Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
BECKY
Becky glared at her reflection. She couldn’t believe she was wearing a Los Angeles University sweater.
It was even harder to believe that she was wearing Wren Eames’s LAU sweater.
She was glad that she was in the bathroom for a minute.
It allowed her one tiny moment to just inhale really deeply.
It smelled faintly of the cologne that Wren had worn the entire time she had known her.
Becky could still picture the bottle, its black metal top and amber body.
Wren had only worn it once at camp all those years ago, that night they had first kissed.
And she had only worn it a few times since they had been forced to share a room, but the smell was intoxicating.
Becky shamelessly breathed into the collar for just a moment.
She knew the pizza would be getting there soon and that Wren had probably picked a movie for them to watch.
Hopefully, after their shitty weeks, they’d finally be able to just chill.
She knew she was being ridiculous, throwing a semi-temper tantrum over a sweater was, as her mother would say, unbecoming of her.
But they had been rivals for four years.
A pitiful groan ripped through her. None of her former teammates could ever know about this.
Having a teeny, tiny crush on Wren was one thing.
They had a history and a lot of shared baggage.
But wearing a LAU sweater violated everything that her college team stood for.
She was still quietly grumbling to herself when she exited the bathroom. Fortunately, Wren didn’t do anything more than smirk at her and maybe bite back a small, triumphant laugh.
“More comfortable?” Wren asked, though she surprisingly didn’t sound like her normal teasing self. She sounded genuinely concerned.
Becky sighed. “Yes,” she admitted.
“Good,” Wren said, easily. “Alright, found a movie. I’m not sure how you want to watch it though.” Wren gestured at her laptop and the two beds.
Oh. Becky looked between the two beds, then at Wren, then down to her laptop.
“I can bring one of those cables next time—the HDMI thing—you know? We can hook it up to the TV, but I don’t have one with me and there’s not one back there. I already looked.” Wren pointed at the television, looking like she wouldn’t judge Becky if she double-checked.
They could do this. They could be adults.
Sitting on a bed together, eating pizza, and watching a movie didn’t have to be weird.
They were friends. Right? Or trying to be, at least. It would be a no-brainer if it was Katie.
So, it should be an easy decision with Wren.
Just because they had technically had sex before didn’t have to mean anything.
It certainly didn’t have to be weird just because a news article had insinuated something was going on between them.
And them both being single now was absolutely no cause for concern.
And Becky’s little crush was, without a doubt, one-sided.
So, there was really nothing wrong with it.
Becky schooled her face to be the epitome of ambivalence. “I don’t care if we watch it in bed together, Wren. We’re not on opposite teams right now. I’m not going to kick you.”
Wren snorted out a laugh in surprise. “But if we were?”
“Then we wouldn’t be sharing a room, trying to cheer each other up,” Becky said, rolling her eyes sarcastically. She nodded at the beds. “Seriously, it’s fine. I’m more annoyed by the sweater. Your bed or mine?”
“You look good in Grizzly Gold,” Wren said with a teasing wink.
Becky was glad that Wren was focused on their beds then and missed the blush that covered her cheeks.
“Mine is fine,” Wren concluded with a shrug. “It really doesn’t make a difference. Don’t get pizza sauce on my sheets though, or I’ll make you switch beds with me. And I feel like you’re someone who couldn’t handle that change.”
Wren had consistently picked the left bed all three times they’d shared.
Technically, all four times they’d shared if they counted camp all those years ago.
That had never been Becky’s doing. And now, Wren was going to the left side of the bed to get under the covers.
“Hang on a minute,” Becky said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ve never picked which bed we’ve slept in.
You don’t get to make that assumption. Maybe I prefer the left side. ”
Dangerously green eyes narrowed at her in response. “You know what, Rebecca, you’re right.” Wren slid through to the other side of the bed and gestured for Becky to get in on the left. “You can have the left. And this can be your bed, assuming I don’t get pizza sauce on it.”
Becky’s jaw clenched. She absolutely didn’t want the left. It was going to bother her. And based off of the mischievous grin on Wren’s face, Wren knew it. But it was too late to back down now. She got in on the left side and forced an obnoxiously sweet smile. “Thanks.”
