Page 57 of Hit and Run
“No, it’s okay, really. I shouldn’t have reacted like I did,” she says. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I honestly meant for it to have been a one-time thing. I wasn’t ever supposed to see him again,” I admit.
“Heis still here ya know,” Shade calls from the kitchen. Wren rolls her eyes with a smile playing on her lips.
“Oh, hush!” she says to Shade, then looks to me. “Life has a funny way of bringing people into our lives when we need them the most.”
I grab her hand. We talked about that when we first met. We hit it off so well when I interviewed her to be my roommate. It was like the universe knew we needed each other in our lives. I never thought about it being the same for Shade and me.
“You’re my best friend, Wren. I love you so much. If you don’t want . . .”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” she cuts me off. “You two are so perfect for each other. I don’t think either of you realizes that. Seeing how he reacted the day TJ took you, I knew you were it for him. The way he is with you, he’sneverbeen like that with another girl,” she says in a softer voice, trying not to let Shade hear. A smile stretches across my face so wide, I feel like my cheeks are going to split open. “And that smile tells me you’re just as crazy about him.”
“I am,” I whisper. “How are things with you and Zack?”
“We’re good,” she tells me. “I hate that we were the ones to introduce you to TJ.”
“Hey, don’t do that. What happened to me had nothing to do with you,” I state. “It was one hundred percent on TJ.”
“Tech is still trying to track him. We’ll get him soon,” Shade adds.
“Enough of that,” I say. “What are you getting Cali and Buster for their baby shower?”
“I honestly haven’t even thought about it,” Wren admits.
“Well, start thinking about it. It’s coming up quick,” I remind her. “Maybe you, me, and the girls can go shopping together.”
“That would be great. I haven’t seen any of them since the last time you and I were over there,” she tells me.
“We’ll fix that.” I smile at her. “I can’t wait to find out if they’re having a boy or a girl.”
“I hope it’s a girl,” Wren says.
“Why would you wish that on Buster,” Shade asks her.
“What’s wrong with them having a girl,” I ask him with a giggle.
“She’d have a whole club of uncles who would look out for her,” Wren tells him.
“A whole club of uncles that will bury a boy for looking at her the wrong way,” Shade mutters. Wren and I break out in laughter. “Y’all laugh now, but just wait.”
“I can only imagine how you’ll react when it’s your kid we’re waiting to find out the sex of,” Wren says. Her words sober me up and Shade’s face pales. Wren glances between the two of us. “Both y’all look like you’ve seen ghosts.”
“The thought of having kids has never really crossed my mind,” Shade says. Something in the tone of his voice tells me he's not completely honest. I’ll have to ask him about that later.
“With the past I had, it’s never crossed mine either,” I tell Wren. Wren glances at her phone. Whatever she sees has her eyes wide as saucers.
“I need to go,” she says.
“Is everything okay?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine. Zack is having some friends over for dinner, so I need to get home and make sure the house is presentable,” she tells me, standing from the couch. I stand and walk with her to the door.
“You’re kidding, right,” Shade asks her. Wren glares at her brother.
“No, I’m not. Since I haven’t been working as much, I do what I can to keep the house looking nice,” she tells him. “It’s a way for me to show him I appreciate everything he does for me.”
Shade scoffs. “Ignore him,” I say to her. “Text me when you get home. We’ll plan a shopping day soon.”
