Love, Lies and a Flash of the Past

Chapter 8

---------- Chapter 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Haden’s POV)

Skye stomps up the dingy little stairs, still put out with me. I don’t understand it.  Did she want me to make a huge deal out of the place she stays? I honestly didn’t know she lived in a flat. Matt and Alex had never mentioned her not living with a rich family.

Oh lord!

I made a huge deal out of her being a waitress. I was just teasing her and all...but maybe she took that as me being a shallow, pretentious, snob.

I follow her up the stairs, mulling over what an idiot I’ve been. I should have just shut up! Why did I think driving her home would somehow be a good thing?!

               “This is my unit,” she mumbles, back to sounding embarrassed.

               “Cool,” I murmur half-heartedly, shuffling my shoes awkwardly. What now? A friendly hug good night? Would it be too soon? God knows how much I’d love to kiss her again, but that is completely out of the question. She may completely pull away from me if I do that!

My frantic thoughts are cut short though by the door swinging open. In the doorway stands a tall, trim blonde boy who must be about my age. Or rather my physical age. This must be the brother she mentioned earlier.

               “What’s going on here?” he asks suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at me.

Okay, so he’s obviously the protective older brother. I thank my lucky stars that I hadn’t tried to hug her or anything. The boy looks like he’d like an excuse to hit me.

               “Hey Connor,” Skye murmurs, blushing slightly.

               “Why are you home so late, Skye? I was worried about you!” he admonishes her gently, yet his eyes are still trained on me.

               “Sorry. Amanda had to close up the shop. She didn’t want to be alone and all, so I stayed with her,” she explains, chewing on her bottom lip.

Naturally, this has me staring wistfully at her perfect lips. I’d bet my entire life savings that her brother noticed this too.

               “I drove her home,” I volunteer after a moment.

               “Hmm,” is all I get in response.

               “Why didn’t you call?” he finally asks, turning his gaze to Skye.

               “There wasn’t a payphone nearby,” she mumbles, throwing a quick glance at me. Oh. So she doesn’t have a cell. There goes my brilliant idea of asking for her number then.

               “Connor, is that Skye?!” a woman’s voice demands anxiously. It must be her adoptive mother.

               “Yeah mum. She’s fine. Don’t worry,” Connor replies, once again flicking his gaze at me.    

               “Oh thank god!” the woman exclaims. She emerges in the hallway in a moment, and pulls Skye into an embrace.

               “Sorry mum. I would have called, but there was no payphone nearby,” Skye repeats, pulling away from her mother, a happy little smile tugging at her lips.

Oh, those lips.

               “Skye, you know how I hate it when you take a bus so late at night! Don’t ever do that again!” Mrs Callahan admonishes, waggling her finger in front of Skye’s face.