Page 13 of Chasing Ink
And then she walks away.Leaving me with her wise words to spin through my head on repeat.I sit on the porch and sip the remains of her beer.I have no idea what the fuck to do next, but I do know I don’t want to let Skye walk out of my life.
I stare at the star filled sky and listen to the waves crash against the shoreline as I try to work through the options I don’t have.There is only one way to make sure that she stays.I need to talk to Luke.
The moment I think of him, he appears from between the bungalows, frowning as he steps onto my porch.He falls into the seat beside me with a sigh and we sit in silence.
“What the fuck am I going to do?”he asks after long minutes of silence.
“Luke...”
“She’s my sister, man.I know I’m overprotective but I’m just looking out for her.How the hell am I supposed to do that when she moves out of town?”
“Have you thought of backing off?”I ask when he stops talking.
He looks at me with disbelief.“You’re just as bad as I am.And so is Lain, Adam, even fucking Damien.”
“Yeah,” I say with a sigh.“We all just want to protect her.”
“And now it’s driving her away.”
I sit there, gathering my courage to tell him the truth when I spot Skye walking out of her bungalow and to the beach.“I’ll talk to her.”
“Thanks, man,” he slaps my shoulder before standing up and walking away.
****
Iwait a full fiveminutes after Luke leaves before I walk down to the beach.I know that Skye is down here somewhere, I just need to find her.And it isn’t hard to do.
She is sitting on the sand in her a different sundress with her toes in the sand, staring at the waves.The moonlight casts enough illumination that I can see the tears coating her cheeks.My heart stutters in my chest and all I want to do is make it better for her.
I know I am the only person who can.
I sit beside her in silence while she cries.I don’t pull her closer or lift her onto my lap.I let her have this moment and wait for her to speak first.
“I hate this,” she whispers.
“I know, baby doll.”
“Why does everything have to be so damn hard?”
I chuckle at the words.Nothing worth having will ever come easily.I read the quote somewhere a long time ago and it resonates with me in the moment.I know what I want, and I know how to get it, I just need to be careful about how I do it.
“I don’t want you to leave Franklinton,” I say after a long silence.
She turns to stare at me, but I keep my gaze fixed on the water.
“So, you want me to stay where I am and never find happiness?”Her voice is so small and sad that my resolve snaps and I gather her into my arms.
“No.I want you to stay in Franklinton with me.”I wipe the tears off her cheeks and hold her face steady.
“What about Luke?”
“They’re here for a few more days and then they head off to Paris for another week.I don’t want to say something while they’re on Honeymoon, but the moment he gets back home...”
“Are you serious?”Hope shines in her gaze as she whispers the question.
“Dead serious.But you need to be sure this is what you want,” I say seriously.“Once I ring this bell it can’t be unrung.You need to be sure we are worth it because I know Luke is going to lose his damn mind when he finds out.”
She laughs freely before throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me passionately.For long moments, that is all we do before I lift her off my lap.I stand and offer her the crook of my arm.We walk side by side to the door of her bungalow.
