Page 9 of Keeping Skylar (Fractured Hearts #1)

Skylar

I exit the doctor’s clinic after spending almost the entire afternoon getting tested for every sexually transmitted infection known to man. Now, I’m on my way to Cedars Steakhouse to meet up with my sister, Mila.

Arriving at the restaurant twenty minutes later, I push through the heavy door and quickly scan the room for my sister. The steakhouse has always been our favourite local joint to dine in.

Its interior exudes a rustic country vibe, with cedar panelling along the walls and warm lighting.

To the left is the kitchen and bar, while rows of oak dining tables with metal chairs fill the centre of the restaurant.

On the right, private booths with red vinyl seats and solid oak tables line the wall.

The cedar walls are adorned with gorgeous Australian wildlife paintings and intricate Aboriginal artefacts, and there’s country music playing softly in the background.

The atmosphere is unusually quiet for a Tuesday evening, setting the stage perfectly for the heavy conversation that will unfold here tonight.

I look over to the right, and instantly spot Mila seated at the last booth with a bottle of Pino Grigio in front of her.

She’s scrolling through her phone as I slowly approach her.

“Fancy seeing you here, pretty lady.”

Mila’s head pops up and she quickly jumps out of her seat and crashes into me with a full body hug.

“Sky-zee! Good seeing you, big sis. Come, let’s sit.” She motions for us to take our seats and I sit on the one across from her.

“I’ve ordered us our usual sirloin steak, steamed veggies and mash, if you’re okay with that?” Mila says as she pours wine into both our glasses.

“Thanks. Did you order the mushroom sauce?”

“Yep. I also ordered white wine for us too. I wasn’t sure what you were in the mood for, so, I stuck with the safest option.”

At twenty-three, Mila Rivera is more than just beauty.

She’s a closet nerd and bookworm, sitting at the top of her class at uni.

She’s beautiful in a way she’s not even aware of.

As an avid traveller, Mila has backpacked through Europe, America, and Asia, finding joy in the simple things life has to offer.

While I’m the more introverted sister who prefers a small circle, Mila is the complete opposite. She’s always been the life of the party.

When our father passed away from cancer, I was sixteen and Mila was only eight. In the years that followed, I helped raise her alongside our mother, Tina, a high school English teacher and part-time yoga instructor.

After our father’s death, Mum never remarried or sought love again.

He had been her soulmate, her one true love, and she remained devoted to him, even after his passing.

Their marriage was everything Mila and I had always dreamed of.

I thought I had found something like that with Kaden—how terribly wrong I was.

“So? What’s this big news you have to tell me?”

Okay wow. I guess we’re getting straight to the point then. I nervously twist the stem of my wine glass, mulling over how to broach the subject of Kaden’s affair. When I look up at Mila, she meets my gaze, her expression quickly shifting to one of concern the longer I remain silent.

“Skylar? What’s going on?” she asks gently.

“I don’t know any other way to say this. So, I’m just going to rip off the Band-Aid. Kaden and I are separating,” I confess, masking the pain behind my steady voice.

Her eyes widen, eyebrows raised, and her mouth opens in shock. She stays quiet, likely trying to process the jaw-dropping news. After a minute of no response, I continue.

“I know this comes as a complete shock. It was for me too, but the thing is, I needed time to absorb and make sense of everything before I could tell you.” I pick up my glass and gulp down half my wine, preparing to drop another bombshell.

“Kaden has been having an affair for the past six months. He isn’t aware that I know, but I’ve known for a few days now.

I discovered his hidden phone in his motorbike that contained all the text messages between him and his mistress. ”

She remains unmoving, eyes still locked with mine, as she listens intently, hanging on to every spoken word. But I can tell from the shock etched in her expression that she’s struggling to comprehend the news. Mila opens and closes her mouth, like a fish out of water, unsure of what to say.

Our food arrives, and we both sit in silence as we watch the waiter set our meal on the table. After thanking him, we glance at our food, knowing that neither of us has the appetite to eat. A minute later, Mila finally speaks.

“Sky, oh my God. I’m so sorry. This was certainly not the news I was expecting. But, fuck! How are you doing? And is it safe to ask who this other woman is?” Mila says as she straightens her spine, bracing herself for my answer.

“To be honest, it’s been fucking hard, but I’m slowly hanging in there.” I take a deep breath before continuing to speak. “And as for the other woman, Kaden’s been having an affair with Lucia.”

