Page 59 of Playing for Keeps

“You make a good point.”

A huff came from Vivian, the sound reminding me to move the curling iron in my hair before it burned it to a crisp. As I moved to another section of my hair, I strained to hear as Vivian went on.

“You and I are the only women who haven’t left him, and it’s not exactly like we’re there for him.”

My chest clenched, breath knocked from me like I’d taken a blow.

Because she was right.

I’d loved him, then abandoned him when the going got tough. When I let the blame I needed to direct someone’s way point directly at him.

It wasn’t his fault Corey got shot.

It wasn’t his fault my brother almost died.

It wasn’t his fault I put the potential loss of my brother before my love for him.

“I know,” Frankie said, this sad sound that made my heart hurt even worse. “It wasn’t until he came in and saved my company that I even realized how bad I’d been.”

“It wasn’t until he saved my life that I realized how much he cared.”

“Margie was right, he is the best.”

“I just hope someday he’ll find the one,” Vivian said, and my heart sank. “He came over after the rehearsal dinner, and I just wanted to cry. He barely ate at dinner. I could barely get him to talk.”

“Is he sick?”

“He’s so heartbroken, Frankie.”

I fumbled with my curling iron, dropping it and catching it just before it hit the floor. Leaning against the counter, I closed my eyes, wanting to listen and not wanting to hear.

“He hasn’t gotten over her,” Vivian continued. “He hasn’t been with anyone in over a year.”

“But what about—” Frankie’s voice cut out, and I opened my eyes, swinging toward the door. Expecting someone to come in when the room fell silent.

Instead, Vivian went on. “Every trip he’s taken has been for business. For you. For this company he runs with his friends that I knew nothing about. He hides things better than I ever could.”

“Including his feelings.” There was sorrow there in Frankie’s voice, and it seeped straight into my soul, weaving its way into every fiber of my being.

Though my face and hair were done, though I looked like there was nothing wrong, I felt worse than I ever had.

And yet, I was hopeful, too.

Because if Vivian was right, Vinny wasn’t over me. And that was good, because I surely wasn’t over him.

All I wanted was to be with him.

Stuffing my things back into my bag as quickly as I could, I grabbed my dress off the hook and slipped quietly from the room. Past the circle of chairs. Out into the hall. Straight to the door where Frankie and Vivian were.

I knocked, then pushed open the door. “Hey, ladies. Can I come in?”

“Jen!” Frankie leaped from the sofa where she sat, the white silk robe she wore falling around her thighs as she swept my way. She pulled me into an awkward hug, my bag and dress getting in the way. “I’m so glad you’re here! Look at you, your hair is so pretty!”

“I did it the way Vivian showed me,” I murmured, peeking up at Vinny’s twin. Her back was to me, her body twisted only slightly as she turned her head my way, narrowed eyes meeting mine.

“It’s perfect,” Frankie cooed, tugging on one of my curls. “And your makeup, too. Oh, I’m so excited. I can’t wait for you to be my sister!”

She grabbed my hand, pulling me further into the room, pulling me into the whirlwind of the day. There was so much to do. So much to see. And through it all, there was one thing I knew.