Page 33 of Meant to be Mine

“Callum Blackwell,” she said.

He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.

“Kensey Blake.” He held her at arm’s length and looked at her. “It’s been too long.”

“Way too long.” She shook her head. “Look at you. Still insufferably handsome.”

“I try.” He smiled and stepped aside. “This is Victoria, the love of my life.”

Victoria didn’t do the polished, measured greeting you might expect. She just stepped forward and pulled Kensey into a hug like they were already friends. Kensey looked briefly startled and then laughed and hugged her back.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you,” Victoria said, pulling back. “Drew talks about you constantly.”

“He does not,” I said quickly.

“He absolutely does,” Victoria said, without even looking at me. She looped her arm through Kensey’s. “Come get a drink with me. I want to hear stories.”

Kensey gave me a look that said she wasn’t entirely sure what she was walking into, and then Victoria was steering her toward the bar. They were already talking and laughing like they’d been friends for years. I watched them go. Victoria said something and Kensey threw her head back and laughed, one hand going to Victoria’s arm.

“Well,” Callum said, from beside me. “She grew up.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“I forgot how much I liked her.”

I nodded. “She’s great.”

“Yep. What’s going on there?”

“Nothing.” I took a sip of my drink. “She’s helping me through the event. She’s here for the summer. We’re having a good time.”

“Weird, because that’s almost exactly what you said a couple of weeks ago and then I see it with my own two eyes and I know you’re full of shit.”

“Nothing is going on,” I said. “She’s my best friend. I’m not going to blow that up.”

“Who said anything about blowing anything up?”

“It’s what would happen.” I turned the glass in my hand. “You know how I am. And that’s fine when it’s someone I’ve been dating for a few months. It’s not fine when it’s Kensey.”

“You’re pretty clearly not indifferent to her,” Callum said.

“I didn’t say I was indifferent.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I value what we have more than I value the idea of having something more.” I exhaled. “She’s the most important person in my life who isn’t family. Maybe including family. I’m not going to gamble that on a feeling.”

Callum looked out toward the patio. “You should talk to her.”

“There’s nothing to say.”

“There’s obviously plenty to say. You’ve just decided not to say it.”

I didn’t argue with that.

“I see a guy who watches a woman move through a room the way you’ve been watching her all night and tells himself it doesn’t mean anything.” He turned to look at me. “And I see a woman who came three thousand miles and took a job she didn’t need because she wanted to be near you, who also seems to be telling herself it doesn’t mean anything.” He let that sit for a second. “One of you is going to have to be brave at some point.”

“Or we both keep our mouths shut and stay friends forever and nobody gets hurt.”