Page 26 of Keeping Skylar (Fractured Hearts #1)

Skylar

It’s Saturday, and that can only mean one thing—laundry day.

Back when I was married to Kaden, I found comfort in routine, clinging to predictability as a way to maintain order and control.

But now, with too much freedom and time on my hands, the repetition feels mind-numbing—tedious at best. Maybe it’s time I found a hobby, something to break up the monotony.

Some days, I don’t even want to get out of bed—like today.

With a brutal hangover and zero motivation to lift a finger, all I want is to stay under the covers and hibernate until the heartache and grief finally fade.

But, unfortunately, the apartment isn’t going to clean itself .

.. and I’m dangerously close to running out of clean clothes.

I lie still for several more minutes, willing myself to move. Finally, I muster the strength to get out of bed, dragging my slow and sluggish body to the shower. As the warm spray hits my skin, I make a silent vow to never get drunk again.

Once I’m showered and dressed, I head into the kitchen to make my much needed late-morning coffee, the perfect remedy for this nauseating hangover. While the coffee brews, I toss a load of laundry into the machine, trying to ease into the day one small task at a time.

When I glance at my phone, I’m surprised to see its already past noon. Wow. I can’t believe I slept through the entire morning.

I’m about to reach for my coffee when a text notification from an unknown number flashes across my screen. Aside from family, friends, and work, no one else should be contacting me on this number. A ripple of unease creeps in—what if Kaden somehow got his hands on it? Fuck!

I anxiously tap on the notification to open the message, then start to read.

Unknown: Hey! I hope you’re not mad, but once I got your number, I had to reach out straight away—just in case you’d changed your mind about me. Any chance you’re free to talk sometime today?

Uh, what the fuck? What makes him think I’d ever want to talk to him again? And how the hell did he get my new number?

After twenty minutes of debating whether to keep ignoring him or finally respond, I decide to reply to his message just to see what he knows.

Me: How did you get this number?

The three dots instantly pop up, appearing and disappearing as if he’s carefully selecting his words. A moment later, he finally responds.

Unknown: Oh, I’m such a moron! I probably should’ve started with my name first. This is Heath, Hannah’s brother. She gave me your number because she mentioned you were looking for a roommate. Can I assume that’s still true?

Oh, thank fuck! What a relief!

Wait ... what? Heath? As in Hannah’s twin brother, Heath? Oh, crap! I got so drunk last night that I must’ve forgotten the conversation I had with Hannah about getting a roommate, and not only that, I agreed to give her brother a chance and apparently my number too.

Me: Oh, hey Heath! Wow, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon. Hannah and I had only discussed it yesterday.

Heath: Yeah. She called me last night to tell me.

Though she could barely put a sentence together, and though it took me three times longer to guess what she was saying, I managed to get the gist of it.

Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me contacting you?

I couldn’t resist reaching out before some other lucky chum took away my chance.

I can’t help but smile. His honesty and sense of humour are refreshing. We’re definitely on a good start.

Me: Well, it’s a good thing for you that you’re my one and only candidate so far.

Heath: Is that so? Then I should probably start thinking of more creative ways to impress you.

Oh, and he’s charming too.

Me: LOL. You don’t need to do that. Just be honest and a decent person, and we’ll get along just fine.

Now I sound like I’m interviewing for a potential lover. Come on, Skylar! His reply is instant.

Heath: Did I tell you that honesty and integrity are my best qualities?

Me: No, you didn’t. And way to sell yourself there, bud.

Heath: Lol, I’m being real. Hannah and I were raised with strong morals and values. You’ll notice that about us pretty quickly. Hey, is it too weird to ask if I can call you? It’s hard to really get a sense of someone through texting alone. What do you say?

Good lord! I’m still battling this hangover, and I haven’t even had my morning coffee yet. I rush to the fridge, grab a bottle of water, and down half of it in one go. My nerves are all over the place, and I can’t quite figure out why. It’s only Hannah’s brother, not the King of Denmark.

