Losing Her Wings

Chapter 30

Devin wished him well before excusing himself and leaving to go to his next class. He left them to contemplate what they were going to do now that their case was a dud and they faced nothing but vacation days and time of leisure. He got two steps when he saw Skylar making her way towards him with a spring in her step and a smile. He couldn’t help but catch her arm and lead her across to Angelo and Jacob, on Pepper’s previous request, insisting he had someone she just had to meet. She kept quiet and went along with him, smiling to herself and giggling when he introduced her. “This is Skylar. Lar, these two are Angelo and Jacob. I work with them at the law firm. Angelo’s just decided to move here.” Devin explained, unaware of her lie to Paige at the party, making her let out a sigh of relief that he didn’t know and start talking as if she already knew his boss. She had only done it to provoke Paige and out of anger at her, if anyone had ever pointed it out to her or Angelo, she would have been so mortified that she would have to run off and pretend it had never happened. There was no question of admitting to what she’d done and there was no way she could allow it to happen around Ryan because he would just take exception to the lie and think she really had loved him.

“That’s nice. It’s all new to me too but it seems a lovely place to live. I hope you enjoy the change.” Skylar smiled up at the two new people she met, shaking hands with them as they offered them, glad to be able to scratch another two names off her list, even though Jacob wasn’t technically on her list. She felt something when she shook his hand, she felt a little shock with a flash image that was so sudden and so surprising that she barely realised it had happened until she found herself knowing knowledge that she couldn’t possibly know without being told. She saw a proposal and Jacob packing his bags, leaving behind Sasha who was in tears. She couldn’t possibly let it happen, tuning back into the conversation just as she heard Angelo saying that he would take every opportunity he could get, before asking her what she was getting up to. “Then I’m sure you will enjoy yourself. I’m keeping things nice and quiet for a while until I’m settled in and then I think my plans are pretty simple…find my place in the world and work on fitting in.” Thinking to herself, she tried to figure out a way of fixing the problem she had just witnessed, the event she somehow knew would happen later that night. Angelo teased her then, guessing that she had no room for romance in that plan and she couldn’t help but agree. “No, I’m not interested in romances just now either. I wouldn’t object really but I have some big things to take care of first and I doubt I’ll be in the mood for love afterwards.”

“Then I hope whatever it is, is over soon so you’ve got plenty of time to get over it and move on. There’s nothing more thrilling than falling in love.” Angelo hoped she wouldn’t refuse romance either but when Jacob claimed that there was nothing better than love, he had to disapprove of the romanticism that filled his every pore. He had an idea of what he was up to, spouting love songs and keeping a delirious happiness all day long but he wasn’t going to completely ruin his ideals.

“You’re just a big romantic, you are. What about knowing yourself before you can know another?” He tormented him but while Devin was asking him not to dampen his spirits when he had every right to be happy that the case was done and he could go home and be with Sasha, earlier than expected, Skylar stepped forward and did her job. She used the same whispering method she had used with Paige and Danny and assured him that he could only ask Sasha to marry him if he was completely honest with her about his intentions. What she had witnessed, was an argument about how he would be working a whole lot more if he got the promotion but she convinced him to talk about the promotion and what it would mean for them first. If he didn’t, he risked losing Sasha altogether and they both knew he couldn’t afford that.

It was only a few minutes later when Angelo dragged Jacob off, not noticing the nod he gave to Skylar that assured her he would do as she asked. She made her move then, to leave and go for lunch but after just two paces, Devin ran after her and asked her cheekily where she was going, intrigued by her only to see that she suddenly stopped and lost her smile at his question. She looked guilty and so very much unhappy compared to her broad smile a moment ago, and he couldn’t quite tell what was wrong with her. He would have asked if he had any belief that she would tell the truth and when he thought of his meeting with Ryan the night before, he sighed and took a step forward before asking her where she was going, with a more serious tone in his voice.