Skylar's POV

I spent the next few hours wandering around the abandoned house. I even made sure to walk to every single corner, admiring the old fashioned architecture and the antique tapestries. It was beautiful in a way. I didn't really see Caden around though, except when I somehow found my way back in the lounge once again. After that, I spent my time upstairs.

The corridor upstairs was a bit more creepy, with cobwebs strewn across the ceiling, gold-carved lamps on the walls, and every door that I opened upstairs turned out to be a room with a perfectly made bed. Everything was so clean.

Unlike my own room.

The sky had gone dark outside by the time I reached the attic. It seemed to be the only small room in this house, and very dusty. I had to look around the compact room for a few seconds to make sure there weren't any bats or wild rats in here (I genuinely hoped not), or else Caden might have to drag me out of here when I pass out.

When I saw a long, brown chest placed in the farthest corner of the room though, I got a bit too excited. I didn't have to switch on any lights to make my way inside since the skylight was enough to spread a spooky glow all around.

I stepped towards the chest and cautiously sat down, crossing my legs. Once I had opened it up and had gotten indulged with the things inside, I noticed that it was mostly filled up with worn-out letters, old feather pens, and a huge dried up inkpot.

Had I gone back in time?

Or maybe this person, whoever this stuff belonged to, was just obsessed with old things. However, I found out I was wrong when I actually read one of those letters. It was dated back to the early '20s.

I frowned a little at those words, at the cursive handwriting. The paper felt as light as a feather in my hands, too worn out and old. I kept on reading the rest of it then, picking up the other letters and reading them too. They definitely sounded like love letters from some guy to his lover.

How cute.

I rummaged under the pile of letters to find a deep blue silk cloth. It felt extremely soft against my fingertips and unlike the surroundings, it smelled like roses. Creepy, I know. What if this guy had died without confessing his love?

Or not. I guess I watched way too many movies for my own good.

"What are you doing?" I jerked upright when I heard a voice right behind me. But when I saw Caden standing near the doorway, his gaze darting from me to the stuff around me, I calmed down a bit.

"I'm reading..." I stopped, thinking for the right words. "The lovesick tales of the ancient boy."

Caden scrunched up his nose in distaste. "I don't even want to know why you used those words."

I smiled and looked back at the cloth in my hand. Folding it up, I placed it back at the bottom of the chest.

"The car's here." He added.

I hummed softly in response and my eyes flew towards the bottom of the chest, at the delicate silver chain. Picking it up, I saw that it had a silver band of ring hanging from the chain, with a name engraved on it.

"Kate," I whispered, then looked at Caden. "Isn't this cute?"

He stared at the necklace in my hands, then his eyes found mine once again. Soft and so green. I couldn't read the look in his eyes.

"Do you think you'll get your parents to tell you about that locker?" He asked.

I blinked and looked away, shrugging a little. "I don't know," I murmured, placing back the necklace. Then I started collecting the papers that were all scattered around me and stood up. Now that I noticed closely, this attic was actually really small.

Caden was still gazing at me as if he wasn't going to take I don't know for an answer.

"I don't think they'd tell me anyway," I added, glancing at him. How was I supposed to tell him that my parents pushed me away every time I asked them about that locker? How was I supposed to tell him that I didn't have a normal relationship with my parents like everybody else?

"Why wouldn't they?" He asked, and the curious tilt of his head made me want to keep staring back.

I saw a paper on the floor and busied myself with picking it up. "They are more into their work these days. Clients and...the other stuff keeps them busy."

I couldn't help but feel it right then--the sadness hovering over my shoulders. What would it take for me to have a normal relationship with my parents?

"Really?"

I looked back at him and to my surprise, he was standing a bit closer now--something that I hadn't noticed happening.

"No." My voice dropped to a much softer one. "It's probably because they don't trust me. I mean, I can be a bit irrational sometimes." I meant to lighten the mood, but the curious look in his eyes didn't even waver a bit. And even when I tried forcing a smile on my face, I just couldn't. So I stuck with pressing my lips together.

"Besides, they have more important things to deal with right now. I come at the last." I kept back the letters and closed the chest with a small thud.

