Page 43 of Keeping Skylar (Fractured Hearts #1)

Liam’s eyebrows shoot up, his eyes widening in surprise. “Well, good for him. I always knew he’d choose a beautiful woman to live with.” He grins, his gaze lingering on my chest just long enough for me to notice.

My cheeks instantly warm, and I silently pray he doesn’t notice the blush creeping up my neck.

The men in this family sure know how to charm.

Liam carries himself with a natural confidence, slightly arrogant, but mostly self-assured.

I can’t help but appreciate how effortlessly he keeps the conversation flowing.

However, our conversation is cut short when the MC announces it’s time for the toasts which are delivered by the father of the bride, best man and maid of honour.

One by one we listen to their speeches. A perfect mix of humour and sentiment.

Jokes are passed between the groom and his best man, and even I can’t help but join in on the laughter.

But overall, they are sincere and heartfelt and there isn’t a single dry eye in the room.

Once the speeches are done, the bride and groom begin making their way around the room to greet each table and express their gratitude. Hannah is the first to rush over to our table, with Nate following closely behind.

They hug and chat briefly with everyone, and when they finally reach me, Hannah wraps me in a tight hug. I can feel her excitement and joy emanating from her, contagious and uplifting.

“I’m so glad you made it, Skylar. Sorry I haven’t had a chance to talk much, but from what I can see, you’re in perfect company.” She smiles as she looks around the table at all her loved ones.

“Don’t be silly. It’s your big day. I know how it is. But Hannah, I just want to say how incredibly beautiful you look. Hands down the most stunning bride I’ve seen.”

“Oh stop. After those speeches, I’m sure I look like a drowned rat.” She chuckles, swiping the dried tears from under her eyes.

“It was beautiful and I have to admit, I was crying like a baby too.”

We both laugh, and then Hannah leans in, her voice low so only I can hear. “Just so you know, I could feel my brother seething every time he saw you and Liam chatting and laughing. His jealousy is impossible to ignore.”

It’s as if we summoned him out of thin air—Heath suddenly materialises at the table.

“Oh, sweetheart, that was such a lovely speech you gave! A little heads-up would have been nice, though. My makeup is ruined now because of you!” Carol playfully smacks him on the arm before pulling him into a tender embrace.

“Ruined make-up or not, you always look beautiful, Ma.” Heath winks and kisses her on the cheek. He shifts around the table greeting each guest either with a hug or a handshake, and my anxiety builds the closer he gets.

I’m in the midst of a conversation with Nate and Liam when I feel a warm hand gently press down on my shoulder.

I flinch at the unexpected touch and look up to see Heath, who is facing Liam with his hand out for him to shake.

“Good to see you, Liam. It’s been a while,” he says, his deep voice slicing through the air.

“Welcome home, cousin! It’s great to see you too.

” Liam’s eyes zoom in on Heath’s hand resting on my shoulder in a possessive way.

“I’ve actually been getting to know your roommate here.

You’ve been living with this gorgeous woman all this time, and I’m only just finding out.

We used to share everything,” he adds with a smug smirk.

Heath’s hand tightens on my shoulder, not painfully, but it’s enough to make me look up at him again. “You know how it is. There are just some things I’d rather keep all to myself.” He glances down at me and winks. I swallow hard at the subtle double meaning of his words.

“Good thing Skylar and I crossed paths tonight, or I’d have never known she existed. A friend of Heath’s is a friend of mine,” Liam says, flashing me a flirtatious smirk that doesn’t go unnoticed. I catch the subtle clench of Heath’s jaw, his teeth gritting ever so slightly.

What on earth is going on between these two?

Suddenly overwhelmed by the surge of testosterone at the table, I push back my chair and excuse myself to the restroom. I need a moment to breathe and some distance from Heath before my simmering frustration boils over, and I do something I might regret.

Locking myself in the bathroom, I stare at my reflection, trying to rein in the tangle of emotions brewing inside me.

My hands grip the edge of the sink as my anger rises.

How could he keep something as significant as cheating on an ex from me, especially knowing what I’ve been through?

