“Oh, that’s because we've never met.” She smiles at me, and the creep factor has just been raised by ten degrees, “I’m Wolfy’s friend.”
“Wolfy?”
“Yeah, I’m Jenny,”
I take a step back. And keep my face schooled. “Jenny?”
“Yeah, you’ve heard about me?”
“Sure.”
She beams and I know I’ve fucked up, “My Wolfy has told you about me?”
I grimace and know I have to end this conversation right now before I give her any other wrong ideas. Wolf is going to kill me. “Hey, I have to go.”
Her mouth twitches, “Well tell Wolfy I say hi. It’s been a while since we spoke, I can’t wait to see him again.”
“Sure thing.” I snap my mouth shut before I say anything stupid and take a backward step.
“Where is he working this week? I haven’t seen him around for a while.”
I take another step back, “He’s out of town with a client.”
Her face falls for a second then perks back up in a smile, “Of course, he’s so big and strong and amazing at his job.”
I say nothing as she looks dreamily at me.
“I’m sure he’ll let me know when he’s back.” Her smile stretches too far across her face.
“Yeah, I bet.” I take another backwards step and make a show of looking at the time, “Well, I really have to go, I have to get to work.”
“Of course, you have lots of people to look after too.”
A chill creeps up my spine as I force a smile.
“Don’t forget to tell him to call me,” she calls after me as I walk in the opposite direction to where I was going. Guess I’ll have to take a long walk across town before heading home.
I feel her eyes on me for a while, and it’s hard work not to keep looking over my shoulder. I take three trains, hopping on and off at random stations before I’m sure I lose her and can finally head home.
I’m going to kill Wolf.
47
Red
The sun feels too bright to be early. I check the time and see it’s past eleven. My bed is empty, as I knew it would be. Wolf always sneaks away before Hunter gets home or gets up. My body aches. A combination of overworked muscles and weary exhaustion.
I love my time with Shaw, but the secret is gnawing at me. I’ve been planning on asking him again when we could tell Hunter. I understand his reluctance and yet, I feel like it’s time.
I stretch and climb from the bed. I need a coffee, a shower and, if I’m lucky, a few moments with Wolf before I spend the rest of the day adding the finishing touches to my portfolio. It’s due in a couple of days and excitement washes over me. I’m eager to reveal my final piece.
I make my way to the kitchen and hear them as I make my way down the corridor. They’re talking in hushed voices.
“I’m telling you she fucking followed me.”
“How could she have?”
“No idea she must have seen me out last night.”
“Fuck.” Shaw’s voice is sharp and harsh. A tense silence. “Yeah I know, I know. Enough with the look.”
“You need to keep your women on a leash.” My heart squeezes at Hunter’s words. Women?
“Why don’t you let me worry about my women?”
“Cause obviously you can’t.” They both chuckle but if feels strained while my heart twists inside my rib cage. “I’ll send one of the boys around to do a quick scout.”
“Good idea. Fuck, and I was just getting settled. Man, I’m not ready to move again.”
“Yeah,” Hunter sighs.
“It was getting cramped anyway, and with Red being here and all.”
There’s that poignant silence again and I step away.
He wants to move out. Because of me. He has women.
Hunter catches a glimpse of me as I step out of the corridor. He falls quiet and moves the conversation onto more mundane things. Wolf tries to catch my eyes, but I avoid him, keeping a wide berth between us. My heart thunders in my chest threatening to burst open.
I want to fall apart, like a sandcastle in the tide. Instead, I fortify myself and take a deep breath. I can’t believe I fell for his bullshit again. Ate up all the things he said, allowed them to feed my soul and let them tear down the ivy so securely protecting my heart.
“Morning sunshine.” Hunter elbows me as I walk past. I throw him a scathing look which he doesn’t deserve, and his hands pop up in the universal ‘don’t shoot’ signal.
“Red?” Wolf tries and I walk by him, tears pooling in my eyes.
