Page 86 of The Girl I Once Loved

And by Clara and my father’s not so discreet glances towards us over the breakfast table, they know exactly what we’ve been up to in my loft. I was sure my father would say something to the sound of not messing around with my stepsister, but if he has any reservations about it, he’s kept his opinions to himself. Maybe Clara has finally gathered the courage to tell him about our sordid past. Or maybe he’s known all along. I can’t be sure since my father can be very hard to read at times.

Still…I hope he’s on board, because there is nothing and no one that will tear me away from the woman I love again.

My thoughts are interrupted, though, when I hear the sound of a car engine driving up the driveaway, alerting me to someone’s arrival home.

Sky.

Ever so eagerly, I jump out of bed and run towards my door, ecstatic to welcome my girl back home, only to find Sky getting out of none other than Stacy Monroe’s car.

Shit.

This can’t be good.

My muscles tense up as I watch Sky slam the car door shut with such force, I’m surprised it doesn’t wake up the whole neighborhood, much less our parents. I swallow dryly as her penetrating gaze pierces me to the spot, as she slowly walks up the flight of stairs towards me.

I don’t so much as move as I watch her take one step at a time, anger mixed with hurt coating her beautiful gray eyes. My chest tightens when I see that her armor is also fully on display, letting me know that whatever happened tonight was enough to undo all the work we’ve accomplished.

Fuck.

“Rough night?” I ask when she finally takes the last step.

She cuts her eyes at me and marches inside, her anger so palpable I almost choke on it.

I take a fortifying breath and gently close the door behind her, not sure if it’s the wisest thing for me to do, considering Sky looks like she’d rather murder me than talk to me.

I cross my arms over my chest, inwardly preparing myself for more heartbreak. It’s so fucking clear in her gaze how she’s about to end me, right here and now. I was a fool to have believed the past wouldn’t rear its ugly head and destroy everything we were just starting to build.

What the fuck could have happened with Stacy tonight for Sky to be like this?

But just as the question pops into my brain, so does its chilling answer.

She knows.

“Sky—” On instinct, I open my stupid mouth to justify my actions, but my girl holds out a menacing finger at me, stopping the words from coming out.

“No. You don’t get to talk right now. Not yet.”

She begins to frantically pace the floor, left and right, as if trying to get a hold of her anger long enough to have a conversation with me. Reluctantly, I leave her to it, even though with each second that passes by, my fear and apprehension hike up to skyscraper heights.

I can’t lose her again.

I fucking can’t.

I won’t survive it this time.

I’m watching my whole world begin to crumble around me, and only Sky holds the power to stop it from completely withering away.

As if she knows I’m close to losing it, she stops in the middle of her tracks and faces me head on.

“Is it true?”

My knee jerk reaction is to open my mouth to give her some wisecrack comment or tell her I have no idea what she’s talking about since I’m not a mind reader. But my heart won’t let me do it. We’ve both suffered enough with our lies and evasions of the truth. One of us needs to be brave now, and it might as well be me since I’m responsible for all the anguish she’s currently suffering.

“Yes.”

Her eyes instantly well up with tears, but her expression remains as lethal as ever.

“You’re not even going to ask me what I’m referring to? Or how I know?”

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