Page 12 of Choosing Skyler

“You’re different, though. You got in, dayone. I’m honestly a little jealous.” He chuckles, and I know he’s joking. “I don’t know if it’s because she feels like she knows you since I talked about you all the damn time or the fact that I trust you and she trusts me like you said before. Whatever it is, I’m so fucking happy to see it.”

I think about everything he just said, and something hits me. “Wait. I thought you said you kissed her the first day you met her.”

“I did. I laid it on her like she was the love of my life. But it was all in fun and she knew it. She laughed and introduced herself. Then, promptly told me if I really wanted to be her friend, I needed to keep my damn hands to myself. So, I did. We would hang out, play video games, watch TV, eat, drink, whatever. It was like finding a femaleyou. She’s even a computer programming major. So, we work on all the joint projects together. I don’t know, I guess she made me miss you less and I needed that friendship bond with someone here as much as she did,” he finishes.

“What happened? Whose ass did you kick? Why did that change things between you?” I ask. I’m not sure I want the details, but I have to know.

“Dirk Sheppard,” he sneers. “She was finally starting to come out of her shell a little. She would wear more, um, form fitting clothes, I guess. When I first met her, it was all big, baggy t-shirts and plain jeans. She was still a knockout, but it was like she was trying to hide. I talked her into going to the mall with me and checking out hotties. I was nervous as hell the first time I pointed at a guy and she could see that I really thought he was hot, but she wasn’t surprised in the least. She smacked me in the back of the head and told me not to point because ‘it’s rude.’ After that, she would let me help her pick out different outfits and she was getting a lot more comfortable wearing smaller t-shirts and tighter jeans. Well, it got noticed.

“The last day of classes before winter break Dirk came up to her in the hallway and asked her if she wanted to go to his cousin’s party with him on New Year's Eve. She told him that she would be there, but she didn’t want to go with him. He pushed her up against the wall and grabbed her ass just about the time I was walking out of class. When I saw her trying to push him off and him not moving, I lost it. I grabbed him by the arm and gave him a right jab right in the damn nose. When he tried to hit me back, I beat the shit out of him. I didn’t stop until he was lying on the ground, groaning, and threatening to send me to jail. Our old MMA instructor would have been proud,” he says with a smirk before turning serious as he continues.

“When I turned back around, she was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack. I held my hands up to her and she fell into my arms. I took her back to her dorm room and talked to her the way I would with you. She started breathing easier, but she trembled and wouldn’t talk for over two hours. Scared the shit out of me. I wanted to take her to the hospital, but she wouldn’t let me. I just kept telling her that she was okay, and I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.

“She finally calmed down and shocked the hell out of me by climbing in my lap and falling asleep. I just held onto her. She stayed curled up in my lap asleep until her roommate came in almost three hours later to grab her bags before leaving to go home over the break. Sky begged me not to leave her alone. I invited her to come home with me over the break, but she didn’t want to leave her room. So, I stayed in her dorm with her the whole break,” he finishes the story.

“I remember that. Mom and I missed you so damn much that Christmas. We Facetimed and I was giving you shit about the flowered comforter on your bed. You told me ‘Chicks dig it’.” I laugh, remembering.

He chuckles. “Yeah, I couldn’t leave her. She got better over break, and we ended up going to Tracey’s New Year’s Eve party at her grandfather’s cabin. Dirk is Tracey’s cousin, so I was surprised when I didn’t get kicked out at the door. Tracey told me and Sky that she knew he was an ass, and she was glad that Sky chose me over Dirk. I didn’t know what to say. I mean, we weren’t together like that, but I could tell that Sky didn’t want me to say anything, so I kept my mouth shut. Once we had a few drinks and started to loosen up I asked Sky to dance with me. She shocked the hell out of me when she agreed. Man, we danced like we were on set forDirty Dancing.

“Then,shekissedmeat midnight, and I just about lost my damned mind. I didn’t know if she wanted more or what? To me she was myfemale Brady,and I didn't know how to separate that from this new Sexy Sky. Turned out I didn’t have to, though. She told me on the way back to her dorm that she just wanted to have fun with someone that she trusted for once. She said that she knew I wouldn’t push her for more since we weren’t like that. Talk about a damn flood of relief. I had my best friendandthe hottest date for every college party after that and never had to choose between the two,” he tells me.

