Page 19 of Keeping Skylar
Hating the distance between us, I stand up and walk towards my wife. As I gently pull her into my arms, I feel her body tense at the touch. She stands rigid for a few seconds before slowly relaxing, her arms lightly wrapping around me.
I gently cup her cheeks and lean down, brushing my lips softly against hers. “I’ve missed you,” I whisper, the words barely a breath between us.
She graces me with her beautiful dimpled smile. The smile that always thaws my heart. My gorgeous, sweet wife.Allmine.
“What have you got planned for the rest of the day?” I ask.
“Umm ... I’m going to pop into the store to run some errands and then start on chores. That’s about it.” She shrugs.
“While you’re at the store, why don’t you pick yourself out a nice dress.” I smile while gently stroking her arms.
“What for?” She frowns.
“I’m taking you out on a date tonight.”
Her body stiffens and, for a minute, she almost looks nervous. I’m slightly confused by her reaction.
“Unless you have other plans?” I raise an eyebrow, daring her to say otherwise.
She pulls away, creating space between us once again. “No.” She shakes her head. “I just ... I wasn’t expecting us to go out tonight. It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper date,” she explains. Her words hit me hard in the chest, and I instantly feel guilty for being such a neglectful husband.
“I know. That’s on me. I’ve been so caught up with work that I didn’t realise how long it’s been since we’ve done something nice together. But I want to make it up to you. So, what do you say? Want to go out on a date with me tonight?”
She hesitates, her eyes drifting to the window, her expression hard to read. I can’t quite tell if she’s concealing her enthusiasm or if she’s simply not interested at all.
“What’s wrong?” I ask when she doesn’t respond. “You don’t seem excited by the idea.”
She glances back at me and shakes her head. “Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking about something. But umm ... yeah. I’d like that. It would be good to get out of the house. Where are you taking us?”
“I was thinking Morelli’s by the Harbour. How does that sound?” I hold her gaze, lost in the depths of her warm, golden-brown eyes, eyes that have always held me captive.
“My favourite. Sounds perfect.” She smiles.
I lean in, pressing my lips softly to hers again, but she keeps her mouth closed, not allowing me in.Huh.
Pulling back just slightly, I take a moment to admire my wife’s beautiful face. Her cheeks have turned a soft pink, just like they always do when I kiss her. I release her and she immediately takes a step back, glancing in the direction of the bedrooms.
“Well, I’m just going to quickly change then be on my way. I’ll see you tonight?” I nod and without another word, she turns and heads towards our bedroom.
As I stand alone in the centre of the room, I make a silent vow to myself: Tonight, I will show Sky just how much I can make her happy, how worthy I am of her love and forgiveness. Tonight is all about us—a husband still deeply in love with his wife, and I’m resolved to show her just how much she means to me.
CHAPTER 9
Skylar
Ever catch yourself thinking, ‘Why the fuck did I agree to do this?’ because that’s been playing on a loop in my head since the minute I planted my arse in this ridiculously overpriced restaurant.
It’s date night, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more petrified than I do at this very moment. Which is absurd, right? I mean, what wife is scared out of her mind about going to a fancy romantic dinner with her husband? It’s not like we haven’t done this a million times before.
Since discovering Kaden’s affair, every normal thing we used to do as a couple now feels like one big performance. Nothing feels natural or meaningful anymore, at least not to me. I find myself wondering if there’s any point in keeping up this pathetic charade.
I’m sitting across from Kaden at Morelli’s, sipping my first glass of Chardonnay for the evening. Honestly, I’m planning to polish an entire bottle by the end of the night just to survive this insufferable evening with him.
He hasn’t stopped watching me all night—his eyes trailing my every move, like he’s afraid I’ll just up and disappear. There’s a softness in his gaze, a warmth I haven’t seen in a long time. It’s the kind of look that speaks of quiet devotion, and frankly ... it’s making me kind of uncomfortable.
Morelli’s is a bit on the fancier side; the kind of place you take your date when you want to make a lasting impression.Kaden has brought me here several times before, but it’s been a year since our last visit together, which makes tonight feel even stranger.
He’s been acting differently today—a little too affectionate and attentive, and I can’t quite decide if I should be more worried about it or not. I do have a few suspicions for why that might be though: 1) he senses that I know something’s up, 2) the guilt over his affair is starting to weigh on him, or 3) he simply had a huge fight with Lucia and is probably using me to make her grovel. Whatever the reason, something feels off, and it’s really unnerving.
