15. WREN

15

WREN

The girls talk around me while we eat lunch. I can't seem to focus on anything they're saying. My mind is back on Wyatt and the way he crowded me in my kitchen. I take a small bite of my sandwich. I should at least pretend to pay attention to their conversation.

It's a beautiful day. One of the few days I don't mind sitting outside for lunch. There is a nice breeze and the shade to keep me from sweating through my clothes. I appreciate my friends' love for nature and fresh air, but personally, I like it just fine looking out a window in an air-conditioned room.

"I have to put together a charity event. From scratch . Do you know how much work that is going to be?" Charlie asks.

"That's your final?" Sydney pops a chip in her mouth.

"You say that as if it's a simple task. Yes, this is the final. It's basically the only grade for the semester. Professor Jim—"

"It's so weird that you call him that," Lauren says, smiling. She's not wrong.

"He looks like Jim from The Office ." Charlie shrugs. "Anyway, Professor Jim is breaking the final up into smaller assignments. I'm grateful it isn't a pass or fail situation. "

"What are you going to do?" Lauren asks.

"I'm not sure yet. It needs to be epic. I'm thinking about something physical. Maybe the proceeds can go to Royal Oaks?" Royal Oaks is the trailer park on the other side of town where Lauren lives during summer and semester breaks.

"That would be incredible. The summers are the hardest for the kids without school lunches. I know they would appreciate it," Lauren says.

"Maybe you can do something the kids can get involved in. Something fun," Sydney suggests.

"Like a fun run or a mud race?" Charlie asks.

"Why do they call it a fun run? There is absolutely nothing fun about running in this heat," I say, finally joining the conversation.

"It's fun because you're outside enjoying the fresh air and raising money for a good cause," Charlie explains.

"It's deceptive advertising. There is nothing fun about being outside." Then they want to add running too? No thank you.

"Then why are you spending your entire spring break on a farm? Huh?" Charlie teases.

"Back it up. I missed something. You're spending spring break on a farm. Where?" Sydney asks.

"Wyatt's family farm," Charlie answers for me with a slick smile on her face.

"Our Wyatt?" Lauren asks. No, my Wyatt. "Hart mentioned something was going on between the three of you. A sordid love triangle. I thought he was joking."

"There is no love triangle. Wyatt is my friend," I say. It's the truth. That's all we are. Friends. Just because it didn't work out with Charlie doesn't mean he wants something with me.

I thought he was going to kiss me the other night. He got so close to me in my kitchen, but he had pulled back seconds before I was going to push forward.

We studied into the early morning and he ended up sleeping on my couch. If the situation was different—if he actually liked me like that—he would have forgotten all about studying.

The things he said to me make me want that. He makes me believe he could be that man who begs for more of me. When I close my eyes, I can still feel the forehead kiss he gave me.

"There's no love triangle because Wyatt isn't interested in me," Charlie says.

"Because you turned him down," I state.

"I turned him down because he didn't want me." I know for a fact that isn't true. "My God, Wrennie. Read the room. The boy is obsessed with you."

If by obsessed you mean, I'm going to hound you until you help me get into your roommate's pants, then yes he is that. Actually obsessed with me ? I don't think so. We're friends. That's it. That's all we can ever be.

"It makes sense now," Sydney says, nodding her head.

"What does?" Lauren asks.

"Nash. A week or so ago when we were out at dinner. He said Wyatt told him not to get any ideas. That you were off limits. Nash said Wyatt didn't want him flirting with you anymore. What do you have to say about that?"

I shrug, but I do wonder if this is what Wyatt whispered to Nash after we had our impromptu dance party. "I don't know why he would say something like that. Sounds like the same warning Nash gave his friends about you. Maybe Wyatt sees me as his sister." The thought makes me die a little inside.

"It's not the same," Syd claims.

"Did you see the way he went feral over her wearing Thomas's jersey?" Charlie asks Sydney and Lauren.

"You told me to wear it because he would want me to wear school colors. And Wyatt said he hated the jersey by the way. You were wrong." I point a finger at her.

"Who's going to tell her?" Lauren asks. Sydney raises her hand and starts chanting pick me over and over. "Educate the woman."

