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The happiest I’d seen her in years.
Maybe ever.
I raised my hands in surrender, watching as Elliot switched seats with Cam so she could sit next to Frankie. Almost immediately, they fell into their own conversation, their heads close together.
Reid nudged my leg with her shoe and I looked over at her.
“You’ve got that look,” she murmured, that self-satisfied smirk wider than ever.
“What look?” I asked defensively.
She snorted. “The same one Cam is wearing right now.”
My gaze shot to Cam, where she sat watching Elliot talk animatedly about God knows what. Her eyes were soft, and just a little dazed. Like she couldn’t quite believe that Elliot was sitting there with her.
“No one is as lovestruck as Cam,” I scoffed, while a small, hopeful part of me wondered if maybe Icouldlook like that.
If maybe Frankie would be the one I would look at like that.
Some day, maybe.
“So, are you planning on taking her upstate to meet the rest of the Jones brood?” Taylor cut in, keeping her voice low enough that Frankie wouldn’t hear.
I was grateful. “If all goes well today,” I said, a smile spreading across my face. “Maybe I will. Sometime in the future.”
A sniffle caught our attention and we turned to find a teary Alex dabbing at her glossy eyes.
“Sorry,” she said, swallowing thickly. “Just got a little emotional, is all.”
“I’m surprised to see the two of you in the same room.”
My faceburnedat the implication, but I followed Frankie into her mother’s private room nonetheless.
“Hello, Mrs. Ivey,” I said to her and turned to her husband. “Mr. Ivey.”
Frankie’s arms wrapped around her dad’s waist and she squeezed tight.
“I missed you guys,” she said, walking over to her mom and hugging her gently.
“We missed you,” Mrs. Ivey said with a smile. “But it’s the weekend. Why aren’t you out having fun?”
“Yeah, I thought Nikkie would be dragging you around the city,” Mr. Ivey added.
Frankie flopped into the sofa with a scoff. “Nikkie is exploring Japan,” she muttered through a pout. “She got a gig there last week and left immediately. She didn’t even invite me.”
Her parents laughed while I pocketed this latest gem of information. Maybe a trip to Japan would be in the cards for us.
“She never was a one-town kinda gal,” Mr. Ivey lamented. He turned to his wife. “Do you remember when she called us from Singapore to ask what currency they used?”
Mrs. Ivey chuckled lightly, a hand over her mouth.
But Frankie stuck up for her friend. “She’d been on three flights back to back and didn’t even know what country she was in,” she defended, and I couldn’t help but reach out and brush my thumb along the apple of her cheek.
Her spine stiffened and she glanced at me, surprise widening her eyes.
I realized what I’d done and cast a nervous glance at her parents, both of whom wore matching expressions. Expressions that knew too much.
I cleared my throat and forced out a laugh. “Sorry,” I tried to cover up, snatching my hand to my chest. “You, uh, had a piece of fluff.”