I grab my coffee and leave the kitchen. Hunter makes a comment about the wrong side of the bed. I go back to my room and slam the door behind me.
The tears slip out, rolling down my cheek in angry lines that draw pain on my face.
I swipe them away when someone knocks on my door.
“Red?” Wolf’s voice calls from the other side of the door, “You okay?”
I screw my eyes shut and speak through a tight jaw, “Yeah, just not feeling great.”
“Can I come in?”
“No!” I screech and the cracked open door comes to a halt.
“Okay…” he sounds confused, he shouldn’t be. I just have to gather enough strength to tell him I’m done. We’re done. Ivy tugs at my heart. “Hunter and I need to pick a client up from the Airport.”
When I don’t answer he steps into the room and his brow furrows, “Red?”
“Yeah, just go. I’ll see you later.” I throw the blanket over my head and hide beneath, shutting myself away.
I can still feel him in the room—his presence, it’s overwhelming.
After a few breaths he walks out, “See you later.”
When I hear the front door, I grab my phone and wait for Caleb to pick up.
“Hi Sweetie,” his voice sounds way too fucking cheerful.
“Hey,” I crack and sob into the phone.
“O.M.G girl, what’s happened?”
“I need a place to stay.” I try to sound matter-of-factly, but we both hear the desperate plea in my cracking voice.
“Of course babe,” he sounds concerned.
“I’ll tell you everything when I get there.”
“I’ll get the vodka ready.”
“Thanks.”
“See you soon sweetie.” He hangs up, and I take a second to pull myself out of bed.
I will allow myself to be wrecked, to be broken and sad, but not yet. First, I have to get my shit and get out of here. I’ll explain things to Hunter later.
I grab my suitcase and start shoving things inside. It all feels too familiar.
Except that this time I have a job and a friend. Maybe this time I can heal all on my own. Except that I don’t know how I’m meant to get over Shaw a second time.
The tears keep coming like I’ve sprung a leak and already the ivy buds around my shattering heart.
48
Red
The insistent knocking on the door isn’t going away, despite me ignoring it for a full five minutes. My head throbs. I’ve cried just enough to keep my soul alive, just enough for my tears to try and extinguish the furnace of pain burning inside me.
I open the door and am greeted by a stunning woman. Her face is slightly veiled beneath a cap that’s pulled low and her long black trench coat is wound tightly around her petite figure.
“Oh, good someone’s home, I was just about to give up.”
The way she’s standing at the door makes me feel like she wasn’t. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, you can,” she rips the cap off and a mane of blonde hair cascades down her shoulders, “I’m here to see Wolfy.”
“Wolfy?”
“Yeah, he’s my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend?” I barely manage the question. I hear a distinct clattering noise, but it may very well be my heart falling into a dark pit and shattering into a million pieces.
“Yeah, we’ve been dating for almost a year.”
/>
“A year?” My stomach knots and everything hurts.
“Well, are you just going to let me stand in the street like a stranger?” She pushes past me without an invitation.
I let her barrel through me like all the emotions that blow holes into my soul, like this stranger has just held a shotgun to my heart and pulled the trigger, and now everything is leaking out of this gaping wound where my heart once was.
I suck in a frayed, broken breath as she surveys the place.
“Nice.” She whispers and makes her way to the couch where she sits down and relaxes amid the cushions.
I’m still holding the door, or maybe it’s holding me when she looks at me and asks, “Who are you?” I can hear the suspicion in her voice, and I clear my throat. I won’t let Wolf break two hearts today.
I clear my throat, “Red, I’m Hunter’s sister.”
“Oh yes, I can see the resemblance.” Her face visibly relaxes, and she smiles at me, “Have you been living here long?”
“No. And in fact I’m moving out this week so —”
“Oh great, there will be more room then.”
She doesn’t elaborate, but we both know what she means. “Guess so.”
