Broken Chains

#2 Wedding (Part 1)

It had been about 2 weeks since Skylar had last seen Cody, it was rather strange that he could just so easily vanish just like that. But then she took his advice to avoid living in the past which really helped as now she could live her life a little more normally. Her mother’s spirit would always remain in her heart. Though it was very hard to say goodbye to her but then she needed to move on. The person who had shot Kate was high on drugs and could only think of breaking into people’s house to rob them. The guy had a gun and immediately shot anyone he saw as a threat. The police had finally found him, and he was sentenced to life in prison.

Skylar was out with her friends again. Luckily this time they could think properly as they were not drunk. The two of them still suspected that something had happened to her and Cody, but she could only tell them that he just sent her home and that was it.

“Are you sure that nothing happened between the two of you that night?” Alexa was still not buying it and all she wanted to know was whether Skylar had at least gotten his number but then she had not which was why she had not contacted him at all.

Just then an unknown number popped up on her phone. It was a text which read, “Sorry for intruding your privacy. It’s Cody. I got your number from Jackson. Forgive me again. Meet me outside Hershey’s Chocolate World, Times Square, around 2pm today.” She was in utter shock that a guy would go to such great lengths to get her number. Though she was quite used to having guys attempting to ask her out but then this was someone that she had just met and yet he was treating her as if she was someone he had known for a long time. The chocolate shop that he told her to go to was only a short walk away from where they were. The three of them were still reading the message, when Brooke said, “Do you want us to tag along?”

“I think I am capable of handling him alone. You two can just continue going shopping without me,” Skylar said in a firm tone. Since there was still time, Skylar continued walking with Alexa and Brooke by her side. She quickly sent a message to Cody; Alright I’ll come. I’m already here anyways so you don’t have to come and pick me up. and continuing walking with her friends.

They went to Forever 21 to look for some new cute tops for Skylar. Most of the clothes there could not fit Skylar’s small body as their sizes were too big, but Alexa and Brooke managed to find some that could fit her.

***

Cody was rushing out of the mansion as he was sneaking out the place without his mother’s acknowledgement. He had to speed up so that he could get to that planned date with Skylar which she had agreed to go to. He rushed out as quietly as possible yet again he had been caught by his mother again.

“Cody, where do you think you are going?”, Zaylee started which startled him for a little bit because he had not noticed that she was right behind him.

“Nowhere mom...”, his voice trailed off. Trying to fake that he was going out to meet up with his best friend, Carson. “Just going out to meet up with Carson.”

“Don’t lie to me Cody. I know it when you are lying, especially when I know you too well that you would not sneak out with your friends like that.” Her eyes were shooting daggers at his hair that was gelled, not in a mess like when he was rushing to meet up with a friend and his clothes were the one that were straight out of the wash, as if he were going out to meet a certain someone. “Now tell me where you are going.”

He surrendered as Zaylee had already known something, “Fine! I’m going to meet up with the girl I met the other night.”

“Alright, you may go but then come back as soon as possible because we have a dinner to attend tonight.”, she sounded rather happy for some reason.

“Another meeting with your manager?”, he questioned. He knew that Zaylee had been having online meetings with a certain someone for a week now but had no idea who it was. It could be her manager or someone else, couldn’t it, he thought.

“You’ll see - well anyways go on now, you don’t want to miss that date with this mystery girl of yours. Just be back by 5pm, alright?”

On the way there, he was still rushing as he had only minutes before he was late.

Skylar waited outside Hershey’s to find that Cody was not there yet. “Are you sure that he didn’t just set you up?” Alexa asked to clarify with Skylar whether she had just been stood up.

“Dunno, maybe he’s just like other guys,” Skylar looked a little down. Daniel, her father, had informed her that tonight they had a dinner and the time she spent at Times Square was limited. I thought he was different especially since he went to such great lengths just to get my phone number which was not even from me. She thought to herself.

Just then, Cody who seemed as if he had been running, came into Hershey’s panting. “Sorry I’m late.”, he caught Skylar in his embrace just as she was about to leave the shop.

