Page 125 of Skylar

When he turned his attention to the pan he’d used to fry his egg, Skylar said, “I can take care of that.”

He glanced over at her. “You don’t have to. I made the mess.”

“I know,” she said. “But I don’t have a lot to do today.”

“Well, thank you.” Aiden dried his hands on a dishtowel. “I appreciate that.”

He picked up his laptop bag from where it sat on the counter, then took a step in Skylar’s direction. However, he paused, a frown briefly crossing his face. If she hadn’t been watching him, she would have missed it completely, as it was quickly replaced by a smile.

“See you later,” he said. “Have a good day.”

“You too.”

Aiden hesitated again, then gave her one last smile before he turned and left the kitchen, heading toward the door. Skylar watched him go, then continued to stare at the door even after Aiden had closed it behind him.

She was grateful that he was keeping things as normal as possible between them during this time of uncertainty.

The more time they spent together, the more she saw great qualities in Aiden that she wanted in a boyfriend, and later, a husband. But would she be able to hold her fears in check? Or would she forever wonder if she was on the cusp of losing him?

She wasn’t sure she could live that way. Always trying her best to keep him happy, even if it was at the expense of her own happiness. She didn’t want fear to be the motivation for why she did things for him.

She didn’t want to act a certain way or do things out of fear instead of love. How was she supposed to do that if fear was still present in her relationship with him?

At the end of the day, she did want a relationship with Aiden. Her heart ached with the love she held for him, but the fear was there, too. The better things were between them, the higher herfear of losing him would become. Could she honestly just take his word for things?

“Good morning,” her dad said as he walked into the kitchen. “You’re up early. Did you sleep well?”

“I slept okay.”

“Has Aiden left for work already?” he asked as he filled a couple of mugs with coffee from the carafe.

“Yes. He left a few minutes ago.”

“Are you coming with us to the hospital?”

“No. I think I’m going to submit some applications and look at what might be available for apartments in the area.”

“So you’re pretty set on staying in Coeur d’Alene?”

“Seems like the job I want is more likely to be available here,” Skylar said.

Her dad nodded as he lifted his mug to take a sip. “I suppose that’s true.”

“Good morning, darling.” Her mom joined them at the counter, giving Skylar a quick hug before walking to where her husband stood to take possession of the cup of coffee he’d prepared for her. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, my love.”

As Skylar watched the affection flow between her parents, she wondered if they’d ever had moments of worry and doubt about the person they’d invested so much of their feelings into.

“Aiden gone already?”

Skylar nodded. “He left just before Dad came out.”

“Did you talk to him before he left?”

“Yes,” she said. “Why?”

“I’m just trying to figure out where the two of you stand in relation to each other. At times, tension seems high between you. But then, rather than it make you avoid each other, you seem to be interacting normally. I’m confused.”

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