Her Keeper

Chapter 9

--Skylar Holmes--

I sat in the kitchen with my face in my palms. I heard Julliet and Geovanni going at it last night and just before the crack of dawn, she crept back into the bed beside me.

She didn't smell of sex, only a very masculine body wash, which told me that she had showered in Geo's bathroom before she came back to her room.

"I know you're not in here crying." Miss Elise's voice caused me to snap my neck in her direction.

"Good morning, Miss Elise." I greeted in a not so happy voice. She sat next to me at the table.

"I heard them too, darling." She raised her brow at me. "However, if I know Geovanni as well as I thought, I know he was honest."

"He told me that he wasn't feeling me like that at all." I admitted. "He also told me that he was feeling someone else."

"And you thought that you could eventually, somehow convince him to change his mind?" Miss Elise correctly assumed.

"I guess so, Miss Elise. I can't even be mad at Julliet." I sighed. "I mean, Geovanni told me that he was in love and all the signs pointed toward her. Why wasn't he just straightforward and told me that she was the one he felt for?" I shrugged.

"Because, he wanted to protect her." Reading into my confusion, she continued. "Geo is fully aware that he's rough around the edges. He knows that he's a hard, cold man and he's nowhere near good at expressing love. He wanted to allow himself the knowledge of how to love her the right way before he ruined her." She smirked.

"So he's ready all of a sudden?"

"Or maybe he felt like his chance was slipping away. He was entertaining her friend." She patted my back. "All men are capable of love. Tender, beautiful love. A man could date a woman for fifteen years and never think once to marry her, then he dates one for fifteen days and is ready to sign over his life. Men know the women they are willing to give unconditional love to. Geovanni's woman just happens to be Julliet, not you."

Nodding in understanding, I stood and made my way to Julliet's room. She was hanging her towel back on its rack, so I guess she must've just finished showering.

"Hey." She greeted with a smile.

"Hey." I returned her greeting a little less enthusiastically as I sat on her bed. "How was your first time?" I blurted out.

She opened her mouth to say something, but snapped it shut again as she shook her head apologetically and sat beside me.

"I-I am so so sorry Skylar." She began.

"It's fine. He told me what it was from the beginning." I assured her with a dismissive shrug. "You're glowing." I complimented.

"It's not ok, Skylar. I didn't consider your feelings." I cut her off by holding my hand up.

"I didn't consider my own feelings, Julliet. As I said, it's fine. He told me that he was in love already and all the signs pointed toward you. I just acted blind." I confessed.

"So you're not mad?" I shook my head.

"No, just a bit disappointed. Nothing I can't get over. You seem happy and after the drama with Alexis, you deserve that."

"Thanks. I guess." She looked down at her lap.

"You love him?" I asked.

"Oh, you have no idea." She admitted, which caused me to smile at her.

"I guess it wasn't any easier for you to witness him entertaining me, huh?"

"It was a bit difficult." She agreed. "Sky, if you knew he loved someone else, why did you still pursue him?"