“Skye, what’s wrong?”
Her mouth tightened. But she didn’t speak. Pain seemed to radiate from her.
“Is it Erin or Izzy?”
“Neither.”
“Then what?”
“It’s us.”
He’d hurt her. Sure. He’d been a typical guy-silent when she needed the words. She’d put herself out there and he hadn’t responded.
“About yesterday,” he said. “I shouldn’t have waited. I wanted to be sure. I wanted it to be right.” He moved closer and stared into her eyes. “It’s always been you, Skye. That’s what you need to hear, isn’t it? I fought it for so long, but it was always there. Inside of me.”
She winced and took a step back. “Don’t say this. Don’t say anything, Mitch.”
“I love you, Skye. I want to marry you.”
Tears filled her eyes. “No,” she said harshly. “That’s not going to happen. I won’t marry you. Ever. Do you hear me? Ever. I was wrong about everything. I don’t love you. I can’t. Last night showed me that. Look at you. You’re a cripple. I need a whole man. I need someone who can take care of me. This was all a mistake.”
He’d never been sure if he remembered the explosion or if he’d just been told about it enough to believe he did. Either way, the pain was real. At first there’d been nothing, then the exposed nerves had reacted. People described pain like fire, but flames would have a been a relief from what he’d felt.
It was like that now. Flames licking through him, only it was worse because there was nowhere to go. Nowhere he could escape. The agony ripped through him as she climbed back on her horse and rode away.
He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but stand there, watching her until she disappeared over a rise.
“Look at you. You’re a cripple.”
The words played over and over again. His good leg threatened to give way. What had happened? How could she have changed her mind? She’d sworn she loved him. She’d talked about the future. This was Skye. He’d trusted her.
In return, she’d shot him right in the heart then left him for dead.
SKYE SAT in Izzy’s hospital room, trying to act normal. She was doing a reasonable job of fooling Izzy, who has still fairly medicated and had bandages on her eyes, but Lexi kept looking at her.
“What?” Izzy demanded. “You’re both distracted. I can tell. Do I have something in my teeth?”
“You’re fine,” Lexi said. “But Skye isn’t. What happened?”
Skye did her best to smile. “Nothing. I’m good. Really. I’m great.”
“Even I can tell you’re lying,” Izzy said. “What’s wrong? You have to tell me. I’m injured. Possibly dying.”
Lexi sat on Izzy’s other side. She rolled her eyes. “You’re not dying.”
“I could be. Skye? Talk.”
Skye didn’t know what to say. For the rest of her life she would remember the shock and disbelief on Mitch’s face as she’d said those horrible things to him. She’d offered her heart, convinced him to trust her, then had betrayed him.
“I think I’m going to throw up,” she whispered.
“You’re pregnant?” Lexi asked.
“What? No. I’m not pregnant. I’m a horrible person. I’m awful and mean and I hurt Mitch.” She covered her face with her hands and wished she could cry, but there weren’t any tears left. Between where she’d left him and the house, she’d cried until she had nothing left. Nothing but contempt for herself.
“What did you do?” Izzy asked, reaching for Skye’s hand. “It can’t be that bad.”
“I told him I love him. I told him I’d never stopped loving him and when he finally believed me, I said that he wasn’t a whole man and that I didn’t want to be with him.”
Bile rose in the back of her throat. She swallowed and pressed her free hand to her stomach.
“I devastated him. I ruined every chance we had for happiness.”
“What did Jed do?” Lexi asked quietly.
Skye looked at her across the hospital bed. Of course her sister got it. “He threatened to have me declared a danger to myself and Erin and have me committed to a mental hospital.”
“Goddamn son of a bitch,” Izzy yelled. “What is wrong with that man?”
Lexi groaned. “I can’t believe it. Why?”
“He wants me to go out with some guy. Marry him, I guess. He has letters from doctors. Tests. I don’t know how he got it all, but I can’t take the chance. Erin is my child.”
“No one who knows you could ever think you’re anything but annoyingly stable,” Izzy said.
“The judge won’t know me. Pru committed suicide and left me to find the body. Jed has it in writing.” She pulled free of Izzy’s hold and covered her face with her hands. “I’m going to leave. I’m going to figure out a way to get out of here and go where he can’t find us.”
“You can’t run,” Izzy told her. “You have to fight. Of course, then you’d be taking advice from the blind girl and who does that?”
“You’re not blind and you’re not dead,” Lexi said. “Stop making this about you.”
“Who else is it supposed to be about?” Izzy turned to Skye. “You know I’m kidding, right? Just adding a little humor to the situation.”
Skye nodded, then realized Izzy couldn’t see that. “I know.”
“Izzy’s right,” Lexi told her, looking intense. “You have to fight him. We’ll help. You can’t marry some other man because he tells you to. You’re not his slave. You’re his daughter.”
Skye wondered if it was possible to explain the fear. “What if he takes her from me?”
“We won’t let that happen,” Izzy said. “We can fight this together.”
He was Jed Titan. She wasn’t sure anyone could fight him and win, although Garth was making a serious run at it.
“No. I’ll agree for now,” Skye told them. “It’s the best thing. I’ll work on a plan and then I’ll disappear.”
“Oh, sure,” Izzy snapped. “Just give up. Suffer. You’re really good at playing the martyr. God forbid you should stand up for yourself.”
Skye glared at her. “That’s very easy for you to say. You don’t have a daughter.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want that big house. This is all about Glory’s Gate.”
“The house?” Skye was outraged. “You think I care about the damn house? Screw that. I need to protect Erin. I will not abandon her. No one is taking me away from my daughter. So until you can understand what I’m going through, keep your stupid opinions to yourself.”
Izzy surprised her by smiling. “Better.”
“What?”
Lexi shrugged. “You’re mad now. That’s a better place than defeat.”
It was, Skye thought, feeling the rage engulf her. It gave her strength.
“You’re right,” she said, coming to her feet. “I’m not running. Who does Jed Titan think he is? He can’t do this. I’m not crazy. There’s nothing wrong with me. If he wants to show reports from five doctors, I’ll get ten. Whatever it takes.”
Lexi stood, walked around the bed and hugged her. “Good. We’re with you. You know that, right?”
“Are you hugging?” Izzy asked, sounding pouty. “Is there hugging and sister bonding that I can’t participate in? That’s not fair. Blind girl here.”
Skye squeezed her hand. “Thanks for pissing me off.”
“It’s a talent. You still running away?”
“No,” Skye said. “I’m staying right here.”
The feeling of empowerment continued to flow through her right up until she remembered what she’d done to Mitch. What she’d said.
“Oh, God.” She sank back in her chair. “Mitch. I can’t…He won’t…I was so afraid and I ruined everything.”
“You don’t know that,” Lexi told her. “Once you explain things, I’m sure he’ll understand.”
Skye wasn’t sure. What she’d said, how she’d acted, had been unforgivable.
Jed had gotten his wish on one front. He’d made it impossible for her to be with Mitch.
SKYE FACED her senior staff at the foundation. Part of fighting back was not keeping so many secrets, she
