Page 5 of False Promises

Did my best friend bear a crush on my brother all this time?

Was this a nightmare, or was I fully awake and watching my life—and my heart—shatter at a slow speed without being able to prevent the impact?

“So?” Jeff asked, balancing on his heels, waiting for Dahlia to answer.

She inched closer to him and looped her arms around his neck, and he picked her up as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if they had rehearsed this dance a million times before.

My head spun.

My mouth went dry.

Every drop of blood in my veins transformed into ice.

We were all in the same room, but for some reason, I felt like I was watching a movie I wasn’t part of. As if my life was unfolding on a screen and I had no right to interfere.

Their chatter sounded miles away, and I blocked everyone out.

My eyes stayed on Dahlia and Jeff, but I couldn’t see them.

I averted my gaze, locking it in the distance. No, I couldn’t deal with this right now.

Was this how being heartbroken felt like? Because it was the worst feeling in the world. If I could unfreeze, I would hurry away, hiding my humiliation far from the two people I loved the most in this world. The ones who clearly didn’t need me right now.

Many questions swirled in my mind, and their fast pace got me dizzy.

How long had Jeff and Dahlia been infatuated with each other? Were they in love?

Had they been playing me all this time when we were together, the three of us?

Nothing made sense anymore.

My hands got clammy, and the gears in my head turned fast, reaching a vertiginous speed.

My heart lurched in my throat.

I was going to be sick. Or I was going to curl up and bawl my eyes out. I needed to escape. But my body refused to move, glued to the spot. Even the air reaching my lungs hurt on its way in.

My fingers clamped the countertop, wishing the room would stop spinning too. And that I could breathe on my own.

“Carter, set the table,” Mom said, the tone and her words hitting me like she’d slapped me. “Dinner will be ready in five minutes.” She turned to look at Jeff and Dahlia, sparks waltzing in her eyes. “You two make me so proud. I can’t wait to see you all dressed up.” She kissed Jeff’s cheek before hugging my best friend. “You’ll make my boy happy, Dahlia,” she whispered in her ear. “I just know it.”

My heart plummeted to my feet, breaking the chains of the rib cavity.

Even my own mother was against me on this one.

Always and forever Jeff.

Whatever he did, he could get away with. No matter if it hurt me in the process.

Mom didn’t care at all about my feelings. Once again, she acted as if my heartbreak wasn’t important. Like I didn’t matter.

No Carter, you’ll be okay. Or I know it hurts right now, but time will make things better. Or I know how you feel, but believe me, your heart will heal. Give it some time.

Nothing. Just Carter, set the table.

I waited, hoping sanity would hit her and she would hug me, trying to make me feel better. To infuse me with the motherly love I longed for at this moment. Instead, she returned to the sauce simmering on the stove.

The two women in my life, the ones I thought loved me, had turned their backs on me tonight.