Book Series: Caitlin: The Promise Trilogy #2
Title: Promises Broken
Publishing Date: 1986
Author: Francine Pascal
Publisher: Bantam Books, Inc.
Point of View: Third Person, omnipotent
Chapter Count: 18
Page Count: 200
Chapter 1- The plane is landing! But it's not Caitlin's, Jed's come to Virginia to spend a week visiting his favorite girlfriend (as opposed to Eve in Montana) before school starts. They go sightseeing around Washington DC where Jed once again declares his love and swears his eternal devotion to his one and only Caitlin.
Chapter 2- In a somewhat erotic scene, Jed rubs sunscreen into Caitlin's back as they hang out by the luxurious pool at Ryan Acres. Caitlin frowns as, nearby she can hear her Grandmother laughing while playing tennis with that awful Colin Wollman. Caitlin changes the subject to the letter she received from one of the wives in Rock Ridge, the mining town where Caitlin organized a charity summer daycare. The woman apologized for the way little Kathy Stokes' brother (the one with the evil gray eyes) treated Jed. Caitlin wonders what the heck she's talking about. Jed briefly tells her about the fight, then changes the subject. He hates violence.
The next few days fly by as Caitlin and Jed spend every waking moment together enjoying incredibly romantic dates. They are already anticipating Christmas break when they'll see each other together again. As Jed's plane disappears into the sky, Caitlin resolves to focus on the present until she and Jed are reunited.
Chapter 3- Caitlin's college dorm roommate is a sophomore named Louise Bates who, according to herself, was the prettiest, most popular girl on campus last year. Then along came Caitlin. Louise can't believe Caitlin has no intention of hooking up with anyone this year but will stay true and faithful to Jed.
The two girls decide to get a soda at the student union and scope out the new crop of guys who waste no time surrounding Caitlin, begging her to go out with them. Louise's eyes turn green. Then she notices Julian Stokes sitting at a nearby table. His incredible gray eyes are looking right at her! Louise has to catch her breath. She is that turned on.
Chapter 4- At Julian's table, the handsome pre-med senior can hardly follow the conversation with his friend. He's too distracted by that beautiful Caitlin Ryan. How he hates her! Picking up on Louise's subtle displeasure toward her popular roommate, an evil plan forms in Julian's mind: he will gain the trust of everyone in Caitlin's social circle, starting with that blonde, and destroy Caitlin.
Chapter 5- It's Friday night. Louise talks Caitlin into going to an informal mixer instead of staying in the dorm, pining over Jed. Popular girls don't do that. At the party, Caitlin talks for a long time with a pre-law student who loves tennis. Caitlin and Hal make a date for the following afternoon at the court. They have a great time and make a second date to play again on Thursday. Caitlin is having fun without betraying Jed.
Chapter 6- Ginny is in town to visit Caitlin. Her best friend is currently attending the University of Virginia and has gotten serious with a boy on the polo team who claims to be as big a horse freak as Ginny. Caitlin won't be riding Duster unless she goes home more often. Caitlin gives Ginny a tour of campus. They pass one of the fraternity houses where all the boys whistle and call out to them. Caitlin admits she's considering joining a sorority since that's the thing to do in college.
Chapter 7- Weeks pass. For the first time, Jed has failed to write. Louise and Caitlin speculate why. Louise thinks how glad she is Julian singled her out and talked her into destroying Caitlin by telling her lies, making Caitlin believe Jed's just not that into her anymore. Ginny sends Caitlin an early birthday card which makes Caitlin smile. She picks up her pen and, after several false starts, composes a long letter to Jed with subtle hints as to how busy he must be to have neglected his correspondence to her.
Chapter 8- Caitlin runs into Hal on her way to mail her letter. Then she stops to talk to Matt Jenks, an old classmate from Highgate who has disastrous news about Jed: according to his last letter to Matt, Jed has been spending a lot of time with Eve. Jed insists they're just friends but Matt isn't so sure. Caitlin turns pale and excuses herself; sick with images of Eve humping Jed while Caitlin is powerless to stop it. The horror! The humanity!
