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“I flew in for moral support for Gus for this party.” She looked at Sebastian. “We’ve been trying to find you, Bash.”
“We drove to every place we could think of.” Gus’s voice held the same urgency it had earlier in the night. “I’ve been calling you for hours, but it kept going straight to voicemail.”
“My phone died,” Sebastian replied.
“I saw Genevieve earlier today,” Gus told him. “She was looking at a picture of you, me, and Sky at one of the past fundraisers. The caption on the photo told our names. She knows who you really are.”
A strong feeling of guilt came over Skylar. She couldn’t imagine the shock Genevieve must’ve experienced to learn Sebastian’s real identity that way. She probably felt so hurt and betrayed. By all of them.
“You’re too late.” Sebastian’s head hung low as he took off across the parking lot in the direction of his car.
“Bash!” Gus called after him.
Adelia touched his arm. “Let him go.”
Gus’s eyes shot to Skylar’s. “What happened in there?”
Skylar filled him in on the events that had transpired, and they all watched sadly as Sebastian drove away. A few minutes of quiet hung over the group. None of them seemed to know what to do next.
The music from inside escaped when someone opened the door, drawing their attention back to the gala.
“There’s nothing more we can do now. Do you want to go inside?” Adelia asked Gus.
“We might as well. Or that dress you’re wearing will be for nothing.” Gus extended his arm to her.
“This old thing.” She grinned as she flipped her long blonde tresses over her shoulder. Adelia looked ready to walk a red carpet, and being the daughter of Hollywood’s most famous and beloved couple, she had walked a few in her life. She glanced between Skylar and Franky. “Are you two coming?”
“Not yet,” Skylar replied.
Adelia nodded and gave her a knowing wink.
Skylar lingered where she was, and Franky remained by her side. “You can go in if you want,” she told him.
He stepped close enough that she could feel the heat of him through his sleeve. “Not a chance. Are you okay?”
“I feel so awful for Bash. He really loves her, and I know he’s in a lot of pain right now. I wish I could make it better.” Tears filled her eyes, and she didn’t try to hold them back.
“Hey, come here.” Franky reached up and brushed one of her tears away then drew her into his embrace.
She wrapped her arms around his back and rested her chin on his shoulder. “I hate that he’s hurting.”
“I know.”
Skylar stood in Franky’s embrace for several long minutes. There was nowhere in the world she’d rather be than in his arms, but she wished it were under different circumstances.
He finally leaned back and looked at her, taking hold of her upper arms. “I love how much you care about people, especially your family. We’re all lucky to have you in our lives.”
A thank you was on her tongue, but his sudden tender kiss to her cheek stopped her words short. His lips were soft against her skin, and the spot where they had touched tingled as he brought her close to him again. She melted into his comforting embrace, enjoying the blissful feelings washing over her. His lips had been so close to hers. All she would’ve had to do was turn her head and see what it felt like to kiss Franky for real. But for now, this was enough.
FOUR
The sight of Skylar’s smiling face coming toward him on the sidewalk outside the law firm was like the clouds parting and giving way to the sun. After the week Franky’d had, she was exactly what he needed.
“Aren’t you a vision?” he said as she wrapped him up in a hug.
“It’s good to see you too.”
He breathed her in. It was probably weird that he knew her warm vanilla scent, but he craved the comfort it brought him.