Page 80 of The Sky Between Us

Again.

Because I was just like Jake Kellerman. Choosing my career over Hazel.

Hazel

There’s a strange feeling when we can anticipate something deep in our bones. When every fiber of your body knows the unspoken truth around you, yet your heart, that foolish heart, still keeps hoping.

I decided to hide out at my parents’ house, to cuddle Sky and watch Disney movies. Turning my phone off, I ignored all texts and calls, especially the ones from Aiden. If I avoided him long enough, he couldn’t break up with me, right? It was a childish tactic, but I didn’t want to get my heart broken. I would rather stay in this state of suffering and constant pain than to actually break up with him.

Maybe I was a masochistic, choosing pain over closure. We both knew we were living on borrowed time holding on to something that wasn’t going to last. But I didn’t want to deal with reality.

Sky grabbed my hand tighter as he watched Mufasa’s death for the seventh time that week. His current obsession was Lion King and since I was home for Christmas, we’ve already watched it at least twice. Not like I was paying attention while my thoughts occupied me.

Warm tears tickled my hand as Sky pushed his face into my arm. Pulling him closer to my chest I deeply inhaled his baby smell and held him against me.

“It’s okay,” I muttered into his fluffy hair.

“I don’t want to think of something happening to dad… or to you,” he cried into my arm, his words muffled between hiccups. “It’s scary.”

Life was scary and unfair, and one day everyone leaves. One way or another. But I couldn’t tell him that.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere,” I told him instead and tickled his side. “You are never getting rid of me, buddy.”

“Never?” he peeked up at me, uncertainty shimmering in his tearful eyes.

“Never,” I shook my head with a small smile, and smoldered him with kisses all over his rounded face.

Sky squealed and giggled begging me to stop and let him go. “I’m a big boy, don’t kiss meeeeeee!”

With a laugh, I let him go and ruffled his hair. “You are a big boy, indeed.”

“Want a secret?” he asked, pulling closer to me, and voice dropping to whisper. His eyes glimmered with happiness making me bend down to him curiously.

“Tell me.”

“I kissed Andrea,” he whispered between two giggles, putting his hand over his mouth. “The girl I was telling you about,” Sky went on excitedly painting his cheeks pink. “We were playing on the playground and she wanted to use the slide. I was up there and I let her pass. She was so happy that when we both slid down, we walked together towards the end of the playground and I kissed her.”

A smile tugged on my lips as my heart grew. “You kissed her here?” I pointed at my lips.

Sky’s dark brown eyes grew big and he quickly shook his head. “No, that’s yuck! I kissed her here,” he pointed at his cheek.

“Good boy.”

He answered with a giggle. “Do you think she is my girlfriend now? Like you are Aiden’s?”

My heart missed a beat before it returned to beat in a quicker tempo, making it almost painful to keep smiling.

“Yes, she must be,” I said, my voice choking on my own words. “But you need to ask her.”

His eyes lit up with happiness and he jumped up. “I will! Can’t wait for January!”

With a small smile, I watched as he sprinted out of the designated media room and heard his voice echoing from the kitchen. I followed after him in slower moves, collecting my emotions, facial expression and limbs. Everything felt heavy and the simplest movements were painful. This was going to be a long break without reaching out to Aiden.

The doorbell stopped me in my tracks, and being the closest to the door I reached to open it. Before seeing him, I already knew who was on the other side of the door. My heart tightened in my chest and all the air left me before I pulled the door wide open.

Wordlessly I stared at him, taking in his sight. The messy hair, which still had lighter locks from the sun, his sharp jawline, which was set in an upset line and his thundering eyes. My gaze lingered on his face, before taking in his simple jeans and Baywater Dolphin hoodie outfit. A similar hoodie I was currently wearing, soaked with his usual perfume that reminded me of safety and happiness.

“Hi,” I greeted him quietly.

---