Chapter Twenty-Eight
Live
Part One
A HARSH, BITTER gust of wind swept passed Skye, almost knocking her over as she grasped the cool, steal door handle of Omar's Coffee House. With only one hand clutching onto her crutches for dear life, she pressed herself against the wall beside her and used the leverage to assist her in opening the heavy door. When she finally managed to slip inside (not without many difficulties) she had to catch her breath from the effort. Even after five days experience of walking with the obnoxious things, she still hadn't gotten used to using the crutches. She imagined she never would.
Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, she sneaked a peek towards the service counter, searching for the familiar face of the man she'd fallen so madly in love with over the summer. It didn't take her long to spot the boy she longed so deeply to see, flashing his trademark half-smile at one of the costumers at the counter—a girl she recognized from school but couldn't recall her name—as he handed her a steaming mug of something Skye could only assume was either a mocha or tea.
She sighed heavily, body gone week from the sight of him, and if she hadn't been using the crutches to support her, she could've only imagined that she would have tumbled to the ground in an entirely less than graceful manner. Something fluttered in her stomach as she watched him, and licks of heat spread from her core all the way to the back of her throat. She swallowed hard on the foreign sensation and licked her chapped lips, preparing herself to move forward.
Her heartbeat sped up, fluttering like bird's wings against her rib cage, and she took a deep breath, closed her eyes. With the darkness that welcomed her behind closed lids, she slowly began to recall the memories of their past time spent together: memories of Jules resting beside her, holding her hand, watching over her even as she slept, and never once leaving her side unless she asked him to; memories of Jules portraying her protector, savior, and healer, rebuilding all of the hope she'd once lost because of Johnny's dark games—all the memories of the past six days she'd spent with Jules—and her loved ones—since Johnny's death.
Those were the memories that held so much promise for a brighter future. A future where she not only had new hope for a life void of burdening pains and fears, but also a promise of a new love that could carry her through even the darkest of storms. A future where she was no longer hiding secrets and pushing away the people she loved most.
When she finally peeled her eyes open again, and disregarded the wondrous thoughts drifting around in her muddled mind, Jules was watching her, with his beautiful, trademark smile luring her into his captivating gaze. For a moment she forgot to breathe. Her entire body and soul lost to the depth of the connection they shared.
Without giving it a second thought, compelled by a drive she couldn't ignore, Skye moved towards him, with her hands tightly gripping the crutches so that she wouldn't lose her grip and stumble. He moved too, around the counter and away from where he'd been stationed for work, hustling to meet her. When they met in the middle, he instantly crushed her into him, held her securely in his arms. She accepted him without question, desperate to feel him close again.
"Hey, Trouble," he cooed against her ear, softly, tenderly. "How are you feeling?"
She curled further into him, appreciating the instant feeling of security and warmth that smothered her by his embrace. "Better now that I'm here, with you."
"Perfect." He kissed the top of her head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Did you have fun last night? I know I sure did." He chuckled, pressed his lips against her temple. "We should have movie nights more often." His low, husky voice provoked a feverish frenzy inside her, releasing chills throughout her entire body.
She shivered as she remembered the events from the night before. She and Jules on the couch, tangled in each other's arms, thoroughly enjoying each other's company instead of the movie they'd planned on watching—a classic "movie night" that turned into much more. A night filled with tender caresses, soft kisses, warm embraces, and precious declarations of their love for one another. A night she'd never forget. One she'd always cherish for the beauty and promise its memory withheld.
A small, barely noticeable smile crept up her face. "Last night was perfect," she said shakily, quivering under the heat of is touch. "I really needed it."
"I hoped you'd say that." He pulled her face in his hand, caressed it tenderly, requesting that she'd look into his eyes. When she did, his warm, bright emeralds peered deep into her soul. "How'd you sleep?" He narrowed his brows in the slightest. "Sorry I left so early this morning. Duty called."
"I slept well," she told him, and for the first time in a long time, she meant it. "I always sleep sounder when you're around. And don't worry about this morning—I understand." She smiled sweetly at him, brought her face closer to his, taunting him. "You do still have a job to keep."
"If only I didn't need to," he murmured, curling a lock of her hair around his finger. "We could have a lot of fun together with that free time." A wild grin spread across his face. "I'd be perfectly all right with ditching work right now. . ." His words trailed off as he brushed his lips over hers, just the feather of a touch.
