Page 5 of Skye's Fall
“I had the same reaction,” Memphis says, laughing as he gestures for me to follow him to a table.
“Linc, dude, I’m sorry,” Beau says as he sets a couple steaks down. The meal looks good, but now I’m not sure if I can eat. News of my downfall travels fast. Memphis probably told him since he told Beau we were coming.
“Yeah, me too,” I agree.
“A guy in a suit came in and asked where the ranch was. I didn’t know why and didn’t ask him why he needed to know directions. I wish I would have.”
“Not your fault,” I reply glumly. Now I know that guy was on my property and he called the sheriff.
“Shots?” I know Beau feels bad, but it’s my family who should be sorry.
“Yes,” I nod and he whistles. A girl comes out and does this aerial artist shit, upside down, pouring the shots. It’s quite amazing. And she’s beautiful from behind— her ass is amazing. She’s half-dressed, too, and my cock twitches when it shouldn’t. The only person he ever wakes up for is Skye.
The girl sashays over to the table, setting the shots down.
I look up to thank the woman and to tell her what she did was beautiful when I realize it’s Skye who I was actually watching.
“Skye?” I snap. What is she doing? And before I say anything else, she takes off.
Memphis just looks at me weird. When I took Ever to the dance, he and I didn’t get along then, either. He was already dating Skye, but I kept trying and Skye kept coming around. And then she said yes to his proposal. Not to brag, but the day I had sex with her in the church was both amazing and sad. I know I should tell him, but I can’t. I keep chickening out. He would probably beat the shit out of me. I would. It was his wedding day after all.
I loved her, and just wished she would have chosen me. Shit happens. And right now mine is piling up.
Chapter Three
Skye
Stupid Beau. I think he just wants to humiliate me. I think he loves to humiliate me. Oh wait, he does, that’s why he put the sign up so people would come watch Skye’s fall from grace.
I didn’t look to see who he was talking to, didn’t even care. Not until I walked my dumb ass over to the table, only to find Memphis and Linc were watching me the whole time.
“Fucking asshole.” I start taking off bracelets and rip at my shirt. I just need to breathe. I feel constricted.
“I’m pretty sure being naked in public is punishable by a fine.” I jump at those words and find Sal staring at me. “In fact, I believe the sheriff upped it to over a thousand after the football game championship win.”
I blink a few times, trying to compute what he just said and the fact that I had been ripping clothes off in anger. In his defense, his gaze doesn’t leave my face and wander down my now barely covered body.
“I can’t do this,” I whisper absentmindedly. I can’t work at the bar, or be in the same room as Linc. I don’t think I can even be in the same town. I want him still, after all these years. I need him in my life, but he doesn’t want me anywhere near him.
“Work at the bar?” He tilts his head and waits patiently for me to tell him why I was storming across the parking lot half naked.
“My brother wants me to do these stunts, aerial stunts. I loved doing them when I was in Atlanta, but here it seems wrong. I think he just wants to humiliate me, exploit my embarrassment from last season. And then on top of it, this is MY uniform, not anyone else’s, just mine.” I gesture to the barely-there shorts and top that Beau wants me to wear. I might as well call myself a stripper. I keep going, telling Sal everything about how I feel.
Slow down, turbo. Talk about word vomit.
“Maybe he does want to embarrass you. Or maybe he knows you like doing that kind of stuff.”
“The aerial stuff?” I want him to clarify.
“Yes,” he nods.
“I don’t know.” I turn and look where he’s staring and see a sign that says I work there. My fucking asshole brother is cashing in on the fact that I was a bitch on national TV. I knew he said he had one made up, just didn’t think he would put it out for real.
I hate my life. And to top it off, I made a fool of myself in front of the one person I love. He hates me anyway.
“I’ll take down the sign. Beau won’t know it’s missing,” Sal offers. I’m still wondering why he’s here.
“Why are you here, Sal?” Should have asked that in the first place.
