Page 57 of Finally Home

It’s like a record scratch when my thoughts pause on what she said. “Hang on a second. What anonymous texts, Wren?”

She shoots me an apologetic grimace. “Oops?” I level her with a glare, and she groans. “I’m sorry! We’ve just had so much going on I honestly forgot to mention it. I’ve gotten some nasty texts from an unknown number. The person calls me a slut, untalented, a gold digger, etcetera. You name it, they’ve said it.”

I rake my hands through my hair in exasperation. “Wren Andromeda,” I say sternly. “What did we agree on just last week?”

She whines, standing up to slip into one of my old practice shirts. “I know, babe. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll tell you everything from now on.”

My frustration melts away when she calls me babe. I think that’s the first time she’s used a pet name for me that wasn’t a nickname she gave me before we got together. I look at my beautiful girl who’s currently across the country and sigh. “I miss you, Starling. I wish you were here.”

Her smile lights up the room, bringing a smile to my own face. “I miss you too, Rho. But I’ll be in your jersey and watching the game from the comfort of your living room.” She giggles at my raised brow. “Sorry, our living room.”

Seeing her in my practice shirt reminds me what I had made for her. “Oh! Baby, go in our bedroom and look on the left side of the bed. There should be a wrapped box with your name on it.”

Wren squeals and runs to our room while I grab a washcloth and clean myself up.

God, I hope she likes it.

CHAPTER 35

WREN

My phone dings when I get back to the guest room with the box, so I pick it up and grimace when I see another text from Derrick and two from the anonymous number. I intentionally ignore the anonymous weirdo, but a very small part of me wants to hear Derrick out because at the very least, it might give me some closure.

Dick

Wren, please, you have to know I had nothing to do with that video!

I swear, I was angry but I wouldn’t have done something so stupid. I’m being investigated by the police for fuck’s sake. The team temporarily suspended me because of the investigation.

I came to Charleston to see you. Is there any way you would be willing to meet and talk? Bring whoever you want. I’ll be at Hotel Indigo in room 210 until Wednesday.

After clicking out of Derrick’s messages with an annoyed grunt, I see the new unread messages from the anonymous sender. I know I shouldn’t look, but curiosity gets the best of me and I open them.

Unknown

Having some trouble getting into your Instagram account, whore?

It’s about time people finally see you for the fake you are.

“Starling, you okay? You spaced out on me.” Rhodes’s voice startles me, almost making me drop my phone. I promised him no more lies, so with a sigh, I tell him about all the texts I’ve gotten over the last week, both from the random number and from Derrick.

He smiles at me through the screen, which is not the reaction I expected. “Thank you for telling me, baby. I’m really proud of you for being honest.”

His praise lights me up inside, and I realize choosing to be honest rather than bottling up my problems feels really good. The crushing weight of panic I feel when I have to make big decisions alone isn’t as heavy as usual.

Maybe Connie had a point.

“You get back on Monday, right?” I ask him nervously. I’m worried he won’t react well to my plans, but I’m going with or without him. If he says no, I’ll just ask my dad or Dominic.

A resigned sigh is my answer, and he gives me a critical look. “You want to meet with Derrick?”

I offer a small nod, fully prepared for his refusal. But I should know better by now: Rho is Derrick’s opposite in every way. Instead of saying no, he asks me why I want to go.

“Maybe it’s naïve of me, but I believe him when he says he didn’t do it. I mean, it’s obvious he took the video, but I really don’t think he leaked it. He could get kicked off the team, or worse, arrested. Baseball is the only thing he cares about and without me babysitting him, nobody’s around to prevent his bad behavior from turning into PR nightmares. Like all the times I had to pick him up from a bar when he tried to drive home drunk. The Sirens suspended him because he’s being investigated by the police over the leaked video.”

His head tilts to the side in contemplation, and he nods once slowly. “Yesterday, I would have said you were letting your heart get in the way of logic, but honestly, I think you might be right.” He goes quiet and looks like he wants to say something. I wait him out, as he decides what he wants to share.

His lips pull into a grimace. “I met Ella today.”

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