Chapter 5 Landing On His Bed
After the brief interaction with Christian, she avoided him completely, giving all her concentration to her food. With Caleb and Lillian busy discussing their career plans with everyone, Skylar was happy to stay in the background. The faster she could finish her food, she could escape Grandpa Benjamin’s questioning. However, since her luck never left her side, Grandpa Benjamin somehow steered the topic to their parents’ last wish.
“I’m so happy that Lillian and Caleb have fulfilled the last wish of their parents. So now with Sebastian out of the scene, it’s now Christian and Skylar’s turn,” said Grandpa Benjamin, holding Christian’s gaze. Skylar choked on her food for the second time but composed herself somehow. She wanted to protest, but not a word came out of her lips.
“What have you planned, Christian? When are you two getting engaged?” Christian looked ill at ease and glanced at Caleb for help.
“Grandpa Ben, I want the wedding after Skye completes her education. She is just eighteen and it wouldn’t be fair to force her into a marriage now,” said Caleb, and Lillian, too supported him. Skylar felt relieved, but it was short-lived.
“Fine, but I would want to get them engaged at least.”
“Once Miriam is better, we can plan the engagement, Ben,” said Skylar’s grandpa. Thankfully, they discussed her granny’s health, forgetting about the upcoming engagement. After dinner, Skylar sat with her granny in her room, just to avoid facing Christian. She could sleep on the little couch in the corner.
Lillian came inside to call her. “Caleb wants to talk to you, Skye. Then I’ll show you to your room.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll just meet him and get the keys to the house. I’ll come back tomorrow morning.”
“It’s okay, Skye. Stay the night for my sake, please,” said Lillian, and this time Skylar couldn’t protest. She nodded and followed her out of the room quietly. She showed Skylar the room she could sleep in.
“I’ve left some of my new clothes in the closet. They should fit you. Come over to my room to talk to Caleb.”
“I’ll freshen up later. I’ll talk to Caleb first,” said Skylar, following her out to her room.
Caleb was busy on his laptop when she entered his room. “Come here, Skye.”
“What did you want to talk about?” she asked, pulling a chair and sitting beside him.
“Here are granny’s reports and prescriptions. I want you to understand them first.” He explained the medicines, the check-up schedule, and the pending tests. “It is your responsibility to get granny better. Once she can travel, I’ll take them away with me to Cleveland.”
“Don’t worry, Caleb. I’ll look after her,” said Skylar, realizing what an important task she had on her shoulders. She had to get her granny the best treatment available.
“Caleb, where are the keys to the house?” she asked when Lillian went to the washroom.
“It’s with Grandpa. Stay here with granny and grandpa until she is fit to go. Don’t unnecessarily anger Grandpa Ben. Our flight is at 5 o’clock in the morning and I won’t meet you for a few months. Take care of yourself and your studies, Skye. And don’t hurt Christian, please,” said her brother while Skylar gaped at him. The last part of his lecture had her rolling her eyes inwardly. As if she could hurt that arrogant man!
“Why would I hurt him? I just don’t want to marry him, bro.” Caleb sighed and massaged his temples, not knowing how to explain it to her.
“Look, Skye! You don’t have a choice in this. Do you want granny and grandpa to live long?” Skylar scowled at her brother with a confused expression on her face.
“Of course, I do.”
“Then just do what they want you to do. Granny received a heart attack because of the stress you gave her. Do you realize that? Next time, it wouldn’t be mild. It could be fatal.” Skylar gaped at her brother, his words piercing her heart and causing her pain. Was she really the cause of Granny’s heart attack?
“You’re kidding me, right?” she gasped with disbelief.
“No, Skye. I’m very serious.”
“Do you think I caused granny’s heart attack?” she asked with tears in her eyes. Caleb chewed his lips and concentrated on his laptop. Skylar got her answer. She wiped her eyes and stood up to leave.
“I see! Fine, I’ll marry Christian and end my life, my dreams, my aspirations. Happy now?” She walked out of his room towards hers and locked the door. Caleb’s words hurt her tremendously. Since childhood, she had been inseparable from her grandparents. They meant everything to her. How could Caleb hold her responsible for her granny’s heart attack?
Skylar didn’t change out of her clothes. She was so upset she sat on the couch with tears in her eyes. With all her friends marrying the one they loved, hers was the worst situation ever. Maybe if her parents lived, she could reason it out with them, but now it was an impossible task. No one would see her point of view. There was no point in fighting anymore. She was just wasting her time.
Wiping her tears, she got up to look through the clothes Lillian had left for her. She was the only one in the St. James family she loved. She picked up the loose top and shorts and smiled. They were just perfect to sleep in!
Afterwards, she lay down to sleep, but her throat felt parched and she looked around for a bottle of water. It wasn’t there. Groaning, she got up to get some water from the kitchen, hoping she didn’t meet Grandpa Benjamin on the way. She opened her door and peered out. The whole mansion was eerily quiet! She smiled with relief and tiptoed towards the kitchen. In the dimmed lights, it was difficult to figure out where the kitchen was. Should she wake up Lillian? No, she thought against it. With an early flight the next morning, Lillian might have fallen asleep.
She went into the vast kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Pouring some of it down her throat, she felt relieved and went out of the kitchen to look for her room. The mansion was enormous, and she lost her way back to her room. After roaming about for a couple of minutes, she, at last, found it.
“Thank God!” she mumbled, opening the door and going inside. The room was completely dark, and she frowned with confusion. Didn’t she leave the night lamp on?
Had someone entered it in her absence? She groped her way to the bed, not finding the switch. Where did the switches go? They were beside the bedroom door!
Thankfully, her legs hit the edge of the bed and she fell on it. Keeping the bottle of water down on the floor beside her, she lay down to sleep. Who cared about switches now? She would sleep and wake up early to ask her grandpa for the keys to the house. Once she had the keys to the house, she would make a duplicate set and keep it with her. She wouldn’t let such a situation arise at all! If only she had done it earlier! But her grandparents or Mrs. Jules were always at home and she didn’t need a spare set of keys.
Skylar closed her eyes at last, but suddenly they flew open. She could feel someone else’s presence in the room. Was it a ghost? Goosebumps erupted all over her skin and she sat up with fear. Training her eyes to get accustomed to the darkness, she tried to look around herself. Suddenly, she felt a movement beside her and her heart constricted with fear. She was about to scream when a hand shot out of nowhere and covered her mouth.
“Mmmm,” she struggled to speak, but a heavy bare body pinned her to the bed and it was impossible for her to move or escape. Were ghosts this heavy? Could they pin you to a bed and kill you? It was the worst night of her life and she struggled against her attacker, desperately trying to kick it off her.
The night lamp clicked on beside her and she gasped at seeing none other than a shirtless Christian hovering over her. What the hell!
“Mmm,” she struggled to push him away, looking around her in disbelief. This wasn’t the room she had occupied earlier! Did she walk into Christian’s room in the darkness? But his room was upstairs, wasn’t it?
“Don’t fcking scream! Grandpa Ben is in his study. If he sees us together, he’ll get us engaged tomorrow.” His words made her eyes widen with dread. She shook her head to tell him she wouldn’t scream at all. Satisfied, Christian, at last, released her mouth but didn’t move away at all.
“I’m s-sorry, I forgot the way to my room. I’ll leave just now!” she said, her cheeks coloring at his semi-nudity. With his sculpted body on display, pressing hard against hers, her breath hitched with awareness. She felt almost bare to his probing gaze. Why couldn’t he stop staring?
“What’s the hurry? Sleep here. We’ll get married, anyway!”