After I reluctantly send Heath a message letting him know it’s okay, a short time later, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I take a few deep breaths before answering the phone.

“Hello?” I answer, trying my best to sound sober and alert.

“Hey, Skylar.”

Woah! Holy mother of Jesus! Heath sounds hot! His voice is deep and silky smooth, and goddammit, the way he says my name. Get a grip, Skylar! Focus!

“You’re right, this is so much better.”

He chuckles, and that laugh, it does something to my insides. “I haven’t caught you at a bad time, have I?” he asks.

I shake my head, forgetting for a split moment that he can’t see me. “Not at all. I was just catching up on some laundry, but I have some time to spare.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I know how serious business laundry can be, so I won’t take up too much of your time,” he jokes, and I can’t help but giggle.

“After the rather colourful conversation I had with my drunk sister last night, I figured it was only fair I introduce myself. She had plenty to say about you—or at least from what I could decipher through the slurring and barfing—which I’ve got to admit, left me quite intrigued,” he adds.

“Oh, did she now? All positive things, I hope,” I reply with a playful tone.

“Let’s put it this way. She made it seem as if I’d be meeting the Duchess of Cambridge.”

I burst out laughing, and he chuckles in response. How is it possible that I’m actually enjoying this conversation with a complete stranger?

“Oh, bless her little heart. She always has a way of exaggerating,” I say with an English accent.

He snorts, then breaks into a full-blown howl of laughter. “You’re such a dag! I love it,” he manages between chuckles. Soon, we’re both laughing uncontrollably, and just like that, it hits me—I haven’t laughed like this in months. Who is this guy?

“In all seriousness,” he says, attempting to compose himself, “my little sister convinced me that you’re a genuinely decent person with a stellar personality. After that, it didn’t take much for me to pick up the phone and contact you.”

My cheeks flush at the compliment. “Well, thank you. That’s kind of you to say that. Wait! Did you say she’s your little sister? I thought you were twins?”

“Yup! I’m older by five minutes, which makes me the wiser, smarter and more mature sibling,” he says, sarcasm dripping from every word.

This guy is too much. I can see why Hannah was so certain that we’d get along just fine. He’s a real charmer.

“I’m yet to agree with that. Hannah is pretty amazing.”

“It runs in the family.”

“I have no doubt.” I chuckle lightly. “So, when are you due to come back?” I quickly redirect the conversation to the topic at hand.

“Right. Sorry about that. Things kind of got intense there for a minute. I’ll be back not this Wednesday, but the next, so, a about two weeks from now. Once I leave the ship, I need to head back to my apartment to collect my things and put some furniture into storage,” he explains.

“Okay, great. Well, the room is pretty much ready to go. It’s fully furnished, and the rent covers all utilities.”

“Sounds perfect! Hannah mentioned you’ve never lived with a roommate before—mind if I ask what changed?”

I’m still wondering about that too. But he doesn’t need to know that.

“I just moved to the city three months ago. It’s my first time living alone, and the apartment feels a little too big and quiet.

Not that it’s a bad thing, I just prefer having company around, and it would help out financially as well,” I clarify.

“Well, I’m not going to sit here and tell you how amazing my company is. I’d prefer to show you if you give me the opportunity.”

Okay, seriously. Does this guy have a script somewhere that he pulls out on cue? He’s saying all the right things.

While I may not completely trust Heath just yet, I do trust Hannah—and I know she wouldn’t recommend someone unless she genuinely believed they would be a good fit.

Besides, I could always take Mila’s advice and treat it as a three-month trial.

That way, if things don’t work out, there’s no pressure to commit to anything long-term.

“Thank you for saying that, Heath. I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but if we’re going to do this, I’d prefer to start with a three-month lease, if that’s okay with you. It’ll give us both a chance to see if we’re compatible as roommates,” I say gently.

“I’m more than willing to agree to any terms and conditions that make you comfortable. Feel free to tell me if I’m being a jerk or annoying; I promise I won’t take offence. Not that you need to worry about it, but I value honesty also,” he adds, and I can hear the sincerity in his voice.

