Still Sky:

STILL SKY By SKYLAR NIGHTINGALE Copyright © 2023 by Skylar Nightingale. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the author below. [email protected] All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 43 CHAPTER 44 CHAPTER 45 CHAPTER 46 CHAPTER 47 CHAPTER 48 CHAPTER 49 CHAPTER 50 CHAPTER 51 CHAPTER 52 CHAPTER 53 CHAPTER 54 CHAPTER 55 CHAPTER 56 CHAPTER 57 CHAPTER 58 CHAPTER 59 CHAPTER 60 CHAPTER 61 CHAPTER 62 CHAPTER 63 EPILOGUE Dear Reader, Books By Skylar Nightingale BOOK 2, CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 1 SKY Beep, beep, beep. My alarm blared in my ears. A moan escaped my lips as I rolled over under the soft covers. If only I had five more minutes. I pressed my fingers against the alarm clock button, silencing the reverberating noise, and sat up with a stretch. I leaned back against my headboard, resting as I took slow, deep breaths. It was Friday and my second week of teaching seventh-grade language arts at Elkcreek Middle School. My first week consisted of a student tripping down the steps and breaking a leg, a student being bullied, and a parent trying to hit on me. What a way to welcome in the first week. I bustled around tackling every incident thrown my way while remaining composed. But by the end of it, I felt depleted. So far, everything ran smoothly this week. Hopefully, I hadn't spoken too soon. Ambling to the bathroom, I looked in the mirror, and placed my hand in my big hair, beaming. I loved it. After preparing for the day, I styled my hair with a few side braids while leaving the rest of my super curly locks out to fly freely. I gave my outfit a once over. My blouse was neatly tucked into the knee-length pencil skirt, which hugged my dipped waist. I smiled with satisfaction before scurrying out the door and climbing into my car. Since I had time to spare, I headed to the little coffee shop up the street. Although I didn't always get the opportunity to come here, sometimes I craved their delicious cinnamon dolce lattes. I dashed inside. The aroma from the coffee beans wafted through the air and filled my nostrils, warming my insides. Thankfully, I beat the morning rush, which allowed me to greet the barista and rattle off my order. Waiting for the preparation of my latte, I realized it was taking longer than my previous stop-ins. I chewed my bottom lip with concern, hoping I'd make it to work on time. But as I looked at my watch, I noticed I still had time to spare. I let out a sigh of relief. Then, my phone rang. It was my mom. "Hey, Sky. On your way to work?" my mom asked. "Yes, I'm just getting a latte before I head there." "Great. Have you met any nice guys since you've been there?" That was my mom's usual topic of conversation. She was obsessed with me finding "Mr. Right," especially since I was rapidly approaching the age of twenty-five. I didn't think that would happen anytime soon. I mean sure, I had a few dates in the past, but my relationships were few and far between. In high school, there was a guy who made my pulse rise, but we were only friends. His name was Cade Haddix. Sometimes, I wondered if I'd feel that strongly again, and for a while, I doubted I ever would. Occasionally, I thought about his hazel eyes with flecks of green, tall stature, and dazzling smile. At one point, I considered him my best friend. Unfortunately, our friendship dwindled when we went to college. He went to a college in Connecticut while I stayed and attended Virginia State University. Once I graduated, I searched around for teaching jobs. After applying to several, I finally landed one in Glastonbury, Connecticut, leaving my mom and dad in our hometown. I thought it was ironic that my high school crush went to school in this state, and now, I live here. It would be funny if we ran into one another. The barista handed me the latte that I ordered while my mom continued to drone on about places to meet nice men. "I hear you mom but--" I rolled my eyes, and opened the door of the coffee shop, slamming into a tall, handsome, and creamy golden-brown skin-toned gentleman. "Whoa!" A deep tone sprang from his lips as his hand landed on my arm, causing my heart to stutter. My eyes traveled to the small wet droplets that slipped from the slurping hole of my cup and spilled onto his broad muscular chest, which flexed beneath his crisp sky-blue button-down shirt. I felt horrible about the incident. "Wow. I'm so sorry." Maybe I should dab his shirt with a napkin. But that thought quickly dissipated when he looked at me with dark brown eyes and said, "It's okay." His deep husky voice was mesmerizing, and I was swept away in a whirlwind for a moment, which was something I hadn't felt in forever. Maybe I could find someone who