Chapter Two #3
A flare of guilt stabbed through Kayla at the way Skye’s whole body deflated, but the glimmer of something like a plan was brewing in her brain. “You can’t have it because I’m using it.”
Skye’s pierced right eyebrow shot up to her hairline. “You are? Why?”
“I’m getting married, too.”
Kayla’s brain screamed, asking her what the hell her tongue had just said, but she forced her face to remain neutral. She could talk herself out of this. She was a great talker. Then she noticed Skye’s face, which had morphed into a mask of shock and—dare she hope—jealousy.
“You’re getting married?” Skye asked, her voice cracking on the last word.
That was all Kayla needed to hear. She was right. Skye was jealous. Who cared about this other woman she thought she loved? Skye clearly still loved her. Why else would she react this way to Kayla’s big announcement? The fact that the announcement was a complete and total lie didn’t matter.
While she racked her mind for something else to say, Kayla’s phone buzzed in her lap. Glancing at the screen, she saw a text from Mack.
Having fun with the troll?
Normally, Kayla would bristle at her best friend’s hatred for the love of her life.
They’d never gotten along, not from the moment Kayla and Skye started dating.
Right now, however, with the shrapnel from Skye’s bombshell announcement still clattering to the ground around her, Kayla was all too happy to agree with Mack’s dislike.
“Did you hear me?” Skye asked. Apparently, between the shock and the text, Kayla had missed part of the conversation.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“I asked who are you marrying,” Skye said, a note of bitterness from her expression clear in her voice.
Oh crap. Now what? Kayla hadn’t been on a first date since the one with Skye nearly a decade ago, much less having the prospect of marrying someone. The phone in her lap flashed to life again, Mack’s name appearing on another notification.
Mack was going to blow a gasket when she heard about Skye’s engagement.
She would be furious on Kayla’s behalf, of course, even though she’d be secretly thrilled she wouldn’t have to see Kayla as her bride.
Not that Skye had been thrilled at the prospect of Mack being Kayla’s maid of honor.
The animosity certainly flowed both ways.
An idea as evil as it was delicious formed in Kayla’s mind, making its way quickly to her lips. “I’m marrying Mack.”
“Mack?” Skye practically spat the name, confirming Kayla’s choice. “I thought you two were just friends.”
“We are. I mean, we were, but you know how these things happen.” Kayla’s mind was racing, and her guts were still churning. How could Skye be marrying someone else? How could she do this to them? “Sometimes things happen when you least expect them.”
Skye looked like she wanted to argue, but then a strange flicker of understanding crossed her face.
How strange it was for Kayla to see Skye experience an emotion she couldn’t identify or a memory she wasn’t aware of.
They had been each other’s whole world for nine years.
Now, she was practically a stranger. The coffee in Kayla’s stomach threatened to make a reappearance, and her eyes watered.
This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.
“I’m happy for you,” Skye said. Belatedly, she added, “For both of you.”
Oh yeah, she was jealous as hell. Some of the fear and anger receded in the face of that.
Kayla knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she still had a chance with Skye.
She just needed to find a way to take advantage.
This was no different than those last ten minutes of a soccer match, when the other team was running on fumes and their defense was vulnerable to attack.
If Kayla could find the right combination of passes, Skye would be hers again.
They would have their happily ever after if she had to drag Skye all the way to the altar.
Skye sighed and ran her hand through her long, bright green bangs. Kayla’s fingers itched to trace the movement herself. Skye had always had amazingly silky hair. That’s why it fell in front of her eyes so perfectly, giving her that deliciously brooding look.
“Look, it’s important for us to have a big blow out honeymoon. I promised her we could make it happen. She saw pictures of the resort and fell in love the minute she saw it,” Skye said.
“Fell in love with something that wasn’t hers. Sounds about right,” Kayla grumbled under her breath.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
“Nothing. We can work something out.”
Skye flopped back against the cheap wooden chair. “Yeah. I mean, I can call the resort. Maybe we can split the package into two separate visits of one week each? It won’t be a long honeymoon, but we can both get some time down there.”
Kayla’s heart did a little tap dance in her chest. That was it. That was the solution. She sat forward so abruptly that Skye jumped in her chair. “I’ll call. The package is in my name after all. I’ll sweet-talk them. When do you want to go?”