Chapter 40 Skye
SKYE
I swear, the cabin felt like a little slice of heaven, especially after spending years being surrounded by the madness of the city.
Ocean and I had slipped into the kind of easy rhythm that comes with being completely alone with someone that was fully into you.
And now, two days in, we were sitting in the living room, him in plaid pajamas that I had insisted he put on, and me in a matching set.
“I can’t believe you got me wearing this shit,” he said, holding the elastic waist of his pants and frowning down at himself like I’d done something personally offensive. “It’s not even Christmas time. It’s spring.”
I tilted my head, trying to look offended but failing miserably because I was grinning from ear to ear. “I know, but it still feels like winter outside so...”
“But it’s not.”
“Oh, come on. I know you’re secretly into it. Admit it.”
He snorted, shaking his head, but I could see the faint flush creeping up his neck.
I leaned over and pressed a quick, teasing kiss to his cheek. “Don’t act like you don’t love it,” I said softly.
“I don’t love it. But I love you.”
My mouth fell open. “You...what?”
He paused, his eyes darting from one side of the room to the other. Then his shoulders dropped. “Yeah, you heard me right...I love you.”
My hand pressed against my mouth. “I can’t believe I’m hearing you say this. Like, is this even real?”
“It is. I can’t even deny that shit. I’ve been crazy about you since the day I laid eyes on you. I don’t know how you got me, but you did.”
“I don’t know how I got you either.”
He shook his head. “Nah, I take that shit back. I know how you got me.”
“How?”
“By just being you...being amazing. Not hiding who you are for anyone and not making me hide who I am. That shit is dope, and I love that about you.”
My heart swelled what felt like a million sizes in my chest. “Oh my God, Ocean. I...I love you too.”
“Shit, you better.” He chuckled. “The way I’m ready to kill over your ass...”
I laughed and nudged him with my shoulder, feeling warm and giddy all over. It was the kind of simple, quiet joy I didn’t think I’d experience, but here I was.
We’d grabbed mugs of hot chocolate earlier, and had set up canvases by the fireplace so we could paint together.
I watched him take a sip of his hot chocolate, eyebrows raised like he was judging me for the little extras I was putting in mine. “That’s too much whipped cream,” he said.
“It’s not,” I shot back. “There’s no such thing as using too much whipped cream.”
He rolled his eyes, but the smirk on his lips gave him away. I took another sip and smiled at him.
“You know we have to go back tomorrow,” I said after a pause, the tiny hint of a frown tugging at me. “Back to the city, the club reopening, everything.”
His gaze softened, eyes flicking to mine. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I hate it too. I could stay out here forever. Just you and me, fire blazing, hot chocolate, zero drama.”
“Forever sounds about right,” I replied.
Leaning forward, I gave him another playful kiss, my heart a little heavier knowing we couldn’t really live in these moments forever.
We spent the next hour painting, laughing at our clumsy brushstrokes, teasing each other about how awful the other’s technique was. By the time we finished, the canvases were covered in swirls and abstract shapes, but when we stepped back and looked at them, they were perfect.
“I love this,” I said softly, examining the piece he had made. “It’s…us.”
He looked nervous, holding his own canvas out. “Really?”
I nodded, eyes wide, and he smiled, just a hint of pride breaking through the dark edge he always carried. “It’s like…I wanted to show…how I feel about you without saying it.”
I swallowed hard.
I stepped closer, standing right in front of him, and we just stood there for a moment, the space between us filled with all the words we didn’t have to say. “I feel the same,” I whispered.
Before he could respond, my phone started buzzing on the table.
It was my mother.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Skye!” her voice was panicked, almost shaking. “It’s Leera. She’s locked in her room, crying, won’t tell me why. I don’t know what happened, but it’s…it’s got something to do with Kory. Something she found, and…she’s disgusted. I don’t know what’s going on.”
I ran a hand through my hair, stomach knotting. “Mom…calm down. I’ll call her.” She kept talking, but I cut her off gently. “I’ll call you back.”
I hung up and immediately turned to Ocean, who was watching me with concern. “Mom said Leera’s locked herself in her room. She’s crying. Won’t tell her why, but it has something to do with Kory. Probably something to do with another woman.”
Ocean stiffened.
I could feel the tension radiating off him, and before I could even finish my sentence, he spoke. “I need to tell you something.” I watched as he ran a hand down the back of his head. “I talked to Enzo about Kory.”
My stomach dropped. “You…what?”
He exhaled slowly. “Yeah. I...um...went to confront him about some other shit, then I asked him about Kory.”
“What other shit did you go to confront him about?”
He paused, then looked away from me.
“Ocean?”
He sighed. “I found out it was his party that you were at the night you were...assaulted. I wanted to know if he had anything to do with it.”
I froze. My heart started pounding, and a mix of shock, anger, and fear rose in me. “What...what did he say?”
“He said he didn’t know what I was talking about. Then Trace texted me and confirmed that he was out of the country, despite it being his party.”
Relief washed over me, grateful that I hadn’t been crossing paths with my attacker all these years.
“Is that why you didn’t come straight home after leaving Ol’ School’s?”
Ocean nodded, then cleared his throat. “Look, I don’t have all the details, but there’s something off about what Enzo said. He made it sound like Kory’s into some sick shit, and if he’s hanging around Enzo, that means it probably has something to do with teenage girls.”
My eyes widened. “Ocean! Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”
“I didn’t want to freak you out before I had all the facts.”
I stepped back a little. “I…I need to call Leera. I need to see what’s going on.”
I dialed my sister, but it went straight to voicemail.
Over and over, no answer.
“Do you want to leave?” Ocean asked. “I can knock two hours down to one. Just say the word.”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Say less. I’ll get our stuff packed.”
“Okay,” I said, voice trembling.
Ocean stepped close, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Don’t worry. We got her.”
I leaned into him, letting the fear and uncertainty melt into the strength he possessed.
I swallowed hard. The warmth of the cabin, the laughter, the painting, the hot chocolate…all of it vanished in that instant.