Just a Little Promise Read Online Free PDF Page A

going?”
    I stopped, already holding the door knob in my hand, and turned back.
    “To see Derek,” I said. “He’s been in a bit of a funk lately. I just want to make sure he’s okay. I really think we could use each other’s company right about now. ” Not much more than a year ago, his father committed a terrible crime that robbed me of both my parents. That night, we both became victims. It just seemed natural to be with someone who truly understood that pain. “So, if it’s okay?”
    Charlie nodded and looked back at his paper.
    A short walk across the lawn later, I was standing on Derek’s front porch, knocking away. I waited in silence for two full minutes.
    Nothing.
    It wasn’t like him to ignore a knock, so I assumed he was out . His car wasn’t in the driveway, and he almost never parked in the garage . I rang the doorbell—in case my knock wasn’t loud enough—but still no r esponse . It didn’t dawn on me until the second ring that Elvis wasn’t barking. The dog always guarded the door when Derek was ou t. Wher ever Derek was, Elvis must have gone too; there wasn’t a single sound coming from inside the house.
    Shrugging, I stepped down from the porch and walked to the garage. Looking through the small windows lining the top of the door, I immediately noticed it was empty. Not only was Derek’s blue Prius not parked inside , but the boxes that usually lined the far wall were also missing.
    I ran back up to the porch and started banging on the door.
    “Derek!” I yelled. “Derek! It’s Julie! Are you home?”
    I waited for a brief second and then ran to the window to peek inside. The house was empty. The few furnishings he had were no longer there. I hopped off the porch and dug up a spot in the flowerbed—where I’d once watched him hide a spare key—and retrieved it.
    I went back to the door, unlocking the bolt, and push ed it open.
    The reality of the emptiness stopped me dead in my tracks . My stomach felt as h ollow as the room I was looking at . T he house was vacant; there was nothing left.
    “Derek?” I asked, tears filling my eyes. “Hello?”
    My voice carried through the empty rooms, echoing off the naked walls.
    I walked slowly through each room.
    The living room… the kitchen… the bathroom… Hannah’s old bedroom—all empty.
    I turned the corner and faced the door at the end of the hall. Derek’s bedroom door was shut, but I didn’t have to open it to know what I would find. If the rest of the house was any indication, Derek’s room would be nothing but an empty void of space.
    I took slow steps to the final door, grasping the knob, and taking a long, deep breath. Tears filled my eyes as I braced myself for the emptiness . But when I opened the door, something suddenly caught my eye .
    There was a box; a small , pale blue shoebox, sitting in the middle of the hardwood floor . It was the only thing Derek had left.
    I stared at the box for what felt like an eternity. My heart beat was gaining momentum by the second. I closed my eyes and thought back to a day I’d shared with Derek in this very room just weeks ago.
    “ Get rid of the box, Derek ,” I’ d told him . “ You are not defined by the things your family has done. I know who you are, and this isn’t you talking. That box… everything in it… it’s trash. You need to stop holding on to it. You need to move on. We both do .”

    Sitting on top of the box was a white envelope with my name scrolled neatly across the front. Taking slow breaths, I suppressed the tears that came to the surface . I walked to the center of the room and sat down next to the shoe box, picking up the envelope. I opened it carefully, scared of what the letter inside might say.

    Julie,
    I don’t have to tell you what you already know. If you’re reading this letter, you can already see that I’m gone.
    I wanted to say goodbye, but I couldn’t face you. I couldn’t come up with a good enough explanation , and I knew you’d