“When have I had time to see anyone, Dominic? I’m either here at my shop, or with you or Joey. I can’t go anywhere without one of you stuck to me. Gavin here works for my father, Dominic. He is head of security.” Tapping Gavin on his arm to release her, she walked over and stood in front of Dom.
“I’m going to my parents’ for a few days, ok. That’s it.”
Looking back at Gavin again, he muttered, “I need to tell you something.”
“Ok.”
“I’m leaving for business today. I won’t be back till either tomorrow or the next day, depending on how it goes.”
“You seriously just stood here and questioned me for going to my parents’ house, when all along you were going somewhere yourself?”
He rubbed his neck. “You know what, I don’t care. You do what you want, and I’ll do the same. Hope you enjoy your business trip.” She stormed past him, but his arm shot out and grabbed her, spinning her around to face him.
“Listen to me, Chantal. Joey will be watching you while I’m gone, don’t do anything stupid,” he barked.
The bloody nerve of him! Really, he wants to go there!
“Dominic, you’re not my keeper. Neither is Joey. This between us is just hot, steamy sex. That’s it. No relationship. Just sex,” she bit back. How dare he stand right in front of her and say that.
“You really believe it’s just sex?”
“Yes, I do. That is all that is between us, nothing more.”
“Fine, have it your way then. I’ll see you when I get back.”
After that, he walked out of her shop. Was it stupid of her to say it was just sex between them? Or was it more? She wanted more, but knew he wasn’t the commitment type, never has been, never will be. Did she screw it up by voicing that? Maybe she should have told him how she really felt. No. He had his life, she had her own.
“Miss Winters, your mother is expecting you,” Gavin reminded her.
“Let me grab some things from the back, and then we can go.”
“Very well.”
Walking into the back of her shop, she leaned against the door.
God, what have I done?
What if he actually stops seeing her, or being in her bed? Did she want that? Could she move on from him? Why couldn’t she keep her mouth shut? She never could do that, always had to say what was on her mind at that time.
Throwing several things into a bag, she walked out to meet Gavin by the door.
“Ready?”
“Yeah, let’s go before my mother sends the rest of the team.” She laughed.
Making their way to the car, she glanced around hoping to still see Dom’s truck out front, but found nothing. What did she expect, for him to still be here, waiting for her to exit her shop? No. She made it clear, well to him, where they stood. If she weren’t so afraid that he would run, she would have been honest and confessed she wanted there to be more than just sex. But, she hadn’t, and he ran regardless.
She really needed to think before she spoke.
––––––––
S
kylar was lying on her couch when someone knocked on her door. Lifting herself up, she waddled to the door. Opening it, she sobbed at who stood there.
“Baby, don’t cry,” Craig said.
“I missed you so much, Craig,” she said as she wrapped herself around him as much as she could.
“How long are you back for?” She sobbed, as they walked back to the couch.
“Well, depending on how this meeting goes, I won’t be leaving on trips anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, Sky. They are opening their own company here in Glacier. That will be the furthest I go.”
“Thank God, you’re back.”
He stood up. “So, what’s been going on, you haven’t said much over the phone?” he asked as he helped her off the couch. “Damn, you’re getting big.” He laughed.
“I want this baby out soon,” she groaned.
“Sweetheart, you have nearly three months to go. Stop changing the subject. What’s been going on?”
Taking a deep breath, she admitted, “Well, I went to a therapy session the other day. That went well, I think.”
“What about Nate, how are things going there?” he asked as she sat at the table.
“Um....”
“Skylar.”
“There was an incident, and I had to go to the hospital.”
“What incident. Why didn’t you call me? And what does it have to do with Nate?”
“Well, there was blood after I got out of the shower. Nate rushed me to the hospital, I thought I was losing the baby.” She wiped the tears from her eyes.
“What? Is everything alright?”
“Yes, thank God. Then, when we were at the hospital, Nate proposed,” she whispered. The next part was going to be hard to explain.
