Page 36 of No Apologies
“Fine. You got me. I’m your friend, I’m allowed to worry about your heart, Skylar.”
“Haven’t you heard? Red wine isgoodfor 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 tellhim?”
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.
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 stupidthat’s what she saidhumor.
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.”
