Chapter Twenty-Four – Reese #2
I laugh. I can’t help it. I also can’t deny it.
Being creepy isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when everything I do is to protect Wren and her well-being.
The world has proven it is a cruel place, so yeah, I’ll do anything and everything I can to make her life easy, including vetting those she shares time with.
Wren returns with three glasses, handing me mine and then Logan his before sitting down. She grabs the remote from the coffee table in front of us and glances at both of us. “Should we find something to watch? Pizza won’t be here for another forty minutes.”
Yeah, who knew Friday night is a busy night in a college city when it comes to restaurants?
“Put on whatever you want,” I say. “I’m not picky.”
“Of course you aren’t,” Logan mutters, earning himself a look from Wren.
“Logan,” she whispers. “We talked about this. Be nice.” I can see Logan’s head over hers, so I’m able to watch his unimpressed expression the entire time as she tries to lecture him about his behavior.
As much as he’s changed, turned a new leaf, he’s still the same Logan when it comes to certain things, like me.
He leans closer to her, his voice dropping an octave or two, “If you wanted nice, you wouldn’t want me.
” In that moment, it’s just him and Wren, and I can see the fire burning in those emerald eyes as he looks at her, but the moment is over just like that, and as he straightens himself out, he adds, “And, no, that’s not an invitation to go and find a third boyfriend. I have limits, you know.”
“Awe,” I say, reaching around the back of Wren’s head and touching his shoulder. “Does that mean we’re best friends now?”
He jerks away from me. “No touching, dude. Fuck off.”
I chuckle and remove my hand from him, and all the while Wren sighs and says, “You guys are ridiculous. Are you two sure you can do this? If this is going to be too much for you, then we don’t have to.” She fiddles with the remote on her lap, her anxieties peeking through.
She doesn’t want us to fight. She wants us to get along.
I think us playing nice would help make her feel okay about this—okay with dating two guys at the same time.
My brothers might have a thing about sharing, but until very recently it’s never been on my radar.
If it wasn’t for Wren, I definitely would not be here.
Logan and I exchange a long, lingering look, and though he still appears a bit miffed, he says, “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Neither am I,” I say.
“Okay, so… I guess we’re doing this, then. You two don’t have to be best friends or anything, but it’d be nice if you weren’t fighting all the time.” Wren bites her bottom lip, and then glances at me and Logan. “I really do appreciate you guys trying. This is new to me, too.”
It’s new to all of us. Though Logan made the comment that he’s shared before, I’m one hundred and ten percent certain he meant sharing girls at night, not a long-term relationship. Hooking up and having a threesome is far different than a long-term dating scenario.
Wren scrolls and scrolls the loaded streaming app until she finds a movie she thinks we’ll all somewhat enjoy, a movie that mixes some comedy with action and a sprinkle of romance.
The best of every genre, including a solidly handsome action hero and a feisty damsel in distress who, ultimately, will prove she can handle her own, much like the hero.
The pizza arrives a good half-hour into the movie, and we bring plates and everything we’ll need into the living room, piling the pizza boxes on top of the coffee table.
Strange situation aside, it’s all very normal.
A normal Friday night. I don’t think it’s normal for me or Logan, but for Wren?
This is the kind of stuff she enjoys. She’s not a partier, she doesn’t like to go bar hopping and be social with strangers.
She only went out so much because Sloane convinced her to.
We do a little chatting during the movie, remarking on the tropes and what we think will happen. Surprisingly, Logan’s predictions about what’ll happen end up being pretty spot-on. Don’t know if it’s luck or if he’s smarter than he pretends to be.
Eventually, though, the movie ends, and the three of us sit there in silence as the credits roll.
“Well,” Wren says, “that was an okay movie, even though Logan guessed more than half of it.”
“I swear that’s never happened before,” Logan says with a shrug.
“That’s the first movie I’ve actually sat and watched in…
fuck, forever, it feels like.” His green gaze is glued on her, while she continues to stare at the rolling credits, like she thinks this is some blockbuster with an after-credits scene.
Hint: it’s not.
