Page 88 of When Sky Breaks

“You were there when I needed someone. I’ll forever appreciate it, no matter how small it may look to others. I think you needed it too. Whether you want to admit it, losing your father affected you. I was happy to step in and be who you needed, too.”

He’s so kind. It’s hard to reconcile the unconditional support he gives strangers. Even someone like me. I try to shut out the voices telling me I don’t deserve it and cling to the words he says.

The death of our loved ones twists our destinies and forges our futures into something new, an existence unchartered. My dad dying didn’t feel like this cataclysmic event, but I know it changed me, changed my circumstances, shifted my perspective. Whether or not we were close, I lost a parent. It’s made me realize how short life truly is, and spending it with those who matter is a gift.

“Thank you, sir.”

He rolls his eyes, looking a bit too much like Trek. “How many times do I have to tell you? It’s Foster. You’ve seen me puke up my guts. I think we’re past the whole sir thing, kid.”

The tips of my ears heat. “Got it.”

He sits back in the chair. “So, this thing with Sky?—”

“It’s not a thing,” I interrupt.

Foster gives me a slow smile as he laces his hands in his lap. “I’m aware it’s not just a thing. But she’s also my baby girl, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.”

“Me either.”

He nods. “Good. Keep it that way. I can’t claim to understand what happened between you and her or with Trek. But she’s back and I want to make sure she stays or at least doesn’t disappear for another five years. You hear me?” The love for his daughter is fierce and loyal. “Sky deserves to have someone who puts her first.”

Nodding, I straighten my spine and absorb his fatherly lecture, even if he doesn’t have to remind me of everything Sky deserves and more. “You have my word. I’m here to do that because you’re right. She needs to be put first.” I swallow. “I messed up. Big time. But I’m going to make it right and keep showing her how much she means to me. I love her, Foster. More than anything.”

He studies me under the soft light in the living room, searching for anything amiss.

He won’t find it. I’m in love with his daughter and never letting her go this time.

Bobbing his head, mostly to himself, he then closes his eyes. “Okay. Then go check on her, please.”

I hesitate. “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you alone. Sky wouldn’t be okay with that. I’m sure there’s something I could do, like change the batteries in your smoke detectors.”

A smirk forms on his mouth. “You’ve done enough, August. And I made Trek change those last month.”

He taps on his phone tucked in the breast pocket of his T-shirt. “Trek is on his way home from his work trip. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to sleep anyway.”

The mention of Trek shoots a beam of anxiety through me. I haven’t seen him since he moved back home. My ex-best friend is as much a stranger to me as the next because of all the bullshit we went through. But I can’t lie. I miss our friendship and hope he and I can work it out. Especially since he comes as a packaged deal with Sky.

“Only if you’re sure.”

Foster pops open an eye. “Absolutely. Now, go take care of our girl.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

august

My hands shake as I ride up into my drive. I drag them along the top of my thighs to steady myself.

The permanency of my new place is still foreign to me. I have an actual address, my name on a mortgage, and I pay property taxes. I have to mow a lawn and pluck weeds, and if something goes wrong, I’m on the hook. But it grounds me, gives me a sense of stability. No more living in a car, no more bumming off my uncle or Benny. No more nomadic lifestyle, living out of motels and on couches. I have a home I can call my own.

The only downside?

It’s empty.

There’s plenty of furniture and décor and even a fenced-in backyard. But it’s devoid of the one person who ever made me feel full.

Until now.

“Sky?” I ask as soon as I garner the courage to open the front door.

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