HONOR ME

EIGHTEEN

ANDRÉ

I got out of bed around midnight to rinse my face.

Sleep had refused to come.

I had been tossing and turning ever since Skyler and I came to bed, my mind stuck on the same impossible choice.

Skyler.

Or the money.

Of course, every man wanted both.

Call it greed if you wanted, but money mattered. The world was cruel enough to make sure of that. No one wanted to struggle forever.

I ran water over my face and stared at my reflection.

For once, I had no idea what to do.

"Are you feeling better now?"

Skyler's sleepy voice made me turn.

She was sitting up slightly, rubbing her eyes.

I walked back toward her and pulled her into my arms.

Earlier, I had told her about what Rudolph said.

How he called me a disappointment.

How he made me feel like I was never enough.

But I left out the condition.

She didn't need to carry that burden.

"I'm okay, baby."

Her voice was tired as she rested against me.

"Don't overthink, okay? Everything will be alright."

I stroked her hair gently and stayed still until her breathing evened out again.

She was my wife.

But that didn't mean she had to carry all my problems.

That wasn't fair.

━━━━━━ ✧ ━━━━━━

The next morning, Skyler sat across from me with a mug of coffee between her hands.

"My mom is... very different."

She spoke quietly.

"She'd choose money every single time."

She had never talked much about Pamela before, and I found myself listening more carefully than I expected.

I had made her coffee and sat beside her, wanting to understand the woman behind the walls.

"Pamela is strategic," Skyler continued.

"She knows what rock bottom feels like, and that's why she will always choose money."

I shifted on the bar stool, watching her.

She had barely been awake for long, yet somehow she still looked beautiful.

"And your dad?"

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Benson and Pamela divorced a long time ago."

She paused.

"At first, I hated him for leaving. But now... I understand."

She took another sip.

"Pamela is insufferable sometimes. She's way too toxic for her own good."

I blinked innocently.

"Why?"

She stood and walked closer.

Then her eyes narrowed.

"Is that a hickey?"

My expression changed.

She touched her finger lightly to my jaw and laughed.

"I gave you a hickey."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

She smiled, tracing the spot before her expression softened.

Then she looked at me.

"You're beautiful, André."

My breath caught slightly.

"You're not a disappointment."

Those words meant more than she knew.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"What are you doing to me, Sky?"

My voice came out quieter than I expected.

"Never have I wanted to stay with one woman for the rest of my life."

I looked at her.

"But here I am."

Her lips curved into a teasing smile.

"André Larsen? In love?"

I held her a little tighter.

This time, I wasn't afraid of the answer.

"Believe me, Sky."

I looked into her eyes.

"It's you I want."

A pause.

"I f*****g love you."

She tore her gaze away from mine.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then she sighed.

"I think that..."

She hesitated.

"You should take your time. No rush."

Her words confused me.

"Because I also once thought..."

She swallowed.

"I was in love, but it turned out to be something completely different."

Louis.

Of course.

"f*****g Louis."

The bitterness slipped out before I could stop it.

Skyler ignored the comment.

"You're speaking out of lust."

Before I could respond, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on my lips.

Then she walked away to do the dishes.

Out of lust?

I almost laughed.

I knew lust.

I knew exactly what it felt like.

I had felt it with countless women before.

Lust was easy.

Lust was temporary.

But whatever was happening inside me wasn't that.

Lust never made me question everything I had ever wanted.

Lust never had me considering a future where money wasn't the priority.

Lust never made me feel like I was standing at the edge of losing control.

"Maybe you're right, baby."

I said it quietly before walking into my office.

**SKYLER**

André eventually got me a new phone, and it had been constantly buzzing ever since.

Mom checked on me every few minutes.

Then came the message I expected least.

She wanted to meet.

She said she missed me.

I would have gone with André, but he was stuck on a business call, so I went alone.

"So, tell me about yourself."

Mom smiled as she popped a fry into her mouth.

"How is life treating you?"

I sighed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"I guess I'm alright."

A small smile formed.

"André has been really supportive and..."

I paused.

"Loving."

I looked down.

"I'm actually okay."

Mom rested her elbow on the table and placed her head against her palm.

"How about you?"

She was quiet for a moment.

"Your dad called."

My brows lifted.

"He did?"

She nodded.

"He just wanted to check in on me."

A small laugh escaped her.

"Bottom line, I cried, and now we've agreed to meet up."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Mom and Dad meeting again?

I had no say in that.

They were adults.

"Why did you cry?"

I asked.

She looked away, almost embarrassed.

"He said something that really hurt me."

She sniffed.

"And suddenly, I regretted so many of my choices."

She reached across the table and grabbed my hand.

"I'm sorry, Skyler."

Her voice cracked.

"I'm sorry for my careless decisions."

I stayed silent.

"I put money before everything."

Her eyes filled with regret.

"And now I realize it was never enough."

"Mom, it's fine—"

"No, Sky."

She squeezed my hand.

"No brushing this off this time."

Her voice was firm.

"Forgive me."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"I forced you to marry a man you barely knew. You were probably unhappy, and through all of it..."

She swallowed.

"All I cared about was money."

I sighed and held her hand tighter.

"You're forgiven, Mom."

She looked at me.

"I understand why you did it."

I gave her a small smile.

"Rock bottom is horrible."

She nodded slowly.

"You didn't want to go back there."

Her voice softened.

"So you did what you thought you had to do."

She licked her lips and smiled.

"You have such a kind heart, Sky."

Her voice softened.

"Thank you. Really."

"It's okay, Mom."

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"But what exactly did Dad tell you?"

A small chuckle escaped her.

"He said..."

She paused, thinking about the words.

"Money is happiness. Happiness is not money."

She smiled faintly.

"Happiness is family."

I let the words settle.

Then I smiled.

Dad wasn't just my father.

He was one of the wisest people I knew.

Somehow, he always found the simplest way to explain the things everyone else complicated.

"I have a speech to give at the Penelope Event tonight."

Mom glanced at the time and sighed.

"I really have to go."

"Yeah."

I nodded.

"See you."

She stood up, grabbing her purse.

My phone vibrated inside my bag.

I pulled it out and saw André's name flashing across the screen.

"Say hello to André for me, alright?"

Mom smiled before walking away.

I watched her leave, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.