by Toni Aleo
Shanna’s eyes narrowed as she held Wren’s gaze. “How are you a floozy if you’re married to the guy?”
Swallowing hard, Wren didn’t want to lie, but she couldn’t tell Shanna about Bradley. There was no way in hell. If she was having a hard time telling Jensen, who she knew would love her no matter what, there was no way she could tell Shanna. “We hooked up, and I got pregnant. I didn’t tell him until about a month and a half ago. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”
Shanna nodded slowly. “So you kept it from everyone? No one knew?”
Wren licked her lips. “Yeah, no one knew until I told Jensen.”
“And so you stopped talking to me because you assumed I would judge you?”
“I didn’t assume anything, I knew you would. You wanted me to be like you, settle down, have kids, and get married, but that wasn’t what I wanted—”
“But look at you now,” she pointed out. “And you seem happy.”
Wren’s eyes narrowed. “I said it wasn’t what I wanted. Things are different now. I love Jensen, I love my son, and I’m happy. But I knew you wouldn’t support me, and you would get pissy with me because I wouldn’t know what I wanted to do.”
“Because you never know what you want to do. You let your need for attention take over, and you fuck whatever you see. It’s sad because you’re a beautiful girl, a good girl, smart, but you treat yourself like a slab of meat and get fucked by assholes.”
Too bad the main asshole was Shanna’s brother, but Wren didn’t say that. “You need to put all that in past tense.”
Shanna’s brows pulled together. “What?”
“All of that isn’t true anymore. You’re right, I did do all that. But I haven’t since I got pregnant, and the reason why it took me so long to tell Jensen is because I knew I would officially be done with that life, and I wasn’t ready to accept that. That’s all changed now. I’ll be the first to tell you that not everyone changes, but I feel I have. Or maybe Jensen just loves me the way I need to make myself better. But I’m proud of that because, you’re right, I didn’t think highly of myself. Due to my need to be loved, I was pathetic. But now, after knowing what real love is, I’m good. I love who I am because of the man who loves me.”
Inhaling deeply, Shanna held her hands out. “That’s all I wanted for you.”
“Well, at the time, I didn’t want to hear that. I wanted to figure it out on my own, but I couldn’t. I needed Jensen.” Wren’s heart sang in her chest, saying the words she had been thinking for so long. She wished Jensen were there so he could hear her because she was sure he wouldn’t believe her when she told him later. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, Shanna, for more than I can ever tell you. But I had to do what I did, for me. And call it selfish, but I couldn’t take what I knew you’d give me.”
Shanna looked down, running her tongue along her teeth as she shook her head. “I wouldn’t have been that bad. I would have said that you needed to settle down—”
“But I didn’t want to hear that.”
“Jensen is a wonderful guy, and I would have pushed—”
With her heart throbbing in her throat, Wren couldn’t take it anymore. The guilt was overpowering.
“I lied.” When Wren said it, her own eyes widened, not expecting herself to say that.
What the hell was she doing?
“What?”
“I lied about Jensen, and there is a chance you could tell everyone, but I’ll deny it.”
Shanna’s face scrunched up. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Jensen isn’t my baby’s biological father. I know who the father is, but he told me to get an abortion after throwing a check at me. And when I refused, he told me I was stupid and he was done with me.”
“Wren,” Shanna gasped, reaching out to take her hands. “What in the world? Who is it?”
Your brother.
“It doesn’t matter. He didn’t want my child or me, and that’s the biggest reason I didn’t tell you or my mom or anyone. I was trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do because of my inheritance and all that—”
“Jesus, I forgot about that inheritance of yours. Such a stupid stipulation.”
“Yeah, so, no, I shouldn’t have cut you out. I shouldn’t have cut anyone out, really, but I was embarrassed, I was scared, and I didn’t know what the hell I was going to do.” When her eyes started to well up with tears, she looked down at the table as her mouth twitched, trying to hold back the sob that wanted to escape. “It took Jensen coming into my life, steamrolling me into a marriage I asked for, even though I didn’t want it. He changed everything and made me realize I was worth a man like him, a love like he could give me, and a chance for my son to have a father who would love him as his own. It took Jensen. Only Jensen to make me finally love myself, and he’s the reason I’m here. He knew I owed it to you to explain myself and to apologize because, Shanna, I’m sorry. I am. Really sorry.”
When Wren looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks, she found that Shanna was in tears herself. Holding her gaze, Wren saw the girl who had been her constant companion growing up. Her best friend and not the hostile girl Wren had done wrong.
“Wren, you know I’ve loved you as my sister since I was four. So we hit a snag. Oh, well. I love you and I’m sorry you felt that way, but I know you, and I know you do things your way with no second thoughts. So I forgive you, I do. I just wish you’d have done this a long time ago.”
“Me too.”
“But all in all, this is all I ever wanted for you, Wren. Jensen is amazing, and I know he’ll love you and your son for the rest of his life. He’s a damn good dude, and fuck the dude that did you dirty.”
Wren’s heart tightened. “Thanks.”
“Of course,” Shanna said, squeezing Wren’s hands. “Now tell me everything. Pregnancy, everything. I want it all.”