“I could use some water.” She stares at me, and I finally close the door and try to shake the shock away. It’s like hot glue that rolls and sticks to every surface of my skin.
“Yeah, of course.” I go to the kitchen and retrieve two glasses. Nausea climbs up my throat and I bite down the urge to vomit as tears prickle my eyes. That fucking bastard, how could he? Again? And just when I was stupid enough to trust him, just when I thought he meant everything he said. I should have listened to my heart.
I let the cold water run and wash my face, erasing some of my emotion. I don’t want to let this girl think anything is wrong. I fill up the glasses and walk to the lounge to find her gone.
“Hello?”
I set the glasses down and walk towards the corridor.
“Hello?”
Silence.
I knock on the toilet door but there’s no answer. I walk to Wolf’s room and knock, “Hello?”
I open the door to find her laying on his bed, I think she may have been smelling the pillows. I hate that she’s doing that because I know how good they smell, how the fabric clings on to his musk and spice and pheromones and captivates you.
She jerks up from the bed and her eyes narrow on me, “Do you mind?”
“Erm,” I try to swallow, but my mouth is a parched desert, “I think it would be better if you waited in the lounge.”
She grumbles something, sighs, and reluctantly slips off his bed. She pushes by me and makes her way down the corridor. As I close the door behind me, I notice a few of his drawers are open.
She’s back in the lounge and sips her water. When she sits, the trench coat slips up her legs and reveals nothing but skin. Her skirt must be very fucking short—or non-existent. Of course, just his type.
I cringe and die a little more inside as I sit next to her.
“Do you know when Wolfy will be home?”
“Wolfy?” I choke on the name. She glares at me like I’ve said something wrong, and I cough to recover, “Soon probably, they’re dropping a client off at the airport.”
“The airport.” she whispers to herself and nods, and I start to get some very strange vibes from this girl. “Good, I can’t wait to get my hands on him.” Fire flashes in her eyes and I let my gaze fall to the ground so that she doesn’t see the tears gathering again. Every time she opens her mouth it’s like getting stabbed over and over and over again.
I hear shuffling on the outside steps then keys jangle in the door and it flies open. Wolf smiles broadly as he steps through it and a second later it falls away and the colour drains from his face as he notices his guest.
“Jenny?” he takes a tentative step inside, “What are you doing here?”
Jenny? That’s her name? He dumped me for a Jenny?
“I’ve come to see my Wolfy.”
He takes another small step and his gaze falls on me like he’s assessing what state I’m in. “How…?”
Before he finishes his question, Jenny launches herself at him and wraps herself around his neck and waist then starts kissing him. He lets her as his eyes remain firmly on me.
I stand up and run to my room where I grab my backpack, then turn back to the lounge. I can get Hunter to drop the rest of my things later.
“I’ve missed you so much. God you feel so good,” Jenny tells him as I hurry by them.
“I’m just going to let myself out.” I mumble like an idiot.
Wolf says nothing as he watches me walk towards the front door.
Jenny smiles, “Nice to meet you, don’t hurry back,” she giggles as I let the door slam behind me.
My lips quiver as I run downstairs and into the street, and I dig into my backpack looking for my phone.
When I can’t find it, I realise I left it on the kitchen counter.
“Shit!”
I do a quick, personal inventory and realise my legs still work, my tears haven’t fallen yet, and my face looks intact. I can just be in and out of that house in thirty seconds flat and leave Wolfy and Jenny to do whatever it is they want to do.
I draw in a steeling breath and run back up the stairs.
49
Wolf
I watch Red walk out and breathe a sigh of relief before I let the anger wash over me. I try to pry Jenny off me but she’s like an anaconda, and she’s wound up tightly around me.
“What are you doing here Jenny?” I stay calm as she knits her hand into my hair.
“Oh Wolfy, I missed you so much.”
“We’ve talked about this Jenny, you can’t call me that, and you can’t come near me.” I keep my voice as steady and face schooled, while my insides rage.
