Holding Out For Skye (23 page)

Skye pushed at her hair as she stared out the window through the curtain of rain. The world outside blurred as they passed by. Her thoughts returned to Nick and Thea. “How is Nick holding up?”

“Not well. He’s going out of his mind trying to figure out what to do.”

“Is there anything we can do?”

Cian glanced at her then turned his attention back to the road. “I’m not sure. I’ll try to get my dad to talk to Uncle Lee. Maybe he’ll get through to him.”

Skye fell quiet, thinking about it. Soon he was pulling up in front of her apartment. He turned off the engine, and for a moment they sat there in silence. She didn’t want him to leave, Skye realized.

“Cian,” she said hesitantly, staring at her hands. “Do you have to leave right away?”

Cian’s heart skipped a beat at her request. Emotion swirled in him that she wanted to be with him, on her own, without him brow-beating her into spending time with him.

“No. I was hoping you’d ask me to stay awhile.” Cian smiled when she blinked in surprise.

“You were?”

“Why do you always sound so surprised that I want to spend time with you?”

“I just—well, you could have other things to do. And Nick needs you right now.”

“I need to be with you for awhile. Just the two of us. When I left to pick you up, Nick wanted to be alone, so I can stay with you.” Cian took her hand in his, laced their fingers together.

“Oh.”
I need to be with you for awhile.
His words resonated inside of her, warming her, even as his touch sent tingles up her spine. Skye still didn’t understand why he would want to be with her. More than anyone, she knew what a difficult person she could be.

Cian’s lips quirked again at her baffled response. He had to admit it, he liked baffling her. He pressed his lips softly to hers.

“Come on, let’s get upstairs.”

Skye shook herself out of the drug-induced state in reaction to his kiss and caught his amused smile before he could hide it. “Don’t. Just don’t,” she muttered as she grabbed her laptop case and got out of the car.

“Don’t what?” Cian grinned, grabbing her other bags and getting out as well. He eyed the clouds, figuring they didn’t have long before the rain started again.

“You know.”

Cian could hear the disgruntlement in her tone. “Do I?”

“You know you do.” Then Skye stopped short. She had just remembered something. She stopped in front of him. “Wait. You can’t come up.”

“Why not?” Cian stepped around her and continued on to the bank of elevators.

Skye hurried after him. “You can’t.”

He turned to stare at her. “I repeat, why not?”

“Well. Um.”

“Skye.”

“How do you do that?” Skye demanded in an irked tone.

“Do what?” An empty elevator came and Cian got in it, holding it open for her, an infinitely patient look on his face.

“Make me feel guilty just by saying my name,” Skye groused, getting in the elevator.

“Oh, that. It’s a talent.” Cian gave her a boyish grin.

“Smartass know-it-all,” she muttered.

Cian chuckled. “Why, thank you, darling. So why don’t you want me to come in?” he said as the elevator stopped on her floor and they got out.

“Because I haven’t been here for more than a week,”—had it only been that long? It felt longer—“and well, the place needs cleaning. It isn’t fit for guests.”

“First, I’m not a guest. Second, I’m sure it’s fine.”

Skye unlocked the door and stepping inside, placed her bag on the floor.

Cian locked the door behind them, dropped the bags, and swung her up in his arms.

Skye let out a startled squeak and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck to hold on. She looked at him in utter shock as he carried her to the couch. She wasn’t asleep right now and she could feel the full effect of his carrying her. Cian carried her effortlessly, as if she didn’t weigh a thing.

It made her feel like one of those fairy tale princesses being carried by their prince charming.

Get your
head on straight
, she told herself. But her foolish heart didn’t listen, it quivered helplessly in her chest. He made her feel special,
cherished
.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Carrying you,” he stated the obvious.

“I can see that. For god’s sake,
why
?”

“Because I
felt
like it.”

“You just want to show how strong you are,” Skye grumbled to mask the way he made feel.

“That too,” he grinned down at her.

Cian sat on the couch with her in his arms and swung his long legs on the table. He could breathe easier now. Ever since he’d found out about Nick and Thea’s break-up, the urge to hold Skye, to make sure their relationship was fine, had been almost crippling.

Cian brushed a hand over her hair. “This is nice.”

Undone, Skye tucked her hands against his chest and curled up into a ball by his side.

“It will work out for them,” she reassured him, unsure if she herself believed that.

Cian dropped a kiss on her head. “I hope so. I’ve never seen two people who were meant to be together more than Nick and Thea.”

“How come Thea’s dad won’t let her be with Nick? I’ve never understood that.”

Cian was silent a moment. “Uncle Lee lost a younger sister when she was about Thea’s age. From what I remember, the sister got in with a bad crowd and the family didn’t find out until too late that they had gotten her hooked on drugs. She died of a drug overdose.”

