from under his head, coming to rest on the side of my face. “Yes.”
We just stared at each other, the only sound Betsy’s muffled snoring next door. His hand was still cool from being outside, but my skin heated beneath it, and I was frozen in place, with my mind going like a runaway city bus.
Why did Gabe touch my face? What was I supposed to do? Was I supposed to kiss him now? No, no, no…I’d just kissed my boyfriend good-bye, and Gabe was engaged. He was taken. Off-limits. We both were.
I sensed every curve and angle of his fingers and relished in the way they felt against my skin. It’d been a seriously long time since he’d touched me like this. His face was an odd mixture of emotions as we sat there. Excitement and joy mixed with panic. A departure from his usual state of complete confidence.
“Why are you here tonight?” I asked.
He blinked and dropped his hand from my face. “I came to ask you a question.”
I cleared my throat. “Okay then…hit me.”
The corners of his mouth pricked upward. “So the reason I came here without Alicia is…”
“Because she can’t stand me.”
Gabe frowned. “She doesn’t hate you. She thinks you’re great.”
“Okay, you get an ‘A’ for effort, dude, but I’m not buying it. The future Mrs. Parker hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” He looked away. “She likes you. It’s gotta be weird, though. For her fiancé to have a girl best friend.”
I nodded. “I guess. But there’s nothing between us. We’re completely platonic. Nothing to worry about, right?”
His face fell. Just the tiniest bit. “Right.”
We just watched each other for an awkward pause.
“Listen, I wanted to ask you if…” Gabe paused and laughed nervously.
“If?”
“It would really mean the world to me if you would be my best man.”
The race engine in my heart sputtered to an abrupt halt. I probably should have thanked him for the honor. But my initial reaction was to jump off the bed and yell, What the hell, dude? After all we’d been through, Gabe wanted me to stand next to him while he pledged his life to Alicia?
“You do realize that I’m not a guy, right?” I answered slowly.
“Believe me, I know that.” He swatted me with a pillow. “But you’re my best friend. And it just wouldn’t be right without you standing beside me. Let me rephrase…will you be my best woman?”
I smiled despite myself. “Isn’t Alicia your best woman?”
Gabe rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Stop busting my chops. All right, will you be my…best person?”
“That sounds stupid. Just call me your best man.”
“Fine. Will you be my best man?”
“And Alicia’s totally okay with this?” I watched his face for signs of impending doom.
“Oh, yeah, of course. She knows how important it is to me.”
My chest tightened. I was not only going to witness Gabe getting married, but now I would have a front and center view while doing so. How intoxicated would I have to be to stand there without having any comprehension of what I was witnessing? Could one actually request a lobotomy?
“Vi?” Gabe snapped his fingers underneath my nose a few times.
I fisted my hands under the pillow in my lap. Part of me wanted to tell him to drop dead. After all, I’d only recently begun the arduous process of getting over my love for him. How dare he ask me to be his best-freaking-man in his wedding, which was being held on my birthday? But the other part of me wanted to play the part of the cool, collected best friend. Willing to do whatever brought joy to my oldest and dearest friend. I felt like I was going to split right down the middle, leaving my guts—and my adoration—all over my bedspread for him to see.
Gabe cleared his throat, and I snapped to attention, offering false enthusiasm. “Of course. I would be honored to be your best person…er, man.”
He graced me with a wide grin. “Yeah? Thanks, Vi. I was afraid it would be weird for you.”
I bit my lip. “Not weird at all.”
“I have no idea what Alicia will dress you in, so don’t do the girl thing and ask me what you’re wearing. That’s why she wants you to come to brunch with her bridesmaids on Valentine’s Day.”
“Oh, I see. Gee, I’m really looking forward to that.” I pressed my lips together to avoid making a face.
Gabe nudged me. “Come on. I won’t let her dress you like a complete fool.”
I let my