"Jules," she breathed, clutching his shirt in her fragile hands desperately. Her heart missed a beat when he flicked his tongue across her upper lip teasingly. "You can't ditch. . ." She struggled to find the right words, too overwhelmed by the sensations clouding her body. "You're not going to skip out on work today, Julian Rane. I—I won't let you. . ."
Her words were lost in his mouth as he crushed his lips possessively against hers and lifted her off her feet, basking her in the comfort of his warmth. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, melting into his body. He explored her mouth deeply, fully, and in an instant Skye found herself depending solely on him, counting on his strength to hold her.
And when he eventually began to pull his lips away from hers, after many long, beautiful moments, she found herself trapped in a fuzzy haze that his eager kiss had created. She closed her eyes for a moment, tried to calm her erratic breathing, and nuzzled her face in his neck, treasuring the feel of his body so close and so comfortable against hers.
She groaned quietly when she felt him setting her down, left to rely on her own two feet again, and grabbed a hold of his arms to keep herself from falling. Until that moment, she hadn't even realized her crutches had fallen to the floor. And right when she was about to bend over and pick them up, Jules leaned over and snatched them up for her, holding them out towards her.
She beamed at him then, allowing her arms to fall into place atop the crutches, and let out a breath she'd been unaware of holding. Gingerly, her fingers traveled to her dry, bruised lips, thrumming still with the energy left from his hungry kisses. She couldn't help but ache for more—there had to be more. She wasn't ready for him to be done yet.
"Don't worry, baby," he said slowly. His glazed eyes sparkled with satisfaction, and his lips were curled into a goofy, lopsided grin. Her heart leapt at the sight. "I'm not actually going to ditch." He chuckled, and his warm hands cupped themselves around hers. "I do have a surprise for later though. After my shift." He lowered his head towards hers, his lips brushing her ear as he added, "You'll love it."
"I—" She shook her head, discarded her frazzled train of thought. "I'm not worried," she said eventually, around a sigh. "At least . . . not anymore." Grinning at the thought of another one of his surprises, she turned his face around so that it was right in front of her and kissed him, slowly, softly, teasing him with more. "You changed my mind."
He chuckled in the back of his throat, and pulled away so that their foreheads were pressed together. "Good." A stray strand of her dark, tousled hair fell in her face and he brushed it behind her ear again, grinning at her. "It'll be worth it."
Melting under the heat of his gaze, she shrank back a little, averted her gaze. The longer she looked at the boy before her, the harder she fell under his spell, and the harder it became to pull away. But she had to sometime. She couldn't stay in his arms forever. She had other people to see, other appointments waiting for her. Jules had only been a stop on the way.
"I should go," she said quietly, almost as if testing the words on the tip of her tongue. "Leah will be here soon, and I haven't even found a table yet." She sneaked a peak at Jules, and smiled in satisfaction at the look of longing on his pretty little face. "I'll be home later, though.
And I'll be waiting for your wonderful little surprise." Her heart quickened at the thought.
Jules's face lit up, eyes gone bright and lips curved into a devilish smile. "I can help you find that table," he cooed. "After all, it is part of my job." He wiggled his brows, daring her to challenge him.
She giggled. "Well, as much as I appreciate your kind offer, I think I'll pass." She glanced behind him, taking in account the strangers around the two of them who'd been intently watching their friendly little display of their affections. "I believe we have an audience."
After giving her a questioning look, he took a subtle move at glancing over his shoulder to the people behind him, watching from afar. When he turned his focus back on Skye, he was struggling not to laugh. He ran a hand down the side of her face, and said, "Why don't we give them a real good show, then? Shall we?" He tipped her chin towards him, and brushed his thumb across her bottom lip.
Her hands grasped her crutches for dear life, and with a generous amount of resistance she didn't know she had in her, she shook her head and wobbled back a step. "No, Jules. You need to get back to work. So go. Before you get fired."
He frowned. "Oh come on, Skye," he groaned dramatically. "I'm not going to get fired. I'm the best addition they've got. And besides—you owe me one last kiss. If you're going to ignore me until tonight, then the least you can do is give me one last kiss goodbye." He gave her winning puppy dog eyes, and added pouty lips for good measure.
She sighed, easily caving under the heaviness of his pleading gaze. "Fine," she muttered, trying not to smile. "One last kiss goodbye. And then you'll get back to your job, okay? Promise?"
"Promise."
Without wasting a fraction of another moment, Skye quickly leaned up, planted a soft kiss on his lips, and began walking in the direction of the tables. She could hear Jules's laughter trailing behind her, and grinned, pleased with herself.