Whilst still in his embrace, she looked at him with a look that read What took you so long? but then she also felt that her heart was pounding like a drum as he caught her by surprise which would have usually caused her to faint. But this time it did not have that effect on her.

Cody released Skylar quickly, because Alexa and Brooke were teasing her, for she was as red as a tomato displaying both surprise and shock. “Alright see you later. Or is he sending you home too?”

Before she could reply, Cody was already telling them, “I can send her home. So, you two can enjoy your shopping spree.” They left still giggling over Skylar’s supposed new boyfriend who was not official yet but then they still shipped the two of them as a couple. Cody walked her to Dunkin’ Donuts. He held the door open for her before heading in with her. He went to the barista to order some drinks and asked Skylar what drink she wanted.

“Sorry again for dragging you all the way out here and being late,” he apologized again. “My mom was just being a little overprotective.”

“So, why would you suddenly want to meet up?”

“I just wanted to get to know you better. Since the other night till now, I could not stop thinking about you.”

“Oh- Really?”

“Yeah. Plus, it is not every day that my mom is in such a great mood to let me out. So how have you been since- well you know?”

“I’ve been better. I took your advice and now I don’t really feel that much of a loss anymore especially when my dad started online dating. He claimed that I needed someone as nice and loving as my mom to be that mother figure that I need. He has a date with someone he had met online tonight.”

“Wait - did you just say that you have a dinner to attend tonight?”

“Yea an uptown restaurant called-”

“La Grenouille?” He finished her sentence.

“Yea, how did you know?”

“My mom has been texting this guy that I do not know. Is your dad’s name, Daniel?”

“Yes.” Her answer was short but then it was precise enough for him to put two and two together.

“Do you think-”

“That our parents are seeing each other?”, she finished his sentence.

“The only way to find out is to see for ourselves.”

***

After a long time of chatting with one another, they left to go home to get ready, Cody dropped her home before heading home. When she got home, she quickly got ready as if she was getting ready for prom.

She wore a scarlet red dress that showed her curves, which her mother had left for her and wore soft makeup, blusher, nude eyeshadows, a little eyeliner, highlights, and lipstick. Her hair was up in a messy bun with some sparkly pins. For jewelry, she wore the necklace her mother had left her. It was not every day that she wore makeup, so her father was stunned and almost mistaken her for her mother, Kate, when he saw her walking down the stairs and claimed that she looked like a goddess.

To Daniel, his daughter always looked pretty that she actually did not need to wear any makeup. She had her mother’s bluebell eyes and reminded him so much of her. Kate may be gone but he had a surprise for Skylar that did not really turn out as a surprise anymore as she had already known something about it.

When the two of them entered the restaurant, Skylar was so mesmerized by the chandelier, that she did not see where she was going and bumped into someone. Because of how clumsy she immediately tripped and fell but before she could fall, she was caught in an embrace. A familiar voice spoke, “Well this is a surprise,” Cody said with his arm under her waist to help her up. He pulled her up into an upright position and continued, “I guess you and I are having dinner together now.”

Cody was wearing some designer clothes with a designer overcoat. He was forced to comb back his hair.

He offered to walk her to the table and Zaylee was shocked that Cody had already met his step-sister-to-be, which changed everything. Cody felt a soft spot for Skylar but if she was going to be his sister, he had to let it go and let it be her choice.

But still the choice was up to her and not his, it would be selfish to force her into a relationship when it was not her choice. So, he tried to imagine loving her.

“Care to dance?” he asked Skylar and reached out his hand for hers.

She placed her hand in his and then, as beautiful music started playing, they began dancing. It was a bittersweet moment. The realization that both of them had feelings for one another that they knew was forbidden but then they knew that they had to hide it from their parents.

