12. WREN
It’s been three days since this stupid stomach bug started and I’m so over it. I’m fine all day until bam, out of nowhere, I’m rushing to the bathroom to throw up. The guys have been extra observant of me as well, constantly watching, hovering, insisting they call Doc. I’ve had plenty of colds and stomach bugs and fought them off all without help from a doctor, so I don’t plan to now.
I”m in my room reading a book in bed, since I”m still feeling nauseous, when my phone rings. I reach for it next to me when it calls out Amber’s name. We talked for a bit last week but with her new busy life and everything happening here; we haven’t gone into great detail about anything. Quickly answering, she jumps right into everything we’ve missed in the past two months.
She tells me all about her new place and how living with Jacob is amazing. The new coffee shop and yoga studio she found to replace the one she left behind. She even thinks she found the perfect storefront for a new bookshop. She’s even met a few new friends from the yoga class, but reminds me I’m her number one bestie for life.
“So, Wren, what about you? How’s it been? I’ve been so worried since I left and you gave me the code phase. Then the next time I talk t?o you, you’re fine and living with three men. How did that even happen? Did they kidnap you or something?” Her words are rushed as she blurts them out all at once.
“Amber. Breathe. I’m…” I try to choose my words wisely, but my extended pause must have been too much for my best friend. Ares must also notice my hesitance because he jumps up on the bed from his bed on the floor and presses up against me. I run my fingers through his furry with my hand not holding the phone and smile. He really is a loyal pup.
“Wren! You’re what?” She demands.
I blow out a deep breath. No point in lying, since she’s always been able to tell. “I’m fine now. It was rocky at first, but I think I’m happy. I know it’s unconventional, but the three of them actually make me really happy and with things going on lately, I know they will protect me, too.” I regret the words the moment they leave my mouth. I’ve said too much, damn it. I didn’t want to tell her about Adrian or his threats and promises that he will get me back. I’m hoping she didn’t catch on, but I’ve never been that lucky.
“What do you mean by things happening lately?” Her tone turned from happy and excited to confused and worried.
I really want to lie to her but we promised each other after she showed up at the hospital the night Adrian almost killed me. We would never hide anything from each other again. “Amber, are you sitting down?” I hear a soft thunk before she mumbles a quiet yes. “Before I tell you everything, I need you to promise me you won’t catch the next plane back here.”
“Wren, babe, you’re scaring me.” She lets out a weak chuckle like I might make it sound worse than it is and I wish I was.
“Promise me.” I demand. Knowing her, she would do exactly what I’m making her promise not to do. But I can’t have her here in the city or even the state. Adrian can’t know Amber is a weakness of mine. She must hear how serious I am because her next words put me a bit at ease. We have never broken a promise to each other.
“Okay. I promise.”
“Adrian is back and knows I’m alive.” And just like that, we are on the phone for over an hour. Her cursing, panicking, and telling me all the ways she would castrate the man. Me having to reassure her I’m perfectly safe with my men and hint at the fact they have a more than unsavory part of their lives that makes them capable of protecting me. By the end of me telling her everything from the moment I met the guys in the alley to now, she stays quiet, simply listening and when I finish, she says something I never expected.
“Oh my god, Wren! You lucky bitch. You’re living some dark, twisted fairytale. Like Beauty and the Beast, but with multiple beasts. You’re Belle, obsessed with reading, and the guys are rich princes who have kidnapped you and now fallen in love with you. That douche Adrian is Gaston, who thinks women should worship him. Ha. That prick dies in the end! Totally a fairytale story.” She sounds so matter of fact when she finishes that I’m so shocked, I’m speechless.
After a long minute, I can’t help myself. I start to laugh. I’m laughing so hard, tears fall from my eyes. On the other end of the phone, I can hear Amber laughing just as hard as me. My best friend would take a shitty situation and turn it into something romantic. When I finally have my laughter under control, I respond with five simple words. “I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too, babe, but it seems like you’re finally living for something. You should be proud of yourself for taking a chance. I know it’s scary, but I can hear how happy you are now.” This time, her words bring tears to my eyes for a whole other reason. Happiness.
We talk for a bit more about random things like new foods we tried, shows she’s watching and books I’ve been reading. I tell her about Abby and she tells me to have a girl’s day with her like we used to in the past. Do something like get hair and nails done, then shopping for a new outfit before going out to a club to let loose. I roll my eyes at the suggestion, but the more I think about it, it might be good for me. Plus, Abby totally deserves a girl’s day, but she has been talking about updating my wardrobe to something more me. We finally say our goodbyes after our two-hour-long conversation and agree we need to check in more often with each other.
