Chapter 14

"How could you? Why would you?"

Daisy paced the lounge of the Duke farm.

After Skye had revealed that she'd helped Trish convince Bo that he was the father of her baby, Daisy had fired questions at Skye while Jesse had made coffee and quietly observed the situation. Though he had kept his silence, he was just as interested in Skye's answers as Daisy was.

"You wouldn't understand" Skye answered, for what had to be the millionth time. In fact, it had become her answer to everything.

"Your right, I don't understand" Daisy snapped, frustrated. "After everything this family has done for you, there's no way I could understand why you would do something like this. And to Bo especially"

Daisy resumed pacing, determined to hit a nerve of any kind to force some emotion from Skye. How could she sit there so calm, resigned to the fact that she was guilty? Didn't she want to argue her case? Reveal her reasons for her betrayal? Daisy didn't understand her attitude, and that made her all the more angry. She stood in front of Skye and played, what she hoped would be, her trump card.

"How could you do this to Bo? He adores you. He's been so good to you. I thought you cared for him"

"I do care for him Daisy, more than you could know" came the murmured reply.

Daisy gave an unladylike snort. "Well, you've got a fine way of showing it"

"I had to do it" Skye repeated, raising her voice just slightly.

It occurred to Jesse that he'd never heard the girl raise her voice before, though the tone she'd just used was still little more than a level conversation.

"Why?" Daisy prodded.

"Because …" Skye stopped herself just in time. She could never reveal the real reason behind her actions. She looked at Jesse sitting in his easy chair, watching her with kindly eyes.

It was well known through the county that Jesse Duke was a man that would do anything for his family. Maybe he would understand why she had done what she had, but even if he didn't, she knew that he wouldn't judge her for it.

She looked at Daisy, whose folded arms and tapping foot screamed impatience. She couldn't tell them that she'd been so scared of losing Bo she'd agreed to deal with the devil herself.

She sighed. "You wouldn't understand"

A heartbeat passed, and then Daisy threw her hands up in the air and stormed out of the house.

Skye looked back at Jesse. "I'm so sorry" she whispered.

The old man nodded. "I know you are. But I also know that your running from something that's become much bigger than you. And I know that it's eating you up inside something terrible"

He waited a moment, watching as Skye hung her head and twisted her fingers.

"What we assume could be the worst thing to happen isn't always as bad as what ends up happening," he noted wisely.

The tears falling down her cheeks told him that she knew exactly what he meant.

There was a gathering at the farm that night, and no one was happy.

The farmhouse had been the gathering place of some of the greatest highlights of family ties; graduations, weddings, births, Luke's return from Vietnam, among other regular gatherings. But tonight there was an air of tension surrounding the home. Mistrust, disbelief, and confusion all grouped together in an invisible mist of human emotion. It settled right above the group of people assembled in the cosy lounge.

Jesse, Luke, Daisy, Bo, Matt and Skye, all sat in silence, each pondering what they knew and who would be the first to state the obvious. No one seemed to want to start the conversation that none in the room wanted to be part of yet someone had to say the words that would open Pandora's box.

Skye felt like an intruder in a place where she had always felt at home. She hadn't missed the look that her brother had given her when he arrived, though he had yet to say anything to her, she knew that he was utterly disappointed. Luke and Bo had arrived back from speaking with Trish, and while Luke had schooled his features to block anything from showing, Skye knew that he had to be as disappointed as her own brother was. Bo hadn't even looked at her, which in itself spoke volumes.

She wanted to flee, run as far as she could, but she knew that she needed to stay and make things right.

Despite the intense beating of her heart and the fine tremor of her hands, she got to her feet and addressed the group.

"I need to talk to Bo. Alone"

No one missed her emphasis on the alone part.

As his family watched on, Bo stood and with a heavy heart lead Skye to a room at the back of the house that served as an office as well as a spare room when needed. It was far enough away that they could speak, loudly if need be, and not be overheard.

Skye rubbed her nervous hands down her jean clad thighs, and preceded Bo into the small room.

Bo moved to the far side of the room and sat in one of the overstuffed comfy chairs. The last rays of the evening sun streamed through the bay window and caught the profile of his face. A face she had committed to memory years ago. She knew every groove caused by laughter, every freckle caused by hard work in the outdoors, knew what every trace of emotion that crossed his face meant, and could tell by just looking at his eyes what mood he was in. She knew these things better than any lover he'd had, and he'd never known. Until tonight.

Bo looked at her expectantly; waiting for her to explain away the awful wrong she had done to their friendship, to him. But she knew she couldn't explain it away, couldn't magically make it all disappear the way she knew he wanted her to. All she could do was, finally, tell him the truth. And this would mean revealing herself to him in a way that she had never done with another person. It would also be the last thing she did as his friend. She was about to deal the bond a deathblow. In her heart she grieved for what never could have been and for the loss of a friendship so dear. However, there was no going back, things had gone too far. Her cowardice had let things culminate to this, now she had to deal with it. Her one consolation was the knowledge that Trish had lost Bo as well.