"He hated it because it wasn't his name on your back. You were publicly claiming Thomas as your favorite player."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. I don't even know who Thomas is, let alone if he's a good enough baseball player to call him my favorite," I explain.

"It might sound arbitrary, but Hart would lose his mind if I wore someone else's jersey to one of his games or at all," Lauren says, further cementing this bizarre jersey wearing rule.

"Are you sure there's nothing going on between you and Wyatt?" Sydney asks .

"I'm sure." I fiddle with my lunch to avoid their scrutinizing stares.

"You're at his place all the time or he is over at our dorm," Charlie states. That was all to get close to you . "You text all day long. You hate texting in case you forgot. You do laundry together. Eat lunch every day." I look up to argue the fact that I'm eating lunch now and there is no Wyatt in sight. "Almost every day. Whatever. Should I go on?"

"There can't be that much more," I grumble.

"You share food. You order each other's meals. You buy him office supplies," Charlie continues.

"He's very unorganized. He needed help getting his notes in order."

"My point is, the two of you are very close. You even have the little word game you play."

"That's so cute," Sydney says. It is not cute. It's frustrating. Wyatt is currently winning this week. I've been trying to think of a way to work surfeit into a conversation all day.

"We're friends. I don't know what to tell you." I shrug defensively.

"Sounds like the two of you are in a relationship," Lauren says nonchalantly. They don't know why he started spending time with me to begin with. If they did, they would come up with a different conclusion.

"She giggles now," Charlie tells Lauren and Sydney. They both gasp. I roll my eyes. "She's been singing more around the dorm. Wren, you're happy. I know it has to do with that man. "

"Maybe it's my new vitamins," I counter. I discovered new vitamins right around the time that Wyatt started harassing me. They are made with real fruits and vegetables. Who's to say that's not why I'm suddenly so much happier?

Charlie sputters a laugh. "Sure, vitamins. And I'm going to marry a famous football player one day. Why don't we all move to Deluluville with you?"

"Okay, I'll entertain you with a hypothetical situation. Let's say Wyatt is interested in me."

"He is. Carry on." Charlie gestures with her hand for me to keep talking.

"Wyatt's interested in me. What would you have me do? I'm not just going to walk up to him and tell him to kiss me. It's too risky."

"Love is worth the risk," Sydney says.

"Is it Sydney? What risks are you currently taking for love?" I ask.

"My situation is different," she claims. I suppose. I don't understand how a man can be off limits because he is your brother's best friend. Especially since he's been your friend the whole time too. "I took a risk by dating someone new. It might not have worked out, but I'm happy now."

The lie is there behind her eyes. They don't shine as much as they used to. She may be able to trick herself into thinking that she's happy. Maybe she is but I don't believe her. It's all a facade.

"No comment," Lauren says to her best friend. Lauren would know better than me and Charlie what's going on with Sydney. They are basically sisters after living together for years. "Lucky for you, I'm more interested in Wren and Wyatt hooking up. Otherwise we would have to give you a lesson in how to define real happiness."

"Brainstorm ladies," Charlie says, redirecting the conversation. "What should Wren do to get his attention?" Charlie pulls out her phone to take notes. I should be impressed.

"I know. I could take my shirt off and show him my boobs. Oh wait, I already did that. It didn't work." You would think if Wyatt was interested in me, he would have said something. Done something . He didn't. He stayed in one spot until we left the room.

"You what?" Charlie screeches.

"I flashed him my tits. It's not a big deal. I was changing clothes and he happened to be in the room." Being naked isn't a big deal to me. I'm not a modest person especially when I'm around people I'm comfortable with.

And I am comfortable with Wyatt.

"And he didn't jump your bones?" Sydney asks. I shake my head. "That doesn't sound like Wyatt at all."

"Exactly. It sounds like a guy who isn't interested." I start packing up the rest of my lunch and gathering the trash.

"It sounds like a guy who's worried he might lose someone he really cares about if he messes up," Lauren says.

I sigh. I wish that were the case. "I appreciate your advice and insight on this matter. I think it's best if I let it be."

"Fine," Charlie relents. "Tell him hi for us," she tacks on with a wink.

I wish we never had this conversation. All I can think about now is ‘what if' . What if I wasn't tied up in an arranged engagement? What if we gave it a chance? What if we try and we mess everything up?