Page 143 of As They Are
“Henry,” Ace said. “You’re looking good.”
“He’s on TV!” Mom said, patting my shoulder. “Can you believe that?”
“No,” Norah said immediately. “I can’t.”
A hand curled on my shoulder and warmth pressed against my right side.
Wren.
“He’s great at it,” she said. “He’s great at anything he does when he has the proper support.”
The message was clear.
Norah appraised Wren, eyes wide. I was sure she saw what everyone else saw—that she was effortlessly gorgeous. Bright, and the light of every room.
“Oh yeah,” Mom said. She was completely oblivious to the tension that had settled on us all. “Wren got him something to help with his ears. Isn’t that great?”
Should I have been embarrassed? Once upon a time, I would have. I’d wanted their approval. I’d wanted to be a part of that group.
But I had new people I surrounded myself with. Over time, Ace and Norah had become an unpleasant memory. Not people that I cared about in the same way.
“Yeah, sure.” Ace gave us a smile. “As long as he’s not still bossy as hell.”
It was meant to be a joke. Ace was always kidding around, but it hit right in the center of my chest.
“Some people like that,” Wren said. “Henry is exactly as he should be.”
The pain turned into warmth. What had I done for a woman like Wren to be in my life?
And what had I done to deserve the fact that she was leaving?
“I’ll let you guys get back to your walk,” I said. “We’re on the way to breakfast anyway.”
I could tell both Ace and Norah were shocked I was even going out to eat when it was busy, but they knew a different version of me. They were people who knew my past, not my present. Wren had that sole honor.
I’d let what happened with them dictate so much of my life, but they had been young too. Kids could hurt one another. It was easy to.
And now we had gone our separate ways.
“Are you okay?” Wren asked quietly when we’d gotten in the car.
“Yeah, I am. They’re just people.”
“They’re quiet,” Mom complained. “It’s like they’re guilty of something.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I replied. “What happened is done. I have other things to focus on.”
My eyes landed on Wren, who gave me a bright smile.
It was four by the time we were getting ready to head back, much later than usual. My ears weren’t ringing, and for the first timein a long time, I didn’t feel totally wiped at the end of the day. Having Wren here helped more than I could say, even if she tried to steal my keys and drive back.
Her stubbornness about driving delayed us from leaving. The keys were firmly above my head while she tried to grab them. My slight height advantage worked against her, which was obviously something she wasn’t used to.
Wren’s body was pressed against mine as she tried to grab them from my hand.
“This. Is. Ridiculous!” She fumed.
“It is. Are you ready to admit defeat yet?”
