In the Crease (Assassins Book 11)

by Toni Aleo

  She just couldn’t.

  Between being embarrassed and her general hate for the guy, she couldn’t. How would Jensen react? They had all grown up together. Bradley lived right down the road, five houses down, her whole life. He used to play hockey with the boys. He was the fourth amigo sometimes, but he was so much younger than everyone, so he was often treated that way and left behind a lot. But still, everyone knew Bradley, loved him, and for him to do this—to Wren—it would be ugly.

  Shit, was she protecting him?

  No, no, she was protecting herself because she couldn’t help but feel like everyone would think it was her fault.

  He was allegedly a stand-up guy. Loved his momma, his sister, great with his nephews, and was very successful. The guy Wren was dealing with wasn’t the guy everyone knew. But Wren was Wren. She had slept around, she had fun, she was stubborn, and as her mother put it, dramatic. They’d all assume he would have wanted Wren and the baby, but she blew him off. Or something along those lines. No one would believe her.

  Well, Jensen would.

  Wouldn’t he?

  “You’ve been quiet, babe.”

  She shook her head. “I’ve been very vocal with you.”

  “You haven’t spoken to your parents.”

  “’Cause I need time to think.”

  When she met his gaze, his eyes were dark. “How’s that going?”

  “Awful. I basically called myself a dumbass at least twenty times and decided the sooner we go home, the better.”

  “Why?

  “Because I want to go home. Our home. I hate it here.”

  “See, I don’t think you’ve been like this before. Yeah, you and your parents have your issues, but last time I checked, you loved coming home. You used to come all the time. So what happened to change that?”

  Bradley.

  Glancing at the clock, she exhaled hard. “You’re going to be late.”

  “Wren—”

  “Jenny, please. I’m exhausted. Go have loads of fun.”

  A silence fell between them as he walked to her side of the bed, sitting on the edge as his hand came to rest behind her back, his other cupping her face. “I can’t have loads of fun without you. Maybe a little fun, but not loads.”

  Her lips curved up as she leaned into his hand. “Then go have some fun.”

  “I wish you’d come.”

  She shook her head. “I’m tired and not even the least bit ready. I would make you late, and I just don’t want to go.”

  He nodded slowly. “Okay.”

  Looking up at him, she could see the wariness in his eyes as he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. Closing her eyes, she covered his hand with hers as she deepened the kiss, twining her tongue along his. She felt horrible. Guilty. And she knew she should tell him the real reason she didn’t want to go to the Cup day, but as he pulled back, a smile faint on his lips, she said nothing.

  “Call me if you decide to come.”

  “I will,” she answered as he kissed her once more. “Have a tiny bit of fun.”

  He smiled as he got up, squeezing her hip. “You enjoy your nap.”

  “Oh, I will.”

  He laughed as he gathered his wallet and keys before leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him. As she let out a long breath, her shoulders fell, and she leaned back into the pillows. Without her even realizing it, a lone tear rolled down her cheek, down her jaw and onto her chest as she bit her lip.

  Closing her eyes to keep the rest of the tears in, she couldn’t help but think she was playing with fire. Coming home, bringing Jensen as her husband, and him claiming the baby as his was bound to produce flames. She wasn’t sure when or how, but she was sure it would blow up in her face. That alone should give her reason to tell him, but when did she ever listen to reason?

  Crawling out of bed, Wren slid up a pair of cloth shorts and then tugged down her big Assassins tee before pulling her hair up. She had slept for a couple of hours and felt somewhat refreshed, but her earlier thoughts were weighing heavily on her. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she was pretty sure if she didn’t figure it out, she could lose Jensen in the process. Something that she did not want—at all.

  Huh. Funny how things had changed.

  Wren pulled open the door to her old childhood room that, praise God, her mother had ordered a bigger bed for since trying to get her pregnant ass and Jensen’s long ass in her old bed would have been a feat. She headed out into the hall, on her way to the kitchen. Her mother had ordered a new living room suite earlier that year, trading in the trusty yellow love seat for matching brown recliners and a nice, cream-colored couch. Pictures of everyone growing up were everywhere, and they brought a grin to her face. This was her home. But lately, she hadn’t wanted to be there, and she didn’t like that. This was supposed to be her safe haven.

