I No Longer Dream of Tender Nights

The Promise Broken

Their overlapping reflections wavered on the car window, the glass left open by a finger's width.

Darren pinned Alyssa against the driver's seat, his fingertips brushing across her forehead. "Still hurts?"

Alyssa tilted her head up and pressed her lips to his, her eyes gleaming with a coaxing smile. "No. I shouldn't have come to bother you and your wife. I deserved that hit."

He frowned and gave her cheek a light, teasing bite. "Nonsense. You're both my darlings."

At that, he squeezed her waist, his tone turning rough. "Still got the nerve to joke, huh? Guess that knock wasn't hard enough."

Before she could answer, he caught her jaw in one hand and gripped her waist with the other, kissing her hard. Alyssa struggled for a moment, then pushed him away, her voice edged with jealousy. "This is the car you gave her. I don't want to do this here… Besides, Jeanne's still waiting for you in the lounge. You said you'd be back in a few minutes."

Darren caught her wrist and pressed it above her head. His other hand slid down the curve of her waist as his voice dropped low and hoarse. "Still thinking about someone else? Don't worry, a few minutes is all I need to deal with you."

It didn't take long before Alyssa's breath turned soft and uneven, her arms twining weakly around his shoulders. The sound of their bodies and muffled gasps drifted out into the night air.

Jeanne stood frozen where she was, her blood running cold. Her knees nearly buckled, and it felt as though someone had carved open her chest with a blunt knife—so sharp and deep that her vision went dark.

She suddenly remembered the day the racing club had been founded. Darren had waited for her praise like a child hoping for candy, but she'd been too overwhelmed, crying instead of speaking.

In the end, he had pulled her into the backseat of a race car, his breath hot as he tugged at her clothes. She had wanted him too—but even then, she'd clenched her teeth and pushed him away. "Darren, racing is sacred to me. I want to keep it pure."

He had gone still at her words. She thought he'd be angry, but instead, he straightened their clothes and sat upright, a solemn spark in his eyes. "I swear, from now on, it's my dream too. For the rest of my life, I'll treat racing with reverence. I'll never defile a racecar."

He'd whispered the suggestive words against her ear, and they had burned into her skin. It was that promise that convinced her he was the one she'd spend her life with. But now, he was desecrating that very vow—with another woman—in her car.

Jeanne's legs gave out beneath her, and the car key slipped from her trembling hand, clattering onto the ground. She snapped back to herself, ready to run, but the couple inside hadn't even noticed. A broken laugh tore from her throat, twisted and soundless. She bit down on her knuckles to stifle the sob rising inside her.

That was when the rain began to fall. The narrow crack in the window clicked shut. Jeanne looked one last time at the car, its body rocking faintly, then bent down to pick up the key and hurled it into the nearby drain.

Inside, Alyssa happened to glance up. Through the rearview mirror, she caught sight of Jeanne's departing figure—and smiled, smug and satisfied.

The rain came and went quickly.

…

When Darren pushed open the lounge door, Jeanne was still sitting exactly as before. He let out a sigh of relief, tugged at his collar, and crouched in front of her. "Jeanne, come on. Let's go home."

She lowered her head and caught a glimpse of the fresh red mark on his neck. Strangely, she didn't feel a thing.

She didn't let him carry her. Leaning against the wall, she limped toward the car. But when she opened the passenger door, she froze—Alyssa was sitting in the driver's seat. Darren hurried over, trying to explain. "Alyssa signed up for a small race. I thought she could practice a little on this stretch of road. Could you help guide her, Jeanne?"

Jeanne hesitated, then nodded. As much as she disliked Alyssa, she still respected anyone who truly loved racing. However, if she had known Alyssa didn't even have a basic driver's license, she would never have opened that door.

The car suddenly lurched forward, veering off course. Jeanne's heart leaped into her throat. She reached for the steering wheel, but Alyssa shoved her away hard.

"Let go if you don't want to die!" Jeanne's eyes burned red as she shouted, but Alyssa didn't loosen her grip. Her foot stayed crushed down on the gas pedal.

A thunderous crash came at the same moment Darren's voice rang out behind them. "Jeanne!"