I know we’re not in a serious relationship, but still .

.. he knows how I feel about lying and cheating.

And yet, here I am, blindsided all over again.

I smooth down my lavender off-the-shoulder dress and run my fingers through my loose curls, inhaling a few steadying breaths as I gather myself. With one final glance in the mirror and a practiced smile in place, I push open the door and exit the room.

The moment I step out, I instantly walk straight into a hard, solid chest. I gasp, my eyes snapping up to meet a set of familiar blue ones.

Before I can utter a single word, I’m being pushed back gently but firmly into the restroom.

Heath locks the door behind us and turns to face me.

He advances slowly, like a predator closing in on its prey, making me retreat deeper into the room.

My heart races as I struggle to breathe, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of his gaze and close proximity.

“Are you crazy, Heath! What on earth are you doing in here?”

“Why are you avoiding me, Skylar?”

“What are you talking about? I’m not avoiding you. We’ve hardly had a chance to talk.”

“And you took off at the first opportunity. Now, tell me the truth, what’s really going on?” he asks with a calm demeanour, though his eyes remain tense and unyielding.

When I remain silent, Heath steps closer until he’s standing directly in front of me, our bodies almost touching.

He gently lifts my chin, compelling me to meet his eyes. “Have I done something wrong, beautiful? You haven’t looked at me once since I got here,” he says, a trace of hurt flickering behind his eyes.

My own eyes flutter shut, relishing the warmth of his touch. When I open them again, he’s glancing down at me with a look of worry on his face.

“Skylar?”

“Heath, have you ever cheated on anyone?” I blurt out, tearing off the Band-Aid and laying it all bear in one breath.

My question throws him off. His hand drops, and he instinctively takes a step back.

“What? Wait—is this why you’ve been ignoring me?

” he asks, a tinge of nervousness creeping into his voice.

“Look, I don’t know where this is coming from, but if you really need to know, then yeah, I cheated.

Once. It was a long time ago, and ... there’s more to the story than you think. ”

“So, it’s really true. You cheated on someone—someone who was practically in love with you.”

“Who told you this? Liam?”

“Does it matter who told me?!” I snap. “What matters, Heath, is that you cheated on someone who cared about you!” I jab my finger into his chest as tears begin to fall.

“You had me convinced you were someone I could trust, that you’d never stoop so low as to lie and deceive someone.

I don’t care that it happened a long time ago; you knew coming into this, how much I despise cheaters! ”

Heath releases a sharp breath, his fingers anxiously combing through his hair. “If you’ll give me a moment to explain, I’ll tell you everything you want to know. I was young, stupid, and hurting ...”

“How were you hurting, Heath?” I quickly interrupt him. “You weren’t the one being cheated on!” I shout, my voice echoing loudly against the walls of the small room.

He steps towards me in a flash, startling me for just a moment, but I stand firm, holding my ground. “You want to know why I cheated, Skylar?” he says, his jaw tight, voice low and strained.

“What reason could there be to cheat on someone, other than sheer selfishness?”

He scoffs bitterly, his frustration building. “I cheated on Tasha because throughout our entire relationship, she was fucking my cousin, Liam!” he fires back, his voice trembling with raw anger and hurt.

I jerk back, eyes widening in utter shock.

That’s the last thing I expected him to say.

A half-smile tugs at the corner of his mouth, knowing he’s completely rendered me speechless.

“I tried to end things with her as soon as I learnt the truth, but she refused to let me go. She kept threatening to hurt herself if I ever left. I stayed far longer than I should have, feeling trapped, manipulated and completely hollow. Eventually, in a moment of desperation, I slept with someone close to her, just once. It was that act that finally led her to end our relationship,” he explains while holding back the tears welling in his eyes.

Fuck. Now, I feel like such an idiot. Why didn’t I just hear him out? Why did I jump to conclusions and accuse him of being like every other cheater — like Kaden? God, I’m such an insecure bitch. Before I can apologise, he cuts me off and continues.

