Page 38 of Falling

Wren’s smile is tight and clearly forced. “Hi, I’m Wren.”

“Let me get you some water, dude. You're already wasted,” I say, trying to find Gray's eyes, but he's too busy looking around. I grip his shoulder to steady him as he continues swaying, but it doesn’t do much to help.

He snorts. “Since when were you such a prude?”

“I'm not drinking tonight, and if you don't want to be benched at the next game, I suggest you drink some water.”

“Fine, Dad,” Gray mumbles.

Wren laughs.

Finally.

It’s like a breath of fresh air. I can only imagine how irritating it must be for her to be here with me, but she’s trying her best. I look down at her, watching her face transform into sunlight as she laughs at my expense.

Gray mumbles something that neither one of us can understand, and the conversation dies down.

Wren brings her hand across my stomach, nestling into my chest as if we aren’t close enough already. The gesture makes my heart constrict when it shouldn’t. I know it’s been a while, but my body is acting like it’s never had the attention of another woman before.

“Well, it was nice to properly meet you, Wren,” Gray mumbles when he remembers how to speak. He gives me a messy wink before disappearing back into the crowd. She bursts out laughing, pulling away.

She stands across from me, leaning against the wall. “Now what? Are we going to just stand around here all night until another one of your friends comes up to us?”

“This is all on your terms, Wren,” I say. “If you want to stand around here all night, we can.”

She hums. “Where’s the birthday girl? Don’t you want to wish her a happy birthday?”

“Sophia’s probably got her tongue down her girlfriend’s throat, and she wouldn’t even notice if I’m here or not,” I explain. She nods, looking around the small hallway where more people are starting to filter in. “Let’s go to the pool.”

She laughs. “You can go in and I’ll watch. Then, I'll drive you to the hospital when you get a disease from whatever is in there.”

I smile. “Deal.”

I grab her hand and lead her out to the back of the house, where the pool is just as disappointing as Wren made it out to be.

Each inch of the rectangular pool is filled with semi-naked bodies, beer cans floating, and beach balls making their way across the water. The water has turned a strange brown color, and I don’t want to find out why. We stand next to a wall close to the glass door, our arms touching.

It’s a strange kind of intimacy that I didn’t realize I enjoyed so much before tonight. It’s like every touch from her is like the first time I’m experiencing it.

She erases every woman in my life before her, and I’m only left with her. Her touch. Her smell. Her laugh. Her smile.

And a part of me is starting to think that I won’t need anything else in my life.

She bumps her arm against mine.

“And you wonder why I don’t like parties,” she says, looking up at me. She’s so unimpressed it’s almost funny. I lean my head against the door, laughing. I really am starting to get it. I can’t remember what I found so comforting about being at a place like this.

“Yeah, it’s not as fun as I remember. But I guess I found them more fun when I couldn’t remember them,” I say.

She frowns, her mouth twitching. “How’s that going? The sobriety.”

“I’m not actually an alcoholic, you know?”

“No, but you were getting there,” she says, “I don't want to pretend to be dating analmostalcoholic.”

“You’re not.”

“Are you sure?”

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