“Oh god, that’s horrible.” Skye understood the pain over the death of a loved one. You never quite got over it.

As if sensing her thoughts, his arms tightened around her. “Yeah, it was a hard time for the family. That’s why Uncle Lee is so overprotective and strict with Thea and Stephanie. He fears that if he gives them too much leeway they might end up like his sister.”

“I’m sorry for his loss, but Thea and Steph would never get on that path.”

“Consciously, he knows that too. But he can’t afford to be wrong.”

“I wish there was some way we could show him that with Nick, Thea would be in good hands. He’s the most decent, kind-hearted guy I know.”

“Yeah, me too.” In an attempt to lighten up the mood, Cian inquired, “What about me?”

“What about you?” Skye lifted her head to look at him, confusion in her eyes, looking so adorable he wanted to kiss her.

“Aren’t I a decent, kind-hearted guy too?”

Skye’s eyes filled with laughter. “No way, José.”

Cian pressed his nose against hers, enjoying the close contact. “You meanie,” he said, using one of her own phrases.

Skye snorted out a laugh. “Great comeback, Hunter.”

“What can I say? Being in close proximity with you tends to scramble my brains.”

Skye’s breath hitched in her throat. Just like that, she was no longer laughing. Their eyes met and held. All humor left his eyes leaving them smoky-gray serious now, staring at her with a focused intensity that caused goosebumps to break out on her skin. She could feel how close he was, his face only inches from hers, could feel the anticipation building up between them.

This attraction between them was so intense, so overpowering. It amazed her that it was never far away. A simple touch, a simple look, was all it took to bring it to life.

Cian closed the few inches separating them and fastened his mouth to hers. The kiss was sweet and gentle and so tender it touched her soul. He breathed her name once and kissed her again, long drugging kisses that caused her body to tremble against his.

When they finally came up for air, they were both breathing hard. Skye blinked her eyes open and stared at him with a dazed look.

“Wow.”

“Yeah, wow.” Ridiculously pleased by her reaction, Cian tucked her head under his chin again and held her, deeply moved by her.

How ironic was it that he who had always considered himself a free agent, could be so taken by one prickly, sarcastic woman? He pressed a soft kiss against her hair.

Skye pressed her face against his shirt. She could hear the frantic beats of his heart slowing to normal and figured her own pulse was hammering away like crazy.

“Cian?”

“Hmmm?”

“This is nice,” she agreed, quoting his earlier statement. Skye felt him smile in her hair.

“Somebody better mark the date. Skye Fletcher finally agreed with something I said.”

“Oh, shut up. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Neither of them knew then that it would be the last perfect moment they would share between them. A storm was brewing in the air and they were about to be caught dead-center in it, with no means to protect themselves.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Nick looked like death warmed over. It was eerie how much he reminded her of Kiera when she had been so heartbroken over Ash.

He had tried to talk to Mr. Chan to make him see how much he loved his daughter, but Thea’s father would hear none of it.

Thea wasn’t coming to work. Her father had called her in sick, even had a medical certificate sent in that she was too sick to come to work.

Skye couldn’t understand why Thea was just letting her father dictate her actions. She was an adult, she could take a decision on her own. Yet, Thea was doing nothing to rise up against her father. She was twenty-six years old for God’s sake!

Skye wasn’t aware she’d spoken her thought aloud until Nick turned to her. Cian shot her a warning look.

“It’s not that she doesn’t want to, Skye,” Nick said gently. “She loves her family very much and they have been through a hard loss before. She doesn’t want to hurt her father by doing anything against his wishes.”

“Even at the expense of her own life, her own dreams? Even knowing she’ll be miserable without you?”

“Skye, don’t,” Cian warned softly.

“It’s okay. She’s just trying to understand,” Nick told him.

Skye could feel his unhappiness. She was sorry she had added to it. She raised apologetic eyes to both him and Cian. “I’m sorry, Nick. I didn’t mean to hurt you further.”

“You didn’t. I know you’re just trying to grasp why things are like this so you could figure out how you could help.” His voice was as gentle as ever. “But you can’t.”

Skye’s heart ached at his pain. He had become as dear to her as Ty and Kiera. She wished there was something,
anything
she could do. She could see the worry in Cian’s eyes. He and Nick were as close as brothers.

Marina held a meeting so they could divvy up Thea’s work load between the three of them.

Work seemed to help keep Nick’s mind busy. But when he went home to the apartment he and Cian shared, there was nothing to block his mind from the pain of being separated from Thea. He longed for her, wished for her. The fear of losing her was like a living, breathing thing inside of him, threatening to tear him to shreds.

He couldn’t get through to her at all. Her father had her completely blocked off from him.

Nick thought a lot about what he would do if he couldn’t have her. Tried to imagine his life without her. And couldn’t. But he told himself if she capitulated under her father’s will, he would still go on. What choice did he have? Besides, he told himself, nobody died of a broken heart, right?
Right?

