Page 38 of The Girl I Once Loved

After all, my sister’s right.

Be it good or bad, I have come a long way, and I shouldn’t hide who I am from anyone.

“Okay, then,” she says with an easy grin, only for it to falter from her lips seconds later. “Shit. This is not how I wanted this to happen.”

“What?” I ask, confused. “What are you talking—” but before I have time to finish my sentence, an annoyingly high pitched shriek stops me in my tracks.

“Daisy! Skylar! Hi!” Stacy Monroe shouts at us, waving like we’re best fucking friends and not mortal enemies. But it’s not the shock of seeing Stacy that’s frozen me to the spot—it’s the baby stroller she’s holding onto.

“Come on,” Daisy mumbles under her breath, forcibly dragging me to cross the street with her.

Before I realize what my sister is doing, I’m already face to face with the girl who tried to kill me in high school.

And no, I’m not being dramatic.

Stacy really did almost kill me with that pecan stunt of hers.

Huh.

What do you know?

This bitch wanted nothing more than to make sure my heart stopped beating back in the day.

And in a way, she got her wish.

Kudos to her.

But if I thought seeing the girl who made my life a living hell in high school was bad enough, then the way my sister warmly gives her a side hug only pours salt to the wound.

“Hi, Stacy,” my sister greets with a sincere smile.

“Hi,” she greets, eyeing me nervously. “Welcome home, Skylar.”

“Thank you,” I reply dryly, purposely keeping my ‘fuck you’ expression in place.

“I…uh…,” she stammers before giving her head a little shake, as if she needed those extra seconds to compose herself. “Derrick told me you might be here this morning.” She grins at my sister. “Since it’s such a nice morning, I thought I’d bring little Joshua for a little stroll on the beach.”

“And how is my little guy?” Daisy coos, kneeling down to the stroller and finding a sleeping baby boy with hair as crimson red as his mother’s cheeks.

I don’t know why I do it, but I let out a sigh of relief when I see his hair, expecting it to be blond instead.

Thankfully, neither woman catches the faux pas, as they are too busy gushing over the little guy. I, on the other hand, am painfully aware of how awkward I’m being. After all, it’s only normal that my sister be on good terms with Stacy. In a few months, she’ll be her sister-in-law and part of Stacy’s family. Which means, in a way, she’ll be part of mine too.

Fuck.

I’ve been so in my head that I didn’t even realize that this woman will be in my life for the long haul. She’ll be as much an aunt to my sister’s future kids as I will be. I make a mental note to spoil those kids rotten and be the cool aunt. Like hell I’ll let her turn them against me.

Goddamn it.

I’m already amped up to go to war with this woman over my nephews and nieces, and they haven’t even been born yet.

I don’t even know if my sister wants kids.

I mean, she never wanted to get married before she met Derrick so I’m sure she’s probably changed her mind on that front too.

It’s not even noon and I already have a headache.

I stand there silent as Stacy and Daisy talk about some wedding preparation, counting down the seconds until they’ve said all they need to say for us to be on our way.

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