In the Crease
Page 10
“You’re delusional,” Vaughn laughed as Brie sat down, tucking her phone in her purse. “Where’d you go?”
“Phone call.” She looked a little stunned, and Brie never looked stunned. She was usually ready for anything. Except Vaughn. He kept her on her toes.
“Wren? It’s weird you two are buddies. Isn’t it weird?” Vaughn asked Jensen, and he shrugged.
“I don’t think so.”
“Neither do I. You just don’t like that she tells me all your old stories from when you were a kid,” Brie said.
Vaughn glared. “I do not.”
Jensen crossed his legs as the couple held each other’s gaze. It seemed like eons ago that the two of them were at each other’s throats about everything. Now, they were just in love. With a baby on the way. Something no one ever expected from Vaughn. He had always been the playboy. They thought he’d knock some chick up, but never the one he wanted. Or loved. It was nice, seeing his boy grow up, even if Jensen was green with envy.
“Told ya.”
“Whatever. What did she want?”
“Stalker.”
“I am not. I just want to know.”
“Well, I’m not telling you.”
“Is she okay?” Jensen found himself asking, and they both looked over at him. Vaughn gave him an annoyed look, while a small smile played on Brie’s lips.
“She’s fine.”
“Okay, cool,” he said simply, even though he really wanted to ask more.
Jesus, Wren Lemiere would be the death of him.
His best friend’s little sister had always had him in knots. He’d thought she was beautiful from the moment he met her. When he came into the Lemiere home so many years ago, he remembered his eyes falling right upon her. She was eleven, with dark green eyes, and dark hair that fell along her chin. She wore a tank that only went to her belly button, her little gut poking out from her jeans in almost a Winnie the Pooh sort of way. She looked up at him, a little curve to her lip that he knew would be his downfall—and it was. His whole life with the Lemieres, all she had to do was smile at him like that, and he was putty in her hands. He would do anything. Go against his best friends to keep her safe. He cared for her. More than he should have, but he did.
But he felt like he couldn’t hit on her or try to be with her when he lived with her parents. There were plenty of times when they were growing up, sharing an adjoining bathroom where it would have been way too easy to take her in his arms and press his lips to her thick ones, but he didn’t. That was disrespectful in his eyes, and he respected Elaine and Winston Lemiere like no other. They took him in, and they loved him as their own. So he kept to himself, despite his need for her.
When they got older, he had started dating Ophelia, and then he married her. Like a dumbass. After that, it just didn’t feel right around Wren. The timing, him, her… Instead, he was stuck pining for a girl that, in reality, he wasn’t man enough to be with.
Again, depressing as hell.
Now, he just worried for her. He still spoke to Elaine weekly, and she thought something was up with Wren. Since Wren wasn’t one to reach out to anyone, he wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t acting like her normal self. She basically only spoke to Brie, which he found odd since she had a best friend back home who was her world. Then she had him and Vaughn in Nashville with her, but she never reached out. But that was Wren. She kept him in knots—twenty-four seven. And the sad thing was, he wasn’t even reaping the benefits of her.
Instead, he sat across from his two in-love friends while he stewed in his own self-pity, wallowing about being lonely.
He was pathetic.
When their number was called, Vaughn hopped up to get the order and returned in a flash, laying the scrumptious food in front of all of them, and they dug in. Jensen was halfway through his hot chicken when Vaughn pinned him with a look. “So, bro.”
Jensen rolled his eyes. This was bound to be insightful.
“Yes?”
“I know you don’t think we brought you to lunch for shits and giggles.”
Jensen laughed. “I thought you enjoyed my company.”
Brie smiled as Vaughn shrugged. “Kinda, but we have business to discuss.”
“Oh Lord.”
Still giggling, Brie shook her head. “We also enjoy your company.”
“Thanks, Brie.”
She winked sweetly at him as Vaughn rolled his eyes. “As I was saying,” he said very dramatically, and it was so Vaughn. He had been this way since they were kids. Because of that, you either hated the dude, or you loved him. Jensen was part of the latter group. He’d take a bullet for the idiot. Also for Wells, and especially Wren. “So, I need you to change days with me for the Cup.”
Jensen’s face scrunched up. “I’m going home with mine.”
“I know, I figured, but hear me out,” he said, holding his hands up, probably because Jensen’s face read nothing but annoyance. They had discussed this a thousand times before picking dates. “We can both celebrate the Cup back in Colorado the week before Wells’s wedding.”
“Isn’t that what I said from the jump?”
“He did,” Brie added, and Jensen held his hand out to her.
“No comments needed from the peanut gallery.” She scoffed, and Vaughn grinned back at her before holding a finger up. “Yes, but that was before I got confirmation that I can rent out the rink. Now I can, so please switch me?”
“I’ll have to move my flight.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
“And my flight to Colorado?”
“That too. Please.”
Rolling his eyes, Jensen was aware they both knew he would say yes. That was what he did. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
Doing a fist pump, Vaughn let out a whoop. “You rock.”
“And you’re a three-year-old.”
“He is,” Brie agreed, to which Vaughn bit her exposed shoulder. Crying out, she smacked him as she laughed. “Stop.”
“You like it,” he challenged, and Brie grinned.
“I do.”
“Get a room.”
When Vaughn beamed back at him, Jensen almost regretted the words. “On to my next thing.”
“Jesus.”
Brie snickered as Vaughn went on. “I know this is going to be hard. Like, really hard on you. But, buddy, I’m sorry to say, we bought a house.”