“I appreciate that, Heath. Thank you. Well, unless you have anything else to share, I’d like to officially inform you that the room is all yours.”

“Hallelujah!” he singsongs. “You’ve made my day, duchess. You’ve made my day.”

I shake my head laughing, feeling a slight blush rise to my cheeks at his new nickname for me. “Glad to know. One more thing, would you be able to send me a reference from a previous rental, and a copy of your driver’s licence? Just for security purposes.”

“Sure. I’ll text them to you after this call.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll call you again the night before I arrive in town. How does that sound?”

“Sounds good to me. And, please let me know if there is anything you need, so I can be sure it’s ready for you when you get here.”

“All I need is a roof over my head and some good, honest company,” he replies, making my stomach flutter with excitement and nerves.

After we say our goodbyes and hang up, I immediately let out a sigh of relief.

Heath came across as friendly and easy-going, and I’m genuinely glad he has a great sense of humour.

Our conversation has eased some of my concerns about having a roommate.

It didn’t feel awkward or forced—if anything, it felt like catching up with an old friend.

I glance at my phone again and notice it’s one o’clock in the afternoon. We were so caught up in our conversation that an hour had slipped by without us even realising it. The thought makes me smile.

After my phone call with Heath, I find myself in a surprisingly good mood. I open my group chat and decide to fill the girls in on everything that happened in the last hour.

Me: Hello, lovely ladies! I’ve got some news.

Kirstin: OMG! OMG! She got laid!

Mila: Dammit, Kirstin. You beat me to it!

Me: Not even close! I found a roommate!

Mila: WTF!

Kirstin: Wait what! Didn’t we only just talk about this a few days ago? How did you find someone so quickly?

Me: Well, he’s Hannah’s brother, Heath.

Mila: Are you serious? Your new roommate is a guy?

Kirstin: No, this could be a good thing. Whenever you’re horny, you have a dick available to you just across the hall.

How did I guess that this chat would quickly veer into sexual territory? Only with these girls, of course!

Me: Kirstin! I am not sleeping with him! Like, ever! That would be weird and complicated.

Mila: Have you met him in person?

Me: No, he’s currently working on a cruise ship as a chef and won’t return for another two weeks.

Mila: HE’S A CHEF!!! Holy, shit! Is he hot?

Me: I don’t know. I’ve never seen him.

Kirstin: Is Hannah hot?

Me: She’s stunning. Why?

Now, I can’t help but wonder what he looks like. If he’s as sexy as he sounds, then I’m fucked. I tend to get shy and awkward around attractive men, and the last thing I want is to embarrass myself in front of Heath. Please, don’t let him be attractive!

Kirstin: Well, if he looks anything like her, there’s a good chance he could be just as hot.

Me: According to Hannah, they look strikingly similar.

Mila: Shit, Sky! He’s probably sexy as fuck! You have to send us a sneaky photo once he moves in. Preferably one without a shirt on.

Me: I will do no such thing!

Mila: Booooooo . . . You suck!

Kirstin: Mila, don’t you have a boyfriend?

Mila: There’s no harm in having a little peek.

Okay, so this isn’t exactly how I pictured this conversation going. I was hoping for some advice or at least a little reassurance that I’d made the right call. Instead, I’m getting hit with a flood of questions and cheeky comments about how ‘hot’ and ‘available’ my new roommate is.

I know my friends mean well, and their comments are completely harmless, but I honestly can’t even begin to entertain the idea of sex right now—especially not with a potential roommate who also happens to be my friend’s twin brother.

That would be a complete disaster waiting to happen, and I’m definitely not ready for that kind of mess.

Wanting to escape the flood of jokes and innuendos about Heath and me, I lie and say I have a packed schedule ahead. Then, without waiting for a response, I quickly exit the chat.

Now, what was I supposed to be doing? Oh, yes, laundry. Ugh, fucking laundry day!