Page 40 of Promise Me Never

“Quite a night, huh? I can’t believe how well it went.”

“Yeah,” he said, his tone clipped.

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on, Bennett. I can see you’re upset. What’s up?”

“Well. Your speech. You could have thought to thank your husband. After all, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have even had a show. And what’s with her introducing you as Poppy Morningside? You’re a Cromwell now.”

I exploded. “You can’t let me forget it for a minute, can you? I never asked you to do it. In fact, I told you I didn’t want you to. But you insisted. And guess what? It was my art that sold. Are you so egotistical that you can’t even let me have one night that’s just for me?”

His mouth dropped open. It was the first time I’d ever yelled at him. Our first real fight actually. I stared at him, watching a series of emotions play out on his face like a slide show. He looked at me with apology in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t know what got into me.” He shook his head. “Watching the way all those people were admiring you…it made me suddenly insecure. Afraid of losing you.”

I looked at him in confusion. “Why would you think that? It’s insulting. As though I’m only with you because I haven’t made it yet.”

“That’s not what I mean at all.” He stood and tried to pull me into an embrace, but I pushed him away.

“No. I’m not melting in your arms this time. We need to discuss this.”

“I’ve lost a lot of people that I love. It has nothing to do with you. Something I need to work on. I just lost my head. I’m so proud of you and you deserve all the accolades for tonight. Please forgive me for being an ass.”

“I do, but—”

“There’s the star of the night,” Isabel called out as she came in through the French doors. “Brad sends his love.”

“Come join us,” Bennett said.

And that put an end to the conversation.

| Thirty-Six |

Savannah

Savannah went back to her reading, trying to dismiss the feeling she was being stared at. She glanced up again, but Henri seemed to have lost interest in her and was waiting on another customer. She must have imagined it. An hour later, she began to make notes in a separate Word document on what the next several chapters could be. Bennett’s comments replayed in her head, and she began to doubt herself. Maybe it was trite. This kick-ass woman who could shoot and fight. She could revisit that later, but she needed to keep working.

She had a new idea for the next chapter and began to type, delighted her fingers were moving across the keyboard. She continued, not even stopping to take a sip of her coffee, afraid to break the spell. When she finished and checked her word count, she saw she’d written twelve hundred words. She sat back in her chair, exhilarated, and took a sip of her now-cold coffee. There was no other feeling like this. She glowed with a sense of accomplishment. This was what it felt like to be immersed in the story you were writing. She felt in her bones that this would be the book to finally land her a contract. She glanced up at the wall and gasped. Seven o’clock. Shit. She had wanted to be home an hour ago. She hurriedly gathered up her things and ran out the door. It was pouring! She hadn’t thought to bring an umbrella. She tucked her laptop under her coat and ran the block to where her car was parked. She was soaked. Great. Now she’d look like a drowned rat when she walked in the door. She started the car and called Bennett.

“Hey, babe. Where are you?”

“On my way home from Mast. I started writing and lost track of time. I’m sorry. I meant to be home in time for dinner. Felicia said she was making a roast. It’s probably been done for a while now.”

“It’s fine. She put it in the oven on warm. It’ll hold. But I don’t like the idea of you driving in this rain. Why do you have to go there to write? There’s plenty of places for you to work in the house until your office is ready.”

“Sometimes I just need to get out of the house. And Felicia’s around so much—”

“Felicia has nothing to do with it. Just humor me, okay? No more coffee shop.”

“We’ll talk about it when I get home,” she said, and disconnected. Why was he making such a big deal? She was ten minutes away, it wasn’t like she was driving for hours.

Bennett looked up as she entered the kitchen.

“Ugh. Stupid rain,” she said, walking over to kiss him.

When she pulled back, he stared at her, then pushed a wet strand of hair from her forehead.