The Other Side of Love (Forever Love #3)(44)
Author: J.S. Cooper

“What’s going on, Noah?” She looked at me with a scared expression. “What’s wrong with Lucky?”

“I have to go.” I said wildly grabbing my car keys. “My ex is here.” I looked at her shocked and hurt expression but I didn’t have time to explain everything to her. “I’m sorry but I have to go.” I ran out of the door, without looking back and ran to my car quickly. I needed to get home before anything happened. I jumped into my car in both excitement and fear. I was excited that I would finally be reunited with Skylar but I was extremely worried about what else might go down. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. No matter what happened tonight, I wasn’t going to let Skylar get hurt again. No matter what!

***

I walked into the house slowly. I was scared about what was going to happen. I didn’t even really understand how they had both gotten there, but I had a feeling Zane and Lucky were to blame. I thought back to two days ago in the kitchen when I’d had the conversation with Skylar right in front of Zane, and how minutes later Lucky had conveniently wanted to borrow my phone. Then I remembered the call she had received in the car, and the new number she had taken down to call. It all clicked into my head. I was pretty sure I knew how they had gotten her. Zane and Lucky had most probably tried to help me out, but they had no idea what the situation was. They had no idea that they had most probably made the situation worse for me and Skylar. They had no idea who she was to me.

I had only been in the door for a few minutes when someone came running into my arms. “Noah, Noah, it’s really you.” She cried tears of joy as she jumped into my arms and I picked Skylar up and swung her around.

“It’s really me, angel.” I sat her down and kissed her on the cheek, staring at her beautiful and innocent face. She looked just the same as I remembered her, with her big wide blue eyes, the little button nose, and a big gap in her front teeth. I crouched down so that I was on eye-level with her and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry that I left Palm Bonita without saying goodbye.”

“You never came back to see me.” Her eyes were wide and wet. “I thought I made you mad at me.”

“You could never make me mad at you. I love you. You know that.” I gave her a huge hug and my heart melted as she hugged me back tightly. As I hugged her, I wondered at the love I had for this child. This child who wasn’t mine, but who had completely stolen my heart the very first time I’d met her.

“Well, now, now. Isn’t this a cozy scene?” Monica walked up to us and gave us a haughty stare. “I always love to see my ex hugging my little bastard of a stepdaughter.”

“Monica, not in front of Skylar.” I covered the child’s ears and glared at her. As I stared at her beautiful but evil face, I wondered how I had ever been taken in by her. She was most probably the worst person I had ever had the misfortune of dating. She had drawn me in with her smile and acting, but she had shown me her true colors pretty quickly after that. I’d wanted to break up with her a few months after we started dating, but I had already established a relationship with Skylar and I also knew that the only way I could look after Skylar and spend time with her was to keep on dating Monica.

“I don’t know why you love that brat of a kid so much,” she sneered at me, and then looked around the house with wide greedy eyes. “This place is so much more than I thought it would be. I guess you’re as rich as you said.”

“What do you want, Monica?” I glared at her before looking back down at Skylar. “Hey, honey, want to go play in the backyard?”

“Yes, please.” She hugged my leg and then ran to the back. “Can I pick some flowers, Uncle Noah?”

“Of course.” I beamed at her and waited until I saw her walk out the French doors to turn back to Monica. “What do you want?” I glared at her, and let my distaste show through.

“You better ask your new lover, Lucky. She’s the one that called me.”

“Lucky is my brother’s fiancée.” I shook my head in disgust.

“I’m sure you’re f**king her.” Monica leered at me as she stepped in closer to me. “Or maybe you’ve been missing me. Is that why I’m here? Been missing you.”

“I’ve missed you as much as a good man misses hell.”

“Noah, you’re back.” Lucky ran down the stairs and gave me a despairing and apologetic look.

“Yes.” I nodded coldly.

“Where’s Skylar?” She looked around wildly and I grabbed her arm.

“She’s in the backyard.” I nodded towards the back.

“She’s a kid.” Lucky looked at me with big eyes. “Skylar’s a kid.”

“Yes.”

“So you really didn’t miss your ex, did you?” Lucky chewed on her lower lip and I sighed.

“I told you that I didn’t miss my ex.” I sighed. “I told you you didn’t really understand.”

“I’m still here, bitches.” Monica interrupted us. “Where the f**k is my money?”

“What money?” It took everything in me not to physically harm her.

“My money to go to Aruba,” she sneered at me. “And no, I don’t want you to come with me. You missed your opportunity.”

“I have no interest in going with you anywhere.”

“But for f**king Skylar, you’d go to the moon, right.” She looked at me with thin eyes. “What a f**king weirdo you are. I should have known when you had to move to Palm Bonita you were a sicko.”

“Skylar is like a daughter to me.” My voice was low and angry. “I was the one who took her to the park, I was the one who took her bowling, I was the one who took her for ice cream. I was the one that made her feel safe again.”

“You’re also the one that left her crying for weeks on end.” Monica looked at me with a gleam in her eye. “But I shut her up.”

“You shut her up?” I frowned and then it hit me and I grabbed her arms and pushed her against the wall. “Did you break Skylar’s arm?”

“She bumped into a chair.” She looked at me with a blank stare. “And get your f**king hands off of me before I call the police.”

“You’re an evil bitch.” I hissed at her before letting go of her arms.

“Noah!” Lucky walked up to me and grabbed me. “Calm down. Don’t let her win.” She whispered in my ear.