Broken Promise

Book 2 of the Cambridge Series

Book 1: Heart Attack, both can be read as stand alone.

Nessa

I’m at a party at Cambridge University, a large sharehouse at the end of the road. I don’t go here but my brother does. Finn was a bit miffed when I decided to go to another college than him. But I’m only a few minutes away by car as I go to St. Catharine’s College. I just arrive at the party and spot my brother and his best friend instantly. Finn is lean but muscled. He has the same dark brown hair as me but straight, while my hair waves more. He has blue eyes like our mother. I have a mixture of blue and green. He is sitting on a lounge chair with a girl on his lap. A girl that looks like all the girls that sat there before her. Short, curvy and red or blonde hair. He has a type that’s for sure.

On the other chair close to him sits his best friend. River Phoenix. Yes, he is named after the late actor. Everyone calls him Phoenix. He is the opposite of Finn. He is broad and tall, his shirts always look too small for him. But that is probably on purpose. I shouldn’t forget to tell you that Phoenix is an arrogant player. He has hazel eyes and a mess of dark blond hair. A five o’clock shadow decorates his face. He too, has a girl on his lap. She is skinny, tall and blonde. A real Barbie, but I hope for Phoenix’s sake, she is anatomically correct.

When Finn spots me, he taps the girl on the hip to get her to move. She scowls but does so and Finn comes over.

“I thought you would never arrive.” He smiles, throwing his arm around my shoulder. He walks me further into the house. Phoenix’s eyes fall on me and Finn, and he makes a move to stand up. I stop him, raising my hand.

“Don’t get up,” I say. “It seems like you’re having an amazing time.” I hold back a large grin because he looks bored, even with a girl grinding on his lap. But he shrugs and turns back to the girl. Finn chuckles next to me.

“Are you two ever going to get along?” He asks.

I shrug. “Is that necessary? The only thing we have in common is you.”

“I don’t believe that that’s true, but even if it was, I am very important.”

I laugh. “You are. And we’re civil. We’re just not friends.”

“Fine.” He frowns as he takes in my outfit. It is a simple skirt and top. “Couldn’t you wear something more...” He waves his hand. “I don’t know, more fabric?”

“Are you serious?” I ask, laughing. “You just had a girl on your lap with fewer clothes on than me.”

“That’s different. You’re my baby sister.”

I am eleven months younger than him. I scoff. “That girl is younger than me and probably someone’s sister too.”

He scrunches up his nose. “Don’t say something like that.”

I grin. “What? The truth. I love you, Finn. But I’m twenty years old, I don’t need your permission or your judgement in what I wear or do.” He is still scowling. I sigh. “You know that’s one of the reasons I chose a different college than you, don’t you?”

“You want to be your own woman, be independent, I know.” He rubs a hand over his face. “It’s just hard to let you go.”

“I know you can do it.” I smile and pat his cheek. “Now, go find that girl you were flirting with and let me mingle.”

“Do you know anyone here?” He asks. I glance around.

“Not yet.” I grin. Finn squints his eyes at me for a moment before he goes back to the lounge chair. The girl is in his lap in a second. Phoenix is still there. The girl whispers something to him but he just continues to scroll on his phone. Poor naïve girls.

A few hours later, I do meet some people. And now I’m standing with a handsome guy who is studying to be an engineer. He is dressed in jeans and a dark button-up shirt. My favourite look. I laugh at something he says as he points towards the crowd. A girl is trying her hand at beer pong, but it isn’t working out well. Mike, the guy, wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me closer. I smile as I look around. My eyes stop at Phoenix. He grins at me and from that look, I know what he is planning. I shoot daggers at him, but he just grins broadly. He calls something out. Even though I can’t hear him, I know he called Finn over. I turn back to Mike.

“Hey, want to get out of here?” I ask.

He blinks, surprised by my request. “Yeah.” He smiles, a blush creeping up his neck.

I smile up at him. I smile so wide, that the dimple on my left cheek appears. I stand up my toes and kiss him softly. I take his hand and drag him outside.