“I never told you because it was a part of my past I wanted to leave buried,” he says, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“It was a painful reminder of what happened when I opened my heart to someone. So, I chose to forget it and move on. I’ve never even told Hannah, because they’ve been best friends since kindergarten. ”

Even after everything Natasha put him through, he still shielded her from his sister’s wrath, knowing that Hannah would end their life-long friendship in an instant if she found out. God. I don’t fucking deserve him.

Heath holds my gaze, pain flickering in his eyes. “You know, Skylar, after all the time we’ve spent together, I thought you’d know me well enough to trust that I’d never betray you.” He lets out a harsh laugh. “But I guess I was wrong.” With a resigned sigh, he turns and walks towards the door.

“Heath, wait!” I cry out.

He pauses, his hand hovering just above the doorknob, shoulders stiff and unmoving.

Taking a deep breath, I walk towards him until my front brushes against his back. I let my fingers graze his arm softly before taking his hand in mine, and turning him to face me.

Tears shimmer down his face, and my heart tightens with guilt.

“Heath, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I never should’ve reacted that way. I should’ve trusted you. I should’ve come to you first instead of jumping to conclusions. Please know that I do trust you.”

Overcome with shame, I cover my face with my hands, sobbing as the hot sting of tears burn my cheeks. “Oh God, I’m such a bitch!” I can’t even bear to look at him. I’m so ashamed of myself right now.

Moments pass when I feel strong arms wrap around me. Heath pulls me close, pressing me gently against his chest, surrounding me with his warmth and familiar, comforting scent.

“I’m not mad at you, baby,” he whispers, “I can never be mad at you. There’s nothing to forgive because your anger came from a place of hurt and pain, so I understand you, Skylar.

I understand because I know what betrayal feels like.

I know how it feels not to trust so easily.

” He steps back and cups my cheeks with his hands, the pads of his thumbs gently wiping away my tears.

“The only thing that hurt me, was knowing you were intentionally avoiding me. I’ve been looking forward to seeing you all day.

I couldn’t wait to hold you and kiss these lips again. ” His thumb grazes my bottom lip.

Without hesitation, I grip the back of his neck, bringing his lips crashing into mine. His arms encircle my waist, pulling me firmly against him as I kiss him with everything I have.

Just minutes ago, I was on the verge of ending things with him, letting my ignorance and quick judgements cloud my thoughts.

I unfairly placed him in the same box as Kaden, even though Heath has never given me a reason to doubt him.

From the very beginning, he’s been nothing but kind, patient, honest, and respectful.

So, it makes no sense to accuse him of being a liar and a cheat.

Heath senses my guilt, leaning his forehead against mine.

“Don’t feel guilty, baby, and don’t be mad at yourself.

You were only protecting your heart, and for that reason, your reaction was completely valid and necessary.

But if you ever start to doubt your trust in me again, talk to me, okay?

I’ll always be honest with you. You mean the world to me, and I’ve grown to care about you more than you could ever know … I love you, Skylar, so fucking much.”

A sharp gasp escapes me, and I swear my heart stops for a moment. After everything that happened tonight, I never imagined he’d say those words to me. But now, as they hang in the air between us—it feels almost surreal, like I imagined it.

I curl my arms around his neck, and claim his lips with a fierce kiss. “You have no idea how much I needed to hear you say those words,” I whisper.

“A little warning then. I’m going to continue saying them to you until you get sick of hearing me say it,” he says with a playful grin.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing it ... I love you, Heath. So fucking much.”

His face breaks into a bright smile before he leans in, capturing my mouth in another heated kiss.

When he finally pulls away, he wraps an arm around my shoulders, drawing me close to his side.

“As much as I’d love to keep you all to myself,” he murmurs, “we should probably head back before Hannah sends out a search party. And if I’m not mistaken, I still owe you a dance, Ms Rivera.

” He grins, and my heart swells so full, it might actually burst.

“Lead the way, Mr Bedford.”

With a gentle kiss on my temple, he takes my hand, leading us out of the restroom and into the lively crowd of dancing guests, ready to make the rest of our night unforgettable.