Chapter 4 Skylar
CHAPTER FOUR
Skylar
“Holy shit…”
I wipe the sweat off my brow as I lean forward and press my forehead against the front door. The last fifteen hours were absolute hell. Jesus, I don’t know how Rhys does it all. When he asked me to pick up his shift, I knew it would be extra work but I never realized just how much.
He wasn’t kidding when he said being head bartender was grueling.
But, of course, everything Rhys does looks absolutely effortless, so who am I kidding?
Fumbling with my keys, I somehow manage to unlock all the locks and the deadbolt, because Cassius is still a stickler about safety. It’s a miracle he let me come home from work alone, but he had a fight at the gym tonight that I knew he was looking forward to, so I insisted he go.
To be honest, though, I hope he’s not too sore. A foot rub sounds amaaaaazing right about now.
I barely manage to make it through the front door, walk the two steps to the couch, and sit down before my eyes slam shut.
The day started off easy enough. I had to get to the club earlier than usual, but it was no biggie.
Totally chill that I missed my morning sexy-time with Cassius and wasn’t able to enjoy my chai tea in peace.
Once I got there, Butch oversaw the latest delivery—along with Knox who signs off on everything—and they only helped bring stuff in when they saw my arms were literally about to fall off.
After that, it was setting up the bar like business as usual, but there were a hundred and one little tasks that I had to do in between.
I’ve never been the best at focusing on one thing at a time, so yeah, that sucked.
Then the club opened and it was all the normal stuff I deal with. Normally, I’d get to go home because Rhys would close everything up, but now it was my job.
It’s four in the morning. Four in the morning, and I’m just getting home.
“Um, sunshine?”
I peel one eye open to see Cassius hovering above me, his head cocked to the side.
“Don’t speak,” I beg in a hoarse whisper. “I certainly cannot go on.” I place a hand on my heart and sigh. “Please, Cassius, do not find another after me.”
“So dramatic,” he mumbles, but it’s with all the fondness in the world. He moves over to sit next to me and prop my head on his lap. He hums to himself as he runs his fingers through my hair. “Your roots are starting to show. What’s next?”
I think it through. “Orange because, duh, Halloween.”
He chuckles. “Right.”
“Cassy,” I whine as I wiggle my head on his lap. “Could you pretty please rub my feet. They’re sooooo sore.”
“Of course, sunshine.” He effortlessly manhandles me until my position is reversed and my feet are on his lap.
The second he takes off my shoes and socks, and his hands land on my bare feet, I let out a near-pornographic moan. “Fuck yes.”
“Rough night?”
“The roughest? Rhys’s job is hard.”
“Why’d you agree to pick it up for him anyway? This must be the third time this week.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. He has a point.
Rhys is, like, totally the best, so I don’t think twice about helping him.
I’d help anyone in the club. Hell, I’d even be the bouncer if Butch had a random appointment or something.
I’d suck, but I’d do it. Although, it is sketchy that Rhys has asked so often.
He’s a bit of a control freak, and he always finds something wrong when I take his job.
I pressed but, alas, Rhys is a sealed vault that only his fiance has the keys to.
“I’m nice.”
“You’re not this nice.”
My eyes fly open. “Excuse me. What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re running yourself ragged, sunshine,” he says as he leans down to press a kiss to the sole of my feet.
Awwww, that’s how you know it’s love. Sensing he’s losing me, he squeezes my foot to get my attention back.
“I’m serious. I’m not saying you’re not generous—because you’re the best person I know—but even this is too much. What’s really going on?”
I bite down on my bottom lip. Cassius figured it out.
I don’t know why I thought he wouldn’t. When people say their partner knows them better than they know themselves, it’s mostly silly.
With Cassius, though, it’s the real thing.
He can sense there’s something going on with me, sometimes even before I do.
I squirm because I’m uncomfortable. Not with Cassius—never—but at the stupid thoughts running through my head. The urge to scratch my arms wars within me, but I hold it back. With therapy and the support of my friends, I haven’t even thought of that in such a long time.
“Sunshine?”
“Well, I was thinking…” I trail off as I gather my courage. “You know, maybe I could do more.”
He raises an eyebrow. “More?”
“Yeah, like more than bartending,” I clarify. “I never want to leave the club because I love it so much, but I don’t know, I might be capable of more?”
There’s a second where Cassius doesn’t say anything and I panic. I’m about to open my mouth and admit that this whole thing is stupid, but when he crushes me against his chest, I sigh in relief. “That’s amazing. Of course you’re more than capable. So you’ve been working this hard to—”
“Try and prove myself.” I blush as I brush away my bangs. “I don’t know what Rhys plans on doing after he graduates, but I know it won’t have anything to do with the club. When he’s gone, someone’s going to have to step up, and why can’t it be me?”
I’m always the silly one. The faint-hearted one. The one who not everyone takes seriously. I’m not necessarily the butt of the joke, but I’m definitely not the hero, and I’m trying to change that.
At a certain point in my life, I didn’t think I’d have a future.
That it would be an odd job to an odd job without any sort of passion.
I took the job at XO on a whim, but it’s turned into something more.
It is my passion. I love bartending and I love being a part of helping people escape reality, if only for the night.
He kisses the side of my head and I can feel his smile radiating from the way he touches me. “It can be you. It will be you. I’ll be here every step of the way to help you achieve that dream.”
Yeah, I’m also the sensitive one, because tears spring in my eyes as I hug him back. “Thank you, Cassy.”
“I’m here for you, Skylar. Forever and always.”
And I know it’s true. Trying to prove myself won’t be easy, but I’m willing to put in the hard work. I want to achieve something great and show everyone—including myself—that I can make it.
With Cassius at my side, I’m only a little bit away from that goal.