Phoenix always does that. Every time I find someone cute or interesting, he involves my brother. He never does anything himself; he just calls my brother over and the fun ends. But I know how to get rid of them now. Phoenix can go fuck himself. Arrogant asshole.

I take Mike to an empty courtyard not that far from the house and snog him for a while in the dark.

A few weeks later, I am at a party at my own college. It is at this pub all the students go to at the weekend. They are celebrating something, but I have no idea what. It doesn’t really matter. I’m here to have fun. To shoot some pool, to throw some darts. I’m here with Angie, my roommate. She is already drunk, and it isn’t even midnight. I’m the designated driver for tonight, but just as the clock struck twelve-thirty, Angie’s girlfriend appears. She seems a little annoyed at the drunk state of Angie. Not that I blame her. Angie is an annoying drunk.

“I got to take her home.” She sighs. “Do you want to come with?”

“No, it’s fine. Get her to bed.” I smile.

“Are you sure? I’m not comfortable leaving you here alone.” Margaret is an amazing woman. She always looks after everyone.

“I’m not drinking tonight. And besides, I know a few of the guys at the pool table.” Lie. But Margaret doesn’t know that. “Just get Ange home.”

“I will. But if you need anything, call me, alright.” She looks at me until I answer her.

“Alright.” Then she drags Angie out of the pub. Angie sings and stumbles as she goes.

I take a sip from my iced tea as I watch one of the guys strike a ball. The group of guys at the pool table invite me to play with them instantly when I appear at their table. They’re good guys. They are celebrating that they passed some exams. They offer me a beer, but I kindly decline. Alex and Mattie were arguing about who’s turn it was. Nico grins as he looks at me and rolls his eyes.

“You know, we don’t see you often in here,” Nico says as he leans against the wall next to me.

“I often go party at Cambridge.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No. Brother.” I chuckle. “But once in a while I like to go out here, so he can’t keep watch on everything I do.”

“I have an older sister like that.” He says. “Nosy little thing.” He grumbles and we laugh.

A while later, the boys queued up another game, I say to Nico. “I’m going to get another drink.”

“Let me.” He says.

“No, it’s fine.” I wave him off. “You go pull those two apart. Again.” I point at his friends. Because Mattie and Alex were already arguing again. Nico groans but walks over to them anyway.

I push myself through the crowd and sigh in relief when I step into a clearing at the bar. The pub is so crowded, I can barely move. I take one of the bar stools that just got available and sit down. A female bartender, a few years older than me, comes up to me.

“What can I get you?”

“Just an iced tea, thank you.”

“No problem, sugar.” She smiles before she turns to grab my drink. I pay her and she quickly walks up to the next customer.

I look over my shoulder to the guys at the pool table. I smile when I see Nico is the one arguing now as he points from his cue to the one in Mattie’s hand. I drink from my iced tea, relieved from the cool down in the hot pub. When I finish my drink, I wait for one of the bartenders to notice me, so I can buy some beers for the guys.

But the bar is more crowded now and they don’t see me. Large guys lean forward to block me from view as they waved their bankcards in the air. I roll my eyes and wait. When I think the female bartender has noticed me, I get dizzy. I close my eyes and shake my head. The dizziness does not disappear. I stand up and wobble a little. I take in a few deep breaths and make my way to the toilets. Once inside, I ignore the dirty floor and lean against the sink. I splash my face with cold water, but it doesn’t help. My knees tremble and I grip the sink harder between my fingers.

What’s happening?

I let go of the sink with one hand to fumble for my phone. It takes longer than normal before I find Finn’s number and swipe. The phone rings four times before he picks up. But by then, I have already fallen to the floor.

“Finn?” I ask, my voice weak. “Can you come get me?”

“Ness? It’s Phoenix. Finn forgot his phone before he went out.”

“Oh,” I whisper as I feel myself become weaker. I hate being weak. “Never mind then.”

“Ness, what’s going on? Where are you?”

“It’s fine. I’ll be fine.” My eyes close involuntarily and my voice drifts away.

“Ness? Nessa? Nessa!” He shouts but my voice is gone.

I am gone.

--

This is the second book in the Cambridge Series. They can both be read as a standalone. The first one is ‘Heart Attack’.