Page 43 of When We Were Us
I wrap an arm around Hayley’s back as she side-hugs me, but then she pulls back. “God, you stink.”
I lift my arm, trying to rub my armpit in her face with a chuckle, and she swats my arm away.
“Gross!” Then she looks at my best friend. “Hey, Jas. Good game tonight.”
I scoff. “So, he gets a ‘good game’ and all I get is a ‘tough loss’?”
She rolls her eyes at me and smiles sweetly, her eyelashes fluttering. “Don’t be a baby. Besides, Jasper, here, didn’t completely shit the bed duringthe last inning of the game, Hank.”
Jasper bursts out laughing, and I give Hayley’s head a light shove. She tries to pinch my side, and when I turn to avoid it, Jasper clears this throat. I look up at him and then glance behind me to see Wren standing there, a small smile on her face.
Jasper tilts his head toward the rest of the group and Hayley just seems to notice her as well.
“Oh, hey, Wren.” Her gaze bounces back and forth between us for a second. When neither of us moves or says anything, she rolls her lips inward and lets out a light laugh. “Right. We’re just gonna…go.”
I watch her walk off with Josie and Jasper, who throws a glance back at me. I hike my bag up on my shoulder and then turn my attention to Wren.
“Hey,” she says.
“Hey.”
“Good game.”
I expect her to laugh after she says it, like she can’t believe how royally I screwed up that whole last inning. But she doesn’t.
“Thanks.” I nod. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
She exhales a big breath and shrugs. “Me neither. Finn called last minute to invite me.” Another shrug. “And I wanted to say thanks?—”
“Keep it PG, kids!” Hudson’s voice carries to where we’re standing fifty feet away.
Her face pales and my eyes jerk over her shoulder to where my brothers and Finn are turning to walk away. Hudson’s grinning like an idiot, per usual.
Fucking Hudson.
“Sorry, what were you saying?” I run a hand over my hair and scratch the back of my neck.
She twists her hands in front of her and then pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes are anywhere but on mine.
I wait. I don’t want to, though. I want her to talk to me, seek me out, and tell me what she’s thinking without hesitation. But that’s not us anymore. I’m already way too damn invested in this woman, and with little to no encouragement from her. So, I wait.
She finally looks up, eyes full of cautious vulnerability. “I just wanted to say thanks for yesterday.”
I frown, look at the ground, and then squint back up at her. “For what?”
She looks around, choosing her words. “I’ve been going through some stuff, and yesterday in the cafe…” She swallows. “Everything just kind of came to a head and… Well, I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you or being rude or whatever.” She pauses. “When you asked me if I was ok.”
My eyebrows quirk up and I nod. “Ok.”
I don’t know why it bothers me that her words give me a glimmer of hope. Hope for what, I’m not sure, but I feel it. Couple that with the fact that she’s not only here but wearing that shirt with my name and number on it, and apologizing for something that never even crossed my mind… It has me suddenly questioning everything.
On one hand, I’ve been hoping she’ll keep me at arm’s length so I can continue to justify my anger toward her. But now, in light of her admission that she’s struggling with something, it makes me regret all the snarky bullshit I’ve thrown at her since she came back. Even if some of it is true.
“And then, your mom was there, and she was so excited to talk to me. She actually asked me to volunteer for the festival. But you looked so concerned…” She trails off and toes the ground with one red sneaker. The bottoms of her skinny jeans are frayed at the ankle where she’s cut off the hem.
“Yeah, she’s kind of oblivious when it comes to—” I was about to say tous,but I stop myself. “She’s got a one-track mind with the festival stuff, so…” I shrug.
She nods. “Right. Well, when I turned around to tell you thanks, and to let you know Iwould be ok, you were gone.” She swallows. “So, that’s all I wanted to say.”
