Page 82 of Keeping Skylar
For someone who has never known such profound love, this is what heartache feels like—a deep, twisting pain in the chest that makes every breath a battle. There is a gnawing emptiness in the pit of your stomach, an aching lump in your throat as you watch the woman you love, sneaking behind your back to meet another man, one who is still deeply in love with her.
I’ve been standing outside the Decadence Hotel for the past twenty minutes, watching Skylar and Kaden through the window as they enjoy a pleasant and civilised dinner together. To anyone else, they appear to be just another happy couple, and the sight is almost too painful to bear.
After finishing work a few hours early to surprise her, I decided to stop by the bottle shop on my way home to pick up her favourite wine. As I passed the hotel near the store, I caught sight of a woman sitting inside the restaurant, someone who looked strikingly familiar.
When I realised the woman I was staring at was Skylar, I was confused at first. I couldn’t understand why she would be having dinner with another man without telling me. But when I finally recognised who she was with, the shock was so great it nearly brought me to my knees.
For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating. Why on earth would Skylar be having dinner with her ex? Everything between us has been going so well; it makes no sense to see her out withKaden—especially after she told me they were finished. But now, seeing the genuine smiles on their faces and how easily they’re enjoying each other’s company, I’m starting to wonder if I’ve misunderstood everything.
Not wanting to be caught watching them through the window, I quickly turn away and take the long way home, tossing the bottle of wine into a rubbish bin as I leave. I need fresh air and time to think before I can face Skylar again. It’s better to prepare myself now—for the moment she walks through the door and tells me she’s had a change of heart, that she wants to rekindle her relationship with Kaden after all.
And if she does, how on earth will I survive the heartache?
I’m about to pour my third shot of whiskey when I hear the apartment door creak open. Moments later, Skylar steps into the kitchen, looking happier, and more breathtaking than ever. But her smile quickly fades as she takes in the sight of me, slumped over the island counter, dishevelled and clutching a bottle of whiskey.
She actually has the nerve to look surprised, as if she doesn’t know she’s about to break my heart into a million fucking pieces. When I greet her with a curt nod and a forced smile, she frowns, stepping closer as she sets her purse down on the counter. “Hey,” she says cautiously. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home so early.” Of course—what better time to meet up with your ex-husband than when your boyfriend’s busy working his arse off?
I chug down the shot of whiskey in one swift gulp, the burning liquid coursing down my throat, warming me from the inside. I glance back at Skylar, forcing myself to sound coherent. “I came home to surprise you, but you weren’t here.”
A flicker of guilt and nervous tension crosses her face. “I just went out to dinner with an old friend,” she lies before asking, “is everything alright, Heath?”
“What do you think?” I reach for the bottle of whiskey once more, but Skylar quickly snatches it away from me.
“What the hell is going on? How much have you had to drink?”
“A few, yet not enough. But don’t worry, babe, I’m all good.” I flash her a crooked grin.
“Heath, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m starting to get worried. Why are you sitting here alone, drinking one shot after another like its water?”
I stand up abruptly, causing Skylar to jump back. Without so much as a glance in her direction, I stride past her and head into the living room. As I make my way to the couch, I can feel her eyes on me—curious, uneasy. I collapse onto the couch and grab the remote, flipping through channels in a desperate search for something to distract myself.
A few minutes later, Skylar comes over and sits beside me. She turns, her eyes anxiously searching my face. Neither of us says a word, but it’s clear she’s eager to figure out what’s wrong.
Desperate to drown out the chaos in my mind, I crank up the volume on the TV, but Skylar quickly reaches over, plucks the remote from my hand, and switches it off.
She moves to kneel in front of me, forcing me to meet her gaze. The worry and nervousness etched across her face stir a twinge of guilt in my chest for causing her distress.
Taking both of my hands in hers, she gives them a gentle squeeze, holding my gaze firmly. “Please, Heath. Talk to me. Have I done something wrong?” she asks, her voice pleading.
I glance down at our joined hands before lifting my eyes to hers, those gorgeous honey-brown eyes that I always seem to get lost in. She’s so goddamn beautiful it makes my chest ache; part of me longs to pull her into my arms, to feel her warmth againstme once more. But the other part wants to run, to hide, before she has a chance to tear my heart out. “I saw you,” I whisper.
She frowns. “You saw me? Doing what?”
“I saw you with Kaden tonight. Is he the old friend you’re talking about?”
Skylar gasps, her eyes widening. “Baby, I don’t know exactly what you saw, but it’s not what you think,” she says in one breath.
I jerk my hands away from hers, causing her to stumble onto the floor. The shock and hurt in her eyes tug at my heart, tempting me to reach out and check if she’s okay. But then I remember that she went behind my back to go on a date with her ex-husband.
Anger and pain rages through me once again at the very thought. “And what exactly am I thinking, Skylar?”
She stays seated on the floor, making no attempt to get back up. Her eyes begin to well with unshed tears. “You think I went behind your back to ...”
“You did go behind my back!” I snap, cutting her off mid-sentence. “You went to dinner with your ex-husband, alone, without even having the courtesy to tell me. I had to see it with my own eyes—him touching and kissing your hand, making you laugh and smile. Do you know how that made me feel watching that?”
“You don’t understand, Heath. I needed to see him.” She sobs, tears sliding down her cheeks.
“For what? You said it was over between you two. You said you were divorcing him. Unless ... unless you still love him.”