“I know you don’t mean it baby.” She tries to stick her tongue in my mouth again, but I grit my teeth and deny her access. It was hard enough having to let her kiss me while Red watched. I watched her break, again. Watched her believe the lie. Fuck.
“Jenny.”
“I love how you say my name,” she purrs and bites my neck as I try to shove her hands away. “I’ve got a present for you.”
“You know you can’t be here.”
As I talk, two distinct things happen; Jenny lets go of my neck with a single hand and undoes the knot of her trench coat, it falls open and she lets its slip away, at the same time I hear feet on the stairs and the jingle of keys in the lock.
Red pries the door open just as Jenny arches her back and lets the jacket fall to the ground, shoving her tits in my face.
Red’s face falls but she quickly recovers, “I … I just left my phone…”
She walks by us as Jenny gyrates against me. Red’s eyes latch onto mine, there’s so much sadness in them that it makes my heart clench and my body ache.
“Red.” I call for her as she walks by me, and Jenny jerks her head towards her.
“You need something?” Jenny’s stone cold as she zeros in on Red.
“Don’t worry about her, she’s a no one,” I say as I plunge my hands into her hair and pull her in for a kiss. I wait for Red to disappear into the corridor then grip Jenny’s arms and shove. I don’t like hurting girls but seeing the look on Red’s face tells me I’ve already broken something.
“You can’t be here. You’re breeching your restraining order Jenny, you need to leave.” I pick up her jacket and throw it at her.
“Is that because of her?” She flings her head towards the corridor, and fiddles with her coat.
My lips stretch into a grim line, “I’ve told you she’s a no one, and I’ve also told you that I’m not a one-woman man, and what we had was fun but it’s over.”
“No, no, I know you love me Wolfy. No one makes love like you do without feeling something.”
I slowly reach for the phone in my back pocket and unlock it, “We’ve been through this before,”
“No!” she shouts, and when she drops her jacket again, she’s holding a gun. Pointing it at me with shaking hands. I assumed the weight in her jacket was a phone and wallet. I grind my teeth. Rookie mistake! “You love me! I know you love me.”
I keep my gaze trained on Jenny and take a step towards the corridor. Where the fuck is Red? “Jenny put the gun down, let’s talk about this.”
“No more talking, Wolf. I’m starting to get the feeling that you don’t appreciate everything I’ve been doing for you.”
I keep my hands where she can see them, and my eyes stay locked on her face. I need to appease her.
“You know how much you mean to me. I’ve thought about you every day over the last year. The way you felt when you were inside me, how hot your breath was against my skin, how you said all those things, about how good I made you feel.” Her hands shake a little, “I’ve stayed faithful even when I know you’ve strayed, and I’ve forgiven you—more than once. I know you keep asking me to stay away, but I also know you don’t mean it.”
“You’ve been too good to me Jenny, I really don’t deserve you.” I take another small step towards the corridor.
Her hands lock and she points the gun right at me, “Don’t patronise me. I know what kind of man you are, how you’ve been with other girls while I’ve been so good.” She whimpers a little like she’s breaking inside and stitching herself together all at once.
“I’m not trying to patronise you. You’re right, I’ve not treated like I should have.”
“I mean, it’s just been heartbreaking watching you from afar. You’ve made it so hard to get close to you.”
“But you’re here now.” I try for a smile, but I feel the tension in my face pulling my mouth anywhere but up.
“Yes, a fresh start for us.”
“Sure.”
“But you’ve hurt me, a lot. You should be punished for that.”
I run a thousand scenarios in my head, working out a way to try and get Red out of here. The fact she’s not shown her face again is both frightening and comforting. “No Jenny, let’s not do that, Let’s just wipe the past away like you said. We can start fresh, just you and me.”
Wolf (A Little Red Riding Hood Retelling) (Brother's best friend romance) Page 20