by Toni Aleo
When Vaughn looked up to check on Wren’s status, he saw her coming toward them before she threw the receipt on the table and glared. “You can go wait for the food.”
She sat down slowly, and he noticed she was a bit pale. “You okay there, Wrenny?”
Annoyed, she let out a long sigh. “My nickname stayed in Colorado. Leave it there, please.”
He grinned as he leaned on his hands. “But I love it, so hush and tell me when we’re getting married.”
Jensen gasped beside him, and Vaughn laughed as Wren rolled her eyes. “He does this all the time. He ‘thinks’ we need to get married because we fight like a married couple, but that’s because he’s annoying as fuck,” she explained to Jensen, but he wasn’t listening. Jensen was pissed at him, but Vaughn didn’t care. Wren was his buddy, and he liked messing with her.
“Oh.” Jensen looked away just as their number was called.
“I’ll get it.” Jensen stood, and Wren watched him walk away before looking back to Vaughn.
“What’s up with your butt buddy?”
“Um, whoa, we aren’t butt buddies. We are besties, duh,” he corrected, and she rolled her eyes once more. He was starting to hope her eyes would get stuck. That’s what she deserved. “He’s adjusting, and he doesn’t like me flirting with you.”
She scrunched up her face. “You flirt with rocks. No one takes you seriously.”
Vaughn paused. “Really? And no, I don’t.”
“You flirted with the ninety-year-old aunt of my best friend just to get an extra piece of cake.”
“Wren, it was strawberry. I love strawberry cake,” he said simply, and she laughed as Jensen came to the table, setting the food down. “Who got soup?”
“I did, loser. I’m not feeling well.”
Jensen looked up at them, concern filling his eyes. “Are you okay, Wren?”
She shrugged. “My gut is acting up, and I feel like roadkill.”
“Ew, get your disease away! I’ve got a game tomorrow.” Vaughn then covered his food as Wren laughed, stirring her soup slowly. He found that weird; Wren wasn’t the kind of girl to skip a meal. She loved food the way he did.
“I was going back to my place, but you told me to get your food. So now, I share my death with you.”
“You’re mean,” he called to her, and she grinned as she sipped on her soup.
“Not the first nor the last time you’ll say that to me.” With a grin, she looked over to Jensen. “So how’s life, Jensen?”
Vaughn scoffed at Wren using his full name; no one used Jensen’s full name. “Wren, it’s Jenny. Come on.”
She shot him a bored look. “What is with you and making everyone a ‘ny’? Wrenny, Jenny, Welly. Why don’t you just call us by our real names?”
He shrugged as Jensen cleared his throat. “’Cause that’s how Nathan did it.”
Vaughn didn’t have to look up to know that Wren regretted her question. He knew she did, especially when she muttered, “Yeah, I forgot. Sorry.”
Looking up, he smiled. “No big. But to answer your question, Jenny has no life.”
Jensen scoffed even as he nodded. “He’s sort of right.”
Meeting her gaze, Jensen looked like an eager puppy, begging for a bone or at least some scraps. Why he couldn’t just tell her how he felt would always be a mystery to Vaughn. Jensen had known her as long as Vaughn had, and he had no problem professing his love to his friend. It wasn’t the same way Jensen felt, but still, they were friends. Though, Jensen wasn’t a very touchy-feely kind of guy. He kept a lot of stuff locked up inside. He hadn’t even really liked Vaughn until he gave him no choice but to love him.
That was how it usually went with everyone, though.
Why was he thinking of Brie?
Damn it.
Shaking his head, he looked up as Jensen smiled at Wren. “How’s your life?”
“Well, I’m alive, and I’m working like mad.”
“Don’t overwork yourself.”
She laughed. “Yes, Father. He said the same thing.”
“Smart man.”
“You always had a thing for my dad.”
“He’s a good man, but your mom is my favorite. Her apple pie is perfection.”
Vaughn nodded. “Best apple pie ever. Think we can get her to make us some when we go to Colorado?”
