Arms of Promise Read Free

forearm. “It’s good to see you, Evan.” Somewhere lodged inside the web of reactions, that much she knew for sure. Despite how she’d pay for it later.
    His gaze strayed from the road to her hand and swept up to her face.
    Two seconds. That’s all it took to remind her how much those hazel eyes could make her feel. The realization of what that meant burrowed into her chest.
    She blinked toward the windshield. “Watch out!”
    Evan slammed on the brakes in front of a stop sign, nearly clipping a pickup soaring past them from the adjacent street. Forehead creased, he mumbled something under his breath and snapped on his blinker.
    An electric stillness lingered as he pulled up to her apartment building.
    A list of all the usual lines she used when ending an awkward date played through her mind. Except this wasn’t a date, and it wasn’t some random guy. It was Evan. The one person she never imagined ever feeling uncomfortable with.
    He turned and held her gaze. “It’s good to see you, too, Anna.”
    Spoken in his sincere voice, his words melted over her. Her heart bypassed her head altogether and sprang right for her mouth. “Do you want to come up for a minute?”
    An unreadable expression flitted from her to his side mirror.
    What was she doing? Of course he didn’t want to come up. He had a girl—
    “Got any hot chocolate?” A sideways smile caught the tail end of his question.
    She returned it. “Like you have to ask.”
    Laughing softly, Evan flipped the unlock button. He met her around the bumper, walked her to the building, and opened the door for her.
    In the stairwell, Anna headed toward the second floor with Evan right behind. “It’s a far cry from my dad’s place, but it’s home.”
    “Not unless you’ve got a rent check for me.” Her landlord hovered like a vulture in front of her door at the top of the stairs.
    Crap . She ducked, looking for an escape route. What was she going to do? Hop over the banister? Resigning, she climbed the last three steps toward the short, middle-aged Asian man. “Mr. Reyes, you know I’m good for the money.”
    “I know you’re good for saying you’re good for the money. I need less of this,” he said while making a talking motion with his hand. “And more of this.” He rubbed his fingers together to gesture handling cash.
    Like she wasn’t trying. “I’m giving you as much as I can each week. I have an audition on Saturday. As soon as I make the company, I’ll catch up on my back rent. I promise.”
    “And what if you don’t get in?”
    The possibility of surrendering her apartment and the vision she’d dedicated her life to only worsened the tug-of-war she was already wrestling.
    At twenty-four, she wouldn’t get another shot at a dance career. But how could she pursue that dream and forsake the one Mom inspired her to live at the rec center? At the same time, if she didn’t make callbacks, she’d be stuck returning home to the life Dad was pushing on her.
    Either way, she’d risk losing herself and forfeiting the art Mom believed in. She couldn’t let that happen. At least here, she’d have a better chance of remaining tied to the community she and Mom both invested their hearts into.
    Keeping her head down, Anna fiddled with her keys and strained to raise her voice above a whisper. “Moving out isn’t an option.”
    “I assure you it is.” Mr. Reyes brushed past her. “Your tab is due the last day of the month, or you’re out, Miss Madison. Whether you make your audition or not.”
    “Why don’t you cut the girl some slack?” From behind her, Evan’s deep voice vibrated throughout the stairwell. “She’s obviously doing the best she can.”
    Heat crawled up Anna’s neck. She’d almost forgotten he was there. She shut her eyes, mortified he’d seen her in this predicament. Taking a slow breath, she turned.
    Mr. Reyes’s gaze slid over Evan’s looming profile. “Who are you, her bodyguard?”
    Evan’s fingers whitened