“That’s great news, Sky. Where is the ring, better yet, where is Nate?”
“Nate’s at his house.”
Craig frowned at her. “What happened?”
“After my appointment with Dr. Clark, the therapist, I decided I need to deal with all that has happened by myself. I gave the ring back to Nate. I need to move on, and so does he. After everything that has happened, and what he has done, I can’t just jump back in and trust him, Craig. What happens if he does it again?”
“Skylar, everyone fucks up, but they all have a chance at bettering themselves.”
“I know that, Craig, but it’s hard to believe it.”
“So, you gave him the ring back. What else happened?”
“We broke up. Well, I broke up with him, told him we needed to move on from each other, see other people.”
“Sky—”
“Please, don’t Craig. It’s done.”
Kneeling down in front of her, he urged, “Are you sure that is the best thing to do?”
“It is for me. I can’t be in a relationship with him, every time he’s not with me the first thing I’ll wonder is who he is with and what are they doing.”
“You have to trust sometime, babe.”
“I did trust him, Craig, but he blew that right in my face.”
“Ok, enough of that. What are your plans next Saturday? There is a new action movie playing, can’t remember the name of it though.”
Looking back into the lounge room, she whispered, “I have a date that night.”
“With who?”
“Jack.”
“Skylar, don’t you think it’s a little early to be dating someone else.”
She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Craig, I deserve to be happy, not treated like crap.”
“Of course I want you happy, but you just came out of a relationship.”
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m moving on. I need to, Craig.”
“Ok, ok. Do you want to do something tonight?”
“I have a couple of things to do for Chantal’s shop, and then we can do whatever you like.”
“Sounds good. I’ll go over and see Alex, then be back around lunchtime, ok?”
“That’s plenty of time for me to do what I have to.” Walking over to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
“So am I, darling.”
After Craig left her house, she walked into her office and sat down at her desk. Did she do the right thing in breaking up with Nate? Could she watch him be with someone else, rather than her? She had no idea if she could, but it needed to be done. She couldn’t handle thinking whether he was doing what he said. It was hard to trust someone after they cheated, and treated you like he had. Why did it have to be so bloody hard? She couldn’t think about him right now. She had cried every night over him; it was too much for her. Moving on was the best thing to do, whether her heart agreed with it or not.
******
C
raig knocked on Nate’s door and waited. He could not believe what had happened. Alex had told him they were on talking terms but nothing about a proposal or that they could have lost the baby.
Once the door opened, a gorgeous redhead stood in Nate’s doorway.
Didn’t they care that much for each other?
It never ceased to amaze him.
“Nate home?”
Looking behind her, she answered, “Yeah, he is.”
“Can you tell him Craig’s here.”
“Nate, you have a visitor,” she yelled as she left him at the door.
“Craig!” Nate said, shocked. “What are you doing here?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing, Nate,” he growled.
Raising his hands in front of him, he protested, “It’s not what it looks like.”
“Really, and what would that be.” Craig’s tone was clipped as he stepped into his house.
“Jasmine is my sister-in-law. After hearing about me and Skylar, she came over and hasn’t left me bloody alone. She’s giving me a headache.”
“I heard that!” Jasmine yelled.
Growling, he stormed off into the kitchen. “Do you want a beer?”
“No, I’m good.”
“So, what brings you here?”
“Skylar.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t come home earlier.”
“I didn’t know till now. Skylar’s been keeping it to herself. Alex didn’t even tell me that you guys nearly lost the baby, or about the proposal. I knew you were going to do it, but I didn’t expect it to be now, after everything.”
“I was saving it, but after being in the hospital and almost losing our child, I wanted her to believe me that I wasn’t trying to be with her just because she was carrying my child. Everything was fine after, until she went for that bloody appointment.”
“Nate, she needs to sort this out on her own. It’s not just about you and Lucas. She didn’t have the best upbringing. The only reason I know about it, is she was drunk one night and told me everything. And I’m not about to talk to her about it till she decides to start that conversation.”
