Page 102 of The Show

“I forget his name, but he’s in one of the teams they play. I think Rafe said he works for the Governor’s office. Wesley, maybe?”

I frowned. “Wexler? Bryce Wexler?”

She nodded. “Yeah, that’s him.”

“What’s he got to do with this?”

“He’s the one Penn punched on Tuesday for talking shit about you.”

I coughed hard, fifty percent from the strength of the spice in whatever I’d just eaten, and fifty from this announcement. I washed it down with a long sip of wine, “What? Penn punched him on Tuesday?”

I guess that explained why his hand was also a little swollen, and not from my assumption that it was how he’d always come back to me on a Tuesday.

“Didn’t Penn tell you?”

“No…” I shook my head. “No, he came to my place bleeding, with a swollen eye. I asked, but he just said it was basketball. And then he told me he’s loved me since he was five years old, so I kind of forgot to ask again.”

The pair of them sighed in sync. Kit’s chin actually rested on her fists as she stared at me. “OMG that is so cute. Since he was five years old?”

“Apparently. Wait, he really punched Bryce Wexler?”

They nodded.

“Shit.”

“Hang on. Can we go back to how Penn’s been in love with you since he was five years old?” Kit’s eyes opened wider. “I knew it! I knew something was up with him that time at the gala.”

“What gala?”

Kit sipped at her wine. “The Picasso one. He just stared and stared at you.”

“Did he?” I asked. “I don’t remember, though if I’m honest, he’s always been a little standoffish, or a lot standoffish with me. So I probably didn’t think about it.”

“How did you never realize? How is it possible you really never figured it out?”

I picked up one of the little bruschetta and crunched down on it, waiting until I could swallow before I answered. “Because he never spoke to me. I’d be on the receiving end of a few intense stares, but that would be it. I always thought he didn’t like me. It’s been like that since we were kids. Though looking back on it, there’s a few things that make more sense now.”

Beulah’s eyes lit up. “Like what?”

“Um, well… I’ve been thinking about when we were younger, and I remembered this one summer Penn kept picking flowers from the garden and leaving them outside Lauren’s bedroom. His mom kept getting so mad at all the mud he dropped around the house. He must have been around seven or eight.”

“Oh God, that is the cutest,” Kit sighed.

“And he saw me with Bryce Wexler at Lucian’s party, and begged me not to go on a date with him.” My head dropped in my hands. “Shit, what am I going to do? Lauren is so angry.”

“How do you feel about Penn?”

This morning I thought I knew. This afternoon I thought I knew. But now Lauren had made her feelings clear on the subject, my emotions were reverberating through my chest and bouncing off each rib. They were going so fast that it was hard to grab hold of one quick enough to make sense of it.

“I… I like him, a lot. Maybe more than like. The sex we have is off the charts. I love him as my friend’s brother, who I’ve known most of my life. But I’m still trying to get used to this new Penn, so to say I’m in love with him… I’m not sure yet. Isn’t it too quick to fall in love? Even though I know I’ve never felt like this before. But… Lauren… she said he’s incapable of having a relationship and he’ll go off with someone else soon. I’m so confused. Maybe I’m getting too swept up in his certainty. He just keeps saying it's forever. It’s hard.” I slumped with a huge sigh.

“It was the same with Murray. He knew. He was so certain, and it was overwhelming.”

My eyes welled up again, and I tried hard to stop my lip from quivering. “What do I do? Lauren’s my best friend in the world, I can’t lose her. We’ve never really had a fight before.”

“Ever?” Beulah baulked.

“No, it’s always just felt like the two of us against the world. Me with my family, and her against hers. And now I’ve done this.”

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