A grin pulling at her lips, Shanna picked up a napkin and wiped Wren’s cheeks, which made them both laugh before Wren found herself having one of the best afternoons with a friend who was supposed to be her lifelong friend. Wren had shut everyone out in the past, and that was her fault. But she knew she had found someone who would never allow her to do that to him.
And when Jensen came to pick her up, she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with nothing but the love and praise she had just spent the afternoon gushing about. But he was looking back into the diner, his brows up. “I don’t see blood, and it took three hours for you to call me, so I’m assuming there was no one injured?”
Wren scoffed. “It was nice. We talked everything out.”
He seemed surprised. “So, you two are good?”
She shrugged. “Do I think we’ll be as close as we were? Never, I ruined that, and I own it. But I’ll check in, and we’ll text. But this needed to happen.”
“It did,” he agreed, kissing her forehead. “I’m very proud of you.”
She laughed. “For being an adult?”
He grinned. “Hey, adulting is hard for you.”
Nodding very fervently, she agreed. He loved her, even her faults. All of her. How in the world did she get that fucking lucky? To keep from crying, she beamed as she joked, “Right? Pants, wearing pants is the hardest part. I hate them.”
“This is very true. We should all be able to walk around pants-less,” he teased, holding her close as they headed toward his car.
“Yes! And everyone would be okay with it. But no, people are worried about indecency. Pathetic, I tell you.”
“We should start a no-pants uprising.”
“Yes,” she laughed. “We can be the ambassadors!”
“We’d be the best.”
“We would!” she agreed as they reached the car, and he opened the door for her. But when she didn’t get in, he looked down, confused.
“You ready to go?”
Exhaling hard, she reached up, taking his face in her hands as her eyes started to well up. She wanted to tell him.
Right there. Tell him the truth and hope he would be okay with it. But she found she didn’t have it in her. She loved the way he looked at her. Loved the way he loved her, and she couldn’t fuck with that.
She couldn’t.
“Can I tell you something?”
His eyes softened as he nodded, his hands coming to her hips. “Of course, what’s up?”
Biting her lip, she struggled with her words. But then, a grin pulled at her lips as she whispered, “Thank you.”
His face twisted in confusion. “For what? I thought you were gonna kill me for leaving.” She laughed, and he smiled, the kind of smile that made her belly flutter funny. “I actually have your Snickers in the car.”
Shaking her head as her laughter subsided, she leaned into him. “No, Jenny, not that.”
“Then what?”
Holding his gaze, she curved her lips into what she felt was the biggest smile she could possibly muster. “For loving me enough to force me to love myself.”
His lips quirked as he dropped his head to hers. “Well, that just made my day.”
“Good, because you’ve made all my days since the moment back home at the restaurant when I asked you to be my husband.”
“That was a damn good day,” he said, squeezing her ass in his hands as she giggled against his lips. “Because, of course, I’m the most awesome ever.”
“I’m awesomer.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Shut up.”
“Don’t tell me to shut up. I am your man,” he teased.
“That’s right, so shut up,” she challenged as she beamed up at him, her heart in her throat. “And kiss me.”
When he dropped his lips to her neck, she giggled as he kissed her over and over again, up her jaw, to her chin before finally smashing his mouth to hers. Coming to her toes, she fell into the kiss, knowing that everything she had said that day was completely the truth. She never thought this would be her life, but now, she wouldn’t want it any other way.
With anyone else.
Only Jensen.
He lay on his stomach, Wren’s naked body pressed to his side, her belly in his hip as her hand moved lazily along his back. His son was moving like mad, and her nose glided along his shoulder. She looked like a goddess. Her hair was falling over her shoulder, a mess, but a beautiful mess. Her face was flushed, as was her body, showing marks from his mouth and hands.
God, he loved her.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
She scoffed, biting his shoulder and causing him to hiss out a breath. “Did I hurt you?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “No.”
“Same here, then. I swear you think I’m made of glass.”
Closing his eyes, he nodded. “To me, you are, and especially with my boy in you.”
Silence fell between them as his body still vibrated from their lovemaking. It was early in the morning; the sun was starting to come up, but when she got up to use the bathroom, coming back in just her panties since she was burning up, he had to have her. He knew they’d fall back asleep and probably not wake up until twelve, which would, of course, piss Elaine off.
Wells’s wedding was at six, so there was no way they could sleep in. No way Wren could get her hair and makeup done in time. Even he knew that.
But sleep, at that moment, sounded like heaven to him.
“Go to sleep,” he muttered, reaching for his phone. “We gotta get up soon.”
“What time is it?”
He opened one eye to set his alarm for three hours later. “Five.”
“Ew.”
“Yeah, shh.”
She snickered beside him as she cuddled closer. He threw his phone back onto the nightstand before turning his head so that his nose was smothered in her hair. Taking in a deep breath, he smiled as he let it out, kissing her head before closing his eyes once more. Her fingers were so relaxing against his back, and soon he was drifting off to sleep. Well, until she whispered his name.
“Jensen.”
