AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chloe watches me when I go into my room to pack up my stuff. She props herself in the doorway and folds her arms over her chest to watch me.
“Are you and Skye okay?” I ask because that’s what matters. I’ll never forgive myself if I did permanent damage to their friendship.
“Yeah.” She shrugs. “We talked.”
I nod and turn back to my stuff. Clothes first. Instruments and equipment last; it’s the most important and will take the most care and time.
“She said you played for her,” Chloe says after several minutes of uncomfortable silence.
“I did.”
“What about you and Skye, Gideon?” she asks me.
“What about us?”
“That’s just it? You had a fling? End of story.”
It’s the story of my life, but I don’t want to get into that with Chloe. Normally, I probably wouldn’t just move out and find my own place. I would find a new county. Maybe a new state. Not because I worry about running into a woman after breaking things off. But because it feels like a natural prod in the ass to move on and do something new. This time, I’m packing to move somewhere else in the same state. Same county. Ironically, it’s the one time I’d like to run so I wouldn’t have to bump into Skye anywhere.
“We talked about it, Chloe. When we started sleeping together, we talked about expectations. Skye knew this was going to happen.”
When she doesn’t answer me, I finish shoving my clothes into my bag and zip it closed. Finally, I look up again to find she’s still there. She looks sad.
“Doesn’t mean she likes it, Gideon,” Chloe says so softly, I’m not sure I heard her right.
It takes me the better part of an hour to get everything packed up the way I want it and carried down to my car. Chloe ignores me from her spot on the loveseat. She’s stretched out reading a Jane Green book. I saw the cover when I first came in. Part of me thinks all books with Jane in the title or with Jane as the author’s name should be banned. Another part of me wants to tell Chloe she’s hogging Skye’s favorite reading spot.
I don’t say a word. I put Skye’s key card on the counter. I’d like a walk through before I go. I like it here. I like the kitchen where Skye and I ate together and smacked each other with dish towels. I like the apothecary table that may or may not have belonged to a magician. I like Skye’s bed and the way we fit in it, curled together every night.
Something tells me nothing in the place will feel right anymore. Not with Skye gone. Not now that our Jane thing is over.
“Gideon.”
I stop at the door and look back at my sister.
“I mean, are you just done with me, too?” She closes her book and rolls off the loveseat to stand. “Like, you’re just gonna walk out of here and not say anything else?”
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and my heart does this weird fluttery thing. What if it’s Skye calling or texting me? Maybe we could at least talk one more time and smooth over the rough edges where we broke.
“Kind of a weird day, Chloe.”
She crosses the room to stand in front of me.
“Tell me about it,” she mumbles. “So.” She looks up at me with wide eyes. “I’m just the sister sort of caught in the crossfire on a weird day? You’re not ditching me, too?”
As much as I hate the way Chloe’s always babied me, I love her too much to stay angry with her. She’s got my back, and so far in my life, she’s the only one who has. Besides, maybe now that this happened, she’ll see me for who I am.
“Nope. Crossfire.” I step closer and drop my arm around her to pull her in for a hug.
“Shouldn’t you tell Skye you’re leaving?” she whispers.
“I’ll call her.”
I don’t ask if Skye’s okay. I don’t ask where she’s at. I drop a kiss on Chloe’s head and leave. With my windows up in my car, I drive with Black Sabbath blaring. It doesn’t make me feel any better about the way I handled today. I will have to call Skye and apologize.
The Hep Cat feels cold and damp today. I don’t bother with the lights when I go in the front door. Just flip the lock behind me and carry my guitar and keyboard to the backroom. My clothes can wait. Guitar on a stand and the keyboard on a counter, I walk back up front and take it all in. The place should be mine soon. I wait for the panic to set in. The urge to escape and get back on the road.
It doesn’t.