After a quick bathroom break, I go in search of Abby to tell her the plan. Heading to the other side of the house, I find her singing at the top of her lungs in her room. I, of course, wait to announce my presence until she finishes her song and then begins to clap like an enthusiastic crowd at a live concert. She lets out a loud scream, making me cover my ears before the thundering of footsteps can be heard stampeding up the stairs and down the hall.
“What was that? Are you okay?” Jax says, grabbing me by the shoulders and turning me to face him. I’m guessing to look for injuries. Ares lets out a growl at the way I’m being handled, but I make sure to reach down and pat him on the head first before answering Jax’s question.
“I’m fine. I scared Abby accidentally.”
“Yeah, you did. Damn near gave me a heart attack.” She calls out, chuckling to herself.
My cheeks blush at the sudden wave of embarrassment. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, but I also didn’t want to interrupt your concert. I was just coming to ask a favor.” I turn around in Jax’s hold to face Abby’s direction. I know the other two guys are here too, but they haven’t said a thing yet.
“No worries. What’s up?” Her voice sounds closer now.
“Well, I was wondering if maybe this weekend you might want to have a girl’s day? Maybe grab some brunch, get our nails done, then go shopping for a few things.” A shriek of excitement leaves Abby at my words.
“Yessss. OMG! Yes. I thought you would never ask.” Suddenly, small arms wrap around me in a tight hug and the scent of bubblegum feels my nose. Typical that she would smell like something sweet and bubbly.
“How about Saturday, ladies? I’ll make a reservation for brunch and a full work spa treatment.” Xander finally speaks and I smile. Of course, he would want to plan out the day.
It’s Abby who responds to us. “That sounds perfect. I can call ahead to a few shops and make appointments to get it cleared out for just us. I’ll give you the list later today.” The two of them talk logistics as Jax spins me around and lifts me off the ground. I instantly wrap my legs around his waist as he heads back across the house.
“I knew I liked that chick. She’s taking your safety as seriously as us.” I roll my eyes at his cavemen statement and nuzzle my head deeper into Jax’s thick corded neck. I doze off in his arms as I remember Amber’s words from earlier.
You’re finally living for something. And I think I finally am.
Xander didn’t want to take any chances for mine and Abby’s girl’s day. He completely booked some exclusive spa and ordered us the works. Hair, facials, nails, skin, massages, everything a girl can wish for. I have never felt more relaxed and pampered in my entire life. After hours of relaxation, we finally got hungry and left for another fully booked restaurant to have brunch. At the spa, Xander kept his distance, but now I can feel his presence a table away.
Abby and I order some champagne and appetizers while we wait for our main dishes. She tells me about all the shops and styles she thinks I’ll look cute in. Throughout our entire meal, we giggle and share stories of our life. She tells me how she grew up poor but always had big dreams, even if she didn’t know what she wanted to do with those dreams. I tell her about my life before that prick, Adrian. The entire morning and afternoon feels light and well overdue as we start to finish our food.
“I’m stuffed.” Abby says.
“Too stuffed to go shopping?” I ask, knowing damn well she’s not.
“Ummm, no. Not that stuffed. I have it all planned out. You ready?” I give her a nod and push back from the table. I’m barely about to sit up when Xander is there, his arm wrapping around my waist and pulling me to him.
Xander’s hot breath tickles my neck. “How was your meal, baby?” I suck in a breath at the contact as his lips reach my skin and he lines a soft and gentle kiss.
“I-it was delicious. Thank you.” My entire body lights up at this man’s touch. He guides me through the restaurant to the front, where the car is parked. “Also, thank you for today. I know you probably have work stuff, but I really appreciate you doing all of today.” He pulls me up short of the car.
“Wren, baby. I would do anything for you. Any of us would. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and today is the most I’ve seen you smile all month. I like to see you happy, Little Bird. Work will be there when we are done.” As if I could fall for this man any harder, he has to go and be all romantic, like a character in one of my books. This time, I initiate the contact, leaning my head up for an obvious kiss. Xander doesn’t disappoint, reading my signal loud and clear as he leans down and our lips connect. It’s a tender kiss at first, but I want more. Reaching up, I wrap my arms around Xander’s neck and deepen the kiss with all the passion and feelings I’m too afraid to tell him. I’m so lost in the feeling of me wrapped in Xander’s arm, I almost jump five feet into the air when Abby loudly clears her throat behind us.
