Dorian grinned out toward the crowd before the chorus, but his eyes landed on Liz, and I could tell this was all for her. Every single word.
I looked at her, and her eyes locked on his, pure awe covering her face as she sang the words to his song.
Mom and Dad were on the other side of Liz, and I caught Mom looking at her too. Our eyes met, and we shared a smile, a moment, no matter how small, and for whatever reason, it made me feel like we might finally be moving forward from the mess this year had been.
Dorian played a series of songs, mostly upbeat, lyrical tunes with stories behind them. Indie folk, I thought the music was called. But I loved it. It was like country, without all the twang.
Andrew kept a hold of my hand for the first few songs, then moved to have his hand around my waist.
The guitar started another melody—slower this time.
“Let’s throw it back to prom night,” Dorian said. “Grab someone special and spin them slow.” He took his mic and hopped off the stage. And he asked Liz to dance.
I covered my heart with my hand. That was so sweet.
Dad extended his hand to Mom, and smiling like she was sixteen again, Mom leaned into his arms.
“Hey, beautiful,” Andrew said in my ear, his warm breath sending tingles down my spine. “Can I have this dance?”
I turned and smiled at him. “We never got a dance at prom.”
He took my hand and lifted it to his shoulder. “Now’s my chance to do what I should have done then.”
My heart, the piece that was still broken from that night, melted back together and swelled. This was it. I didn’t know how I’d ever feel more for anyone than I felt for Andrew right then. All the things that had happened—all the heartbreak and hopelessness, it had led me to this. Not to the guy and the scholarship money, but to me finally feeling like I could be myself. Because something I was starting to realize was that I had to be whole on my own before I could wholly love someone else. Before I could wholly love Andrew.
I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and linked my hands behind his neck.
He pulled me in close, so we were hugging more than dancing, holding each other and letting our pulses match the slow strum of the guitar. If I had to imagine a perfect moment, this would be it. Every time.
“You’re the most amazing person,” Andrew said into my ear, his jaw moving against my temple. “All of this… I couldn’t imagine it happening for someone better.”
The warmth in my chest spread until it touched every part of my body. “I couldn’t imagine having anyone else here but you. I’m so sorry for how everything went wrong.”
Andrew’s shoulders raised under my arms. “It’s life, Skye. It’s messy. But I wouldn’t want to go through all of this with anyone else. You’re worth it. Every single time, you’re worth it.”
I closed my eyes and rested my temple on his shoulder. This moment. I was saving it forever.
We stayed like that, swaying slowly with my eyes closed for the rest of the song. I never wanted it to end, but if Andrew felt the same way I did about him, there would be so many more moments like that. And I couldn’t wait to experience them. Every single one.
Epilogue
Six years later
I clung to Andrew’s hand in the car, seeing my high school years flash before my eyes. McClellan High School loomed before us as he slowed the car and parked in the gravel parking lot.
“Let’s just get milkshakes?” I asked.
Andrew laughed. “You always want milkshakes.”
“Yeah, because ice cream’s better than people.”
He unclicked his seatbelt and opened his door, and I folded my arms over my chest, pretending to pout. He bent over and leaned his head in. “First, five-year reunion. Second, ice cream.”
This guy got me.
He came around to my side of the car and opened my door. As I stood, I checked him out. Looking at this guy never got old—after high school, he’d filled out more, got some harder edges to his face, but it was hot. Really hot.
“Is it petty to say I can’t wait for all my classmates to see the hottie I get to walk in with?” I asked.
Andrew’s low chuckle sounded near my ear. “Only if you say it out loud.”
I ran a zipper over my lip and threw away the key. But really, I was thinking it.
We walked into the hallways that looked the same but different. There was the same pebbled tile, the same mascot painting on the wall, the same “inspirational” quote framed at the end of the hallway.
But everything felt different.
We walked into the gym, decorated like a sad version of prom.
Were these people really the same ones who graduated by my side five years ago? And where did all these kids come from?
One tromped right in front of me, screaming, and I couldn’t help but think that my niece was a star citizen.
It wasn’t just people my age, though. Technically, all alumni were welcome. Unfortunately.
Because the mom running behind the unruly child? She hurried up to me and apologized. But then she realized who I was. And I realized who she was. But she looked different—tired.
“Skye,” she stuttered.
I turned on my brightest smile. The one I’d practiced at home for just this moment. “Andrew, can you give us a sec?”
He nodded. “I have my eyes on some punch over there.”
He strode off, leaving Shelby and me standing across from each other. Her mouth opened once, but she closed it.
“Shelby,” I said and sighed, scratching the back of my neck. I’d stayed awake, practicing this exact moment so many times, but now that it was here... “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for what happened between us back in high school. I think we both made some mistakes, and I think it’s time I told you that I forgive you for yours, and I’m sorry for mine.”
Not exactly like I had it written on the notecard in my purse, but it worked.
Shelby frowned and looked over her shoulder. “That’s nice to hear.”
But she didn’t apologize. She just continued chasing after her kid, and I went to Andrew, feeling like a six-year weight had just been lifted off my shoulders. Because something I hadn’t realized all those years ago, when I was a junior waiting for my chance to make my space in the world, was that you can make all the plans you want in life, but you can’t plan the outcome.