  Now, she was finding that her safe haven was Jensen’s arms.

  She expected the house to be quiet, but the radio was playing in the kitchen. Her mother must have left it on when she left. Or, so Wren thought, but when she entered the kitchen, her mom was sitting at the bar, all the wedding planning stuff in front of her. Wren hadn’t spoken to either of her parents since Jensen had had it out with them, but the last she had checked, they were both supposed to go to the Cup day.

  As Elaine looked up at Wren, her smile was very unsure. “Hey, honey, how are you feeling?”

  Wren cleared her throat as she came into the kitchen, heading for the fridge. “Better. I was just really tired.”

  “Oh, good. Jensen was worried, and since he couldn’t skip, I told him I’d stay.”

  Wren’s brow rose as she reached for the OJ. “Miss gushing over Vaughn and Jensen to all your old biddies? I’m surprised. Plus, didn’t you throw the party for them?”

  Elaine waved her off. “I did, but there are people there running it. Vaughn wouldn’t let me do it all myself.”

  “Oh, good, you don’t need any more stress.” Reaching for an apple, Wren grabbed a knife to cut it. “But you don’t need to stay, Mom. Go. I’m fine.”

  “No, I want to stay.” Wren chewed on the inside of her cheek as she cut the apple slowly, unsure what her mother was doing. “Do you want me to make you something? Emma told me this morning that all she did was cook for you and sneak you food when Jensen wasn’t looking.”

  Wren beamed as she nodded. “Yeah, it was funny. Between her and Ant, I was well fed, despite Jenny’s efforts at enforcing portion control.”

  Elaine smiled back as she nodded. “I see he makes you walk.”

  “Yeah, I bitch the whole time.”

  “He’s sweet.”

  “He is.”

  “And Emma is the best cook I know.”

  “She is. It was great. We had a blast.”

  Elaine’s smile faltered a bit as she looked down. “And then you come here, and you’re not having fun.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You don’t have to. I mean, you only come out of your room for food. I’ve known Jensen for fifteen years, and never once has he raised his voice to me. But he did, and that hurts, Wren.”

  Wren shook her head. “I didn’t tell him to say that to you—”

  “I didn’t say you did, and neither his tone nor his words hurt, Wren. It was that everything he said might be true.”

  Wren looked up suddenly and her brows touched. “What?”

  Holding up her hands, Elaine reached over, taking Wren’s hand in hers. “Do you truly feel that way? That we ignore you?”

  Blinking, unsure of herself, she shrugged. “I mean, yeah, sometimes. It’s real Wells-heavy around here. Sprinkle in some Jensen and Vaughn, and yeah, no room for me.”

  Elaine looked stricken. “I don’t mean for it to be. He’s just so needy. I always knew he was gay. I also knew that your father wouldn’t take it well, so I think I baby him because of it.” She held her hands up. “Which isn’t right at all, I know this, but you’ve always been so independent.
Always reading, always watching those murder shows and crazy-people movies. You always kept to yourself.”

  Swallowing hard past the lump in her throat, Wren held her mother’s gaze. “Because no one had time for me.”

  “Wren, no. That’s not true. We just thought you didn’t need us.”

  “A girl always needs her mom and dad. But I guess Wells needed you two more. Oh, and then there was Jensen.”

  Tears flooded Elaine’s eyes as she squeezed Wren’s hand. “I never meant for you to feel that way. Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Because there was no point, and if I tried, you guys said I was being dramatic and ignored me.”

  Letting Wren’s hand go, Elaine shook her head as her tears fell. “Because it was so out of left field. You’d just start screaming and yelling for no damn reason, or so I thought.”

  “I just wanted to be heard,” Wren whispered, her own eyes clouding with tears. Watching her mother wipe her eyes, Wren ached as her tears started to fall while the silence stretched between them. “I’m not mad at you, or even Daddy. I just hate being here because of it. Because I’m so pathetic that I want to be noticed, that I want you guys to care about me. I feel like you both just brush me to the side because, yes, I am independent and, yes, I can take care of myself. But sometimes, it’s nice just to know that you guys want to be there for me. That you worry for me. Because I don’t know that. I mean, Mom, I am seven months pregnant, and you never had a clue.”