“I’m sure. You know she spoils the hell out of you guys. It’s annoying. I’m her only daughter, but she loves the hellion down the road and the billet kid more than me.”
“That’s ’cause we love her apple pie,” Vaughn insisted, and Jensen laughed.
“What he said.”
“Losers.”
They both grinned as she rolled her eyes. Biting into his chicken, Vaughn couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he chewed. Wren never wanted to hang out. She was a homebody, and that was very annoying. He would go over to her house, but she would never invite him. They hardly saw each other unless they were on the Assassins’ compound, which wasn’t even that much except when she forced him into therapy. “So what’s going on with you?”
Looking up, she shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Dating anyone?”
She glared at Vaughn. “No. I don’t date.”
Her words visibly deflated Jensen. Though, Vaughn was sure she didn’t notice. “You’re weird.”
She shot him a look. “Because you’re dating?”
“Hey, I embrace my weird.”
Laughing, she shook her head. “I don’t have time.”
“Jenny thinks there is something wrong with us.”
Her brow perked at that, and Jensen looked at Vaughn like he’d grown seven more heads. “What do you mean?”
They both turned to Jensen, who basically wanted to die. But if no one did anything to get the guy to talk, he would be mute. Stuttering, he cleared his throat and then shrugged. “I figure, by now, we should all be settled down. Wells is with someone. Meanwhile, we three are just floating through life, my failed attempt at marriage notwithstanding.”
Her brows pulled together. “So? People are dumb, and love is complicated.”
“But sex is great,” Vaughn said before pointing at her.
“I can get sex without the love or even talking to anyone.”
“And she called me a playboy,” Vaughn muttered, and Jensen scoffed.
“You are,” they both said at the same time, which Vaughn glared at.
“If I am, then Wren is a slut.”
“She is not,” Jensen disagreed, but Wren shrugged.
“Hey, if that’s what you want to call someone who doesn’t want a relationship but loves to bang, then that’s me.”
Leaning on his hand, Vaughn held her gaze. “Then why don’t we bang?”
He could feel Jensen glaring but ignored him as Wren laughed. “Because, despite how I act otherwise, I care about you. I love you as a brother, and I wouldn’t ruin that with sex.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I wouldn’t sleep with you.”
“Yes, you would,” they both said, and Vaughn laughed.
“Probably.”
“Because you’re a playboy, just like Brie said,” Jensen said, and Vaughn was pretty sure he said it just as a jab. Jensen was tiptoeing the line of getting his ass beat by his best friend.
Wren’s ears perked up at the name as she looked to Vaughn. “Brie Soledad?”
“Yeah, I think she’s my new neighbor,” he grumbled and Jensen smiled.
“She doesn’t like him.”
Wren laughed. “I knew I loved that girl. She’s awesome.”
“She’s a bitch.”
“See, she’s my people.”
“He just doesn’t like that he likes her.”
Vaughn glared over at Jensen. “What the fuck, dude?”
“Aw, does Vaughny have a crush?”
He scowled at her teasing. “One, my name doesn’t sound good like that, and second, Wrenny, I don’t crush on anyone but you, my love.”
&nbs
p; “Oh, shove it,” she snapped back, shaking her head. “Also, stay away from her. She’s a nice girl, and she does not need her heart broken by you.”
“I don’t think I’d sleep with you anymore.”
Laughing, she stuffed her napkin in her empty soup bowl as she stood. “Good, I’m already dying of something horrid, I don’t need an STD to go with it. I’m gonna go before I puke. I’ll see y’all at dinner with Wells.”
“That’s in like a month.”
She glanced at Jensen and nodded. “I know. This little meal will hold me over until then. Bye, guys.”
Without even a second glance, she turned and headed for the door. “Do you think she’s okay?” Jensen asked.
Shrugging, Vaughn watched as she went outside and then bent over, puking into a trash can. “She won’t die.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah, maybe you’ll grow some balls and tell her you’re in love with her before then.”
