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“I’m sorry, Mom,” I say thickly. “I know how excited you were to have the family together, but forcing Skylar to be aroundhimis out of the question. She’s… she’s all that matters to me right now.”
I close my eyes, pinching my brows together as I realize what I just said.She’s all that matters to me.If my mom had any suspicions about how I felt toward Skylar before, she definitely knows now.
I sigh a breath of relief when she doesn’t question me.
“Okay, son,” she croaks. “You know I’ve always been able to trust you, Ev. Just… let me know when you make it somewhere safe.”
“I will,” I rasp. “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, Ev.” I hear a small whimper before the line goes empty, letting me know that she ended the call.
I hate disappointing my mom. I hate that I’m missing my cousin’s wedding. But more than anything, I hate seeing Skylar broken and shattered. She has no one right now. She’s away from her family and friends, with no one to listen or hold her. Tonight, all she has is me.
I swipe through my phone until I find the Airbnb app. After doing a quick search, I find a two-bedroom cabin on the outskirts of Denver that’s available for three nights. From what I can see in the pictures, it’s rather small but the perfect size for just the two of us. It’s perched at the foot of a large mountain, surrounded by towering pine trees. I don’t have time to sit here and browse other options without Skylar getting suspicious, so I read through the reviews to find that almost all of them are four or five stars.
Without a second thought, I pull my wallet from my jeans before impulsively booking all three nights. Skylar doesn't need to know that the cabin is a thousand dollars per night… Besides, with the amount of money I have saved up, three thousand dollars won’t even make a dent. Either way, I would drain every penny for Skylar if I had to. If I’m being honest with myself, I would go to the ends of the earth for her.
I make sure I receive the confirmation email before slipping my phone back into my pocket and walking out to the truck. My heart beats like a drum as I try to anticipate Skylar’s reaction when she finds out where I’m taking her. Will she be angry with me, or will she be relieved that we aren’t staying in another hotel? Even worse, will she think I'm a creepy motherfucker for taking her to a remote cabin in the woods?
“All done,” I exhale, tossing her a wink as I slide into the truck. “Time to get the hell outta Dodge.” I flash her a wide grin, trying my best to lighten the mood.
“Thank you,” she smiles softly.
I type the address into my phone before connecting it to the navigation system. As soon as the directions populate on the screen, Skylar’s brows pinch together in confusion as she slowly turns to look at me.
“Forty minutes away?” She asks in a shocked tone. “Where the hell are we going?”
“Where do you think we’re going?” I retort, my lips turning up in a sly grin.
“I don’t know, I thought maybe to the airport or another hotel until I can book a flight home.”
“Yeah, definitely not,” I scoff. “I think we’ve both seen enough hotels in the past two days.”
I press my foot to pedal, fixing my eyes ahead as I pull out of the parking lot. If I don’t start driving now, she might try to convince me to take her straight to the airport. I decide to not even entertain that option as I merge onto the highway.
She crosses her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes. “Where the hell are we going, Everett?”
“Why can’t you ever just trust me?”
“I do trust you. But I also have the right to ask why you’re driving us almost an hour outside of Denver.”
“Remember when you were so convinced that I was going to throw you overboard on the cruise ship?” I chuckle. “I promised that you would love where I was taking you. And guess what?You did.Actually, I remember youloving it a little too much,” I add with a cocky wink.
Her lips turn up in a smile as she reaches over and slaps my shoulder. “Get over yourself,” she laughs, rolling her eyes.
Before she pulls away, I grab her wrist, sliding my palm against hers as I intertwine our fingers together. I brush my thumb against the back of her hand as I clear my throat.
“Trust me on this, Sky,” I rasp. “Just like I said years ago, if we get there and you don’t like it, we can turn right back around. We’ll get you on the next flight home or find a hotel for the night. But just like before, I have a feeling you’re not going to want to leave.”
I keep my eyes trained ahead, preparing myself for her rejection. If she asked me to turn the truck around right now, I would. It would kill me to do it, but I would. Instead, she shocks me with her response, sending my heart into a frantic rhythm.
“Okay,” she whispers, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I trust you.”
“But what about the wedding?” She adds through furrowed brows.
“Do you want to go to the wedding?” I already know the answer, but I want to hear her say it.
“It’syourcousin’s wedding, Everett.”