  “Because you hid it! You never said anything.”

  “You should have been able to tell something was up.”

  “I did, and I asked. You ignored me!”

  “You didn’t try hard enough. Listen, I know you both love me, I do, I know that. But you have to because I’m your kid.”

  “No, Wren, we love you because of the person you are. Because you are independent and strong and beautiful. Lord, you’re so damn smart, my love. I never meant for you to feel like that. I don’t call to check up because you wouldn’t tell me if I asked anyway. You’re very private, and I respect that. Maybe, as your mother, I should push, but I’m always worried you’ll shut me out.”

  “I’d try. Ask Jensen, I’m really good at it. It’s a character flaw I’m working on. But, Mom, when you call me, it’s usually about Wells or even what needs to be done for Wells. You don’t call to see how I’m doing unless you get a call from Jensen saying he’s gonna marry me.”

  Elaine laughed, her eyes full of remorse and tears. “That was one hell of a call.” Shaking her head, she wiped her tears, her makeup smearing as she let out a long breath. “I hate that this has happened. That a wedge has been put between us. Your father is stricken and wants to fix it, but you know how he is. He just grumbles and bitches about money. He doesn’t do feelings well.”

  Wren smiled. “I probably get it from him, then.”

  She laughed. “Oh, my love, you are your daddy made over—with my beauty, of course,” she teased since Wren looked nothing like her mother and everything like her father. “But still, honey, I’m extremely sorry. Truly. I am.”

  Meeting her mother’s gaze, Wren wiped her own tears away. “I know, Mom. You don’t do it to hurt me. I just don’t think you notice.”

  “I didn’t. And that’s my fault. But I know now, okay?”

  “Okay,” Wren said slowly, hoping like hell that her mother meant her words.

  “I love you. A lot.”

  “I love you too, Mom.”

  “Good,” she said, kissing Wren’s palm before reaching for a sheet of paper. “Now, names. Because my grandson will have a damn good one if I have anything to do with it.”

  Popping an apple slice in her mouth, Wren smiled as she chewed, and her mother spat off names left and right, marking them off and then bolding others. Wren knew darn well things with her parents weren’t fixed completely, but they were heading that way, and at least that had her smiling. She loved her parents, she loved her brother, she did. But most of all, she loved Jensen.

  A lot. And he deserved to know that since he went above and beyond to tell her how he felt.

  Problem was, she wasn’t sure how to say those three words that taunted her.

  She also had the issue of Bradley.

  Yeah, life wasn’t easy, and that was probably her fault.

  Which wasn’t anything new.

  Wren: You didn’t tell me my mom was home.

  Jensen: I didn’t know she was staying until I was walking out the door. At that point, I figured, surprise!

  Wren: Well, actually, it has been.

  Jensen: Yeah?

  Wren: Yes, while I’m sure you’re having TONS of fun, Mom and I talked, and now we’re picking out baby names.

  Jensen’s face broke into a grin as he stared down at his phone. The party for the Cup was going great. Like Jensen had done, Vaughn was doing a town tournament. But since the town was so much bigger than Jensen’s back home, they actually had teams of five instead of just throwing all the kids out there. Way bigger and loads of fun. The Vaughn Johansson Rink was done up with so much purple and black, there was no denying Vaughn was an Assassin. The Cup sat in a glass box in the middle of the score box, while little kids pressed their faces against the glass to get a look. People were everywhere, trying to see their children and then catch a glimpse of Jensen and Vaughn. It was one hell of a shindig.

  He stood against the boards with Vaughn and Wells, and they watched as the final two battled it out for a chance at a picture with the Cup and also to hold it.

  Jensen: Picking out names without me, rude.

  Wren: Hehe. What do you think of Gunner? Or Alec?

  He thought that over, tapping his finger against the phone.

