Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Theo
I thought she was beautiful when I first saw her in her dress; she’s even more sexy wearing my shirt. I can’t take my eyes off her, and I don’t want to. It doesn’t matter that Mom has caught me admiring Wren, and her tiny, knowing smirks don’t get under my skin. We’re finally exploring what I’ve been desperate to discover, and I want the whole world to know that I have feelings for my best friend. And she’s off limits, especially to Andrew.
Ugh, even saying his name in my head makes me cringe, and the way he’s looking at my girl is no help either. I positioned myself as close as I could beside her, my knee resting against hers as she snacked on more fruit and chips. He won’t stop looking at her. What do I have to do to prove to him that she’s unavailable? Because I’ll do it.
Fucking watch me.
“Theo, are you okay?” Wren asks. “You’ve got restless leg syndrome.”
“I’m fine,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Then why is the vein in your forehead protruding?” Wren touches my temple, and the pent-up air in my lungs releases.
Andrew finally looks away, and I throw him a smug grin. That’s right, go bother someone else with your heated gaze.
“Relax,” she whispers as she ruffles my hair.
“I am relaxed,” I shoot back, and she snickers.
“Uh-huh, sure you are.”
A group of kids runs past us, giggling and smiling ear to ear. They weave through the other adults without a care in the world. Wren watches them with a soft grin. She chuckles when she looks back down at her plate.
“What were you like as a kid?” she asks while side-eyeing me.
“According to Mom, I was far too shy for my own good. When we would go out, I clung to her for dear life. I grew out of it when I got older, only because I opted out of going out,” I tell her.
“Sounds about right.”
“How about you?”
I can already picture it. Wren and I have a lot in common, one of the main things being our introverted ways.
Leaning back in her chair, she crosses her legs and frees her hair from the hair tie it was pulled back with. “It depends on which age we’re talking about. I don’t remember certain years of my life.”
She’s told me this before, but it doesn’t ease the sting that pierces my chest.
“Tell me about six-year-old Wren.” I change the subject.
“Oh, she was adorable.” Her expression lightens, bringing a wide smile to my face. “She had the most amazing curls; she was also terribly shy. I was my mom’s shadow, and she hated every second of it. Also pushed me onto other kids, but my grandmom always rescued me. She would scoop me in her arms, and we’d spend our entire day together.”
I can picture it clear as day. While I only met her grandmom a handful of times, she radiated care—wrapping you in comforting warmth you didn’t want to leave. Whenever Wren talks about her, she gets bubbly and shares endless memories with me. I adore every second of it.
“I bet you were a cute kid,” she says. “With even crazier curls.” She messes with my hair again, and I chuckle.
“I’m surprised Mom never showed you any pictures.”
“Do you think she would now? We could do a little show-and-tell!” Wren starts to stand.
“Do you enjoy seeing me suffer?” I ask with mock shock.
She plops back down. “Maybe.”
The hum of music fills the air as we fall silent. Wren moves her gaze to scan the party while I focus on her.
I was an idiot for letting my feelings toward her go unacknowledged for so long. Nothing is different between us. If anything, it’s more exciting. Every touch is natural, and every glance leaves me wanting more. I’ve fallen into her orbit, and I never want to escape.
“Theo?”
Wren’s lips don’t move when she says my name. Looking back at me, she darts her gaze to someone behind me, offering them a polite greeting. “Hi, Gia.”
Shit.
Rolling my eyes, I put on my own polite act and turn to face the woman who won’t leave me alone. “Hello again.”
“Do you have a moment? I was hoping we could talk.” Her dark locks blow in the wind as the sun kisses her tan complexion.
With a sigh, I nod and stand from my comfortable seat.
Gia escorts me toward the fence line, and I spot Andrew zone in on Wren. My hands ball into fists, and it takes all my willpower not to rush back over to her and guard her from his unwanted attention.
“You seem oddly familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it,” Gia says while leaning against the wooden fence.
“Really? I must have a familiar face,” I say without looking at her.
“I don’t think that’s it. I’d remember you if we met bef— Oh, shit.”
When I look at her wide eyes and slack jaw, I mumble, “ Fuck .”
“You’re Theo, like the Theo,” she whispers.
Brushing my hair back with my fingers, I exhale and nod. “That’s me.”
Her cheeks turn pink as she stares at me, completely awestruck. “I can’t believe this. I’ve fantasized about meeting you. Sorry, that’s too much information you didn’t need to know.”
“I’ve heard worse, it’s okay.”
“I have so many questions.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Wren forcing a laugh. He’s in my seat, and her familiar uncomfortable expression fills her features.
“Are you still recording?” Gia asks, snapping me back to our conversation.
“Not as often,” I mumble while keeping my eyes on Andrew and Wren.
“How come? Oh . . . I see.”
I do a double take toward Gia. “See what?”
She nods toward Wren with a soft grin. “Is she your girlfriend?”
“What? No, well, it’s complicated,” I stutter.
“Your mom didn’t mention anything, but I thought you two seemed rather cozy.”
“She’s my best friend.”
“And?” Gia asks. “I think it’s rather clear how much you two like one another. It’s in your eyes.”
If a stranger can see how much I care for Wren, it’s only a matter of time before Mom catches on, and she’ll have a field day when she finds out. The revelation doesn’t frighten me. Sure, Mom would tease Wren and me when we were teens, and we were mortified. Now, I wonder how she would react to the news and whether she’ll leap for joy or faint from disbelief.
