That got my attention. Trying to sound nonchalant, I asked, “What does that mean?”
“Hmm, just that Luke told Sofia that Niko looks at you like he wants to kiss you when you’re not looking.” Her amber eyes were filled with amusement.
I choked on nothing, then chugged my kombucha, which was a mistake. The sour, fizzy drink made me cough more.
“Luke is delusional,” I spit out.
Miles walked out to where we were sitting and patted me on the back.
“Okay, there, Leyla?” he asked.
I coughed one last time. “Yup. All good. Just went down the wrong way.”
He handed Vicky a bottle of water and gave her a peck on the lips. They looked lost in the moment as he bent over her, looking at her longingly. “Thought you might want this, Little Fairy. I’m getting the fish ready to grill.”
She kissed him one more time, cupping his jaw. “Thanks, amor. Need some help?”
“No, you stay and visit. Don’t get to see Leyla too often.” He winked at me and walked back inside. Vicky’s eyes followed him long after he disappeared. Their sweet nicknames made my heart swell.
None of my boyfriends, including Ethan, had done that with me. I swallowed the longing that always left a void inside me, which seemed to grow bigger over the years. My mom had always told me a man couldn’t complete me, but having one who treated me the way my friends’ husbands did made me want things I wasn’t sure I’d ever have.
“Love seeing you two so happy,” I finally commented.
My words brought her out of her trance, and she smiled widely again. “I never thought this kind of happiness was possible. We had quite a difficult path to our happily ever after, but it was so worth it.” She took my hand and squeezed it. “I want this for you, too. You’re an amazing, intelligent, givingwoman, and you deserve someone who sees you for who you are.”
“Thank you. Not sure when it will happen, but maybe one day. And I love that you see yourself now the way we all do.”
She blushed and let go of my hand, sitting back in the chair. “Yeah. It took me some time and an encounter with God to understand that my body-image problems stemmed from listening to lies.”
“Funny you mention that. Niko told me the same thing just the other day. He, um, went through some things in his younger school days, and his parents shared with him a verse from Ephesians about how God intentionally created us.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Niko is a believer?”
I nodded. “His words are helping me with some issues I’ve been dealing with since Ethan and I split up.”
“Issues? What kind of issues?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“Ah, well, stuff I haven’t told anyone, really. He said some things about me that hurt deeply when we ended things.”
She frowned deeply, mumbling in Italian. “What did he say?”
“Yeah, I want to know what that jerk said to you, too.” I jumped at the sound of Sofia’s voice behind us as she closed the gap fast, coming to a stop in front of me, her hands on her hips.
I groaned and rubbed my forehead, kicking myself for saying anything.
Luke and Miles came out with a tray of some kind of cheese plate, their smiles sliding off as they took in the three of us.
“What happened?” Luke asked in concern.
Sofia tossed her purse onto a nearby lounger and sat down next to us. The guys followed suit, sliding the tray onto a table.
“He said some things that lingered. Took root inside me and it messed me up for a long time. Things like I was too much,” I said, rubbing my hands together on my lap.
“Too much? Too much ofwhat?” Sofia growled.
“I didn’t know until I pushed for an answer, trying to find a way to save the relationship. Little did I know he was already gone. And by how fast he moved on to this new woman and proposed, nothing I said was going to matter.”
“That makes no sense. If he had fallen out of love with you, as if that’s possible, why not just say that?” Luke asked, his eyes dark with anger.
