Page 70 of White Raven
“Details, Vintorri!”
Wren huffed and rolled her eyes, kicking her shoes off and bringing her knees up into the chair as she leaned back, unable to hide her smile. “Did you ever meet his doctor? The one that apparently saved his life after—well…after?”
It took a moment, but then it hit her. Rhaena had remembered Sarah saying something about the woman from Brent’s cell at the funeral that day. She distinctly remembered Brent saying it would never happen. The intrigue was juicier than the rest of the sandwich in her hand. “Yes? Wait—are they?”
“Oh, she damn sure tried. I went over and the door wasn’t quite shut. She was dry humping him on his couch. I may or may not have lost my shit.” Rhaena paused her relentless chewing, and her eyes boggled. “He tossed her off and chased me down the hall. We exchanged words. Then he threw himself down the stairs to catch me in the elevator down in the lobby and…”
Rhaena leaned forward impatiently. “And?!”
“And…then…we exchanged bodily fluids?” Wren broke into sheepish laughter, covering her mouth and leaning over as Rhaena gawked at her and started chewing again.
“In the elevator? God, you slut!”
“Started in the elevator…continued in his apartment. Enough times for me to stop by the pharmacy on my way home. That’d be disastrous.” She pulled her hair up, twisting it and snapping the hair tie around the messy topknot. “Anyway…it happened. Now all you assholes can stop hounding me about taking it to the next level.”
Rhaena leaned back, finishing off the last of her meal. “So…you’re not dating? Just…”
“We didn’t really talk about it. It’s not exactly off the table. Just…not necessarily on it yet. I dunno,” she shrugged. “Where’s Jenkins? Isn’t he usually here to watch the game around this time?”
Well…that threw this conversation into the floor. And her heart with it.
Rhaena’s shoulders sagged, and she grabbed a few napkins, wiping her mouth and fingers before balling them up and tossing them back in the paper bag. “If I ask you something, could you be completely honest with me?”
Wren’s brows furrowed. “Yeah? What’s wrong? Y’all having a little spat?”
“I don’t really know, to tell you the truth. It feels like one, but I’m not even sure if it counts as a fight so much as like…a disagreement?”
“Rhae, I just had shameless love-hate sex with my mortal enemy. If that’s possible, I’m sure whatever it is will blow over. Jenkins is like a meaty…bunny.”
Rhaena busted a shallow giggle. “He is. I’m just…did I jump into this too fast, Wren?” A tense silence fell between them and Wren’s mouth quirked to the side. Rhaena adjusted herself on the couch and leaned a cheek on her knuckles. “I was replaying everything over in my mind. The way I broke down when Athan and Sarah were going to Seattle. The relief I had when I saw him in Brent’s cell. Shit…the relief I had just seeing hishelmetwas a jolt. I know I’m not in love with Athan, but our history…what I have with Brandon is real. I love that idiot. So much…I just don’t know how to make sense of what Ihadcompared to what Ihave. Is that wrong?”
“I don’t think it’s wrong, Rhaena. But I do think that’s your problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve gotta stop comparing it. Let it go. Take Brent for example. Months ago, the Brent Stratford I knew, I loathed. All I could think about was Sarah ending up with that guy, married…pregnant. Trapped. Miserable. I hated him so much. I hated him even more when I found out what he did to her. But if I sit here and keep comparing who he was to who he is now? After what I know he went through to realize that was never who he wassupposed to be? We might as well chalk it up to an unrestrained night of mistakes, girl.”
She was right. What she and Athan had was love. It just wasn’t that kind. It wasn’t the forever kind that made life worth living. Brandon and Athan were two completely different worlds, and while part of her might have thought she belonged in Athan’s—because of what they were—it was never endgame. What she had with Brandon Jenkins was far beyond a familiar hookup or a devastatingly close friendship. She’d always have Athan. She knew that. But what Wren had just told her was the key. Everything they used to have was a stepping stone to figuring out what sheneeded. And she needed Brandon.
“You’re right,” Rhaena sighed, forcing herself up from the couch and trudging to the kitchen with her trash.
“You got coffee? I could use some, dude. I’m fucking exhausted.”
Rhaena chuckled through her nose, sipping water from her tumbler. “I bet. Hooker.”
“That implies I’m getting paid. And if I’m not rolling in money for the performance I just put on that man’s body…then I’m gonna need you to take that back,” Wren cackled. She peeled around the kitchen doorway and took the coffee container and filter that Rhaena turned to hand her as she scrambled through her cabinets for more snacks. “Are youstillhungry? Jesus, Rhae.”
“Shut up, I’m starving.”
“Did you skip meals? That’s not like you.” Wren dug out three hefty scoops of caffeine and started filling the pot with water.
“No, actually. This morning, I stopped by Brazel’s for one of those damn breakfast burritos, and at lunch I ate my weight in chicken fajitas. It’s that time of the—” Rhaena stopped dead, hands stilling on a box of cheese crackers. Something in the pitof her stomach tightened and a nervous prickling irritated every inch of her skin.
“Rhaena?” Wren called, demanding her attention. Rhaena slowly turned, eyes widening as realization hit her like a loaded cannon. “Oh shit…shit.”
“I missed a period last month, Wren.Wren?I missed a fucking period.” Rhaena started to feel her panic take over, and she trembled as she reached out to grab Wren’s sleeve.
“Okay, calm down. A lot happened last month, Rhae. Are you sure you—”
