After You

Chapter Thirty-two - She Will be Loved

"I've never looked at you and seen anything but beauty.
I never meant to do anything but make you smile.
Even when you were hurting and wishing I was him, I wanted you, always.
Wanted to make it better.
Wanted to make you mine.
Still never. Still always."
- Jude

'Come here, little Stig!' Skip boomed, sweeping me into a bear hug. I laughed into his chest and held on to him tightly. 'I've missed you,' he whispered, in a surprisingly soft voice; his lips brushing against my ear so that the guys couldn't hear us.

'Did you?' I asked, pulling back to look him in the face with an arched brow.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Skip questioned, blinking at me slowly and titling his head sideways in contemplation.

'Only that you went AWOL on me when things ended with Jude.' I felt a little bad about mentioning it, but it needed to be said. He'd been my friend for years. He'd been a quiet, unassuming rock for me after you died, when everyone else cared too much and smothered me until I lost my own identity. But then he'd vanished, shying away from me when his friend and I broke up. It smarted, and I needed an explanation. 'I felt like I lost the custody battle for you when Jude ended things with me,' I explained. Skip winced.

'It wasn't like that, Stig,' Skip implored, pulling me back into another crushing hug, so that my ear was mashed into his chest; his heart pounding loudly beneath it. 'I was trying to get to the bottom of what happened; Jude's sudden U-turn, y'know? I had no idea what to say to you because I had no idea what was going on. Then I heard that Luke tried his hand with you, and, well...' He made a derisive snorting noise, and I wriggled from his arms, putting space between us so that I could see his look.

'I thought you and Luke were getting on better now that he'd re-joined the crew on a permanent basis?' I asked.

'Sure, we are,' Skip agreed, 'but that doesn't mean I think he's right for you.' He nodded his head in Luke's direction, where he was stood with Owen watching something on his phone. 'Luke's a mate, but I knew he liked you and that he'd make a move at some point. I tried to put him off, but I guess after Jude broke up with you, he saw his chance...' Skip shook his head in a gesture of bewilderment.

'I couldn't sit by and watch you make a huge mistake with Luke, but it wasn't my place to tell you not to, so I kept my distance. The next thing I know, you're swanning off to the other side of the world with Tabby and her fella.' He smiled at me softly, then. 'And a little birdy told me about a certain Italian who caught your attention for a day or two?' He winked indulgently and tossed his chin in Luke's direction once more. 'I'm glad he came to his senses and tried his luck with this girl of yours from work. A man like Luke couldn't keep you on your toes.'

'On my toes?' I asked, indignantly.

'That's right. He'd pander to you. See to your every whim, apologise even when you were in the wrong. You'd get fed up with it and end up hating him because you want a man's man who's going to make you feel like a woman. Luke might be a bit of a lad, but put a woman in front of him and he'll be under the thumb in an instant. That's why you and Rhys worked so well. He was head over heels for you; no one could have doubted how much he loved you, but you were never joined at the hip. He had his own life and so did you.'

'Like you and Rhian?'

'Me and Rhi?' He shook his head with a blush. 'I'd give this gig up in an instant if Rhi wanted me to. This is great - the crew, the guys - but it's not gonna last forever, is it?'