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Eyes filled with uncertainty and confusion met his.
He glanced down at the floor then back at her. His pulse still raced, his breaths were coming hard, but feelings of guilt and dread came over him as he realized what a huge mistake he’d just made.
“I’m so sorry, Sky. I never should’ve done that.”
“Oh.” She stared down at her feet, her lips swollen from their kisses, her breath still as ragged as his.
What was going through her mind? Was she disappointed? Because he hadn’t been alone in this. She’d been right there with him, not pushing him away, kissing him as feverishly as he’d kissed her.
“Why did you do it then?” Skylar broke the heavy silence.
“Can we blame it on the wine?” he replied nervously.
She shook her head sadly.
“Look, I realize what a gigantic error in judgment I just made. I was getting tired of Luca’s paws all over you and that stupid flirty grin when he talks to you.”
The corner of Skylar’s mouth turned up. “You were jealous.”
He paused. “Yes.” He was. There was no use in denying it. But he needed to explain. “Only because I felt like I was your date for the weekend, and he kept showing up everywhere.”
“He works here. Of course, he was going to be around. And you never said you wanted to be my date.”
“Well, isn’t it sort of understood that the best friend is your date when you don’t have one?”
Her face screwed up in confusion. “What exactly are you trying to say, Franky?”
He let go of her arms and ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know, really.” He was confused too and didn’t understand why he had kissed her the way he had. It wasn’t the way he wished he’d kissed her, the way he’d often thought about kissing her.
They stood in awkward silence, and he hated that he’d caused it. Things had never been anything but comfortable between them before. And this was one of the reasons he never should’ve gone there.
He took hold of her upper arms and looked her in the eye. “Please tell me I haven’t messed up our friendship, because you are the most important person in my life, and I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t lose me,” she said quietly.
He let go of her and shook his head, disappointed in himself. “Honestly, I had too much to drink tonight, and I’m so sorry for crossing the line with you.” He hadn’t had that much to drink, really. Not enough to alter his decision-making. But it felt like a safe excuse to explain away what had no clear explanation.
“I had too much to drink too,” Skylar mumbled.
He was disappointed to hear her say that. He’d wondered if maybe she felt something more for him based on the way she kissed him back, but obviously, he’d been wrong.
“I promise I won’t let it happen again.”
Skylar was quiet, and he watched her as he awaited a reply. Her eyes traveled around the room, avoiding his, and he wished she’d say something.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“It just took me by surprise.”
“I know this came out of nowhere. I think I was being territorial.”
She gave him another bewildered look.
“I love our friendship, Skylar.”
“So do I.”
“I guess I don’t like the idea that you dating someone might change it.”