Sky's POV
"You need to stop running. Face it. Face me. Tell me how you feel."
With all the money he had,he could not buy her life back. She was gone. Just like that.Sky was still in awe. He could not believe that he had lost the love of his life in the blink of an eye. His mind failed to comprehend what had happened. The circumstances surrounding her death seemed mysterious. He hated not being in control. He always had the final say. He was the rule,the law. He made things happen. But he couldn't do it,now for the woman who mattered the most in his life.
The rain poured softly at the cemetery, as if it was trying to comfort him. He stood tall with his broad shoulders and dark eyes fixed on the coffin as the funeral service proceeded. He was trying so hard to hold it together. He didn't want to show any weakness. But Inside he was breaking.His body was present but his mind was elsewhere, trapped in deep grief and guilt. Trapped in disbelief. His anchor was gone .
He didn't know Jenny's mother, Rose, was coming. Her relationship with Jenny seemed distant and complicated. Rose was always absent. She even missed their engagement,their wedding, everything. Yet here she was, gracefully stepping out of a luxurious black car like a queen emerging from shadows. The pictures didnt do her any justice. She was incredibly beautiful. It was as of she wasn't Jenny's mother but rather her sister...She looked young.
Wow.....Rose was unbelievably stunning. Blonde hair, emerald eyes, and a smile that could weaken any man alive. Sky felt an electric jolt, an instant spark of attraction he didn't understand. But the guilt followed, this was his mother in law, for God's sake.As she approached gradually, the rain seemed to pave the way for her, seemingly stunned by her striking beauty.Sky's heart thumped, he could not take his eyes off her.
"Sky Kane?" Her voice was so soft, confident, like a midnight melody on a Friday night.
"Yes," he said, clearing his throat. "Mrs Grant. It's an honor to finally meet you."
"It's Miss to you", she replied as her eyes studied him with a glimmer of curiosity."I've heard a lot about you," she went on to say, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"All good things, I hope."He forced a smile, feeling like a little boy. She made him nervous.
The service proceeded, Sky's attention drifting to Rose. She moved with a quiet elegance, her every gesture seemed deliberate, intoxicating. He caught himself staring while his mind raced with thoughts he shouldn't be thinking.What was wrong with him? Jenny had been gone for days, and he was already thinking of her mother... The mother who didn't seem moved by her daughter's death. Here she was showing up on the day of the funeral only.
The pastor's voice rose, a compassionate tone that pulled the mourners into a shared grief. Sky's eyes drifted back to Rose yet again, her face was masked with sorrow, her eyes shining with a lot of unshed tears. Maybe he was wrong, she loved her daughter after all. Maybe her busy career occupied her and ended up straining her relationship with her daughter.
After the service had ended, the rain intensified, covering the cemetery with a grey mask. Sky stood frozen, his heart pounding in his chest, as Rose's gaze met his, holding a hint of... something. Something he failed to understand.
"Sky," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "May I have a word with you?".He nodded, his heart racing, as she led him to a nearby oak,away from prying ears.
"I'm glad you came," she said, her eyes searching his face. "My daughter loved you, you know."
He nodded, his throat tight. "I loved her, too. She was my everything." Rose's gaze lingered, her eyes seeing too much, too deep.
"I know you did,very much. But now she is gone" she said, her voice soft. "And I think you're running, Sky. From your grief, from your feelings... from me."He pulled back, startled. "What are you talking about? Why would i be running from you? I barely know you."
Her smile was sad. "You feel it, too. This spark. It's why you're standing here, frozen."Sky's heart skipped a beat. How did she know? How was it so easy for her to see through him in such a short time.The rain drenched them,but none of them seemed to notice. They were both filled with a blanket of confusion. They didn't understand what they were feeling.They gazed into each other's eyes .
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice sharp.
Her laughter was gentle. "Liar," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You feel it. And I do, too."As she turned to leave, Sky caught her arm, his fingers brushing against her skin electrifying her like a spark off a live wire. He was trying to convince her that she was wrong yet here he was denying the obvious.
"I don't know what's going on," he said, his voice raw. "But I think you're wrong,I loved my wife. And she loved me. You are...wrong," he stuttered. " After all you are her mother".
Rose laughed out loudly. She seemed amused by his words. His words and his actions were potraying different signals. She knew that she had him exactly where she wanted him to be.Her gaze met his, a glimmer of something. "You need to stop running. Face it. Face me. Tell me how you feel."As she pulled away, he felt the ground shift beneath his feet. She left with a lot of confusion.
He stood there, frozen, as the rain washed away the tears, the grief and above all the guilt. Was he attracted to her as she claimed or was grief confusing him?