Then, this woman comes in and knocks it all down.
And I justlet her.
I don’t want her gone. I don’t want the silence, but I know I’m too much of a coward—too selfish, too broken—to fight for her in the way she deserves.
Who would want a broken man like me?
I make it to the door, only to be stopped by a hand on my forearm. I barely look down, because I know if I meet those bright, endlessly blue eyes, I might give in. And that isn’t fair to her.
“Where are you going?” she asks quietly, the hand on my forearm tightening as the other shifts to her belly. “Are you leaving?”
A lump forms in my throat as I shake my head. “I’m going to see if the power is back on at your house. Make sure there’s no damage from the storm now that it’s let up.”
Skye blinks hard, confusion darkening her eyes. “Let me come with you, then?—”
“No,” I say firmly, taking her hand. “There’s no point in you coming out in the cold.”
Her brows furrow, lips parting with another question. But instead of responding, she winces and takes a step back. “Okay,” she says, releasing a long, slow breath. “Fine.”
I frown and take her in, but the moment of pain passes, and her expression goes from confusion to resolve.
And yet, my heart stutters for a moment. Since we got here and she said she had it under control, there’s been no sign of her giving birth. Nothing to support the idea that the baby is coming.
That small wince feels like the lighting of a match already falling towards gasoline. Once it hits, everything is going to explode.
As she takes another step away, I move towards her. “What’s wrong?” I ask, stopping before I can touch her.
All I want to do is pull her into my arms. To make sure she’s okay, but I hold myself back. Her words repeat in my head:I can’t play around like this. Not with you. They keep me from offering her any comfort, from holding her how I want to. And it’s fucking painful.
“Nothing.” She shakes her head slowly, rubbing circles along her stomach. “I’m fine. Go.”
I hesitate, heart racing. “If you need me to stay…”
Again, Skye shakes her head and offers me a stiff smile. “No. I’m fine. Seriously. I appreciate you going out and checking on the house. Let me get you the keys.”
Something sinks into the pit of my stomach as I watch her go to her purse. There’s a nagging feeling in the back of my head that tells me something’s wrong, that danger is ahead and to not go further.
But Skye returns with a half-smile and hands me her keys. “If it’s clear, could you move my truck into the driveway?” she asks softly. “That’s if it’s survived living on the side of the road.”
Pressure builds in my chest, but I make myself nod. “I’ve got you.”
I hope that’s a promise I can keep.
After gettingher truck into the driveway, finding her go-bags by the front door, and making sure the power is working and clearing out her fridge and freezer, I get into my truck. The sentiment from earlier grows, building heavier and heavier the longer I’m away from Skye.
It’s a terrifying, unsettling feeling that had me rushing through my plans just to get back to her sooner.
Pulling away from her house, I get onto her street behind a snowplough. A harsh breath falls from my lips as I slow to a crawl behind it, drumming my fingers on the steering wheel in frustration.
If there was good cell service, I’d call Sky to make sure she’s okay. But my cell, sitting in the dock on my dash, has no bars,and I doubt hers is charged. The urge to check in and make sure there’s nothing wrong is overwhelming. Being stuck behind the massive, slow vehicle as it pushes snow off the road is like torture.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, cutting off onto a side street. One perk of living in a small town is knowing all the shortcuts, and as I make my way down a residential street that opens onto main, I breathe a sigh of relief.
Until I catch sight of a stalled SUV ahead.
I slow, noticing a tall blonde standing in front of the hood, hands resting on her hips. She has on a snow jacket and a beanie, both of which look expensive, if I have to guess. And I know she’s not a local.
Despite the ache in my chest and the pressure telling me to go back to the cabin and check on Skye, I also know what she’d want me to do.
