Page 39 of Keeping Skylar
After hanging up, I stay slumped on the couch for a few more minutes, replaying my conversation with Mila about Kaden and Lucia. The thought of them together—in love, living the couple life—while I’m here, feeling alone and utterly miserable, makes me want to scream into the void and beg the universe to hurry up and deliver some real karma.
One day, I’ll wake up and neither of them will cross my mind. The anger, the hurt—they’ll finally set me free. I just pray that day comes sooner rather than later. Until then, I guess I’ve got drinks with Hannah to look forward to—my first real taste of freedom.
CHAPTER 16
Skylar
It’s the start of a new school week, and Hannah and I are unwinding in the staffroom, enjoying a spread of baked treats our fellow teachers brought in for today’s school bake sale. I’ve got a slice of her crème brûlée cheesecake in front of me, and oh my God—it’s next level. Rich, decadent, and just the right amount of sweetness...it’s hands down one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I’m trying to play it cool, but honestly, it’s takingallmy willpower not to sneak off with the rest of the tray.
“Holy shit, Hannah. These are insane! I can’t stop eating them!” I exclaim, my eyes practically rolling into the back of my head as I savour another bite.
She chuckles; her mouth full of lemon meringue pie. “Oh, thank you. It’s actually my brother’s recipe. He taught me how to make them from scratch,” she mumbles.
“That’s right. I recall you saying that he’s a chef.”
She gives a proud little nod. “Yup. Heath’s a real chef whiz. He can literally use any ingredient left over in your fridge or pantry and turn it into a work of art,” she declares.
“Wow, that good, huh?”
“He’s phenomenal in the kitchen—super talented. I’ll have to invite you over to our place one evening when he’s around. You’ll see. He’ll whip up a feast that will surely knock your socks off,” she says with confidence.
“Well, I look forward to it. I love food in general, so it doesn’t take much to satisfy me.” I grin. A feast prepared by a talented chef? You don’t have to ask me twice.
“Hey, are you free this Friday evening?” Hannah asks.
I nod and take a sip of water from my bottle. “Yeah, I am. Why’s that? Do you have something in mind?”
“Want to go out for drinks after work? There’s an Irish pub nearby that has some of the best happy hour specials in the city,” she boasts.
“That sounds great. What’s the name of the pub?”
“It’s called Coyle’s Irish Pub, just off Bayview Drive.”
“Oh, I know that place!” I beam, unable to hide the thrill in my voice. “I’ve been wanting to check it out since I moved here. It looks fantastic!”
“We can meet there at five, when happy hour starts. Make sure you eat beforehand, because this little lady”—she points to her chest—”wants to get da-runk!”
I let out a small chuckle. “Sounds like a plan.”
We spend the rest of our lunch time talking about the things we did in class this morning. Hannah teaches Year 1, so, she’s always full of crazy stories. I tell her about my Pre-K’s kindness project that we’ve recently started and how that’s coming along.
Our conversation flows effortlessly, never a dull moment between us. But I’m caught off guard when she suddenly asks me what led to the separation between Kaden and me.
From the moment I met the tiny brunette, her kindness, honesty, and integrity stood out—qualities that had been sorely lacking in Lucia. She struck me as genuinely compassionate, the kind of person you could confide in without fear of judgement. I can already see the beginnings of a real friendship between us. And that’s what gives me the courage to finally open up and share my story with her.
“Well, to cut a long story short, I found out my husband was having an affair with a colleague I’d once considered a close friend,” I admit, a sharp ache tightening in my chest at the memory.
Hannah’s eyebrows shoot up, her eyes widening in disbelief. “I’m so sorry, Skylar. That’s truly awful—one of the worst things anyone can go through. It’s their loss at the end of the day. Because, honey, you are far too amazing for people like that.” She gives me a sincere smile, and I return it with a small one of my own. “Would it be fair to assume that’s why you moved here?” she asks gently.
I nod slowly, my gaze falling to my hands in my lap. The scars from Kaden’s betrayal are still too fresh, too raw. The last thing I want is to lose my composure in front of Hannah and the others, so I leave it at that.
Noticing my discomfort, Hannah quickly shifts the conversation. “Drinks are on me this Friday night! We’ll make it a night to remember—and yes, this may or may not involve us getting completely hammered.” She grins. “We can Uber to the bar, and then have Nate bring us home afterward,” she adds, as if she’s been planning this night for ages.
I smile at her, grateful for the effort she’s putting into lifting my spirits. It’s moments like these that give me hope—that maybe things will work out for me, and that life here might not be as difficult as it feels. And I owe it to the amazing woman sitting next to me.
After dinner, I sink into the couch and surrender to an unhealthy binge of trashy reality TV. I wonder whose dumb idea it was to bring ten complete strangers and trap them inside a cabin in themiddle of nowhere, completely cutting them off from the outside world? I can’t even begin to fathom why anyone would willingly sign up for that. The thought of sharing space with one stranger is bad enough—let alone nine others. Just imagining it makes my skin crawl.
As the episode ends, my phone buzzes on the coffee table—almost like it’s right on cue. I glance over at the lit-up screen and spot a notification from Kirstin in our group chat. I reach for my phone, tap the alert, and start reading.
