Page 26 of Nights at Seaside
“I hung out with Hunter and Grayson at the bonfire down at Cahoon Hollow. I figured if your date sucked you’d want to end your night on a better note and join us.”
“Thanks, but my date didn’t suck.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets. “You know he’s a fighter, right?”
“Yes. How doyouknow that?”
Blue smiled, but it wasn’t his typical easy smile. His jaw was tight and his brows were knitted together. “I’m a guy. I know sports. I didn’t recognize his name at the bar the other night, but yesterday after I left I realized there probably weren’t many Sawyer Basses around and put two and two together. You’re dating Sawyer ‘Songbird’ Bass. He’s a big-time boxer, Sky.”
Sky leaned against the counter and sipped her water. “He told me.”
Blue leaned beside her, and some of the tension seeped from his shoulders. “You’re okay with that?”
She shrugged. Why couldn’t everyone stop talking about Sawyer’s career so she could forget about it for a little while longer?
“Sky?” His voice softened. “Do you think we missed a connection? Between us, I mean?”
“We have a great connection.”
He cocked a brow.
“Oh, you mean…”Crap. What?“Blue, I never…We never…We’re such good friends.”
“I know. I’m not asking if we should try to be more.” He shifted his eyes away. “I just…” He met her gaze again, and she finally saw her old friend again instead of whatever weird, stressful person had inhabited him for the last few minutes.
“When I saw how you lit up when he was talking to you, some part of me wanted to be the person you looked at like that.” Before she could process what he’d said, he added, “I don’t mean that either. Darn it. I don’t know what I mean. I wasfriend jealous, I think. At least a little bit, which is really messed up.”
“Friend jealous? What is that?”
“You’re my best friend, Sky, and I want you to be happy. I’ve never thought we were anything more than that. I mean, I love you, and you’re gorgeous, and funny, and I love spending time with you, but—”
“But?” But? Was he saying he didn’t want more or that he wasn’t really sure? She might totally regret what she was about to offer, but it seemed like it might show him what she already knew. “Do you want to kiss me and see if there’s a spark?”
“What? No. That’s not what I meant.” Blue pushed from the counter and paced.
“Good.” She sighed with relief.
He shot her another narrow-eyed stare, only this one held a hint of amusement.
“No, notgood, like I don’t want to kiss you. Wait, Idon’twant to kiss you. That’s not what I meant. Wait…” She covered her mouth with her hand as his lips quirked up in a playful smile. “Geez, Blue. You know what I mean. I don’t need to kiss you to know that I don’t feel like we’ve missed anything. But if you feel like the only way to know for sure is to see if there’s a spark, then I’ll do it.”
“Sky,Ididn’t ask to kiss you.Youasked if I wanted to.”
“Right. This is confusing.” She paused to gather her thoughts. “With Sawyer, the second my lips touched his, IknewI wanted to be in his arms.” She slid from the counter and reached for his hand. “I love when I’m with you, but it’s a different type of love.”
“I know.” He gave her a quick hug. “I love our friendship, too.” A moment later he ran a hand through his hair and looked at the floor, then up at her with a shy expression. “Have you ever been jealous of the girls I’ve dated?”
“You almost never date.”
He rolled his eyes. “Sky, I’m not a saint, and you know that.”
“Okay, yes. When you’re out with a girl I always wonder what you’re doing and if she’s going to bethe one, but not becauseIwant to be the one, just because I still want to be whatever we are. BFFs.”
He smiled. “Then you get it.”
“Yes, I get it. I getyou, Blue, just like you get me.” She stepped in close again and squeezed his hand. “I don’t know if Sawyer’s the one, or if I’ll date ten more guys before I find the right person. But I know that whoever I end up with will have to be able to deal with our friendship, because you’re important to me. You’ve been a better friend to me than anyone I’ve ever known, except maybe the girls.”
He laughed a little. “I rank right up there with the girls. That’s awesome.”
