A Promise Made

Chapter 7

"You want to do what?" Braid asked incredulously. "You want me to run this place, for a month or so, or so, which could mean anything, by the way. And on my own, the art everything?" 

"Yes, you've been here as long as I have, you know the place better than me, you can do it." Simile stacked the boxes of alcohol in the storage as they spoke. As punishment Braid was sitting watching her, not helping at all. "If you help me, we'd get this done sooner and I can get to the art for the week." 

"If I help you, it wouldn't be punishment would it?" But Braid jumped down from her seat and started stacking too. "What did I tell you before you went off after those two?" Braid asked. "I said, don't get involved in something. And what do you do, you go get involved." 

"I owe them, Braid." Simile said quietly then sat down herself. Braid sighed and sat too. "It sounds like they have problems back home, I could help them, and maybe stop feeling so guilty about leaving three years ago." 

"Why does it have to be you? Don't they have other soldiers, fighters, whatever they need?" 

"I think Emily came hoping that we'd see each other and pick up where we left off, or be more than we were." She shrugged. "Then she realized that wasn't an option and asked me to help instead, as punishment for hurting her." 

"So you'd be going back as a punishment, not because they actually need you?" When Simile nodded, Braid laughed. "Then send them on their way, and be done with it. They treated you like scum, from what you told me, her mother was a b***h who didn't want you there, and her father is a tyrant. You don't need that." 

"Her mom wanted me to choose Emily. I chose to run." 

"She gave you an ultimatum, one that wasn't fair. I don't care what you say, she's a bitch." Braid stood again. "Look if you feel like you have to go, then do it, but be sure that you can handle seeing her every day." Braid laid a hand on Simile's shoulder. "You're a tough cookie, I know that, but this is beyond any punishment I've ever come across." 

"I'll be fine, B. I just need to know that my bar will still be standing when I come home." 

"If," Braid mumbled. 

"When, B, this is home now, going back to the pack, that's old loyalties, but this is home." Simile stood. "We could close up and you could come with me?" 

"Oh hell no!" Braid laughed. "I'd rather stay here and not see the disaster you're about to walk into." Braid grinned at Simile. "I'd rather walk a silver-strewn minefield than go with you." 

"Jeez, that does not make me feel any better about going." 

"That's because you know I'm right." Braid laughed. "But I also get why you have to go." She turned to Simile took her hand, it surprised them both, they were close friends, but neither had ever reached out to touch. Besides a casual hand on the shoulder or a high five.  "Just don't get yourself hurt. I'd have to come then, and I don't have an army so I'd have to fight a bunch of wolves to get to her." 

"I'll be fine." Simile said. "But thank you for that. It helps to know that I have a friend I can count on. And you better keep your phone on, I'm calling to complain at least twice a week." They laughed. 

"Make it three times, just so I can be sure you're okay." 

"Done. Let's get these boxes packed. I'll set up the art for the next few weeks, hopefully, this is settled before then and you won't even have to sort it out yourself." 

"A person can hope," Braid said, and hoped it would be so. She had no idea about art.

"Paine might come in, and since we broke up, she's not allowed in the office anymore." 

"You broke things off with Paine?" Braid shook her head. "I wondered when you would, it was getting a bit steamy from her end." 

"I hurt her." Simile said. "I guess I've hurt a lot of them. I warn them, I threaten them, but in the end, they all want the forever thing." 

"They're women, women want that." 

"I don't! Do you?" 

"We're different, we need our freedom. Or at least I do. You just can't let yourself because your bond with Emily is too strong. And this shrine to her, as long as you have it, you'll never get her out of your soul." Braid smiled gently at her. "It's not a bad thing. But you have to know that it makes it harder for you to find someone else." 

"I do. I just don't want anyone else." Simile sighed. They made their way to the bar where Simile looked around and tried to decide what she'd put where. 

"Then why not try and be with her?" Braid said. 

"What?" 

"You have a month, or so." She rolled her eyes. "Use it to see if you two can be more, f**k her father, Simile, you're both miserable apart. Maybe it's time you take a real chance on her." 

"I can't do that. I'm not staying there, I'm coming home. And it could just end up hurting her. What if I can't do it? Then I leave her worse off than she is now." She shook her head. "No, I'll go, do what needs to be done, and leave." 

"You're being stubborn." Braid stocked the fridges as she spoke. "This could be a chance to fix something that broke, unnecessarily, three years ago."

"Do you want me to stay there?" Simile asked. "It sounds like you want me to stay there!" 

"No, when you finally realize you love each other and can't live without each other, bring her home." 

"Now I know you've lost your mind." Simile laughed. "She's pack, body, mind, and soul. Asking her to leave there would be like ripping out a piece of her." 

"And you walking around here, alone, that's a piece of her too," Braid said. 

Simile opened her mouth to answer, to deny it. But she knew she couldn't. Braid was right. She'd seen the pain in Emily's eyes. Them being apart is tearing Emily in two anyway. But what could she do? She would never go back, and she would never ask Em to come here. No, it was best to leave things as they were, and when she finished helping them, she'd come home and Emily would be there. They'd go on like now. As shitty as that was, that was the only way. 

Right?