“Go to her.” Gia encourages me. “Before Andrew tries to ask her on a date.”
“Thank you. Truly, thank you so much.” I start back toward Wren but stop when Gia speaks up again.
“And don’t worry, I won’t tell your mom about your day job.” She gives me a reassuring wink.
I mouth another thank you before aiming for my girl.
Wren is sipping on some lemonade while Andrew talks her ear off. I come to a stop when an idea pops into my head. A grin spreads across my face as I reach the bucket of water guns Mom placed out. None of the kids grabbed them because there’s a cool breeze, which means she won’t be expecting this.
I grab a loaded water shooter and hide it behind my back. “Hey, Wren,” I say, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. Her shoulders drop when she sees me. “I have a surprise for you.”
Her brow creases, and before she can react, I point the water gun at her and unleash a torrent of water into her chest.
With wide eyes, her mouth drops open, and she bursts into laughter. “You son of a?—”
She dashes toward the bucket as I spray her with more frigid water. With a shooter of her own, she pumps the handle and lands a direct hit into my thigh.
A battle ensues between the two of us, and we garner attention we would normally shy away from. But we ignore the stares and laughter and focus on having fun. The kids from earlier are especially interested. I doubt they’ve seen two grown adults chase one another around while spraying each other with water.
Ducking behind an empty lawn chair, I wave a group of them over. “The enemy launched an attack. Hurry, grab a gun and help me fend them off.”
I glance over my shoulder and notice Wren has the same idea because a handful of children run into action. The smiles on their faces are priceless as they wait for directions.
Pumping the water in my gun, I bounce on the edge of my toes and then shout, “Charge!”
The backyard fills with laughter as a fierce battle erupts. Wren and I focus on drenching one another while the kids run around and shoot each other, ignoring pleas from their parents.
By the time my shooter is empty, Wren’s chest is heaving.
Pressing the tip of her gun against my chest, she brushes her nose over mine and says, “I’ve got you, Theodore Torres. Do you surrender?”
With a mischievous smirk, I drop my gun and raise my hands. “Shall I drop down to my knees again? Because I will, and I’ll enjoy every second of it.”
Color rushes to her cheeks, and she hums in amusement. “How about you deal with your mother instead?”
Tilting my head, I offer my mom one of my charming smiles as she taps her foot in the grass and crosses her arms over her chest. “Mom?—”
“Don’t.” She raises a finger at me.
“You were the one who put them out?—”
“Don’t speak.”
Wren removes the shooter from my chest. I’m expecting her to drop it and apologize for us both. So when she raises it at my mom and sprays her, my jaw drops along with my mother’s.
Wren laughs, and it’s not long before Mom gives in. “Oh, it’s on now.”
“Get her!” Wren tells the kids, and as mom scrambles for a gun, the kids chase after her, drenching her with streams of water.
Wren and I watch the scene play out before us, taking a seat on the abandoned chairs.
“We just gave these kids one kick-ass core memory,” I tell her.
“I think we gave your mom one as well.”
I’m not used to seeing Mom like this—carefree and lighthearted. She’s always working hard and looking out for everyone else. This is a nice change of pace, and while I started this crazy scenario, I wouldn’t have had the guts to bring her into it. This is all Wren, and I hope she knows just how much she means to my mother and me.
The party started to disperse when the sun began to set. Mom is notorious for her “in bed by nine” routine, but the birthday girl didn’t get her way this time. One of my uncles decided to start a fire in the firepit, and with a drink in hand, Wren and I join him, a few of my cousins, and my mother.
“And there I was, in the middle of our backyard, face to face with an anaconda,” Uncle Mikal says.
“The closest you’ve ever come to a snake was in the garden, and it was no anaconda .” Mom waves a hand, dismissing him.
With a small chuckle, I sit in the grass and stretch my legs.
“You weren’t even there!” my uncle states.
“Of course I was! You dragged me everywhere you went!” Mom’s voice raises.
Landing on her knees, Wren taps my shoulder. “Let me in, I’m cold.”
Without a second thought, I lean back, and she gets comfortable between my legs. I wrap my arms around her, and she rests against my chest. With a sigh of contentment, I kiss her temple, and she hums.
“If I’m such a liar, explain the pack of raccoons,” Mikal continues.
“Oh, here we go again.” Mom sighs while throwing her hands in the air. “They were local and not out to get you.”
“Ah, dear sister, then explain why they followed us when we moved across the state.”
“Those were different raccoons.”
“That’s a load of shit and you know it!”
I rest my chin on top of Wren’s head as Mom and her brother go back and forth. Wren’s breathing slows to a steady rhythm, and I hold her tighter, trying my best to keep her warm from the cool wind.
“Wren is smart. Ask her about the raccoons,” Uncle Mikal says.
“She’s sleeping,” I tell them.
“How can you tell without looking at her?”
Mom responds for me. “Leave them alone. They don’t need a crazy old man like you bothering them.”
“Me? Loco? Disparates. Wren adores me as much as I her.”
“That doesn’t mean you can wake her,” Mom retorts.
“Fine, fine. I’ll ask her another time.” He concedes.
A couple more of my older cousins join us, but I barely notice. I’m too busy acknowledging my mom’s smirk. It’s all in her expression.
She knows.
From the start, Mom always said Wren and I were meant to be more than friends, but we dismissed it. If she could, she would scream from the rooftops that she was right and shove it in my face until her dying breath. She won’t do that yet. For now, she’ll send me a message with her eyes. One that says, “And you thought you could hide this from me.”