Read Online My Skylar by Penelope Ward - Free Book Online
Authors: Penelope Ward
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy, Inspirational, passion, <div><p>From the author of the #1 bestselling romance, Jake Undone, comes a friends-to-lovers story of longing, betrayal and redemption…with a twist that will rip your heart out.</p><p>Skylar was my best friend, but I secretly pined for her. One thing after another kept us apart, and I’ve spent the last decade in fear of losing her forever. </p><p>First, it was the cancer, but she survived only to face the unthinkable at my hands. Because of me, she left town. For years, I thought I’d never see her again. </p><p>But now she’s back…and living with him. </p><p>I don’t deserve her after everything I’ve put her through, but I can’t live without her. This is my last chance because she’s about to make the biggest mistake of her life. I can see it her eyes: she doesn’t love him. She still loves me...which is why I have to stop her before it’s too late.</p></div>
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talking about?”
“Come with me.”
Come with me? Really? Nice word choice.
She followed me through the kitchen past our mothers who were now polishing off the bottle
of wine. My heart was racing in anticipation as we walked up the carpeted stairs to my room.
The look on her face when the door opened was priceless. Where was Angie and her camera
when you needed her?
“Seamus?!”
She rushed over to the cage in the corner of the room. The parrot flapped his wings excitedly
and tilted his head repeatedly like he recognized her.
“Holy Toledo!”
I laughed because it was the first time he used his signature phrase since we left the pet store
earlier. Figures, he would show off for her.
“I’ve been hiding him in here all day. I got lucky because he was quiet all throughout dinner
and didn’t ruin the surprise.”
“You…you bought him?” She looked back at me in disbelief.
“Holy Toledo!”
“Yup. He’s ours.”
“How…did you afford it? He’s expensive!”
“I put him on layaway.”
“They have that for birds?”
“The store employees knew how much you loved him, and when I told them I wanted to buy
him for you, they worked with me. I’ve been saving and paying in installments every week since he
was returned to the store. They held him until this afternoon when I picked him up.”
The only other time I had ever seen Skylar cry was when I left town as a kid. But now, her eyes
were filling with happy tears, and I wasn’t sure how to react. I just knew that being the one
responsible for making her happy made me giddy.
“This is the best gift anyone has ever given me.”
I kept my hands in my pockets to squelch the urge to hug her and to discourage her from
coming near me. “I was thinking I’d keep him here for you. I know you say you’re a light sleeper. I think I can sleep through anything. They said he could get kind of noisy when he gets
temperamental. I got him this special breathable blanket to throw over the cage at night, to teach
him to sleep on my schedule. He needs it dark to sleep.”
“Holy Toledo!”
“Can I take him out?”
“He’s yours. Do whatever you want.”
She carefully opened the cage and lifted him out onto her finger. “Hey, buddy. Remember me?
Guess what? You’re mine now. I can’t believe it. I love you. Yes, I do. I love you so much.” She
kissed his beak and continued whispering sweet nothings.
Lucky-ass bird.
You’re mine now. I love you. I closed my eyes for a second, pretending that she was saying those things to me. Damn bird was supposed to distract from my feelings, not enhance them.
Seamus’ wings were flapping like crazy now. We actually only guessed on his gender, but
something told me he was definitely all male.
“Holy Toledo.”
***
It started to dawn on me why that other customer returned Seamus to the pet store.
My mother walked into my room about two in the morning. “Did you get a dog for her, too?
What the hell is going on?”
I had my pillow wrapped around my head. “No! This thing just started barking out of
nowhere.”
“Apparently, he misses his old stomping grounds,” she joked.
I threw the pillow in frustration. “What the hell do I do?”
“Well, you can’t exactly return him.”
“No. I couldn’t do that to Skylar.”
My mother sat at the foot of my bed and laughed, “You would do anything for that girl,
wouldn’t you?”
“Mom…” I said, dismissively.
