Chapter 15
Skye
The morning sun filters through the thin curtains of my apartment for the last time.
I sit on the edge of my mattress, surrounded by half-packed boxes and scattered memories, trying to breathe through the knot in my stomach.
Today, I move into the guest house behind Gemma and Carter's.
It should feel like a fresh start, a gift really, but everything feels heavier now.
Packing the last of my things into boxes and bags feels surreal. Everything about this apartment has always felt temporary, like I was holding my breath waiting for the next phase to start.
A knock at the door jolts me up, and when I swing it open, there they are, Gemma, Carter, and... Gage. I freeze.
"Hey, need a hand?" Gage's voice stops me cold.
He's standing there in jeans and a black tee, looking like he belongs. As if this isn't weird and complicated.
I freeze, my breath catching. "What are you doing here?"
He lifts a brow. "Helping. Carter asked. It's not against the school code to have mutual friends and spend time with them."
I narrow my eyes at Gemma and Carter. "You set this up."
Carter just smiles. "We figured an extra set of hands wouldn't hurt."
"You figured?" I shoot a look at Gage.
He raises both hands. "Before you start swinging, I'm not here to make anything harder. When he said you were moving, I asked Carter if he needed help. That's it."
"This feels like a setup."
Gemma shrugs with that innocent look she's mastered. "Or it's just your friends trying to help."
"Friends with impeccable timing," I mutter.
Gage steps forward, voice softer. "Skye, it's not against any school policy for us to have mutual friends and be in the same place as them."
"So long as we're not sneaking around, which we're not," Carter adds. "You two being in the same room doesn't violate anything."
I cross my arms. "Convenient interpretation."
Gage chuckles. "I'm not here to twist the rules. I just wanted to help. And see you."
That last part makes my heart skip. He looks at me as if I'm the only person in the room. And if I have to admit it, I want to see him too.
Gemma shrugs and gives a small smile, switching topics. "We had a lot of boxes."
Carter grins. "And Gage knows how to lift heavy things."
I roll my eyes but can't help the tug at my lips. "Fine."
Gemma claps her hands. "Okay! Let's get this show on the road. Boxes won't carry themselves."
We load up the small moving van with the last of my stuff. Carter offers to drive the truck while Gemma follows in their car. Since Gage rode with them, that leaves him riding back to the guest house with me. Of course he does.
When I go back inside to do one last sweep of the apartment, Gage stays by my car, giving me space. I make sure I have everything and the space is empty. Then I wipe down the counters and snap a picture of each room.
As I'm walking out, I am texting the landlord to let him know the keys are on the kitchen counter when a loud screech of tires cuts through the quiet. A teenager in a beat-up sedan flies into the parking lot, music blaring, not paying attention.
I freeze. My eyes are locked on the car as it barrels toward me.
Before I can react, muscular arms wrap around me, yanking me back with a force that knocks the breath out of me. I stumble into a solid chest just as the car swerves and speeds past, the driver completely oblivious.
My heart is pounding so loudly I can barely hear anything else.
"What the hell…" I gasp.
"You okay?" Gage's voice is tight, urgent, his hands still holding me protectively.
I nod, breathless. "Yeah. Thanks to you."
His arms don't drop immediately. He looks down at me, his expression unreadable. "That could've gone really badly."
"I didn't even see it coming," I admit, voice shaky.
"You froze."
"I did."
He brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "Always look both ways, sweetheart."
The gentleness of his tone makes my chest ache. Finally, he steps back, his touch lingering like a ghost.
He stares at me for a long moment, eyes filled with something I can't quite name. Then he moves, cups my cheek, and without a word, kisses me.
It's not frantic or desperate. It's soft and full of everything we haven't been able to say.
When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine. "I was scared. Watching that car come at you. If I hadn't…"
"But you did," I whisper.
His hands slide down to mine, and I grip them for dear life. "I can't lose you. Not like that," he says.
We stand there in the silence left by the fading roar of the car until I finally nod and he steps back as we go to my car.
