In the Crease
Page 57
“Kiddo, I love you, I do. But man, you are making my hormones turn me into a fucking crybaby who has no clue what to do with her life, and that’s not good, man. I gotta figure this out.”
Or she was going to be alone.
Looking down at the pile of bills on the counter, Wren closed her eyes as she sucked on the spoon full of ice cream, tears dripping down her face. She’d made the mistake of stopping by her mailbox for her mail. Inside was bill after bill—and the biggest one from their trip to the baby store. She wouldn’t let Jensen pay, and because of that, her credit card was maxed out. Her first thought was she’d pay it off with the money from her trust, and that opened up the waterworks.
What if they got home and her dad saw right through them, not giving her their money? What if Jensen was wasting his time? What if she was dumb enough to fall for him, and he decided at the end, when she was flabby from having a baby, that he didn’t want her? God, why was she such a fucking mess?
Today sucked.
“Pity party for two. Sorry, kiddo, you’re in this because you’re inside me.”
When the front door opened and Wren saw Jensen coming through it, she turned away quickly, wiping her face as she walked, hoping he didn’t see her crying. She hadn’t expected him to be home yet since he said he would call. So, of course, she was in the middle of the kitchen with a container of ice cream and tears flowing from the day that had turned her into an emotional mess.
“Whoa, where you going?”
“Nowhere,” she said, turning around once she was sure her tears were gone. “I thought I had to pee.”
His brows were drawn in, his arms carrying two bags from her favorite taco place. “The bathroom is right here,” he said, pointing to the bathroom that was right beside the door and so much closer than the one in the bedroom. “So, want to try that again?” Setting the bags down, he came around the counter as his eyes held hers. “Are you crying?”
“No.”
“Yes?”
“Maybe.”
“Why?” he asked, leaning his hip to the counter, his eyes never leaving hers. “What’s wrong?”
“I had a tough day,” she said slowly, shaking her head as she placed her container of ice cream on the counter. “And it sucked and I’m emotional and it’s weird because I can’t stop crying. I think I’ve cried more today than I have my whole life.”
Coming off the counter, he reached for her. “Come here.”
But she held her hands up. “No. I can’t think when you hold me.”
“More of a reason to come here,” he decided, taking her hands and pulling her into his arms. The warmth of him was intoxicating, and she instantly felt safe as his arms went around her completely. How did he do that? “We can dance.”
She made a face against his shoulder as her tears started to fall once more. “There’s no music.”
He paused then, taking out his phone and hitting play before laying it on the counter. Something soft and slow started, she wasn’t sure, she hadn’t heard the song before as he started to sway with her. Instantly, she was taken back to the New Year’s Eve party Elli had thrown, the way Jensen had taken her out to the dance floor and danced with her then. He didn’t say much, and he sure as hell didn’t try anything, but he never left her side. He was there.
Just like he had been then.
“What song is this?”
“‘Sometimes It’s Hard’ by Jamie Lawson.”
“Oh, it’s nice.”
“It is,” he agreed. “I listen to it when I stretch. It’s calming.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, closing her eyes as she leaned on him. The music was beautiful and so very calming. But the words, man, they hit her right in the soul. She hadn’t heard of this guy, but she figured he knew her and her situation before deciding to write a song about it. Getting lost in the song, she held on to Jensen as they swayed together in the kitchen. It was silly, but soon her tears dried against her cheeks as her heart gradually slowed in her chest.
Leaning his head to her, he inhaled slowly before whispering, “Now tell me what happened today.”
She leaned into him, closing her eyes. He smelled divine, and he felt so damn strong, holding her like she was a feather against him. “You can’t ever tell anyone I told you this. Even if you are my husband, it’s player confidentiality.”
“Of course.”
“Tate decided to retire today.”
He exhaled hard, shaking his head. “That’s a fucking shame.”
“Yeah, but he’s in so much pain, and seeing him almost in tears as he chose his family over the sport he loved just gutted me.”
He nodded against her. “I can imagine. That guts me just thinking about it.”
“It sucked.”
“It does.”
Swallowing hard, she swayed with him, her fingers tucking into the belt loops of his shorts. “What else happened?”
“How do you know that something else happened?”
“While I know you love your job, that’s not the only thing to have you crying in the kitchen ignoring the tacos on the counter.”
“We’re dancing.”
“It’s tacos, Wren.”
She smiled against his shoulder. “You know me so well.”
“I do.”
“I miss Wells.”
His shoulders fell a bit. “I’m sorry.”
“And Shanna. But I know Wells and I will work it out before Shanna and me.”
“Maybe you can call them both?”
“I don’t know.”
“Want me to call them?”
She smiled. “No. It’s my responsibility.”
“I can handle Wells, and you can take Shanna.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine.”
“Okay.”
“But thank you.”
“Always.” She let out a long breath and then leaned her head back into his chest. “Is that it?”
She pressed her lips together as his chin rested on top of her head. “I went by my mailbox.”
“Oh, good, you’ve been meaning to do that.”
