The Promise, page 1
The Promise
Tessa Vidal
Lovebird Press
Copyright © 2022 by Tessa Vidal
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is aa work of fiction and any similarities to actual people or settings is a coincidence.
For my Chosen Family
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
About the Author
Prologue
Carly- Twenty Years Ago
“Are you scared? You know, enlisting in the marines?” Ashley asked, tightening her grip on my hand as we strolled around Lake Johnson. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face her, our eyes locking.
“What do you think?” I sighed, then she pulled me into her chest and kissed the tip of my nose. “I’m not scared of joining the service, Ashley. Losing you forever is my deepest fear.”
Ashley’s soft curves trembled, and I felt her heart beating against mine as our hug deepened.
Ashley had been my first at just about everything. For the last two years of high school we’d been inseparable, unable to be apart for any stretch of time. The thin, gorgeous eighteen-year-old had stolen my heart at the beginning of our junior year, and the night we graduated we’d skipped the parties and headed to her family’s beach house on the outer banks. There we shared our true feelings for the first time, both with words and our bodies.
“I love you so much, Carly.” Ashley’s velvety voice trembled, and her grip on me grew stronger. “How am I going to survive without you?”
A tear slid down my cheek, because the same fear filled me with an ache I’d never experienced before. I felt Ashley’s fingers on the back of my neck, and seconds later, she was staring into my eyes again.
“Let’s run away.” I whispered, the sound of frogs and cicadas nearly drowning out my voice.
The pressure behind my eyes burned, because I wanted nothing more than to be by her side, always. Her thumb swiped at the tears now flowing down my cheeks. Ashley’s full lips inched closer to my mouth, and seconds later her lips crashed against mine, taking my breath away. Searing heat surged through me, and my legs trembled as I tried to maintain my balance. My friends had all complained about having sex with their boyfriends, how all the hype around their first time had only led to disappointment and guilt.
Making love to Ashley was different, and not just because we were both girls. We’d been each other’s first, and the emotional and physical bond between us had only deepened with every encounter. The feel of her silky skin was intoxicating, and combined with the love I felt, I couldn’t imagine ever being with another woman.
There had been many sleepless nights where I lay awake, wondering what it would be like to live with Ashley, and to wake up in her arms every morning. She was my everything.
“Please,” I moaned, breaking the kiss, “you know I want to be with you, more than anything else in the world.”
“Then let’s do it. Between our savings and graduation gifts we can afford to strike out on our own.” Ashley’s voice cracked. I placed my hands against her shoulders and gently pushed her away.
“You know we can’t do that.” I sniffed, then backed out of her arms and began pacing, hugging myself. “Not that I don’t want to, but…”
“I can still go to college.” Ashley interrupted. “We couldn’t afford Harvard medical school, but we…”
“I have to join the service. And as much as I care for you, Ashley, being a surgeon has been your lifelong dream. Graduating from Harvard would open up almost any door for you.” Without thinking, I placed a lock of my chestnut hair in my mouth, a habit I’d broken in elementary school.
Ashley abruptly turned away and stalked a few feet ahead. That was when I noticed her shoulders shaking, and my resolve threatened to break. As much as she wanted to be a doctor, how could I let go of this love so soon? I sighed, then picked up a stone from the path and skimmed it across the water.
“Damn it,” I whispered. “Why do we have to choose?”
“I’m sorry,” Ashley murmured. “I shouldn’t be pressuring you like this. You’re heading to San Diego for basic training in three days, and I’m off to Florida tomorrow. You have your whole life ahead of you, and so do I.” She sighed, then wrapped her arm around my waist and we both stared across the lake. I could hear honking in the distance, and moments later a flock of geese descended. They’d always frightened me, especially when they defended their nests. But that fear didn’t even come close to the terror I felt now at losing Ashley.
“Does it really have to end?” Ashley murmured. “Can’t we…”
“I don’t want it to, Ashley. But my parents want me to serve four years in the marines, and then Dad wants me to join the family business. You know, that’s where my parents met, in the service. Shit.” I muttered, stepping away and kicking a stone into the water, provoking a flutter of wings from the geese now swimming a few feet away.
“And I’ll be in med school. Never-ending school.” Ashley sighed, both of us dreading our new lives, yet excited to start it. “We can’t… we just can’t make it, not with all these obstacles in front of us. Long distance relationships always fail.”
I strolled over to where Ashley stood, and placed my hands on her forearms. “You are my first love, Ashley, and no one will ever take that away from me.”
Her blue eyes were wet, and she glanced up to the darkening sky, and gulped. “Let’s make a promise.”
My breath hitched, and I nodded for her to continue.
