27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

6 months later…

Lacey

"He's not going to make it."

Amber is biting her nails next to me, her anxiety just as high as my own.

"He's going to make it."

Vector's confident tone cuts straight through my nervous energy. Wringing my hands together, I can't tear my eyes away from the group of men rounding the corner for the last lap of the race.

"Come on, Skylar!"

It's the first track and field meet of the spring season and it's Skylar's first track and field meet since high school. I've been sweating since I woke up this morning, the stress soaking through my sweater even though I'm not the one competing today .

"Run, Skylar!"

The flash of white hair makes it easy to spot him in the sea of orange and black. He's running in third place right now, but with the last corner coming up, all the guys are breaking into a sprint.

Screaming at the top of my lungs, I jump up and down, watching Skylar sneak his way to the front. Amber claps her hands over her eyes, only to peek between her fingers as the Saber disguised as a Tiger goes charging through the finish line.

"OH MY GOD! HE DID IT!"

I'm losing my shit, cheering and celebrating with Amber while Vector crosses his arms, looking smug beside me.

"I told you he would make it."

All the athletes who crossed the finish line have either collapsed on the field or wandered off to stretch, but not Skylar. He doesn't slow down as he goes running for the bleachers, and pretty soon I'm running too.

We collide on the platform between two levels, the stability of the bleachers just enough to keep me from falling over. Skylar wraps his arms around me, crushing me to his chest as he picks me up.

"You did it, Skylar! You did it!"

I'm screaming and he's laughing, both of us a sweaty mess. Those beautiful eyes are alight with endorphins and victory when he puts me back down.

I reach out and feel the elation radiating from that smile.

"I'm so proud of you."

He presses a kiss against my fingers, "Were you nervous?"

I smile sheepishly, raising my arms to show him my pit stains, "There were a few moments of stress."

"I'll run faster next time so you don't have to worry as much."

"Good. My stamina can't take the pressure."

Skylar shakes his head solemnly, "I wouldn't want that asthma to flare up again."

I burst out laughing, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to that deadpan face. He kisses me back, the laughter flowing through his body reminding me of just how far we've come since that first night at the football stadium.

"I guess this means you're a varsity athlete now."

He shrugs, "Not really. There was only one thing I was thinking about the whole time I was running out there."

"Bringing home the W?"

"Running home to you."

I start blinking rapidly, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. Skylar shakes his head, pressing his lips against mine one more time.

"Let's go home, Flower."

Shepherd's Pie has been confirmed as Skylar's favourite meal.

"Oh honey, you looked so fast out there!" Amber passes the dish to her youngest son, "I couldn't believe how easily you overtook those other boys. "

"Mom. I was losing up until the last 100m."

She waves off his comment, "You were just trying to make the race interesting."

Vector grins, stealing the green beans from his brother, "Both mom and your girlfriend didn't think you were going to win."

Skylar shrugs, "Neither did I."

I lean over, tapping his shoulder, "Vector had no doubt you were going to win."

"That's cause he's brilliant."

Vector barks out a laugh, "You're such a little asshole."

Amber clucks her tongue, "Language."

I laugh, watching the two brothers exchange grins over the dinner table. A lot changed since that night with Jerrell, some for the better and some for the worst.

The Thompson family packed up and left Silverwood but not before filing an assault charge against Vector. Their timing was meticulously planned so Skylar's injuries were mostly healed and could no longer be used as evidence in the case. Vector will have to appear in court once the case comes up, but with the slow rate of the judicial system, that could take months or years, so none of us know how that is going to play out.

The positive that came out of the situation is it brought the Vin family back together. The unknown state of Vector's future has it so every moment together is one to be appreciated and cherished. That doesn't mean every moment is positive, I've witnessed more than a few showdowns between the brothers, but as a whole, the scars of the past seem to be healing and gradually fading from their everyday lives.

As for Skylar and me, well, our relationship is as stable and supportive as it always was. I had hoped that once Jerrell moved out of town, I would be able to take that final step and have sex but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

There were a lot of tears and frustration on my end, but Skylar just kept reminding me there was no need to rush. That one day, the time would be right.

And I'm hoping that day has finally arrived.

Slipping my hand inside the pocket of my sweater, I trace the edge of the sunshine tissue to make sure it's still there. It took me an atrocious amount of time to pick a quote that goes with my message, but Karen was kind enough to let me sift through the entire box until I found the perfect one.

Once dinner is over and we finish cleaning up, Vector has left to go hit the gym and Amber has settled down on the couch with a romance book. I introduced her to the genre a few weeks back and now she's obsessed and I love her that much more for it.

Skylar and I escape up to his bedroom, and by the time his door is locked, his shirt is on the floor and we're both gasping for air. His lips are back on my neck as we go stumbling towards the bed, our greedy hands pulling at clothes that have no business still being on.

"Wait. I have a surprise for you. "

Pushing against his chest, I sit up and straddle his lap. Skylar's hands slide up my hips, casually shaping the contours of my body.

"Pretty soon my greenhouse is going to be bigger than yours."

I laugh, "It's not another succulent, although I really need to stop buying you those."

"I like them. They remind me of you."

Blushing at the compliment, I quickly pull the sunshine tissue out of my pocket. My heart starts to race as I pass it over, the anticipation and nerves mixing together in the most exhilarating way.

The sunshine tissue unfolds and I hold my breath, watching Skylar read the message I left for him.

Skylar

I've missed her handwriting.

I fall silent as my eyes soak in the familiar slant of her letters, the curve of her punctuation. It's simple in a way her physical beauty is not, the dark marks on the yellow material tarnishing my soul long before I read the words she wrote for me.

Be patient with yourself, nothing in nature blooms all year.

You've taught me how to be patient with myself, how to love the parts not yet in bloom. It's taken me a long time but I finally understand what the difference is now. Between having sex and actually wanting to. It's not about the physical act itself, it's about the meaning behind it, the love between you and the person you're doing it with.

The truth is, I don't want to have sex with you, Skylar. I want to make love with you. I want to feel your body inside mine, the same way your heart bleeds with mine. I want to become so intertwined I don't know where I begin and you end, sharing the same space until our souls can't help but collide. I want all of you, Skylar Vin. And I hope you will let me give you all of me too.

When I finally look up from the sunshine tissue, hopeful green eyes are waiting for me. I stare at her, seeing the girl who stole my battered heart, stitched it back together, and gave it back to me.

After Jerrell left Silverwood, she told me she didn't think the sex was going to be worth the wait. I told her there were a lot of things I've waited for in this life, but having sex was not one of them.

I didn't tell her that every morning I wake up waiting to see the smile on her face. That every conversation we have, every phone exchange, I hold my breath in wait, dying to hear the sound of her laugh. That every night I'm in agony, waiting for the moment when she crawls under the covers and buries herself between my arms.

I have never stopped waiting for my flower. And I have a feeling I never will.

Swallowing hard, I stare at the girl who helped me remember that I am something special. That I am someone worth fighting for.

"I want all of you too, Flower."