"Maybe they have a reason for that?" He suggested.

"Or maybe it's just me," I replied. Then laughed. "It doesn't even matter, really. Why are we talking about my parents again?"

I've spent enough of my life with my parents to know that it wasn't really some other reason that they acted like that around me. I wasn't a perfect daughter for their perfect lifestyle. They wanted our family to be perfect, and I failed to meet their expectations.

"Maybe they're just trying to protect you," Caden said.

I blinked up at him and before the frown could've given it away, I looked away from him. Why was he being so insistent about this? Why couldn't we not talk about my parents?

Right. The locker.

"Look, I know this is about that locker," I said. "I'll do something. I'll convince them--"

"What if it isn't about the locker?" He cut me off.

I had to force myself to look away from his eyes so that I wouldn't unnecessarily ponder over those words. "Well, Blake and his men do want something from that locker, don't they?" I asked. "Assuming he's the bad guy here."

We shouldn't have this talk right now, I thought. Maybe this wasn't the right time. Maybe I didn't--

Caden's gaze was starting to grow unnerving and I had this strange urge, this yearning to look back. My heart unnaturally skipped a beat when he took a step closer. "What if I was the bad one here?"

My palms started getting clammy with sweat, and I had to stop myself from saying something that I might probably regret later. I don't know, I needed to say. I didn't know.

"You can't be." Was what I said instead, and my heart picked its pace. That, was what I hadn't wanted to say.

Caden's expression was serious, but I noticed how it softened just a little when he looked at me. "Why?"

I swallowed. "I don't know. I just...I know you're hiding stuff, Caden. Maybe you do want to know more about that locker. I don't care about that. Maybe I'm wrong here. I..."

I didn't know what to say.

"Maybe I don't care about that locker." He spoke up, and the softness in his voice made me want to step closer to him. But I didn't. Because he did. "Maybe it's just you."

I blinked in surprise and I don't know why I let my eyes dart across his face. Maybe I wanted to search for it, the answers to all the mystery he hid inside. I wanted to know if he was messing with me, like that time in my house, wanting something from me. What did he want?

He clenched his jaw then, his eyes darkening up ever so slightly, but his voice remained soft and that surprised me even more. "And maybe I don't like that."

My mouth parted a little in confusion, trying to search my head for words to say. But I got to say absolutely nothing when he shortened the only distance between us, his eyes holding me hostage. There were just inches left in between our faces, and my breath got stuck in my throat when the realisation hit me.

This can't be happening all over again.

"I don't like caring about anyone, Anderson." He added, and I knew I had to breathe in before my lungs collapsed for good. "Do you hear me?"

Why? I wanted to ask. But my mouth wasn't cooperating with me. My senses were only aware of his close proximity, and the little distance between us was starting to drive me insane.

I wanted answers from you. That's why I tried to kiss you.

I stared at him, in the darkness of his eyes, and I knew it'd hurt. Maybe he did want me. But there was something dark in him that didn't. And I was a mess. I couldn't.

"Caden." A small, hesitating whisper escaped my lips. And he kept on looking at me, waiting for me to say something. For a second, it almost looked like he was hoping I'd say something.

"Caden, I..." I trailed off miserably.

Please don't hurt me. That's what I had wanted to say. But I couldn't. Instead, I did something much much worse. I leaned in, knowing I couldn't go back, and pressed my lips against his.

I kissed him.

And I absolutely didn't know how to react when he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against him as he kissed me back.

He was kissing me back.

It felt like a blur, everything around me. A satisfying hum inside of me. I forgot about everything around me. Oh God, I thought, I needed him so bad.

There was this insistence with the way he kissed me, parting my shaking lips and pulling me even closer. My hands were on his shoulders and the side of his face and in his hair, and I didn't understand how I could've not seen this coming. The incredible want I felt right then.

I let him kiss me until I forgot I had to breathe too. I let him kiss me until everything stopped.

Until he stopped. And pulled away. Not harshly, but enough to surprise me.

"I-I can't do this." He pulled away.

My hands fell back to my sides and I stared at him in surprise, disappointment, fear. I didn't know what I felt right then.

