In the Crease
Page 13
“Totally agree.”
“But our friends are not boring. Did you hear Brie and Vaughn are moving?”
“Yup.”
“Apparently, I was supposed to be torn up about it.”
“Of course you were.” He laughed and she chuckled. Vaughn was so dramatic. “But I’m guessing not.”
“Not having to listen to those two go at it? No, I’ll be good.”
“You can hear them?”
“Yes, they are so loud. It’s obnoxious.”
“That is hilarious.”
“Says you, the person that doesn’t have to hear, ‘Call me The Legend!’”
She laughed so hard she almost spat out her water. “No! You’re lying.”
“Ask Brie. It’s pathetic. His ego is beyond words.”
“He’s your best friend.”
“I know. I love the fucker.” They shared a small laugh as he leaned on his elbows, taking a swig of his water. This was them. They were easy, which was why he would be perfect for this. “So, what’s up with you?”
She swallowed hard, not ready to ask. “Like I said, boring as hell over here.”
He scoffed as their food was brought out. “That was quick.”
“Yeah, y’all came in at the perfect time. It’s the start of my shift,” the waitress said with another flirty smile.
“Awesome, perks to being late,” Wren said, and Jensen laughed a little as he reached for his fork.
“I was actually watching Game of Thrones and lost track of time. Which is totally unlike me.”
She groaned loudly. “Jenny! Come on! We were the last to get on the GOT train.”
“I know, fucking Vaughn and Brie.”
“Assholes.”
“I hate them.”
“All of them.”
They shared a comfortable smile before digging in. The food was perfection as always and hit all the right spots. Kiddo was a happy camper, which meant so was Wren. When Jensen pointed his knife to her, she looked up, surprised. “Am I in trouble?”
He laughed. “No, but Wells said you might miss our Cup day back home.”
“Between him and my mom, I’m going to scream. Everything is so up in the air.”
“But it’s his wedding and our Cup day, you have to be there.”
She exhaled loudly. “I know.”
“So you will.”
“I probably will. I gotta figure some things out.”
“Like what?”
She swallowed hard before running her tongue along her teeth, cleaning out a piece of kale.
That was hot.
Looking up at him, she felt her heart in her throat as her mouth went dry. Man, he was pretty, but besides that, things were good between them. It wasn’t like with Vaughn. He was an idiot, but he was her idiot, and he wouldn’t care one way or another when it ended. She would for sure never fall for the guy, but it was way different with Jensen. He had a soft soul. A sweet heart. He was a good guy, and she could fall. But she sure as hell didn’t want to burden him with something that would hurt him in the end.
But it was either ask him or hire a gigolo.
Damn Vaughn.
“Um, stuff.”
He laughed. “Wren, it’s me. Come on.”
“Actually, that’s why I asked you here.”
He drew his brows in. “Oh, so not because I’m awesome company? I’m starting to think I suck.”
He laughed and she smiled. “You’re amazing company, you are, but I need to talk to you about something. Or better yet, ask you for basically the hugest favor ever.”
He looked a little defeated in a way, but it was gone before he shrugged. “Shoot.”
She bit her lips as she nervously played with her hands. How was she going to say this?
“Wren, stop fiddling with your hands, and talk to me. You’re making me uneasy.”
She laughed anxiously. “Well, Jensen…”
“Yeah, Wren?”
She looked up, meeting his sweet gaze, and then in a burst of word vomit, she said, “See, the thing is, I kind of need you to marry me and act like the father of the kid I’m pregnant with so I can get my inheritance. And I swear, you’ll be off the hook in like four months. I just gotta have the kid, and then you can run. I’ll pay you, and we can act like it never happened. You don’t have to even kiss me, maybe like a smooch on the cheek here and there so my mom and dad think we’re in love. And I’ll take all the blame when we end it. I’ll say I cheated like a dumb whore or something, and they’ll believe it. The thing is, you have to lie, and I know that really isn’t your style, but yeah, please?”
When his jaw dropped, she snapped her mouth shut as his eyes bored into hers.
Well, that was one way of asking him.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Jensen’s heart stopped. He was pretty sure somewhere in the rambling mess his best friend’s sister had just muttered, she’d said she was pregnant. But maybe he’d heard her wrong. Because Wren, pregnant?
What?
No.
“Which part didn’t you get?” she asked slowly, and when her eyes started to cloud with tears, he was out of his seat instantly, coming to her side. Bending down to his knees, he looked up at her. Thank God the place was clearing out. “No, you can stay in your seat,” she tried, but he ignored her, taking her hands in his.
“From the beginning. Not the rambling. Tell me what’s going on.”
Her bottom lip trembled as she looked down at the table. “I’m pregnant.”
It was as if he had been slammed in the chest. With the biggest hammer. Like, a Thor hammer. Yeah, that was big enough to cause the devastating ache that burned in his chest. Biting his lip, he nodded his head. “Okay. How far along?”
Her face scrunched up as she swallowed hard. “Six months.”
His jaw dropped for the second time in the past five minutes. “Six months.”
“Yeah.” She tried to look at him, but it was only for a second before she looked away. “I know, it’s bad.”
“By whom?”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s scum.”
“Okay, no one knows, I assume.”
“No one,” she said, swallowing hard. “Well, Brie and Vaughn. But Brie just found out like last night.”
