Page 65 of When Sky Breaks

A huff of disbelief passes my lips, as well as something pressing behind my ribcage. To avoid awakening any hope I’m not ready to address, I steer the conversation away and poke a finger in his direction. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you still owe him a conversation yourself.”

He acts astonished. “Me?”

“Obviously. Or did you forget you were the one who basically threw your best friend under the bus?”

“We both agreed to it,” he mumbles.

My head’s going to fall off from all the shaking I’ve done to it. “Boys are so dumb. You hurt him, and you owe him. If the roles were reversed? Come on, Trek. Think about it. He was the subject of so many rumors and isolated because of your stupid plan.”

“Fine. You’re right. I hate it when you’re right.” He sulks against the doorframe. And he’s sleeping with an older woman acting like that?

“Don’t lie, you love it.”

His scoff is exaggerated. “Whatever.” He straightens and points to a shirt on my chair. “Wear the blue. It matches your eyes.”

Trek leaves to go do whatever twenty-three-year-old men do in a small town as I get ready. I curl my hair and then get mad that I care so much about what I look like, so I sweep it up into a simple ponytail. Minimal makeup, a smidge of perfume, and a lot of deodorant because I haven’t even left the house, and I’m sweating like I ran around the block three times in a snowsuit in the middle of summer.

Here goes nothing. Or everything.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

august

“This is the surprise?” Sky asks as she and I step from our vehicles in front of Catalina’s house. I asked if she had wanted me to pick her up, but after the run in with Johnny at the hospital, she felt it was best we ride separately.

“Yep.” My answer is vague. She has to see it for herself.

I round from the back of my truck and jog to her side.

“How’s your mom?” She fidgets in place, looking everywhere but at me.

“She’s all right. I checked on her before I came over.” I neglect to say she was still her crabby self, burying her grief in alcohol. Today’s already full of enough anxiety to keep a pharmacy in business.

“Oh, good. I’m glad.” After a moment of prolonged silence, “I’m also nervous,” she says, clutching her arms tightly across her chest as she peers up at the house, parting her lips.

“Don’t be. I promise you’ll like it. Well, I hope you do.”

“No pressure at all there, pal.” She cracks a small grin but still looks hesitant. “So whose place is this?”

I stifle my chuckle and say, “Don’t you trust me?”

Before I realize my mistake and correct myself, her face falls.

Fuck.

Of course, she wouldn’t trust me yet. If at all.

I stop on the worn brick path that leads to the porch and hold a hand out in apology. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.” I rake back the hair that’s fallen in my face. “You make me nervous, and I tend to say the wrong things. And fuck, Sky, I know things aren’t better between us, but I promise you I’m doing my best.”

She tracks my eyes and must come to some conclusion because she nods and curls a finger around my pinkie. “I’m seeing that.”

It’s enough for me—a start—and my chest swells as I squeeze our fingers together.

“August, Sky! Come in, come in.”

Catalina stands in the doorway, holding a kitchen towel to her chest. I’d bet a million dollars she’s made something delicious to eat.

Unable to help myself, I grin and stoop to give her a hug, and the scents of sweet, baked goods waft from the house.

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