Page 6 of Keeping Skylar (Fractured Hearts #1)

Skylar

Thank God for the weekend.

It’s just past noon and I’m meeting Kirstin for lunch at a French café across the street from her apartment. I’m staying at her place this weekend, so we can come up with an exit plan that will help me leave Kaden, without him ever suspecting a thing.

When I told him I was going on an impromptu trip with Kirstin this weekend to celebrate the success of her exhibition, he seemed hesitant at first, but eventually agreed.

Normally, he hated when I spent time away from him, especially with Kirstin.

It would always lead to a full day of arguments, followed by me giving him the silent treatment because I’d end up cancelling my plans.

But on this very rare occasion, he didn’t fight it.

I guess now, he has a perfectly good reason for letting me go. Prick!

Kaden came home late on the night of Kirstin’s exhibition.

I already knew where he’d been, but it still didn’t lessen the sting, especially when he walked right into our ensuite to shower and brush his teeth.

Taking Kirstin’s advice on board, I continued to act like the unsuspecting wife.

We kissed briefly and made small talk in bed, but each time he spoke or touched me, I had to suppress the urge to either vomit or punch him square in the face.

The next day was the same. He lied about heading straight to the gym after work, while I sat at home on the phone with Kirstin, seething with barely contained fury.

Since learning about the affair, I discovered that he was using his lunch breaks to train at the gym, so that after work, he could spend a couple of hours with Lucia. FIVE FUCKING NIGHTS A WEEK!

These next few days—or however long it takes us to come up with a solid plan—are going to feel like hell.

Pretending to be the loving, compliant wife will be nothing short of torture.

Fortunately, Kaden’s never been good at reading people, and I’m sure his mind will be too preoccupied with other things—like what other positions he can fuck his mistress in—for him to notice anything out of the ordinary.

I hear the sound of a bell at the door, and I look over to see Kirstin walking into the café, her laptop bag hanging loosely on her side. Sitting in our usual booth at the back of the restaurant, I wave to Kirstin and watch as she saunters over to me. We smile at each other and I stand to hug her.

Taking the seat across from me, I watch as she takes her first sip of coffee from the mug in front of her, I’d made sure it was ready for her before she arrived. The poor girl has spent the entire morning and first half of the afternoon studying in the campus library.

“Thanks for this, hon. I desperately needed it.” She leans back on her chair and sighs in relief. “So, tell me. What’s new?” she asks as she sets her laptop on the table.

“He said he’s going to spend the weekend at Jason’s place. He didn’t want to be home alone, all weekend.”

Kirstin instantly rolls her eyes and scoffs. “Seriously. The guy deserves to take home the trophy for being the world’s biggest lying scumbag. And while he’s at it, he should probably jump in front of a moving train.”

I chuckle. “I wonder if Jason is even aware he’s using him as a cover?

” Jason Hawkins has been Kaden’s best friend since childhood.

Of the very few friends I’ve met, he is one of the good ones; successful, cultivated and fiercely loyal.

And not to mention, the guy is ruggedly handsome.

He has an irresistible charm to him that can make any woman weak in the knees.

But in the ten years I’ve known him, I’ve never once looked at my husband’s best bud and seen him as anything more than a friend. Because unlike Kaden, it’s not my style to go fucking around with my spouse’s best friend.

Like me, Jason had gone through a similar struggle after discovering his thirty-six- year-old wife had been having an affair with their son’s nineteen-year-old swimming instructor. He immediately kicked his ex-wife out of the house, and has since been raising Jake on his own as a single dad.

It makes me wonder what he’d do if he found out about Kaden’s affair, assuming he doesn’t already know. Will he speak up or stay silent? Will his loyalty to Kaden outweigh his sense of integrity? If he chooses to turn a blind eye, then it may just complicate how I see him ... and our friendship.

“I’m sure Jason will knock some sense into him after he literally knocks him out. The guy has practically walked in your shoes. If anyone truly understands what you’re going through, it’s Jason-fucking-Hawkins,” Kirstin declares.

“I hope you’re right. I’d hate to see our friendship end because his loyalty to Kaden was more important than being a decent human being.”

“Only time will tell, my friend. For now, how’s it going at home with arsewipe?”

