Free For Her (Broken Promises #2) by M Dauphin

I’ll just have to work ten times harder to make her accept that I’m not going anywhere.
    “I know, Al. Don’t think this move is going to keep me away, though. You’re not getting rid of me that easy.” I bring her hands to my lips, something I probably shouldn’t do, but I see her relax as soon as my lips touch her skin. I smile to myself, knowing that in some way she’s completely okay with this.
    Whatever this is.
    Making it to her parents’ house around lunch time, I spend time helping to get her settled into her room, her parents offer to have me stay for dinner before heading back. We spend the day sitting around the house, talking about Alexis as a child and learning things about her she’s never let on to with us. Like the fact that she sucked her thumb until she was in third grade or the fact that she threw up all over her kindergarten teacher the first day of school. I was also informed that no matter what she’s tried telling us in the past, her High School years were anything but innocent. Getting caught on the roof of the gym the night before graduation, drunk off her ass with the rest of the soccer team, makes me wonder just how much of this life she left behind to start over in LA and how much else she’s kept from us. Not saying it upset me, it’s actually nice to spend time with her family. Hell, up until a year ago I didn’t even think she had any family. When they came to visit for the first time that I can remember, they were kind and polite, but she seemed almost like she didn’t want them there. Now I see it as her wanting to keep her two lives separate, I completely respect that. I don’t tend to talk much about my upbringing for multiple reasons.
    By the time the sun starts to set, Al’s parents have settled into the living room and she’s sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me to come out of the bathroom. We had dinner, we laughed and talked about the past, but not once have we talked about what the future holds. Opening the bathroom door, I pause and watch her. She’s staring at her leg, moving her hand over her knee, gently feeling where her leg now ends. She brought home a prosthetic to use until her custom one comes in, but she refuses to use it unless she absolutely has to because the wound is still healing and she doesn’t like the pain it causes. She doesn’t talk much about it, but I know she’s hurting from all the change she’s had to go through recently. She sighs heavily, her hand resting on her knee, I clear my throat before I start to tear up from hurting for her. I hate that she isn’t talking about it to anyone. I hate that she’s holding this shit in. I hate that I can’t help her more than I’m trying to.
    “Hey,” I say, walking up to her and resting my hand on her shoulder, needing to touch her somehow. “I’ve got to get heading back. Gabe’s taking a couple days off and I’ve gotta run the bar.” I see the way she looks at me, like I’ve just killed her hope she had of me being here for her, but I stomp it down quickly. “I’ll see you in three days, Al. I think you can live without me for that long.” Grinning, I wink and help her up. “Come on, walk me to the car.”
    She sighs and grabs her crutches, slowly following me to the door after I tell her parents goodbye. It might be rude of me making her get up and move this much, but she needs to keep moving. She needs to get used to her new way of life if she’s ever going to be comfortable enough to move back to LA again.
    “Thanks for everything, Brayd-” she starts as soon as the door clicks behind her and we’re alone on the porch, but I don’t let her finish. I slam my lips to hers, pushing back the feeling that this is a goodbye kiss, and hold her hip with my hand, gently pulling back, resting my forehead on hers while she sighs.
    “God, Braydon.” She sighs again and shakes her head, bringing her hand to rest on my arm. That one touch tells me everything I need to