“Are you sure that she’s not in love with you? I mean, I know what she told you, but are you sure she’s not just trying to make you feel better about not having romantic feelings for her? She seems like the type that would do that,” I say, thinking maybe I’m in over my head after all.

“Who are you talking to? Do you thinkyoucould hide something like that from me?” he asks and waits for me to shake my head before continuing. “We’ve talked about it. In fact, we talk about it after every party, every kiss, every touch…” He stops and pins me with a serious look when I grimace at the wordtouch. “Which has never gone beneath the clothes by the way. Neither of us would ever risk our friendship by lying to each other. Think of it this way. If you ever got curious and wanted to make out with a guy, who would you go to?” He continues without waiting for my answer. “Me, because I’m your best friend and you trust me. Would that mean you were suddenly in love with me?” he asks.

“No, I guess you’re right. I get it when you put it that way,” I say as I look at my watch. “Shit, we need to get ready to go if we’re still going out. Skyler has to be almost ready by now.”

“Hell, yes, we’re still going out. I’m just gonna change my shirt. I’ll shower when we get home,” he says, grabbing a t-shirt from his dresser as I lift my suitcase.

We get changed and head into the living room to wait for Skyler. She’s still in her room and I’m hoping she’s really up for this. Though, I’m still not sure whichthisI’m referring to.

Chapter 6

Skyler

I take longer getting ready than I normally would. I want to look more put together since Brady saw me such a mess earlier today. I’m sure he thinks I’m a basket case. Who am I kidding? Iama basket case. Nevertheless, I blow dry my hair and straighten it before pulling it into a high ponytail. Then, I swipe some mascara on my already long lashes and some clear gloss on my plump lips. I’m wearing my new black t-shirt dress that I bought yesterday with black low-profile Converse. Don’t judge me, I like comfort. I’d go barefoot if I could get away with it.

I feel a heaviness with Devon and Brady that hasn’t been there the last couple of days, and I know it’s because they’re worried about me after my panic attack this afternoon. I’m determined to show them both that I’m okay and a fully functioning college girl. I like wings, beer, shooting pool and dancing. So, tonight… I’m going to do it all!

We decide to take an Uber to TG’s Happy Hour for dinner and drinks. The guys were all for going to regular restaurant, but I said wanted wings. So, TG’s it is.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go somewhere more quiet? You had a rough afternoon,” Brady says, holding the back passenger door open for me to slide in.

I get in and slide to the middle to make room for him while Devon goes to the other side. “Nope, I want wings, beer, pool, and dancing. It will make me feel betterandit will show you that I’m not a sad, panicky girl all the time.”Damn, Skyler. Shut your mouth.

Devon laughs when he gets in on my left side. “Sad, panicky girl? That’s not you at all. You’re Silly Sky with a side of Sexy Sky tonight. You never wear your hair up like that.”

Damn it, Devon.I ignore him, because I can’t lie to him, and I don’t want to say the truth out loud. I wear my hair down in public because I feel like my waves give me a curtain, something to hide behind. But tonight—I want to beseen.

Just then, I feel a finger trail down the right side of my neck as Brady leans in and whispers in my ear. “You should wear your hair like this more often, Beautiful.”

Then, he straightens and leans back in the seat like he didn’t just set my whole body on fire.

When we get to the bar, we head to a booth in the back between the pool tables and the dance floor. We order wings with celery and carrots (gotta havesomeveggies), onion rings, cheese sticks and a pitcher of Yuengling. We eat and drink while I laugh at the crazy stories Brady and Devon tell about their childhood. I’ve heard a lot of these stories before, but it’s like hearing them for the first time with Brady’s version of the tales.

“What about you?” Brady asks me. “You got any crazy stories to tell me? I feel like I’m giving you an awful lot of ammo, here,” he says with a deep chuckle.

My smile falls because I don’t have any funny, crazy tales from childhood. The only good memories I can recall at all are my Granny teaching me to crochet and craft when I was little but that’s pretty boring. Devon cuts in to save me like he always does.

---