He groaned. “What? Are you hot? Scoot over, you’re the one holding me.”
“No, it isn’t that.”
Still with his eyes shut, he asked, “Then what?”
“I told Shanna the truth.”
He opened one eye. “What truth?”
“That the baby wasn’t yours by blood.”
He opened his other eye, surprised by that. “Why?”
“I didn’t want to lie to her anymore. I wanted to be honest about why I didn’t tell her, that I had shut everyone out and even tried with you, but there was no shutting you out.”
He shrugged. “This is true.”
“And so, I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
He groaned. “The shutting me out part? Ugh, Wren, you gonna try that again?”
She glared, her little nose wrinkling as she shook her head. “No, dork, not that.”
“Then what?”
“About the douche that knocked me up.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he got on his elbows, looking at her, fully awake at that point. “Okay?”
“I don’t want to tell you. I was going to. I had every intention to, but the more I thought about it, the more I worried that when you looked at our son, you’d think of him. I’m worried I’ll do the same, but that’s my cross to bear, and I don’t want that to be on you. I want you to look at our son and see only me, to see only your love in his eyes. That may be selfish, or even stupid of me, but I don’t want to do that to you.”
His heart stilled in his chest. “So I know him?”
She looked down at his shoulder and shook her head. “I don’t want to answer that, Jensen, I really don’t. Please don’t ask me that again.”
His eyes searched hers, and when they started to well, he tried so damn hard to get past his jealousy of that fucker, to understand what she was saying, what she wanted for him because it was kind. It was sweet, and he appreciated that, but could he let it go? “I love you, Jensen, and you’re it for me. So, really, he doesn’t matter. Only us and Gunner.”
Holding her gaze, he didn’t know what to say. He wanted to be a good man, a great man for her, but could he get past this and be that man? Or would he be a jealous bastard? Even though she didn’t admit that he did know the guy, he couldn’t help but feel he did. Just like that, again, Bradley’s face came to mind, and he swore the anger that coursed through his body was worse than anything he had ever experienced.
And he had lived and grown up with Vaughn Johansson.
Gazing into Wren’s eyes, he knew that he loved her, and that he had to trust her wishes for them if he expected her to do the same. Things were moving, things were good. Could he really let this hold them back? Clearing his throat, he said, “Wren—”
But before he could go on, his phone was ringing. “What in the world? Who would call you this early? Or late?”
His heart sped up as he said, “Only Vaughn, Wells, or my mom.”
She sat up as he did the same, reaching for his phone as her heart dropped. “Mum?”
His mother spoke fast in French as his heart slowly but surely fell out of his chest. Looking up to Wren, he saw her eyes were full of worry as he spoke back just as quickly, trying to find out information about his father. Wren’s face mirrored exactly what he felt, completely terrified. The conversation was brief and to the point, but usually it was when his father found himself in the hospital. As he told his mom he loved her, he hung up and ran his hands down his face, fighting back the tears.
“Babe, what’s wrong? Is it your dad?”
He nodded, blinking back his tears as his heart jumped into his throat. “He spiked a fever this morning, Mum rushed him to the hospital, and they found a spot on the back of his leg that she must have been missing, and it’s terribly infected. She’s freaking out because she doesn’t know how she could have missed it, but Dad is saying it wasn’t her fault. That it’s where his leg was up against the chair or something.”
/> “But I saw her. She’d hold his whole leg and clean it. I helped, I never saw anything but what we cleaned. I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either. She said it’s right above the back of his knee,” he said, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes. He was just sick of his dad being sick. He wanted him to be healthy; he wanted the man he had grown up with. He felt like he didn’t get enough time with him since he was always in America with the Lemieres. A tear fell, and Wren made a sound of distress before wrapping her arms around his neck. Smothering his face in her neck, he inhaled deeply, getting lost in her intoxicating scent.
“What are they saying?”
Moving his face as she held him, he sniffed as he squeezed his eyes shut. “They’re pretty sure they’re gonna have to amputate his leg.”
“What?” she gasped, pulling back to look at him. “Is he healthy enough for that?’
“They say so. Mum won’t know more for a few hours. They’re waiting for some tests to come back.”
Wren let him go and scooted out of the bed, struggling to get up. But when she did, she went to turn on the light. “What are you doing?”
“Packing. Find us a flight.”
“Wren.”
“No, he needs us.”
“Wren, Wells’s wedding is in a matter of hours.”
She made a face. “I don’t care. This is your dad. He needs us, and damn it, Wells will understand that. Find us a flight.”
His heart, man, he couldn’t take the love that was suffocating him at the moment. “Baby.”
“Jensen, you heard me. Don’t fight me on this,” she said as she reached for her suitcase from under the bed, her ass perking up and doing crazy things to his heart.
“I asked Mum if I should come home since I wouldn’t ask you to miss your brother’s—”
“They are my family too,” she said simply, looking up at him as she stood. “Wells will understand. If you go, I go.”
His eyes welled up. “And miss your brother’s wedding? Your only brother?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes burning into his, and he could see she was holding back tears. “You are my husband. Where you go, I go,” she asserted once more.
