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He approached her and took her arms. “There isn’t.”
“Then you won’t mind humoring me.”
Franky let go and walked across the room, flopping down on the bed. This was ridiculous. He hadn’t thought Ivy was the jealous type. She’d never been bothered by their friendship before.
She stared at him, clearly waiting for him to talk, so he repeated everything he’d already told her about their friendship. When he was finished, he slapped his hands on his knees and stood. “There you have it.”
“So, nothing romantic has ever happened between you?”
He tried to ignore the memory of Skylar’s soft lips moving against his.
“See, there it is again!” she exclaimed. “That look! What aren’t you saying?”
“Okay.” He turned away and stared out the window. “We kissed once.”
“I knew it!”
He spun to face her again. “It meant nothing. We were both drunk, and we completely agreed it was a mistake. There were no feelings involved.”
Ivy’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, Ivy. I’m sure.”
“Maybe there were no feelings on your part.”
“Why are you so certain about this?” His stomach was tied up in knots.
“I saw her crying the other day, and when I asked if she wanted to talk to you about whatever was bothering her, she cut me off with a very emphatic no.”
His mouth scrunched to one side. “That’s what you’re basing this on? She could’ve been upset about any number of things she wouldn’t want to tell me about.” His heart ached at the thought of her crying and the possibility he had hurt her in some way without realizing it. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
“True,” Ivy replied. “But she had a certain look in her eye, one only another woman would understand.”
“I think you’re blowing this way out of proportion.”
“Perhaps. But I have a good sense about these things. I’m rarely wrong.”
Franky shook his head. “Well this time, you are.”
“Don’t be so sure.” She grabbed her hairbrush from atop the dresser and headed into the bathroom then poked her head out to look at him. “I know how much she means to you, but I’m afraid she and I are never going to be as close as you want us to be.”
It bothered Franky that she’d said that. It was as if she’d completely written Skylar off because of her suspicions. But what if Ivy was right? He dismissed that thought immediately. Skylar didn’t feel that way about him. If anyone had feelings to deal with, it was him.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Every moment of the wedding overflowed with the love Sebastian and Genevieve had for each other. It was contagious, and Skylar couldn’t help but fix her eyes on Franky, standing across the stage from her at Sebastian’s side, and think of all the times she’d pictured a happily ever after with him.
But Franky’s eyes weren’t on her, they were on his date. And as she stood on that stage, listening to her brother vow to love Genevieve forever, she knew she couldn’t continue to envision Franky as the man she wanted to spend her life with. It wasn’t going to be easy to shake the dreams she’d had for as long as she could remember, but she could no longer cling to the hope that his feelings might one day change.
When they walked the aisle together for the recessional, Skylar’s arm linked through his, and he smiled down at her. She smiled back, but his telltale frown told her he knew she was faking it.
The reception events went by in a blur—the introductions, the meal, the toasts, the first dance. Before Skylar knew it, she was standing on the sidelines of the dance floor, watching all the couples sway together to the music, and she felt very alone. The newlyweds were lost in each other. Gus and Merritt, too, appeared to be in love, and maybe they were. Mom and Dad looked so cute with their heads leaned together as they danced. And Franky … he and Ivy were talking and laughing as they danced, and that was almost worse than seeing them show affection.
As the music faded and blended into another slow song, Merritt approached.
“Hey,” Skylar greeted her. “Are you having—”
Merritt abruptly took her arm, moving onto the dance floor, and Skylar shuffled along in her high heels, hoping she wouldn’t take a tumble.