Chapter Sixteen #3
Kayla’s pulse thudded with anger. How dare she, of all people, pretend to know what Kayla needed? “Just because she hates you doesn’t mean she has a stick up her ass. She just doesn’t like some of the things that happened when we were together, that’s all. She’s protective of me.”
Skye’s jaw muscles jumped, and Kayla could tell she was chewing on the inside of her cheek to keep from saying too much. “Whatever. You deserve better.”
Battling instincts within Kayla had her wanting to scream, “I had better, but you left,” and “there is no one better than Mack,” at the same time.
Confusion washed over her. Why were they even having this conversation?
It was far too close to dangerous territory.
If Kayla wasn’t careful, she’d end up saying something that made it obvious she and Mack weren’t together.
She compromised by refilling their champagne flutes, even though Skye had barely touched hers.
“What about Amy?” Kayla had to force the words out, but she was pretty sure her act of nonchalance was convincing. “Is she the perfect partner you always wanted?”
Skye smiled, but her eyebrows drew together. “You were an amazing partner, Kayla. You know that, right?”
The champagne must be getting to her, because Kayla spoke without thinking. “Oh, sure. Amazing. Way too amazing for you to marry.”
Skye reached out, resting her hand on Kayla’s bare knee. The warmth and strength of her touch were overwhelming. She sucked in a breath, but it didn’t seem to fill her lungs. Her heart ached like nothing she had ever felt. How had she managed to survive the last eighteen months without this?
“There wasn’t anything wrong with you, K. There still isn’t. We just…didn’t work.”
Kayla forced her lips to smile. She forced her heart to beat and her lungs to fill and empty.
Skye had said that to her before. The last time she’d said it, the words had shredded Kayla’s world.
She hadn’t heard much more of what Skye had said that day.
The future she had planned for the two of them had played out like a movie in her brain, blocking out the real world as the possibilities burst into flames.
It didn’t feel nearly as painful today. Afterall, she had spent a small fortune on therapy to make sure she could survive this new future.
Still, she couldn’t help remembering the dream home she had pictured them in.
A backyard full of dog houses and a skate ramp.
Even the two kids she had pictured for them.
Kayla forced a smile. “Yeah. I know.”
“You’re better with McKensie anyway.”
“Just a minute ago, you said I could do better.”
The right side of Skye’s lips curled up. “Yeah, well, I’m an asshole.”
“You’re anything but.” Kayla reached out and tucked a piece of Skye’s long bangs behind her ear. She hadn’t meant to do it, but it was such a practiced gesture. For nine years, she had been able to reach out and touch Skye whenever she wanted. It was a hard habit to break. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Skye’s voice was as soft as a feather, and her breath brushed against Kayla’s skin.
For a moment, they sat there, so excruciatingly close in this strange, sterile room, Skye’s hand on Kayla’s knee, Kayla’s hand still cupping her ear. It was so right and yet, somehow, it felt discordant. Like a new, unwelcome note in a favorite song. Why did this feel so weird now?
As Kayla wrestled with the strangeness of the moment, the door to the massage rooms opened again, and Mack entered the room, followed by a blissfully smiling Amy.
Kayla dropped her hand, and Skye jumped up out of her chair, but not quickly enough.
Mack gave Kayla a hard look that said quite plainly that she had seen them touching.
If she could feel the turmoil and confusion coursing through Kayla right now, she wouldn’t be nearly so angry.
“I can’t believe that was an hour,” Amy said, her syllables as languid as her movements. “I’ve been to heaven and back.”
Skye laughed and kissed her on the cheek.
Her body language clearly communicated that she was making up for something she’d done wrong but wasn’t sure if she’d been caught.
Had Amy seen the compromising position? If so, she certainly wasn’t as upset about it as Mack clearly was.
Amy patted Skye on the ass and headed for the snack table, but Mack grabbed Kayla’s arm and dragged her out of hearing.
“You don’t have to rub it in her face,” Mack hissed.
“Nothing happened,” Kayla whispered back. When Mack gave her a skeptical eyebrow raise, she said, “Seriously. It was completely innocent.”
“Why do I find that hard to believe? Next, you’ll tell me you had nothing to do with the couple mix-up.”
“Okay, no, that was me.” Kayla couldn’t help smiling. This was what she wanted, right? This was the Plan of Seduction. Mack knew that. But why did she feel ten times worse with Mack looking at her like she was a terrible person?
“Skye and Kayla?” The receptionist called.
Kayla pressed her cheek against Mack’s and whispered, “Trust me.” Then she skipped off quickly to follow Skye into the changing rooms.