“I know she does, Craig, but I want to be with her when she goes through it all. She shouldn’t be doing it alone,” Nate mumbled.
“I know that, but you have to let her. On another note, why didn’t you fight for her?”
“What the hell do you think I have being doing? Playing with myself?”
“Well, you obviously didn’t do that good of a job; did you know that she is going on a date with someone?”
“What?” he growled.
“Next week, actually. To me you didn’t fight hard enough for her.” He didn’t want to stir the pot between them, but they both had to understand what they were doing to each other. By the look of it, Nate had been trying really hard with Skylar. But she was hot headed when she made up her mind.
“Maybe you should do the same.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he mumbled under his breath.
“Anyways, I’ve got to go, if you ever want to talk, you know you can come to me, right?”
“Yeah, I know man,” Nate replied.
“I’ll catch you later.”
After that, he walked out and over to his truck. Maybe it was good for them to see other people till they both got their heads screwed on right. Seeing each other with someone different might help them realise that they were meant for each, not someone else.
It was cruel, but it would work. He hoped.
––––––––
A
fter Lisa helped zip her dress up, she stood in front of the mirror, preparing herself for tonight’s event. She loved her parents but the events they held were a bit too much. Every time her mother hosted one, she went way overboard with everything. From the catering to the flowers, extra staff, outlandish themes, etc. To her it didn’t look like a charity event, rather more like a wedding—an over-the-top wedding.
She was glad in a way that she wasn’t in a relationship. The poor guy she would end up with was in for the shock of his life. With the way her mom organized everything, the whole state would be attending and they would have every possible thing you could think of at the wedding.
Looking at the time, she cursed, “Shit.” She was late meeting her father in the ballroom. He had had arranged that she meet all their guests as they arrived, and direct them as to where they needed to go. She had done this on so many occasions that she could do it in her sleep. She grinned while she strapped her stilettos on, and then walked down the large hallway towards where her father waited.
Watching as the staff hurried around looking like headless chickens, she giggled and made her way to the ballroom. There were already several people standing at the door. Knowing all of them were friends of her father’s, she fixed her dress and walked up to say hello to them all.
An hour after everyone had arrived, she could finally start to mingle with everyone. She noticed a close family friend near the bar. “Fiona, thank God, someone not boring.” She hugged her as she laughed.
“Hey, Chan. Well, let’s liven this party up, shall we?”
“I wish, you know what my father is like,” she grumbled.
“Unfortunately, I do. Let’s start with a drink then,” Fiona answered.
“So, are there going to be any good looking guys here tonight? I need to get laid. And since my mother demanded that I be here, and not out clubbing, my best chance to pick someone up is here.”
“Well, least I know you say what’s on your mind, girl.” Chantal laughed. Looking around the room, she was unsure as to if there were going to be anyone good looking around their age. Most of the attendants were forty plus so any of them were out of the question. Unless Fiona was into way older men.
There was a flutter of guests near the front entrance, and the way the females were acting, she figured it was probably some yuppie hot shot. Shaking her head, she turned back to Fiona. “I couldn’t tell you if there are going to be any, but I’m sure none of the gentlemen here would say no to you.”
“Are you saying I’m easy, Chantal?”
“Um, yeah. You don’t care as long as they are somewhat good looking and have money behind their name.”
“Very true, my friend. But what really counts is what is under those pants.” Fiona laughed.
Giggling, she held her hand up. “Don’t want to know about your sex life. I’m going to go find my father and see if there is anything he wants me to do.”
“Before you go, are you going to the Sanders’ event next month?”
“I think so. Are you?”
“Wouldn’t miss it, I heard there will be a lot of young guys going to that one.”
“God, you’re shocking, only thinking of one thing. You do realise it is a charity event, not a hook up event, right?” Chantal giggled.
Fiona laughed. “They’re the best ones to pick up from, babe.”