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“Yeah, she does,” he says, his voice breaking.
I swallow thickly, forcing myself to go on. “You kissed her on the cheek. The woman, I mean. Even if it wasn’t…Mel…” I shake my head and look down, frowning. “Abby called her Mommy. I heard her. I—”
“ItwasMel,” he cuts in quietly, nodding. “And yeah, I did kiss her on the cheek.” He blows out a breath and steps back, running his hands over his hair. “But Skyler…we’re not together. It’s not like that.”
I still. “You…you kissed her on the cheek. Like you kissed me…”
His eyes widen, and I get the feeling he’s understanding something I’m clearly missing.
“Skyler, we’re friends. Sometimes friends kiss each other on the cheek. Wasn’t on the mouth, right?”
I shake my head. “No, but… if you’re divorced…” I frown.Shouldn’t they hate each other? I thought they didn’t get along?
“We were over and divorced before I ever met you,” he says carefully. “But we’ve always been friends. Best friends. And, somehow, we managed to keep that part of our relationship intact.”
My mouth opens, closes, fumbling for words. “But…” I shake my head, not understanding. “So, it wasn’t because of her?”
His face slackens, mouth pulling down, and he shakes his head. He doesn’t have to ask what I mean. He just knows. “No.”
Throat thick, I suck in my cheek, nodding, my gaze drifting down. “Oh. I see.”
“Sky—”
There’s a knock on the door, and then Micah pokes his head in, a stern look in his eyes, one I’m well familiar with at this point.
I shake my head, turning to face him. “I’m fine.”
Behind me, I sense Nolan drawing near.
Micah’s gaze flits between us, lips turned down. But he nods. “Can this maybe wait? Another big group just came in.”
“Yeah, of course,” I mumble and start making my way out. “Sorry. I—”
Micah squeezes my arm when I pass, and I swear I hear a growl come from behind me. Micah must hear it too, because he arches a brow at the man behind me, before gently releasing me.
I’d roll my eyes, but even that feels like too much. Not that I’m overwhelmed at the moment, just exhausted.
“You good to keep working?” Micah whispers knowingly.
Still, despite his low tone, I know Nolan heard him, and is listening in, though fortunately he remains silent.
I nod. “Yeah. I’m tired, but I think I can handle it.”So long as nothing else unforeseen happens…
It doesn’t escape me that it’s only because Nolan’s here that I feel confident I can go back out there and be a functioning adult. Just knowing he’ll be there to step in if I start to lose my shit…
Well, it makes all the difference, and I hate that.
I’m not some damsel in distress. I’ve had most of my life to rely on myself, but especially these last three and a half years. That won’t suddenly change just because he’s back in my life, for however long that is, and in whatever capacity it ends up being.
He could’ve come for me, but he didn’t…
And here I thought him having moved on stung. Hell, it broke my heart.
But this?
This straight-up pulverizes whatever was left.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
