18. Wren
18
WREN
“Fuck my life,” I grumble after hanging up with Jaxson. He was pissed over Stefan’s antics from last night, but I’ve managed to get him back on team Stefan without telling him about the baby. I did so by mentioning an ex-bunny resurfacing and Stefan and, well, then he handled it how Stefan does, by self-imploding.
Stefan and I agreed it’s best to keep the baby news and details of Alicia quiet until he meets with his lawyer. He has an appointment to meet with him on Tuesday, and Jaxson and I are scheduled to chat again after the lawyer visit. Depending on how that goes, we may or may not tell Jaxson, it’s up to Stefan to make that decision.
Before we hung up, Jaxson asked me what I think of this woman who’s popped back into Stefan’s life. I told him exactly what I think, “Jaxson, that woman is a scheming conniving bitch. I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her. I’d bet everything I have this is a ploy for fame and money.”
He agrees and then asked me to pay attention to Alicia, but I’d already decided to do that. My spidey senses are on high alert when it comes to this woman. Now I need to find a way to broach the topic with Stefan that will not cause him to go off the rails, again.
Needing a drink, I walk into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the fridge, but then I see the wine in the door and decide wine is what I need. I pop the water back onto the shelf, grab the wine, and pour myself a glass. Taking a sip, I instantly relax. Leaning against the counter, I sip on my wine and think over the day. I did not have this on my Stefan bingo card.
Finishing my wine, I think about what I want to do for the rest of the afternoon. My book and another wine up on the rooftop sounds like a fabulous idea, but then I remember Stefan’s up there. Like Stefan, the rooftop has become my spot to get away and forget the world. I hem and haw as to whether I can interrupt him and decide that I deserve a break too.
Racing up to my room, I change into a bright red, halter one-piece. I’m about to head up to the deck when I realize I left my drink downstairs, so I head back down to the kitchen and grab it. I decide to grab a few beers for Stefan too, a peace offering of sorts.
With drinks in hand, I head back up. I’m huffing near the top and decide Stefan needs to put an elevator in. I’m pooped by the time I make it back up the two flights of stairs, and when I step outside, I see he’s in his spot with his head back and eyes closed.
Standing here with our drinks in hand, I watch him for a few beats. His face is tense, and I guess that’s due to the baby bomb. He must sense my presence because he lifts his head and stares at me.
“Mind if I join you?” I ask, but he doesn’t answer. “I brought drinks.” I lift the drinks in my hand up. He still doesn’t say anything, he just watches me but finally he nods and speaks.
“Well, you brought drinks, I can’t turn you away now.”
Smirking at him, I shake my head and place the wine and his beers into the mini fridge up here. Refilling my glass, I grab one of the beers for him and hand him one before I place my glass on the edge. Lifting my leg up, I climb in but my foot slips and I lose my balance. My arms flail about and I begin to fall and then I’m not. I’m held suspended in the air by a pair of muscular arms. Stefan leaped up and saved me from falling out of the hot tub and cracking my head open.
He holds me in his arms and I gaze up into his brown eyes. “You have gold flecks around your pupils,” I mumble.
“And yours are an electric blue in this light.”
We continue to stare into each other’s eyes. The moment is almost romantic but as quickly as that thought appears, I’m back on my feet and Stefan is shuffling back to his side of the hot tub.
“Thanks for saving me,” I tell him as I take my seat. Lying back, my body relaxes and I sigh in contentment.
“You’d do the same,” he replies, taking a sip from his beer.
Looking to the side, I frown because during my recent trip, I knocked my wine over and now I have no drink.
“Why do you look like your dog just died?”
“Because I knocked my wine over and now I have to get out and get another one.” But before I can blink, Stefan jumps up and climbs out. Water sluices down his body, and I watch with rapt attention as the water droplets cascade over each ripple of his abs.
Shaking off the last of the water, he walks over to the fridge and grabs my wine bottle. Then he opens the freezer compartment and pulls out a bucket and adds some ice from the ice maker because, yes, he has a built-in ice maker on his rooftop deck. Placing my bottle of wine and a couple of beers into the bucket, he walks back over to the tub.
