Read Promises I Made for Free Online

that it was a romantic notion, one that was only true for certain kinds of people. People who had a storehouse of opportunity like a cat that has nine lives. People who hadn’t made mistakes that were so big, there was no coming back from them.
    When I’d circled the mall twice, I stopped at the food court and got a plate of greasy Chinese food. I ate it at a table on the edge of the crowd, watching people come and go. When I was finished, I dumped my trash, careful not to look at anyone too long or too hard.
    It was almost six thirty when I headed back to the parking garage. I took the stairs to the top again and pulled out my phone. I’d give Raul Castillo one more try tonight. If he didn’t answer, I’d go back to the hotel and try again tomorrow.
    I dialed the number for the Playa Hermosa Police Department, but this time I entered Raul Castillo’s extension number. I was preparing to leave another message when a voice filled my ear.
    â€œRaul Castillo.”
    There was expectation in it, and I knew he’d been waiting for me.
    â€œIt’s Grace Fontaine.”
    He exhaled. “Grace, I’m so glad you called back. Where are you?”
    â€œI’m not ready to tell you that yet,” I said. “I want to talk about Parker.”
    â€œOkay, let’s talk.”
    â€œI want . . .” I stumbled a little. I wanted Parker to be free, to be let go, but I wasn’t naive enough to believe just asking for it would make it happen. “What happened wasn’t his fault. I want to help him.”
    â€œThat’s a tough one, Grace.” I thought I heard genuine kindness in his voice, although it could have been an act. He was a detective. They were probably trained to get people to turn themselves in or give themselves away. “Crimes have been committed. Someone has died. Parker is the only one here to take the fall.”
    I glanced at my phone, wanting to keep track of how long I was on the line so I could disconnect the call before too much time had passed. It had been forty-five seconds.
    â€œThat’s not his fault. He’s just a kid like me.”
    â€œNot a kid.” I could almost hear Detective Castillo shaking his head. “Parker’s eighteen. Even you’re not considered a kid by the justice system. Not if you’re seventeen or older.”
    My stomach clutched a little at his words. I’d celebrated my seventeenth birthday in Bellevue, with a gourmet strawberry cake from Miranda’s favorite bakery and a Tiffany bracelet, probably bought with Miranda’s money, from her and Cormac. Miranda had thought I was turning eighteen.
    â€œWe were forced to do what we did. We had no choice.” Saying the words out loud for the first time did something to me. Made my voice crack, my throat fill with thick and tangled tears.
    â€œI have no doubt that’s true, Grace. Why don’t you come in so we can talk about it?” He hesitated, and when he spoke again, his voice was gentle. “Are you all alone?”
    I looked at the phone. One minute and thirty-two seconds. I thought I remembered Cormac saying that it took the police two minutes to trace a call, but I couldn’t be sure.
    â€œI have to go,” I said.
    â€œListen to me, Grace.” His voice was a rush of wind into the phone. Then he spoke lower, softer. “I can help you, but things are getting complicated here. There’s not much time.”
    One minute forty-one seconds.
    â€œI have to go.”
    â€œMeet me somewhere,” he said hurriedly, trying to get the words in before I hung up. “Anywhere. Just you and me. We’ll figure out a way to help Parker.”
    One minute forty-eight seconds.
    â€œI’ll call you back.”
    I hung up, my chest rising and falling, breath coming fast and hard, like I’d been running.

Six
    I spent the night eating takeout in my underwear while my clothes, washed in the bathtub, dried on