"Of course I’m upset! My boyfriend–" I raised my hand. "No. Make that my ex-boyfriend, thinks I’m a damn hooker!"
"Chloe, c'mon, don't say that. That's not the way I thought of it."
"Yeah, right," I said, taking a deep breath and wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "Now, promise me."
"To leave you alone?" His lips parted, and his eyes were glassy. "I can't."
"If you ever loved me," I said, "you can."
"Don’t ask me to," he said. "Beat me, yell at me, whatever, but don't make me do this. Please."
I made a scoffing sound. "Look," I said, "All the time I've known you, I've never asked you for one fucking thing. And I know damn well that other girls have. So now, this is it, the first thing I've ever asked, and you can't even say 'yes'."
"Baby—"
"Promise me. I mean it."
I needed a promise, because there was one thing I'd learned the hard way. The guy was impossible to resist, and I was too tired to try.
"And if I do promise you?" he said. "What then?"
I looked away. "I don't know."
His voice was ragged. "Are you saying there's a chance?"
"Yeah," I said. "Slim to none."
"I am so fucking sorry," he said.
"You already said that."
Just then, Chucky skidded around the corner, one of Lawton's socks dangling from his teeth.
For Chucky's sake, I tried to keep my voice calm. "C'mon Chucky, time to go."
Lawton's voice was just a whisper. "Don't go. Please?"
I gave him a deadpan look. "Where's my promise?"
"I can't."
"Alright, fine. Whatever. I guess it's all about you, huh? Heaven forbidyoudo anything you don't want to."
He was silent, and so was I. Chucky looked from me to Lawton and back again.
The seconds stretched, and then Lawton spoke as if the words were torn from his throat along with his heart. "Okay."
"Say it," I said.
"I promise."
I gave him a slow nod, and turned toward the door.
"Wait," he said.
I turned around.
"I'm not giving up," he said.
