Page 30 of Candy Hearts
“Son of a cock-blocking cupid,” William said under his breath.
“Who the fuck is that?” Benji twisted into a sitting position and pulled his silk nightie over his knees. William could have mourned. “AndWillie?! Can I call you that?”
“No.”
This was the absolute worst thing that could have happened. Benji had been emotional. Something big had been going on here. William didn’t quite understand what that big thing was, but interrupting it was theabsolute worst thing that could have happened.
“William?” Wren called again from the front door.
He needed to get down there before she came looking.
“William,” Benji said, his voice a panicky echo of hers.
“That’s my best friend, Wren. Sounds like she has someone with her.”
“Wait. Wren Rebello?” Benji asked.
“Yes.”
“Wren Rebello, the lingerie designer, is your best friend. Oh fuck. Duh. That’s how you know my sister. Wren designs underwear for Sasha’s company.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, when you go down there, thank her for making this garter belt in my size.”
“She designed this?” William placed his hand on Benji’s side, touching the belt through his nightie.
Benji nodded. The skin around his eyes was pinched and drawn. “Does them being here change things?”
William almost asked why it would, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to have to explain their fake valentines situation to Wren, but he would. He’d rather explain than make Benji think he was a secret.
“Fuck, of course it does,” Benji jumped in before William could respond. “Wren will tell my sister about us, and I don’t think I can deal with the questions right now.” Benji ran his hands through his hair, dropping his head down to stare at the bed. When he lifted it, his gaze was closed-off and guarded. “Secret fake valentines, then?”
William had been worried about Benji feeling like a secret but hadn’t considered what he’d feel like ifhewere the secret. Wasn’t great, to be honest.
Footsteps echoed on the stairs. Then a door opening and closing on the second floor.
“Sure.” William stood, giving Benji a flyby kiss. “Wait here. I’ll be back, and we will finish this. Unless the house is on fire, no other interruption could pull me away.”
Benji laughed and fell back into bed like an angel crashed to earth. “Don’t jinx the house. I’m convinced it has a sinister grudge against us.”
William, reluctantly, left the bedroom. He found Wren and Robin Erco—Lady Robin herself—peeking in each bedroom on the second floor using flashlights they’d brought with them.
“Wren,” William said, trying not to seem disappointed to see her. He wasn’t disappointed, exactly. He loved Wren. He’d never loved anyone like he loved her, but they hadn’t been able to make a romance work with each other. Their platonic love had not crossed into romantic, no matter how hard they’d tried to fit it in that box. Their love was just not the right shape for the romance box.
“Willie!” Wren jumped at him, pulling him into a huge hug and bonking him on the back of the head with her flashlight. “Surprise!”
“Yeah. It is. Hi, Robin.” Robin leaned against a doorframe and waved. “Nice jacket,” he said. She was wearing a black leather jacket with lots of zippers.
“You flirt,” Robin drawled, and William’s face flushed. Robin kind of had that effect on everyone. She was effortlessly cool.
“What have you been up to?” Wren asked. “Were you asleep? It’s only nine o’clock.”
“Not much else to do here with no power, but no, I wasn’t asleep. Why’d you guys come early? This morning you said you’d wait until tomorrow.”
William led them back down the stairs and into the kitchen. No reason to stand around on the landing.
“I felt bad about you being stuck here alone, especially considering we rarely see you anymore. I was worried you’d spend tonight working.” Wren was being a chatterbox, as always.