“Yeah, but it was bills galore in that sucker.”
“Give them to me, I’ll pay them.”
Or she was going to be alone.
Looking down at the pile of bills on the counter, Wren closed her eyes as she sucked on the spoon full of ice cream, tears dripping down her face. She’d made the mistake of stopping by her mailbox for her mail. Inside was bill after bill—and the biggest one from their trip to the baby store. She wouldn’t let Jensen pay, and because of that, her credit card was maxed out. Her first thought was she’d pay it off with the money from her trust, and that opened up the waterworks.
What if they got home and her dad saw right through them, not giving her their money? What if Jensen was wasting his time? What if she was dumb enough to fall for him, and he decided at the end, when she was flabby from having a baby, that he didn’t want her? God, why was she such a fucking mess?
Today sucked.
“Pity party for two. Sorry, kiddo, you’re in this because you’re inside me.”
When the front door opened and Wren saw Jensen coming through it, she turned away quickly, wiping her face as she walked, hoping he didn’t see her crying. She hadn’t expected him to be home yet since he said he would call. So, of course, she was in the middle of the kitchen with a container of ice cream and tears flowing from the day that had turned her into an emotional mess.
“Whoa, where you going?”
“Nowhere,” she said, turning around once she was sure her tears were gone. “I thought I had to pee.”
His brows were drawn in, his arms carrying two bags from her favorite taco place. “The bathroom is right here,” he said, pointing to the bathroom that was right beside the door and so much closer than the one in the bedroom. “So, want to try that again?” Setting the bags down, he came around the counter as his eyes held hers. “Are you crying?”
“No.”
“Yes?”
“Maybe.”
“Why?” he asked, leaning his hip to the counter, his eyes never leaving hers. “What’s wrong?”
“I had a tough day,” she said slowly, shaking her head as she placed her container of ice cream on the counter. “And it sucked and I’m emotional and it’s weird because I can’t stop crying. I think I’ve cried more today than I have my whole life.”
Coming off the counter, he reached for her. “Come here.”
But she held her hands up. “No. I can’t think when you hold me.”
“More of a reason to come here,” he decided, taking her hands and pulling her into his arms. The warmth of him was intoxicating, and she instantly felt safe as his arms went around her completely. How did he do that? “We can dance.”
She made a face against his shoulder as her tears started to fall once more. “There’s no music.”
He paused then, taking out his phone and hitting play before laying it on the counter. Something soft and slow started, she wasn’t sure, she hadn’t heard the song before as he started to sway with her. Instantly, she was taken back to the New Year’s Eve party Elli had thrown, the way Jensen had taken her out to the dance floor and danced with her then. He didn’t say much, and he sure as hell didn’t try anything, but he never left her side. He was there.
Just like he had been then.
“What song is this?”
“‘Sometimes It’s Hard’ by Jamie Lawson.”
“Oh, it’s nice.”
“It is,” he agreed. “I listen to it when I stretch. It’s calming.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, closing her eyes as she leaned on him. The music was beautiful and so very calming. But the words, man, they hit her right in the soul. She hadn’t heard of this guy, but she figured he knew her and her situation before deciding to write a song about it. Getting lost in the song, she held on to Jensen as they swayed together in the kitchen. It was silly, but soon her tears dried against her cheeks as her heart gradually slowed in her chest.
Leaning his head to her, he inhaled slowly before whispering, “Now tell me what happened today.”
She leaned into him, closing her eyes. He smelled divine, and he felt so damn strong, holding her like she was a feather against him. “You can’t ever tell anyone I told you this. Even if you are my husband, it’s player confidentiality.”
“Of course.”
“Tate decided to retire today.”
He exhaled hard, shaking his head. “That’s a fucking shame.”
“Yeah, but he’s in so much pain, and seeing him almost in tears as he chose his family over the sport he loved just gutted me.”
He nodded against her. “I can imagine. That guts me just thinking about it.”
“It sucked.”
“It does.”
Swallowing hard, she swayed with him, her fingers tucking into the belt loops of his shorts. “What else happened?”
“How do you know that something else happened?”
“While I know you love your job, that’s not the only thing to have you crying in the kitchen ignoring the tacos on the counter.”
“We’re dancing.”
“It’s tacos, Wren.”
She smiled against his shoulder. “You know me so well.”
“I do.”
“I miss Wells.”
His shoulders fell a bit. “I’m sorry.”
“And Shanna. But I know Wells and I will work it out before Shanna and me.”
“Maybe you can call them both?”
“I don’t know.”
“Want me to call them?”
She smiled. “No. It’s my responsibility.”
“I can handle Wells, and you can take Shanna.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine.”
“Okay.”
“But thank you.”
“Always.” She let out a long breath and then leaned her head back into his chest. “Is that it?”
She pressed her lips together as his chin rested on top of her head. “I went by my mailbox.”
“Oh, good, you’ve been meaning to do that.”
“Yeah, but it was bills galore in that sucker.”
“Give them to me, I’ll pay them.”
