Free Empty Promises (The Promises Series Book 3) by Elle Brooks

ton of bobby pins and enough hairspray to be labeled the sole instigator in the problem with the ozone layer. Blair walks ahead of me in her green, fifties-style prom dress as we make our way through the house. It’s only seconds before we’re bombarded by camera flashes.
    “You two look beautiful,” Dad tells us, peeking up from behind his camera lens.
    “Thanks, Bill,” Blair grins before he lunges into the obligatory curfew and ‘stay safe, don't drink and drive, be careful’ talk. We’re finally allowed out of the door after my Mom gushes over how pretty we look and poses between us for a few more shots.
     

     
    We arrive at the school gym, which has been decorated in mounds of silver and white sparkly tinsel; it’s like Christmas threw up a few months early. Fake snow has been laid out, and snowflake decorations cover every available surface in sight. I’m feeling a little lightheaded, and I’m really hoping it’s just the excitement and rushing about we’ve been doing. I grab Blair’s hand and head straight to the dance floor. I love to dance; it’s so freeing. Blair’s not big on it, although she has great rhythm. I think she just lacks the confidence to let herself go completely and let the music take over.
    We dance for at least six songs, but I can feel myself dizzying. I stop and stumble as Blair reaches for my arm. “Shit, are you okay?” she asks.
    “Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to sit down, I think. I’m a little dizzy.”
    She immediately links her arm through mine and guides me to one of the bench seats that line the perimeter of the room. We sit down, watching the crowd as I concentrate on taking deep calming breaths. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale … Don’t do this, I plead with my body. Don’t fail me yet.
    “You feel better now?”
    “Yeah, a little bit. I guess I just overdid it,” I answer as I look up and notice Ethan Jamison walking towards the halls. Okay, this is it.
    “You know what, Blair? I’m gonna make a move. He can only say no, right?”
    Her smile is huge as she nods in agreement. “Definitely!”
    It’s all the encouragement I need. I stand and smooth my dress down, ready to go and make my play on the guy that I’ve fantasized about for so long now. Even if things do go well, how could they ever match what I’ve built up in my head? I give the thought all of two seconds before shaking it off and decide that I need to find out.
    I don’t know what’s going on.
    I’m on the floor and Blair looks terrified. I can taste the metallic tang of blood on my lips and raise my hand to my face before realizing that my nose is gushing with blood.
    “Em, Jesus … Are you okay? Your body just went limp and before I could catch you, you’d collapsed on the floor in front of me,” she says in one long shuddering breath.
    I want to reply, but I’m choking on the blood that’s now filling the back of my throat.
     

     
    It was one of the teachers who called the ambulance that has transported us to the hospital. This whole night feels like a blur. One minute I’m on a manhunt for Ethan, and the next thing I know, I’m sitting in the Teenage Cancer Unit common room with Blair, hooked up to an IV of platelets. I look like I’m being drip fed a giant Capri sun. I look around the room for a moment; we’re dressed in evening gowns and heels and look completely out of place.
    “This is not how this night was supposed to go. I’m so sorry for ruining the formal for you,” I tell her miserably. “I’m supposed to be getting felt up behind the gym right about now, not stuck in here with this.” I grab my IV stand and rattle it for effect.
    “I’d be happy to feel you up?” A deep voice echoes through the quiet room from behind us and we both spin around, wide-eyed, to see who’s offering their groping services.
    My eyes land on a tall, tanned dude with buzzed brown hair and a lip ring through his plump bottom lip. It takes my brain a few seconds to register that