What The Heart Wants (BWWM)

Sixty: Negotiation

×× Skylar ××

"Justin?" Skylar reached over, feeling out the empty space beside her, with hopes that Justin would still be there. Of course, he wasn't. He'd left in the early hours of the morning so he wouldn't be there when Angela returned home from work.

Sweetly, he'd left her a note on the pillow he'd slept on, 'see you later for our park date? Meet me there at around 4? Thanks for last night. I love you -JB'

Skylar smiled to herself and hugged the note to her chest when she thought about that night.

Hearing her mother arrive, Skylar got out of bed and got rid of all evidence of her activity last night. She picked up her bath robe and headed to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

"I was hoping you'd have made breakfast by now." Angela said when Skylar walked to the kitchen, wrapped in her bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her head since she'd washed her hair.

"I was too tired to wake up earlier." Skylar boiled the kettle.

"Don't worry about it. I'll make some omelettes." Angela smiled.

Skylar nodded her head then turned on her heels to walk to her room. She knew that the tension between her and her mother wasn't exactly over. But, just as she took a step forward, there was a knock on the door.

It had to be Romeo.

Angela went to get it.

"Heyyyy Ms M." Romeo greeted cheerfully.

"Romeo. What are you doing here so early?" Angela said.

"Skylar told me yesterday that you were working two shifts and I figured you deserved a nice breakfast." Romeo let herself in.

"You were here yesterday?"

"Yes. Me and Sky were studying. So much stress."

Damn, she lied so effortlessly, Skylar thought.

"Oh." Angela said.

"I hope you like smoked salmon, Ms M. I got some salad too, nice sandwiches, coffee and doughnuts." Romeo placed everything on the counter. "All the best for my favourite family."

"Romeo, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to. I figured you'd be tired this morning. Plus I needed to have a chat with you about Sky's birthday."

"O-Oh."

"Hey, girl." Romeo smiled at her friend.

"Hi, Romeo." Skylar smiled too.

"Come get some plates out and stuff."

"Yes, ma'am." Skylar said, shaking her head and making her way to the kitchen to do as she was told while Romeo and Angela sat at the table.

"What about Skylar's birthday do you want to talk about? I hope she told you that birthdays are--"

"Family events. I know. But she's turning 21, Ms M. That's a milestone. Don't you want her to remember it forever? You only hit the big two-one once." Romeo smiled.

"I know that."

"I have a proposal." She tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

"Let me hear it."

"How about you spend the day with Sky and let us have her in the evening? That way, we all get to spend time with her. It's pretty fair, in my opinion."

"You mean you want to throw her a party. With alcohol and stuff." Angela raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you raised Sky really well, Ms M. She won't be embarrassing herself at all. Me and Justin will have our eyes on her."