Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Skylar

So much for being strong.

I burrowed deeper into my blankets, trying to ignore the buzz of my phone and willing the world to leave me alone.

Freddy jumped up beside my hip, sensing life, and sniffed at my pillow. " Mrreow ."

I sighed. Was it time to feed him again already? I'd spent so much time in bed that the hours bled together. Heck, so did the days, for that matter.

My first outing hadn't gone as well as I'd hoped. After fleeing Brooks, I'd sent my father an email full of bullshit observations to assure him the pub was going strong. To convince him I was, too.

Then I'd stripped down, crawled into bed, and cycled through naps interspersed with binge watching trashy reality television.

Freddy butted my forehead, insistent now, and batted at the blanket with one paw. " Mreooww ."

"Okay, buddy, no need to bring out the claws. Let's get you fed."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It was ridiculous to be so tired when I'd barely moved in days.

My stomach growled, reminding me it'd been a long time since I'd fed me too. I needed to get my shit together. I might have convinced Dad I was fine for a while, but if I kept this up, I wouldn't be.

Time to be a stronger Skylar.

Sometimes, strong just meant feeding your cat and making a bowl of cereal, right?

Since I was up, I checked my phone notifications. There was a handful I didn't want to deal with, including a reminder for my Zoom therapy session the following afternoon. That would be a delight . I bypassed it and read the newest text from my friend Zach.

Can you make movie night? It's your turn to choose.

"Oh, damn, is it Tuesday already, Freddy?" I shook my head. "I'm such a mess."

Freddy purred and wound through my legs, content now that his belly was full. I wished a meal could soothe me as well.

But if food didn't do the trick, maybe a good horror movie with my friends would help. I sent Zach a message and went to hop in the shower.

By the time I'd dried and dressed—taking time to blow dry my hair so my friends wouldn't know I hadn't showered until six in the evening—I felt more human.

My heart rate kicked up a notch at the thought of hanging out with my old friends from Seattle. Maybe I really had been spending too much time alone if a video chat got me excited.

I carried my laptop to the living room, having no desire to return to my bed now that I was clean, and took a seat on the pale blue sofa. The living area was immaculate, designed in cool beach colors that would be easy to stain. But the house was so large I mainly kept to my bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom most of the time.

After setting the computer on the coffee table, I loaded the live video stream we'd set up for movie nights. Soon, Zach, Becca, Jordan, Austin—and a newer guy, Ellis—waved to me from the screen as Zach panned the view to all of them.

"Hey, Skylar!" Becca beamed a wide smile. "Good to see you."

"Yeah, it's been a long time," Jordan said. "I thought you ditched us."

There was a smattering of whispering as all the friends hissed at him.

"Don't make him feel bad!"

"He's going through a lot."

"Tact, Jordan!"

I ducked my head so they wouldn't see the tears gathering in my eyes. "I know I've been wallowing. Sorry."

"You're allowed to wallow," Becca said.

I drew a breath. "Maybe, but I've got to stop sometime, right?"

"You'll get there," Zach said.

"I didn't mean to be rude," Jordan added. "I'm glad you're here."

I smiled, touched by how damn supportive my friends were. If I hadn't left Seattle with Blaize, they probably would have helped me see how toxic my relationship was a lot sooner. Even from afar, they'd tried to tell me the signs.

I hadn't wanted to see them at first, and by the time I did, I blamed myself. A part of me still did. If I was better, if I deserved more, why had I ended up with Blaize?

I changed the subject. "I know what would cheer me up."

"A cute rom-com?" Jordan asked hopefully.

"Maybe a comedy?" Austin suggested.

"Nope." I grinned. "A gruesome slasher flick."

They all groaned theatrically, and I laughed. They already knew I'd choose horror. I always did.

"All right, here's the horror film queue," Zach said, turning the laptop so I could see my choices. "What will it be tonight?"

The choice was easy. I picked one of my favorite comfort watches. " Nightmare on Elm Street ."

"I'm never gonna sleep again," Jordan said mournfully.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Zach asked. "You're alone out there. Won't this movie unsettle you?"

"Not even a little."

I'd watched this movie so many times I practically had it memorized.

Truth was, horror didn't scare me because it wasn't real. My choices kept me up at night more than Freddy Krueger or Hannibal Lecter ever would. No matter what was happening in my life, I wasn't about to die in my dreams.

