Bittersweet Road Trips

Skylars POV

When Kade did come back, he was not the same teasing, playful Kade I saw earlier. He was now reserved and distant, he tried to hold a smile, but he wasn't successful, and it didn't reach his eyes.

He was going to have somebody come and bring me to the truck they picked out for me, once I finished the paperwork and signed I would be dropping it back off tomorrow.

However, the person he was having show me to the truck downstairs and outside, was Amelia. He informed me, just as he got off the phone with her when she entered the elevator. She was on her way up.

I walked shamefully to the seat opposite Kade and tried not to feel like a little kid again, feeling like I just got shunned by everybody in my life, when in reality it was Kade who brushed me off. I should have been grateful and I was, but I still wanted to be near him, talk to him. Try to form a friendship. I didn't even know if that would be possible. But I wanted to try.

I wasn't going to let my guard slip again, but I was insanely curious as to why he did what he did, I stayed silent for a couple of seconds before opening my mouth and taking a breath in.

"Kade," I said trying to gain his attention as his head was buried in the papers on his desk, his eyes flashing back and forth rapidly, before settling on me.

"What?" He said harshly.

I flinched and grimaced, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach, "Why did you do what you did?" I asked and hoped I didn't need to elaborate.

Kade looked uncomfortable, to say the least, he squirmed and fiddled around with the pen he was using to write a few minutes ago.

"I….Don't know." Kade confessed, he looked genuinely at a loss for words, "But it will never happen again." He stated bluntly.

I swallowed a lump in my throat, nodding my head, "You heard me the other night. Right?" I almost didn't say it, but I had to. I couldn't leave anything unspoken.

Kade didn't look at me, but stopped and stared at a certain place on a paper he was reading, "Yes Skye, I did."

I knew I wasn't going to be able to do anything again, and I sighed sadly. I had no idea why I felt this way, why I felt such a pull to him, meeting him for the first time in eight years, but I wanted to do something.

I got up out of the office chair opposite Kade and watched as he looked up, I walked around the office desk and met his eyes, he could no longer ignore my presence, as I stand directly in front of him.

"Kade," I whispered out.

Kade's eyes switched from hidden desire to being a direct closed wall. He seemed to have trouble controlling his breathing as his shoulders move more frequently the closer I got.

My eyebrows furrowed and I sucked in a breath before leaning down, grabbing at Kade's face with my hands. I bring my hands around and without losing contact with his warm dark eyes, I cupped his cheeks and brushed my lips against his lips.

Feeling the soft warm skin against my own had me leaning in farther and I could feel Kades' own response as his own hands come up to cup my cheeks as well. The other kisses in the elevator felt needy, desperate, but this one. This kiss was so pure and sweet and it made my toes curl. I had no idea what I was doing.

I had this intense urge to wrap my arms around Kade, but then this need to want to run away and disappear again. As soon as I saw Kade, I tried to make it seem like he didn't exist, but I couldn't.

I think my feelings stem from just wanting to be close to him.

Although, I'm not sure I want to be just a friend to him. It should be that way. It's the right thing to do. Walk away. Leave a perfectly happy relationship alone. Amelia looks like an amazing woman. Kade doesn't deserve me to flip his already planned out life.

I reveled in the feel of his lips, "Kade. I'm sorry." I whispered against his lips and leaned away abruptly and threw my arms around him in a hug, "I promise I won't do that again." I said and knew I was going to stay true to that.

Whatever was going on with Kade and I, was too powerful to ignore, both of us feeling something, a fiery desire we both act on.

That much was evident to me. I knew whatever this was, was destructive.

'I am going to mess up a happy life if I stay in his life.' I thought to myself.

I tried not to get teared up, but it was hard. I messed up my chances of rekindling any kind of friendship with Kade. And I knew that deep in my heart, I would never forgive myself for acting on this weird impulse.

This impulse made me basically sleep with a man I barely knew, and that made me so disappointed in myself. Complete hatred and malice washed over my heart, I did this. This is my fault. I knew him once. Once. but now, I didn't know him.

Why did I do that?

Why the fuck did I just mess that up? Why? Why am I so messed up inside I had to mess up any chances of another actual friend in my life?' I thought angrily to myself and sniffled pulling away from a shocked Kade.

He hadn't really reacted when I pulled away, he wasn't expecting me to, and he loosely gave me a hug, until finally he brought his arms up and hugged me, but at that point, I had already started pulling away.

"Hey." Kade says, softly.

I feel Kade's finger on my chin, pulling my head upwards, I look up and meet Kade's eyes, and feel a twinge in my gut to my heart. Kade's other hand comes up and cups the back of my head with his hand, bringing his arm down and by my cheek. His eyes stare into mine for what seems like forever. With such burning intensity, the heat burning me from head to toe.

