Chapter 14 Wren #3
“Leave it, mate.” Cardinal whispers firmly, but I feel like I'm honestly being suffocated with the urge to get to her, protect her from those vipers and figure out a way to stop this madness.
It's so obvious she hasn't done anything, so I don't know why they're content in questioning her so much. My emotions get too heavy to bear and I push away from our position. His hand lets go of my t-shirt and I don’t look back as I climb the stairs opposite the library.
A coffee probably would have cleared my thoughts, but these new feelings are too raw to a point it physically hurts.
I just need to lay down and center myself.
SKETCHING always frees my thoughts and when I can't sleep, I doodle like it can release my pent up energy that keeps me from turning off.
Last night I was so pissed off because despite giving her no reason to, Robin doesn't trust me.
Absent-mindedly my fingers had taken a pencil and started to sketch those rich honey shaded eyes.
I gazed over the many pieces of paper across the table, all which had enchanting irises staring up at me.
I can't get them out of my head. She's so radiant like the purest form of sunshine.
The pencil lands on the paper as without warning, Phoenix walks into my bedroom. I know it's him because he's the only idiot who would barge in without knocking, but maybe it’s my own fault for not locking the door.
“I could have been masturbating you know.” I say, glaring over my shoulder as he just throws back his head and laughs.
“Bitch please. Have you already forgotten how long we lived together at school?
It's nothing I haven't seen before.” Flicking my tongue against my teeth, I’m not evening musing him because that never fucking happened.
Falling back onto my unmade bed, he produces a can of beer and an unopened bottle of juice from behind his back.
I make grabby hands for the drink as he holds it up above his head, suggesting I get up and take it from him.
Sighing, I cross the room and throw myself down on the bed, crossing my ankles and snatching the juice.
Probably not the best way to open a bottle, I use the back of the heavy cast wolf ring on my middle finger and toss the cap onto the bedside table.
“You treat this place like a hotel!” Phin knocks my shoulder and cracks open his can of beer.
He lays his head against the headboard and exhales loudly.
Sitting together like we've done for years, I pat his knee, my messy curls falling onto his shoulder as I burrow my own head there.
Taking a deep sip from his can, he barely whispers like he's exhausted. “I’m so overwhelmed.”
“I know bud. I'm here.”
“It feels like I lost him a long time ago, you know. He was never a good brother. I knew we could never patch things up, but this is so permanent.” He shakes and my arm instinctively snakes around his waist. I’ve always hated his brother on his behalf, but I also understood his loss.
He was mourning what could have been. The what ifs.
The what if he magically came to his senses one day and loved Phin truly like the brother he should have.
“He might have been the worst, but no matter what he did, he never dimmed your shine mate. Until now he let you live however you wanted, completely free and unburdened. It might have not been the best thing to do, but he gave you anything you asked for and I’m sure that came from a place of endearment.
Even if he wasn't aware of it. You've had a couple of bad months, but we're here and your spark is still so bright,” I reach for the can and he lets me take it, placing it fully out of his reach on my bedside table.
“You don't need to drink, Phin. You're overwhelmed and so fucking sad. But this is just dulling the pain I think you need to feel right now.”
A fat tear rolls down his face and he buries his head in my neck.
Ruffling his hair, I simply support my best friend as he cries into me. His body shakes a little, but after a couple of minutes, he escapes from the air and wipes at his face. “I think I finally want to see your therapist.”
I nod. “She's fantastic, Phin. Really helped after Mum.” he nods too, resting his palms on his pulled up knees. “We’ll sort it when we're allowed back to earth. I promise.”
Turning his face towards me, I’m given a half smile with watery crinkled eyes. “I don't think I could ever live without you man.”
I chuckle. “I could be without you, you're so annoying.”
He gasps in faux shock and hits me on the shoulder before placing his hand to his head. “You peasant. How very dare you.”