"You call that a kiss?" he called out after her.
She didn't hesitate before replying over her shoulder, "I call that just a little preview. The good stuff will come if you can impress me later."
BY THE TIME Leah arrived at the shop, fifteen minutes had passed and Skye was having an even harder time keeping her eyes off of Jules. She just couldn't do it. And every time he caught her looking at him, he'd grin and wink at her, like an agonizing little reminder of the long hours she'd have to wait before discovering his "wonderful" surprise. She'd tortured herself with the possibilities of what it could be, only to end up unsatisfied. By the time Leah sat down across from her, she was exhausted and ready to steer her mind elsewhere.
"Hey, sweetie," Leah said around a smile, hastily discarding her purse on the vacant chair next to her and reaching a hand out across the table for Skye's. "Sorry it took me so long to get here. I couldn't get out of work."
Skye smiled at her mother, relieved by her free, lively spirit. "It's okay, Mom, don't worry about it—I understand."
Leah's smile slipped away, but her face still gave a bright glow as she regarded her daughter. "How're you feeling, baby girl? Any better?"
"Much better," Skye admitted. "I think talking to you and Jules has really been helping me recover. I haven't been having the nightmares lately, like I did the first couple of nights, and I've been able to block the thoughts centered on Johnny with more ease. Joe's advice has really helped."
"That's wonderful, Skye!" Leah squeezed her daughter's hand gently, reassuringly. "How about Rachel? Have you talked to her at all recently?"
Rachel, Skye thought sadly, remembering the pain she'd heard in her voice the last time they'd spoken at the hospital. "No," she admitted. "The last time I talked to her was when she was leaving the hospital. I tried calling her a few times, but she never answered. I'm sure it's all really hard on her. Victor dumped her, you know. Right after everything that Johnny did. He just left. Said he had to turn his life around, and that he didn't really have the same kinds of feelings for her as she had for him. I just wish I could help her, you know? I've tried, but so far all she's done is avoided me."
"He dumped her, and then up and left?" Leah's face fell. "I thought he was going to stay awhile. He was so good to her. He really seemed to make her happy." With a small shake of her head, she sighed, seemingly lost in thought. "Skye, you should go to see her. I'm sure she could really use a friend like you right now. A broken heart can only be fixed by the others around you that you love. And you two have been best friends forever. "
"You're right," Skye mumbled, around a sigh. "I really should go see her. Mind dropping me off after lunch? So Rachel and I can talk to each other, face-to-face."
"As long as don't plan on walking home, no—not at all." Leah's tone was strict, yet her expression lightened. "But please get a ride from someone, or call me when you're done. I'd rather you not be out late walking alone. Especially not with those little devils slowing you down." She pointed to Skye's crutches beside the table, a smile slithering around the corners of her lips.
Despite her concern for her best friend, Skye giggled, happy that she and her mother were getting along so well again. After years of losing her to work and Johnny, she was thrilled to finally have Leah back. The sweet, ambitious, and somewhat over-protective mother she'd missed so dearly.
"Thanks, Mom." She smiled at Leah then, a bright, carefree smile. "I promise to either find a ride or call you when the time comes. There is no way I'll be walking on those devils any longer than I have to."
"That's my girl," Leah said sweetly, around a perked up smile. "I had a feeling you might say that."
"Right," Skye played along, chuckling. "So . . . what did you want to talk to me about? I mean—besides how I'm feeling."
Leah shifted in her chair, pulled her hands out of Skye's. "I know that now may not be the best time," she began, fidgeting nervously, "but I was hoping to talk to you about Joe. About what you think of him."
Skye's stomach did a little dip. "Joe?" she spluttered, and coughed to cover up her surprise. "Why do you want to know what I think about him?"
Leah cleared her throat, and averted her gaze. "I know it's crazy, and I probably shouldn't even waste our time talking about this, but I'd like to know what you'd think about the possibility of Joe and me . . . together someday. I'm sure it won't happen anytime soon—especially if you don't accept the idea—but after everything that's happened lately, and having spent so much time around Joe, I've realized how much he cares for the both of us, and how much I'd messed that up when I got with Johnny. I made a mistake back then, Skye—a huge, terrible mistake—but if you and Joe give me another chance, I'd like to try to make it up to you. I'd like to give the possibility of all of us, as a family, a shot."
