A Promise Made

Chapter 4

Simile felt like she was drowning in an ocean, upside down, and the way up was blocked by layers and layers of dry sand. The shock of seeing Emily standing in her private office nearly knocked her on her ass. She was beautiful, even more so in person. Simile had kept up with her, of course, following her as she went to art school, dropped out, then did so well on her own. She had a feeling Emily didn't even know how popular she was in Amber's big city. The word from home was that she stayed locked up there, painted, ran, slept, painted. She never went out, never did more than enough to stay alive. 

Why had she come looking for Simile now? What had changed? Her last email from Andy hadn't said anything about Emily going out to find her. Where had Andy been? She was Emily's new guard, not on the same level that Simile was, since Emily had refused to break the bond. But she should have been with Emily, her shadow, especially out in the real world. 

Shrugging off the woman clinging to her arm, she pulled her cell phone out and dialed. "Braid, was there a woman looking for me in the bar?" Simile listened. "I can talk because I'm on my way home." Shaking her head she took the phone away from her ear and glared at it. "I want to know if there was a woman looking for me!" Simile repeated. "Did she have someone with her?" She nodded. "You're sure?" She listened and glared into the darkness. "Keep it in your pants with that one." She clicked off. 

"This is not the way to your home, Sim." The woman complained. Paine shifted upright and glared at Simile. "Who was that?" 

"None of your concern." Simile said. "I'm taking you home because I have to go back to the bar." 

"I can go with you. Since we don't have a flight to catch, we can spend the night together at least." 

"Not tonight Paine." Simile said. Tapping her driver on the shoulder she waited for him to take out his earphones. "After we drop miss Paine, take me back to the bar, please Booth." He nodded and popped his earphones back in, sensing the fight brewing in the back seat. 

"I'm not going to sit at home like a naughty child while you go see an ex." Paine snapped. 

"Then go out, or tell Booth where to take you." Simile said dismissively. She'd been thinking of a way to get rid of Paine for a while, the woman was clingy and wanted to get married. Something Simile was never going to do. "I'm not taking you back with me, and I don't want you coming there tonight." 

"This is a free country, and even in Amber we're allowed to move around freely," Paine said. "You can't tell me not to go there." 

"It's my bar Paine, I can." Simile did look at Paine then. "Please don't make this harder than it has to be, we're done, we've been done for a while, I just didn't know how to tell you." 

"Done?" Paine screeched. "You were taking me on a trip to break up with me?" 

Simile smiled ruefully then, realizing that she probably didn't think that through. "Paris seemed like a good place to have a broken heart." She shrugged. "I truly am sorry." 

"Sorry?" Paine slapped Simile and Simile held up her hand when Booth tensed. "Sorry won't fix my heart, or bring back the time I wasted on you!" She turned her glare on Booth. "Stop the car!" 

"He's not going to." Simile said. "One, he can't hear you. And two, I'm dropping you safely at home." 

"You can't do this, Sim." Paine turned tried pleading, and sad eyes.

"I'm sorry, but we've run our course, Paine, and I will never want what you want, I should have stopped this sooner, gotten out sooner, so you could find someone who does want what you want. But that person is not me." Simile took Paine's hands. She did hate hurting the woman, but there was no other way. "This has nothing to do with the woman at the bar." Liar. "It's me, not wanting to get married, ever, and you wanting that." 

"Why?" Paine asked, crying now. 

"Because I'm not built for it. I never was." 

"She's your mate," Paine said then, turning in her seat, looking out the side window. 

"Yes." No point lying about that, Simile thought. 

"But you're not going back to her either." A statement. 

"No." 

"Why?" 

"She's my Alpha's daughter, and he'd want way better than a lowly guard for his princess." Simile said, bitterness clouding her voice.

"So he said that?" 

"No, but I know Drake. He's not the type to allow his daughter to marry down, he'd want an alliance or something to strengthen his pack. I'm not that." 

"And she doesn't get a say?" 

"She knows it was for the best." 

"So why did you run then?" 

"I was just surprised to see her, that's all, now that I've calmed down, I will go back, find out what she wants and send them on their way. Andy, my friend is with her, at least. So she's safe." 

"You know, sometimes a second chance lands in our lap, and we can either waste it or use it. Don't be the one that wastes it." Paine said. She looked at Simile and Simile felt a tug at her heart at the sadness. She really should have ended this sooner. 

"People like me don't get second chances, Paine. You, you do." She leaned over and kissed Paine as Booth pulled up outside her apartment building. "Go find someone who deserves your love." She sat back when Booth opened the door for Paine. 

"Can I still come to the bar?" Paine asked. 

"Of course, just not tonight, okay?" 

"Okay." Paine got out then leaned down looking into the troubled yellow/gold eyes. "Don't let pride keep you from finding love Simile. Even if you don't think you do, you deserve to be happy too." The door closed before Simile could say anything. Booth walked Paine to her door then returned. 

"Still back to the bar?" 

"Yes, please Booth." He nodded and turned the car back in the direction of White Wolf. Simile leaned her head back, closing her eyes. She would have to find a way to harden her resolve. Facing Emily was going to be the hardest thing she'd have to do since leaving her.