Disclaimer: I don't own The Penderwicks

Okay so this is a direct sequel to my other story "Enough" so if you haven't read that yet please do it first, or this won't make as much sense. Anyway I'm not quite sure how long this story will be compared to the first, but I know it will at least be of some length, with multiple chapters.

As was with the first story, I'm just trying to tap into Skye and Jeffrey and see where they want me to take this, so bear with me through it, but I hope to have reasonably regular updates as always. (If I just left a story unfinished it would drive me completely crazy, so no worries there. lol)

Anyway thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first story so kindly, I truly appreciate it. Now enjoy!

Chapter 1 (Skye's POV)

It wasn't Tuesday. But I guess a part of me wished it would have been.

Squinting a little harder I tried to force myself to focus on the array of tiny light bulbs above me.

Pushing the small electric joystick to the right slightly I braced myself as the man-lift moved accordingly. It wasn't like I was afraid of heights, but I still guessed this wasn't the best time to be zoning out.

After all, this wasn't just simple maintenance, this was installation for a new display room. Normally a planetarium would have just stuck with projectors, but I always thought our grid system was cooler somehow. And I guess the owner agreed with me, because each time we opened a new wing of displays he stuck with our original design.

It was like a giant HD screen I guess, but instead of the normal pixels that would have formed the images, we had super small, but very powerful LEDs mounted in a close grid in the ceiling. Each was so small that the overall detail you could get from the images was completely amazing.

I smiled to myself. I had managed to completely focus on work after all.

But almost like he was tapping into my mind from wherever he was, I heard my phone chime suddenly. I cringed a little. But taking a deep breath I stopped to think about it, maybe it wasn't him texting me at all. It could actually be my engineering assistant Charlie, asking me something about the installation. Craning my neck over the side I looked down toward him, where he was rummaging through what I guessed were components for the controls he was installing.

He looked busy, but he still could have sent the text I guess… Letting go of a sigh I just decided to reach in my pocket and see who it was from.

"Good afternoon my lady. I always knew eyes like yours belonged among the stars… With love, your White Knight"

I gripped the phone until I almost thought I heard the plastic crack. I knew Jeffrey had turned out way more sappy than I wanted to believe, but I also knew he liked doing this just to annoy me.

Or worse yet...embarrass me.

Frowning I punched in a reply. "On a man-lift. If I fall to my death, I'm blaming you."

It was no more than a few moments before my phone chimed back, so I guessed his quick wit had struck again...

"I already have fallen to mine...for you."

I gritted my teeth as if that last message had struck a blow. It was official, he made Jane sound like a documentary writer.

"Well that was horrible..." I sent back.

"Yeah, sorry I guess it was."

I grinned a little, relieved, maybe he wasn't completely beyond reform. So leaving it at that I turned back to the LEDs, and I'd actually managed to install a few more before my phone chimed again. Bracing myself I pulled it out of my pocket.

"Sorry again…"

I frowned a little, suddenly almost feeling guilty. I didn't mean it that seriously… Biting my lip I felt a few more waves of guilt wash over me. I mean he was trying to be nice right…? I frowned wider. I knew I wasn't the best at this… I mean I never sent him ridiculously cute messages…

Was I supposed to?

I swallowed hard. There just wasn't any way I could ever do that… I mean he didn't really want me to did he?

And there it was again, that feeling like I was being split in two different directions at once. Sighing I slowly forced out a reply.

"Don't worry about it… Uh I appreciate the thought anyway."

With my guilt about being a probably horrible girlfriend at least partly relieved, I turned back to the LEDs. I was more than happy to be at least a little distracted by my work. But when the next chime went off, well I figured I might just fall off this man-lift after all…

"Good. I was worried you might dump me for Charlie the switch guy. lol"

I just rolled my eyes as I tried to ignore the small grin I felt appearing on my face. Secretly I think Jeffrey knew I sorta enjoyed all this ridiculous banter, but I wasn't quite ready to admit that yet.

Not to him, or to myself.

"You do know he's like 45 right?" I shot back.

"Can't be too careful. Oh no, I think I'm the jealous type Skye!"

Before I realized it I heard myself chuckle a little as I typed out the next message.

"You're a nut that's what you are… Anyway I gotta go."

"Fine. But it's Charlie isn't it!"

I rolled my eyes again as my grin got a little bigger. "Yeah, he's probably gonna give me roses and chocolate after I finish the installation. So go away."

"I knew it…" He sent back quickly.

"Yeah whatever, I gotta go. I-" Before I could finish my sentence or hit send I stopped.

I love you…?

I knew that's what I'd meant to write. And my first impulse was to just delete that part and send the rest over. But something stopped me dead in my tracks. I frowned again. Sure I'd alluded to it plenty of times, and even mumbled in agreement when Jeffrey had told me, but I guess I never really out and out said it...

But I did didn't I…?

I felt my face heat up a little as a funny feeling spiraled through my chest. I knew I did… I swallowed hard. Really I always had… But… Letting out my breath in a slow controlled huff I tried to remind myself that Skye Penderwick wasn't a coward. Slowly I finished typing in the other words, but I hesitated over the send button.

"Yeah whatever, I gotta go. I love you." My eyes scanned over it again and again. If it was just for me I knew I would have deleted the whole thing probably. But it wasn't just for me and I couldn't… Biting down hard on my bottom lip I crammed my finger on send before I could wimp out of this.

The next minute or so seemed to crawl by so slowly that I guessed I'd have to give my boss a few dollars back for all the time I was wasting on personal stuff. Then I heard it, that chime.

I wanted to see what he said, but I also kinda didn't. That was stupid I know, so I just forced myself to look. My eyes went a little wider. It was a picture. He'd sent me a selfie of himself smiling. If it would have been that usual goofy smile then well...well I could have just laughed it off I guess.

But it wasn't like that, it was sincere… So sincere and gentle that I almost felt like my knees were going a little weak. Because I hadn't really seen him look like that before… Truthfully it made me as scared as it...as it made me suddenly happy...

And then a second chime filled the air. Sure it said what I expected...but something I couldn't really describe was leaving me...well completely surprised.

"I love you too. Blue Skies."

As always, thanks for reading and please feel free to review. More coming soon!