Page 11 of Keeping Skylar (Fractured Hearts #1)

Kaden

It’s arm and chest day at the gym. Jase and I have just finished our final set of bench presses for the morning and are on our way to the locker room.

The air is thick with tension as we walk in strained silence.

I’m not sure what’s wrong, but something about Jason’s behaviour feels off today.

I watch as Jason quickens his pace, seemingly eager to get away from me.

He sits down on a wooden bench in front of the lockers, and gulps down his protein shake within seconds, deliberately avoiding my gaze.

I’ve known Jason since preschool, and over the years, we’ve always had each other’s backs.

We’ve shared every significant milestone—girlfriends, breakups, parties, graduations, career achievements, weddings, and even a divorce.

We’ve been through it all together and will continue to be, no matter what lies ahead.

He stands a solid two inches taller than me at six-foot-three. Where my frame is lean, his is all bulk muscle and power. With short, wavy dark hair, jade green eyes, and a jawline that looks sculpted from stone, he easily captures the attention of nearly every woman who crosses his path.

Despite his brooding, intimidating exterior, he’s a true softie at heart—kind, loyal, and compassionate—a giant, cuddly teddy bear. But today, something feels different. He’s quieter than usual, his demeanour distant, as though something is weighing heavy on his mind.

Last night, at his restaurant, Jason rushed over to where Lucia and I were sitting at the bar, looking as though he’d just seen a ghost. Panic set in the moment he told us he’d just ran into Sky and Kirstin in the parking lot.

Without hesitation, I took Lucia’s hand, abandoning our drinks, and hightailed it out of there.

After returning home from dropping Lucia off at her place, I nervously stepped into our bedroom bracing myself for an explosive altercation with my wife. Sky had just emerged from the shower, looking fresh and relaxed. She seemed her usual self, smiling and chatting away before settling into bed.

A wave of relief washed over me in that moment, but the knot in my stomach lingered even hours after. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling of how my recklessness that night had come so close to ruining everything. I vow never to do that again.

Jason hasn’t said more than a few sentences to me all morning, and I can tell it’s because he’s still affected by last night.

“Talk to me, bro. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing. I’m all good.” He quickly dismisses me.

“You’ve been quiet this morning. It’s not like you. I know something’s up.” He lets out a frustrated sigh, as though my questioning is nothing more than a burden to him. “I really don’t want to discuss this with you right now. Just drop it, Kaden.”

“Is this about last night? I told you, Jase; Sky doesn’t suspect a thing.”

His head snaps up at me like I’ve just insulted his mother.

He jolts from his seat and angrily stomps towards me, closing the distance until we’re standing face to face.

His scalding gaze bores into mine and I get the sinking feeling I’m about to get my head bitten off.

“Are you that much of a selfish jerk?!” he yells.

“Woah. Keep your voice down. What the fuck, Jason!”

“After everything that happened last night, the only thing you have to say is how relieved you are that your wife still doesn’t know?

” he bites out, his voice tight, lips twitching with suppressed anger.

“Do you have any fucking idea what it did to me to have to look Skylar in the eyes and lie to her?”

“You didn’t lie to her, Jase.”

“No, I didn’t, but I didn’t tell her the truth either. Lying by omission is just as bad, if not worse.” He begins pacing in front of me, running a hand through his hair.

My back is pressed against the lockers, my palms rubbing against the side of my shorts as I anxiously watch him pace. “Look. I appreciate you not saying anything to Sky. I will tell her eventually. I promise. I just need to end things amicably with Lucy first,” I lie.

The fucked-up truth is I’ve already fallen for Lucia and now, I don’t know how to let her go. What’s even crazier is that my heart still refuses to give up Sky. I’m well and truly screwed.

“How do I know you’re not lying right now?

You said she was only temporary, and that you would end things with her soon.

It’s been two weeks since you promised me that.

I’m no idiot, Kaden. I see how you two are with each other.

I fucking know you have strong feelings for her.

Fuck, it wouldn’t surprise me if she’s already in love with you! ” Jason snaps.

