Swear (Landry Family 4)

“Ford, please,” I stutter, trying to figure out a way to stop this before he disappears. “This isn’t necessary.”

“I’m not just going to walk away from you again that easily.” He lets his gaze linger on me for a moment longer than necessary. Then he looks behind me. “Nice to meet you, Violet.”

The sunlight seems to swallow him as he jogs across the street, his suit jacket trailing behind him.

Ellie

MY FEET ARE FROZEN IN place as I stare at the spot he just occupied. I can still feel Ford in the room, smell his cologne, sense his energy. Violet comes up behind me and presses the door shut, the sound barely registering in my daze.

I’m stunned. Downright, absolutely dumbfounded.

“You know he’s totally coming back, right?” Violet laughs, shaking me out of my reverie.

Words don’t come. There aren’t enough syllables in the English language to string together a coherent summary of my thoughts.

“And if you hadn’t been so hateful, you could’ve been coming right now too,” she adds.

“Really, Violet?” I sigh.

“Yeah, really. He looked at you like he wanted to eat you!”

As I make my way into the back room and towards the mini-fridge with the small bottles of cheap wine, she just keeps talking.

“And you can’t pull that ‘I’m so not interested in this hot guy’ act again because that was no run-of-the-mill hot guy!” She wedges herself between me and the fridge. “Don’t even tell me he doesn’t check off every single one your silly little boxes.”

“What boxes are those?” I tap my chin in faux-thought. “The ones with all the characteristics of a man I actually want? Yeah, no,” I say, rolling my eyes. “He doesn’t.”

“What could he possibly be lacking? And don’t tell me if he has a small dick because that would just ruin so many dreams I just had.”

Glaring at her, I move her out of my way and extract a bottle of vino. “He’s handsome. I’ll give you that. He’s intelligent, or he was when I knew him, anyway. He’s sexy as hell and he’s good with his tongue.” I open the bottle and grin salaciously. “I’ll let you consider in how many ways.”

“Oh, God,” she almost moans.

“He most likely has a good work ethic and definitely has a good family name. The Landry’s are definitely good people.” I begin to tip back a drink but stop. “And his cock is huge.”

Violet falls dramatically onto the pink couch in the corner, one hand falling across her forehead.

The wine goes down effortlessly, the alcohol no match for my amped up state. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand.

“There’s no shame in your game,” Violet says with a touch of disgust on her face. “I feel like I should join you, but I have a suspicion you aren’t celebrating.”

“What would I be celebrating, Vi?”

“Call me crazy, but if any female I know, other than you was asked out to dinner by a man looking half that good, they’d be celebrating.”

“Most women have no idea the destruction a man looking half that good can cause.”

The look I give her works. She frowns, holding up her hands as if she’s surrendering.

I’m grateful that the ribbing stops. My head is going too many directions and her jabs just keep spinning me around. Flopping down next to her, I take a deep breath, glad I no longer smell eau de Landry.

“This is not what I had planned for today,” I say on a sigh. “Or ever for that matter.”

“How long has it been since you saw him?”

“Almost ten years.”

“Wow.”