Silver linings. I was all about them these days. And I had one to share with my friends.

"This movie has Johnny Depp in a mesh crop top."

Suddenly, Jordan got brave enough to stay in the room. Mostly.

Partway through the movie, we paused for a snack break. I made popcorn, talked to my friends, and watched the end of the movie. Every now and then, I'd check the clock.

It wasn't until the third time that I realized why.

Blaize used to cut my movie nights short. He'd want all my attention on him, and there was always a reason I shouldn't spend the time with my friends. The movies were brain rot, or I'd strain my eyes on all that screen time, or my friends didn't like him and he shouldn't have to hear their voices in his home.

The last one was partially true. They didn't like him. With good reason, it turned out.

Still, when I caught myself checking the time again, my gut cramped, all that buttery popcorn sitting like a concrete brick.

"You okay, Sky?" Zach asked.

Our other friends had taken off one by one after the movie ended, and I'd spaced out, caught up in my internal bullshit.

"Yeah." I stuffed my phone under my pillow so I'd stop looking at the clock. "Where's Tristan tonight?"

Zach's new man usually joined us for movie night. At his name, Zach's smile went ridiculously goofy. At least one of us had gotten lucky in love. If anyone deserved it, it was Zach. He'd had to drop out of college to take care of his kid brother, Eric, when their parents suddenly died, and he'd devoted the past two years to being a single parent.

"He's gaming with Eric," Zach said. "Plus, I think he likes horror about as much as Jordan."

I chuckled. "You look happy."

His smile fell. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize! I'm glad you've found Tristan. You deserve to be happy."

"So do you, Sky. Maybe you should come back to Seattle. You're too pale and too thin. I worry about you all alone out there."

"I'm not alone. I have Freddy." I picked him up from my lap, where he'd curled up as soon as I'd set aside my popcorn bowl, displaying his white belly on video. Freddy twisted in my arms and jumped down, black ears flicking with annoyance, but Zach laughed.

"Freddy is awesome, but there's only so much he can do for you." Zach paused. "Please tell me you didn't name that cat after Freddy Krueger."

"Can't do it."

He groaned. "So wrong."

I laughed. "Just add it to the list of things wrong with me."

Zach's eyebrows drew together. "Sky…"

Damn, I'd brought the mood right back down. "Sorry. I just need time, but I'm going to be more present. No more skipped movie nights, okay?"

"Good." He hesitated. "Are you talking to someone at least?"

I pulled a face. "Yeah, I made an appointment after your last lecture."

"I'm not lecturing—"

"I know." I forced a smile. "You were right to push. I'd rather forget it ever happened, but I can't hide in my bed forever. I have to work through what happened if I want to move on."

"Yeah, but I know it's not easy."

"I've already got homework to get out of bed in the morning and get some Vitamin D. I'm going to do that tomorrow."

I was supposed to do it a week ago, but at least I'd be able to tell my therapist I did do it at our appointment tomorrow.

"That sounds like a good start. We all love you. Don't forget that."

"I love you too."

I blew a kiss to the video screen, then said my goodnights. Zach's worry hurt my heart, but it was good for me. If I couldn't get help for my sake, I could do it for him.

I changed my sheets before bed, put on a pair of silky sleep shorts that Blaize would have hated, and when I went to sleep, it was more peaceful than it had been in a long time.

Krueger didn't make an appearance in my dreams, and neither did Blaize.

Johnny Depp in that crop top though? He might have snuck in, though thankfully my mind had aged him up a few years from the time of that movie, so I wasn't too big of a perv.

The next morning, I made it out of bed and out to the balcony for coffee before my therapy session depressed me enough to retreat to my bed again. The day after that, I managed a short walk to the lookout point over the lake.

Fresh air was a nice change from my stuffy bedroom. Wind ruffled my hair and tugged at my clothes, but the sun was rising fast. Soon, it'd be hot and muggy.

I returned to the house, but this time, I didn't go straight to bed. I even managed to reply to a few text messages before giving in to my urge to disappear into a horror film marathon.

I was about six hours in when Dad called. I thought about sending him to voicemail, but I didn't want him to worry more than he already did.

I paused Hannibal Lecter as he crooned, "Clariiiice," and picked up the phone. "Hey, Dad."

