In the Crease
Page 17
Swallowing hard, he nodded as he found some paper. “But what if I can change the way she thinks?”
“Jensen, come on. That’s insane. It’s Wren. You’re walking into a clusterfuck, dude. This could be so bad,” Vaughn tried, but Jensen was shaking his head.
“Or it could be so good.”
“So you’re gonna play daddy to some douche’s kid?”
Holding the paper and pen in his hand, Jensen met his best friend’s gaze, tears clouding his eyes as he nodded slowly. “What if this is the only chance I get?”
Vaughn’s shoulders dropped. “Jenny. Come on.”
But Jensen shook his head, heading toward his room and shutting his door.
He understood Vaughn’s apprehension, hell, he had some of his own, but he knew from the moment Wren had asked for his help, he was going to help her.
He just wanted it on his terms.
Staring down at the sheet of notebook paper that had his terms listed, Jensen felt his heart in his throat. That was, until Tricksie licked half his face off before scooting beneath him to look down at the paper too. As she inhaled very dramatically, taking after her father, he smiled.
“I’m with you, girl,” he muttered as she leaned her head up, licking his jaw.
Tricksie was as annoying as her father, but like he did with Vaughn, Jensen thought the world of her. She was a good girl, and he’d probably miss her more than he missed Vaughn when they moved. He wasn’t sure how he got stuck watching her while they ran some things over to the new house, but he didn’t mind. She was nice company.
“What should I do, Tricksie?” She whimpered up at him, cuddling against his chest. “Yeah, I don’t know either.”
As he stared down at each bullet point, he knew Wren wouldn’t like it. As Vaughn had said, she might even agree just to get through it, but might never intend on sticking to their agreement. She wouldn’t screw him, but she wouldn’t even try to entertain his terms. She was a hard sell, Wren was. She had been hurt a billion times by assholes who only wanted sex. She had never in her life been loved right by a man. She always fooled with the guys who wanted to hide her since she was a little heavier or who just plain wanted to fuck her. No matter how many times everyone told her she was attracted to douches, she still went after them.
And got her heart broken.
He knew this, and he knew going into this wouldn’t be easy, but he had no choice.
He had to help her.
When his phone sounded, he looked down to see that it was his mom. His lips curved as he answered, “Hey, Mum.”
“Mon chou, how are you?”
Usually, if he couldn’t get ahold of Wells, he’d call his mom for help. But even he couldn’t ask her for help on this. She would lose her mind and probably call Elaine. “I’ve been better.”
“What? What do you mean? You just won the Cup, you’re coming home in a couple weeks, and we’re having a big party. You should be happy.”
“I mean, I am, but I’m in a predicament.”
He could basically hear the gears in her head turning. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t really talk about it, Mum. I’m sorry.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are Vaughn and Wells okay?”
“They are,” he answered with a smile. They were as much her kids as he was. “I’ll figure it out.”
“I can help.”
“I know,” he said softly, running his hands along Tricksie’s dark fur. “I gotta do it on my own, though.”
“Okay. Well, like I always say, follow your heart, okay?”
He nodded, pressing his nose into Tricksie’s head. His heart said to do it, not to look back and just to help her. But his brain was begging him to make sure he protected that crazy thing that was his fragile heart. His heart had a habit of making him look like a dumbass. “Okay, Mum.”
“Good, now the reason I’m calling,” she said, clearing her throat. “You’re sure Wells isn’t upset we can’t come to the wedding?”
Jensen laughed. “Yes, Mum, everyone knows Dad isn’t up to travel. It’s fine.”
“I’ll send him lots of money.”
“He’ll love that.”
“And some glitter. Elaine said he wants doves with glitter or something.”
“Of course he does,” Jensen said, shaking his head. His best friend was very eccentric and awesome, and shit, what if Wells hated him because of all this? “It’s fine, I promise.”
“Okay, good. Are you sure I can’t help?”
“Yes, Mum. Thank you.”
“Sure?”
“Yes,” he laughed, and she chuckled softly. Man, he missed her.
“Fine, well, I’ll let you go, but call me if you need me.”
“I always will.”
“Good, I can’t wait to squeeze you!”
“Me either, Mum,” he laughed as they said bye, and he hung up. Throwing his phone onto the bed, he looked down once more at his notepad and exhaled loudly.
“Follow my heart,” he said aloud, which made Tricksie look up at him with her big brown eyes. “My heart leads to her.”
And he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
The following day, Wren leaned back in the plush chair as Brie set her with a look. Wren had somehow gotten wrangled into coffee, which she felt was a bit annoying. Brie was relentless when it came to getting information, but apparently, after their dinner, there was still more info to get. In Wren’s mind, though, Bradley didn’t exist, and the baby was given to her by the stork.
“The stork did not impregnate you.” Brie glared as she leaned back in her own chair, not showing a bit but still wearing a shirt that claimed “Don’t eat watermelon seeds. This happens.” with an arrow pointing to nothing but her vagina, but Wren wasn’t going to be the one to point that out. “Tell me the truth.”
“You don’t know him,” Wren said, frustrated since they had been on this subject for probably seven hours. “He doesn’t matter.”
“Was he a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“A friend?”
