by Keya Jay
Chapter thirty-four: Skylar Royce
Skylar was shocked that her sister Melissa had come to see her, she didn’t think by telling her that their mother was dead that it would cause her to fly down here, Melissa hasn’t seen their mother in over years so Skylar kind of figured that she had already assumed that she was dead.
Skylar followed after baby Larissa as they entered the house, the lights were still off and so it was kind of dark in the room.
“Where do you keep the switch?” Melissa asked.
“It’s on that wall behind you,” Skylar said. Melissa flicked on the lights and Skylar kind of wished she hadn’t because she knew what was about to come next.
“Sky! This kitchen is a mess, do you not wash your dishes?!” she asked shocked. Skylar hated that Melissa acted like her mother; it used to bug the hell out of her when they were kids and it bugs the hell out of her now.
“I didn’t get around to doing it yet,” Skylar said.
“Oh and what was so important that you couldn’t get it done the moment you were done using it, huh?”
“Melissa—” Skylar started but she got stopped by a quick shove to the stomach as Larissa pushed past her and ran toward the door. “Hey?!” Skylar complained as she watched the little girl reach for the door knob. “”What the hell was that for?!” she asked as she watched the girl struggle to get the door opened.
“Lorie!” her mother scalded.
“Yall weft my fwend outside!” Larissa said as she got the door to open, and she disappeared outside.
“What?!” Marissa asked confused. Skylar looked over toward the door as Larissa came back dragging a very amused Ryder. Skylar couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Lorie, get your hands off of that stranger!” her mother said appalled by her daughter’s behavior.
“He not a strwanger mommy, he my fwend,” she said defensively.
“Lorie you can’t just befriend people you meet on the streets, I taught you better than that,” her mother said as she placed her hands on her hips.
Skylar stopped laughing to cut in, “He’s not a stranger Mel; he’s a friend of mine.”
“Are you being serious?!” Melissa asked.
“Yes,” she said with something similar to a straight face. Skylar wasn’t sure if Ryder felt the same way but at least she thought they were still…friends.
“Play wit me?!” Larissa asked Ryder as she jumped up and down excitedly.
“What do you want to play with?” he asked her.
“Dolls!” she said excitedly.
“Oh…dolls,” he said not sounding excited about that at all.
“Come on,” she said as she pulled him toward the stairs.
“Who is he really, you better really know him Sky, and I’m not talking about for a day either,” Melissa said the moment the two of them disappeared up stairs.
“I do really know him, why would I lie about that? I wouldn’t let Larissa play with a stranger,” Skylar said rolling her eyes. Melissa thought she was supper immature and didn’t know how to take care of herself or a kid for that matter, but Skylar felt as though she would make a better mother than Melissa does.
“How long?” Melissa asked.
“How long what?” Skylar asked confused.
“How long have you known him?”
“Melissa?!” Skylar said unbelievably.
“What?! He’s alone with my daughter I need to know that you’re 100% sure he wouldn’t hurt her.” Skylar had to think about it for a while. Ryder is very controlling but he hasn’t been toward her in a while so she wasn’t entirely sure if that was a change or not but she would count it as such.
“I’m sure he wouldn’t hurt her,” Skylar assured.
“How long?” Melissa asked persistently.
Skylar sighed before answering, “I don’t know about…about a month and a half,” she said almost certainly.
“Alright and how did you two meet?”
“Are you serious, you have got to be kidding me?!” Skylar said as she walked into the kitchen, thinking that she’d rather do the dishes than have this conversation with her.
“Fine, I trust you but if she comes down with one scratch—”
“What do you think he is some kind of serial killer?” Skylar asked disbelievingly.
“Hey don’t say it like it’s not possible, I heard about the kidnapping and killings,” she said. Skylar decided to say nothing seeing as though she had blamed Ryder for doing exactly that not too long ago.
“Can we just let this go?” Skylar asked hopefully.
“For now,” Melissa agreed—sort of.
“Thank you,” Skylar said gratefully.
“Let’s talk about mom’s funeral instead,” Melissa suggested.
“Mom’s funeral?” Skylar asked confused.
“Yes, we are having one aren’t we?” Melissa asked.
“Uh, no,” Skylar said as she turned to face her sister.
“And why the hell not?” she asked. Skylar rolled her eyes; she didn’t really expect her to know any of this about their mother so she decided not to cast too much blame.
“Three reasons,” Skylar said showing her sister three fingers as she named the reasons on each one. “One being there isn’t enough of mom left to have her cremated like she wanted, two being mom hates funerals she only knows few people and would hate to see them standing around while they lower her into the dirt, and three being she wants to be buried in the backyard next to dad.”
“So if we’re not having a funeral then why the hell am I here?” her sister asked.
