Page 178 of White Raven
“You need to learn to read, Stratford,” Athan snorted.
“I know how to read, bitch,” he grinned. “So…how was it?”
They shared knowing smiles, and it was safe to say he felt shitty about thinking what he did while he’d fucked Sarah to within an inch of her immortal life in the back of that theater.
“I don’t kiss and tell,” Athan shrugged.
Brent scoffed. “Since when? Bro-code finally earned me a pass?” He glanced over to where Wren was whispering something to Sarah as they left the bathroom, Rhaena shaking her head in shame behind them. “I’ll be honest. I’ve got absolutely no idea what happened the first seven seconds of this movie.”
“Sevenseconds?” Athan laughed, taking the bucket as Brent passed it to him. “Poor Red. That’s bleak, brother.”
Brent chuckled as they made their way back to the theater. “It’s a new record for me.”
You’re alright, Stratford.
“Oooo,” Wren lowered her brows as Count Dracula’s head left his shoulders, and Johnathan Harker drove a wooden stake through his undead chest. Rhaena giggled from her other side as she inhaled popcorn, and Athan only smiled in defeat next to Sarah while he sipped from his straw. “Bitter. Sorry Crapula.” Brent made a shooting gesture at the screen.
“Har-har,” Athan crooned, rolling his eyes.
“The lawyer is triumphant,” Brent smiled, shoving Athan in the shoulder.
“Is he?”Athan bit back, grinning, and glancing at Wren.
Wren’s hand stopped before it reached her mouth, and she halted her chewing as she dropped her mouth open. “What’s that supposed to mean, fucker?” Sarah cackled from his other side, and Brent slid down in his chair between them.
Athan threw his palms up in surrender. “Truce!Truce!”
Too late. Rhaena and Brandon erupted as Wren dumped her entire bucket of popcorn over Athan’s head, and he cowered under it like it was sunlight. Sarah grabbed a good-sized handful and howled in laughter as she chucked it at Wren. The front row was a flurry of buttered kernels.
This weekend was gonna be hard.Reallyhard. But this night was gonna remain a bittersweet memory that Wren would carry with her well beyond Denver, Colorado. Her heart would live right here in this shitty movie theater for the rest of her life.
CHAPTER 36
NOT SO GOOD AT GOODBYES
Sarah had helped stuff the last of Wren and Brent’s luggage into the back of her yellow Beatle and tried not to get emotional as they leaned against the car, sharing a well-deserved cigarette.
“What time are you guys heading out tomorrow?” Sarah asked, passing the cigarette to her. Wren took it between her fingers and drew hard on it as she stared across the street.
“I don’t really know. We’re not in a big hurry. It’s gonna take days getting across the country in this piece of shit.”
“And Brent’s car is already in Denver?”
Wren nodded, hitting the cigarette again, and passing it back. “It should be by now. I need to call and check on that. What time is your flight?”
“It’s early. We’ve gotta be at the airport at five in the morning.”
“How are you gonna get his car and shit overseas?” Wren asked, turning towards her.
Sarah shook her head. “We’re not. The car has to stay. It’s not actually his. It belongs to the precinct.” She took one last drag and tossed the butt down to step on it. “Rhaena’s gonna take care of the motorcycle. She promised Athan it would get to London within the month.”
“Where is he, anyway?” Wren asked.
Sarah crossed her arms. “He’s um…cleaning out his desk. He left earlier this morning. I thought it might be a little less daunting if he did that alone.”
They grew quiet, and after a long silence, they finally looked at each other. Wren sniffled and swiped beneath her eye as she reached her arms out for her. Sarah’s lip quivered, and she pulled Wren in close, squeezing the life out of her.
“It’s hard to believe this is goodbye,” Wren croaked over her shoulder.
