Royal Ruse - Emma Lea Page 0,22

the love for Frankie in his eyes and I had to say it made me a little jealous. What would it have been like for me growing up with a father who had nothing but love and acceptance for me instead of one who’d never seen me as good-enough? What kind of man would I be now if I’d been nurtured the way Frankie had been?

I shook off the melancholy feeling. I was too old to continue to blame my parents for my shortcomings. And really, did I want to be any different than I was? I liked my life. It suited me. I had no desire to become someone else.

Francesca

I watched Lucas across the table as he had an animated conversation with my parents. He was such a different guy around them than he was around his own parents. It was kind of a shame Demetrius and Maya didn’t see this side of their son. Whenever he was in their presence, he was stilted and awkward, unsure of himself and cowed. I hated seeing him like that. But this, seeing him smile at something my father was saying and being cheeky to my mom, I loved seeing him like this.

I sighed and reached for my glass of wine. I didn’t understand how Lucas couldn’t see his own value. But then I suppose, having parents who constantly degraded you would do a number on anyone’s psyche. Lucas was smart and had a dry sense of humor I adored, and he was gorgeous. I mean, not that I saw him like that, but he had the likeness of a Greek god.

Mom tapped my foot under the table and I turned to look at her. She raised her eyebrows at me and then pointedly looked toward Lucas and I rolled my eyes. If I rolled my eyes anymore tonight, they would be likely to roll right out of my head.

I knew what Mom was trying to hint at, but I categorically denied having feelings for Lucas beyond our staid and true BFF status.

“Come and help me get dessert,” Mom said to me, standing from the table and grabbing a couple of plates.

I sighed and joined her, following her into the kitchen.

“You know Dad and I love Lucas, right?” Mom asked as she dumped the plates she carried into the sink and then turned to nail me with her gaze.

“Of course I know that,” I replied, stacking my dishes on top of hers. “Sometimes I think you love him more than me.”

She smiled gently at that. We both knew it wasn’t true, but I liked to rib her and Dad about it sometimes. I also knew where this conversation was going and I wanted to head it off if I could.

Mom sighed. “Have you ever tried to—“

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Nope. Nup. Not having this conversation with you.”

“I don’t know what you’re afraid of,” she said with a hug, crossing her arms. “You and Lucas make a great couple.”

“Mom, please. We’re friends. Just. Friends. This works and I have no intention of messing it up because of some fairy tale fantasies.”

“So you admit that you’ve fantasized about him.”

I covered my ears and squeezed my eyes shut. “Ew, Mom.”

Mom whacked me with a dishtowel. “I don’t mean like that,” she said with a laugh. “I just mean, have you ever thought about what it would be like if the two of you took it beyond just friends?”

“You won’t stop until I answer, will you?”

Mom shook her head, and I sighed.

“Fine. Once. When we first met. I thought we could be more, but…” I shrugged. “Our friendship is too important to me.”

Mom snorted. “What a load of rubbish,” she said. “Your father is my best friend. All great relationships start out that way.”

“I’d rather have Lucas as a friend for the long term than have a romantic relationship only for it to go sour and to never have him in life again.”

Mom reached out and took my hand. “Oh, honey, what makes you think you and Lucas wouldn’t last a lifetime?”

I groaned. “Because I’m not the right one for him, Mom. We’re too different. Our differences make our friendship work, but us in a romantic relationship? He would want me to change. He would want me to be more like him and I would want him to be more like me and we would fight and break up and I’d lose my best friend.”

Mom shook her head. “I don’t think that would happen