Page 48 of Keeping Skylar (Fractured Hearts #1)

Heath

Forty minutes earlier.

For someone who has never known such profound love, this is what heartache feels like—a deep, twisting pain in the chest that makes every breath a battle.

There is a gnawing emptiness in the pit of your stomach, an aching lump in your throat as you watch the woman you love, sneaking behind your back to meet another man, one who is still deeply in love with her.

I’ve been standing outside the Decadence Hotel for the past twenty minutes, watching Skylar and Kaden through the window as they enjoy a pleasant and civilised dinner together. To anyone else, they appear to be just another happy couple, and the sight is almost too painful to bear.

After finishing work a few hours early to surprise her, I decided to stop by the bottle shop on my way home to pick up her favourite wine. As I passed the hotel near the store, I caught sight of a woman sitting inside the restaurant, someone who looked strikingly familiar.

When I realised the woman I was staring at was Skylar, I was confused at first. I couldn’t understand why she would be having dinner with another man without telling me. But when I finally recognised who she was with, the shock was so great it nearly brought me to my knees.

For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating.

Why on earth would Skylar be having dinner with her ex?

Everything between us has been going so well; it makes no sense to see her out with Kaden—especially after she told me they were finished.

But now, seeing the genuine smiles on their faces and how easily they’re enjoying each other’s company, I’m starting to wonder if I’ve misunderstood everything.

Not wanting to be caught watching them through the window, I quickly turn away and take the long way home, tossing the bottle of wine into a rubbish bin as I leave.

I need fresh air and time to think before I can face Skylar again.

It’s better to prepare myself now—for the moment she walks through the door and tells me she’s had a change of heart, that she wants to rekindle her relationship with Kaden after all.

And if she does, how on earth will I survive the heartache?

I’m about to pour my third shot of whiskey when I hear the apartment door creak open.

Moments later, Skylar steps into the kitchen, looking happier, and more breathtaking than ever.

But her smile quickly fades as she takes in the sight of me, slumped over the island counter, dishevelled and clutching a bottle of whiskey.

She actually has the nerve to look surprised, as if she doesn’t know she’s about to break my heart into a million fucking pieces.

When I greet her with a curt nod and a forced smile, she frowns, stepping closer as she sets her purse down on the counter.

“Hey,” she says cautiously. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home so early.

” Of course—what better time to meet up with your ex-husband than when your boyfriend’s busy working his arse off?

I chug down the shot of whiskey in one swift gulp, the burning liquid coursing down my throat, warming me from the inside. I glance back at Skylar, forcing myself to sound coherent. “I came home to surprise you, but you weren’t here.”

A flicker of guilt and nervous tension crosses her face. “I just went out to dinner with an old friend,” she lies before asking, “is everything alright, Heath?”

“What do you think?” I reach for the bottle of whiskey once more, but Skylar quickly snatches it away from me.

“What the hell is going on? How much have you had to drink?”

“A few, yet not enough. But don’t worry, babe, I’m all good.” I flash her a crooked grin.

“Heath, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m starting to get worried. Why are you sitting here alone, drinking one shot after another like its water?”

I stand up abruptly, causing Skylar to jump back.

Without so much as a glance in her direction, I stride past her and head into the living room.

As I make my way to the couch, I can feel her eyes on me—curious, uneasy.

I collapse onto the couch and grab the remote, flipping through channels in a desperate search for something to distract myself.

A few minutes later, Skylar comes over and sits beside me. She turns, her eyes anxiously searching my face. Neither of us says a word, but it’s clear she’s eager to figure out what’s wrong.

Desperate to drown out the chaos in my mind, I crank up the volume on the TV, but Skylar quickly reaches over, plucks the remote from my hand, and switches it off.

She moves to kneel in front of me, forcing me to meet her gaze. The worry and nervousness etched across her face stir a twinge of guilt in my chest for causing her distress.

Taking both of my hands in hers, she gives them a gentle squeeze, holding my gaze firmly. “Please, Heath. Talk to me. Have I done something wrong?” she asks, her voice pleading.

I glance down at our joined hands before lifting my eyes to hers, those gorgeous honey-brown eyes that I always seem to get lost in.

She’s so goddamn beautiful it makes my chest ache; part of me longs to pull her into my arms, to feel her warmth against me once more.

But the other part wants to run, to hide, before she has a chance to tear my heart out. “I saw you,” I whisper.

She frowns. “You saw me? Doing what?”

“I saw you with Kaden tonight. Is he the old friend you’re talking about?”

Skylar gasps, her eyes widening. “Baby, I don’t know exactly what you saw, but it’s not what you think,” she says in one breath.

I jerk my hands away from hers, causing her to stumble onto the floor. The shock and hurt in her eyes tug at my heart, tempting me to reach out and check if she’s okay. But then I remember that she went behind my back to go on a date with her ex-husband.

Anger and pain rages through me once again at the very thought. “And what exactly am I thinking, Skylar?”

She stays seated on the floor, making no attempt to get back up. Her eyes begin to well with unshed tears. “You think I went behind your back to ...”