“I got time.”
As he watched her body shake with her dry heaving, Vaughn grimaced, pushing his food away. Looking to his best friend, he shook his head. “I don’t know, man. I’d jump on that.”
“I will as soon as you do.”
He made a quizzical face. “Huh?”
“Make your move on Brie.”
Balking, Vaughn shook his head. “What the fuck? There is no move to make.”
Jensen scoffed. “Yeah, okay.”
“There isn’t!”
“Whatever you say, Vaughny.”
Glaring, he pointed his finger at his friend. “Don’t do that. Only I can do that.”
Nodding his head, he stuffed a fry in his mouth. “Whatever, man. Like I said, when you make a move, I will.”
“No move will be made.”
He shrugged. “Guess not.”
They held each other’s gazes until finally Jensen looked away. Vaughn sure as hell wasn’t going to. There really was no move to make. It wouldn’t even work. They hated each other. He might find her drop-dead gorgeous and enjoy staring at her, but she opened her mouth and shit went to the shitter. Nope, Brie Soledad wasn’t even on his radar.
Or at least, that’s what he was telling everyone.
And himself.
With her brows drawn in tight as she leaned against the counter outside of Rodney’s room, Brie tried to stay calm as the young nurse stared back at her. Not only was she young, but Rodney was completely in love with her and would kill Brie if she did anything to cause Chrissie not to adore him like she already did. “Explain to me how some man has been coming in to visit my brother without my permission.”
Chrissie’s little eyes widened as she held her hands up. “Ms. Soledad, I thought he had permission. He acted as if he and Rod were friends.”
“I have never met this man, nor has Rod before now.”
“See, I didn’t know that. He came in acting as if they were best friends, and Rod took right to him. They’ve been hanging out for weeks.”
“Weeks!” Brie screeched, her eyes taking up most of her face. “And I’m just now hearing about this? From Rod, no less, not the people who are paid to look after my brother.”
“Again, I’m sorry, but I assumed—”
“You what they say about assuming, right? Makes an ass out of you and me?” Brie retorted, and Chrissie snapped her mouth shut. “How do I know this man hasn’t been raping my brother?”
“Ms. Soledad! I would never let that happen.”
“But you let him into this facility, with no ID.”
“He gave me his card, and then I signed him in since he wasn’t on Rod’s family sheet. But nowhere did it say that he couldn’t visit. I didn’t know.”
“Then why didn’t you ask?”
“Ms. Soledad, like Chrissie said, Mr. Way and Rodney seemed to know each other. That’s the God’s honest truth,” Nurse Linda added, coming to Chrissie’s defense. “He’s a very nice man, and we thought maybe you’d sent him. Especially since you never said otherwise. Rodney never even said anything other than how much fun he was having with him. He just said that Mr. Way was his friend, and he got so excited when he would come to visit.”
“But I do not know this man, and I feel that no one should come in here without my permission.”
Linda’s eyes narrowed. “Ms. Soledad, you do realize that Rodney is an adult?”
“Yes, but I am his guardian.”
“Actually, we are paid to do that, and we look out for his best interests. We wouldn’t let anything happen to him.”
“So, you’re saying what I say has no weight? Because I can sue the shit out of you if you assume that.”
Well, there went being calm about this. Brie really needed to get her temper in check, but she was having such a crummy day. She had media day that afternoon, which meant seeing that douche canoe Vaughn Johansson. Then she had to figure out how she was going to get her couch into her apartment by herself, unless she called Mekena and Markus, which she hated doing. They were so obsessed with each other that getting them out of the house was hard most of the time.
She could suck up to Jensen, but she still hadn’t apologized for being a complete bitch to him. Then she had all this stuff going on with Rodney, and she was just stressed. She didn’t want anyone seeing her brother without her permission. She didn’t trust anyone. People were disgusting nowadays, and Rod was so freaking impressionable.
Which was why she hadn’t heard him talk about anything but moving in to Mr. Way’s community for Down syndrome adults.
