Page 116 of Undeniably Enemies

Her expression crumples, and she plants her face into my chest and wraps her arms around me. “I’m so sorry, Jack. So sorry. You wanted to tell everyone about us weeks ago. I pushed it off and pushed it off. It’s my fault.”

“It’s mine, Wren.”

“No. I asked you to keep us quiet.”

“I didn’t argue it that hard.” Not hard enough. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to make it not so stressful for her. I wanted us to have time as just us. And for all the reasons—well, most of the reasons—I raged at Owen, I’m now raging at myself. Because if I had been honest and open about my feelings and relationship with her, this wouldn’t have happened. But I liked our bubble. Our insulated world.

Just as she didn’t want to rock it, I didn’t either.

Her chin hits my sternum, and she looks up at me with her big, blue eyes. “Do you hate me?”

I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “No.”

“But you’re mad at me.”

“No, sweetheart.” I run my hand down the back of her hair. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself. I’m mad at the situation. I’m mad that I got my hopes up despite my best efforts, and yet again, something I wanted is being taken from me. Only this time, I have no one to blame but myself.”

Cheerful holiday music pumps through the grocery store, mocking me, and I feel like everything is falling apart. Again. I hate this feeling. This wild, out-of-control feeling. I have to do something about it, but I’m not sure what to do. It’s not just me on the line anymore. This will hurt Wren too.

34

My knuckles rap on the door, and when it swings open, I nearly fall back off the front stoop.

“Jack? What are you doing here?”

“Uh, hi Katy.”

Shit. Katy is not who I wasexpecting, though I guess it shouldn’t totally shock me that she’d be at her dad’s or stepdad’s or uncle’s or whatever she calls Callan since he’s her adoptive father. The pitter-patter of tiny feet comes racing up behind her, and Willow jumps straight into my arms.

“Unkwah Jwak.”

“Hey, kiddo.” I kiss her forehead. “Look at you all dressed up like a princess.”

“That’s her ballet costume,” Katy supplies, taking Willow back from me and setting her down so she can run back inside. “I can’t even with how adorable she is in it. Are you here to see Cal?”

“Uh, yeah. Is he around? If now’s a bad time, I can come back or call him later.”

She waves me away. “Nah. It’sfine. Come in. Layla and Bennett are fighting over the correct way to make mashed potatoes, with skin or without.”

“Without,” I answer easily.

“I totally agree, but Bennett, the crazy man that he is, likes them with. How did I marry him?”

I laugh and follow her inside, slip off my shoes and hang up my coat on a hook by the door. I hadn’t considered doing this with an audience, nor did I want to, but it seems that’s how this is going.

“Hey, Jack.” Bennett, Callan, and Layla greet me. It’s like a Fritz meets the ER convention, and maybe I should have waited to do this tomorrow.

“Hey. Um.”

“Do you want a beer?” Bennett asks, holding up his own.

“No, thanks. I’m good.”

“Did you need to talk?” Callan questions, wiping his hand on a dish towel and rounding the island toward the great room.

I look at all of them, one by one. I should do this with Callan alone, but I’m tired of hiding everything. I’m tired of keeping things from the people I work with and my friends. Wren might kill me for this, but she’ll get over it. It’s time.

“I’m with Wren.”

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