Page 99 of Wild Hearts

“Are you going to be around next weekend?”

I let out a squeal of excitement, hoping she’s saying what I think she’s saying. “Yes! Oh my gosh. Please tell me you’re coming for a visit!”

“Sure am,” she says, trying but failing to keep her voice upbeat.

“Is everything okay?” We’ve barely spoken since Theo’s Baptism and the couple of times we had she seemed distracted. I start to feel like a bad friend for being so wrapped up in my happy Brady bubble.

She sighs. “It will be. I just really need to see you. It’s not something I can tell you over the phone.”

“O-kay...” I say slowly, stretching out the word as I wrap my finger in a loop in the hem of my t-shirt. “You’re scaring me, Air. What aren’t you telling me?”

“Everything’s fine,” she assures me. “Or, it will be.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep. It’s... never mind. Everything will be fine. I just really can’t wait to see you and finally meet Brady.”

Someone enters her room, and I hear the same muffled male voice from before.

“Who is that?” It’s not the first time she’s had a guy there with her when she’s been on the phone. “Are you seeing someone?”

“I’ve got to go,” she says quickly. My senses tell me I’m on the money, but I have no idea why she’s keeping it a secret. Is she embarrassed about who she’s seeing? All I want is for her to be happy. “I promise I’ll tell you everything when I see you next week, Wren.”

“Sure,” I reply. “See you.” But she’s already hung up.

THE FOLLOWING WEEKdrags by. I receive a ninety-four on my portfolio for Professor Reid’s photography class. I pray it’s enough to get me into his second-year class, but he won’t send out the invitations until next semester. I hand in my final assignments and work my shifts at The Scoop with Ivy, who’s been distracted herself recently. I’m restlessly counting down the days until I get to see Airlie. The only time I’m not thinking about her and her cryptic phone calls is when I’m with Brady.

True to his word, he hasn’t pushed me to do anything I’m not ready for. Though at the same time, our hot and heavy make out sessions have ended in both of us being extremely horny and unsatisfied. He hasn’t complained once, but I’m honestly worried about him ending up with blue balls. Although when I brought this to his attention he laughed, kissed me on the nose and promised me that he was taking care of himself.

He wasn’t the only one. Since the incident with Drew, my libido has been pretty much non-existent. I was too disgusted with my body to even want to attempt to pleasure myself. Dr Webster had assured me that was completely normal, but in the last week, I’m starting to find that my own hand isn’t cutting it anymore.

I’m still not one hundred percent sure that I’m ready for sex, and I don’t want to rush it and end up pushing Brady away, but Dr Webster said we could start trying other things to build myself up slowly. I’m desperate to try something. I don’t want to be celibate forever and my body is starting to crave more of Brady’s attention.

Airlie is due to arrive on Saturday morning, so Brady picks me up Friday night for Operation Distract Wren. The start of winter brings cooler weather, but I’m wrapped up in Brady’s Blue Haven Surf Club hoodie. I breathe in his familiar scent and I can’t fight the cheesy grin tugging at my lips as I hold his hand while we walk along the beach.

“I’m excited to finally meet Airlie.” Brady chuckles as we wander back toward Glassons Point. He’d spent the last hour listening to me gush about how good it was going to be to see her again and how we haven’t spent this long apart in forever.

“You’re going to love her,” I gush. “She’s the best.”

“So I’ve heard,” he says rolling his eyes, but he smiles to show me he’s only joking.

“She’s just as excited to meet you,” I say, giving him a nudge. “She’s heard lots of stories about the boy I’ve been crushing on for nearly half my life.”

He snorts as we climb the rickety wooden stairs up to the car park. “Let’s hope she’s not disappointed by the real thing.”

“Never!”

We’re still laughing when we make it to Brady’s car. He grabs a blanket from the back, and we climb up onto the hood. I snuggle into him, resting my head in the crook of his arm as I stare up at the stars. After a while, I let out a deep contented sigh. “Tonight was perfect.” I tip my head up so I can kiss the corner of his jaw.

“You’re perfect,” he murmurs in return before capturing my lips in a breathtaking kiss. Heat rises in my cheeks. I still haven’t gotten used to accepting his compliments.

When he pulls away with a brush of his lips over my forehead, I ask, “Will you stay over tonight?”

His emerald eyes blaze down into mine. Brady has been going home every night so that I wouldn’t feel pressured.

“Are you sure?” he asks, brushing my hair behind my ear.

I nod, unable to form words. He watches me carefully before leaning back and resting his free arm behind his head.

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