“But our friends are not boring. Did you hear Brie and Vaughn are moving?”
“Yup.”
“Apparently, I was supposed to be torn up about it.”
“Of course you were.” He laughed and she chuckled. Vaughn was so dramatic. “But I’m guessing not.”
“Not having to listen to those two go at it? No, I’ll be good.”
“You can hear them?”
“Yes, they are so loud. It’s obnoxious.”
“That is hilarious.”
“Says you, the person that doesn’t have to hear, ‘Call me The Legend!’”
She laughed so hard she almost spat out her water. “No! You’re lying.”
“Ask Brie. It’s pathetic. His ego is beyond words.”
“He’s your best friend.”
“I know. I love the fucker.” They shared a small laugh as he leaned on his elbows, taking a swig of his water. This was them. They were easy, which was why he would be perfect for this. “So, what’s up with you?”
She swallowed hard, not ready to ask. “Like I said, boring as hell over here.”
He scoffed as their food was brought out. “That was quick.”
“Yeah, y’all came in at the perfect time. It’s the start of my shift,” the waitress said with another flirty smile.
“Awesome, perks to being late,” Wren said, and Jensen laughed a little as he reached for his fork.
“I was actually watching Game of Thrones and lost track of time. Which is totally unlike me.”
She groaned loudly. “Jenny! Come on! We were the last to get on the GOT train.”
“I know, fucking Vaughn and Brie.”
“Assholes.”
“I hate them.”
“All of them.”
They shared a comfortable smile before digging in. The food was perfection as always and hit all the right spots. Kiddo was a happy camper, which meant so was Wren. When Jensen pointed his knife to her, she looked up, surprised. “Am I in trouble?”
He laughed. “No, but Wells said you might miss our Cup day back home.”
“Between him and my mom, I’m going to scream. Everything is so up in the air.”
“But it’s his wedding and our Cup day, you have to be there.”
She exhaled loudly. “I know.”
“So you will.”
“I probably will. I gotta figure some things out.”
“Like what?”
She swallowed hard before running her tongue along her teeth, cleaning out a piece of kale.
That was hot.
Looking up at him, she felt her heart in her throat as her mouth went dry. Man, he was pretty, but besides that, things were good between them. It wasn’t like with Vaughn. He was an idiot, but he was her idiot, and he wouldn’t care one way or another when it ended. She would for sure never fall for the guy, but it was way different with Jensen. He had a soft soul. A sweet heart. He was a good guy, and she could fall. But she sure as hell didn’t want to burden him with something that would hurt him in the end.
But it was either ask him or hire a gigolo.
Damn Vaughn.
“Um, stuff.”
He laughed. “Wren, it’s me. Come on.”
“Actually, that’s why I asked you here.”
He drew his brows in. “Oh, so not because I’m awesome company? I’m starting to think I suck.”
He laughed and she smiled. “You’re amazing company, you are, but I need to talk to you about something. Or better yet, ask you for basically the hugest favor ever.”
He looked a little defeated in a way, but it was gone before he shrugged. “Shoot.”
She bit her lips as she nervously played with her hands. How was she going to say this?
“Wren, stop fiddling with your hands, and talk to me. You’re making me uneasy.”
She laughed anxiously. “Well, Jensen…”
“Yeah, Wren?”
She looked up, meeting his sweet gaze, and then in a burst of word vomit, she said, “See, the thing is, I kind of need you to marry me and act like the father of the kid I’m pregnant with so I can get my inheritance. And I swear, you’ll be off the hook in like four months. I just gotta have the kid, and then you can run. I’ll pay you, and we can act like it never happened. You don’t have to even kiss me, maybe like a smooch on the cheek here and there so my mom and dad think we’re in love. And I’ll take all the blame when we end it. I’ll say I cheated like a dumb whore or something, and they’ll believe it. The thing is, you have to lie, and I know that really isn’t your style, but yeah, please?”
When his jaw dropped, she snapped her mouth shut as his eyes bored into hers.
Well, that was one way of asking him.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Jensen’s heart stopped. He was pretty sure somewhere in the rambling mess his best friend’s sister had just muttered, she’d said she was pregnant. But maybe he’d heard her wrong. Because Wren, pregnant?
What?
No.
“Which part didn’t you get?” she asked slowly, and when her eyes started to cloud with tears, he was out of his seat instantly, coming to her side. Bending down to his knees, he looked up at her. Thank God the place was clearing out. “No, you can stay in your seat,” she tried, but he ignored her, taking her hands in his.
“From the beginning. Not the rambling. Tell me what’s going on.”
Her bottom lip trembled as she looked down at the table. “I’m pregnant.”
It was as if he had been slammed in the chest. With the biggest hammer. Like, a Thor hammer. Yeah, that was big enough to cause the devastating ache that burned in his chest. Biting his lip, he nodded his head. “Okay. How far along?”
Her face scrunched up as she swallowed hard. “Six months.”
His jaw dropped for the second time in the past five minutes. “Six months.”
“Yeah.” She tried to look at him, but it was only for a second before she looked away. “I know, it’s bad.”
“By whom?”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s scum.”
“Okay, no one knows, I assume.”
“No one,” she said, swallowing hard. “Well, Brie and Vaughn. But Brie just found out like last night.”