Reaching out, he picks up my glass and refills it. He hands me my glass and when our fingers brush, a spark jolts between us, but as quickly as it was there it’s gone again. Placing my wine back into the bucket, he grabs himself another beer.
Climbing back in, he returns to his spot and leans back. Sipping on his beer he stares off into the distance, returning to his thoughts from before I disturbed his peace.
“You okay?” I finally ask, the silence becoming too much.
“Mmmhmpf,” he replies.
“So that’s a no then?” He opens his eyes and stares over at me and shrugs. “Wanna talk about it?”
“What would I even say?”
“Whatever you’re feeling,” I honestly tell him.
“You want honesty?” Nodding, I wait. “Okay then, I’m feeling every emotion possible at the moment. I’m pissed at her for not telling me when she first found out. I’m excited at the prospect of having a son but at the same time, I’m scared fucking shitless at having a son. Then there’s the worry about how the world is going to react. Everyone is going to say ‘ha, the puckhead finally came unstuck’ and they’re going to want to know everything about my lil’ man and there’s nothing I can do to protect him from vultures like Margaret. That enough for you?”
“Do you feel better after getting all of that off your chest?”
He stares at me and thinks over my question. “Actually, I do.”
“Then my job here is done.”
“So you’re moving out?”
“Well, that portion of my job is not done and with this new development, I think you need me more than ever. You feel like you’re spiraling, you come to me. You don’t do what you did last night. Is that how you want your son to see you?”
“God, no,” he refutes. “I want him to look up at me with awe.”
“Then listen to me and we can make that happen.”
He nods and takes another sip of his beer. “Thank you,” he murmurs.
“For what?” I’m kinda confused now as to why he’s thanking me.
“For always having my back. I know I’m not the easiest person to be around and I sometimes do stupid things?—”
“Only sometimes?” I cheekily interrupt.
“Hardy har har, Wren. But seriously, the old me would still be out on my bender but when I was lying on the beach, I started thinking about SJ.”
“SJ?”
“Stefan Junior,” he says with a smile.
“That’s corny, even for you.”
“Well, I need to think of a name for him and that’s all I’ve got for now.”
“It’s a great name, Stefan,” I deadpan, we both chuckle. “But I think you better discuss names with his mother.” At the mention of her, I decide to just rip the Band-Aid off. “Speaking of her, what are you going to do about her and her partner? And are you...” But I stop myself before I blurt out what I really think because I don’t want to upset him again but, at the same time, I need him to think clearly.
“Are you what?”
“Are you sure he’s yours?” He mutely stares at me, processing my question. “You said it yourself, Stefan, you vaguely remember your night with her and you’ve always stated that you wrap it every time.”
“Why would she lie?”
“Are you really asking that?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Stefan, you’re a big-time hockey player. You earn in one game more than she’s likely to earn in her entire life. This could be an easy cash grab for them.”
“Or she really could be pregnant with my son, and if I come across as a cunt I will miss out on seeing my son grow up.”
“Don’t use the ‘c’ word, it’s vulgar.”
“What should I use then?”
“In this instance, there are many options. Asshole. Douche. Fuckface. Fucktard. Douchehole. Twat. Take your pick but whatever word you choose, get a paternity test before you fall in love with him … or even her.”
“Are you jealous?” he snaps at me.
“Why would I be jealous?”
“I see the way you look at me.”
“And how’s that?”
“Like you want to fuck me and live happily ever after with me.”
“You really think that highly of yourself, don’t you?” He shrugs and that shoulder movement pisses me off more than his words. “Fuck you, Stefan,” I hiss.
Standing up, I climb out of the tub and grab my towel. Wrapping it around my body, I storm toward the stairs but before I head back inside, I turn back to him. “For what it’s worth, I really hope you are the dad because when you talk about the baby, you get a glow in your eyes that I have only ever seen when you’re on the ice. This could be good for you but at the same time, I worry you’re being taken for a ride and as your friend, I want you to be careful.”
With my piece said, I head inside and go to my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I lean back against the wood and shake my head. He really is an egotistical douche but at the same time, he’s really sweet. No wonder bunnies fall for his charm—not that I’m falling for him.