Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47196 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 189(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
She looks at me with hope, but I avoid her gaze. I’m barely holding it together. “It’s better this way. She’ll forget about me.”
Aria opens her mouth and then closes it. She shakes her head and then puts her hand on her hip. “I know my sister-in-law, Zach, and she’s not going to forget about you.” She tips her chin at me. “But if you’re just willing to let her go, then maybe she should.”
Aria throws her bag over her shoulder and turns to walk into the house, but she stops only a few feet from me. “Zach, you think you failed her, but she thinks you saved her. Don’t twist this into something it’s not.” She points to her head and then to her heart. “Don’t let whatever you got going on up here mess with what’s in here.”
She doesn’t get it. She doesn’t know. I go to my truck and get in. I tell myself that I’m sitting here just to make sure Aria gets inside, but in truth, I’m hoping to get just one more glimpse of Skyler.
CHAPTER 20
SKYLER
I hit pause on the recording and walk over to sink into the chair at the kitchen table. I feel drained, but I’m doing my best to not act like it. It was a rough night last night. I tossed and turned for most of it, and I can easily blame it on the stalker, but that’s only half of it. I miss Zach. I don’t want to, and heck, I wish I could turn off whatever this is, but I can’t.
Aria sips at her coffee, munching on the banana bread I made this morning. “If I stay here much longer, I’m going to be ten pounds heavier.”
I laugh, trying to act as if my heart isn’t breaking in two. My family is worried about me. I’ve heard from every brother except for Logan, but he’s supposed to be getting back into town today.
“I’m sure Penn is missing you at home,” I say lightly.
She shrugs but doesn’t agree with me. I’m about to ask her again about what’s going on with my bonehead brother, but I save my breath. She’s tight-lipped about it, and no matter what I say or ask, she’s not telling me. Hopefully, they’ll work things out. They have to because if there’s ever two people that love each other, it’s them.
She smiles softly. “Are you tired of me already?”
I shake my head. “No, of course not. But I’m sure you are supposed to be at work or something, right?”
“I took a few days off.”
I let my head fall back with a groan. “Ugh, I wish you hadn’t done that. Listen, I’m okay. I promise you, I’m okay. Yeah, yesterday was scary, but it could have been so much worse.”
She studies me over the rim of her mug. “Right, well, what about everything with Zach? How’s that going?”
I scrunch my nose up. “It’s fine. He was here to do a job, and he did it.”
“Bullshit,” she blurts out. “Just say it, Skyler. You want to rant, rave, punch something? Do it. No one would blame you.”
I give her a pointed look. “Be careful there, sis, because I could say the same to you.”
That has her leaning back, crossing her arms. “This is different. Your brother and I… It’s complicated, and I’m not going to get his sister involved. You and Zach, gosh, Sky, it was obvious on your videos and at the hospital that he loved you.”
I look down at my now cool coffee. I thought he loved me. I mean, I really felt that he loved me, but I was obviously wrong. If he loved me, he wouldn’t have walked away like he did.
“Well, he’s not here, Aria. He left.” I suck in a breath. “I’m sorry. This is not your fault. You’ve been so good to me, and I appreciate you coming yesterday, but I’m fine, I really am. You should go home.”
She picks up the other half of her banana bread. “I will. After I finish my snack.”
Rolling my eyes, I stand up. “Okay, well, I’m going to bake.”
She looks around the table that is full of banana bread, cookies, and cinnamon rolls. “More? You’re going to bake more?”
I start pulling everything out of the cabinets that I need for macarons. “What can I say? Baking is soothing for me.”
The worried look comes back to her face, but I wave her off. “I’m fine. This is how I process things. I’m okay.”
She takes another bite, chews, and swallows. “Okay, okay. I believe you.”
I line up all the ingredients. Pull out all the utensils and bowls I’m going to need. Once I have everything prepared to start, I look at my sister-in-law. “Okay, I’m going to start recording.”
Aria acts as if she’s zipping her lips and then motions to all the baked goods around her. “Okay, well, I’m going to just sit here, eat, and watch.”