) by Elle Brooks Page B

the understatement of the century, but having discussed it to the point of wanting to strangle each other over our differences, she finally relented. We had a forty-five minute showdown wherein she point blank refused to let me drive home. She listed everything from the fact that we had both been in a crash and were perhaps medically not ready to operate heavy machinery (she’d die of worry), to flat out begging me to just fly back with her. After tears on both sides we finally agreed that she would take us in her rental car to go get Ethan’s Camaro, and then he and I can go and see if our things are still at the campsite before we drive home. I get that she’s feeling anxious; I am too. In truth, I’d be traveling back with Ethan regardless of whether or not I have her blessing; at least this way it’s amicable.
    Her speech is cut short by the sound of water powering against the bathroom basin, then shutting off abruptly seconds before the door creaks open and Ethan emerges rubbing his hands on a washcloth. We all stop and look at one another as the room falls silent.
    “Am I interrupting something? I can leave you to talk if you’d like.”
    “No, Ethan, it’s fine. I was just reminding Blair not to drive tired and to be careful. If either of you are feeling unwell make sure that you stop and call me. Just use your common sense, the pair of you, okay?”
    “Yes ma’am,” he replies and I snigger. Mom looks over and rolls her eyes at me.
    “She hates being called ma’am. Makes you feel old, doesn’t it, Mom?”
    She leers at me, and then huffs, announcing that she’s going to go fill the ice bucket. I stretch lazily and move from my position on the floor to the bed.
    “So what’s the plan then? You want to set off this afternoon, or first thing in the morning?”
    “I don’t mind,” he answers through a yawn as he sits down next to me, leaning his back against the headrest.
    “You seem pretty tired. I think we should go and collect your car, then come back here and set off tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”
    “Sounds like a plan. Come here.”
    I scoot back on the bed, shuffling in a completely un-lady like manner and making it look like a whole lot more effort than it needed to be. He pulls me into his side like I’m a teddy bear, and sinks down until his head is nestled into the crook of my neck. He doesn’t say a word as we sit in a comfortable silence, staring out of the floor-to-ceiling window that looks out onto the hotel pool. I’m not sure if it’s thirty seconds or thirty minutes, but the sound of his soft tiny snores interrupt the silence. I smile as I rub my fingers through his messy hair, and he moans his appreciation and shifts, pushing his face further into my shoulder. Mom returns, takes one look at him and gives me a knowing look before depositing the ice bucket and retrieving her purse from the cabinet. She leaves without a word, and I thank her silently with my smile.
    We stay huddled together on the bed for an hour before my mom returns and wakes us both from the best sleep I’ve had in since arriving in Arizona. I stretch and rub my eyes underneath my glasses. I’m positive that I look a mess and quickly wipe at my mouth, worrying that I’ve drooled all over myself in my sleep. Ethan looks completely perfect as usual; messy hair and hooded sleepy eyes suit him—it’s so unfair. His plain navy Henley is crumpled from sleep and hitched up slightly, exposing the taught tanned V that leads down under his jeans. I have a hard time not staring at it, even though my mom is standing in the same room.
    “Okay guys, let's go find your car and then we can go for dinner. I spotted a nice looking restaurant while you two were snoozing.”
    “Excellent! I’m starving,” Ethan announces and picks me up, placing me on the floor so he can move to get off the bed.
    “What about you, Blair, honey? Are you hungry?” Mom asks.
    I am, but not in the way she means and I’m pretty sure she