“You did go behind my back!” I snap, cutting her off mid-sentence.

“You went to dinner with your ex-husband, alone, without even having the courtesy to tell me. I had to see it with my own eyes—him touching and kissing your hand, making you laugh and smile. Do you know how that made me feel watching that?”

“You don’t understand, Heath. I needed to see him.” She sobs, tears sliding down her cheeks.

“For what? You said it was over between you two. You said you were divorcing him. Unless ... unless you still love him.”

“No.” She shakes her head vigorously. “I love you!”

“Then, why? Why goddammit!” I yell.

She swipes her tear-soaked cheeks with the back of her hand. “To finally end our marriage!” she cries out. “The dinner was merely to tell him that I’ve moved on and that I’m proceeding with the divorce.”

Everything in the room comes to a standstill, the air turning cold and stale, almost suffocating. She went out to close the final chapter with her husband, and I—blinded by jealousy—accused her of betrayal.

Good job, arsehole!

“Fuck, Skylar. I had no idea. I’m so sorry.

” I reach out for her, but she leans away.

When she quickly stands and turns to leave, I follow her instinctively towards our bedroom.

“Skylar, please. I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted that way.

Can we just talk?” I plead as we step into the room.

When she continues to ignore me, I take her by the arm and pull her in close, making her face me.

Our bodies press together, and she looks up at me with fiery intensity.

I can’t tell if it’s fuelled by anger or the burning desire that ignites every time we touch, but either way, it only sharpens my need for her.

“Let me go, Heath.”

“Not unless we talk.”

“Fine. Me first. You’re an arsehole!”

She tries to push away from me, but I grip her tighter. When she realises I’m not letting her go, she finally stops fighting me.

I lift my hands to cup her face. “Yes, I am, and I’m sorry.

I didn’t mean to accuse you of lying or sneaking around.

When I saw how happy you looked with Kaden tonight, it hurt, and I lost control.

I’m just so afraid of losing you. Please forgive me.

Please,” I plead, my voice breaking with desperation.

She lets out an exhausted sigh. “If we’re going to do this, Heath, we need to stop jumping to conclusions and start talking things out more, otherwise this will never work.”

“You’re right. I agree with you. I do trust you; it’s him I don’t trust. I should’ve never listened to Kaden and let him get inside my head. Tonight was all on me.”

She frowns, looking slightly confused. “What do you mean he got inside your head?”

I release her and let my arms fall to my sides.

Moving to sit at the edge of the bed, I lean forward, elbows resting on my knees, my gaze fixed on the floor as I admit the real reason behind my outburst tonight.

“I ran into Kaden at work the other night, and he threatened to take you away from me. He said he was going to fight tooth and nail to win you back. Then, when I saw the two of you together tonight, looking so happy and at ease, I couldn’t help but think he had finally gotten through to you—that maybe you’d realised your marriage was worth fighting for. ”

Skylar’s expression softens as she walks over and kneels in front of me. I lean back slightly to make room for her, my hands resting on my knees. She gently slides her hands up and down my forearms before settling them on top of mine.

“You’re not going to lose me, Heath. I would never go back to Kaden.

Our relationship ended a long time ago. He’s about to have a baby with his girlfriend, and I told him to focus on that instead of wasting his time trying to fix our marriage.

It took him a while, but he finally accepted that it was over.

And just before I walked away, he wished me all the best with you,” she explains, offering a heartfelt smile.

I’m not at all surprised by the news of Kaden getting his mistress pregnant.

That shit normally happens during or after an affair.

What surprises me more is his willingness to finally let Skylar go and be happy with me.

Not that I ever cared about his approval of our relationship.

But for him to willingly accept defeat, raise the white flag, and surrender the woman he loves? That’s a huge step for Kaden.

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re stuck with me now,” she teases, her smile overflowing with warmth and affection.

I frame her cheeks in my hands and lean in, our lips hovering just inches apart. “I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty fucking amazing life to me.”

She giggles softly and presses her lips to mine. “I really am sorry, Heath. I should’ve told you I was meeting up with him. I just didn’t want to worry you. But please understand it was something I had to do on my own.”

I give a small nod, understanding that she needed closure.

“I love you, baby,” she whispers.

“I love you, duchess. More than you’ll ever know.” I kiss her with all the hunger I’ve been holding back, our love colliding like a powerful cyclone—wild, fierce, and all-consuming.

We spend the next hour, taking our time, worshipping every inch of each other’s bodies. The sounds of our moaning and skin slapping against skin fill the space around us as I make love to her in every position, and in every way imaginable.

I lose myself in an intense fusion of emotions and sensations as I bury my cock deep inside her.

With every heated kiss, and every slow, deliberate thrust, our pleasures intensify to an almost unbearable peak.

And when we can’t hold back any longer, we surrender and let our orgasms consume us in powerful waves, one after another, until we’re left irresistibly sore, breathless, and renewed.

As we bask in the afterglow of our lovemaking, both of us feeling emotionally and physically satiated, I hold her tightly against me, my arms a silent vow that I’ll never let her go. She will never face this world alone, and she will always, always feel the depth of my love for her.