Chapter 36 Skye
SKYE
The rest of the day was going pretty smooth.
I’d spent the afternoon running errands and picking out a few things for my soon to be godson or goddaughter. I’d also found a cute little outfit for my movie date with Ocean later.
I strolled inside the hotel where my agent, Samantha, had just wrapped up a meeting.
The lobby smelled faintly of coffee and disinfectant. It was professional but warm in its own way.
Smiling, I waved at Samantha as she sat at the bar, and she gestured for me to head that way.
But before I could make it into the restaurant, I saw two familiar faces stepping off the elevator. Kory and Enzo.
I didn’t think much of it. Two sleaze balls hanging out together wasn’t anything new in this industry.
All I cared about was making sure they didn’t see me.
But something about the way they were laughing, almost too casually, made my skin crawl.
I don’t know why, but something made me pull out my phone and dial Leera.
“Hey,” she answered. “What’s up?”
“Um, nothing,” I said. “Just checking in. What you doing?”
“Nothing much. Just sitting on the couch watching TV.”
“Are you alone?”
“Just me and KJ. Kory’s out of town on business. He left last night.” She paused. “Why? Were you trying to stop by?”
Hmph.
“Um, I was thinking about it,” I lied. “I’ll let you know after I finish this meeting with my agent.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“Love you,” I said, hanging up.
Why the hell would he lie about being out of town?
I shoved my unease to the back of mind and focused on why I was at the hotel in the first place.
Even though I wanted to know more, it was probably better that I didn’t.
Just mind your business, Skye. Mind your motherfucking business.
And that’s exactly what I did for the next hour. I went over things with my agent, called Leera back to let her know I wasn’t going to make it, then headed home to get ready for my date.
By the time Ocean pulled up, my only focus was on the thrill of seeing him.
His car door clicked shut, and he grinned at me. “You ready?”
I laughed, sliding my hand into his. “Yep.”
We drove to the spot he had picked. It was one of those old-school drive-in theaters. The air smelled of popcorn and the faint hint of car exhaust, but I didn’t care.
We parked, settled in with blankets and snacks. I popped open a small bag of candy we had grabbed on the way. Ocean had kept it simple with a small box of chewy fruit candies, while I’d grabbed the candy I’d loved since I was a kid.
“I can’t believe you eat those. Them damn things taste like extension cords,” he teased, shaking his head.
“Whatever,” I said, smiling. “Don’t judge. Licorice is amazing.”
He laughed, that deep, rumbling sound that made my stomach do flips.
We talked, about little things, about our week, about nothing and everything all at once.
I loved how we could sit side by side in a car, the movie flickering across his face, and it didn’t feel like we needed words to fill the spaces.
Eventually, I told him about my mom and Leera coming by. He listened quietly, nodding, his hand brushing mine every once in a while.
“So, you guys finally came to an understanding?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it doesn’t mean everything’s perfect, but it’s a start. Baby steps.”
He smiled. “That’s good. I’m glad you guys found some kind of common ground and you’re at peace with things.”
I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. “Yeah, me too. But it feels like it might be short-lived.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I saw something today. Something weird.” I hesitated, debating whether to tell him about Kory and Enzo. My gut twisted at the thought of dragging more drama into the night, but I couldn’t lie to him.
“What is it?” he asked, sensing the edge in my voice.
“I saw Kory with Enzo. At a hotel.” Ocean’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything. He waited, letting me speak more. “At first, I didn’t think anything of it, then I talked to Leera and she said Kory had left town for business.”
Ocean jerked his head back. “Left town?”
“Yeah, I know. That’s what makes it even more weird. Like, why would he lie about being out of town unless he was doing something he shouldn’t be doing?”
Ocean exhaled slowly. “Yeah, that shit sounds sketchy.”
“I just don’t know what to do with this information. I haven’t told Leera anything.”
He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. “Honestly, I suggest doing nothing.”
“Nothing? Really?”
“Yep. Your sister has made it clear that she doesn’t want to hear anything about her husband. If you tell her this it’s just going to put you guys back in the space you’re trying to get out of. There’s no point in putting yourself through that headache again.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Sighing, I turned my attention back to the movie screen.
For a while, we sat quietly, eating our snacks and laughing at silly lines from the movie.
Then, he broke the silence.
“You know, I’ve been thinking...about moving to the city full-time.”
I almost choked. “What?”
“Yeah.” He tilted his head. “Would that be a problem for you? I mean, I know you want to take things slow and—”
“Um, no that wouldn’t be a problem.”
My insides were fluttering with excitement, but I tried to keep it cute. I mean, it only made sense that he would make plans to live here. He had a whole business here. It couldn’t just be about me...right?
I wouldn’t dare ask.
He kissed my temple, whispering, “Cool.”
The movie played, the night stretched on, and we just sat there in this bubble of comfort and warmth, the snacks half-eaten, our hands intertwined.
After the movie ended, we stayed a while longer, talking about everything and nothing, promising to take things slow and enjoy each other.
As we drove back, I looked over at him, and I felt my heart swell with something tender and intense all at once. This was mine. He was mine. And nothing else mattered right now.
Not the past. Not Mecca.
Just him.