Real life was so much better. It brought me to college on the east coast with a full-ride scholarship. It brought me the most beautiful niece in the world and a healthy relationship with my sister and brother-in-law. It gave me my husband, who was currently walking my way holding up two chocolate chip cookies. And, most of all, it gave me myself.
Thank you for reading Loving Skye!
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Also by Kelsie Stelting
The Texas Star Series
Always Anika
Lonesome Skye: Book One
Becoming Skye: Book Two
Loving Skye: Book Three
YA Contemporary Romance Anthology
The Art of Taking Chances (free)
The Texas Sun Series
All the Things He Left Behind (free)
Unfair Catch: Savannah’s Story 1
Anything But Yes: Savannah’s Story 2
Nonfiction
Raising the West
Acknowledgments
Gratitude seems to be the new-agey fix to everything, like Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Feeling sad? Gratitude. Feeling unmotivated? Gratitude. Restless? GRATITUDE. While I haven’t jumped on the gratitude journal bandwagon, I am more than happy to write this section of my book. Because I am grateful for the things I have in my life that allow me to write stories I believe in. Loving Skye marks the third book in a series, the closing of a trilogy like I’ve never written before.
I’m not going to lie and say I did it on my own. T
here definitely has been a fair bit of divine intervention on this journey. If God hadn’t seeded the need to write so deeply in my heart—along with a healthy dose of stubbornness and grit—this book wouldn’t be here. Sometimes I needed that “sign” to keep me going, and God sent me my fair share.
My husband has been so supportive of me on this journey as a writer. He’s become a cheerleader, a therapist, a brainstorm specialist, advanced reader, and so much more than simply my life partner. We’ve both grown so much since we met in high school, and I’m grateful he is the one I get to grow with.
Many writers have to go this journey alone, and I understand how rare it is to have such an awesome group of people in your corner. From my mom who beta reads stories for me to my Grandma Stelting who shares my books with her friends, and every other family member in between (you know who you are—make me buy you ice cream sometime), I am beyond thankful for your love and support. It takes special people to support an author from concept to completion, and I’m glad I have you.
Throughout the day and every Thursday night, I get to talk with three brilliant writers who quickly became my best friends. Cindy Ray Hale, Sally Henson, and Yesenia Vargas have helped me so much with this story—from brainstorming to beta reading. In addition to creating great books of their own, they helped Skye’s story be the best that it could.
Speaking of making the story better...editing, and finding an editor, can be painful! I’m thankful for my editor, Tricia Harden, who roved this story with sharp eyes and made sure my message came across. Yesenia Vargas has worked with me for this entire series, and it’s been so fun to have our working relationship and friendship grow along with the series.
My favorite part of being an author? The readers. My readers. Every time I send out an email to my readers, I get such kind words of encouragement, support, and camaraderie. Some of my readers volunteered to read this work before publication, and I am so thankful to them for their time and honest feedback. Elisabeth, Shelia, Maria, Texas, Kathleen, Andrea, Martinique, Heather, Wanda, Pauline, Lenda, Karen, Lisa, Ari, Brenda, Sharon, Christina, Candyce, Vinessa, Anne, Jackie, Chris, Wendy, Janie, Kathy, Sandra, and Cathy - they only add to the magic of this thing called writing.
Author’s Note
You might have guessed by now, but I put a lot of myself into my characters, and Skye is no exception. I remember what it was like to be a high schooler, on the verge of adulthood, betrayed by people who I thought would be friends of life and befriended by those I thought would stay strangers. I remember feeling misunderstood, mistreated, and miserable. A lot. I know that’s not everyone’s story, but for a lot of people, high school is rough. Not everyone makes it out alive.
Out of those horrible, crushing experiences comes diamonds. That is where we learn to be empathetic toward others’ hardships, keep fighting when all hope seems lost, and understand the true meaning of “this too shall pass.” Sometimes, there are bright spots, like seeing the love of your life smile for the first time or jumping off of a haybale pyramid into a cushion of hay.
Honestly, Skye is the kind of girl I hope to be. Even in her darkest times, she found some shred of hope to cling to. Even though her situation dealt her scars she may never fully recover from, Skye eventually found it in herself to be the bigger person and move on. She had to go a long way to get there, though.
Becoming the best version of yourself isn’t a one-day test you either pass or fail; it’s a race of endurance and willpower that lasts a lifetime. Regardless of the step (or misstep) you took before, make the next step count. Make it a more positive one.
If you make enough steps, you just might find that you’ve walked your way out of a mess and into something better than you ever could have imagined.
About the Author
Kelsie Stelting grew up in the middle of nowhere (also known as western Kansas). Her rural upbringing taught her how to get her hands dirty and work hard for what she believes in. Plus, not having neighbors in a 10-mile radius as a child and traveling the world as an adult made her develop a pretty active imagination. Kelsie loves writing honest fiction that readers can vacation in, as well as traveling, volunteering, ice cream, loving on her family, and soaking up just a little too much sun wherever she can find it.
To connect with Kelsie, email her at [email protected] or visit her on social media. She loves hearing from readers!
Loving Skye: Book Three (The Texas Star Series 3) Page 15
