Page 79 of Promising You
“I still think you should be careful around them.”
“Let’s just agree not to talk about Garret or his family again, okay?” I stand up, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. “And you need to stop trying to protect me. I can take care of myself.”
“So are we still friends?” He smiles and even though I’m still mad at him, that freaking dimple makes me soften up a bit.
“Yes, we’re still friends.”
We walk back to our dorms and go our separate ways. It was a good talk. At least I understand him a little better. But I’m worried about his obsession with Garret’s family and their company.
The Kensingtons, and people like them, do all they can to keep their dark secrets buried. I know Garret’s dad has at least one dark secret he wants to keep hidden because I witnessed it. I watched him kill Sinclair and cover it up. But I get the feeling he’s done other things he doesn’t want people to know about out.
If Carson keeps prying into the sins of the Kensington family, he’ll end up in trouble. Big trouble. He doesn’t realize this and I wish I could tell him. But I can’t. Besides, he wouldn’t believe me unless I told him what I know and what I’ve seen and I can’t do that. Those are secrets I’ll keep for the rest of my life.
* * *
When I see Garret later,I tell him about my conversation with Carson, but only parts of it. I leave out the part about Carson’s interest in Kensington Chemical. Garret doesn’t need to know that. It would just make him hate Carson even more.
“He’s trying to gain your trust, Jade,” Garret says. “That stuff about you reminding him of his sister is bullshit.”
“You don’t know that. And you should really be more respectful. The girl is dead.”
“Yes, and I’m sorry he lost his sister, but I’m not letting him use that to get my girlfriend.”
“I’m telling you. He doesn’t think of me that way. He’s dating Kerry Mitchell now. And he knows you’re my boyfriend. I remind him of that all the time.”
“Yeah, and he doesn’t care. You said yourself that Carson lied that day he told me you were going to show him around town. Why would he do that?”
“To make you jealous,” I say quietly. “Make you think I was cheating on you.”
“Yes. Exactly. That’s why you can’t trust that guy.”
It’s no use arguing with Garret. No matter what I say, his mind is made up. He doesn’t trust Carson and probably never will.
* * *
Several weeks passand things start to get back to normal. Carson stops making rude comments about Garret and doesn’t act interested in me at all, at least in a romantic sense. He’s dating Kerry and the two of them are together all the time. Harper gives me updates on them, not that I need to know, but from what she says it sounds like they really like each other.
Garret and I haven’t had a single argument since Carson backed off. And we haven’t gone to any parties. Instead, we’ve been going to Sean’s place with Harper. The four of us get along great. Sean and Garret are becoming really good friends. Garret’s even starting to hang out with Sean’s friends, none of whom are rich. I like that he’s finally hanging out with regular guys instead of the elitist jerks his dad forced him to be friends with in the past.
I haven’t been back to Garret’s house since witnessing the fight between Katherine and his dad. Apparently, Katherine’s living in a different section of the estate now, somewhere on the first floor. That place is so big I haven’t even seen all of the rooms.
I feel bad that I haven’t been over to see Lilly, but I’ve talked to her on the phone a few times. She says she has all these pictures she made for me and that I have to come pick them up so I can hang them on my walls at school. She doesn’t sound as happy as she used to. Garret’s been home a couple times to see her and said she keeps asking if I’ll come over, but I don’t think I should. Doing so would just cause Katherine and Garret’s dad to fight even more.
It’s now almost the middle of February and for the past week, Garret’s been dropping hints about Valentine’s Day. The hints are not helpful at all. I’m starting to think they’re just meant to confuse me. When I try to guess what we’re doing, he won’t tell me anything. All this secrecy is making me nervous. I hope he isn’t planning something huge, like a proposal, because I am not at all ready for that. I think he knows that, but still, I worry about it after the ring discussion we had on our New Year’s trip.
Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday this year. Today is the Friday before, and I still have no clue what Garret has planned.
After my last class of the day I go back to my room and find a dozen red roses sitting in a vase on my desk. A light fluttery feeling tickles my insides and I catch myself smiling in the mirror.It’s just flowers, Jade. Don’t get all girly.I tell myself that, but I’m still smiling like an idiot because I’ve never received flowers before.
I smell each rose, then open the little card sitting next to the vase.“Happy Valentine’s Day. I’m making the day into a weekend. Pack a bag. We’re leaving at 4. Garret”
CHAPTERTWENTY
Garret’s noteimplies we’re going out of town, but I have no ideawherewe’re going which means I have no idea what to pack. I grab my suitcase from the closet and start to put the basics in; underwear, socks, pajamas. Seeing everything laid out in my bag, it all looks wrong. This is Valentine’s Day. I can’t bring my boring pajamas and everyday underwear. I toss them back in my drawer and find the lingerie Garret gave me on New Year’s Eve. Then I pull out my sexiest panties and start picking out bras.
“You ready yet?” Garret is standing there, leaning against the door frame. I didn’t even hear him open the door. I probably forgot to close it after I saw the flowers.
“How long have you been standing there?” I ask, bras dangling from my hand.