“What are we going to do now?” he asks quietly. “It’s pretty early to call it a night, if you ask me.” Then he shoots me a glare over the top of her head. “Although you could call it a night anytime now, Reese.”
Wren is seemingly oblivious to Logan’s meaning, because she says, “I could find something else to watch—”
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
She turns her gaze away from the TV, looking at him.
“Oh.” And then, as the seconds tick by, she must finally realize what he’s hinting at, because she says again, “Oh,” only this time, the word comes out different.
More breathless. “I didn’t, um… I mean—is it hot in here all of a sudden, or is it just me? ”
I sit back and let Logan take the reins with a smile on my face. If he thinks he’ll call my bluff and get me to leave before him, he’s dead wrong. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.
Logan whispers, “Oh, come on. You’re cute when you’re playing coy, but you know exactly what I mean.” He sweeps some of her hair behind her ear. “The real reason you wanted to invite us both here, together, was to see if we could do it, wasn’t it? If we could do you.”
She gasps. “Logan!”
“What?”
“That’s not—tonight isn’t about that. Besides, didn’t you spend half the time here bitching about Reese?”
I lift my eyebrows at her the same moment Logan’s jaw drops, and he asks, “Did you just say the word bitching? Who are you and what have you done with the real Wren? The real Wren would never say a word like that.”
“Maybe you rubbed off on her,” I offer the most obvious reason. It’s true; I’ve never heard the girl swear before, about anything, not even her miserable, cheating ex.
She giggles and covers her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that. You just got me all flustered.”
“Flustered how?” Logan inquires as he cocks his head and studies her. “I’m only saying the truth. Tell me right now you don’t want me to throw you over my shoulder, take you upstairs, and do unspeakable things to you while the creep over there watches.”
“Watches?” I echo the word. “Who says I would just watch?” I have prepared myself for this occasion as much as I possibly could. If Wren wants us both, then she’ll have us both in whatever way she wants.
Wren buries her face in her hands and leans forward. “This is… I feel like I’m going to explode. Maybe you two should go—”
“Only place I’m going is upstairs, with you over my shoulder, like I said.” Logan smirks, and then he glances at me. “You really don’t have to join us. I can take care of her on my own without any help from you.”
It’s what he’s secretly hoping for, for me to metaphorically throw my hands up and say I’m done with this, and in doing so Logan would automatically be the winner. No, that isn’t going to happen, regardless of how hard he pushes this. If Wren wants us both, she’ll have us. I meant that.
I give Logan a deliberately slow smile. “I’m not going anywhere.
I’m here to stay, much as you are.” As I say it, I can see the wheels in his head turning.
He’s still not convinced I won’t change my mind about this and leave, but he will be, soon.
If we do take this upstairs to her room, then he’ll get more of an eyeful of me than he ever thought he would.
And as for him? I’ve already seen him and what he can do for Wren. I know exactly the kind of skill he comes with.
Wren is still trying to hide her embarrassment over the topic of conversation, sticking to her silence, but Logan must have it in his head to see this through.
He stands and, without another word, grabs her off the couch.
Within a moment, he tosses her over his shoulder.
Like, he legitimately heaves her up like she weighs nothing and drapes her over his shoulder like she’s a coat and not a human being.
She’s so taken aback by his actions that it takes her a while to say, “Logan!”
He places a hand on the round, curved area of her ass and shrugs as much as he can, given the fact she’s on top of one of said shoulders. “What? I told you exactly what I was going to do, and I meant it.” He turns from me and starts to walk away, taking Wren with him.
Though she’s still a little embarrassed, it’s plain on her face: she’s enjoying this. A faint smile tugs at her lips as she lightly smacks his back as he walks. “Put me down,” she says, although anyone with ears would know her heart isn’t in it.
I wait only a few seconds before I stand and follow.
Though it’s dark, Logan doesn’t miss a beat.
Up the stairs he goes, carrying Wren all the while, and I trail a few feet behind, my mind racing.
Of course I enjoy having Wren all to myself, but I suppose there is something to be said about a situation like this.
Knowing she cares for us both, knowing we’d each learn to share—both literally and figuratively—just to keep her in our lives, is appealing in a way most things in life simply aren’t.