Faded

Chapter 11

Clarie was already standing outside her house when we pulled up, noticing she was on her phone the scowl on her face was a telltale of who that could be.

"No, why would Skyler even be here at this hour?" She cocks a brow watching Asha open the car door for me. She jerks her head to the side signaling for the both of us to get inside.

"Can you just," Clarie hears Brandon's sigh, "give me a call if Skyler comes by?" he says gruffly, his hands harshly tugging at his hair. He's been calling everyone he can think of. Her workplace, her family.

"Yeah,sure." Clarie clenches her jaw ending the call. Her eyes then met my puffy red rimmed ones. Sighing, she pulls me into her arms, nodding at Asha over my shoulder. Clarie's not that much taller than me but god, did the wave of comfort I felt as she circled her arms around my made my walls crumble down.

"I have to go before Brandon starts calling. I'll call as soon as I can." Asha says, touching my head affectionately. Turning to her I thanked her for taking me here and I'll tow my car tomorrow . I know I didn't have to, but I couldn't help but ask, "Please don't tell him where I am if he asks?" Asha's eyes scream of worry but she nods and asks me to call if I need anything else.

Clarie lets me cry it out, petting my hair, wiping the tears making me blow my nose. Thats when Tony walked in and saw me, Clarie shot daggers at him, "You as much as breathe a word to Brandon, we're over, do you understand?" And all the blonde could do was nod frantically, I didn't miss the way his eyes went soft as he looked back.

"What happened?" Tony asks quietly, sitting on my other side, his hand coming up alongside Clarie's, patting gently. "What's wrong, Skyler?" He asks but the look in my eyes tells him I'm not ready to talk to him about it. He lets out a sigh. "Is there anything I can do instead?" he pouts looking at Claire.

"That fucking asshole, I'll kill him myself." Clarie says, she herself fought off tears after telling her what happened. "I can't believe they did this to you." she says in disbelief, shaking her head. "And Cassie? You think you know a person and then they pull some shit like this!" Clarie watches my already swollen eyes well up again, she mentally notes to shut up. But she couldn't believe it. She's disgusted by the people she calls her friends.

"I'll just grab us something to drink and go set up the guest room." Clarie says, shaking my head, pulling away from her. "No, I'll go, I can book a hotel-"

"You're staying." Tony and Clarie both said at the same time my heart was swelling. They were Brandon's friends before they were ever mine. So for them to have my back means so much to me, especially Tony who doesn't even have an idea of what happened. "I'll go get you guys a drink. And Skye, you stay as long as you need." Tony touches my head giving me a kind smile before heading in the kitchen.

"Clarie, I'm so sorry. I just didn't know where else to go." I dropped my gaze but she pulled my chin up shaking her head. "Stop. I'm just glad you're safe. I'd rather you be here than anywhere else." she says, worry painted on her face. I felt bad about burdening her with this mess. "Thank you." I said allowing her to pull me back in her arms. "What are you going to do now?" she murmurs as rubbing my back soothingly.

It's a simple question but it made me race around my brain for an answer.

Before leaving the house, while I was waiting for Brandon, I weighed all the options. I thought about staying because that's just how much I love him. I thought about making things work with Cassie and a baby in the picture, after all, he would still be mine, right? Nothing's changed?

No. Wrong. I was just so fucking blind before, but it is painfully clear now. Everything has changed the moment Brandon slept with Cassie. Whether he meant to or not, that doesn't change the fact that he betrayed my trust. Plus the fact that he decided to hide the truth for months and I had to hear it from her or all people. I know Brandon loves me and I know if I made him choose, he will choose me. But at what cost? Losing a potential relationship with his child.

God knows how much I love that man, even now while my heart is in pieces. But I can't just get past the fact that he slept with his ex, got her pregnant and kept it from me, was he even going to tell me. Brandon left me in the dark for months like a helpless animal up for the slaughter. Yet I still love him with every broken piece of me and I hate it. It's driving me crazy.

Once that engagement ring slipped off my finger, it became painfully clear that I am now the outsider. I know now that I have to remove myself from the picture because I no longer have a place in Brandon's life. Not when the three of them fit so perfectly in the picture as a family, A family I thought I would have with him.

"I have to leave." I said mindlessly, that ache in my chest intensifying again. "I can't stay here anymore." Clarie hears the pain in my voice. It hurts her too because this means she's losing me because of him. But she understands, or at least I hope she does. If this had happened to her, if god forbid, Tony cheated on her and knocked them up, she wouldn't have a clue how she'd handle it.

Clarie takes a deep breath holding my hand, "Okay." she nods, a broken smile stretching her lips. "Tell me what I can do to help." It would hurt to see me go but she agrees with my decision. After all, I can't heal in the same place where I got broken.