Page 120 of Skylar

“Have you chosen not to date?”

“Oh, I’ve dated,” she said. “In fact, I’d just broken up with a guy when my mom called to let me know what was going on with Shiloh.”

Aiden’s stomach soured at the revelation. Of course she’d been dating. She was a beautiful woman who no doubt attracted the attention of many men. Including the rich ones who travelled on the private jets she’d worked on.

“Was it serious?” he asked. “Had you been dating long?”

“About nine months,” she said.

He noticed she didn’t say anything about the seriousness of the relationship, but nine months wasn’t exactly casual. The breakup could be why she was hesitant to pursue something with him.

If the breakup had happened right before Shiloh’s diagnosis, it had been several weeks already. Was that enough time for her to get over the guy?

“I didn’t realize that when I asked you out,” he said.

“Does it make a difference?”

“I think it does,” he said. “Because if you’re still getting over that guy, I understand why you wouldn’t be interested in something with me. Just forget that I asked, and we’ll continue on as we are. Friends.”

Skylar was quiet, and when Aiden glanced over at her, he saw she’d turned her face toward the window so he couldn’t see her expression.

“I still want a relationship with you,” Aiden said. “But I don’t want to be your rebound or for us to get involved when you still have feelings for someone else. That would doom the relationship from the start.”

“I don’t still have feelings for him.”

“Okay. So if he showed up today and tried to get back together, you wouldn’t be interested?”

“He already did show up, sort of, when I was in Vegas.”

“What do you mean?”

“He started texting me again, wanting us to meet for coffee.”

“Did you?” he asked. “Sorry. That’s none of my business.”

“I don’t mind telling you, but maybe don’t mention this around my parents. I don’t really discuss my dating life with my family.” When he nodded, she continued on. “No. I did not meet him for coffee, and he’s now blocked on my phone and all my social media accounts.”

“Was it a bad breakup?”

“Not really,” she said. “He told me that he felt like he couldn’t get past the wall I had built around my heart. That I was emotionally distant, and he didn’t think we could have something long-term because of that.”

“But then he changed his mind?”

“I don’t know. And I didn’t care, so when he texted me to meet up, I didn’t have a problem telling him no.”

Knowing she wasn’t still in love with another guy brought a wave of relief to Aiden. She still might turn him down. But if she did agree to the date, at least he knew she was over her previous relationship.

He didn’t like the idea of her dating other men. But since he’d also dated, he didn’t really have any right to feel that way.

“Is there anything I can say or do to help put your mind at ease about us dating?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s something I just need to work on. Some of the things you said to me years ago were incredibly hurtful, and I struggle to get them out of my mind sometimes.”

“I really am sorry for what I said.”

“How will I know that you’re really committed to a relationship with me, and that you won’t drop me the minute another woman comes along who’s prettier than me? Has a better personality? Has a better job? I don’t want to be in a relationship that whenever a beautiful woman is around, I have to worry about losing you to her.”

Aiden heard the pain in her voice and realized just how negatively his words and actions had impacted her. He could tell her that he hadn’t meant them, but that wouldn’t lessen the hurt they’d caused her over the years.

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