by Jess Bryant
“Sky.” He stepped towards her again and shook his head, “Let’s not do this now. It’s not really the time or the place.”
She swallowed the words and nodded, “You’re right.”
“I know you wanted to talk. I want to talk too. But let’s get through dinner first.”
“You’re right.” She mumbled again, “I’m sorry. I just… I’m still a little out of sorts I think. I feel… off and I need to set things straight.”
Trey looped his arm around her shoulders in a friendly gesture, “It’s okay. We’ll sort it all out later. Right now, let’s go inside and enjoy some good food and some good company.”
“Thank you.”
He led her towards the house, “Don’t mention it.”
Skylar followed him up the stairs and into the house. Her father was waiting on her so Trey released her and she was immediately wrapped in another warm hug. Her mother came out of the kitchen a few moments later to greet her as well. Eventually Owen came trotting down the stairs, freshly showered, and wrapped her in a bear hug, swinging her around the room before dragging her to sit beside him at the table so they could catch up.
It was only in the middle of dinner that she put together what Trey had said. He knew. He knew about Colt. He knew at least enough to know that there was something going on between them. But he hadn’t said he knew from the way she looked at Colt. He’d said he should have known based on the way they looked at each other.
She had to fight a smile at the thought that somebody other than her had seen it. She knew she hadn’t dreamed it. Colt wanted her just as badly as she wanted him.
Better than that realization though was that Trey had been the one to tell her. He knew what was happening between them. He knew what was coming. And he hadn’t seemed mad, he hadn’t seemed angry, he’d seemed fine with it. Because he didn’t love her either and that took a huge weight off of her shoulders and allowed her to smile when she thought about moving on with her life.
Chapter Seven
“You just broke my heart and you’re grinning like an idiot. What’s on your phone?”
Skylar forced her gaze up from the small device that kept pinging with messages, not bothering to hide the grin that wouldn’t stop as she resettled herself on the couch after her quick trip to the bathroom, “What?”
“We’re kind of in the middle of a breakup. Could you please pay attention?” Trey grinned right back at her and she laughed.
“Oh, I heard you and I did not break your heart. You broke up with me!”
Trey chuckled and kicked his feet up on his coffee table, “Preemptive strike.”
“Mmhmm.”
“Were you or were you not preparing to let me down easy?” Trey raised a dark slash of eyebrows and then smirked when she winced, “Yeah, my point exactly. We can call it a mutual decision to part romantically but remain friends if it makes you feel better.”
She laughed, “I don’t care either way but saying it was mutual works better for you. No reason for my brother to start swinging if you didn’t break my heart.”
“Your heart was never anywhere near me, princess.”
That awful nickname he knew she hated sobered her good mood and Skylar put the phone down. So far, this breakup had been nothing but amicable. They’d made it through dinner without anyone becoming any wiser about their impending implosion.
Her father had proudly boasted about Trey’s fishing prowess. Her mother had kissed his cheeks and invited him back to dinner. Owen had glanced between them a few times as though he sensed something was going on but he’d kept his mouth shut and hadn’t said a word before ducking out for the night.
After leaving her parents’ house, she’d followed Trey home so they could talk. He’d cut her off at the pass and done the unthinkable, ending their relationship before she could utter a single word. They’d talked and agreed that neither of them had truly thought it was going anywhere, that they were better friends than lovers and that it was long past overdue.
It had been bittersweet but friendly because that’s what they were. Friends. And they both wanted to stay that way. He’d poured her a glass of wine, retrieved himself a beer from his fridge, and they’d been talking easily ever since. It might actually go down as the best breakup ever.
Without the tension of their doomed relationship hanging over them, they could laugh and really talk. Skylar didn’t feel the need to shut him out or keep him at arm’s length. And as it turned out, Trey was really easy to talk to when she wasn’t hiding the fact that she was in love with another man from him.
If she’d known it was going to go this well, she would have broken up with him a long time ago.
“I really am sorry I didn’t say something sooner.”
“Nah,” Trey took a long swing of his beer and shrugged, “Don’t be sorry. I get it. I’m gone half a month at a time for work, sometimes more. It makes it hard to keep anything steady going.”
It did. He was right about that. She knew that a lot of the guys that worked the oil rigs enjoyed that aspect of their job. They were constantly moving from area to area and changing girls as easily as zip codes. But the good guys, guys like Trey that wanted something solid and real, found it difficult to pin down a girl willing to be alone for long periods of time.
It was a hard life. It was hard to keep a relationship afloat that way. But that wasn’t the real problem between her and Trey and they both knew it. She’d liked that he was gone for weeks at a time. It made it easier to keep him at arm’s length. But she didn’t think he needed to know that, not now, or ever.
“It is.” She agreed instead and watched him scrub a hand over his handsome face.
“Even when I was in town, we had to feel our way back out every time. Try to realign our lives for each other so there was space. We never really fit. There wasn’t a good time to get into it or I probably would have said something sooner too.”
“Still, I should have ended things the moment I knew my heart was somewhere else.”
