Promise Me No Promises Novels & Stories

No rush. Just the press of her fingers closing over his, holding the memory chip between them. A promise. A beginning.

I'd jumped up to give him a big hug, giggling in his ear: "Meeting you was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me." He'd hugged me back so tight I could barely breathe. "Meeting you was my blessing. I promise I'll make lots of money in the future and make you the happiest person alive!" Now I walked aimlessly through the snow, thinking how ridiculous those sweet memories and promises seemed. He had plenty of money now, but instead of keeping his promise, he'd transferred all that affection to his mistress.

Schmidt! I patted his shoulder and pushed myself out of his grip. Calmly, I handed him the document I'd prepared. "I don't trust you. Not unless you transfer all your assets to me." His eyes darted to mine, but I kept going. "I have no children—just you. But you? You've got a kid and another family waiting for you outside. How am I supposed to believe anything you say?" Neil stared at the agreement in silence, the seconds dragging out. Finally, his voice came hoarse and shaky. "Pulling that much money out of the company... it might not be appropriate."

“Kaden, didn’t you say you wanted to go home after the new year to get married? I can’t let a great employee like you leave. I’m counting on you to manage one of my branches someday. By then, you’ll laugh at the idea of just 10% shares! “Alright, back to work, everyone. Kaden has a bright future ahead. If I had a son-in-law like him, I’d be smiling in my sleep. You all should learn from him.” It was obvious to everyone that Jennifer was making empty promises, and we all treated it as a joke. After she left, we joked that Kaden was the future boss. Behind his back, we did not use his name anymore, just “little boss”. Kaden turned bright red but went along with it, almost like he really believ

"I was wrong, Rina. I lost my head just now. Does your face hurt?" He smacked his own forehead in frustration. "I'm sure you know Cece's pregnant and needs special attention. Anyone in my place would have been anxious. Don't be jealous. My heart and soul belong to you." I couldn't help but sneer inwardly. His promises felt as cheap and easy as air. "Let's get our marriage certificate next week and hold our wedding the day after," he continued, saying things that made me sick to my stomach. "I'm not a fan of the baby's breath necklace, but if you like it, you can wear it. Also, you said you wanted to go to Finholm for our honeymoon. I've already planned half of the trip!"

he comments. I followed him to the door as he talked. I was grateful that he wasn't going to push me to stay here longer. It felt weird to have anyone new in my space, and my last meeting with a boy in my room left me feeling awkward. "Just promise me one thing," he turns and looks at me. His eyebrows crease together with concern, and I hold my breath, hoping I can keep this promise. "You don't go looking for her without me. It's dangerous, and like I said, being empathic isn't my only gift, Nora. I know you know where she is," he says firmly.

Burying my face in my arm, I closed my eyes and let the tears fall. “Let me help. Let me do something…please…” I shook my head. “Lo único que puedes hacer por mí es dejarme ir.” [The only thing you can do for me is to let me go.] His hand froze on my back, and I could feel it clench slightly. “No sé si puedo prometer eso.” [I don’t know if I can promise that.] Smiling and chuckling this time, I lifted my head up and looked back at the dancers twirling to the music.“No cumples las promesas de todos modos.” [You don’t keep promises anyways.]

“It’s like a promise. I promise not to run away if you promise not to hurt me too.” Mizuko saw how the corner of the man’s mouth lift up. Suddenly he raised his hand mid-air and raised his pinky. It made her brows draw together. “Are you serious? A pinky promise is a kid’s thing.” “It’s how we seal a promise,” he replied. Mizuko slowly raised her hand and when she was about to intertwine her pinky with his, she suddenly had a flashback of someone. It made her eyes wide, hearing a voice that she should never make a promise with a demon.

"There, there, babe. We're getting married sooner or later. There's no need for you to care so much about a mere object, is there?" I looked up at him, quietly asking, "Tell me, then—when are we getting married?" The smile on Douglas's face stiffened slightly at my question. He quickly recovered, his voice carrying a perfunctory tone as he said, "There's no rush. The reason I say that is because I want to give you the most perfect wedding in the world. Good things are always worth the wait." He wanted me to wait. Again. It had already been six years. Every year, he promised we'd get married. Year after year, I waited in full anticipation, only to be disappointed every time.

While adjusting his tie, he said, "After the photo shoot, I'm taking Isabelle to Holy Moon Spring for purification and blessing to keep the pregnancy safe. I'll be gone for about three days. "So you'll handle the ceremony arrangements. Just keep it simple.” He'd told me not to worry about it. But now he dismissed the day we'd spent five years waiting for with nothing more than a throwaway "keep it simple". I knew the bonding ceremony would never happen. Still, hearing him say it cut deep. Ryder picked up his keys. "Once it's all over, I'll give you the prime territory as compensation. You've always loved the forest by Silvercrest, haven't you?"