I shrug. “I can't live without you either. You know you’ll always have Robin too.” Reach over, I grab my juice, drinking half of the bottle and passing him the rest. Something I can’t place flashes in his eyes at the mention of Roo, but I can’t tell what.
“It's time to sober up. We need to make a plan.”
AFTER I finished relaying my plan to make what Detective Featherton would call a murder board—otherwise known as a suspect board for the norms—Phin frowns, leaning his head slightly to the side.
“Merle told you he forgot to lock up? I'm pretty sure when I went to the bathroom before bed, he told me he was going to check if the hotel was locked up for the night.”
“So he did leave your room? How long was he gone for?”
“I'm not sure. I ran the shower but zoned out and sat on the floor for a while. He was already in bed when I was done, so I just assumed he locked up and went to sleep early.” he shrugs and looks down at his hands in his lap, cradling the bottle of juice.
My mind stores the information for later and I do feel like a terrible friend for questioning his whereabouts.
I'd known Merle as Bran's brother before he'd even met my best friend and I couldn't have sang his praises any higher to him, but I didn't know him very well.
They spent a lot of time by themselves, but I assume that's what happens when you’re in a relationship. Merle was his first serious boyfriend.
I stand from the bed and gesture for him to follow, grabbing the sketchpad from the desk. Ripping blank pages out, I lay them on the floor in one large rectangle that will need taping.
Phin stands above me and lets out a long whistle. “You have it baddddd.” He sings.
I look up to find him holding one of the many drawings of Robin’s eyes; obviously her own best friend would recognise them as clearly as my mind can now too. “This is very stalker-esque behaviour Wrennie.”
“Don’t even go there.” I warn, but the idea of knowing everything about her, sends little tingles down my body and shamelessly straight to my balls.
Well hello new kink.
It’s probably for the best to keep that little revelation to myself.
Phin schools me with a flat look. “You’ve got a really intense look in your eye and if it continues, I will steal my best friend away and never tell you her location.”
“Ouch. One, I’m your best friend. Two, I’d be really good for her and I’ll be offended if you don't agree.”
“Of course I agree, why do you think I tried setting you both up together? I’m rethinking it now, I’d never see either of you.
” I wave my hand in the air to disable any conversation about my stubborn rejections of meeting her, but he continues.
“I think you didn't want to meet Robin because you actually listened to everything I told you about her, knew she'd be really good for you, got scared of that possibility and let being terrified of something different ruin your chance.”
I kneel to grab a red Sharpie from the edge of the table and point it up at him.
I’m dying to come up with a rebuttal, but he knows he's won when he shimmies his hips and I just end up glaring harder.
Aggressively tearing the pen lid off with my teeth, I start writing all the guests names, each person to one sheet of paper.
I then tediously write the four titles: Relation, Motive, Whereabouts and Secret.
It takes me a little while, but finally I rest back on the balls of my feet, looking at my progress.
She is going to love this and then we can be friends again, until I convince her to be my undying lover for the rest of our lives.
Phin peers over my shoulder and I outstretch my arms, fluttering my fingers.
“There we go. Let’s write where everyone was, who they are and what possible reason they could have.
I don’t really believe it was one of us, so maybe this can prove it.
If they think she has something to do with it, we can show them they’re wrong.
Maybe prove none of us did either. I think it’s smart if we find the rest of the secrets too.
It could have something to do with why someone would attack him.
” I’m cautious of being insensitive with Phin, but I'm starting to wonder about things I don’t want to voice.
What was the murder weapon? Where did it go?
Did we need to search the property? The pool house? I couldn’t ask that of him.
Like invisible strings tether us together, the smallest knock echoes on the door and I just know it’s her.
After a brief pause, Robin steps into the room, still in that little sundress which is down right sinful over her gentle hips.
She looks adorable but makes my mouth water all the same imagining getting my lips on her.
The stress line creasing her brow stops my insane thoughts, she rings her hands together in tight movements.
Her warm but panicked eyes bounce from me, to the room, until locating Phin which seems to ease her shoulders.