Page 44 of Keeping Skylar
Heath:Lol, I’m being real. Hannah and I were raised with strong morals and values. You’ll notice that about us pretty quickly. Hey, is it too weird to ask if I can call you? It’s hard to really get a sense of someone through texting alone. What do you say?
Good lord! I’m still battling this hangover, and I haven’t even had my morning coffee yet. I rush to the fridge, grab a bottle of water, and down half of it in one go. My nerves are all over the place, and I can’t quite figure out why. It’s only Hannah’s brother, not the King of Denmark.
After I reluctantly send Heath a message letting him know it’s okay, a short time later, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I take a few deep breaths before answering the phone.
“Hello?” I answer, trying my best to sound sober and alert.
“Hey, Skylar.”
Woah! Holy mother of Jesus!Heath sounds hot! His voice is deep and silky smooth, and goddammit, the way he says my name.Get a grip, Skylar! Focus!
“You’re right, this is so much better.”
He chuckles, and that laugh, it does something to my insides. “I haven’t caught you at a bad time, have I?” he asks.
I shake my head, forgetting for a split moment that he can’t see me. “Not at all. I was just catching up on some laundry, but I have some time to spare.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I know how serious business laundry can be, so I won’t take up too much of your time,” he jokes, and I can’t help but giggle. “After the rather colourful conversation I had with my drunk sister last night, I figured it was only fair I introduce myself. She had plenty to say about you—or at least from what I could decipher through the slurring and barfing—which I’ve got to admit, left me quite intrigued,” he adds.
“Oh, did she now? All positive things, I hope,” I reply with a playful tone.
“Let’s put it this way. She made it seem as if I’d be meeting the Duchess of Cambridge.”
I burst out laughing, and he chuckles in response. How is it possible that I’m actually enjoying this conversation with a complete stranger?
“Oh, bless her little heart. She always has a way of exaggerating,” I say with an English accent.
He snorts, then breaks into a full-blown howl of laughter. “You’re such a dag! I love it,” he manages between chuckles. Soon, we’re both laughing uncontrollably, and just like that, it hits me—I haven’t laughed like this in months. Who is this guy?
“In all seriousness,” he says, attempting to compose himself, “my little sister convinced me that you’re a genuinely decent person with a stellar personality. After that, it didn’t take much for me to pick up the phone and contact you.”
My cheeks flush at the compliment. “Well, thank you. That’s kind of you to say that. Wait! Did you say she’s your little sister? I thought you were twins?”
“Yup! I’m older by five minutes, which makes me the wiser, smarter and more mature sibling,” he says, sarcasm dripping from every word.
This guy is too much. I can see why Hannah was so certain that we’d get along just fine. He’s a real charmer.
“I’m yet to agree with that. Hannah is pretty amazing.”
“It runs in the family.”
“I have no doubt.” I chuckle lightly. “So, when are you due to come back?” I quickly redirect the conversation to the topic at hand.
“Right. Sorry about that. Things kind of got intense there for a minute. I’ll be back not this Wednesday, but the next, so, a about two weeks from now. Once I leave the ship, I need to head back to my apartment to collect my things and put some furniture into storage,” he explains.
“Okay, great. Well, the room is pretty much ready to go. It’s fully furnished, and the rent covers all utilities.”
“Sounds perfect! Hannah mentioned you’ve never lived with a roommate before—mind if I ask what changed?”
I’m still wondering about that too. But he doesn’t need to know that. “I just moved to the city three months ago. It’s my first time living alone, and the apartment feels a little too big and quiet. Not that it’s a bad thing, I just prefer having company around, and it would help out financially as well,” I clarify.
“Well, I’m not going to sit here and tell you how amazing my company is. I’d prefer to show you if you give me the opportunity.”
Okay, seriously. Does this guy have a script somewhere that he pulls out on cue? He’s saying all the right things.
While I may not completely trust Heath just yet, I do trust Hannah—and I know she wouldn’t recommend someone unless she genuinely believed they would be a good fit. Besides, I could always take Mila’s advice and treat it as a three-month trial. That way, if things don’t work out, there’s no pressure to commit to anything long-term.
“Thank you for saying that, Heath. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but if we’re going to do this, I’d prefer to start with a three-month lease, if that’s okay with you. It’ll give us both a chance to see if we’re compatible as roommates,” I say gently.
