Chapter 9 #4
“Okay, well. I’d say good night, but that feels absurd. So, I hope the rest of your evening doesn’t suck.”
That made Wren actually laugh. “Thank you, Rebecca. I hope the rest of your evening doesn’t suck, too.”
When Wren was finally getting ready for bed, she was hit with the realization that Andy wasn’t coming back—not that Wren wanted her to, but still.
Before she could dwell on it, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She half hoped that it would be Rebecca.
What did that even mean? She couldn’t let herself get hung up on that, at least not if she wanted to be able to actually take the call.
She was surprised to see Molly’s name on the screen. Wren couldn’t help but smile every time her best friend called. She answered immediately. “Molly, hey.”
“I’m sorry it’s so late,” Molly started. “I’ve needed to call you for weeks now.”
Wren shook her head. “Nah, Molls, it’s fine. How are the twins?”
“Wren Eames, I’m not calling you about my kids.
I’m calling you about this magazine article.
Are you really sleeping with Rebecca Rothschild again?
” Ever since having children, Molly had gotten straight to the point, especially when they were on the phone with each other.
At any point in time, their conversation could be interrupted or completely taken over.
Wren usually didn’t mind. She loved the hell out of Molly’s kids, but when things were serious, she and Molly could rapid fire facts at an impressive pace.
“No,” Wren answered quickly, knowing approximately fifty-two more questions were sure to be on deck.
“How did Andy react to this?” Molly wasn’t Andy’s biggest fan, and Wren knew it. Honestly, Wren should probably have taken that more seriously than she had.
“She dumped me.”
“She dumped you after she posted that picture of you on the internet?” Molly whisper-screeched into the phone.
Wren sighed. “Yes.”
“You should have dumped her for that.”
“You’re not wrong.”
“Have you talked to Rebecca?”
“Yes.”
“Well?” Molly asked. That time, it was much less of a whisper.
“This is probably going to wreck a lot of shit for her, too.”
Molly hesitated, clearly weighing her next question. “This last photo of the two of you, Wren, are you sure nothing’s going on between you two?”
Wren thought back over the past few weeks and then even longer, letting her thoughts drift back to camp all those years ago.
No one had ever made her feel the way Rebecca had.
Not even close. She had always chalked it up to first love or something cheesy like romanticizing her first time.
“Nothing is actively going on between us. We’ve been trying our best to become friends. Coaches’ orders,” she added.
“Wren,” Molly paused, knowing Wren all too well after all of these years.
“I remember how hurt you were after that camp and she had blocked you. I also remember how hurt you were after you saw her again for the first time after it.” She didn’t say it.
She didn’t need to. But Molly had been there for Wren both times.
Wren’s eyes watered for the millionth time that night. “I know.”
“Do you still have feelings for her?” Molly asked, her voice so soft Wren could barely hear her.
It was a question Wren didn’t know the answer to.
It was something she’d hoped no one would ever ask.
She didn’t even want to explore the possibility of it herself.
Rebecca Rothschild had hurt her repeatedly for the past six years.
This should be the world’s easiest no. And yet, when Wren was faced with it, she genuinely didn’t have a definitive answer.
After the silence had stretched on for far too long, Wren finally said, “I don’t know, Molly. Andy literally just dumped me. I haven’t really had time to process any of it.”
“I know. I know, Wren. I’m here if you need anything. Okay? I know with the twins and work and our schedules it might not always seem like it, but I am here. Please call me if you need something. Anything.”
“I will, thanks.”
“I love you,” Molly said with practiced ease. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I love you, too,” Wren answered, disconnecting their call.
She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. How could so much have happened in the last forty-eight hours and yet she still looked the same? Her green eyes were definitely bloodshot now, probably from the intermittent crying she’d been doing, but other than that, she looked fine.
She surveyed the bathroom. Andy had tornadoed through the small space.
As a result, most of Andy’s things were missing.
Not everything, but most of her daily routine had been swept off the counter, apparently along with Wren’s toothpaste.
Thankfully, she had a travel sized one in her toiletry bag, but damn if that wasn’t the cherry on top of an emotional rollercoaster of a night.
Wren didn’t want to think about the rest. She didn’t want to deal with it tonight. Tonight, she’d let herself brush her teeth with her travel toothpaste and go to bed. Tomorrow, she could face the bigger stuff.