Zenith in Love (Zenith Series #5) - Leanne Davis Page 0,103
threw his head back and laughed out loud. “No one would ever believe it happened behind my back. It was right in front of my face and I just failed to notice…”
She let out a sheepish grin. “So you end up with my sister, the other stepdaughter. It could have the makings for either a really bad reality show or at the minimum, a super tacky, daily talk show forum.”
He smiled. “It really could when you lay it out like that. Too bad you never threw anything at me or called me horrible names.”
“Ditto that back to you. I was the first one to… cheat? I know that’s what it’s technically called, but it feels so awful to say that.”
“In the first place, our story will never come out in some tabloid, correct?”
“Oh, no. Never.”
He nodded and continued. “So we simply admit you and I were best friends who fell in love with other people and now we’re much happier that we both found the right person to love. That’s not cheating. Our engagement shielded us from losing our companionship while preserving our emotions for other people.”
“Yes. Ironically, it was our mutual fear of intimacy that kept us together for so long. I’m so glad you see it that way because it’s exactly how I feel.”
“That’s because we were, and I hope we still are, best friends.”
Kathy had to chuckle softly. “Yes. To be honest, I was so happy when I discovered you and Kayla were seeing each other for real. I’ll admit being flabbergasted for a few moments when she first told me but after I thought about it, everything started to make sense. Seeing you two being so contrary to each other all the time threw me off. In a different context, you were playing off each other, like two tigers circling, before you both pounced.” She winced and blushed. “Well, maybe that isn’t the right analogy. But something always drew you to one another and the chemistry was there. Under those circumstances, it should have been the next step and no surprise at all.”
“I guess it was always there but we refused to let it be.”
“Because of me? I mean, us? But at least no one got hurt. This could have resulted in a disaster that left all four of us feeling miserable. I’m so glad we’re not enemies now and nobody was the sadder for it.”
He shook his head. “You’re so right, Kathy. I have to thank God that we didn’t hurt each other and Eric and Kayla.”
Sighing, she nodded. “I guess it’s a lesson in being honest. I mean, if either one of us were honest in the beginning, we wouldn’t have hidden our feelings, or lack thereof, to start. We would have owned up to each other without needing Eric and Kayla.”
“Amazing how we were both so clueless? So scared to be honest with ourselves, maybe? I don’t know what it was.” He added, “It’s almost as if we hid our true selves inside each other, as weird as that sounds.”
She rolled her eyes and giggled. “It all is weird when you say it out loud, but I know exactly what you mean. We did that. Both of us. I always thought it was just me after I realized it. Knowing we both did it? I guess it drew us together because we’re so much alike.”
“That’s completely true. And it makes sense why we became so close even if we misunderstood what it actually meant.”
“It was due to our inexperience. Hard to detect the difference between friends and the people who become so much more than friends.” She snorted.
“Obviously. Because neither of us experienced the difference before.” He flinched, thinking of how different his relationship with Kayla was. The enticing images of being with Kayla went so far beyond the prim, sweet times he’d shared with Kathy. But it wasn’t just because of hot sex. He sensed good, physical feelings with Kayla, making every nerve tingle with something warm and wonderful from her energy in proximity to him. He could become intoxicated by being near her, but it might never be enough.
“For what it’s worth, I never observed Kayla acting this way about anyone. I’m glad the guy she chose is you.”
Considering their history, Jim was glad too and he believed she meant it. “Oddly enough, I am too. She’s coming to the services today.”
They shared a small smile. Standing before the new podium, Jim was shuffling through the notes of his sermon and