“Of course, Becky.”
Becky really wished her own preferred nickname didn’t bother her so much in Wren’s voice, but it really did. Wren picked up her laptop and sat it down in between them. “Imagine Me & You was free to stream. Have you seen it?”
“You’re a wanker, number nine,” Becky said, which was kind of her to say, she thought. She could have said, “Duh, dumbass” instead.
Wren just chuckled. “Good.” She hit play on the movie, but immediately hit pause.
“I promise I won’t talk the whole movie, but I did just want to say, I’m sorry you had a shit week.
And I really appreciate you defending me in the coaches’ office.
It’s um…” She tucked some of her long wavy hair behind her ear before making way too intense eye contact with Becky.
“It’s really nice having you be my defender.
” She did her best to hold back a laugh at her own cheesy joke.
“Wow, Wren,” Becky said, holding her gaze. “That was such a big step forward for our relationship.”
Wren actually laughed at that, but she reached out and placed a tentative hand on Becky’s forearm. “Sorry, I had to make a joke. I’m bad at serious moments. But seriously, Rebecca, thank you.”
“Yeah. Well, I feel like I owed you one,” Becky leaned her head back on the shitty hotel headboard. “Come on. Let’s watch this movie and gush over Lena Heady.”
A rhythmic knock on the door pulled Becky from her sleep.
Her eyes snapped open. She took a second to get her bearings.
Wren was fast asleep next to her, her dark wavy hair was spread out over the hotel’s white pillow case, her arm was tucked under Becky’s pillow.
The laptop screen had gone black–probably some time ago.
Becky sat up and looked for some marker of time.
Her phone was there on the bed between them.
It was only five-thirty in the evening. That provided some sense of relief.
It’s not like they were going to be late for practice.
The knock on their door was a little louder this time, followed by a whisper-yelled, “Psssst, Wren? Becky? Are you in there?”
Becky couldn’t tell which of their teammates it was from their voice in a faux whisper. She stumbled to the door and pulled it open just enough to find Courtney on the other side. “Hey,” Becky said, her voice still sounding half asleep.
Courtney’s eyes slowly traveled down Becky’s body, and Becky was suddenly worried she wasn’t wearing pants or something, somehow. “Wait. Are the rumors true?” Courtney asked, not whispering anymore.
Becky rolled her eyes, already annoyed with where this conversation was going.“Which ones?” She had finally started to relax and have a few laughs over pizza and a decent sapphic rom-com. She didn’t want to get dragged back into her disaster of a week.
“The ones where you and Wren are fucking?” Courtney pointed at Becky’s chest.
Her heart stuttered. She had entirely forgotten that she was wearing a LAU sweater.
She would have made Wren get up and open the door if she had remembered.
“No, those rumors are not true. I left some of my clothes in my gym bag. Wren was just nice enough to offer.” She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to cover the LAU logo emblazoned across the front.
Courtney’s eyes looked over Becky’s head. Becky did her best to block her view, but Courtney Sinclair was nearly six feet tall and Becky’s five-eight did nothing to block her field of vision. “So, y’all weren’t just taking a nap in the same bed together then?”
Becky blushed, too embarrassed to stop the heat from rising to her cheeks. “Not intentionally. We were watching a movie on a laptop and dozed off.”
“Sure, Jan.” Courtney looked rather smug.
“Well, I don’t want to know. That is not a report I want to make.
We need y’all on the team. I came up here to ask if you two were coming to dinner tonight.
We started a group text with everyone, but got radio silence from you both.
Naturally, everyone’s conclusion was that y’all were otherwise occupied. ” She smirked.
Becky’s eyes widened. “Well, we weren’t. This was innocent. We had pizza like two hours ago, but I’m sure Wren will want to go just to hang out with everyone.”
Courtney looked like she wanted to respond. She looked ready to pounce, honestly. If Wren had been the one to open the door, Becky knew she probably would have. But Wren took teasing and banter and jabs far better than she did, and clearly, everyone already knew that.
“Mmhmmm,” Courtney looked back over Becky’s shoulder. “Well, if you would, go wake Sleeping Beauty up for us. We’re rolling out in about ten minutes.”