Cian spent most of his time trying to be there for his friend and distract him from Thea’s absence. He and Skye talked on the phone a few times, but they were both too worried about their friends to spend any time together.

On her side, Skye kept trying to call Thea with no luck at all. It was like she’d vanished from the face of the earth. Short of going to see her at home, there wasn’t much she could do. Skye was hesitant to go to her house. What if she wasn’t let inside? But she had to at least try. She was still pondering over what to do, when to her surprise she got a call from Thea on Thursday night, though it was a different number from her usual one.

“Thea, where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you for days!”

“Skye, I don’t have much time. I need you to do me a favor.” Her voice sounded so low, she was practically whispering.

“Anything. You name it. Where
are
you?”

“I’m at home, in the bathroom. I’m using my mom’s phone. My dad could take it away too if he found out.”

“But Thea—”

Thea cut her off, desperation clouding her voice. “Skye, please, I don’t have much time. You’re the only one who can help me.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“You have to talk my father into letting me see Nick.”

Skye was astonished. “
Me?
”

“Yes. You have to talk to him.”

“But… why me?”

“Because you have a certain way of stating out the obvious that sounds perfectly normal.”

“I
do
?”

“Yes. He might listen to you.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he admires you.”

“
What?
” If she had been surprised before, now she was absolutely shocked. Thea’s father admired
her
?

“He told me once how he wished other young people were more like you. That in spite of living alone, you were uncorrupted by vices that plagued so many young men and women these days. His words.”

“What?” Skye was still shocked.

“Please, Skye. Please say you’ll do it. For me and Nick. You’re my only hope.” Thea sounded like she was practically crying.

“Thea—”

“I have to go. I think someone’s coming. Please, Skye. Do this for me.”

The next thing Skye heard was the dial tone. She tried to call Thea back only to find out the phone on the other end was off.

Dang it. Now what? The thought of going to see Mr. Chan made her nervous. What would she say to him? She was no good with people. What if she made Nick and Thea’s situation worse?

Why did Thea have to go and ask her such a thing? How could Skye do it? But how could she
not
? Should she call Cian and ask his advice? She was about to dial his number when something stopped her. He would tell her to leave it alone, not to interfere. She just
knew
that’s what he would say to her.

So where did that leave her? Damn it. She stared at her phone wishing she could get an answer.

There was one person she could always talk to.

Kiera picked up on the first ring. “Hola!”

Amused, Skye asked her, “Quick stop to Mexico?”

Kiera’s giggle sounded over the line. “Yep. Want some tacos?”

“Where did
you
get tacos?”

“Ash brought me dinner.”

“Ah, if he’s there I can call later.”

“Na, don’t worry about it. He knows not to come between the two of us. You’ve got him fearing the WOS.”

“WOS? What’s that?”

“The Wrath of Skye.”

“Funny. You’re a funny gal, Kiera.”

“I know, right! I’m amazed myself at my witticism.”

“Witticism. I can hear that English degree making its presence known.” She could almost see Kiera’s smile at that. “Listen, I need to ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

“You know how Thea and Nick can’t see each other?”

“Yeah. Aw, I can relate. I feel so sorry for them. How are they holding up?”

“Not good.” Skye told her about Nick’s condition and Thea’s phone call.

“You don’t want to say anything to Cian because he wouldn’t want you to interfere.”

You gotta love best friends who were on the same wavelength as you were. Skye hadn’t even mentioned Cian and Kiera had already picked up on it. “Yeah.”

“If you don’t go see her father, then you’ll feel guilty and always wonder if you could have helped. If you
do
go, there’s no guarantee anything you say will make any difference.”

“Exactly.” See why she loved her? Kiera was the best. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Skye, you already know what to do. You don’t need me to tell you.”

She sighed. Kiera was right. “Yeah. I have to do it, to at least try.”

“There you go.”

“Thanks, Kiera. You’re the best.”

“I know. I’m awesome.”

“Yep. Awesome sauce.”

“So hey, I was thinking. Want to hang out tomorrow night? Get some dinner, catch in a movie?”

“Cool. My place or yours?”

“Yours. That way I can drag you off to help with house-cleaning on Saturday before my mom gets here next week.”

“Ooh, free labour. Dream on.” Then curiously, “Wouldn’t it be easier to get me to help clean your house if I was
already
there?”

“Nope. You’d find a way of running away. Now, if I
guilted
you into coming over on your own and helping, you’d feel morally obligated to stay until the house was spotless. I’ve got a solid plan to work you into it.”

“Morally obligated. I didn’t know you had such a Machiavellian mind. But I repeat, dream on.”

They hung up laughing. Talking to Kiera had helped clear her head. Looked like she was off to see the wizard tomorrow. She just hoped she didn’t get turned into a toad.