“Phone call.” She looked a little stunned, and Brie never looked stunned. She was usually ready for anything. Except Vaughn. He kept her on her toes.
“Wren? It’s weird you two are buddies. Isn’t it weird?” Vaughn asked Jensen, and he shrugged.
“I don’t think so.”
“Neither do I. You just don’t like that she tells me all your old stories from when you were a kid,” Brie said.
Vaughn glared. “I do not.”
Jensen crossed his legs as the couple held each other’s gaze. It seemed like eons ago that the two of them were at each other’s throats about everything. Now, they were just in love. With a baby on the way. Something no one ever expected from Vaughn. He had always been the playboy. They thought he’d knock some chick up, but never the one he wanted. Or loved. It was nice, seeing his boy grow up, even if Jensen was green with envy.
“Told ya.”
“Whatever. What did she want?”
“Stalker.”
“I am not. I just want to know.”
“Well, I’m not telling you.”
“Is she okay?” Jensen found himself asking, and they both looked over at him. Vaughn gave him an annoyed look, while a small smile played on Brie’s lips.
“She’s fine.”
“Okay, cool,” he said simply, even though he really wanted to ask more.
Jesus, Wren Lemiere would be the death of him.
His best friend’s little sister had always had him in knots. He’d thought she was beautiful from the moment he met her. When he came into the Lemiere home so many years ago, he remembered his eyes falling right upon her. She was eleven, with dark green eyes, and dark hair that fell along her chin. She wore a tank that only went to her belly button, her little gut poking out from her jeans in almost a Winnie the Pooh sort of way. She looked up at him, a little curve to her lip that he knew would be his downfall—and it was. His whole life with the Lemieres, all she had to do was smile at him like that, and he was putty in her hands. He would do anything. Go against his best friends to keep her safe. He cared for her. More than he should have, but he did.
But he felt like he couldn’t hit on her or try to be with her when he lived with her parents. There were plenty of times when they were growing up, sharing an adjoining bathroom where it would have been way too easy to take her in his arms and press his lips to her thick ones, but he didn’t. That was disrespectful in his eyes, and he respected Elaine and Winston Lemiere like no other. They took him in, and they loved him as their own. So he kept to himself, despite his need for her.
When they got older, he had started dating Ophelia, and then he married her. Like a dumbass. After that, it just didn’t feel right around Wren. The timing, him, her… Instead, he was stuck pining for a girl that, in reality, he wasn’t man enough to be with.
Again, depressing as hell.
Now, he just worried for her. He still spoke to Elaine weekly, and she thought something was up with Wren. Since Wren wasn’t one to reach out to anyone, he wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t acting like her normal self. She basically only spoke to Brie, which he found odd since she had a best friend back home who was her world. Then she had him and Vaughn in Nashville with her, but she never reached out. But that was Wren. She kept him in knots—twenty-four seven. And the sad thing was, he wasn’t even reaping the benefits of her.
Instead, he sat across from his two in-love friends while he stewed in his own self-pity, wallowing about being lonely.
He was pathetic.
When their number was called, Vaughn hopped up to get the order and returned in a flash, laying the scrumptious food in front of all of them, and they dug in. Jensen was halfway through his hot chicken when Vaughn pinned him with a look. “So, bro.”
Jensen rolled his eyes. This was bound to be insightful.
“Yes?”
“I know you don’t think we brought you to lunch for shits and giggles.”
Jensen laughed. “I thought you enjoyed my company.”
Brie smiled as Vaughn shrugged. “Kinda, but we have business to discuss.”
“Oh Lord.”
Still giggling, Brie shook her head. “We also enjoy your company.”
“Thanks, Brie.”
She winked sweetly at him as Vaughn rolled his eyes. “As I was saying,” he said very dramatically, and it was so Vaughn. He had been this way since they were kids. Because of that, you either hated the dude, or you loved him. Jensen was part of the latter group. He’d take a bullet for the idiot. Also for Wells, and especially Wren. “So, I need you to change days with me for the Cup.”
Jensen’s face scrunched up. “I’m going home with mine.”
“I know, I figured, but hear me out,” he said, holding his hands up, probably because Jensen’s face read nothing but annoyance. They had discussed this a thousand times before picking dates. “We can both celebrate the Cup back in Colorado the week before Wells’s wedding.”
“Isn’t that what I said from the jump?”
“He did,” Brie added, and Jensen held his hand out to her.
“No comments needed from the peanut gallery.” She scoffed, and Vaughn grinned back at her before holding a finger up. “Yes, but that was before I got confirmation that I can rent out the rink. Now I can, so please switch me?”
“I’ll have to move my flight.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
“And my flight to Colorado?”
“That too. Please.”
Rolling his eyes, Jensen was aware they both knew he would say yes. That was what he did. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
Doing a fist pump, Vaughn let out a whoop. “You rock.”
“And you’re a three-year-old.”
“He is,” Brie agreed, to which Vaughn bit her exposed shoulder. Crying out, she smacked him as she laughed. “Stop.”
“You like it,” he challenged, and Brie grinned.
“I do.”
“Get a room.”
When Vaughn beamed back at him, Jensen almost regretted the words. “On to my next thing.”
“Jesus.”
Brie snickered as Vaughn went on. “I know this is going to be hard. Like, really hard on you. But, buddy, I’m sorry to say, we bought a house.”