I hadn’t discussed my feelings for Skylar with my mother, and I certainly wasn’t going to get
into it in the middle of the night with a barking parrot.
“Okay. We’ll have to do some internet research on how to get him to stop. In the meantime, I’ll
put some earplugs in.”
I returned the pillow to my ears as my mother left the room.
After another half-hour of barking and some howling now mixed in, I turned on the light and
met him face to face.
“Stop BARKING!”
He continued to yelp in my face.
I pointed
“Come with me.”
Come with me? Really? Nice word choice.
She followed me through the kitchen past our mothers who were now polishing off the bottle
of wine. My heart was racing in anticipation as we walked up the carpeted stairs to my room.
The look on her face when the door opened was priceless. Where was Angie and her camera
when you needed her?
“Seamus?!”
She rushed over to the cage in the corner of the room. The parrot flapped his wings excitedly
and tilted his head repeatedly like he recognized her.
“Holy Toledo!”
I laughed because it was the first time he used his signature phrase since we left the pet store
earlier. Figures, he would show off for her.
“I’ve been hiding him in here all day. I got lucky because he was quiet all throughout dinner
and didn’t ruin the surprise.”
“You…you bought him?” She looked back at me in disbelief.
“Holy Toledo!”
“Yup. He’s ours.”
“How…did you afford it? He’s expensive!”
“I put him on layaway.”
“They have that for birds?”
“The store employees knew how much you loved him, and when I told them I wanted to buy
him for you, they worked with me. I’ve been saving and paying in installments every week since he
was returned to the store. They held him until this afternoon when I picked him up.”
The only other time I had ever seen Skylar cry was when I left town as a kid. But now, her eyes
were filling with happy tears, and I wasn’t sure how to react. I just knew that being the one
responsible for making her happy made me giddy.
“This is the best gift anyone has ever given me.”
I kept my hands in my pockets to squelch the urge to hug her and to discourage her from
coming near me. “I was thinking I’d keep him here for you. I know you say you’re a light sleeper. I think I can sleep through anything. They said he could get kind of noisy when he gets
temperamental. I got him this special breathable blanket to throw over the cage at night, to teach
him to sleep on my schedule. He needs it dark to sleep.”
“Holy Toledo!”
“Can I take him out?”
“He’s yours. Do whatever you want.”
She carefully opened the cage and lifted him out onto her finger. “Hey, buddy. Remember me?
Guess what? You’re mine now. I can’t believe it. I love you. Yes, I do. I love you so much.” She
kissed his beak and continued whispering sweet nothings.
Lucky-ass bird.
You’re mine now. I love you. I closed my eyes for a second, pretending that she was saying those things to me. Damn bird was supposed to distract from my feelings, not enhance them.
Seamus’ wings were flapping like crazy now. We actually only guessed on his gender, but
something told me he was definitely all male.
“Holy Toledo.”
***
It started to dawn on me why that other customer returned Seamus to the pet store.
My mother walked into my room about two in the morning. “Did you get a dog for her, too?
What the hell is going on?”
I had my pillow wrapped around my head. “No! This thing just started barking out of
nowhere.”
“Apparently, he misses his old stomping grounds,” she joked.
I threw the pillow in frustration. “What the hell do I do?”
“Well, you can’t exactly return him.”
“No. I couldn’t do that to Skylar.”
My mother sat at the foot of my bed and laughed, “You would do anything for that girl,
wouldn’t you?”
“Mom…” I said, dismissively.
I hadn’t discussed my feelings for Skylar with my mother, and I certainly wasn’t going to get
into it in the middle of the night with a barking parrot.
“Okay. We’ll have to do some internet research on how to get him to stop. In the meantime, I’ll
put some earplugs in.”
I returned the pillow to my ears as my mother left the room.
After another half-hour of barking and some howling now mixed in, I turned on the light and
met him face to face.
“Stop BARKING!”
He continued to yelp in my face.
I pointed
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