Josie’s lower lip wobbled slightly, and she looked sheepishly at Skylar and Meg, who was trying not to stare. “Can we go somewhere and talk?” she whispered, wiping her eyes.
Kyle’s jaw tightened slightly, but he gave her a slight nod, taking her by the elbow and steering her from the kitchen and out into the backyard.
Skylar and Meg trailed over to where I was standing. Skylar, ever blunt, jutted her thumb in the direction Josie and Kyle had disappeared. “What was that all about?”
I shrugged, grabbing a handful of chips and shoving them in my mouth. “She was upset about something, apparently.”
Meg’s expression was pinched. “I still can’t believe Kyle dated Josie Robinson.”
Skylar made a face. “I know. I can’t believe we lost two friends to the dark side.” She gave me a pointed look, and Meg smirked.
God, I wanted to kiss that teasing mouth of hers.
“Yeah, yeah. Rub it in. I deserve it. At least I’m making my way back to the light.” I bumped Skylar with my shoulder.
“We’ll see,” Meg mumbled.
I cupped my ear with my hand. “What was that? I couldn’t quite hear your disapproval.”
Meg opened her mouth, no doubt to throw a barbed comment back at me, but Skylar held her hands out between us. “Enough you two. I don’t have the emotional energy to play referee.”
I wrapped an arm around my friend’s shoulders. “How’s everything going, Sky? Heard from Mac?”
She jutted her chin out defiantly. I knew Skylar was hurting, but she wasn’t one to show it. Ever. She was the kind of woman to exude strength no matter what it cost her. I respected her for that.
“I’ve got Morla. That’s all that matters.”
Meg held up her fist, and Skylar bumped it with hers. The two women grinned at each other. No matter how close the two of them were growing up, I never felt like a third wheel. The four of us had always fit perfectly together. There was no jealousy or vying for attention between us.
And strangely, even with the weird antagonistic desire currently arching between Meg and me, that familiarity was still there. It had been over ten years since the four of us had been in the same space. And it felt right. Like coming home. There was something to be said about childhood friends. They were the pieces of memory you never wanted to lose.
“I also decided not to renew the lease on the apartment,” Skylar went on.
“Really? Where are you going to go?” I asked her.
At that moment, Kyle came back into the kitchen—without Josie. He looked a bit on the haggard side. He grabbed a beer and joined us. I met his eyes over Skylar’s head, and he gave me a half-smile that wasn’t very genuine. Meg, picking up on his downturn in mood, moved closer to him and put an arm around his waist. He squeezed her close.
As I said, jealousy had never been an issue between any of us before. I knew Kyle never had any feelings for Meg; she was like his sister. His affections had always been firmly planted on the older Galloway girl, yet seeing the two of them standing there together, arms casually wrapped around one another, I felt a strange stirring of anger. Was I seriously getting pissed at my best friend for hugging on Meg? What sort of lunacy was that? They were friends. Had been for years.
But I didn’t want him to touch her. I didn’t want anyone to touch her.
She was mine.
Fuck.Where had that come from?
“Actually, I’ve been talking to my parents, and I think I’m going to move back here for a while.” Skylar made the announcement as if it were no big deal. But for Skylar, moving back to Southport was a very big deal. She had a messy relationship with her parents. I couldn’t imagine why she’d want to put herself back in their vicinity.
Kyle let out a whoop. “Yes! The gang’s back together!”
Skylar rolled her eyes, but she seemed pleased by his reaction.
Meg, on the other hand, seemed concerned. “Why would you do that? Do you have a great job in the city? That doesn’t seem feasible.”
Skylar scratched the side of her neck, and I recognized her nervous tell. “Yeah, well I was let go last week, so I won’t need to worry about that.”
Meg instantly pulled the other woman into a hug. Skylar resisted, as she always did when you tried to foist physical affection on her, but she ultimately caved and hugged her tightly.
“I’m sorry, Sky,” I heard her murmur in Skylar’s ear.
Kyle fidgeted uncomfortably. He had never been good with “girly stuff.”
Skylar pulled back, her eyes glistening, but I knew that she would never let tears fall. “It’s all good. I consider it a sign from the universe to shake things up a bit. My parents said I can rent out the apartment above the garage until I sort everything out. I’ve decided to go into freelancing. I’ve been working too hard to make other people money. It’s time I take more of that scratch for myself.”