The Inkwell presents: Facing the Consequences

Promises Made, Promises Kept

Written by Frankie Fyre

Just like that, everything changed. The air shifted around all three women, an empire built on twenty-seven years of friendship crumbling with it. After watching Charleigh flee towards her car at my words, I traced a finger in the sand as the white-crested ocean waves crashed into the shore. I had no choice— it was now or never. Or, at least, that's what I thought five minutes ago. Chewing on my lip, I placed my aviator sunglasses on top of my head and gazed toward the sky, allowing the blazing sun to nearly blind me. I, Sydney Landon, whose ability to speak the wrong words at the right time always got her into trouble, had done it again.

Drawing in a deep breath, I let it out slowly, unable to avoid Jasmine's death glare. "Fuck, Syd! You can't drop a bomb like that a week before someone gets married. For fuck's sake, she just wanted a simple, calm bachelorette party with just us before the chaos of 400 guests. You had one job— be here. All you had to do was leave the airport, show up, and surprise her. Not whatever the hell that was." She threw her hands up, exasperated. "And thank you for making me the world's worst maid of honor!"

"I'm sorry Jazz, but I had to." Burying my face in my hands, I grumbled. "Great. Now she hates me."

"In what universe would you two be together? She doesn't even like women, Sydney. I told you that years ago." Jasmine compressed her lips, sighing. "How the hell else was Charleigh supposed to react?"

The lump in my throat was already too much to handle. A tear teased the corner of one eye. "She's my best friend. Hell, all three of us have been since grade school. That hasn't changed."

"Don't you think it's obvious your feelings for her have? That changes everything. Life isn't that simple, Syd. I've been there; unrequited love sucks, but you can't just show up after eighteen months overseas and expect her to drop her entire life for you."

Somehow I managed to blink the tears away. "I thought I could let her go, but I—"

I clamped my mouth shut, realizing there was no use in arguing. Jasmine wouldn't understand, already too blinded by her fierce Irish temper. Defeated, I stood and started walking down the beach, kicking the sand with my boots. Why would I want to sit there and listen to Jasmine? She knew nothing. Besides, running from what's hard was what I did. It was the reason I was in this mess to begin with. If only I had spoken the truth, hadn't run from my past, everything would have been different.

It took thirteen steps to remember why I came to this beach. I came back to fight. Fight for her. Exhausted by the war in my heart, I turned, fists clenched, unleashing the fire pitting inside. I shouted, "You act like I went through a midlife crisis! I didn't fly to Europe to go backpacking. How was I supposed to know the military would call me back three weeks before my Individual Ready Reserve was up? You think I wanted to leave? To come back to this?"

A stone-cold expression canvassed Jasmine's face. She scrunched her eyebrows as the yelling continued. "That's my point! Of all people, you know what it's like to have the rug pulled out from under you, a tornado of your past decisions wreaking havoc on all you've built. You're willing to push that onto Charleigh? Even after all these years? Jesus, you're more selfish than I thought."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," I snapped back, gritting my teeth before darting my eyes to a pink and white conch seashell dusted with sand.

"Selfishness hurts people, and Charleigh doesn't deserve that. She found someone who treats her with love and respect, someone who gives a shit about her wants and needs. Are you even willing to love someone more than yourself?"