Free Promises (Book One of The Syrenka Series) by Amber Garr Page B

didn’t cry, didn’t get angry; he just seemed to be
moving like a robot. Our friends stayed out of the way, providing
only passing glances that showed how sad they were for
Kain.
    He held my hand the entire flight from
Key West to Miami, and when we had to part ways in the airport, he
kissed my forehead and thanked me for being there with him. Tears
rolled down my cheecks as he walked through the corridor towards
his own connecting flight, never once showing any sign of emotion
on his face. I was worried about him, but knew that his family
would meet him in Boston. We would also see each other again in
another week or so when they held a memorial service in California
for all of the clans.
    I felt numb and overwhelmed which made
my nearly five hour flight home seem too short. Not once did I
think about crashing and burning. Instead, my eyes would well up
each time I remembered Kain singing to me just a few days before.
Both of my parents picked me up at the airport and the ride to our
house was silent and tense. I didn’t want to talk about anything so
their multitude of questions went unanswered. Eventually, they
realized that they weren’t going to get anywhere and gave me a
reprieve for the rest of the afternoon. I refused dinner, even when
they sent my sister in to coax me downstairs. Tomorrow would be a
better day, so locking myself in a room for a few more hours
sounded like a good plan.
    In the middle of the night, my phone
began to vibrate under my pillow. Sleepily, I tried to make my
fingers move to read the message. It was Brendan. I hadn’t even
called him since I got back and I scolded myself for being so
inconsiderate.
    You up? He asked. Deciding that I needed to hear his
voice, I called instead of texting him back. He answered right
away.
    “ Evs, I miss you,” he
greeted me and I immediately began to cry. “Hey, what’s
wrong?”
    We talked for over an hour. I first
explained Harlan’s passing and the events of the last twenty-four
hours, and soon the sharing eased the pain in my heart so I was
able to tell him about the fun stuff that happened as well, like
the reef trip and the dancing competition. Hearing his voice was
the biggest comfort for me and no one else in the world could
provide that serenity.
    Towards the end of the conversation he
sighed and asked, “Can we meet tomorrow?”
    “ Of course. I don’t know
what I will have to do here, but I’m sure that I can escape for a
while.”
    He laughed at that and replied, “I
know that you can.” I smiled. “Why don’t you come to my place in
the afternoon? I’ll pick you up around three.”
    “ Sounds good,” I murmured
and realized that sleep was quickly devouring me. My heart was at
peace for a while and my body relaxed. With the phone still in my
hand, I fell into a dreamless slumber.
    It was late morning before I pulled
myself out of bed and into the shower. Dressed and descending down
the stairs, I could hear my parents on the phone, each talking
briskly and making a variety of plans. When my mother saw me, she
told the person on the other end to hold on and walked over to give
me a giant hug. No words, just physical contact, but it was enough
for me to know that she was grieving too.
    I poured myself some cereal and forced
the food down. Clinking my spoon against the edge of the bowl, I
stared out the window. Today I was still feeling sad, but it was
for Kain and his family. Harlan was a good man who wanted only the
best for his son. I thought about his visit to our room before the
ball and about how truly pleased he was to have me as his
daughter-in-law. My stomach twisted in guilty knots again so I
pushed the bowl away from me before the smell of milk made me too
nauseous.
    “ Not hungry?” my father
asked pulling out a chair next to me.
    “ No.” My mother sat down on
the opposite side across from my father; flanking me with parental
concern.
    “ You should eat. You’re
going to need to keep your strength up,” she