Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Theo
The phone call couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Once I saw who was calling, I stifled a groan.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” I answer, forcing a flirtatious tone.
I met Amanda Nichols back in college; we recorded together regularly. But I stopped setting up shoots with her after I noticed her making snide remarks toward Wren. Before I could truly explain that to her, she left for LA, and we haven’t spoken in person since 2019.
“Theo Torres,” she purrs, her voice like velvet. “How are you?”
“If only you knew,” I mutter with a small smile, thinking about my new roommate situation.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Oh, nothing, sorry. I’ve been okay, you?”
“I’m actually in town and was wondering if you had any free slots to. . . spend time with an old friend.”
A chuckle bubbles from my chest. “I’m actually on a break,” I tell her. “I might upload a few solo videos, but that’ll be it.”
“Did something happen?”
“No, I just have company due to unforeseen circumstances.”
“Pity, can I ask you for a favor then?”
“Shoot.”
“I arrived in town earlier than expected, and my hotel can’t accommodate me. Could I stay at your place until I can check in?”
“Uhh.” I respond without thinking.
“What do you mean ‘uhh’?” she asks with an airy laugh.
“No, it’s just that I have company already. I don’t have a spare room.”
“I can sleep in your bed,” she says like it’s not an issue.
“I don’t think?—”
“Come on, Theo. It’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before.”
“Amanda—”
“My friends and I have a party tonight. So, midnight?”
“Can I get a word in?” I raise my voice.
A masculine voice sounds on the other end of the line, and I hear her give a muffled response. Before I can object, she says, “See you then!” and hangs up.
I groan and drag my fingers through my hair. Sighing, I drop my head forward. It’s just one night.
I’m tense when I return to the living room, and Wren looks. . . off. Clinging onto a pillow as if it’s her lifeline, she’s staring out the window, but her eyes are empty. I’m far too familiar with this look. She’s overthinking, and her thoughts are winning.
“Everything okay?”
Her head snaps to me, and she forces a smile. “Yeah, just... thinking about work.”
“You sure?” I don’t believe her for one second.
“I’m fine, really. Let’s eat.” She stands and grabs a sandwich from the table, then returns to her spot.
After grabbing my hoagie, I plop on the couch and remove the paper wrapping. Without cutting it in half, I take a bite out of one end and eat my frustrations away.
Wren grabs the remote and puts on her comfort cartoon. At least the background noise fills the silence.
“Are you okay?” Wren asks cautiously.
As I open my mouth to answer, a knock sounds from the front door, and I drop my head to the back of the couch. “What now?” I groan.
“I’ll get it.” Wren hops up, and her bare feet pad against the hardwood floor.
I take another chunk out of my sandwich and chew while she answers it.
“Well, hello, there. You’re not who I was expecting.”
Fucking hell. . .
“Leave her alone, Robbie!” I holler at my friend from down the hall.
“You must be Wren. I’m Robert Collins, Theo’s best friend.”
“That’s funny. I thought I was his best friend,” Wren responds, and I already know she’s throwing me a look. “Care to explain, Theodore?”
“Theodore? Oh, I like her.” Robbie comes into view, snatching a bag of chips off the table with a sly smile.
Wren is quick to follow, but she takes her spot back on the couch and wrinkles her nose at me. “I’m only joking. If you want to replace me, that’s fine.”
“I don’t think I could replace you, no matter how hard I’ve tried.” Robbie chuckles while fixing his glasses. “It’s a privilege to meet the Wren Jacob. I’ve heard so much about you.”
I side-eye Wren, and she looks from me back to Robbie with a grin. “It’s lovely to meet you as well.”
“He’s only here because he smelled food,” I tell her without looking at either of them.
“That and I wanted to introduce myself to Ms. Wren.”
“And you knew I had company because... ?” I look at him pointedly.
He pops a chip in his mouth. “I saw you two coming out of the elevator while I was leaving for work yesterday.”
“How did you know it was her and not someone else?” I furrow my brow.