"Skylar, how are you?" His tone was too knowing. "I replied to your email, but I didn't hear anything back."

"Oh, sorry. I've been distracted."

He hummed. "So, how did your visit to The Rusty Hook go?"

I hesitated, never a good liar. "Great."

I shifted in bed, wincing as the bedding rustled. Could he hear that? It was tough to explain why I was in bed at four in the afternoon.

Or rather, it was all too easy to explain. Dad would draw conclusions, and they'd be right.

"Skylar," he said sternly.

"What? I said it was great."

"Did you even go?"

"Yes, Dad. I went, I saw, I annoyed the bar manager. Mission accomplished."

"Hmm. Not sure I like your tone."

I sighed. "Sorry."

This was what I got for encouraging Dad to involve me in his business. I'd wanted to prove I was okay after my breakup, but now I had to actually prove it.

"I don't get out to the Ozarks as much as I should. It's been too long since I checked in on things. The note you sent me about the pub is too brief. I want you to observe, see how they're running it. The bar manager is tight-lipped with me, and he's pulling way too many hours."

"I don't know. Do you really want to antagonize the person who actually runs the pub? If he quits—"

"Someone else will jump to take that job. That's not a concern."

I frowned, remembering Brooks's crack about Addisons raking in cash while someone else did the work. But apparently he'd been wrong about one thing. Dad did want to know how his cash cow operated, and he'd assigned me to wrangle a hostile bar manager when I barely managed getting out of bed.

"Just spend a few days getting the lay of the land. Then write me a report. I want details, Sky, not this vague bullshit that you sent about the pub looking great. I have to make decisions about the budget, staffing, and repair requests. I need to know what I'm working with."

"Okay."

Dad continued on, giving me a to-do list for his other business interests in town, along with some things he wanted taken care of around the house. I dutifully took notes, but at some point, I became pretty sure half of it was busy work.

"Do you really need this?" I interrupted. "Or are you just making up things for me to do?"

Dad paused, then cleared his throat, a sure tell I'd caught him by surprise.

"I need you to do it," he said, voice less brusque than it had been. "Because you need a reason to get out of the house, Sky. I don't like the thought of you depressed and lonely out there, so unless you want to come over to Portland to help me with this shopping center development—"

"No," I said quickly. "I like it here."

Despite everything, I did. Here wasn't much more than a too-big house overlooking the lake, but the view was peaceful, the town looked quaint, and most of all, there were no shopping centers or well-meaning but overbearing fathers.

"I saw Blaize at a networking event," he said. "He asked about you."

My chest tightened, and I forgot to breathe until my lungs burned. "Wh-what did you tell him?"

"That you were doing some work for me."

My heart hammered. "Did you say where?"

"No, but the man has questions, Sky. You packed your bags and took off without a word, changed your phone number, deleted your socials."

"I needed a fresh start."

"But maybe you should just talk to him, get some closure."

I couldn't talk about this. I'd give away too much, and if Dad knew the truth about me and Blaize…

"I should go pay the pub a visit."

"Right now?"

"No time like the present, right?"

Besides, staying home and dwelling on thoughts of Blaize would lead to nowhere good.

"All right. Keep me updated."

"I will."

"If you need to talk about anything, I'm here, and so is your mother. She worries, son."

"I know. I'm sorry I've been…distant the past little while."

"Skylar, you've been distant a lot longer than that. Maybe we can use this time in the Ozarks to fix that, hm? Work together on things."

"Yeah."

"If I can carve out some time, I'll come out there. Or maybe your mother—"

"You're both busy. I'm sure we can get together when your project wraps up. I've got it under control over here."

We hung up, and my sense of obligation, coupled with the lingering unease talking about Blaize caused, gave me the motivation I needed to shower and shave.

Dad hadn't given my ex any specific information, but Blaize wasn't dumb. I'd told him about our vacation home in the Ozarks. If he figured out where I was—

No, not going down that ugly rabbit hole. I'd visited it too many times already.

I grabbed my car keys off the hook and headed out the door.

Brooks had intimidated me last week, but with uneasy memories stirring, the idea of being closer to the big man seemed comforting.

Maybe I was deluding myself, but I was pretty sure Brooks Riggins was all bark and no bite.

Ready or not, I was about to find out.