I drop my gaze to the ground, unable to withstand the weight of his intense stare. The moment he finds out how I truly feel about Lucia, any trust he has in me will be gone for good.

When I nervously lift my gaze to his, his expression is filled with anger and disgust. I steel my spine, clearing my throat.

“Look, all you need to know is that I will tell Sky everything.” Just not any time soon.

“I’ll end it with Lucy and then I’ll tell Sky about the whole affair. I just need a little more time.”

“Just remember, Kaden—the longer you drag this out, the harder it’s going to be to repair what you’ve already destroyed. That’s if she even can forgive you. By the time you finally tell her, it might already be too late.”

Jason knows all too well the sting of infidelity—he lived through it when he discovered his own wife’s affair.

I saw firsthand the devastation it caused him and his family.

And now, my affair with Lucia has likely dredged up all that buried pain, reopening wounds he fought hard to heal.

I’m seriously the shittiest person on earth.

Jason first found out about my affair with Lucia a month ago when we ran into each other at the gym. I hadn’t realised at the time that he’d been watching us from the sidelines during our entire workout.

In that time, he witnessed his best friend kissing, sharing intimate touches, and staring seductively at a woman who wasn’t his wife. He knew exactly what was happening before even asking. He knew I was cheating on my wife.

After two weeks of avoiding me and ignoring all my calls and messages, I was finally able to convince him to meet me for drinks so I could explain everything to him in person. But instead of telling him the truth, I lied and deceived my best friend.

I told him that Sky and I had been struggling in our marriage for months, with the constant fighting wearing me down.

I explained that I just needed a break to work through some personal issues so I could be a better husband to her.

Assuring him that Lucia had been an unexpected mistake, I tried convincing him that she was nothing more than a brief fling, and that I had every intention of ending it.

Jason was furious at first, calling me every name under the sun. He thought I was a bastard for going after my wife’s best friend, and lying to her behind her back. But in the end, he said I needed to ‘sort my shit out’, and stop being a selfish arsehole.

He made it clear he wanted no part in my mess—telling me straight up not to involve him or expect him to lie on my behalf.

Then came the warning: if I didn’t end things like I said I would, he’d go to Sky himself.

After everything that unfolded last night, I know it’s only a matter of time before he follows through on his threat.

He sits back down on the bench, hunching over with elbows bent on his knees. His head is bowed and he looks to be deep in thought. He shakes his head, the expression on his face filled with disappointment and what seems to be resentment as well.

“You know, I’ve always admired and respected Skylar.

” He smiles sadly while still not looking at me.

“But last night, I became another shitty person on her list because while I covered for you and your whore, I was enabling your affair and betraying Skylar’s trust at the same time.

” He shakes his head in disgust. “I’m no less of a coward than you. ” Ouch!

“I’m sorry, Jase,” I whisper.

He ignores my apology and adds, “You have no idea how lucky you are to have found someone who is loyal, sincere, and selfless in every way. Sky would never lie or betray you. She would never hurt you. She’s the type to always put your needs ahead of her own because that’s just who she is—the kind who comes around only once in a lifetime, and you just threw that away for some cheap fucking fling.

So, I hope you know what you’re doing, Kaden.

I hope you never forget how fucking lucky you are .

.. even if you don’t deserve someone like her.

” He finishes with a note of finality in his voice.

Without another word, he stands up and retrieves his bag from his locker. I watch as he walks away, only stopping when he reaches the exit. He glances over his shoulder at me, shakes his head again then quietly leaves.

I’m left standing alone, in an empty locker room, tormented by Jason’s words.

The truth strikes me harder than a fucking sledgehammer.

Sky has always been the ideal woman, the perfect wife.

My truth will only destroy her. The moment she finds out about Lucia and me it’s game over for us.

I can feel it. Sky will never forgive me; she will never trust me again.

The thought of losing my wife feels like a thousand razor blades slicing through my chest. I’ll never stop loving her, but I can’t deny what I feel for Lucia as well.

Never in my thirty-three years would I have imagined loving two women at once, yet here I am.

As painful as it is to face, I know I can’t keep holding on to both of them.