“Honey I didn’t invite you, I wasn’t the one to call and tell you that we were having a funeral in the first place so I don’t know,” Skylar answered as she went back to cleaning the dishes.
“Why I can’t take Larissa back home,” she said.
“And why the hell not?” Skylar asked.
“Because her father’s there,” Melissa asked as if that was answer enough.
“Ok and?” Skylar asked confused.
“I don’t want him to see her.”
“That’s his daughter too Mel you can’t keep her away from him and him away from her that’s not fair to neither one of them,” Skylar said for the first time in her life sounding like the mother in their fucked up relationship.
“I’m not taking her home to see him,” she said as if her mind was all made up.
“So where the hell are you taking her?” Skylar asked somehow already knowing what her answer would be.
“I was hoping she’d stay here with you,” her sister said with a hopeful look in her eye.
“Hell no yall aren’t staying here!”
“No, not me just her, please Sky?!” her sister pleaded. Aw Damn, was all Skylar could think.
“Mel?” Skylar asked, “You’re not coming back for her are you?” she asked. This was the third time Melissa tried to push Larissa onto her, the first time it was because Mel was working two jobs and didn’t want Larissa home alone, it took her almost a full year just to come and get her daughter back, then the second time she had “accidentally” left her here.
Melissa began to tear up before she said, “I don’t think I can take care of her anymore?” she said shaking her head.
“Mel it’s only been 3 years,” Skylar said confused.
“I know but…I just can’t,” she said through her tears.
“Why the hell would you have her then?!” Skylar whisper hollered so the baby wouldn’t accidentally hear.
“I thought I could but…” she stopped as she began to cry more.
“Why can’t the dad take care of her?” Skylar asked as she tried to maintain control over her voice—and hands.
“He-he left a long time ago, he never wanted to be a part of her life,” she admitted.
“So you lied to me and made me think that he had been there the whole time when he hasn’t?!” she whisper yelled.
“No, it’s not like that I just didn’t wa
nt you to think that I wasn’t capable—”
“YOU’RE NOT CAPABLE GOT DAMN IT! IF YOU WERE CAPABLE YOU WOULDN’T BE ABANDONING HER RIGHT NOW!” Skylar yelled.
“Why the hell are you yelling and what is going on?” Ryder whispered as he mounted the steps and entered the kitchen. Skylar just shook her head. There was no way in hell she’d be able to take care of a kid, she had too much shit going on to add that to the mix.
“Please,” her sister pleaded as she tried to wipe her tears. Skylar just continued to shake her head. “Please Sky I need you to do this for me, please, please, please, I’ll do anything,” she pleaded.
“You’ll do anything,” Skylar questioned. “How about you be a fuckin mother and take care of the damn kid. You decided to have her now it’s your responsibility to take care of her,” Skylar suggested.
“I can’t Sky, please help me please.”
“What the hell do I look like taking in your kid when I have a whole lot of issues of my own!” she whisper yelled as she ran her fingers through her hair. “I can’t possibly,” she said shaking her head. “I’d be no fuckin better than you,” she admitted. “And she deserves better than that—than this,” she said gesturing toward her sister.
“What the hell is going on?” Ryder asked again, not liking that the sisters had been ignoring him.
“Nothing!” Skylar said to him.
“Nothing?” he questioned, “this sure as hell doesn’t look like nothing,” he growled.
“Nothing, as in its none of your concern,” she said as she pushed past him and her sister. “If you want to leave her then fine leave now, but don’t come back asking for her, I’d rather put her in the system than to give her back to you,” Skylar said as she went toward her stairs.
“Bēlua!” Ryder called after her. Skylar stopped, not because he called her but because she hadn’t heard that name in so long and she didn’t want to hear it anymore.
“Don’t call me that,” she said before mounting the rest of the stairs. Skylar entered her room and could see Larissa playing on her floor with the dolls she kept in a chess for Larissa when she visited.
“Hi Auntie Shky!” she said excitedly. “Are you coming to play wif us?” she asked as she sat combing one of the Barbie’s hair.
“I came to ask you a question,” Skylar said as she joined her on the floor. Larissa looked up at her and awaited her question.
“How would you feel about staying here with me?”
“Weally?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes, really,” Skylar said as she tried not to cry in front of her.
“I would luv to,” Larissa said as she through her arms around Skylar’s neck and hugged her tight.
“Good,” Skylar said as she hugged the girl back. “Do you promise to do everything that I say?” she asked as Larissa untangled herself from her.
“Pwinky pomise,” the little girl said as she held up her chubby little pinky.
“Pinky promise,” Skylar said as she hooked her finger in Larissa’s.
“Wyder!” The girl called when she saw him in the door way of Skylar’s room. The little girl got up and ran to Ryder. Ryder lifted her up in his arms and peered down into her little chubby face.
