Page 15 of Talk About… Trouble

“Sorry, guys! I ran into some friends. If you want to meet them, I can introduce you.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet new people just yet, I was just getting to know them.

Devon spoke up, saving me from having to answer.

“We’re going to drink these and then get some dancing in. Do you want to join us?”

“Hell yeah,” she said, holding her glass to the air. “To new roommates and new beginnings!”

Devon and I shared a grin and clinked our glasses to hers, all of us taking a sip.

She didn’t know how accurate those words were.

Grace shifted closer to us, her eyes dancing with excitement.

“Okay, while we’re drinking, we came here for a purpose,” she said. “I need to know what colors you guys hate before I make our apartment look like a rainbow threw up in it.”

“Honestly, if the colors are done right, I don’t hate any color. Just don’t make it a sad gray or beige,” Devon said with a dramatic shudder that had us both laughing.

“Honestly, I’m so over the modern minimalist look. I’m maximalist now, all the way,” I said. Our apartment was a blank canvas at this point so anything would be an improvement.Lately, I found myself craving the cozy, colorful vibes more than modern.

“Really?” Grace asked, her eyebrows rising as she looked at me. “But you brought so little.”

“I left a lot of my old life behind, but I’m not opposed to going shopping.”

Apparently, those were the magic words for my new roommate.

“Oh my god, bet!” she said, doing a little dance in her chair. “Don’t worry, I already know the best shopping spots. They’re not all here in Rockwood Valley, but close enough. Plus, imagine how amazing it’s going to be to go to The Artisan Fair this year! They always have the most amazing artwork. Oh, and there’s an antique shop that opened up not long ago. Oriana has the best stuff, too. Our apartment is going to be amazing!”

“The Artisan Fair?” Devon asked. “These small-town festivals are real?”

Grace laughed like he was joking, but Devon looked serious. I wasn’t sure where he grew up, but I also thought those little festivals were something out of Gilmore Girls and not real life.

“Oh yeah,” she said. “It happens twice a year and is why we have so many small businesses in town. You should have seen it just a year or two ago. Half the shops were empty but thanks to my friend Avery coming back and starting up the PackVlog pages for the town and the bar, it changed things. Maverick, her brother, kick started The Artisan Fair again and it really blew things up.”

“Sounds fun,” Devon said. “I knew this town was charming but I guess I have a lot to learn still.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get there,” Grace reassured him. “We’ll make our rounds to the shops. Grab some things for the new place, get to know the town a bit better, it’ll be amazing.”

I felt the excitement building as she rambled on. All of it sounded so perfect and refreshing. I swear I’d spent half my life caring too much about what others thought. That was the old Wren. I was going to work my ass off to make sure the new Wren was truly happy.

“Who here can cook? Because I’m kind of hopeless,” Devon said, continuing the conversation as he sipped his bright blue cocktail.

“I wouldn’t say I’m completely hopeless,” Grace said with a wince. “I’m an amazing baker, but cooking actual food outside the basics? I’m terrible at it. I’m a snack queen all the way.”

“Funny enough, I’m terrible at baking,” I admitted. “Or rather, inexperienced. I can definitely cook the basics. We’ll get by. Plus, they have recipes for everything. It can’t be that hard.”

“Update the smoke alarms. Noted,” Devon joked as he downed the rest of his drink. “Now, let’s dance.”

Grace barely managed to chug the rest of hers before he was taking both of our hands and dragging us out to the dance floor.

The mix of country and rock was high-energy enough that we were able to let go and feel the beat.

When the band took a break and kicked on a dance mix, it was even better. Devon, Grace, and I made the perfect trio, singing along and dancing like we’d been friends for years.

This was the longest I’d gone without overthinking things and dwelling on my darker thoughts.

I was worried about coming here, but I was genuinely having a good time. The music, my new friends… all of it was perfect.

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