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Wren: Sorry, no. Not this time.
Percy: Will you at least tell me what I did wrong?
Wren: It’s not you. It’s me.
Percy: Oldest story in the book.
Wren: See you around.
Percy knew that was it. Wren’s mind was made up, and he wasn’t going to give Percy a chance. Somewhere in the back of his head, a small voice reminded him that it was better for it to end before he got too involved—before his heart really found its way into Wren’s hands.
But, he realized as he tried to swallow past the boulder sitting low in his throat, it was too late for that. Wren already had it, and Percy was starting to crack. And in seconds, he would shatter.
He looked up at Derek with helpless eyes and managed to say, “Get me out of here,” before the dam broke.
By the time he was sitting in the passenger seat, his cheeks were wet, and he was fighting back vicious sobs trying to escape his chest. It was over.
It was over.
And there was nothing he could do to change that.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“I don’t mean to be a dick,” Luke signed, leaning over his thighs to stare at Wren, who was sitting on the floor of Caleb’s office, “but how can he cheat if you two aren’t even together?”
“We are!” Wren’s hands faltered and then fell into his lap. He leaned back, head cracking against the wall, but if there was pain, he couldn’t feel it. Not with the way his heart felt. Had it not been clear enough that Wren only wanted Percy?
Everything felt foggy and strange, and he was so goddamn confused. It felt like every time he stopped and figured something out about himself, the universe laughed in his face as she slowly destroyed his carefully arranged tower of cards.
Caleb waved at him in his periphery, and Wren turned his head. “What happened exactly?”
Wren didn’t want to tell him. He didn’t want to tell anyone the details. It was humiliating. And somewhere, deep down, he thought maybe it was a little karmic. Wren was trying to be a kinder person now, but when he was younger, he hadn’t really given a shit if his hookups got hurt. He let them find him kissing other people. He thought the momentary pain was easier than having to reject them to their face.
So he did deserve this.
He swallowed heavily, then looked at his brother, who was waiting with more patience than Wren had seen on him in a long, long while. Shit, Bodhi was so good for him.
“He was kissing someone.” Not just someone, but that fuck-face, hot dentist guy from the bar. The new friend Percy had made. The guy who made Percy smile and feel a little more at home in ways Wren had yet to. “I didn’t stay to get the full show, but they were in a booth together at a little sandwich shop, and I could see them through the window.” He stopped as his heart twisted so hard he felt like he was going to be sick.
Wren had just gotten calm enough to text Percy back when he’d seen them. He stood frozen on the side of the road, watching Percy through the window as Derek cradled his face and then…well. Like he told Caleb, he didn’t stick around for the main event. He bailed. And then he sat around and blamed himself because, frankly, he’d been the one to push Percy into the arms of another man.
Luke was right—it wasn’t cheating. Wren told Percy he didn’t want him to be with anyone else, but they hadn’t defined anything between them. All Wren had done was repeatedly remind Percy he couldn’t make him promises. So what did he expect when he iced Percy out all afternoon?
Caleb stroked his fingers over his mouth, and then his shoulders rose and sank with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”
Wren shrugged. He wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted either of his friends to say. “I’m sorry” wasn’t going to cut it, but nothing really was. How did people like Luke and Caleb deal with this shit all the time? With every relationship they had.
He rubbed at his sternum.
Luke tapped his elbow, and Wren looked over. “I believe you saw what you saw.”
Wren recognized the look on his face. “But?”
Luke rolled his eyes. “But it doesn’t seem like Percy.”
Wren hunched in on himself, hating that Luke was right, but it didn’t change what he’d seen with his own two eyes. Yes, he hadn’t stayed long. Why the fuck would he have wanted to stand there and watch that happen? He’d had a feeling that Percy was going to get tired of waiting around for Wren to figure his shit out, but fuck’s sake, did it have to happen like this?
They hadn’t even had a chance to see if something between them could be good.