"Oh." A small, surprised whisper left my lips.

I'd seen that coming. But even if I had, that didn't mean it wasn't awful. He'd been kissing me, I thought. Why couldn't he anymore? Worse, I couldn't believe I was the one who'd kissed him this time.

Why had I been so foolish? Of course, he wasn't into me. Hadn't he made it clear the other day? And I'd mistaken it all. He wanted something but it wasn't ever going to be me.

I took a small step back, my eyes dropping down from his face. It did hurt, more than when my parents had pushed me away. But I guess I should've been prepared. I should have been.

Caden was staring. I couldn't look back.

"Sky--"

"It's fine." I blurted out, hating the way my voice quivered. "I...am sorry."

I kind of felt sorry for my own self right now.

He didn't say anything. I continued looking down at my hands. This place felt cold and I wanted to leave. I wanted to get some fresh air because it felt like I couldn't breathe.

"I...I need some air." I exhaled, looking up at him but not really at him.

But when I made a move to leave, he grabbed my wrist. "Skylar, wait."

His eyes held that wild, almost alarming look. I didn't understand him. Maybe he didn't understand himself either.

"You shouldn't—I'm sorry." He said.

Why? I wanted to ask him. Because he was sorry. And Caden Miller rarely ever apologised to anyone.

"Like I said." I gently pulled back my wrist from his grasp. "It's fine. Really."

It was fine. I was fine.

"It's dark outside." I glanced up at the skylight, swallowing. "My parents are gonna flip out if I don't go back home."

He was frowning and I knew he wasn't buying the way I'd just pushed it all away. He wanted to say something, tell me something, I could see that.

But he didn't.

"I'll be in the car," I told him before leaving.

•••••

None of us said anything during the whole ride back to my place. I didn't have to. My mind was already clouded up with too many thoughts. Everything felt complicated.

I was more than glad to push past the tense air around us when Caden stopped his car in front of my house. I stared at my house and realized that it was the last place I wanted to be at in that moment. But I got out anyway.

"'Night," I murmured, before closing the door behind me.

I didn't look back at him, not even once, mainly because my heart still pounded every time I looked at him and thought about that kiss. I headed for the front door and pressed in the alarm code, unlocking the door and stepping inside. And I couldn't help but let my shoulders slump right as I heard Caden driving away.

Taking an encouraging sigh, I went inside the lounge. To my surprise, the lights were closed and everything seemed quiet.

"Mom?" I looked around. "Dad?"

Nobody replied. My eyes trailed down to my school bag placed on the kitchen counter. Alex must've come here to drop my things off--thanks to Hanna. I moved over towards it and took out my phone from the front pocket.

Seven missed calls from Mom. I pressed on the voicemails that she'd left me.

"Skylar, I just wanted you to know that your dad and I...something came up."

The first voicemail ended.

"We won't be able to come back for a few days. I--we'll talk about that stuff later. And,"

I slowly pressed on the next voicemail.

"We didn't leave because...I'm sorry that we had to leave on such an urgent notice. Please call me back once you hear this. I love you."

I looked down at the screen as seconds ticked by.

Were they really back to avoiding me now?

"Of course." I laughed. A short, sad laugh.

I shouldn't have argued this morning. I should've just kept my mouth shut. At least they wouldn't have left like this. We could've spent a normal day together. Mom, Dad and I. I wouldn't be so pathetically alone right now.

The lump in my throat felt painful as I blinked back the stinging in my eyes.

"I cannot believe this," I whispered to myself, standing all alone in my empty little lounge, looking at nothing in particular.

Then I noticed a note stuck on the fridge.

I inhaled in a sharp breath when I felt a tear roll down my face.

I had everything messed up.

I sat down on the couch as I heard Chicken mewl somewhere in the house. I was so tired, so confused, so hurt. Why couldn't I, for once, have a normal relationship?

I didn't even care if I looked like a moron at that moment, crying all to myself. I couldn't have kept it all in any longer. Of course, I felt miserable. No one was here and the sadness was just increasing and tugging onto me from the inside. I was so sad.

Sad that everyone was pushing me away.

______

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Xoxo,

Crystal 🌿