“Promise me, Sadie,” Theo demanded.

“I promise.”

“It was a promise I would come to regret making,” I say to Brady and wrap my arm around his neck, burying my head.

“Don’t tell me anymore, Sadie. It’s okay…it can wait.” Brady runs his hand over my hair, rocking me back and forth.

“No, I want to tell you. I just need you to hold me, is that okay?” I ask, wiping tears from my eyes. He remains silent, but pulls me closer and firmer against him.

“We went to the formal, which was in some fancy hotel in the city. I drove up with Craig and another couple, who were both older than me. I knew I wasn’t going to sleep with him, but I wanted this date more than anything. Craig was the perfect gentleman all evening until the end, when he dangled some room keys in front of my face. I knew what he expected, but I honestly didn’t think he would be mad when I denied his advances. I don’t know if I was being naïve or just plain stupid, but I agreed to go up to his room. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, except another sorority sister, Lexi. She just winked and told me to have a good time. Once we got in the room, Craig took off his jacket and cornered me. He was probably six foot three inches and two hundred and fifty pounds. I didn’t stand a chance against him.” Brady’s body tenses against mine and I instantly massage his fingers to relax him.

“So, I kept trying to get out, while he kept coming at me. At one point, my dress got ripped from him grabbing it and me pulling away. I don’t know what his true intentions were or if he would have gone ahead with it. Just as I thought I had nowhere else to go, I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Craig pounded on the door, but I pulled my phone out and called the one person I trusted with my life, Theo. He didn’t answer the first time but after a text and another call, he picked up, panicked, thinking the worst. Little did he know, he was right.”

T - “Where are you Sadie?” he asked, frantic.

Me - “Room 458,” I revealed, thankful I noticed it when we walked in.

T - “Just stay locked in the bathroom. You hear me, Sadie?” he asked sternly.

Me - “Yes, please, Theo…hurry.” Craig pounded again on the door.

“The door started to bow a little and I worried Craig would get in before Theo could get there. I don’t remember how long it was before I heard fighting and yelling, and I knew that Theo had arrived. From what I could hear, there were more guys than just him. I unlocked the door to see Theo hit Craig in the jaw. Craig had Theo in weight but Theo was comparable in height. The two went at it, while some other fraternity brothers tried to get in the middle. It was a combination of Craig’s friends and Theo’s friends, but they were all fraternity brothers so many of them seemed confused on who to help. The two of them kept going at each other. Theo kept saying to stay the hell away from his sister and Craig kept yelling back that he should stay out of it. I just wanted to curl up and cry. Then Craig said, ‘I just wanted to see what screwing a fat chick was like.’ And Theo came unglued. He wouldn’t stop hitting him. It was a rage I had never seen in him before. He threw himself on top of Craig, throwing punch after punch, until a couple of the guys pulled him off. He eventually shrugged it off, watching Craig for any movement before coming to me.” Brady’s body is now a ball of knots.

“Theo wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to my feet and took me out of the room. He put me in the backseat of his car and drove me and his date home. He tucked me into my bed and whispered ‘Never listen to them, Sadie. You are beautiful and one day you will find the perfect guy, I promise.’ I look up at Brady, seeing now that Theo was right. He smiles down at me and wipes a tear from my eye with his thumb.

“The next week, Theo was jumped by Craig and a couple of his friends. They beat him so badly, they put him in a coma. My parents had to sign the papers to turn off the life support machine. The doctors said there was so much damage to his brain, he would most likely never wake up and if he did, the damage was so severe…” I trail off, not able to give all the horrific details.

“Oh Sadie, I’m sorry baby,” Brady says, kissing the top of my head.

“That was a year and a half ago.” I continue, not wanting to accept his apologies for something that was my fault. “After he died, I stayed home that summer. I tried to release my anger, guilt, and sadness by working out at the gym. That and rarely eating, I ended up losing weight. My parents forced me to go back to Drayton that fall. I wish I would have had a spine and told them it was too painful, but they are firm believers that you jump back on that horse. Craig and two of his friends had gotten arrested and sentenced for manslaughter, but I was still a part of the sorority and it was across the street from the fraternity. Eventually, all I did was get drunk to help me forget. Then guys started showing interest in me since I lost the weight. More wanted to sleep with me, so I let them. Sleeping with them made me feel comforted and safe like I did with Theo. It is hard to understand, but losing him was like half of me disappeared and I was desperately searching to fill the void with every guy who showed interest. Theo and I shared everything. We co-existed through life together, each living the same thing at the same time. He was my brother, my twin, and my best friend.” I finish, suddenly feeling sleepy.

Brady must have noticed because he scoots us down on the bed and spoons me from behind. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Sadie. I honestly don’t know what to say, other than that,” he whispers in my ear.

“I know,” I yawn.

“Just sleep, beautiful, you are protected now…and always.”

I pull his arms closer to me, knotting our fingers before I succumb to sleep.

Chapter 16

The next morning, I wake up to the bright sun of Niagara Falls filtering into the room. I guess we forgot to shut the blinds before falling asleep. I get up to use the bathroom when strong arms tug me back.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Brady sleepily says, resting his arms around my shoulders.

“Good morning, handsome,” I mimic back. Oh, how different it feels to have someone there for you in the morning.

“I was going to go get us some coffee and breakfast, but I didn’t want you to wake up alone.” He stayed in bed this whole time for me. I know at this moment that Brady isn’t still carving his way into my heart, he holds the whole thing in his hands.

“Thank you,” I say genuinely.

“No need, baby, I’m your boyfriend. Your needs come first,” he tells me. I thought my feelings couldn’t get any stronger for this ‘knight with an edge’ as Brady refers to himself. “Now, let’s take a shower,” he winks. “Then we will go sightseeing. I’m taking you on that boat ride under the falls, maybe play at the casino…” He lists what he has already planned out for our day.

“Sounds great…let’s just start with the shower.” I’m more than ready to take it easy today and just enjoy being with Brady, especially now that we have made it past this hurdle.

“I’ll go warm the water,” he says and pushes the sheet off himself. A wide smile crosses my face as I watch his mighty fine naked ass walk into the bathroom.

I throw the sheet off me and check my phone for any messages. I don’t know who they would be from, maybe Jessa, I say to make myself feel better. As I walk across the room, I pick up our clothes from last night. I put them on the chair when Brady’s cell phone falls out of his pants onto the floor. I contemplate in my mind for all of two seconds if I should go through it, but shake my head no. I know I can trust Brady. I will not diminish what we have by snooping. Just as I set it on the table, a text message comes across from someone named Maura.