“Both of us have a bunch of things happening to us over the next few years, so yeah, a long-distance relationship isn’t going to…” Ashley turned her head and swiped at her eyes, then met my gaze again. “In ten years' time, if we both are still single, let’s meet at our high school reunion and maybe we can…”
“Pick up from where we’re leaving it now?” I whispered, a flicker of hope radiating throughout my chest. Then, it dawned on me that the likelihood of that happening was close to zero.
Ashley nodded, her face softening while her cheeks burned red. It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, and I’d do anything in the world to see Ashley’s teeth split into a smile.
“I promise you, Ashley, in ten years we will be together, though I don’t know how I’m going to wait so long.”
“This isn’t over, Carly, and it never will be. I promise you will always have my heart, and if I have to wait until…”
“Stop.” I reached up and laid a finger across her full lips. “I can’t bear this anymore.” A sob threatened, and I didn’t want to make our goodbye more painful than it was.
“I love you, Carly.” Ashley kissed the tip of my finger, then brushed her lips across mine.
“Oh Ashley, I love you too.” I whispered, then we both turned toward the lake and watched the water turn orange from the setting sun. “Don’t you ever forget that.”
Chapter One
Ashley
“Are you excited to meet your new colleagues?” The woman from human resources asked in the cramped and nearly airless elevator. Her demeanor was cool and professional. It was packed, the doors opening on every floor, letting people in and out. A gurney took up half the space, forcing the two of us against the rear wall.
I knew I should answer quickly, laced with my best sincere smile. But the ball of anxiety spinning in my gut made that difficult to do. It was my first day of work at the UNC Rex Hospital in the ER. I’d moved home to Raleigh from Boston to make a fresh start in my hometown. It was comforting to see familiar places, but starting a new job was stressful, especially after being gone for so long. Twenty years in Boston, the last four spent nursing at Tufts Medical Center. Finally, my lips stretched across my face in a semblance of a smile, and I managed a small nod.
“Well, the staff are looking forward to meeting you, and they will put you to work right away. The emergency room is always hopping. Never a dull moment.” A phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, raised an eyebrow, and scowled.
“I thought I’d have time to show you around the floor, but an emergency of my own has come up.” She said, and I must have made a face. “Don’t worry, I won’t leave you stranded. I have someone who will work with you for the next two weeks to make sure you learn the correct procedures.” Her eyes never connected with mine, and the ball of anxiety bounced up to my rib cage.
Human resources was on the fourteenth floor, so by the time the elevator doors slid open on the first, I was ready to race out of the cramped space. I’d never been claustrophobic before, but my nerves were on edge. It felt like day one of school again, not knowing anyone or anything. I glanced at the woman’s name tag. LaTrice Wiggins. I knew the woman meant well, but her stiff demeanor left something to be desired. Oh, and her perfume was a powdery rose that overwhelm
It took every ounce of self-control not to run out of the elevator and straight through the sliding doors on the other side of the ER. I waited for LaTrice to exit first, and when I stepped on to the floor I was amazed at the calm. This was a gigantic hospital, and I expected it to be a madhouse from the get go. Instead, the staff patiently went about their business. A few of them were standing together, obviously gossiping, but when they saw LaTrice, they parted in a hurry. Apparently, she was someone they didn’t want to cross.
“Ashley?” LaTrice’s grin was gone, and she was glaring at her watch.
“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” My cheeks burned, caught not paying attention.
“That’s okay, but I need to be on the ninth floor immediately. Come with me.” She hurried toward the nurses’ station in the middle of the ward.
“Nancy, where’s Mark?” She asked a nurse, an older woman with a neutral smile she assumed as soon as she noticed LaTrice heading her way.
“Mark’s at the pharmacy, but he should be back any minute. Would you like me to page him?” She said, picking up the phone.
“No, that won’t be necessary. Nancy, this is Ashley James. She’s moved here from Boston and today is her first day on staff. I have to leave Ashley here with you. Something has come up, or I’d stay with her myself. Mark is expecting her, so let him know Ashley is here as soon as he returns to the floor.” She turned without another word and jogged toward the elevator. Nancy’s mouth opened to reply, but LaTrice was already gone. Her eyebrow lifted, and she shook her head.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. They scheduled me for my break five minutes ago. If you don’t mind I’m going to let you sit in an empty office until Mark returns.” She reached under the counter and pulled out a thick binder, and handed it to me. It was a manual of procedures, and must have weighed ten pounds. “This way.” She led me down the hall and deposited me in a small gray room with a single window.
“I’m sorry, but you’ve arrived when it’s relatively calm. I need to take my break now, otherwise, well, you know what it’s like.” She shook her head, then shut the door behind her.
I sat at a plain metal desk. There were no pictures or decorations, only the familiar smell of disinfectant. I opened the manual, prepared to at least give it a cursory glance, but my thoughts wandered to why I was here in the first place.
