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Franky watched Sebastian walk over and sit down next to Skylar, who pulled a cover-up on over her suit. He hated himself for being disappointed about that.
Come on, Franky! Get it together. This is Skylar!
“Are you gonna stand in the doorway all afternoon?” Skylar asked. “Come sit by me and tell me how it feels to be a college graduate.”
Franky moved to the empty seat next to Skylar. “Only if you tell me how stoked you are to graduate high school in a few weeks.” His gaze fell to her legs for an instant before he checked to see if Sebastian had noticed.
He had, and he didn’t look pleased.
“So stoked. I’m ready for it to be over,” she said.
“No more pencils, no more books,” he replied.
Her laugh was like the loveliest melody he’d ever heard. Being up close to her, she was even more beautiful, if that was possible. It was like he was seeing her in a whole new light.
His eyes locked on her bow-shaped lips as she answered a question her brother had asked her. He must’ve been staring longer than he should, because Sebastian suddenly said, “Hey, let’s go get some food, Franky.”
The scowl Sebastian wore on his face spoke volumes.
Well, this is inconvenient.
The next three months flew by. It wasn’t exactly the carefree, fun-filled summer Franky had hoped for since Sebastian had gone straight from graduation to working for his family’s company, Schultz Chocolate, which was one of the most well-known companies in the world. Sebastian had always wanted to be part of the legacy his father, Ephraim, had built, and he had hit the ground running. Franky couldn’t begrudge him that. He was happy his best friend knew what he wanted to do with his life. If only Franky felt the same about his future.
Franky’s entire academic life had been aimed at following in his father’s footsteps—University of Michigan Law School, Dad’s alma mater, followed by a position at the firm, where he would work until he made partner. Some days, he wasn’t sure why he was doing it. Most days, his heart wasn’t in it. And he’d definitely been having doubts since graduating college.
Law school had hovered like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over Franky’s entire summer vacation, pushing into his thoughts, reminding him how many days were left until classes began, and filling him with dread. Thankfully, he’d spent plenty of time with Skylar, and somehow, being around her, so full of goodness and optimism, kept the darkness at bay.
She was so easy to talk to, and they were always laughing, which wasn’t something he’d experienced often with girls. He was the funny guy, and most of his past girlfriends quickly tired of his silly personality. But Skylar never seemed to. Joking around with her shifted easily into flirtation, but he never acted on it.
He couldn’t.
She was his best friend’s little sister. She was too young for him—not even eighteen yet. She was about to start college and have all sorts of new experiences, and he already envied every guy who would have the privilege of dating her when she got there.
Franky wasn’t very good at dating relationships. No matter how well he thought they were going, his inability to take things seriously usually sent the ladies running. It wasn’t that he couldn’t be serious or commit. He’d been in long-term relationships before. But being vulnerable with another person was scary, and when they got too close, he often masked his fear with humor, which was usually the beginning of the end.
Sebastian’s unspoken warning that first day had been crystal clear, and he was right to be protective of his sister. He knew Franky and his dating history better than anyone. And Franky was smart enough to know Skylar deserved better.
But every time she was around, he felt drawn to her, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the beautiful woman she had become or the way he felt when he was with her. Like he could truly be himself for once. It was a welcome change.
Sadly, when he left for Ann Arbor tomorrow, all of that would end, and the dark cloud would overtake the next three years of his life.
He shook that thought away and focused on the beauty beside him.
“I can’t believe you leave for law school tomorrow.” Skylar sat next to Franky on the edge of the pool, skimming her toes across the surface of the water, glowing blue from the underwater lights.
They’d had many conversations in this spot over the past few months, and Franky couldn’t help but feel sad that this would be the last one for a while.
“I know. Summer went too fast.” He could feel the heat from her arm, warming his across the inch that separated them.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for college. What if I screw it all up?” Skylar’s arm was almost touching his now.
“You? How could you possibly screw it up?” He tried not to think about how close they were.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. What if everybody hates me? People know who I am because of my family name. What if they think I’m getting special treatment? What if I get so stressed about it that I can’t study and I fail all my classes?” She paused. “What if I go on a date and the paparazzi follow us?”
Franky didn’t like that last comment. “You’ve thought about this a lot, haven’t you?”
She nodded. “I’m overthinking it, right?”