Chapter 3
Three
Christian
Twice in one day. I'm not this fucking clumsy, but Wren being here in this space I've been spending all my time in, is throwing me for a loop. I hope like hell this isn't a common occurrence. If so, I'll be bruised after two days of her being here.
"Oh, shit," Bianca yells through laughter. Gotta love my hermana for keeping it real. She can't be like a normal sister and rush to my side? No, she has to sit there and laugh her ass off through my embarrassment.
I brace myself to get off the floor again when a soft hand touches my arm. "Are you okay?"
"I think so." I let her help me to a sitting position, and even though it's been two years, she's still just as beautiful as she ever was. Her long hair is in some sort of bun on top of her head, and her hazel eyes meet mine. Her pale skin flushes, and I realize I'm staring.
She stands and holds her hand out to help me up. This might be even more embarrassing than falling in front of her. Men are supposed to be the ones lifting up the woman, not the other way around. At least, that's what all those teen shows Bianca used to watch portrayed.
"Thanks," I say as soon as I'm standing. Unsure what to do with my hands, I shove them in my pockets.
"No problem." Taking a step back, she clasps her hands in front of her. Looks like neither of us knows what to do with our hands. "Long time no see."
My gaze roams down her body. In all the ways she's stayed the same, she's also changed so much. Her hips are fuller than they were before and she's definitely no longer the teenager who moved away when I was sixteen.
"Yeah, it's been a minute." I avert my gaze so I don't seem like a creeper. That would suck for her to think I'm some creepy dude.
"Is there something you needed before you barged in here?" Bianca snaps at me before I can say another word.
"You don't have to be so bitchy." I roll my eyes. "I was trying to be nice and ask if you wanted me to grab you something to eat from across the street. Since I know how busy you get."
"Aw, that's sweet," Wren coos, and it endears her to me even more than she already was.
"Oh," Bianca relaxes her face. "That would actually be great."
"Do you want anything, Wren? They have some of the best burgers on the block."
She looks around the room, then at Bianca. "When am I starting?"
"Tonight, if you can."
"Then it might be a good idea for me to eat before then." She takes a step toward me. "Do you mind some company? It'd be a good idea for me to get an idea of the area since I'll most likely spend most of my waking moments here."
On the inside, I'm screaming, abort. Tell her now. But what comes out of my mouth is, "Sure."
Bianca eyes me and smirks as I hold the door open for Wren. I'm pretty sure she knows about the crush I had, and I beg with my eyes for her to not say anything. Zipping her fingers across her mouth, she acts like she's throwing away the key. Thank God. For all the ways she likes to torture me, at least she's keeping her mouth shut about this. Who knows how long that will last?
Wren follows behind me as I lead us out of Life in Ink. The restaurant is right across the street, but I'm not about to cross the street without going to a light. That's a good way for both of us to get run over.
"So," she drawls, "how long have you been working here?"
Small talk. I can do that without making an ass of myself. "Not long. A couple of weeks. It's just a job for the summer before college starts."
"Walker never mentioned anything about you going to college."
The light turns red, and the little walking guy blinks on. I reach behind me for her hand, and to my surprise, she takes it. "Yeah. I'm going to one of the local schools until I figure out what I want to do with my life."
"I totally get that." I can hear the smile in her voice. "There are days I feel the same way."
We're safely across the street, and she doesn't let go of my hand. "Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, I knew I wanted to be an artist. Being able to put it on people's skin is amazing, but where I was, I didn't know if it was something that would always bring me joy."
"Well, you've definitely come to the right place. The plus side, you already know Bianca. As much as they treat me like a little brother, the shop is pretty chill."
"That's good to know. I'm terrified your sister will let me loose too soon and I'll screw up someone's tattoo."
"You should be. I've seen your art, and I know you'll do amazing."
"Thanks."
We're both quiet as I open the door to the restaurant and let her enter before me. She still hasn't let go of my hand. I don't want to look too far into it, but is it possible she likes me? Or did she at one time? If so, she gave no sign. Back then, I would have worshipped the ground she walked on. Hell, I'd probably do it now if given the chance.
The place is almost empty, and we walk straight up to the counter. Normally, I'd call the order in, but I was trying to get out of the shop and away from Wren. Anything to stop making a fool of myself, but alas, that plan failed.
"Anything in particular I should get?"
"You can't go wrong with anything here. I promise." My phone dings in my pocket, and I reluctantly pull my hand from hers to grab it.
I groan when I see who the text is from. Walker's name appears in a little bubble on the screen. This is not good. He's going to freak if I tell him I'm with his sister. But he had to know it was going to happen with her working at the shop. It was inevitable.
As good as her hand felt in mine, and as much as I want to see if maybe she feels anything for me, I don't know if I should. I know for a fact he wouldn't be okay with it.