“What is it kiddo?” he asked.
“I get to stay here wif auntie Shky!” she said excitedly. Skylar looked at her over her shoulder as she hugged Ryder out of excitement. Ryder looked down at Skylar but she refused to meet his eye.
“Oh really?” he asked as he turned his attention back to Larissa.
“Yup,” she said as she clapped her hands in his face.
“Well, maybe she’ll late me come by sometime and play with you,” he said as he looked back over in Skylar’s direction as she got to her feet.
“Yay!” Larissa said as she bounced happily.
“Maybe,” Skylar said as she took Larissa from his arms, “but you have to clean up your toy’s first and then I’mma show you to your room ok?” she asked the girl as she sat her down on her feet.
“Ok,” Larissa said no longer sounding all happy.
“Ok,” Skylar said more to herself as she walked out of the room and back down the kitchen. She went into the fridge and put milk in a cup for Larissa. Knowing her sister Melissa probably didn’t have bottles for the baby so she was probably used to drinking out of cups. “Shit,” Skylar mumbled as she slapped her palm against the granite counter. The baby probably wasn’t potty trained so she was going to need diapers and a potty to get her started on. “Shit,” Skylar said again as she ran her hands through her hair. This was too got damn much; she did not need kids to take care of right now.
“Hey,” Ryder said as he spotted her in the kitchen. Skylar didn’t bother moving to even indicate that she had heard him, she kept her head down. Ryder walked over toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you ok?” he asked. Skylar didn’t want to sniffle and have him realize she was crying, but her snot was really running and she had to do something to get it back up there.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said without lifting her head.
“Well Larissa is wondering about her bath, so…” he said leaving the sentence at that. Skylar got even angrier as she realized that she doesn’t even have clothes for her. “Shit,” she mumbled for the third time as she lifted her head to the ceiling as if to ask God why? Before she lowered it back to the counter.
“Hey I can help if you—”
“No I’m fine you don’t have to do anything,” she assured as she picked up the glass of milk and went toward the stairs to deliver it to Larissa. Ryder followed behind her as she entered her—clean of all toys—room. “Alright you ready to see your new room?” Skylar asked as she cleared her face of all evidence of tears and put on a smile for the baby girl.
“Yup,” Larissa said as she followed Skylar out of her room and into the next. The rooms weren’t really created for kids so all she had to offer was plain colored walls, a normal full sized bed, a dresser and closet—not yet filled with any clothes—and a connected bathroom with the next room which was too damn expensive for kids.
“This is your room,” Skylar said. “When I get the time, if I get the time,” she mumbled, “we’ll try to decorate it for you ok?” she asked as she watched Larissa roam around the spacious—mostly empty—room.
“Ok,” she responded absentmindedly. “Could you wead me a storwy?” she asked as she hopped onto the bed.
“Uh,” Skylar said not sure if she even had any books here.
“Your auntie is tired; would you like me to tell you one instead?” Ryder asked as he rested his hands on her shoulders as if that was supposed to calm her.
“I don’t think I have any stories here,” she said as she looked at him over her shoulder.
“I don’t need a book to tell a story,” he said as he moved around her and toward Larissa who was getting comfortable in her new bed.
“Yay!” she said clapping her hands as Ryder got closer and sat at the edge of her bed.
“I’m going to tell you this story but I want to warn you there are no princesses in it ok?”
“Ok mommy say’s that pwincesses are stupid anyways,” she says causing Ryder to laugh.
“Princesses are not stupid they’re just…desperate,” he said as he smiled down at her. “But whoever the princess of my story is going to be won’t be stupid or depress it I promise,” he added.
“Pwinky pomise,” she said as she held out her pinky.
“Pinky promise,” Ryder said as he wrapped his pinky around her’s. “Ok now this story is about a Prince named Robby but that wasn’t a nick name it was his real name. He didn’t ride horses like most Princes did he rode a motor cycle because he was cool,” he said causing Skyla to smile from her spot in the background. Skylar listened to Ryder tell his story about the two Princes Robby and Robert until she was certain that he wasn’t about to start talking about killing things or anything else that might give Larissa nightmares. She left
the door frame of the room and let the door shut quietly behind her. She was not looking forward to having to take care of Larissa but she was going to make the best out of this situation but first if she was serious about doing this she needed some kind of release, so she snuck out of the house to find some. She knew she’d be able to do this less and less now that Larissa was going to be staying with her but she was willing to get what she could when she could get it. Hopefully it would be enough.
As Skylar was walking she could see Brooke and her friend Casper trying to get into the back door of some building Skylar could have sworn she had seen before but she was quickly loosing focus as her mind kept wondering to getting its release. Skylar didn’t want Brooke or Casper to see her so she quickly moved in the other direction.
