44. Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Three

Skyla

“ C ’mon, c’mon. Pick up, pick up,” I mutter to myself as I pace my room.

It goes to voicemail again, so I hang up and re-dial. The third ring echoes in my ear when she answers.

“Skyla?”

“Why did you leave Salem so quickly?” I practically word vomit.

“What?” she asks like she just woke up.

“You left, almost immediately after that dinner at Asher’s dad’s house. What aren’t you telling me?”

The line goes quiet for a moment. I check to make sure the call didn’t drop, or she didn’t hang up. Nope, she’s there. She’s just silent.

“You calling me in a panic tells me you already have a suspicion,” she says numbly.

My throat tightens with emotion as I attempt to hold back my tears.

“How long?”

She’s quiet again. “For me, that was the first time. Your mother, though…she had it much worse.”

A sob rips out of me at that, and I cry. I hear Steph begin to cry through the phone, too.

“I’m so sorry, Steph! Why didn’t you tell me? I could have stopped them. The guys could have.”

“It was too late, Sky,” she cries. “I didn’t want to leave you there, I just…couldn’t be there for a second longer. I—”

“You don’t have to explain,” I say, pulling myself together as I take a ragged breath.

“How did you know?” she asks, sniffing loudly.

Sadness and pain is replaced by anger as I speak.

“They have a picture! Of you, of mom.”

“Oh my God,” she whispers to herself. “You don’t think they’d leak it, do you? I haven’t told Collin yet…I don’t want to, ever. If you think they’ll spread it, I need to, though. He has to know it wasn’t consensual, that I would never.”

“From the sounds of it, the picture does not depict consent,” I assure her.

Another cry rips from her chest as she sobs. I sit on the phone for several minutes, just listening to her heart break.

“I always knew they were evil. I knew what they did to her, but to live it? To feel the…pain. The…disgust.”

“It’s unforgivable, it’s despicable,” I say.

She sniffs several times, exhaling roughly.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. You don’t need to listen to me fall apart.”

I frown. “You don’t owe me your strength, Steph. Not right now. I know that you’re a strong woman, but it’s okay to fall apart right now.”

“No, no,” she says as she banishes more and more emotion from her voice. “If I fall apart, I’ll never pull myself back up, and that’s not an option, so….so,” she says matter of factly, like she’s decided she will never cry again.

“Have you spoken to anyone?” I ask softly.

There is a long pause before she says, “No.”

I nod at that. “I think, maybe you should try. You don’t have to give over the top details, but…you need someone completely unbiased to dump on. You know I want to be here, but something tells me you won’t open up to me the way you need to.”

“You’re right.” She laughs derisively, like she hates herself for it. “All I’ve ever done is try to protect you from this world, Sky. I don’t want you dragged into it even deeper.”

I huff at that. “Trust me, I’m in it as deep as I can be.”

“And I hate that for you. She would have hated that for you.”

My heart aches at her words. I hate it for me, too.

“Anyway, how are you? Everything okay for now?”

Okay is relative. I just found out one of my boyfriends has been keeping a major secret from me since the moment that I met him. Also, just found out that my lovely father-in-law knew about my stalker and who he was the entire time, yet did nothing to stop him. Apparently, he is also trying to dig up information on me, for what, who knows. I can promise nothing good.

I don’t say any of that, though. Mainly because, as sad as it is, the chaos and drama that is my life has actually begun to be quite typical. Little can shock me these days. The other part is I really can’t find it in myself to hate Wesley, no matter how much I want to. He was in the wrong, absolutely, but…he didn’t owe me anything in the beginning, and for him to risk everything to protect me before we were even together…I just…in a world this terrible, I can’t afford to lose one more person that I love.

“We’re fine,” I say simply, and I can practically hear Steph’s relief that more shit hasn’t hit the fan.

“Good. That’s good.”

We’re both quiet for a few moments before she speaks again.