“No, ma’am, I never said that. I said, he is an adult. He wants to feel normal, he wants to have friends. Lord knows, the people here don’t have the patience for him. One visit with Mr. Way, and the boy was lit up like a Christmas tree. He was so excited. So happy.”
“Then why didn’t I hear about it? You guys have kept it from me.”
Chrissie looked to Linda and then back to Brie. “Because he told us not to tell you.”
Brie’s eyes went wild. “Excuse me?
“Because I knew you’d act like this. Freak out for nothing. He’s my friend, B!”
Letting her head fall back at the sound of Rod’s voice, she sighed heavily. “Rodney, give me a minute, please.”
“Don’t be mean to Linda or Chrissie. They just did what I said. I am a man, Brie, remember?”
“You don’t let me forget,” she called, looking over her shoulder at him. He was wearing a Titans jersey with cut-up jeans, looking every bit the football fan, which made sense since he was going to the game with some of the older guys from the home.
Swallowing past her pride, she closed her eyes. She wanted to remember that he was an adult, that he could make his own decisions, but it was so hard when all she saw was a little boy with Down syndrome, being made fun of for not being like the other kids. A little boy with so much love and hope for this world and slowly but surely being torn down by it. It was her job to protect him, to love him, but was she smothering him?
“Give me a minute,” she asked, and he rolled his eyes before going into his room. She turned back to Linda and Chrissie. “So you watch him when he is with this guy?”
Chrissie nodded. “I do. Sometimes I go with them.”
“She has a thing for Mr. Way,” Linda provided, and Chrissie went red.
“He’s so dreamy. Big, dark eyes and those lips… Lord almighty!” Brie just kept staring at Chrissie, which forced her to look away before she continued. “Anyway, they usually sit outside, talk for hours, and play cards. I think he makes Rod feel normal, good about himself, and Rod likes that.”
Holding her gaze, Brie asked, “Do you know he has his own community for people like Rodney?”
Chrissie nodded as Linda said, “We do, and we really think Rodney would do great there.”
“And you weren’t going to tell me?”
“Rodney said he would.”
Frustrated, she sucked her teeth and shook her head. “From now on, I want to know when people com
e through here that aren’t family. Which is everyone except me, and I guess, Mr. Way.”
Both ladies nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“And make sure he is watched. I don’t trust this guy.”
“He is very sweet. Good man, so caring and brings gifts for everyone here. I even went to the little community to visit Mrs. Mendel’s son, and it’s a beautiful little place. Rod would love it.”
Swallowing hard, she nodded. “I know he would.”
Without another word, she turned on her heel and went into Rod’s room, slamming the door. Rodney looked up, his eyes wide as he placed his phone on the bed. “You told them to lie to me?” she accused.
“Not lie, hold back.”
“Rodney! I don’t need this right now. I’m stressed with work, with your heart surgery, with everything. And you’ve got people holding back stuff from me?”
“I didn’t want you to get mad.”
“Well, that didn’t work, did it?”
Rodney glared as he threw his hands up. “I am a man!”
“I know. But you are my responsibility.”
“I am a man,” he yelled once more, slamming his hands to his head as he fell back in the bed. “You treat me like a baby!”
Rushing to him, she took ahold of his wrists, holding them back, trying to stop him from hurting himself. “Rodney! I know this. Please understand that I know you are a man. But in my eyes, you are my baby brother, and I have to watch out for you.”
“I am a man, though. I am supposed to watch out for you.”
Her heart melted. “You do,” she said in a soothing voice, rubbing his wrists as she pulled him into her arms. Thankfully, he went willingly. His heart was pounding in his chest, slamming into hers as they embraced. His tantrums never lasted long, only enough to scare Brie a bit before she got control, calming him down. She understood why he was upset. But at the same time, he couldn’t lie to her. She wouldn’t allow it. Not when his safety was at risk. “You know why I’m upset?”
“’Cause I lied to you about Nate?”