Chapter 134

“You have a visitor!” Paris’ appearance was announced by her flighty oncoming footsteps a few second before she jiggled the door knob and yanked the door wide without any forewarning knock. Skylar was already staring at the door in anticipation for Paris, astounded by the girl’s cheeks taking on a rosy hue. Her smile an exhibition of her pearly teeth.

It could only be one person that Paris would show this much excitement towards. She and Nova had cultivated a friendship in a short space of time and while Nova was physically avoiding Skylar entirely, she’d kept up her communications with Paris. Her sister-in-law—soon to be ex, had expressed the difficulty she faced at having heard about the separation. She called Skylar constantly but was not ready to see her. Claiming her heart and emotions couldn’t bear to look upon Skylar without shedding tears, this came following Skylar’s admission that she’d taken the steps to dissolve the marriage. As honest as she was capable of being in the circumstances.

Skylar had tried to reassure Nova that there wasn’t anything to be done. No lingering feelings, no regrets. Not all of those words were true but Skylar wanted to provide comfort. Wanted to maintain the relationship she had with Nova, if that was possible at all.

Nova had come to see her as a sister, as someone she could relate to in a family of people who underestimated her entitlement to make her own choices and mistakes. A small ray of light warmed Skylar, her lips quirking upwards into a hopeful smile.

“Is Nova here?” She’s rolled back on her office chair springing to her feet. The most emotion she’d shown in the past week.

“Better,” Paris responded with a supressed squeal and an eye wink. Contending to herself that if Skylar was this animated at the thought of Nova, her boss must feel twice as happy if she actually knew who was at their front desk. Skylar hadn’t been much of a pleasure to be around lately, not that she particularly said anything. Her

mood in itself was penetrating. It seeped into the pores of everyone who thought to be within inches of her.

Skylar’s smile faltered slowly. Her brows furrowing as she inclined her head to the side. “Better?” she echoed the words with as much hesitation mirrored in her features. There wasn’t anyone else she’d been expecting to visit her. Her mother was giving her the necessary space she requested, only checking in to ensure Skylar was eating well and sleeping in a safe environment. And she was…the latter at the very least. She’d rented an apartment close to work under an alias, one that had never been linked to her before.

“I can’t tell you, but he literally just cut the corner into the corridor,” Paris had taken a sideway glance outside and whispered the words to Skylar, before straightening, giving the intruder a smile and running away. It was too late to object, to react.

Austin Cyner had closed the door behind him, gifting her his full attention. Eyes with a glare that proved unsettling to her unresolved emotions, beamed at her. Nothing in them spoke of anguish or sorrow. The orbs were the epitome of equanimity. Embarrassment, anger, frustration and the like crashed into her chest and she choose to focus on the negative emotions. Those were the only feelings she would willingly attribute to the pounding of her heart and the rush of blood to her brain.

Air rushing in and out. Cycle of intake and exhale had never been this audible before. Like a blanket covering their senses. Drowning out thought and expression as they both stood there silent.

“You don’t look well,” Austin blurted the first words to enter his brain like a fool.

*Gee, I wonder why?* her brain screamed but she said nothing, certain her offensiveness shone in her eyes. Austin immediately wished he hadn’t said those words. Was

he thinking it as he analysed every inch of her face like a man starved of the sun? Yes. But that was beside the point. He should have noted the circles under her eyes, the hollowing in her cheek bones, her clothes hanging less fitted to her body and said nothing because her neutral gloomy skies darkened. Not the best first words to say to the woman he wanted to forgive him.

“Have *you* looked in the mirror lately?” She scoffed dragging both hands through her hair, his reminder of her exhaustion and weight-loss breaking through the hypnotic spell that wound around her.

It was easy to miss the bruises on his face since he’d displayed one profile to her as he walked in but as he shifted, she noted the other side. There was a strain in the way he stood, his breaths seeming more unsteady than usual.

“I am trying not to.” He picked at the bruise on his lip with a small chuckle, as if he was laughing at himself.

“Then why subject me to the sight of this horrid demeanour if you deny yourself it?” she twirled her hand in circles before his face, twisting her lip undesirably. It was easy, too easy to fall back into this banter. Into this hatred. Anything to stop herself from rushing over to him and trace his wounds, to demand how it had happened. The right didn’t belong to her.

“Should I have waited for it to heal up before coming to see you?” he begun moving forward as if he were closing in on a cornered prey.

“I’d prefer you never come at all.” She snarled, a defensive mechanism designed to scare him away. A futile attempt. What was the sense in ever seeing him? To hurt

again?

“You are my wife.” He paused, two more steps and he’d have her flush against him. Skylar knew it, her body craving it despite the warring in her logic. The use of her title constraining the air in her lungs. Never did she think she would hear those words from his lips again.

The scent of her coconut shampoo teasing his loins into action. Into remembrance. “Mine.” He breathed because he needed it, “And I’ve come to remind you who you belong too,” he shoved his hands into his trouser pockets to stop himself from reaching out.

“Belong too?” Skylar swallowed, an action that was performed with difficulty. Austin noticed too, his lips quirking upwards as he stared at her throat. “Did that fight impair your mental faculties in addition to your looks?” she chuckled sinisterly, biting her lower lip.

“Worried?” He teased with too much familiarity and Skylar scoffed. Needing air that wasn’t polluted with his scent, she walked past him towards the door. Turning on her heels to look at him. She needed to think away from him.

“Disappointed,” she retorted, pursing her lips and giving a hum as he rotated to face her, “you deserved a lot more than a tiny bruise.” She taunted him, watching as he grinned. God, that stupid grin!

“Revoke your instructions to dissolve our marriage.” He said watching as the dark humour in her eyes dissipate like a cloud of smoke.

“No.” she said shook her head inconsequently, raising her brows at him, her mouth in an exaggerated ‘O’.

“Sky, I am not asking again.” He was moving towards her again, her body expelling some sort of gravitational pull.

“Cyner, I said no.” she said in a sing song manner, a smile on her lips, “I am not repeating it again.” The smile disappeared as if it were never there to begin with.