When Sky Breaks: Burn & Break Duet Book 2

13. Sky

With Trekon Foster duty after his first round of chemo and Johnny doing some work from his hotel room, I head to the hardware store to get a jumpstart on the list of items needed for the initial construction of the haunted house.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to do something else with my time other than think about my conversation with Trek. It looped through my mind all night. He’s right for once. I owe it to myself to get everything off my chest, and the only person left to talk to is August. He’s the missing link in this chain. Whether or not I can forgive him is still debatable.

Taking out the partial list Foster gave me, I shove all that away to focus on one thing at a time. Very much the same as the last time I was here, I head straight for the aisles I need and begin crossing items off my list.

Batteries of all sizes

Drill bit in size one-sixteenth

Red spray paint

Knife: Eight inches long

Oddly specific, but okay.

Caulk

I snicker, rolling the word around, trying unsuccessfully to pronounce the L. No use. Cock it is. I cackle like an immature heathen and receive a side-eye from a little old lady fiddling with the paintbrushes. Finally, I find it and toss it in the cart.

Rubber

Rubber? What kind of rubber are we talking about?Now, I’m thinking like Trek and giggling about condoms in a hardware store. Making a note, I’ll have to ask Foster and come back for whatever this is later.

Six-inch planks of wood

Well. That sounds a bit more realistic than eight inches.

It’s been way too long since I’ve last gotten laid if this is where my train of thought lands.

I’m in my own world, laughing at this list and what I can turn into a sexual euphemism when I turn the corner to the lumber section and run into a body.

A live one.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” I stammer, maneuvering my cart to the side to check on the person I bowled over with my overloaded cart. “Are you okay?”

The dark-haired man brushes off his dusty jean-clad legs from where I plowed into him and stands straight, offering me a polite smile. It morphs into one of familiarity once we recognize each other.

“Benny?”

“Hey there, Sky. Wow, how are you?” He’s just as surprised to see me as the rest of the dang town.

Benny Torres. August’s old best friend—maybe still his best friend—grew up. In high school, he was a bit on the shorter side and relatively unassuming, but the years after gave him a glow-up. His near-black hair is glossy, and his bronze skin darker from what looks like all the work he does out in the sun. The T-shirt he’s wearing, covered in sawdust, clings to his broader frame and the new muscles he acquired.

Whoa. Benny is gorgeous.

I realize I’m staring too much and glance down at his arms and hands instead. Bad idea because those are nice too, but luckily, there’s a wedding band on his left ring finger. Wouldn’t that be the talk of the town? Falling in lust with the best friend of the love of your life.

Formerlove of my life.

“I’m good. I’m home for Foster. He’s, uh, having his first cancer treatment, and he needed me to help. You know, getting stuff for the haunted house.”

“Right. Yeah. I’m sorry to hear about Foster. One of my guys at the lumberyard told me about his diagnosis. I’m glad he’s okay, though.” Benny gestures to my cart. “I’m here for that, too. Just dropping off lumber and then taking some to the firehouse for the build.”

After a few more comments about the upcoming festival, Benny tilts his head and stares at me with those penetrating brown eyes. I shift on my feet. It’s obvious there’s a question burning in his mind.

“Does August know you’re here? Back in town, I mean?”

There it is. So they’re still friends, after all.

I glance away and study the names of the rows of fence pickets stacked all the way to the top of the store while I feel Benny’s gaze.

Finally, I woman up and face him. “Not yet. Please don’t tell him.”

He scratches the side of his nice, straight nose and sighs. He’s probably remembering that time I came to him the summer August left and was a blubbering mess. Benny is loyal to August, and I get it. He and I weren’t close, but it still stung when I got no actual information out of him, except that August was indeed out in Cali.

It was probably for the best. What was I planning on doing, anyway? Hitchhiking out west with nothing but revenge on my mind and a broken heart?

“I won’t. But you can’t hide from him for too long. Word travels fast. And if you’re helping with the haunted house? The beloved prodigal daughter of Foster in Maizeville? It will travel faster.”

“I know. I just—” I don’t even know what to say.

My feelings are all over the place. I want to hate August so much for what he did. The one person who promised to protect me broke my heart. He was my very best friend first, my lover second, and now? Fear dictates my every move. What if I see him and I’m not strong anymore? The anger buoyed me for so long, carrying me through the years. But faced with the inevitable reunion, I’m so tired. I’ve always been the one to forgive easily, but this is the one thing I can’t truly let go of. Can I?

“I get it, Sky. He did you dirty, and honestly, if you never want to talk to him again, I wouldn’t fault you for it. But for what it’s worth, I think you two had something special. You don’t see it too often.”

“Well, he should’ve thought of that before he left me without a goodbye,” I snarl at Benny and clench my fists to temper the internal war I’m waging. August did leave me without a goodbye, but I was the catalyst. I said I hated him and I never wanted to see him again. My wish was granted, but not without damning consequences and shattered hearts.

However, Benny clearly doesn’t know the whole story. No one does, and that’s what makes this so much harder to handle. The only ones who know the truth are me, Trek, and August. It’s lonely here on the battlefield, but there’s too much at stake for something like this to come to light. It was always going to stay between us three. But the solid unit we all could’ve had broke, possibly beyond repair. It was broken the moment Trek and August hid the truth. Then August crushed it even more with his betrayal. Yet still. My heart wants peace.

Benny’s expression is understanding, and I wilt, curling my fingers over the handle of my cart.

“You’re right. He should’ve done a lot of things differently. There’s still time if that’s what you two want.”

That’s the thing. I don’t know what I really want. Or I do, but I’m refusing to acknowledge it.

Benny gives me a soft smile, a knowing one, and I’m not sure what to think of it. “Well, I better get back to work, but it was good seeing you. I hope we see you around. I know Kayla would too.”

“Congratulations on getting married. The same Kayla we went to school with?”

The same old lady who gave me the stink eye earlier rolls between Benny and me. Is it bad I want to stick my tongue out at her?

Benny’s infectious grin widens as he lets her pass. “Yep, same Kayla. After years of hounding, she finally gave in and gave me a chance.”

That’s cute. And depressing.

Everyone is living their lives—happy and fulfilled—and I’m here spiraling.

Enough, I’ve had enough.

Straightening my back, I tell Benny goodbye and maneuver to the checkout.

It’s time to quit waffling and get some closure on this chapter of my life so I can open a new one.