My Skylar Read Online Free PDF
Author: Penelope Ward
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Romantic Comedy, Inspirational, passion, <div><p>From the author of the #1 bestselling romance, Jake Undone, comes a friends-to-lovers story of longing, betrayal and redemption…with a twist that will rip your heart out.</p><p>Skylar was my best friend, but I secretly pined for her. One thing after another kept us apart, and I’ve spent the last decade in fear of losing her forever. </p><p>First, it was the cancer, but she survived only to face the unthinkable at my hands. Because of me, she left town. For years, I thought I’d never see her again. </p><p>But now she’s back…and living with him. </p><p>I don’t deserve her after everything I’ve put her through, but I can’t live without her. This is my last chance because she’s about to make the biggest mistake of her life. I can see it her eyes: she doesn’t love him. She still loves me...which is why I have to stop her before it’s too late.</p></div>
coming. “So, what have
you been up to the past five years, Mitch?” It came out sarcastically casual because we both knew
that question was the elephant in the room.
“I’m sorry I never contacted you.”
The tone in her voice tugged at something deep inside me when she said, “I just wanted to
know you were okay.”
“I know. I—”
She interrupted me. “I mean, I would see your grandmother and ask about you. She would
always say you were fine, but I wanted to hear it from you, because I knew you didn’t share your
true feelings with her like you had with me. So, I never knew whether what she would tell me was
really the truth.”
“Listen…I’m not even going to make an excuse for not calling or writing you. I was a dumb 11-
year-old. The situation got really bad after I got home. Things with my parents were way worse
than I imagined, and I didn’t want to talk to anyone, not even you. I was ashamed of certain
things. But you need to know something.”
“What?”
“Everything you told me back then stuck with me: that it would get better, that it wasn’t my
fault. I kept replaying everything we’d talked about and reminded myself that I wasn’t alone…that
you had been through the same thing and survived. It was the only way I got through it. So, I
really need to thank you, Skylar.”
The rest of the walk home, she listened as I told her things I hadn’t ever told anyone. I
explained that shortly after I left my grandmother’s, I found out the real reason my parents were
getting divorced: my father had a secret girlfriend and had gotten her pregnant. I now had a four-
year-old half-sister whom I barely saw because my father eventually took off to live in
Pennsylvania with his new family. When I was twelve, my mother had gotten so depressed that
she had to be hospitalized, and I had to go to live with my uncle temporarily.
Over the past couple of years, things had finally gotten better. We were getting used to the new
normal with my father gone from the picture. When Mom lost her job, the shit hit the fan again,
and that’s how we ended up here. My mother and I were now back in her childhood home trying
to start over.
By the time we got to Skylar’s door, I was mentally exhausted from rehashing everything, but it
was a relief to have finally let it all out. How ironic that the only two times in my life I had really opened up to someone, it was to her. What was it about Skylar that made me want to pour my
heart out?
“Thanks for being open about everything,” she said as she stood on her front steps facing me.
“I’m sorry for freaking out and running earlier.”
I nudged her with my shoulder. “It was fun chasing you again. And thank you for listening.
You know…” I looked down at my feet and shook my head. “Never mind.”
“What?”
“This is gonna sound kind of corny, but I always knew I’d see you again, that I’d be back here
somehow and that we would still be friends.”
She smiled. “To be continued…”
I didn’t get it at first but then realized she was referencing the comic I made her when I was
eleven. I had forgotten about that. “You still have that book?”
“Of course, I do. It’s not everyday you get a starring role in a story about S&M.”
I bent my head back in laughter. “Holy shit. When I realized the meaning a few years back, I
nearly died. Clueless little kid.”
“Well, I better go inside. My mother thought I was at the mall, which closed a half hour ago.”
“Oh, yeah…you’d better,” I said, backing away. “See you around then?” I pointed across the
street. “In case you didn’t know, I’m right over there, so…”
She surprised me when she took a step forward and hugged me. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I closed my eyes, relishing the brief contact of her warm body and the feminine smell of her
hair. “Me, too.” I never wanted to let go.
She pulled back. “Good night, Mitch.”
“Good
you been up to the past five years, Mitch?” It came out sarcastically casual because we both knew
that question was the elephant in the room.
“I’m sorry I never contacted you.”
The tone in her voice tugged at something deep inside me when she said, “I just wanted to
know you were okay.”
“I know. I—”
She interrupted me. “I mean, I would see your grandmother and ask about you. She would
always say you were fine, but I wanted to hear it from you, because I knew you didn’t share your
true feelings with her like you had with me. So, I never knew whether what she would tell me was
really the truth.”
“Listen…I’m not even going to make an excuse for not calling or writing you. I was a dumb 11-
year-old. The situation got really bad after I got home. Things with my parents were way worse
than I imagined, and I didn’t want to talk to anyone, not even you. I was ashamed of certain
things. But you need to know something.”
“What?”
“Everything you told me back then stuck with me: that it would get better, that it wasn’t my
fault. I kept replaying everything we’d talked about and reminded myself that I wasn’t alone…that
you had been through the same thing and survived. It was the only way I got through it. So, I
really need to thank you, Skylar.”
The rest of the walk home, she listened as I told her things I hadn’t ever told anyone. I
explained that shortly after I left my grandmother’s, I found out the real reason my parents were
getting divorced: my father had a secret girlfriend and had gotten her pregnant. I now had a four-
year-old half-sister whom I barely saw because my father eventually took off to live in
Pennsylvania with his new family. When I was twelve, my mother had gotten so depressed that
she had to be hospitalized, and I had to go to live with my uncle temporarily.
Over the past couple of years, things had finally gotten better. We were getting used to the new
normal with my father gone from the picture. When Mom lost her job, the shit hit the fan again,
and that’s how we ended up here. My mother and I were now back in her childhood home trying
to start over.
By the time we got to Skylar’s door, I was mentally exhausted from rehashing everything, but it
was a relief to have finally let it all out. How ironic that the only two times in my life I had really opened up to someone, it was to her. What was it about Skylar that made me want to pour my
heart out?
“Thanks for being open about everything,” she said as she stood on her front steps facing me.
“I’m sorry for freaking out and running earlier.”
I nudged her with my shoulder. “It was fun chasing you again. And thank you for listening.
You know…” I looked down at my feet and shook my head. “Never mind.”
“What?”
“This is gonna sound kind of corny, but I always knew I’d see you again, that I’d be back here
somehow and that we would still be friends.”
She smiled. “To be continued…”
I didn’t get it at first but then realized she was referencing the comic I made her when I was
eleven. I had forgotten about that. “You still have that book?”
“Of course, I do. It’s not everyday you get a starring role in a story about S&M.”
I bent my head back in laughter. “Holy shit. When I realized the meaning a few years back, I
nearly died. Clueless little kid.”
“Well, I better go inside. My mother thought I was at the mall, which closed a half hour ago.”
“Oh, yeah…you’d better,” I said, backing away. “See you around then?” I pointed across the
street. “In case you didn’t know, I’m right over there, so…”
She surprised me when she took a step forward and hugged me. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I closed my eyes, relishing the brief contact of her warm body and the feminine smell of her
hair. “Me, too.” I never wanted to let go.
She pulled back. “Good night, Mitch.”
“Good