“Kinda.”
“And he didn’t want it?”
“Jensen, come on. That’s insane. It’s Wren. You’re walking into a clusterfuck, dude. This could be so bad,” Vaughn tried, but Jensen was shaking his head.
“Or it could be so good.”
“So you’re gonna play daddy to some douche’s kid?”
Holding the paper and pen in his hand, Jensen met his best friend’s gaze, tears clouding his eyes as he nodded slowly. “What if this is the only chance I get?”
Vaughn’s shoulders dropped. “Jenny. Come on.”
But Jensen shook his head, heading toward his room and shutting his door.
He understood Vaughn’s apprehension, hell, he had some of his own, but he knew from the moment Wren had asked for his help, he was going to help her.
He just wanted it on his terms.
Staring down at the sheet of notebook paper that had his terms listed, Jensen felt his heart in his throat. That was, until Tricksie licked half his face off before scooting beneath him to look down at the paper too. As she inhaled very dramatically, taking after her father, he smiled.
“I’m with you, girl,” he muttered as she leaned her head up, licking his jaw.
Tricksie was as annoying as her father, but like he did with Vaughn, Jensen thought the world of her. She was a good girl, and he’d probably miss her more than he missed Vaughn when they moved. He wasn’t sure how he got stuck watching her while they ran some things over to the new house, but he didn’t mind. She was nice company.
“What should I do, Tricksie?” She whimpered up at him, cuddling against his chest. “Yeah, I don’t know either.”
As he stared down at each bullet point, he knew Wren wouldn’t like it. As Vaughn had said, she might even agree just to get through it, but might never intend on sticking to their agreement. She wouldn’t screw him, but she wouldn’t even try to entertain his terms. She was a hard sell, Wren was. She had been hurt a billion times by assholes who only wanted sex. She had never in her life been loved right by a man. She always fooled with the guys who wanted to hide her since she was a little heavier or who just plain wanted to fuck her. No matter how many times everyone told her she was attracted to douches, she still went after them.
And got her heart broken.
He knew this, and he knew going into this wouldn’t be easy, but he had no choice.
He had to help her.
When his phone sounded, he looked down to see that it was his mom. His lips curved as he answered, “Hey, Mum.”
“Mon chou, how are you?”
Usually, if he couldn’t get ahold of Wells, he’d call his mom for help. But even he couldn’t ask her for help on this. She would lose her mind and probably call Elaine. “I’ve been better.”
“What? What do you mean? You just won the Cup, you’re coming home in a couple weeks, and we’re having a big party. You should be happy.”
“I mean, I am, but I’m in a predicament.”
He could basically hear the gears in her head turning. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t really talk about it, Mum. I’m sorry.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are Vaughn and Wells okay?”
“They are,” he answered with a smile. They were as much her kids as he was. “I’ll figure it out.”
“I can help.”
“I know,” he said softly, running his hands along Tricksie’s dark fur. “I gotta do it on my own, though.”
“Okay. Well, like I always say, follow your heart, okay?”
He nodded, pressing his nose into Tricksie’s head. His heart said to do it, not to look back and just to help her. But his brain was begging him to make sure he protected that crazy thing that was his fragile heart. His heart had a habit of making him look like a dumbass. “Okay, Mum.”
“Good, now the reason I’m calling,” she said, clearing her throat. “You’re sure Wells isn’t upset we can’t come to the wedding?”
Jensen laughed. “Yes, Mum, everyone knows Dad isn’t up to travel. It’s fine.”
“I’ll send him lots of money.”
“He’ll love that.”
“And some glitter. Elaine said he wants doves with glitter or something.”
“Of course he does,” Jensen said, shaking his head. His best friend was very eccentric and awesome, and shit, what if Wells hated him because of all this? “It’s fine, I promise.”
“Okay, good. Are you sure I can’t help?”
“Yes, Mum. Thank you.”
“Sure?”
“Yes,” he laughed, and she chuckled softly. Man, he missed her.
“Fine, well, I’ll let you go, but call me if you need me.”
“I always will.”
“Good, I can’t wait to squeeze you!”
“Me either, Mum,” he laughed as they said bye, and he hung up. Throwing his phone onto the bed, he looked down once more at his notepad and exhaled loudly.
“Follow my heart,” he said aloud, which made Tricksie look up at him with her big brown eyes. “My heart leads to her.”
And he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
The following day, Wren leaned back in the plush chair as Brie set her with a look. Wren had somehow gotten wrangled into coffee, which she felt was a bit annoying. Brie was relentless when it came to getting information, but apparently, after their dinner, there was still more info to get. In Wren’s mind, though, Bradley didn’t exist, and the baby was given to her by the stork.
“The stork did not impregnate you.” Brie glared as she leaned back in her own chair, not showing a bit but still wearing a shirt that claimed “Don’t eat watermelon seeds. This happens.” with an arrow pointing to nothing but her vagina, but Wren wasn’t going to be the one to point that out. “Tell me the truth.”
“You don’t know him,” Wren said, frustrated since they had been on this subject for probably seven hours. “He doesn’t matter.”
“Was he a boyfriend?”
“No.”
“A friend?”
“Kinda.”
“And he didn’t want it?”