He slides his eyes from Wren to me and flashes his perfect teeth. “You don’t want me to answer that question.”
I roll my eyes and go back to my sandwich.
Robbie is too smart. He most likely thinks he saw me looking at Wren with a different expression than other women, and I can’t deny it because I probably was. My body reacts differently when I’m with her than with anyone else. When Wren and I hang out, it’s just the two of us, so no one else has ever seen the care and concern I devote to her.
I’m waiting for Wren to pick up on Robbie’s comment, though. I keep eating my sandwich, knowing the interrogation is coming in three. . . two. . . one. . .
But nothing.
I turn to face her and snort when I spot her eating while mindlessly watching her cartoon. “Wren?”
“Hmm?” She hums without looking at me.
“Nothing,” I say with a soft smile, but it morphs into a frown when Robbie clears his throat. I turn my attention back to him. “Shouldn’t you be at the gym?”
This man could crush cans just by looking at them. His biceps are almost the size of my head, and his abs are solid steel. His black hair is shaved down to his dark skin. He could easily be a model for a fitness magazine, but he’s too busy sitting behind a computer screen providing IT support.
“I was just headed there but wanted to pop in.” He tosses the chip bag into the trash and dusts his hands off, beaming at Wren. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” With a two-finger salute, he lets himself out.
“He seems nice,” Wren says while turning her gaze to me.
“He’s a good guy.” Looking at her through my peripheral, I speak without thinking. “But don’t go getting any ideas.”
She snickers with a hint of a scoff. “Please, that’s the last thing I need right now.”
We maintain eye contact for a moment, and while I don’t want to retreat from her hazel eyes, I do. “Do you remember Amanda?”
“Unfortunately,” she groans.
“She’s in town and doesn’t have anywhere to go. She’s going to stay here tonight, but she’ll be gone in the morning,” I tell her cautiously.
“Sure, don’t worry about me.”
I swear her tone softens with the hint of disappointment, but I swallow the thought.
Wren nibbles on her sandwich, her attention back on the TV, and the silence stretches between us, heavier than it should be. It’s not the comfortable kind of quiet we’ve always had—it’s the kind that makes me feel like something unsaid is hanging in the air.
I keep glancing at her, waiting for her to say something, maybe to give me a hard time about Amanda staying over, but she doesn’t. Instead, she just sits there, focused on her cartoon, as if nothing is out of the ordinary. But the way she clutches her pillow, the way her eyes occasionally drift toward me and then back to the TV, it’s like she’s trying not to let something show.
“You’re sure you’re okay with this?” I ask.
She shrugs, the movement small and almost dismissive. “Yeah, it’s not a big deal. She’ll be gone in the morning, right?”
“Right,” I say, but it doesn’t feel right.
I can see the flicker of doubt in her eyes. It’s like she’s building a wall between us, and I’m on the outside looking in.
The thing is, I know Wren and how her mind works—how she overthinks every little thing. And right now, I can practically see the gears turning in her head, wondering if Amanda being here means something.
She must know that it doesn’t. At least, it shouldn’t. I open my mouth to say something, but my brain overpowers me.
Wren is my best friend and nothing more. So why do I feel the need to overexplain myself?
I watch her for a moment longer, taking in the way her shoulders are hunched slightly, the way she’s not meeting my eyes anymore. And I hate it. I hate that she feels like she has to hide whatever she’s feeling from me.
“Wren,” I say quietly, leaning forward, trying to catch her attention.
She looks up, her expression carefully neutral. “I’m fine, Theo. Really.” She gives me a tight smile.
And it’s then I realize that no matter what I say, she won’t believe me. She won’t let herself believe that I care— really care—about her.
“Just be careful. If I recall, she’s not the nicest person.”
The silence stretches again, and frustration festers inside me. I want to say something, to make her understand that Amanda being here doesn’t mean anything. But instead, I just sit back, my fingers tightening around my drink.
Maybe it’s better if I just leave it alone for now.