I close my eyes and turn my head so my mouth is against his hand, and I softly kiss it, a tear escapes both my eyes and I start to angrily tremble, gradually getting very mad at myself.

"Skye, It's okay. I-" Kade goes to say before a knock on his door cuts him off.

Amelia.

I pull away abruptly and sniff, wiping away my tears quickly and going to the water dispenser, getting a cup and taking a few sips of water. I tried straightening out my clothes, or as much as I could.

Kade fixes himself as well and walks towards the door, pulling it open and welcoming Amelia in, "Ah, just in time love. I need you to bring Skylar down to the truck, please." He added quickly and smiles at Amelia.

My gut twists again and I look around at everything but them, but as I look around I hear them whispering about lovingly, it made me sick to my stomach, an icky feeling started settling over me.

"Skylar!" Amelia exclaims.

I turn to her and smile, "Hello Amelia!" I try to make my voice light and happy, but even I could hear the shakiness of my own voice and I grimaced slightly.

"So I have a suggestion…." Amelia trails off and still stares at me, smiling.

My eyebrows fly up, "What would that suggestion be?" I asked.

Amelia giggles and she jumps over to Kade and grips his arms, as he smiles down lovingly at her, "I would like to join you on your way, to Willowstown if that's okay with you. I just really like car-rides and watching the scenery." Amelia says in a hurry and looks between Kade and I, excitedly.

I smiled, "Absolutely, that would be okay with me." I didn't look to Kade for an answer. I did not want to be stuck in a vehicle with her for hours, but I needed my ride and I desperately wanted my treehouse.

Amelia squealed and leaned up on her tiptoes and grabbed Kade's chin, turning his head towards her and leaning in to kiss Kade's lips. The same lips I had just been kissing five minutes ago. But those lips she's been kissing for the last seven years.

I felt really bad, and guilt started eating at me until I walked past them into the elevator and waited for Amelia to come out. She did eventually tell me, well more like gushing at me, her engagement.

I rolled my eyes internally, I didn't want to hear about her engagement, I just wanted to get to the truck already and just be home, put up my treehouse and fall asleep in it again.

She wouldn't stop talking the entire time, and I smiled and nodded when it fits, but I was almost completely distracted.

We reached the bottom and I walked fast to get outside, once I was able to get a breath of fresh air, I felt better.

Once we got in the truck, it got a little better as Amelia immediately switched between the radio stations creating a nice comfortable aura around us. We went a little way without talking and then Amelia broke the silence.

"So Skylar, what really made you want to come back to Cherrysville." She asked.

There was an edge to her voice, I didn't know quite what, but the way she said 'really' is what had my heart suddenly hammering in my chest.

"What do you mean by, 'really' ?" I asked, and tried not to sound defensive, but I couldn't help but let a little bit slip through my tone. I tightened my hands a little more around the steering wheel, resisting the urge to bounce my knee, as I always do that whenever I get nervous.

Amelia shrugged and looked at ease, she pursed her lips, "I didn't mean anything but it. I was just curious. You said 'unfortunate circumstances'. What were those circumstances? If I may ask that is." She genuinely asks but puts a hint of sarcasm that drips off her words in her voice towards the end.

I gulp and turn left, and continued straight after almost losing my focus and almost going off the road a little, but I was able to keep steer and go straight.

"Well, Amelia. I didn't have a good life growing up. When I moved away, my father became abusive, and I stayed to try to help my mom. But she didn't want to be helped." I said and heaved a heavy sigh.

Amelia looks out towards her side of the window, "Oh. I'm sorry." She became silent after that for a few minutes, and I uttered a quiet thank you and that was that.

Then out of the blue she quickly turns to me, her dark hair flowing every which way, "But I mean you could have moved anywhere, why back to Cherrysville?" She asked.

I huffed slightly, "I wanted to get back in touch with who I was before everything happened in my life." I said, simply.

But obviously, something still nagged at her mind, as she brings a finger up and she chews the tip of her finger lightly thinking about something.

"Alright. Well, why did you move back into your old house? You could have moved anywhere, you know. Anywhere and you chose that house." It wasn't a question, she was firm but she was confused, and possibly something else was on her mind as she put extra emphasis on the words ' that house'.

"Well, I moved back into my old house, because why not? I mean granted, yes it is my childhood home and should have stayed that way and moved somewhere else, but I figured I would just move to a town where I somewhat knew it." I stated.

And before she could ask another question centering me around moving back here, I saw my perfect opportunity window to get away from this topic. A gas station came into view and I sighed, happy for the first time since getting into this truck.

"I'm going to pull over for some gas and snacks. I could use a few Twix bars right now." I declared and pulled up beside one of the gas pumps and I got out of the truck, slamming the door, letting my annoyance shine through, and excitedly walked inside the store looking for the Twix bars I loved so much.