Always You(25)

I looked away. I hated seeing her this angry. “Wrenn—”

“Don’t bother,” she interrupted. “Obviously we’re not on the same page. We never were.”

She ran to her car and jumped in, roaring out of the parking lot. I threw my arms back behind my head, angry with myself. Angry with my father. Angry at the whole f*cking useless world.

Wrenn was unlike any woman I’d ever met—so feisty and sure of herself. But she wasn’t a woman, she was still a girl. Her being eighteen didn’t make this right. She’d been through more heartache than most people go through in their whole lives, and she’d dealt with it with such maturity and dignity. But none of that changed the fact that I couldn’t be with her—if anything, it magnified that fact.

It just wasn’t right, and it wasn’t fair to her.

She was angry now, but I knew that would melt away. And once it did, she wouldn’t give in without a fight. Today I had won. But if she pushed me, I’d break; and when that happened, nothing would keep me from her.

God, I hope she respects my decision.





Chapter Sixteen


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Wrenn

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I was pissed.

Who was he to call all the shots? So he was scared. Big f*cking deal. Grow a pair and deal with it. I’d coped with more in the last year than he ever would. I didn’t need him protecting me.

The way I felt about him had gone beyond some schoolgirl crush. We connected on so many levels. But he just couldn’t get past the fact that he was my teacher.

I’ve lost too much to let him slip away. I won’t let that happen. I refuse to.

I spent the rest of Sunday watching DVDs and glancing at my phone, hoping he would call or text—anything—to tell me he had changed his mind. Layna had commented on my foul mood, which I had chalked up to my period. That stopped any further questions. Possibly the only time my period had ever come in handy.

I hated the way I was feeling. He made me feel so vulnerable, so open to getting hurt. I hated that, and right now, I hated him. I considered faking being sick so I didn’t have to see him the next day, but part of me wanted to be there. I wanted to rub in his face what he was missing.

My phone beeped and I lunged at it, sighing when I saw it was only Kass. I read her message.

I’m guessing your weekend was as fun as mine wink, wink

I groaned and replied.

Only if you were at the dentist having teeth pulled. He ended it.

It took her less than ten seconds to call me.

“He what?” she yelled.

I held the phone away from my ear. “Ended. Finished. Over. Done,” I mumbled, digging a piece of lint out from under my nail. I wasn’t in the mood to talk about it, not even with her.

“Oh, Wrenn. Why? What happened?”

“I don’t know. He just said it was too much and he couldn’t do it anymore,” I mimicked. I heard the downstairs door slam shut. “Look, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Someone is home.”

I shuffled downstairs and saw Dan with his bike in the middle of the living room, changing the tube in the tire. He looked up and smiled as I walked in and slumped on the sofa.

“Hey kiddo.”

I watched as he levered the tire off the wheel. “Layna would kill you if she knew you were doing this inside,” I commented sullenly.

“That’s why we’re not going to tell her.” He smirked, winking at me.

I smiled in spite of my mood, throwing my legs over the arm of the chair.

“You okay, Wrenn? You seem really off.”

“I’ll be fine. Just having a bad day, I guess.”

He nodded and set down his tools. He walked over and joined me on the sofa. “Your aunt loves having you here with us. I do too,” Dan said.

I nodded. They hadn’t once made me feel unwelcome, and I appreciated that.

“You know, Layna always wanted children. I think that’s part of why she is so passionate about her job.”

“What happened?” I asked shyly. I’d always gotten along well with Dan, but these heart-to-hearts were not common. I felt in the way around him. Like I had invaded their life. Which, in a way, I had.

“Life happened. We left it too late to start trying, and by the time we found out she would never carry a child naturally, it was too late. We tried IVF. She fell pregnant twice, and lost the baby in the first trimester with both pregnancies.” He smiled at me. “All I’m saying is, don’t for a second underestimate how much that woman—and I—love you.”

I nodded, feeling the tiniest bit better. I’d never doubted that they loved me, but I had wondered what would have happened if there had been other people who could have taken care of me.

“Thanks, Dan. I love you guys too. And I’m sorry if I don’t tell you enough, but I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for me.”

He reached over and squeezed my hand. “You’re a good kid. If you ever need to talk, I’m here, okay?”

I nodded, smiling at him.

***

At six, I made myself a sandwich and went to bed, claiming I wasn’t feeling very well. I don’t think either Layna or Dan believed me, but they let me go. I stripped down, pulled on my pajamas, and climbed under the covers, snuggling up to my pillow.