Page 129 of Ethan's Sky

“Actually, Emily reached out to me.” Clearing my throat, I explain, “She came to my house one night when Daddy was on a run. She told me she and Chase had a fight. She didn’t want to talk about it and needed a distraction and I just blurted it out. It was the perfect distraction.

“Emily was so excited. She couldn’t wait to help me plan a way to tell you. I told her I didn’t want you to know until I was further along and certain everything was okay. So, we planned to tell you when you came home after your last fight at camp.”

“She ordered a bunch of shit online. A blue onesie she had customized with ‘daddy’s little fighter’ and a pair of tiny white booties. She found a super soft blue blanket and a bunch of other little things we would need, completely convinced it would be a boy. I don’t even know how she managed to pay for it all, but she ordered it and had it shipped to my house.”

“We hung out like we always did eating snacks and watching Rom-Coms. It was like we never spent any time apart. But by the second night she was acting strange. Scratching her arms like she was having an allergic reaction to something. Then she began to sweat and get snappy about every little thing I said. Eventually she decided she was tired and didn’t feel well and since she didn’t want me to get sick or hurt the baby in any way, she went home. I didn’t hear from her again, not even at school for a week or more. And when I finally did it was short and sweet. Like she couldn’t wait to be away from me.”

“Things went back to the way they had been. Emily off with Chase and his friends partying while I stayed home with my books or taking care of Daddy. It hurt, but she had a boyfriend, and I knew whenever you were home, it was like that for us. I wanted to spend every minute with you I could until you would have to leave again. So, I tried not to fault Emily for it.”

34

ETHAN

Skyler stares down at her hands twisting in her lap. She doesn’t want to tell me whatever comes next. Her breathing has become more ragged, and her pulse has picked up.

Taking her hands in mine, I lean in and kiss her on the mouth. It’s not hungry or needy like the others. This kiss is soft, sweet, soothing. I need her to know she’s safe with me, that I’m not angry with her. I want to know the truth so we can both heal our past and move ontogether.

When I pull back from the kiss, Sky’s eyes are glazed. The heat and desire are back, but I need her to finish telling me what happened.

“Then what happened, baby?” I kiss her forehead again. “You can tell me.”

She exhales deeply. “The night she, uh, she died, she had called me. She sounded off. Her words slow, slurred. She was upset, sounded like she’d been crying. She asked me to come get her because she wanted to go home. I had her send me her location so I could track her on my GPS. She didn’t stay at the party where she had called me from. I followed her location to the alley where the police were told they could find her. Chase was there with her.”

Skyler sniffles. “I didn’t know, Ethan. Her clothes were torn. She had blood and bruises everywhere. Mascara streaked her face blended with tear tracks. Her hair was a matted mess. When I got to her car she wasn’t breathing.” She hiccups the last word.

I’ve never seen Skyler this broken and it’s fucking killing me.

Skyler grabs my face with both her shaking hands, her beautiful eyes red and puffy, pleading with me. “I didn’t know, Ethan. I swear to all that is holy, I didn’t fucking know she had gotten that bad. I thought she was out drinking, but I had no idea Emily had gone and gotten herself into so much trouble. I’m so sorry I didn’t help her. I should’ve forced her to spend more time with me, or-or gone with her to keep her out of trouble. Something. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She keeps repeating her apology until finally she stops talking and buries her face in her hands as she lets herself grieve.

Wrapping my arms around her, lifting her legs, I stand and turn putting her in my lap on the bed and hold her while she cries.

I don’t know how long we sit like this. I want to let her do what she needs to do to feel better.

“You never grieved for her, did you?” I ask, sure I already know the answer.

“It came in stages. I cried sometimes when I was alone in my apartment, blaming myself for not knowing, not being there to save her. I know that probably makes me an asshole friend, but if I’m completely honest, I hated Emily for a while. If she hadn’t gotten with Chase and gotten herself hooked on his drugs, she would still be alive. Our baby would be healthy, happy, and in school by now. I wouldn’t have had to leave you or my family behind, while people thought I cheated on you and ran away with the bastard. I wouldn’t have had to keep secrets for the fucking club so my uncle and Hawk didn’t get thrown in jail, and a war between clubs could be prevented.”

“How was Hawk going to go to jail?” In everything I’ve heard over the last few days, no one has mentioned Hawk being involved.

“He was a prospect at the time. He helped Ghost dispose of the body. Prospects always get the shitty jobs.”

Anger courses through me. “Hawk knew about Emily and what happened to you? Chase’s death? Why didn’t he ever tell me?” He’s been my closest friend. He saved my ass when I was spiraling out of control. And all this time when he knew I was going out of my mind, heknewwhat happened and he didn’t tell me shit.

Skyler grabs my face in her soft hands, pulling my face to hers. “He was a prospect. He didn’t have club business privileges and he wanted his patch. Think back to when you were a prospect. Did you ever tell anyone about the shit you did or what you saw?”

She’s right. As a prospect you keep shit to yourself to prove your loyalty. If you can follow the rules, not bitch, and moan, and keep shit quiet, you’ll get your patch and only then will you be trusted to know what’s said at the table.

“No.”

“Hawk was patched in a couple days later and his first job was to take care of you. To make sure you didn’t do something stupid like hurting yourself. Hawk was meant to get you fighting again. Keep you healthy. And when the time was right, convince you to prospect for the Kings.”

“How do you know all this shit?” And why does it feel like my becoming a King was orchestrated form the get-go?

“It was my only stipulation when Gabe told me I had to leave.” Sky swallows hard, nervous.

“What stipulation is that?”

“I agreed to leave and stay gone, so no one could question me about Chase or the club’s involvementifGabe agreed to watch over you, keep you safe and fighting again. And the last part of the deal, I made Gabe promise to make you a King because I knew you would need support, a family. People to rally around you and keep you from throwing your life away.” Sky releases my face, her hands wringing the edge of the towel.

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