Page 74 of You Found Me in the Dark
Cam didn’t miss a beat. “Wasn’t sure you owned anything longer than a T-shirt.”
“Oh, honey,” Harper cooed, “if you can’t handle the thighs, you don’t deserve the rest.”
I nearly choked on my coffee.
Their bickering had always had a sharp edge, the kind that hinted at something unspoken. But today, there was a different kind of tension in the air—charged and crackling.
Lena walked through the front door, bringing in the last of the bags. I knew we were having breakfast together, but it looked like they did a whole grocery shop. Lena set the bags on the kitchen table with a huff.
Lena was the stylish one of the three. She wore a fitted red tank top and a black mini skirt. Her hair was braided, making it look shorter than it usually looked. She had several strands of black, orange, and blonde hair sticking out. She turned around to face me, pushing her sunglasses onto her head.
“God, it’s been forever!” She headed towards me, arms open for a hug.
I smiled big. Little Lena Ivy, as Wren called her, was like a second sister to me. Lena was always calling me out on my bullshit or asking for advice, just like Harper. Wren never explained the nickname, and it never made sense because Lena was twenty-five. Only a year younger than Wren.
“Hey kid,” I replied, kissing the crown of her head and pulling her in.
“I am quite literally your little sister, and youneverhug me,” Harper said through gritted teeth while staring daggers at me.
I let go of Lena and stood in front of my little sister, arms wide open. She walked straight into them and whispered, “I am so happy you found your person. I have known for years, just waited for you two to realize it.”
I squeezed her tight and kissed her temple, “Thanks, Harp.”
I let her go, realizing Lena was walking into Wren’s room to most likely wake her up.
“So, what did you guys bring?”
45
WREN
“Wrennie.”
“Wren, wake up.”
My eyes fluttered open at the familiar voice. I was absolutely exhausted, probably could’ve slept a few more hours, but when I saw her face, I shot up.
I threw my arms around my cousin, who was sitting on my bed next to me.
She hugged me back tightly. “Good morning, Callahan. You have some explaining to do.” She pulled back with the biggest smile on her face.
I huffed out a breath, which was probably inconsiderate since I hadn’t brushed my teeth. I asked softly, “Can I tell you everything?”
I spoke softly just in case someone was eavesdropping. I told her about how, after the party, we kissed. How I asked him to take me for a drive and told him absolutely everything. I told her how Harps reacted. I told her in great detail about how he fucked meand praised me. She had to listen to me explain how Cam handled it. Then I told her about last night.
“Le, he is so good to me. I asked him to fuck me like he hated me,” she gasped, “and he did it. Afterwards, he made sure I was okay and asked if I needed anything. We talked until both of us fell asleep. I accepted a commission again, Le. Cliche, but he is my muse. I am so in love with him. I think I have been for years.” When I stopped looking at my hands and looked back at my cousin, I noticed she was crying.
“Fuck, what?” I grabbed her hand.
Her voice was soft, “Wren, it’s been years since you painted. He makes you so happy that you picked up a brush again. You never thought you would do that, said it was ruined for you. He didn’t even tell you to do it. You did it for yourself because you are happy.”
She sniffed back more tears, then continued, “Watching you go through all the shit you went through was scary. It broke my heart to see you lose so many pieces of yourself. I was always going to be here for you, but I was worried I would never be able to make you as happy as you used to be. I feel like I can finally breathe because you’re happier than you have ever been. I can see it on your face.”
Now we were both crying. “Thank you for looking after me all these years Lena. I will always need you.”
She wrapped me in another hug, then stood up, carefully drying her tears in order not to smudge her makeup.
Le cleared her throat, “I should go help set up breakfast.” She headed for the door and turned around, “You may want to put on a shirt before you join us.”