  “Gunner Monroe? Alec Monroe? Both are good, solid hockey names.”

  Glancing over to his best friend, who was also horribly nosy when it came to looking at Jensen’s phone, Jensen nodded. “Yeah. I like Gunner.”

  Vaughn nodded. “I like Alec better.”

  Wells looked over. “But it’s too close to Alex, my fiancé.”

  They all agreed. “Yeah, so Alec is out.”

  Jensen: Alec is too close to Alex. The dude your brother is marrying.

  Wren: Ew, right, okay. So, Gunner is a front-runner, then? Dad picked it out. Told Mom last night. I asked Emma and Ant, they like it.

  Jensen: Yeah. Put it on the list.

  Wren: Cool. Have no fun.

  Jensen laughed. Thank God she was in a better mood.

  Jensen: Done. No fun is being had. I’m miserable.

  Wren: Good.

  A playful grin pulled at his lips as he tucked his phone into his pocket before he leaned on the boards. But then something occurred to him. “Wouldn’t you like to have your nephew named after your soon-to-be husband?”

  Wells looked over at him, shaking his head. “No. Not at all. That’s weird.”

  Vaughn scoffed at that, while Jensen held Wells’s gaze. “Really?”

  “Really. It’s weird.”

  “Oh, okay,” Jensen answered as Vaughn laughed.

  “Trouble in paradise, bro?”

  Thankfully, Vaughn said it because Jensen was thinking it. “No,” Wells spat back, rolling his eyes. “We’re fine.”

  “Yeah, we totally believe that,” Vaughn teased, and Jensen chuckled.

  “Yeah, no.” When Wells glared over at Jensen, he shrugged. “We know you, dude. Spill.”

  “I’m not spilling to you two dweebs.”

  Vaughn held his hand up. “My woman says I’m a dork, not a dweeb, so you can tell me.”

  “My wife would agree,” Jensen added with a grin, and Wells let out a sigh, annoyance all over his face.

  “It’s nothing. Just a tiff.”

  “Dude, the wedding is in like a week. Tiffs aren’t allowed at this point,” Vaughn said, leaning his elbows on the wall to look over at Wells. “Tiffs turn into full-on blowouts.”

  Wells shook his head, but Jensen added, “Unless you’
re both stressed. The wedding seems like a production.”

  “It is,” Wells agreed, swallowing hard. “But he’s being impossible, and it’s pissing me off. We’ll be fine, though. This isn’t the first time.”

  Jensen’s brows touched as the horn went off for a goal. Turning his attention to the ice in the middle of the rink, they all cheered as if they’d seen the goal, when really, none of them had. As the boy who scored high-fived his team members, he skated to them, tapping their hands too before going to the middle of the rink for the drop of the puck.

  “Attaboy!” Vaughn called out as Jensen smiled, Wells doing the same.

  When the puck dropped, Jensen looked back to Wells. “What? What’s going on?”

  Rolling his eyes, Wells exhaled hard as he tucked his hands into his pockets. “He thinks I’m still in love with Matty.”

  “You are,” Vaughn said simply, and Jensen threw him a dirty look. “What? He is.”

  “You’re not helping,” Jensen scolded before looking back to Wells. “I mean, are you?”

  Wells shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I guess I’ll always love him, and I hate how we ended things, but I do love Alex. I do.” When he looked to Vaughn, he glared. “I do, asshat.”

  Vaughn held his hands up. “I didn’t say anything!”

  “You don’t have to. Your fucking face says it all. Asshole,” Wells grumbled, leaning into the boards as he watched the game. “He’s being difficult and demanding shit. Like deleting Matty from my Instagram and my phone and shit. I told Alex he had nothing to worry about, and he doesn’t. But he wants to know why I won’t do what he asks.”

  Jensen whistled nervously. “Yeah, man, that’s something you need to figure out. ’Cause if Wren wanted me to delete someone from my phone or social media, I’d do it.”

  Wells glared. “Because you’d walk through fire for that girl.”

  “Damn right, I would,” Jensen laughed, a grin pulling at his lips. “’Cause that’s how it is when you love someone. Right, Vaughn?”