Page 51 of The Players We Hate
But the guilt was still there. I knew something too—something I hadn’t told him.
It would be disappointing if he got injured.
That line had been stuck in my head since I overheard it. I hadn’t told anyone. Not yet. Saying it now would onlythrow a shadow over today, and Talon already had enough on his shoulders. So I kept quiet—for now.
The ride stayed quiet, but my chest felt tight the whole way. I twisted at the hem of my sleeve, trying to keep my hands busy and my thoughts from spiraling. I didn’t know how Tatum would react to me showing up with Talon—if she’d even want me there. The doubt sat sharp in my stomach, but I couldn’t turn back. I needed to see her.
By the time we pulled into the driveway, my pulse was racing. Talon cut the engine, and the sudden silence made it worse. I followed him up the steps, every creak of the wood under my shoes setting me more on edge.
The front door swung open before we reached it. Tatum stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, brows pulled tight. Not angry, more confused. Her lips parted as her eyes slid past her brother and landed on me.
“Wren? What are you doing here?” Her voice wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either.
I stepped forward quickly, not wanting Talon to take the blame. “I made him bring me,” I said, lifting my hands a little in surrender. “I just wanted to check on you. To say I’m sorry… for everything.”
She stared at me for a second too long. I felt the weight of it, the hesitation. I couldn’t blame her. If I were in her shoes, I’d be wary too.
I took another step and opened my arms. “I know I’m the last person you expected to see, but… I had no idea. I swear I didn’t. If I thought I could’ve stopped him, I would’ve tried.”
Tatum hesitated, then let out a slow breath and stepped into the hug. “I know, Wren. It’s not your fault.”
My throat tightened as I pulled back. The fact that she didn’t push me away meant more than she probably realized.
“You didn’t have to come all the way here, you know?” she said, turning to Talon.
He chuckled under his breath. “Good to see you too, Sis.”
She rolled her eyes at him, but her expression softened.
“I thought we agreed not to tell anyone where I’m staying,” she said.
Talon reached out, rubbing the back of his neck. “We did. I should’ve told you I was bringing Wren. I tried calling last night, but I couldn’t reach you. This… this wasn’t the way I wanted to do it.”
I felt the instinct to jump in, to defend him again, but Talon stopped me with a look and a raised hand.
“It’s not what you think,” he told her. “If you knew everything… you’d realize the two of you might have more in common than you think.”
Tatum’s expression shifted. One look at me and she knew what came with being the governor’s daughter, how people saw me first before anything else. This wasn’t the moment to bring that up, though, not when she was the one hurting. I could see the effort it took for her to let her guard down even an inch.
“I understand why you want to keep this place private. I wouldn’t tell anyone,” I promised, voice low. “It’s not my secret to share.”
She looked at me for a beat, then nodded. “Thank you.”
Before either of us could say anything else, a girl I didn’t know appeared at the edge of the hallway. “Tate, hey,” she said, brushing a lock of blond hair behind her ear as shestepped toward us. She glanced at me with an easy smile. “You must be Wren. I’m Hallyn.”
“Oh. Hi.” I offered a small wave, grateful for the friendliness in her voice.
She leaned in slightly and lowered her voice for me. “Don’t take anything personally. She’s just been through a lot lately. I know how it feels to have an ex who’s a jerk and leaves you with all the baggage.”
I let out a breathy laugh, some of the tension easing from my shoulders. “Yeah… though in my case, it’s not an ex. It’s my brother. I’ve never actually had a boyfriend.”
Hallyn tipped her chin toward the back door. “Come on. My friend Ava and I were about to sit on the patio. Come with us. Let’s get some air.”
I faltered for a second, then caught Talon’s nod. It reminded me that this wasn’t only about me and him. It was about Tatum.
As I followed Hallyn outside, I glanced back once at Tatum. She hadn’t looked away.
Maybe she wasn’t ready to let me in completely.