"I guess you already know the story" she started, refusing to believe that Trish hadn't told him everything just to hurt him.

Bo kept his gaze on her, steely and determined. She barely recognised the warm hearted soul she knew lay beneath the cold penetrating look he gave her.

"How about you just assume I know nothing," he said "and you can tell me the whole sordid tale."

Skye nodded her head once, clasped her hands together to keep the tremble from becoming a violent shaking, and walked to the other side of the huge bay window.

"I don't know where to begin" Skye murmured almost to herself.

"Here's a clue," Bo snipped "Try the beginning"

His attitude was so cold, she knew it was less than she deserved, but it still came as a shock to see the other side of Bo.

She started to pace, hoping that the steady movement would help juggle her thoughts into a more understandable thread of reasoning.

"I really never meant for you to get hurt"

Bo looked at her in mock disbelief. "Really?"

"Ok, so you don't believe me. I can accept that"

Bo simply shook his head and went back to gazing out the window.

"I'm waiting Skye"

"I was at the party that night because Trish had demanded that I be there. She had told me that she needed my help with something. I had found out that she was pregnant before anyone else knew"

When Bo raised his eyebrows in question, she elaborated, "I saw her buying a home test kit the first week that she was here. She swore me to secrecy, and as I didn't know her that well I figured it wouldn't be something that anyone I knew would be interested in. Trouble started happening when she found out that I knew you. She told me that she was interested in you and wanted me to make an introduction. I made the mistake of telling her that I knew your type pretty well and that you probably wouldn't be interested in her"

Skye laughed without humour. "She doesn't take rejection to well"

She walked to the opposite end of the room, deciding to skip the terrible argument that she and Trish had had over the introduction conversation. Some of the things that Trish had said had haunted Skye for days afterwards. Trish had done her homework and knew when and how to strike. However, as far as Skye was concerned, Bo didn't need to know all the details.

Keeping her eyes towards the window meant having her back to Bo, and that meant she wouldn't have to see the look of loathing that would surely cross his beautiful face when she told him the rest of the story.

Bo remained silent, so Skye continued.

"Trish came to me a few days before the party, again asking me to set up an introduction with you. Again I told her that I didn't feel comfortable doing so. That's when she told me that she was in trouble. The father of her baby was in jail and her folks didn't like him. When I pointed out that she was old enough to make her own choice she told me that if her folks knew that she was pregnant by this guy they would disinherit her. As far as she was concerned, it was bad enough that they had bought a house in Hazzard and sent her to life here. Simple life just wasn't for her. But her parents money speaks louder than anything else, so Trish needed to keep them happy. As far as I was concerned this was none of my business. That's when she told me that she wanted to meet you to see if you would be willing to go along with acting as her boyfriend to appease her parents. Soon they will discover that Trish is pregnant and they are not going to be happy. She tried to get rid of the baby but she'd left it too late. I told her that you're not the kind of man that would go along with such a ploy"

Skye paused a moment to catch her breath and arrange her thoughts. She ran a trembling hand over her face.

"Trish had a bombshell that she saved for last" she continued, watching the moon rise up from the hills. "She knew something about me that I didn't think anyone else would ever learn. I still don't know how she found out, but the point was that she knew. All I had to do to keep my secret safe was ensure that no one disturbed her while she set you up. I knew that it would ruin our friendship, but I figured it was better than the alternative that she had suggested. Anything would have been better than that"

A moment passed before Bo asked, "What did Trish know that you didn't want me to know?"

Skye shook her head.

"I already know that your in love with me and have been for some time"

Skye took a deep breath at Bo's hushed words. So he knew. Well, thought he knew, she smiled.

At Skye's continued silence, Bo continued.

"Keeping a crush a secret is no reason to destroy a friendship, or put me through what I've been through these last few months"

Skye laughed out loud, finally turning to face Bo. "A crush" she smiled. "That's what you think I did this for. A love that you see as a silly schoolgirl crush? Well, your wrong Bo. I didn't do it because I happen to be in love with you. I'm not a schoolgirl, and what I feel for you is definitely not a crush. I want you with every part of my being. I know you better than anyone you have ever been with yet you barely know me!"

Frustrated, she walked past him and stood in front of the old fireplace.

"No, Bo, I didn't do this to protect my love for you. I did it because there was something I truly did not want anyone, especially you, knowing about me"

Bo frowned. He thought this had been nothing more than a crush that had blossomed into love. Sky was right, she wasn't a schoolgirl, and the more he thought about it the more he realised he didn't really know her. Once again he had jumped to a conclusion that had made him look a fool. Only this time he was a fool in Skye's eyes, and that mattered to him a lot more than falling for Trish's lines.

"Skye" he said now, with frustrated feeling. "I need to know what it was that she knew that made you so willing to sacrifice a friendship that has lasted for so many years…"

"Don't forget ruining a love that would never be anyway" she interrupted softly.

Bo frowned again. Sooner or later he and Skye would have to explore these new feelings between them. But he didn't know when and he wasn't sure that anything would indeed come of it. At least not until he knew the truth.

"What secret is worth this kind of betrayl?"