“So, I see that you two have gotten to know each other already...”, Zaylee’s voice trailed off as she saw that the two of them were so close. Tyler sat quietly beside her. He had not spoken to Skylar yet as he was still shocked that the same girl, they had sent home was going to be their sister. It was too good to be true too much of a coincidence, yet it happened. “So, Skylar, your father tells me that you play the piano and love to write?”, she seemed so interested to talk to her as she could finally have a daughter, someone whom she was able to talk to about her own problems. Skylar nodded and Zaylee continued babbling off until the night ended.

But she also allowed her children to talk to her. Though Tyler did not have much to talk about, he was obviously the shy one between him and his older brother as it would take him a while to open up to new people. Though they had already met but then he and Cody knew that they had to treat her as if she were their sister.

It was rather weird for the two boys as they never had a sister before. This made them have to tone down their wild side especially when Skylar and her father were the ones moving in. Then again Skylar was not like other girls she was already used to the way guys were and could tolerate a little bit of adventure in her life.

***

While packing up to move to Cody’s mother’s place, she was helped by Cody. She also had to deal with having to help her parents to design their invitation for their wedding which was scheduled to be in about a week. Everything was kind of new to her as she had not expected to see a mansion when she got to Zaylee’s place. She knew that Cody lived rather far from town, but this was really too much for her to take in. She used to only wish to one day live in a mansion after going to Alexa’s place but then this was like living a dream come true.

When they got to the mansion, they settled their things on the ground, Cody brought Skylar to her room which was kind of conjoined to his by a door. They shared a study area. As she explored the place, she was mesmerized by just about everything; the dining area had a chandelier so big, and everything was just as she had imagined in her own mind. The kitchen was much bigger than the one in her old house and there was also an outdoor and indoor swimming pool. The interior was amazing but so was the exterior of the house. She had made it a point not to rush into her temptations, exploring the whole mansion.

Her room was as big as the master bedroom in her old place, and she now has enough space for everything. It was like living out of a fairytale that she could have a room fit for a princess. After putting her things in her new room, she toured the whole mansion all by herself. There was even an indoor basketball court that Cody and his team could practice in whenever they were in New York. She soon learnt that Cody wasn’t from her school or any schools in New York but instead he was from a school in a town called, Crystal Cove, somewhere in Houston, Texas.

Cody needed to go out to meet up with some of his teammates for lunch and asked if Skylar would like to tag along. Though at first, she refused to go but then the thought of being at home all alone made her go with him; Zaylee and Daniel had their own things to do while Tyler was also out with some friends. So, she went along with him.

Though she was quite used to being alone but then she was not used to the new place that had too much space. Upon entering the car, Cody started talking about some of his friends, Carson and Ashton. They were two of his friends who were very close to him. Carson had been friends with him since the beginning of high school.

***

When they got to the mall, all the guys were about more than a head taller than Skylar. She was small in comparison with them. They all towered over her but then she got used to it quite easily.

“Guys, this is my sister, Skylar”, Cody started to introduce Skylar to the rest of the guys, and they were all rather friendly towards her as it was rather rare to find Cody bringing any girls out with him to hang out with the guys.

Though Cody had said that they were going to have lunch only but then it turned out that he took her to the karaoke in the mall. They had fun while some of the rest who could not stick around had to go home. This left Skylar with Cody, Carson and Ashton.

Despite being short, she managed to prove to the guys that she had an amazing voice which would even make an angel jealous. Even Cody was impressed with how she had sung the songs that she had chosen. She had never been to a karaoke before, not even with Alexa and Brooke as they would always want to go to the cinema or shopping.

It was actually rather surprising that she could get along with the guys so well. Of course, they were her brother’s friends but still it was weird at how they were treating her so nicely.

“Hey Skylar. How did you find the passion in singing?”, Carson started after she finished singing Halo. Her voice was so similar to the singer that they thought that the actual singer was in the room with them.

“I don’t know. Maybe because I always enjoyed singing since I was young. My mother would always say that my voice sounded like an angel especially when I sang.”

“I think that it is a hidden talent that you don’t even know about.”

“You aren’t such a bad singer yourself.”, Skylar complimented Carson which made him blush. This made him rather cute.