The Sweet Escape

Chapter Two

After that little serious conversation, Ian busted out a bottle of white wine and enjoyed it between him and Skylar. For almost two hours they talked about the events in their life that had happened in the last five years. There was a lot. From Ian becoming a father at such a young age to Skylar graduating high school as valedictorian. She'd really stepped up her game since that night so long ago, deciding that she wanted to be something in life not just some sad girl with no meaning. 

Kyle and Emily arrived a while later to find Skylar with her legs on Ian's lap, and both of them laughing their heads off. 

Kyle smiled. "It's good to see you two getting along," he said, putting Emily down on her feet.

"Daddy!" Emily mused, running over to her father.

Skylar blushed, realising just how close she was to Ian. Maybe Emily didn't like the idea of seeing her dad withs somebody else. But with the big smile Emily had on her face, it was hard to tell.

"We had a good time reliving our life since the past five years," Ian explained. 

"A lot has happened," Skylar added.

Kyle was pleased to see his cousin so casual. Usually, he had on a serious face and didn't take well to new company. Yet he seemed to really be enjoying Skylar's company. His friend was easy to get along with, always being such a kind person. But he knew that she had that feisty side to her, the one he had been attracted to for such a long time, until he realized that Skylar was more like a sister than anything and that was all they would ever be. Friends.

"Do you want to start heading towards Palo Alto?" Kyle asked Skylar. "We can stay at a motel..."

"Oh, right. You're moving into your dorm at Stanford," Ian said, looking thoughtful.

"Yeah," Skylar said, starting to get up. 

"No," Ian said quickly. "It's late. Stay here, the drive there is pretty long and why stay at a motel? Just leave tomorrow in the afternoon. Emily and I have a lot of space here, and I don't mind at all."

Skylar gave him a thankful smile. "Alright, thank you."

Kyle grinned, relieved that he didn't have to make that long drive just yet. All he wanted to do was crash. 

Skylar was happy that Ian remembered her, as she had not forgotten about him. He was the only person that had ever seen her like that, never really having let anyone in when it came to her emotions. She had always been afraid of opening up. That night she had just broken to a point where nothing mattered to her anymore, that was until Ian showed up and showed her that there was much more to life. She would be eternally grateful.

Ian showed Skylar and Kyle to their seperate rooms. Skylar was so tired all she wanted to do was fall on that bed and go to sleep. That wine had done her well. 

She quickly unzipped the suitcase she'd brought inside to change into something more comfortable, which was just a small pair of pajama shorts and a Van Halen t-shirt. Soon she was sleeping like a baby.

Ian could not sleep. After having put Emily to bed he went into his study and tried to get some work done, but he couldn't. She was here. In his home! The girl he hadn't stopped thinking about in the past five years. 

She'd come back into his life sinfully sexy, extraordinarilly smart, charming, and obviously looked up to him as if he was some sort of hero. He was no hero as far as he was concerned. Although it did warm his chest to think that she really looked up to him. 

What was wrong with him? He had to focus on his work and raising his daughter properly, there was no time to think about Skylar as if something could happen between them. She had to focus on her schooling and future career, of course she didn't think about him in that way at all. But was it bad to imagine something else...