Page 65 of Bad Wolf

“I was just about to start clearing up. Scotty was out all afternoon and now he’s at the firehouse. I was just working on some things for Anna and then I had an idea while I was making dinner and started on some laundry.”

And I could have told you that was exactly what she had been up to. Wren was the little girl at school who didn’t need to be asked what she’d done in class that day as it was all over her face. Or in her hair or down her shirt.

She was always covered in paint or marker or clay or sand—you get the picture.

I can’t help it, I laugh.

I laugh until my eyes begin to sting and when they do, nothing seems as funny as it was a few minutes ago.

She moves towards me, slowly, and places a warm hand on my chest.

“Knox?” She breathes again and it just about does me in.

I shake her off and head to the kitchen, wiping my eyes on the back of my hand and opening the fridge like I’ve done a hundred times. Just as I lift a beer out of its cardboard container, two bottles of what look like imported lager catch my eye and I exchange the Miller Lite for one of those.

I’ll drink the traitor’s expensive beer while I will myself to stay and have this conversation. I may have been putting it off, but I know it should’ve been done the night it all fell apart.

When I turn back around after twisting the lid from the top of the bottle, she’s still standing where I left her. In the middle of the living room, having not moved a muscle.

My head wars with my heart over how beautiful she is. I know a lot of attractive women, but somehow this one is still able to burrow under my skin. She’s the most beautiful of them all.

“What…What are you doing here? I just told you, Scott’s working.”

“I know he is. We all have his schedule,” I say with a shrug.

“Of course you do,” She mutters.

I don’t acknowledge whatever dig that was, and take a seat on the side of the couch that’s not littered with files and documents and loose papers.

It doesn’t even smell like Scott’s place anymore. Sure, there’s that lingering scent of smoke that he always seems to emanate, but apart from that, it smells like girl.

Again, I can’t help but feel like he deserves to have his space invaded like this.

When I look up at her, she’s still watching me, wringing her hands nervously. I want to take them in mine. I want to ease whatever anxiety she’s feeling, but then I remember what she did and hold on tight to my anger.

“You’ve been here months. Invaded almost my entire life, short of getting a job with the Wolves. I think you’ve succeeded in getting my attention.”

Her eyes widen at my bluntness.

“All I mean is, it’s obvious you have something to say, so just say it then we can both move on and try to just exist in the same city.”

Her hazel eyes close and she nods. When they snap back open, they’re watery but she hangs on to her tears.

If she thinks I’m here to make peace, she’s got another thing coming. I just want to know why she did it and what she’s doing here now. I want to believe my seeing her in Miami was the catalyst, but I’ll never know until I ask.

She shuffles some papers around and exits out of a window that was open on her ancient laptop. A laptop I recognize due to the stickers covering the lid.

Band stickers, book stickers, a few book nerd quotes. There’s even an NHL sticker I remember placing over the branding myself. As well as some MSU badges along with our old high school crest.

She catches me looking and slides it under the oak-stained coffee table.

I watch as she grabs a faded, striped, orange blanket off the back of the couch and folds it up over her bare knees. She fiddles with the fringed edge obviously waiting for me to say something else. Maybe ask a question. Maybe ask the question that’s burning a hole in my gut and has done since the last weekend I ever spent with her.

And even though I don’t owe her anything, I start the conversation off light for my sake. Being so close to her frazzles my brain cells.

“Where did you end up getting your degree?” I ask.

“Erm,” her cheeks pinken, “I’m still in the middle of my Lit, Media, and Culture BA. with Florida State.”

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