Promised (The Promised Series)

happened in the library today. To Dani’s credit, she stayed quiet through my retelling. I could tell by her face that it was hard on her. She’s always been the one to tell me how it is and I knew she was itching to lay some truth on me.
    “Necklaces, first kisses, blow-ups. Darn it! You’ve so been holding out on me. Where do I even start with this one?” She stands up and starts pacing in the small living room/kitchen area of her travel trailer.
    “I didn’t want to drag you into my problems any more than I already had.” I explain, waiting on the advice I know my friend is preparing to lay on me. At least I’m hoping she is; I need some good advice.
    “Do you want me to be honest with you or take it easy on you?” She asks as she stops pacing to look me square in the eye.
    “Honest.” I answer, taking a deep breath, preparing for what she’ll tell me.
    “On one hand, I think you were selfish.”
    “I…” I start.
    She holds up her hand to stop me. “Let me finish. You were selfish. You knew you couldn’t offer Linc more than a few months, yet you still let him get his hopes up that you could be more. The gift, the dates, the kissing and declarations of love. What were you thinking?” Apparently that’s a rhetorical question because she holds her hand up to stop me from answering. “Then, on the other hand, I know what you were thinking. You found your first love, maybe even your only real love. Because you and I both know you’ll never be able to be the real you with a gypsy boy. They won’t understand all that is you, but Linc does. And how can you turn from that, even when you know you’re going to be engaged to Shay.”
    “What do I do?”
    “I think the right question would be, is Linc worth you leaving your whole family behind? You have to choose, Wyn. And I know you gave him an answer in that library, but you need to take your time and really think about what you want before you give your real answer.” She sits back down beside me and takes my hand in hers. “I don’t want to lose you, but I also don’t want you to be unhappy the rest of your life. Take some time. Spend some time with Shay. Maybe you’ll find out that you care for him too. If not, I think you’ll have your real answer.”
    “If I can’t care for him, what will I do? Where will I go?” I ask, scared of what my future might hold if I choose to turn from my family.
    “You’re the smartest person I know. So I have faith that if that’s the route you choose to take, you’ll figure something out.” She gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and then releases it.
    The trailer door opens right then, causing me to jump because I’ve been so caught up in our conversation that I didn’t hear a vehicle pull up. Adam and Shay walk in, taking in Dani’s and my faces, then the cupcakes on the counters. “What’s wrong?” Adam asks, looking back at us.
    Darn it!
    If there was ever a time I wished Adam didn’t know me so well, now would be it. I look at Shay as I answer. “I had a bad day at school. Failed a test, so Dani’s trying to cheer me up.” The boys stare at me for five full heart beats. They know I’m lying. I’ve never failed a test, but thankfully, Adam doesn’t push me for the truth. And by Shay’s face, I think he has an idea of what’s really wrong.
    “So…are you guys ready for our double date?” Dani asks as she changes the subject.
    “I think the better question would be, are you two ready?” Adam asks, helping Dani to her feet so he can give her a kiss.
    “Yeah, I only need to slip on some shoes. Then we can go.” She returns his kiss and moves to pick out a pair of high heeled boots. She may be pregnant, but she refuses to sacrifice her fashion sense. Swollen feet, be damned.
    Standing up and grabbing my coat and purse. “I’m going to wait outside. Shay, you want to join me?”
    He nods his head and follows me out the door.
    I set my purse on the hood of his truck as I button up my coat. I know he’s standing behind me, waiting for the truth about what happened today. As much as I hate it, Dani’s right. I need to give Shay a chance if I’m going to make the right choice, so I need to be honest with him. Well, mostly honest with him. He doesn’t need to know everything that’s been going on with Linc and me. And he definitely isn’t getting Linc’s name from me.
    “What happened?” He asks my back. He’s so close that I can feel the heat coming off his body.
    “I