Chapter 9- Caitlin walks blindly across the dorm lobby, failing to notice the tall, dark and handsome young man Louise told her to look out for. She wanted Caitlin to meet her new friend, Julian Stokes, and wait for her so they could all go out to eat but Caitlin is much too upset to think about food at a time like this. Her life is over. She shakes Julian's hand and begs to be excused.
When Louise finds out Caitlin reneged, she rushes upstairs, learns the news and returns to report their triumph to Julian; just chillin' in the lobby this whole time. His plan is working! With just one look from his mesmerizing gray eyes, Louise will do anything Julian asks of her. He's that good.
Chapter 10- Next morning, Caitlin can't stand the suspense any longer. She's calling Jed, even if it is early on a Saturday morning. Jed sounds annoyed when he answers and isn't happy being interrogated about Eve by Caitlin. She's just an old friend. No big deal. Caitlin ends the conversation on a terse note then turns to Louise to declare she (and Julian) was right all along. Jed is a tool. Let's call Hal and arrange a group date.
Chapter 11- The next night, Caitlin goes out with Louise and Julian to an upscale Italian restaurant (it has a jukebox and dance floor!). While Caitlin sways in Julian's arms, she notices how familiar he looks, is he related to anyone in Rock Ridge, West Virginia? Julian gets a little defensive, his hypnotic gray eyes unnerving, denying any connection. He's sooo sexy, but for some strange reason, he's not dating anyone. Word around campus, apparently, none of the girls here are good enough for him. Caitlin's curiosity is piqued.
Next day, a letter from Jed, but it's very condescending, accusing Caitlin of backsliding to her old flaky, party girl ways. He hints maybe they should both step back, define the relationship. Caitlin is devastated.
A few days later, Caitlin is studying at a table in the student union when Julian sits down to chat. Feigning gentle concern, he probes Caitlin who tells him everything. His advice is not to give up on Jed, not yet, but try and reconcile. Caitlin smiles in relief promising to do just that.
Chapter 12- On a Saturday morning in November, Caitlin enjoys flirting with the boys during the traditional freshman hazing of sorority pledges; cooking breakfast in their PJs for both houses. If she ever wanted to break up with Jed, she'd have no problem finding a replacement.
Jed's next letter is more chatty, no mention of Eve. Caitlin takes that as a good sign. Louise agrees and later calls Julian to make her report on the war against Caitlin.
Next day, as the cover image shows, Julian catches Caitlin as she's exiting a campus building wearing a red pea jacket, (from J.C. Penny?) white fisherman sweater and asks her to go for coffee. Unable to resist his intense personality, (is it just me or does Julian give off a Christian Grey vibe?) Caitlin finds herself saying yes, sitting across from him at a cafe table sipping their lattes, begging him to tell her
Chapter 13- Since it's her birthday, Caitlin asks Ginny to come spend the weekend on campus for moral support, in case Jed dumps her. Ginny has problems of her own. She just broke up with her new boyfriend. Turns out he hates horses. He's a closet horse hater.
On their way back from grabbing lunch at the student union, Caitlin and Ginny run into Louise and Julian. Caitlin is happy to introduce Ginny to her friends. Ginny can hardly take her eyes off Julian and his incredible gray eyes. She wants him. Get in line, Ginny.
In the dorm lobby, Rollins is waiting with Caitlin's birthday gift from Grandmother. It's a fur coat. Caitlin is confused. Ever since her trip to Montana (see the last book) when she accidentally shot a cute, fuzzy, defenseless little animal, Caitlin has sworn off wearing fur. Grandmother knows this. Colin Wollman is to blame!