Trey raised a skeptical eyebrow, “You mean the moment you knew your heart was with someone else?”
So far, neither of them had acknowledged the elephant in the room, at least not by name. Trey wasn’t an idiot. He knew exactly what she meant. Even still, Skylar felt the blush color her cheeks and hid behind her glass of wine, staring at the floor instead of meeting his dark gaze.
“Yeah.”
“Since we’re still friends and all… when did you figure that out?”
“Not nearly as long ago as you probably think.”
“You didn’t know from the start then?”
She jerked her gaze back up to his when she heard something that sounded like hurt in his voice, “No. Not even close. I mean… I knew I had feelings for him but I thought it was just friendship, maybe a little bit of a crush.”
Trey nodded, as if he understood, and maybe he did. He’d told her earlier that another woman had caught his eye in recent weeks as well. That he’d known it never would have happened if he was really invested in their relationship. Both of them had been interested in other people but they’d remained quiet about their true feelings because they were afraid of hurting one another, because they were friends.
It was ironic really. The man that she’d been in a relationship with, the one she should have been feeling all of these intense things for, was the one that she knew was nothing but a friend. Yet the man she wanted more than anything, couldn’t get off her mind and had admitted, at least to herself, that she was in love with, was the one that swore they were nothing but friends. Of course she’d been confused about what to do.
“It’s not a crush though, is it?” Trey smirked and she realized her eyes had drifted back to her phone, “I mean, I’d hate to think I got passed over for a crush.”
She smiled, “No, it’s not a crush.”
“I know.” He smiled back softly, “I knew it the day he showed up in the woods when we were camping.”
Her bre
ath caught at that admission. She knew exactly what day he was talking about. He’d only convinced her to go camping with him once and it had been a disaster. She’d hated every second of it. She might have grown up in a tiny, backwoods town but she was not a country girl, not by a longshot. Her idea of outdoor fun was sitting by the pool with a fruity drink and a good book. Being out in nature where there was dirt and bugs was for… well… people that weren’t her.
It was one of the many reasons her relationship with Trey was doomed from the start. He loved nature in all its wild glory. He fished and hunted, both things that made her pity the poor little creatures. He liked camping and not in the five star lodge sort of way she did. They were complete opposites when it came to their views on the great outdoors, mainly that he thought they were in fact great and she did not.
She’d been miserable the entire time she’d spent camping with him at the falls but that wasn’t why the memory made her throat tighten. It was because the day he was talking about was the day Jemma had come home to Old Settlers. It was the day that had changed all of their lives, they just hadn’t known it yet.
“What? How? I mean… really?”
He snorted when she stammered, “Yeah, it was kind of obvious, Sky.”
“It was?”
She blinked, confused about what it was he’d seen that day. She’d always been very careful about her interactions with Colt when Trey was around. In fact, she never really let them near each other if she could help it. She’d kept them cornered off in their own private sections of her life as best she could but she hadn’t been able to keep them apart that day because Colt had come stampeding into their camp with the express purpose of interrupting her private time with Trey.
“The whole time we were out there you’d looked at me like you were a prisoner and I was torturing you for fun or something. Then he showed up, walked into camp like he had every right to be there and you should have seen your face.” Trey scoffed, “You lit up like he was there to rescue you on a damn white horse or something.”
Skylar studied her wine glass again and tried to remember exactly what she had said and done when Colt came storming into their camp that day but she came up empty. All she really remembered was seeing him and then her heart had started to race like it always did at the sight of him and everything else had blurred. He’d told her why he was there, that Jemma was back in town and needed her help, and she’d gone with him, no questions asked.
Looking back, she thought there was probably a very good possibility that she hadn’t been able to hide her body’s response to Colt that day. She’d been in shock. She’d been surprised when he showed up and then he’d told her about Jemma coming home because she was running from her abusive ex and Skylar had almost lost it. Between the rush of shock and concern, she hadn’t given a single thought to the way she’d reacted to Colt.
Clearly, whatever had happened, it had stuck with Trey. That had been over two months ago. And he hadn’t said anything until she made it clear she was going to end their relationship tonight. She wondered why that was. Had he simply not cared enough to fight about it or had he known they were over already but hadn’t wanted to admit it?
He’d told her earlier, amid their breakup, that he didn’t want to lose her friendship but it was more than that. He’d been worried about losing Owen too. And as strange as it was to her, he’d even been concerned her parents wouldn’t accept him around any longer. She’d known that the one thing Trey had in common with Colt was familial issues but she hadn’t realized how much he really did rely on her family until that moment.
He was one of them. Maybe she’d never look at him like a brother. He’d never see her as a sister. But the easy comradery and friendship they’d enjoyed even in the last hour proved that he wasn’t going anywhere.
“In my defense, I probably would have looked at Michael Meyers like he was a savior if he’d showed up in the woods that day.” She teased.
Trey chuckled, “Yeah, I can’t visualize you leaping into Michael Meyers’ arms.”
“I didn’t leap into his arms.”
“Maybe not, but you wanted to.”