“I love you, Sky. You know that, right?”

I frown. “Of course I do. You know I love you, right?”

“I’m the luckiest auntie in the world for it.”

That makes me smile. We small talk for a few more minutes before she makes an excuse that she needs to get to bed. Truthfully, I just think she wants to cry a little more and doesn’t want to do it with me on the phone, which I respect, but also wish she would let me be there for her like she has always been there for me.

A soft knock at the door comes and I anticipate it to be Liam. Whenever there is tension, he is always the sacrificial lamb they send. Maybe because he’s never the one I’m angry with. Or maybe it’s because he’s able to diffuse any situation, no matter how intense. It’s like a gift.

Instead of Liam though, it’s Wesley. I’m honestly shocked they let him up here. I stand up a little straighter as he peeks his head in.

“Can we talk?” he asks softly.

“What’s there to say, Wes?”

“So much,” he sighs as he steps in fully, shaking his head as he runs his hand through his hair. “And nothing. I don’t want to make excuses. I should have come clean early on, that’s on me. No matter how much I thought I was doing the right thing, it doesn’t excuse my behavior, and I don’t expect you to forgive me.”

I stay silent, watching him as he continues.

“But even if you hate me, even if you never want to see me again, even if you want Griggs to empty his clip into my head, I need you to know that I love you. That I’ll never stop loving you, and even if I’m not with you, I’ll never stop protecting you.”

He waits for me to say something, but when I don’t, he hangs his head and sighs, nodding before heading for the door.

“Where are you going?” I ask stiffly.

His eyes come to me, confusion heavy in them as he shakes his head.

“I’m pissed at you,” I say, “obviously. You broke my trust, all of ours, and that is not something that can just be given back. Just ask Asher.” I laugh bitterly. “But I understand where your head was at, even if I don’t agree with it. You didn’t owe me anything when you accepted your…position, and I’d like to think I know you well enough to know you wouldn’t let anything happen to me or any of the guys going forward.”

He shakes his head fiercely. “Never. Sky, I promise, no more secrets, no more hidden agendas. Full honesty, all the time.”

I nod at that, though my stomach turns with guilt. We should all come to this conclusion together if we want a healthy, functioning relationship, and that includes me fessing up to where I was today and where I very much plan on going tomorrow.

Holding out my hand, he hesitates for a moment before linking our fingers together.

“C’mon, we all need to talk.”

He nods and follows me willingly as we make our way downstairs. The guys are still in the living room, all with drinks in their hands as they talk. When they notice me, each of them stands to their feet, their eyes coming to Wesley and my hands in a curious way.

“No more secrets, no more bullshit. If this is going to work, we have to be open and honest, no matter what,” I say.

Everyone nods their agreement, and I take a deep breath as I go on.

“And that includes me as well. Today, I told Wesley that I was going to grab some food with Maggie and Maryia, which I did, but I also went back to Rachel’s shop.”

“The witch?” Asher snaps.

“Skyla,” Liam groans.

“What were you thinking?” Ronan thunders.

Vincent and Wesley stay quiet, but looks of disappointment are splashed across their faces.

“And,” I continue, “I’m going tomorrow as well. I understand none of you may like it, but I’m doing it, it’s happening, so I suggest you deal with it.”

“Is this what you would deem healthy communication?” Vincent drawls.

I shrug. “I’m not lying about my whereabouts.”

They are silent for several seconds before Ronan speaks.

“We’re coming with you.”

“What?” Asher bites out.

Ronan looks to him, nodding before his eyes come to me.

“I don’t like it, but since you’re clearly going to go regardless of our warnings, I want to be there for your protection. The band of idiots are welcome to join.”

“Hey! Why the fuck am I lumped in? Have we forgotten? Perfect boyfriend over here?”

Vincent and Asher scoff as Ronan shakes his head, ignoring Liam as he looks at me.

“Deal?”

I nod. “Deal.”