Chapter 14- Caitlin's long-lost father, recently reunited last year, sends her a lovely pin for her birthday present. Caitlin loves it. A few days later, she finally gets a letter from Jed but the news isn't good. Not only does he neglect to mention her eighteenth birthday at all, he is cancelling his Christmas trip to Virginia that Caitlin had been counting on to reboot their relationship. Caitlin just knows Eve manipulated him into staying. Her reply is short and brusque. They are both obviously too busy to see each other and that's fine with her.
Louise has to cancel her weekend group date with Julian. She suggests Caitlin invite Ginny to take her place. Ginny must've agreed to Julian's "contract" because, to Caitlin's surprise, Ginny's given herself a complete makeover; all to impress Julian. She looks great.
Returning from the date, Caitlin has a phone call. It's Jed! The conversation does not go well. Ginny notices Caitlin looks very pale when she rejoins them only to quickly excuse herself and run upstairs.
Chapter 15- Ginny races after her best friend, follows her into her dorm room where Caitlin breaks down and sobs on Ginny's shoulder. Jed loves Eve more than he loves her. It looks like their relationship is really over. Caitlin will most definitely not be joining them for dinner.
Julian tells Ginny they will go out to dinner anyway, to an expensive French restaurant, just the two of them. Ginny leans against a wall and gasps for breath. Over their delicious meal, Julian uses his the power of his seductive gray eyes to get Ginny to invite Caitlin to Florida over Christmas break. Once Ginny understands Julian is not trying to get in her pants, that this is a group trip and purely platonic, (yeah, right) she agrees.
Chapter 16- But Caitlin isn't too keen on going anywhere. She'd rather sit around and feel sorry for herself than indulge in a wild, MTV "spring/winter" break 1986. Yet, the minute Caitlin hangs up she does a 180, deciding she HATES Jed. The old Caitlin is back!
Louise can't believe how many dates Caitlin has been out on over the last two weeks. She tells Caitlin Julian is worried about her and is about to include herself until Caitlin announces she's got to get ready for her next date with a boy Louise has been crushing on since last year. That Caitlin!
Chapter 17- Christmas Eve at Ryan Acres. Caitlin celebrates with her grandmother and Colin Wollman who, dressed in their elegant attire, sit and watch Caitlin open her presents. Caitlin finds this a little creepy but she's too busy seething with anger over Colin's patriarchy; turning her grandmother against her.
Her father and Nicole arrive the following day for dinner and more gift exchange. The tension between Caitlin and the Wollman "siblings" is apparent. Grandmother and Father are not pleased by Caitlin's disrespectful attitude toward her elders. Her own family members assigned the task of shopping for her gifts to the Wollmans who have really bad taste. Caitlin is hurt. Nobody understands her.
To top it all off, Jed phones but all he wants to talk about is how great it is to be spending Christmas at Eve's family ranch where they've been snuggling up in front of the fire together, drinking wine, celebrating their "friendship."
Caitlin hangs up on him. Then she dials Ginny about that proposed Florida trip. She's in!
Chapter 18- Florida is hot and muggy as Caitlin and Ginny deplane. Julian sits brooding in the hotel lobby. Ginny spots him. Her heart sinks as she realizes he's not looking at her but the beautiful Caitlin Ryan, whom she could never compete with.
The winter break party for all the college students doesn't go any better for Ginny who prettied herself up especially for Julian. She's a wallflower while Julian steers Caitlin around the dance floor. Julian wants to ditch this hotel club party and take a secluded walk on the beach, just the two of them. Caitlin, her heart pounding in anticipation, agrees.
They sit in a double beach chair. Julian begins making out with Caitlin who responds with gusto until Julian moves his body erotically over hers and Caitlin panics. (Déjá vu, Caitlin?) In the middle of seducing her so he can destroy her, Julian is disgusted with himself. Caitlin is making him FEEL things! He might even be falling in love with her, darn it! He respects her "No, means no" and leaves.
Caitlin is confused by these feelings of arousal Julian has awakened in her. She almost had sex with him and that can't be right, because she's saving herself for Jed! Except she and Jed are over.
Maybe she should start going out with Julian.
The End
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