Skylar took a long swallow of her wine, finishing off the glass, and hoping she could blame the flush in her cheeks on the alcohol. Because he was right and they both knew it. She hadn’t thrown herself at Colt that day, not physically, but if she hadn’t been with Trey, if she’d thought, for even a second, that Colt would catch her, she would have.
But he wouldn’t have caught her. And she still wasn’t sure he would. Which dimmed her good mood.
He wanted her. She was sure of that now. But he’d still pushed her away yesterday when she went to the shop. He’d been just as mean and rude as he’d ever been. Only this time, he’d apologized. It was a giant risk, pressing him on the issue of them when he swore there was nothing between them, but she couldn’t keep playing this game. If it meant losing him as a friend, then so be it, but she had to know for sure she couldn’t have more with him or it would haunt her forever.
“Looks like I’m all out and need a refill.” She pushed off the couch, “You want another beer?”
Trey raised an eyebrow at her abrupt change of discussion, “No, I’m good.”
“Just me then.”
“You sure you want another?” He held out an arm as she tried to walk past him, “You have to drive home.”
Skylar rolled her eyes, “Don’t act like this is about me driving. Two glasses of wine aren’t going to make a difference in the three miles to my house.”
“Fine. You got me. I’m your friend, I’m allowed to worry about your heart, Skylar.”
“Haven’t you heard? Red wine is good for your heart.”
“One glass. Not two.” He frowned as she went around him.
Since it was his wine and he seemed to have a real problem with her having more of it, she bypassed the bottle and put her glass in the sink. He didn’t even drink wine. He kept the bottle on hand for her because it was her drink of choice. The reminder that he was so thoughtful kept her from telling him it was none of his business what she drank or how much.
“Trey, my heart is fine.” She moved back to the couch and met his concerned expression, “I get why you’re worried. You spent the day with my father and my brother. You listened to my mom berate me at dinner about being sick. But what you’re forgetting is just how overprotective they are of me.”
“Skylar.” He used the same calm tone she’d used, “Your family worries about you. That’s a gift, not a burden. They care and they want to make sure you’re healthy. So do I.”
She sighed, “I’m perfectly healthy.”
“Sky…”
“Fine. I’m not perfect but I’m damn close don’t you think?” She grinned when he snorted, “My heart is fine. Promise.”
“Would you tell me if it wasn’t?”
“Not a chance in hell.”
Trey snorted, “Well, at least you’re honest.”
“You’d run straight to Owen and he’d tell Mom and Dad and then I’d never have a minute alone again.” She smiled, “Sorry.”
He took a sip of his beer and tilted his head, “Would you tell him?”
She sighed, “Trey…”
“No, I’m serious. Would you tell him if you were sick? If you were in trouble? Is he who you’d call? The one you’d want with you?”
“I…”
Skylar trailed off. She’d started to tell Trey the same thing she had earlier. She liked to be alone when she was sick. She hated having the people she cared about hovering over her. She hated making them worry. But then she remembered how it had felt to have Colt take care of her the other night.
She loved knowing that he would storm into her apartment to find her. She’d loved curling up in his arms, even if she’d been too sick to truly appreciate it at the time. She loved that he’d been there for her even though it had made him uncomfortable enough he’d felt the need to push her away the next day.
&nbs
p; She just… loved him. Difficult, pain in the ass that he might be. She loved him.
“I think so.” She bit her lip when Trey’s eyes widened, “Yeah, he’s who I’d want with me if I were sick.”
He nodded again, “Good. That’s good. I’m glad there’s somebody you’d call even if it isn’t me.”
“But I’m not sick.” She cleared her throat, “My heart is fine.”
Her phone buzzed again and her eyes shifted back to it, her smile growing. Trey raised an eyebrow and she fought a laugh. She would blame it on the glass of wine if pressed, but she might have gone a little overboard when she decided to text Colt after her breakup was official. She hadn’t told him about it, of course not, she wanted to do that in person. But she’d decided a little teasing was definitely called for after everything he’d put her through lately.
She missed fun-loving Colt. The guy that was first to made a crude joke or break into laughter when a term could be construed as innuendo. She missed the Colt that liked to finish her sentences with stupid that’s what she said humor.
He was in there somewhere. She just had to find a way to break through his bad mood. Too bad from the look of her inbox, her previous messages hadn’t done it.
“Seriously? Who keeps texting you?” Trey barked a laugh, “Wait? You’re grinning like… hell, are you texting him from my house?”
“Maybe.”
“Any other man would be pissed right now, you know that right?”
“Any other man would’ve thrown me out the second we broke up. No, scratch that, any other man would’ve tossed me to the curb weeks ago. You’re a very good man and a very good friend, Trey.”
“Uh huh.” He rolled his eyes again, “Just tell me you’re not setting up a booty call from my couch.”
She wasn’t, not exactly, but she wasn’t going to tell him just what she had done either. The first message she’d sent Colt had been simple. She told him that she’d like to stop by the shop tomorrow since it was her day off and have him start the tattoo he’d drawn for her. But since all he’d shot back was a simple, K, she’d decided to get a little more creative in the hopes of earning a real response.