Contract Bound [Rewriting]

CHAPTER THREE

Three weeks passed by in the blink of an eye, or at least that's how it felt. Every day she had expected Fane to appear every Friday and take her away to God knows where. But he never came. For days, she searched for a new job, and everyone said they weren't hiring, even though the sign on the glass window in the entrance said otherwise. No one wanted her in their business knowing that the town would stop supporting it. Honestly, she was shocked her parents hadn't been fired from their jobs. Thankfully, they didn't receive the same treatment.

Skylar held her little tea party as she always did, but this time, it wasn't as bubbly without Aurora. Of the three of them, she was the one who would come dressed in one of Aurora's fairytale dresses that were all black. Yet, she was the bubbly one, the one with the most ridiculous gossip and stories. To some, things like this would seem like a waste of time, but to others, it was a way to relieve stress and lighten the weight of everyday life.

Belinda entered the garden at the back of Skylar's home with the blue pastel maxi-length dress she had made for her last year for her birthday. She loved the flowers and the almost sheer corset that made her breasts appear larger than they were. As she headed to the table at the center of the garden, she laughed, twirling once when Skylar did.

This time Ezra didn't join them but had said next time he would. Unfortunately, he had to head to work since a couple of the baristas had called off and they needed help. So, today it would be just the two of them.

Skylar served her some of the tea after she took a seat. "Well, what would you like to discuss today?"

"I'm curious to know exactly how Ezra and you started dating. All this time, I thought you saw him as a brother just as I do."

Skylar took a seat across from her. "I can't explain it. Last year, he started to act differently. For example, we were eating once, and I went to take a big bite of my burger, and my hair got in the way. This man reached to move it back and the way he did it sent a flurry of butterflies to my stomach. I was shocked that I didn't move at all, then he laughed." She smiled as she took a sip of her tea. "That man's laughter never made my heart flutter. He started to be interested in the things I love—He helps me sometimes with sowing my dresses. He never did that before."

"So, what made you realize you were in love?"

Skylar thought for a moment. "I don't know... One day he was helping me pick a fabric for the dress someone ordered, and I was way too excited when I found the perfect piece, turned to show him, and ended up bumping into him. I was surprised we didn't stumble to the floor, but we did end up so close—I couldn't resist kissing him."

Belinda took a sip of the tea, loving the sweet taste. "So does your mom know?"

"Not yet. But I'm hoping to tell her soon. You know how she is. She expects me to get married before having any sort of intimacy with a man."

"You two have been intimate?"

"Yes." She laughed. "And let me tell you, that man is amazing in bed." Her smile faltered. "I hope my mom doesn't overreact like she did last time I introduced her to a man."

"She needs to understand that you're an adult, not a child."

"She simply wants what's best for me. Look at what happened with that relationship. In the end, she was right. Victor used me, then tossed me aside after he got tired of me."

"Ezra isn't Victor."

"I know, but my mother saw how heartbroken I was. She just doesn't want to see me like that again."

"You remember Elias?"

"Yes. The man you dated for like three months."

"I lied to you about why we broke up."