Page 128 of Undeniably Enemies

“Owen,”Octavia admonishes.

“Sorry, Grandma, but it’s not an out-of-place question. Jack doesn’t do relationships, and neither does Wren.”

I lean against the doorjamb. “That’s where you’re wrong. Wren and I have been together for two weeks. And before you go getting your panties in a twist, I seem to remember a similar outing of a secret relationship.” Pointedly, I glance at my sister and then swing my gaze back to him.

Owen is still frowning. “Right. And you were furious with me. So why keep it a secret now?”

“Because I asked him to,” Wren calls out from behind me, thankfully now dressed. “And I totally forgot you were all coming over to take me out for dinner tonight, so there’s that.” Wren throws me a sheepish shrug. “Clearly I was distracted.”

Owen’s brow pinches up, his glare still smeared across his face.

Wren’s hand flies up. “That’s not what I meant! Crap! That’s not how I meant it. Stuff happened at the hospital today. That’s what I was talking about.” Her face meets her hands. “I’m so not making this better.”

I sigh, not willing to entertain this when he’s standing beside my sister, who was his nanny and is two years younger than Wren is. “We’re together, and yes, I wanted to tell you. But?—”

“But you didn’t,” Owen snaps. “She’s been through a lot, Jack. Did she tell you that?”

“I believe I said the same thing to you once, brother.”

He huffs the way big brothers who have trouble seeing their little sisters as grown women do. Fine. I get that. Hell, I lived it, but come on.

“Owen, I think we should go,” Octavia says lightly. “He’s in love with her and has been for some time now. They’re a lovely couple and deserve their privacy.”

I blink, taken aback by that. “How did you know I love her?”

“I heard you and Wren outside of my room in the ER. That,and I saw you together at my house recently. But more importantly, I saw you with her years ago over Thanksgiving, where you stared heartbrokenly at her.”

I choke on a laugh. “You saw and heard all that?”

“I pay attention,” she tells me plainly. “Besides, few people can dislike each other the way you two did without there being something else beneath it. It’s a thin line.”

No joke.

“You love her?” Owen asks, his tone softening. A little. “And what is this about a Thanksgiving?”

Wren comes up beside me and wraps her arms around my stomach. “We love each other. I mean, I hated him for a long time, some of it from that Thanksgiving, but that’s only because I loved him first.”

Owen shakes his head as if that doesn’t make sense, but Estlin is smiling broadly.

“I love this,” she exclaims. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me. Octavia is right. We’ll go. But sometime this weekend, you should both come over and hang out and talk your brother-slash-best friend off the ledge he’s clearly hypocritically standing on.”

Owen throws her a side-eye. “I’m not?—”

“You are,” we all say.

“Owen, we hid our relationship for weeks too.”

“That’s because you were Rory’s nanny. Jack has no excuse. He should have come and spoken to me like a man. That’s what I’m upset about. He was all pissed off we hid it from him, so he shouldn’t have hid it from me.”

“He’s right,” I admit. “I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry I didn’t come speak to you. I’m sorry this is how you found out. But I love her, Owen. I love her how you love Estlin. It was new and unexpected, and after the way we didn’t like each other for so long, we wanted to make sure it’d work before we involved the masses who like to throw a lot of feelings and opinions our way.But truth, you don’t get a say this time. You don’t get an opinion. Because I wasn’t allowed one with you and Estlin. This isn’t revenge. It’s that you and Estlin knew you needed time to be together as you were without outsiders getting involved, and that’s what Wren and I needed too.”

He sighs. Estlin is beaming. Rory looks confused. Octavia is Octavia and is smiling in her way.

“Owen, help me down the stairs,” Octavia demands.

“Grandma, you got up the stairs just fine on your own.”

“Owen, I am a ninety-one-year-old woman who recently fell down the stairs and broke her wrist. I believe that makes me a fall risk. Do you want my broken hip on your conscience?”

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