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

know.
    “I feel it too, Al. I don’t know what the hell to do about it, either, other than be with you and help you get back to normal any way I can.”
    “I’d tell you that it’s not needed and that I’ll be fine, but I know you’ll just yell at me for it.” She grins and shrugs. “So I guess I’ll just say… thanks. For everything.” She takes a deep breath and I see the nerves rolling through her.
    “It’s not wrong, Al. Whatever this is.”
    “I know. I just… it’s so soon, Bray,” she whispers then looks back at the door. “I should probably get inside.” She smiles and nods gently at me, I take that as an invitation to get on the road. After a small hug, I get in the car and drive away, watching her in the rearview mirror until I can’t see her anymore. Until I’m so far away that all I see are the bushes in front of her parent’s house.
    Driving away from the one thing that makes me happy anymore. Back to a life of women, music, and alcohol. Walking into my building feels surreal. I haven’t slept here since the accident. I’ve been in once to get clothes, but I went as fast as humanly possible so I didn’t think about the empty apartment below me.
    This time, though… this time I don’t speed past it. I make it a point to stop on his floor. To look at his door. Then, because I’m a glutton for punishment, I take the extra key he gave me when I moved in and open the door.
    Just walk in. It’s not going to change anything. Just walk in the fucking apartment, chicken shit.
    I can’t, though. With the door swung open, I see the darkness… I see the light that was left on shining from their bedroom… but I can’t walk in. Goddamnit.
    Why can’t I just go inside?
    I’m not sure how long I stand there, but when I hear my phone ding I’m brought out of my trance. Sighing, slamming the door and locking it, I pull my cell out of my pocket while marching up the stairs to my place, two at time, unable to get away from his door fast enough.
    AL : Did you make it home safe?
    I smile to myself as I reply.
    ME : Home and locked in safely. Goodnight, Al.
    I turn off my phone before seeing if she sends a reply. I can’t think about her right now. I’m home. I have a stack of mail and emails out the ass waiting for me. It’s ten at night, all I want to do is sleep.
    Who am I kidding? All I really want to do is turn the phone back on and see if she texted back. Better yet, see if she’d answer if I called. I’ve heard her voice so much lately that the quiet drone of my ice maker buzzing in my ears is depressing. Is this how I really live? Alone, in an apartment building with no other tenants, because my best friend thought it’d be cool to own the entire thing? Fuck, when did things become so cloudy?
    I need sleep. I need to go to sleep, get up in the morning, hit the gym then head to the bar.
    That all sounds like a great plan.
    But here I lay. Three in the fucking morning, wide awake, because I can’t stop worrying if she’s ok. I can’t stop worrying if the bar’s going under. I don’t want to check my email, because I don’t want to see the slew of angry emails from my band-mates. I’d rather just sleep, but I can’t even do that.
    So I don’t.
    Rolling my sorry ass out of bed, I’m downstairs and in front of Lane’s old door in no time flat. Seriously, I don’t really remember how I got here. It’s dark. It smells like him. That damn light in the bedroom is still on.
    And I still can’t go in.
    “Come on, fucker. Don’t be a pussy, just go the fuck inside,” I whisper to myself.
    Fuck. Why is this so hard?
    One foot in front of the other, I take the first steps into my best friend’s apartment that hasn’t been lived in since that tragic night. Taking a breath, I close my eyes and breathe in the comforting scent that’s always seemed to rest in the air here. My place is just one story up, but it’s never smelled or felt this comforting. This… this is home. This feels