“You’ve come full circle, home again.” I whispered, then turned in the chair and looked out the window. A mixture of medical students and staff were strolling up and down the sidewalk. A few in pairs, but most had their heads down, hurrying to their destinations. Since I was new, I had few responsibilities, and I envied them their sense of purpose. The most pressing thing on my to-do list was finding a reputable hairdresser, who hopefully could wax my legs, too. My strawberry-blonde hair was so thick, I had to have it thinned out every few months, or it grew into a towering mess of split ends.
I’d arrived in Raleigh less than a week ago, escaping the chill of another Boston winter, or that’s what I told myself. I’d spent twenty years up north, only coming home for sporadic visits to my Aunt Dotty. She’d graciously taken me in until I could find my own apartment. My parents had moved to Florida three years ago, so she was my only family here. Since I hadn’t maintained contact with anyone else in Raleigh, it felt like a fresh start.
I heard a thump outside the door and my knee jumped and hit the bottom of the desk. I flipped through the manual, keeping one eye on the door, hoping I appeared to be busy studying. Footsteps hurried away, and I sighed with relief, glad I wasn’t caught daydreaming.
“No more dating doctors. You are to come to the hospital and leave alone.” I spoke aloud, a faint echo filling the empty space.
I drummed my pink fingernails on the desk, impatient for this Mark person to put me to work. The longer I was alone, the more I could think of my humiliation. A few months ago I’d been jilted at the altar by Dr. Grayson Trainor, abandoned for a younger surgical intern. It was for the best, since oddly enough, I hadn’t missed him. On paper, he’d torn my heart to shreds. But what I didn’t tell anyone, was that instead of pain, I felt relief. Like missing an airplane at the last minute and discovering it had crashed into the ocean later that day. I thought I’d been in love with Grayson. He was supremely confident, and cocky, a top doctor in a crowded city teeming with ambitious doctors. In the rearview mirror though, he left me empty, devoid of passion. I’d only known true love once, but that was like a teenage dream, one you would wake up from, and despite closing your eyes over and over again, it’s lost forever.
I’d loved my job, and despite the chilly winter, Boston was an amazing place to live. What drove me away were the gossips. They were thrilled to whisper about it all over Tufts Medical. It was humiliating, and Grayson only gave me a curt apology, never minding the trauma he had put me through. The pediatric ward I truly loved went from being the perfect work environment to a nightmare overnight. After a month of sideways glances and whispered speculation, I turned in my notice.
“You just had to shit where you eat, didn’t you?” I reminded myself for the umpteenth time. This job would be different. Come to work, do my job, then go home. My heart was permanently encased in surgical steel, and if I had anything to say about it, it would stay that way.
The door burst open, and a man in scrubs stepped in, hands on hips and a broad smile plastered on his face.
“Hi! I’m Mark. You must be Ashley. Welcome to insanity.” His hands spoke as loudly as his words. He had flaming red hair and freckles sprinkled across his nose. Mark’s enthusiasm was infectious, and I returned his grin with a genuine one of my own.
“Nice to meet you, Mark.” I started to stand, but he gestured for me to stay seated.
“Sit, sit. It’s quiet on the floor, which scares me. Whenever we get a lull, something insane happens.” He sat across from me on the other side of the desk. “I was informed by her highness, LaTrice, that I am to be your mentor for the next two weeks. She’s someone to be avoided at all costs, if you know what’s best for you.” He winked.
“Well, she does have a certain, um…” I started, then he burst into laughter.
“Oh my gawd, that look on your face is priceless. You’re definitely going to fit in. Yes, a stick resides deep in her ass. Oh, and don’t ever get trapped in an elevator with her. That godawful perfume would gag a maggot.” He slapped his thigh and giggled, and moments later I giggled, too. Looked like my new job wouldn’t be as boring as I thought. Boston was a crazy city, so I thought little old Raleigh would be a snore fest.
“Before I show you around, tell me a little about yourself. You’d better do it now, because at the drop of a hat this place can turn into a madhouse. Where did you work last?” Mark’s bright blue eyes twinkled.
“I moved here from Boston. Worked at Tufts, in pediatrics.” My gut clenched again, but this time it was a pang of regret. Had I made the right choice moving to Raleigh? There were other hospitals in Boston where I could’ve moved on with my life without coworkers knowing about my humiliation.
“Strange, you don’t have an accent. I love Boston, oh and the beaches at Provincetown are beautiful, but I had the hardest time understanding anyone.” Mark opened the office door and peeked out, checking to see if the floor was doing okay. When he closed it, I answered.
“I’m actually from Raleigh, moved away twenty years ago. I guess that explains the lack of an accent. And yes, I used to go to the beach...” my mouth snapped shut while thoughts of long weekends with Grayson at his condo on Cape Cod flooded my mind. Status and luxury were my rewards for being with my ex, and though I missed that part, I certainly didn’t miss him. Until I got to know Mark better, I’d keep my history to myself.