“Sorry to interrupt, but this is still technically a girl’s day. So Wren is still mine for a few more hours. Xander, you can have her tonight. Plus, we are late, so let’s go.” Xander lets out a deep chuckle at Abby’s words, and the sound does nothing to calm my damn raging hormones. I release Xander and step back, smoothing down the dress I wore today.
“Sorry. You’re right. Where to next?” I ask, trying to focus on anything but wanting to climb Xander like a damn monkey climbs a tree. Luckily, Abby jumps right into talking about this small boutique she found a few years ago.
It doesn’t take long to get to the little boutique. Just like at the spa and restaurant, Xander sends two guys who have been driving in a separate car ahead first to check the shop over. I’m sure to anyone watching this, it makes it seem like we are important superstars or something. I try to ignore the embarrassment, but it’s no use. Every time one of the guys does this, I flame red. I tried to explain how this makes us stand out even more, but was promptly told my safety was not to be taken lightly. I tried to imagine what the guys would be like if they were dads with a kid and how they would act, but I immediately shook my head at that thought. There is no way I should be picturing these men as fathers.
A light tap on the window is the signal that the coast is clear. Abby steps out first and I follow. We left Ares with the guys today, since we didn’t know how he would handle the spa and shopping. It would be my luck if he decided he didn’t like shopping like me and used some expensive material as a chew toy or worse, a tree or a bush.
“Aww, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Ashford.” Entering the shop feels like hitting a brick wall of floral tasting air. There is so much perfume coming from the lady who greeted us. I start to sneeze. I don’t even have time to correct her greeting. I could kiss Xander right now as he pulls the woman to the other side of the store and Abby pulls me in the opposite direction. The moment I have clean air, the sneezing stops.
“What was that about?” Abby asks before connecting the dots and chuckling, “Oh. I’m sorry. I should have warned you. MissDumont, the owner, is heavy-handed with her perfume. Super nice lady, but man, that perfume is a bit much to swallow.” I wave away her concern.
“It’s fine. I just wasn’t ready. You know, since losing my eyesight, all my other senses went into a kind of overdrive, or it was a bit much at first, but I’ll be good next time.”
“Okay. Well, this shop has very cozy and comfy vibes. So why don’t you feel some of the material and let me know if you like the feel of any of them while I go grab a few outfits I think you might like?” I give her a nod and reach out, feeling for the rack of clothing while adjusting my purse over my shoulder.
I’m a few minutes in of exploring all the many textures under my palm when I hear my phone vibrate in my purse. Only a selected few people have my number and call me. Assuming it’s one of the guys not with me or Amber, I answer. My speaker has been off since the spa, so I didn’t get to hear who it actually was.
“Do you miss me, Dolly?” The voice on the other end of the phone causes every muscle in my body to lock as icy fear races down my spine. He found me. My mind struggles to stay in the present as memories of a living nightmare flash through my eyes. “Because I miss you, Dolly. I see you moved on. I thought we were in love, sweetheart. I grieved for you. I thought you were dead, Wren.” His words are like strikes of pain across my skin.
“Wh-what do y-ou want, want, Adrian?” I’m trying to be strong. I really am, but it’s all so overwhelming. I hear Abby step up next to me.
“Hey, Hey, are you okay?” I know she’s there, but the moment she places her hand on my shoulder, my body reacts and I flinch away. “Wren. Who are you talking to? What’s wrong?”
Mustering up everything I have left, I whisper, “A-adrian.” The sound of footsteps bolting away is all I hear before the man who stars in all my nightmares speaks again.
“Abby is such a pretty little thing. Don’t you think? Oh wait, you have no idea what she looks like. What happens when those fuck toys of yours notice her more? When they realize you’re nothing more than a hole to bury their dicks in. Why don’t you come home? We can put the last two years behind us. I’ll even forgive you for opening your legs to multiple men behind my back. What do you say? I’ll even promise to leave your friend alone.” His voice hasn’t changed since back then. It’s still cold, unfeeling, and cockier than ever, but he still knows how to get to me. The mention of Abby has me straightening my spine. I can’t let him win this time.
“W-what do you want, Adrian?” This time, my voice sounds stronger until his next words hit me like a bullet to the heart.
“That’s easy baby. I want my Dolly back.”