Page 124 of Falling Too Late

CHAPTER 45

WREN

I was fixing the dogs’dinner with Riley while the party continued outside. I set their bowls on the ground and let them eat so I didn’t have to worry about them stealing anyone’s food. I had texted Riley and the guys to get food out here and get things set up so I could surprise Alex. They surpassed my expectations completely, and I was so grateful. I took the time inside to pull myself together. I’d never thought this could happen. Alex and all our friends in this house. I was emotional.

I thought of Jon and how he was missing out on this. I needed to figure out what the hell his part in all this was, but I just wasn’t ready. I was still angry with him. I wanted to understand. But I wasn’t ready.

“You know, those boys can say one random-ass thing and go on talking for hours. You should have seen the three of us in the store. It was a mess, and then trying to set everything up here.” Riley shook her head.

She had me smiling at that thought. “I bet it was nuts. Those two can go on for hours. I love it.”

“Yeah.” Riley paused, looking out the kitchen window. “Are you sure there isn’t something between the two of them?” She brought her beer up to her lips.

I watched her watching them. “I’ve never wondered about it. Why?”

Her brows furrowed a bit, studying them. “Since the first time I met them, I. . . I don’t know.” She shook her head and waved her hand as if she was banishing the thought. “Nothing. Probably just my wild imagination.” She waggled her brows at me before grabbing the chips we had brought in from the store and the pasta salad I made.

I listened to stories of her heading into the next town over and doing parties where she showed the different kinds of toys and demonstrations. She laughed hard at my face and then told me it was PG demonstrations.

Her little adult store had gotten bigger in recent years. She started to host bachelorette parties and teach sex education, primarily focusing on the female pleasure points. She loved it and I was happy for her.

She dated here and there, but there hadn’t been anyone that she gushed about in particular. She had always told me that she didn’t want anything less than “goddess” treatment. If her man wasn’t obsessed with her, she didn’t want it.

Seeing Jon earlier had me feeling off, and Riley noticed.

“What’s going on, girl?”

I glanced out the window, seeing Alex out in the grass with everyone else. Quickly, I recounted the events of Jon and Riley made a face.

“What’s with the face?”

She popped a grape in her mouth. “Nothing.”

My eyebrow rose and I crossed my arms, “Spill it, Ri. I know you don’t like Jon.”

She sighed. “It’s not that I don’t like him it’s just. . .” She looked away from me, out the window.

I put my hand on her arm, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “Riley, whatever it is, you can tell me.”

I couldn’t remember a moment in our friendship where I hadto work this hard to get her to tell me something. Typically, she was an open book, ready to spill anything.

“When you were taking care of Gloria in the hospital and we started to pack that house up to get you out of there,” she took both my hands in hers, her blue eyes wide, “your room was the hardest room to walk into. The blood and the way it was left.” She shook her head slightly. “Troy, Gavin, and I couldn’t walk in there. It was too hard. It made all of us sick to go in there and see the remnants of what had happened to you. Gavin couldn’t even go upstairs without getting emotional. But Jon. . .” She took in a deep breath. “Jonwantedto be in that room. For three days, all he did was walk up there and stare at everything. At first I thought he was in shock. I thought he was trying to process everything like the rest of us; you guys have history and it made sense. One day, he was coming down the stairs empty handed, and when I looked up at his face,” she swallowed hard and a sick feeling rolled through me, “the only way I could describe it is that he wassatisfied.”

I pulled away, taken aback.

“It also could have been in my head, Wren,” she rushed out. “It wasn’t long after that Gloria passed away, and then Alex. It was just a glimpse, and I thought that maybe I had imagined it. He had always been by your side and helped you day or night. Please don’t be mad at me.” There was a tremor of panic in her voice.

“No, Riley, I’m glad you told me.” I tried to shake off my unease. I stepped forward, pulling her into a tight hug. “You can always tell me anything. Now, come on, we have guests waiting.”

“Thanks. Now. How are things with Alex?” she asked in a loud whisper as we headed outside. It was a warm summer evening with only a slight breeze. We stepped out onto the grass and walked our items to the table, and as I passed Alex, our eyes connected, and it erased my unease from what Riley told me. Alex and I would talk, we would get through this and figure out where we stood, then figure out whathappened.

“Things are good.” I smiled, arranging plastic cups and plates on the table.

“Aaaand?” Her shoulder bumped mine, trying to lighten the mood. “Are you guys picking up where you left off?”

Tongue in cheek, I gave her a look. “Maybe.”

She squealed and grabbed my arm. “I’m so happy for you, babycakes.” She hugged me tight.

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