With her heart rattling inside her chest, Skye fought to keep her mouth intact, on the verge of gaping at the plea written on her mother's face. A plea for something Skye had desperately wanted four years earlier. A plea for the chance and possibility of the kind of family she'd always wanted. Sure, many things have changed since the first time Skye had imagined Joe becoming her father and the three of them living together in happiness, but that didn't change the fact that she still wanted it. Even though she'd had to grow and mature after experiencing things no one should have to experience, she was still the same girl—she still loved her mother, loved Joe, and wanted for both of them to be happy. For her to be happy. Not only with Jules, but also with a family.
Chewing on her lip, she contemplated her mother's offer. Joe had always loved Leah and Skye—that much she knew. He'd told her it enough times to know that it was sincere. And with the memories of all of the times the three of them had spent together running through her mind, she could recall one night that was a pure example of his admiration. The night he'd almost proposed to Leah. The same night all of Skye's dreams had crashed and burned.
But was Leah trying to tell Skye that she was now falling in love with Joe, or was she trying to tell her that she'd always felt a connection with him, and it had just taken her awhile to see it? Could there really be a chance that the two of them loved each other? And more importantly, was Skye ready for her mother to jump into another relationship so soon after the tragedy of her previous one—even if she did approve of the man it involved? Or was it too soon?
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she tried to clear her head, stripping it of all of the questions and memories bombarding her state of mind. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the happiness she felt bubbling up in the pit of her stomach at the thought of having a decent, well-intentioned man as her father figure, and her mother having the kind of man that would treat her well and love her with every part of his being. A man both of them could trust.
When she opened her eyes again, Leah was watching her in anticipation. "I don't think it's that crazy." She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. Her throat suddenly felt dry, her lips chapped, and she swallowed on the nerves that swam through her stomach. She wasn't sure how Leah would take what she had to say. "Sure, maybe right now is a little too soon—but that doesn't mean that someday in the future will be, too. And I believe in my heart that Joe is a good man. I've seen how he is around you, and I've watched him love you before. In fact, I don't think he ever stopped loving you, Mom. Maybe that's why he never really dated very many women after you, and why he's tried so hard to stay close to us." She blinked, discarded the pang of pain that pierced her chest at the memory of his almost-proposal to Leah. "He almost proposed to you once. He had the ring and everything."
Noticing the tears that had begun welling in her mother's eyes, she cringed and averted her gaze. Her heart was pounding anxiously against her ribcage, and she had to clasp her hands together to stop them from shaking. What she was about to say could change many factors in her life. Once the words were out there, she wouldn't be able take them back, and she wasn't sure she would even if she could.
A small, nervous smile graced her features as she mumbled the last of what she had to say. "He really, truly loved you, Mom. And even though you may have rejected him once, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll give you another chance. Like I said, he's a good man; I'm sure he'd be good for us. And I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . I approve of him. And I'd love to have a father-figure like him—even if it may be a little soon." Her entire body warmed as her last words really sunk it, relishing in the beautiful possibility of actually having a father who didn't hurt or scare her. But before Leah could respond to all of what she'd just spoken, she added a firm, "But you have to promise me, Mom—promise me—that you won't break his heart again. You have to promise me that you won't get involved with him unless you're sure that this is what you want, and you're really ready to love a man again. Promise me."
Leah's mouth parted slightly, and her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't speak. Instead, she made her way around the small, round table and over to Skye, wrapping her in a tight hug. Her warm tears trickled down the sides of her face and fell on Skye's shoulder, dampening the bright, floral blouse she was wearing.
Silent words of understanding were exchanged, and after a few more moments in each other's embrace, Leah finally pulled away, saying, "I promise you, Skye. I promise that this is what I want, and I won't get involved if I don't think it's the right thing to do." She smiled brightly at her daughter, wiping away a stray tear that ran down her face. "I really think this could be good for us. And after everything that's happened, I'm so glad I still have my beautiful little girl here with me." Leaving a small kiss on Skye's forehead, she softly added, "I love you sweetie."
All of Skye's previous fears and nerves fell into the past and she sighed in the richness of the warmth that coursed through her veins and spread into her subconscious. "I love you too, Mom," she whispered, catching Leah's hands in hers. "And right now, I couldn't be happier."
The sweetness of their quiet laughter lulled a precious tune in Skye's ears as she hugged her mother once again, ecstatic to finally have the kind of peace and hope she'd dreamt about for so long in her possession. Hope for the better, and peace from the security of all the kinds of love so generous it made her life a thousand times more worth living.