Mila’s incredulous gasp echoes throughout the establishment, making a few heads turn our way. “Are you fucking kidding me! Lucia! You’re best friend Lucia?” Mila snaps, her voice brimming with disbelief and anger.

“The one and only.” I snarl.

“Wow,” she scoffs. “This just keeps getting worse. I’m so sorry this has happened to you.

You don’t deserve any of this. My heart is breaking for you right now,” she says with heartfelt sincerity as she reaches over to squeeze my hand.

I grip hers a little tighter. “I’ve always thought your marriage was unbreakable.

You guys had a love that rivalled our parents”.

I never would have imagined Kaden or Lucia doing this to you.

I’m truly sorry, Skylar. They’re both abominable creatures who deserve to rot in hell!

’ she exclaims, her tone dripping with more venom than a viper’s bite.

It’s funny how we all, myself included, foolishly thought that my marriage to Kaden was rock-solid. Indestructible. He made us fall for his charm as he kept up the pretence of loyalty and commitment. But it was all just an illusion. A fucking lie. A way to deceive us all. Until now.

“Wait. The other morning, when Lucia and I showed up to your place and you said you weren’t feeling too good, did you know then?” Mila asks curiously.

I nod. “I found out several hours before you guys showed up. I didn’t have an ounce of sleep that night, and when Lucia showed up at my doorstep, I wanted to rip her to shreds so badly. And if you hadn’t been there, I probably would’ve.”

“Fuck. If only I’d known, I would’ve delivered one hell of an arse kicking that day in the car with her. Does Kirstin know?”

I nod and take a long sip of my wine. “She was the first person I told because she always knows what to say or do when it comes to my relationship with Kaden.”

“She would’ve been seething,” Mila infers.

“Oh, she was outraged.” We both chuckle, then sigh in unison. Everyone knows how fiercely protective Kirstin can be, especially when someone crosses her or those she cares about. She can be quite a formidable ally. “She’s been helping me with some things.”

“Like what?”

“Like how I’m going to leave Kaden. I stayed over her place on the weekend so she could help me come up with a plan.”

“And what have you come up with?”

I spend the next several minutes recounting every detail to Mila: my plans to move and start fresh in Melbourne, the apartments I’ve recently applied for, my impulsive outreach to Loretta for a potential job, and how I’ll be packing and leaving my whole life while Kaden is at work.

“Wow. You’ve put a lot of thought into this plan, haven’t you.

While I absolutely hate the fact that you’ll be moving light years away from us, I also get it.

I wouldn’t want to face them either after what they’ve done.

I could just strangle the both of them for causing you so much pain.

I hope you know I’ll always support you, sis.

No matter what you decide to do. When are you planning to tell Mum? ”

“I’m thinking of telling her the moment I hear back from Loretta and the real estate. There’s no point of worrying her right now if I have nothing to fall back on,” I explain.

She nods in concurrence, aware that there’s no need for further discussion on this matter.

We spend the next fifteen minutes eating in silence, at least, eating as much as we can stomach.

Mila pops tiny pieces of steak into her mouth, while I nibble on some of my vegetables.

We order another bottle of wine to help take some of the edge from tonight’s dinner conversation.

I feel an immediate sense of relief after revealing the truth about Kaden and Lucia’s affair to Mila.

I can see her mind still trying to grapple with the weight of my news, but I’m glad she finally knows.

Her support has been one of my greatest comforts, knowing that she’ll always have my back, just like she knows I’ll always have hers.

“I have a friend from uni whose dad is a family lawyer. His name is Frank Walters. You should google him and book a consultation online when you’re ready,” Mila suggests.

I nod and smile in appreciation. “That would be great actually. I don’t know the first thing about navigating a divorce.

I understand that in Australia, Kaden and I would need to be separated and living apart for twelve months before we can apply for a divorce.

But that’s as far as my knowledge goes. I’ll get in touch with Frank as soon as I can. ”

“What are you going to do about the house?” Mila asks.

I shrug. “The ideal thing to do is to sell it and split the sale 50/50. I’ll have to talk to a lawyer about it. I just want the process to be as quick and seamless as possible.”

“Understandable. I don’t see why Kaden wouldn’t agree to that. It’s more than what he deserves after the shit he’s done.”

“Oh, I know him. He’ll try to make things difficult for me, in true Kaden style.”

Mila shakes her head. “Let’s worry about that when the time comes. For now, how about we make the most of the rest of the evening. Tell me more about your plans for Melbourne and where I’ll be staying when I come for visits.” She grins.

And for the next half hour, that’s exactly what I do.