“It’s a yes or no question.”
“Why are you doing this, Wendell?” I blink. Once. Hard.
“Because,” he scoots over to me, “I don’t think this is what you want.”
I cringe. Somehow he knows how I feel. Did I let something slip the other night while we made love? Ugh. I’m such a sappy idiot that I have to hide by dropping my head into my hands. This guy would really do anything for me.
“It’s okay, Peyton.” His hand rubs my lower back. “I’ve been struggling for two days.” He lets out an unamused laugh cough. “In case you couldn’t tell by my games. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with you. I finally got my chance with you and it’s over before it began.”
There’s that word again. Finally.
His eyes are penetrating now. “I’m gonna say something that might change everything, Peyton. But I can’t take the risk of not saying it. I hope you can forgive me.”
Safe to say my heart is lodged in my throat and mosquitoes are quenching their thirst on my rapidly flowing blood.
“I want to stay married.”
“You do?”
“Ya. I’ve loved you for a really long time, and I want a shot at getting you to fall for me.”
That’s it. The tears drop down my cheeks like barrels crashing over a waterfall. “You do?” I squeak out.
“I’m sorry if that’s not what you want to hear—”
I throw myself at him. “I do, too.”
“You do?”
“Ya. I really do.” My face buries itself in his neck while I squeeze the life out of him. “I love you, too, Wendell.”
“Fuck, that makes me so happy, Peyton.”
His mouth latches onto my neck and paints its way up to my lips. My body is dripping with love for him, and at the same time is soaking up the love he has for me. We’re just one big sopping mess.
And I can’t wait to take it to the bedroom.
For the rest of our married lives.
Epilogue
Wren
“So that’s yourHey World, Eat shitdress, is it?” Peyton gives me a nod of approval. My best friend is awesome. So freaking awesome. And I’m so awesomely happy for her and Wendell that I throw my arms around her and give her a big hug, congratulating her for the seventy-third time tonight. Then, I drag her onto the dancefloor of The Dark Horse, but not before slinging back one more shot.
“Yup!” I rub my hands down the sides of my hot pink bodycon dress. “Do you love it?”
She’s laughing as I pull her into a crazy dance. “It’s incredible. Just wait until Hay—”
A whistle cuts through Peyton’s compliment. “Looking hot, Wren.” As he approaches us, Pax winks at me. Since Peyton and Wendell have hooked up, for realsies now, I’ve met a bunch of the Renegades. Pax and I have this ridiculous flirty-but-totally-platonic thing going on. Being the ultimate charmer disqualifies him from being my hook up, never mind a boyfriend contender.
“This kind of day calls for an amplified amount of hotness.” Peyton gives my waist a side hug.
“You’re the best, Peyton. Now go find your man.” Playfully, I shove her away from me.
“Having a bad day?” Pax puts a hand on my hip to dance casually with me, which—to be honest—makes my day a thousand times better. Having a hot hockey player, even one I’m not interested in, flirt with me diminishes my current life crisis of no home and no job. Not that the seasonal tour guide for the historical town was my dream job, but it was fun. It sure beat the hostel assistant jobs I’ve had. And being on the community theatre crew. Also didn’t love the perfume making. Or the candle making. But in every job I learned something to take forward, so they’ve all been worth it. I just thought I had a bit more time as the tour guide, and then—WHAP—let go because demand was down.
“Not the best one this week, that’s for sure.” My lips curl up into a coy smile to match his. “But things are looking up.”
