A Promise Broken

Colt stood in the middle of the abandoned meadow, the place where it had all begun. The wind whistled through the tall grass, whispering memories of laughter, stolen glances, and words that once meant the world to him. But now, the wind carried only silence and loss of a promise broken.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he replayed the moment over and over again. The night before Jenae left. The stars had shimmered above them like distant lanterns, their light pale in comparison to the fire in her eyes.

"Promise me, Colt," she had said, her voice steady yet fragile. "Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll wait for me. That you'll believe in me."

And he had sworn it. Sworn it as if the words were etched into his very soul.

But promises were easy under the glow of the stars. They were harder to keep in the harsh light of reality.

Jenae had gone to chase her dreams, to carve her own path as a country singer, and he had waited. At first, every letter she sent had been a lifeline, every whispered assurance a reminder that she hadn't forgotten him. But as the weeks turned to months, the letters grew fewer, the words inside them colder.

And then, they stopped altogether.

He had waited. He had believed. He had trusted that she would return, that she would fight for what they had. But when he heard from a friend that she had made a life in Los Angeles, that she had found someone new; his world shattered. The pain of that betrayal crushed him more than any wound ever could.

And so, when she finally came back; months too late, with apologies on her lips and regret in her eyes; he did the only thing he could. He turned away.

“Colt, please...” Jenae's voice trembled, and for a brief second, he almost caved. Almost reached for her like he had a hundred times before in his dreams. But reality was colder than dreams, and broken promises didn’t mend so easily.

“I waited,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with grief. “I kept my promise. You didn’t.”

She flinched as if struck, her breath catching in her throat. Tears welled in her eyes, but he forced himself to walk away before they could break him.