I sigh sharply. “It’s been an absolute nightmare, Kirstin.

I’m struggling to act civilised around him when all I want to do is just scream and claw his face out every time I look at him.

I haven’t slept a wink, and I can barely keep anything down.

I’m just so fucking exhausted!’ I take a few deep breaths, fighting to keep my emotions in check.

“Oh honey.” She reaches across the table, taking my hand in hers and giving it a brief, gentle squeeze.

“I’m so sorry this is happening to you. I wish I knew how to make this all go away.

But this is why we’re here. We’re going to figure out what you’re going to do next.

So, tell me. Have you given any more thought on what you want to do?

Do you still want to leave? Or are you going to stick around and confront them? ”

I feel sick at the thought of being in the same room as those two blood-sucking leeches. Just the idea of seeing them together, or hearing them admit their feelings for each other, makes me want to commit first-degree murder. Yeah. Fuck that!

“I don’t want to hear what they have to say.

I’m not a complete idiot. I know exactly what they’ve been doing behind my back and how they feel about each other.

I don’t need them recounting every sordid detail of their affair.

What’s the point? So that they can shove it in my face?

No, thank you. I don’t want to listen to their bullshit.

What I need is to get as far away as possible from them, so I can move on with my life. ”

Kirstin nods with an encouraging smile, letting me know she’ll always have my back.

“You know I’ll support you on whatever decision you make, right?

But promise me something. Promise me you won’t ever go back to him.

Promise me, that no matter what he says to you, you are not to forgive him or give him any more chances.

I know he’s not going to take this lying down.

The fucking bastard will do everything he can to make it difficult for you to leave him. ”

She’s right. Every time I attempted to leave after a serious argument, Kaden always knew exactly where to find me and what to say to convince me to stay. He excelled at it—a master- manipulator. He’d make promises to change, and more often than not, he’d follow through just to earn my trust again.

But this time is different. There’s no trust left to give. He made sure of it the moment he shattered it into a million little pieces. I can’t look at him the same way without seeing her —without picturing what they did.

“That’s why I need to leave. I need to get away from him and this place.”

“Then you should do it,” Kirstin says, her voice steady with conviction. “Let’s figure out where you’ll live and work first. Then once that’s all sorted, we’ll go back to your place while Kaden’s at work, pack all your things and leave. That way he can’t convince you to stay.”

I take a moment to let her words sink in, trying to picture myself walking away from Kaden, leaving our home behind, and starting over again somewhere new. Can it really be that simple?

My thoughts are quickly interrupted by the sound of my phone vibrating on the table. I pick it up to see two messages from both Kaden and Lucia. I sigh and roll my eyes. I open the text from Kaden first.

Kaden: Hi babe. How’s your trip going?

Me: It’s great! Just having lunch with Kirstin. How’s Jason and little Jake?

Kaden: They’re good, we’re just about to head off to the park. We’re planning to stay up at the mountains for the rest of the weekend, so I may not have any phone signal.

Oh, how fucking convenient.

What he actually means is, he’ll be too busy fucking his whore this weekend he won’t have time to text or call. Lying arsehole.

Me: Sounds fun! Thanks for letting me know. Enjoy your boys’ trip : ).

Kaden: Love you x.

I don’t bother replying back. The prick doesn’t deserve those three little words from me. I click out of the message thread and open the text from Lucia.

Lucia: Hey bestie! I miss you already! It’s shit here without you. Hope you’re having an incredible time on your trip. We should go on one soon.

I’d rather suffer a slow and painful death than go anywhere with that homewrecking snake. I don’t bother replying to her either and place the phone back down on the table. I turn my gaze towards the window, watching the world outside as I ask myself, how the hell did we end up here?

“Everything okay?” Kirstin asks, breaking me out from the fog my mind has settled in. I glance over at her to see her typing something on her laptop.

“Oh, you know. Just more fucking lies.”

“Do I even want to know?” she replies as her eyes squint at something on her screen.

“Not really.” I wave her off. “It’s nothing important that I want to waste my breath on. Anyway ... what are you doing over there?” I lift my chin, gesturing for her to share what she’s been working on for the past few minutes.

She ignores my question and instead asks, “Where is one place that has brought you immense joy, and hasn’t been tainted with memories of Kaden?”