Page 75 of Ethan's Sky

I’m still trying to process his words when Kieran answers for me. “I’m sure she could. The lass does know a thing or two about fighting, but you can leave Ethan’s training to the professionals.” Kieran winks. “From the looks of things, if she were to spar with Ethan, all he’d be working out is how to get in her pants. That’s not exactly the strategy he needs to work on for Vargas.” Kieran laughs.

Cash smiles, “True.”

I’m drinking down some water still stuck on the fact Cash told me Skyler’s been following my career as a fighter. Why would she if she hates me? I mean we have nothing between us anymore except anger and frustration. We’re not friends. We don’t talk. She fucking left me! So why would she do something like follow me if she didn’t care for me? And if she does care, why didn’t she reach out? She could’ve come home at any time. Gone to one of my fights with the Kings. They’d have gotten her front row seats.

But she didn’t do any of those things.

She just stayed the fuck away…from everyone. Well, maybe not everyone given how close she is with Cash and the others. She wasn’t staying away from them.

She was only hiding from me.

“My money would be on the lass. In a fight against Ethan.” Kieran taunts.

“Mine too.” Cash laughs. “Sky fights dirty, but she also fights smart. We made sure of it. She’s calculated. She’ll bide her time to take your ass out if she has to.”

“Maybe I should sign her up to fight for my team.” Kieran states. “Sounds like she could keep her head in the game.”

“Sky won’t fight for sport.” He tells Kieran. “She does it because she needs to feel like she can protect herself and those she cares about. Mostly, she uses it to fight her demons.”

“What demons?” I don’t know why, but I suddenly have the need to know.

Cash shrugs. “We don’t ask about them. We all have our shit. But we also know they’re who she’s fighting every time she gets in the cage.”

I spend the rest of the day formulating a plan to talk to her, only no one will tell me where to find her. Even Cash has gone radio silent.

15

SKYLER

My head is a jumbled mess. Spent most of the day buried under the covers, sleeping off the half bottle of whiskey I drank after Cash drove me home from the Pearl last night. It’s been my routine since the incident at the clubhouse.

I wasn’t ready to face the shame I felt yet.

I even tried working off my frustrations in the cage at the gym. Ethan wasn’t supposed to train until hours later. I figured I could get in there, spar a few rounds with Anna or Cash and I’d feel better. But the jackass had to some in and ruin the little sense of peace I had finally started feeling. It wasn’t good enough to ruin my training session, he decided he needed to go toe to toe with Cash in the cage too. The reason for Ethan’s tantrum? He was pissed to find me working out in his precious gym! And the worst part of it all?

I still want him and his hypocritical ass!

Do I have regrets?

Only one. I wish what happened between us at the Pearl hadn’t happened as Scarlet and Ethan. I wish the person Ethan worshiped would’ve been Skyler.

I should’ve told him.

It wouldn’t have happened.

What hurts most is knowing the man, I’ve been craving, that I’ve loved all this time, could so easily hate me, and get lost in fucking another woman.

He’s been doing it for years, Sky. Don’t be naive.

Scarlet was one of many women for him to lose himself in and forget about me.

But then he kissed me at the clubhouse, and I felt it. The electricity, the connection between us. I thought maybe he still felt the pull between us. But when he pulled away, shouting not only how much he didn’t want me, but how he hated me, there was no question.

Ethan is over me.

I thought, no, I hoped, maybe, there was a chance he’d forgive me or at least he would start to. I thought…

Doesn’t matter.

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