Shade nodded, approvingly. “Good to hear. Don’t worry so much about tonight. She’ll come around.”
I rubbed my hands together, still restless, but a little calmer. “I just hate that I made her scared, even for a second.”
“Ocean, she knows you. She knows what you stand for. She knows what you’ll do to protect the people you love. You think she’s scared of you? Nah, I doubt that shit. Like I said, just give her a minute.”
I nodded slowly, then sank into the chair at my desk. “Yeah, you’re right. I just have to be patient.”
“That’s right. You’ll survive,” Shade said, smirking.
I leaned back, finally letting my shoulders relax a little.
It pained me to say it, but I couldn’t control everything. I couldn’t predict Skye’s reaction, and I couldn’t force her to understand me on my timeline. All I could do was wait and trust that what we had was strong enough to weather tonight.
47
SKYE
Morning light seeped through the blinds, painting soft stripes across Nyx’s living room floor. I was curled up on her couch, knees tucked under me, a warm blanket draped over my shoulders, and a mug of hot chocolate cradled in my hands. Nyx was sitting close, practically pressed against me, one arm lazily slung around my shoulders. The aroma of chocolate and the faint scent of her vanilla candle was the only thing keeping me tied to calm right now.
“You okay?” Nyx asked.
I stared down at my mug, letting the steam curl around my face. “I don’t know if okay is even a thing I can be right now,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
Nyx gave a sympathetic hum and tightened her arm around me. “It’s okay to not be okay. You’ve been through a lot.”
I nodded, and after a deep breath, I slumped against her, my body trembling. “I didn’t think I’d ever…talk about it.”
“You’re safe here, Skye,” Nyx whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of my head. “Have you talked to Ocean yet?” she asked carefully.
I shook my head, clutching the mug a little tighter. “No. I don’t want him to see me like this.”
Nyx’s brow wrinkled, her hand brushing against mine. “Skye, I get that. I really do. But Ocean is worried about you. He’s confused. He thinks he did something wrong. And if you don’t tell him, he’s going to keep spinning in circles trying to figure it out.”
My stomach dropped. “Oh no. He thinks I’m mad at him?”
Nyx shook her head. “Not mad…upset. Did you hear what he was saying last night? He feels like he did something to hurt or scare you.”
I felt my chest tighten, heart thumping so hard it hurt. Although I heard him talking, I was too out of it to truly process his words.
“Oh no,” I said. “No, no, no. I can’t let him think that. I don’t want him thinking he’s the one who caused this.”
Nyx nodded, her grip on my hand firm. “Then call him. Let him know. Don’t let him stew in confusion, Skye. You know him. He wants to protect you. That’s all he’s thinking about right now.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. My fingers trembled as I grabbed my phone from my lap. My thumb hovered over his name, and for a split second, panic gripped me. The thought of his voice, his concern, made my chest tighten even more. I was terrified of breaking down in front of him, terrified of letting him in on this nightmare. But I couldn’t let him stew in his own worry. Not after everything he’d already done for me.
Taking a deep breath, I pressed the call button.
It rang once…twice…three times. My stomach sank with every tone, every second that passed. No answer.
I bit my lip, swallowing down the sudden swell of panic.
I called again. Same thing. Straight to voicemail. My hands shook a little, the mug now forgotten in my lap.
Nyx rubbed circles on my back, sensing my anxiety rising. “He’s not mad, Skye. He’s probably just…busy. But he’s going to be relieved to hear from you. He’s going to want to know you’re okay.”
“I know…I just…” I trailed off, feeling tears stab at the corners of my eyes. The panic, the fear, the memories of that night, and the image of Ocean standing over my attacker all came crashing down. I felt small, vulnerable, scared. But I also felt the pull to him, the need to let him in. I had to.
Nyx squeezed my shoulder. “It’s okay. Just leave a message if he doesn’t pick up. Let him hear your voice.”
