Chapter 9

**Skyler Johnson**

"Okay, you skipped our spa date and then you bailed on our movie date to have a sleepover with a twelve year old and you're dogging my calls. What is going on with you and why did you break up with Tristan?" Natalie says as she walks into my room with a very displeased look on her face. I sigh and sit the colour selections I've been looking at down on my desk.

"I've been busy and Tristan and I were never going to work anyway." I tell her, hoping she'll leave it alone but I know she won't and at the moment I hate her for being a caring friend because the last thing I need is to drag my friends into this mess with Xavier.

"You've been to busy to answer my calls but you've had time to hang out with twelve year old and people involved in the mafia." And there it is, the real reason why she's here. When I saw the news this morning I know it was only a matter of time before she showed up here and it took longer than I expected. She probably had to cool down before coming here to refrain from murdering me but the look in her eyes at the moment tell me she might just do it after all.

"Nat, can we not do this?" I ask her and her face changes from mad to concerned in a matter of seconds when she hears the tone of my voice. I don't think I've ever felt so drained in my entire life. The moment my mother and Cecil heard I agreed to this they sat me down and started couching me on how to conduct myself when the men are around and to be honest it feels like I'm going to be a glorified house wife and I hate it.

"Talk to me, Sky. What's going on." She says and before I can open my mouth to lie to her she pins me down with a glare. "The truth and nothing but the truth." I look at her for a few seconds before pointing towards my balcony where we both sink down on the comfortable couches out there. She gives me another worried look but waist patiently for me to tell her what's been going on and so I do. I tell her about the graduation dinner and about Candice and how she's the only thing making all of this bearable. I tell her about who my father really is and I tell her about Xavier and his father. I tell her about the whole sham of a life I've been living and as I do I cry about it. I cry for the first time since all of this started.

"A month ago I didn't even know what I wanted to do after the summer and now I'm looking at fucken colour combinations for a house I have to remodel and make my own." I end, while reminding myself that I still have to go with Xavier to see this house he bought for this nightmare of a marriage. Three weeks into adulthood and my life has gone up in flames.

"Shit, Sky." Comes Nat's brilliant reply and I laugh at that, I laugh like I haven't laughed in a long time and then my laugher turns into tears. For a while I just cry in the arms of my best friend knowing I'm going to have to let her go now because I'll be damned if I put her life in danger.

"Thank you for coming over, Nat." I tell her and she gives me a funny look.

"You say that like it's the last time we're going to see each other. I'm not going anywhere, you need me." She says and I sigh, running my hands over my face before shaking my head.

"I can't put you in danger Nat. I'm not going to be selfish and keep you close only for you to end up getting hurt because of me." I say and she gives me a look that makes it clear that she thinks I'm stupid.

"I'm not going anywhere. You didn't have much of a choice in this and now I'm choosing to stay with you through all of this. Best friends never let each other face troubled times alone. You wouldn't leave me alone and I'm not going to leave you." She says and I pull her into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much." I mutter, knowing I'll have to do everything I possibly can do to keep her safe.

"You don't have to thank me, now let's go look at these colour combinations." She says and I let out a laugh as we walk back into my room. For the rest of the afternoon Nat grounds me and helps me come up with what I want to do with the house. By the time she leaves I realize two things, one is that I'm going to have the wedding I've always wanted and design the house I always wanted because if I'm going to be forced to live with it for the rest of my life I might as well make it beautiful and two is that I'm going to have to learn to protect myself and my friends and that's not going to happen by keeping my head down and mouth shut when the men are around.

******

"You want to do what?" Xavier asks as we walk around the garden of what is supposed to be our home when we get married.

"I didn't stutter Xavier and it wasn't a question. I'm going to learn how to shoot a gun and I'm going to self defence lessons. This is me telling you." I say as we come to a stop at the edge of the pool. He gives me a blank look, one I've learned he gives me when he doesn't like me taking charge and doing what I want to do.

"Okay, I'll set it up." He finally say and I roll my eyes.

"I don't want you to set up anything. I'll do it myself, I was just informing you." I tell him and his eyes blazes.

"You're damned if you think I'm going to allow you to go out there and do this half assed. If you don't want any of my men to train you I will do it myself." He says and walks away, leaving me staring at the water and wishing I had pushed him in when I had the chance. I know he knows how to swim but I'll have the satisfaction of having pissed him of along with the knowledge that he won't dare do anything to me. He can yell all he wants but one things he will never do is lay a finger on me.

"I don't want to spend more time with you than I have to so I'll take one of your puppets and not a man either. I want a woman to do it." I tell him as I walk back through the sliding door of the kitchen. I have to admit that I would have probably picked this house if I was given a choice and I'm glad I get to do whatever I want with it.

"Fine, but I'll sit in on every training session." He says and I glare at his back. "What do you want to do with the house? I don't want it looking girly." He says as he slides the door closed and locks it.

"I'll paint the entire thing pick and decorate the inside with different shades of purple." I tell him and he swings around giving me a blank look that I return.

"You're going to have to learn to get along with me at some point." He says and I scoff.

"Not in this lifetime. I'll take a bullet to the head first." I sneer and he smirks.

"You know, they say be careful what you wish for. It would be a shame if you ended up dead before we can even think about having kids running around here." He says and I shake my head.

"I don't even like you enough to touch you, what makes you think I'm going to have your kids? What makes you think I want to bring kids into this hell you call a life?" I ask him and he shrugs.

"I've heard I'm quite good in bed, maybe that will change your mind." He says and I give him a look of disgust.

"The only place you'll be touching me is in your dreams so you better enjoy that you asshole." I tell him, grabbing my car keys from the counter and walking out of the house. I can hear his laugh bounce of the walls as I slam the front door behind me and wonder if I'm ever going to get to the point where I don't hate the mere thought of him.
Probably not.