As soon as we pull out of the lot, the silence in the car thickens.
The ride is quiet at first. I grip the wheel, hyper-aware of every glance he sneaks in my direction. Halfway there, he finally speaks.
"I saw you the other day in class. Sitting there while I stood up front... pretending I didn't know you? That was brutal. Hardest thing I've ever done."
My chest tightens. "Yeah. Me too."
"But my feelings haven't changed. Not even a little."
I look over at him. "Mine haven't either. But our circumstances have."
He nods slowly. "I know. But I meant what I said. I'm going to fix this."
Now those feelings are more intense, and I don't know if it's because they are real or if it's just because I can't have him now. But I want to find out.
"I hope you do."
He glances at me again. "Can I ask you something real?"
I nod. "Yeah."
"How's school? Really? Your classes, your schedule? Are you overloaded yet?"
The question catches me off guard. We never talked about normal life stuff. "It's busy. Getting organized. Senior year is no joke. But I'm managing."
He nods thoughtfully. "And your job? Still at the spa?"
"Yeah, part-time. Enough to pay for food and gas."
He smiles. "Still planning the mommy-and-me spa dream?"
My eyes widen. "How do you even know about that?"
"It was on the paper you turned in at the beginning of class."
I had forgotten all about that. Knowing read it and remembered it offers comfort, a small tie between us.
That pulls a smile from me. "Yeah, I'm still planning it."
"You'll be great."
I glance at him. "What about you? How's the professor gig going?"
He sighs. "It's... different. Balancing academia with Club Red is strange. But I'm actually working on a BDSM curriculum to partner with Club Red and sociology electives. Carter and the Club are helping."
I blink. "Seriously?"
"Yeah. It's something I believe in. Done right, it can change how people view kink and consent."
He reaches across the console and takes my hand. I freeze.
I pull away instinctively, but he doesn't flinch. "A car almost hit you. No one is here to see, so just give me this."
Hesitating, I then slowly slide my hand back into his. He laces our fingers together like it's the most natural thing in the world.
His hand is warm and solid, and holding it sends a rush of comfort and longing through me. There's something grounding about the weight of it, the way our fingers fit together like they were made for this.
At the next stoplight, I stare at our hands, wishing this could be normal. Wishing we could hold hands on a walk, during dinner, while watching a movie. Wishing this wasn't the only space we could exist like this.
This simple contact fills the ache I've been carrying around since everything changed. It's just his hand in mine, but it means everything.
When we get to the new place, we unload everything with Carter and Gemma. The guest house is bright and open. A blank canvas. Carter and Gage handle the heavy furniture, while Gemma helps me organize boxes by room.
We laugh and tease each other as we work. Gage even manages to get Carter to crack a joke, which feels like a miracle.
Finally, everything's inside.
Gemma gives me a quick hug. "We'll let you settle in. Call if you need anything."
Carter nods. "We're just across the yard."
They head out, leaving me and Gage alone.
When Gage gets ready to leave, he lingers by the door. "Just don't move on, okay? Give me time."
I turn to face him. "I won't. I can't. And you?"
"Same. There's no one else, Skye. Not for me."
It’s the closest we have come to admitting our feelings toward each other, even though now we shouldn't.
I nod. "My mom still wants to meet you. She hasn't forgotten."
"Name the time. I'll be there."
"I can give you a ride home if you want." I do not want our time to end.
He smirks. "No need. I'm your new neighbor."
I blink. "What? You're kidding."
"Nope. I live right there. It's how Carter found this place. I told him about it," Gage says with a smile.
A fact that Carter and Gemma conveniently left out when offering me the guest house. They know I'd have said no if I had known, but now there is no backing out.
I groan. "Fuck." I whine and cover my face. "This is going to be torture."
He leans in, brushing a hand down my arm. "Only if we let it be."
And maybe, just maybe, it won't be.
Because he's still here.
And so am I.
We stare at each other for a minute, then he laughs. And for a moment, despite everything, I do too.