She scoffed. “It was not. Tap in. You barely moved your arms, you just tapped it in.”

Vaughn looked at Jensen, and he shrugged. “It went in, that’s all I care about.”

She laughed. “Why does it matter?”

“It doesn’t.”

“Because Brie Soledad gave him shit about his wrister and then called him out when he tried to tell her it was a wrister,” Jensen supplied, which Wren giggled at.

“It was a fucking wrister!”

“It was a tap in, and she’s not dumb. She’s very smart. You know, she grew up in a rink, she played all through college while being a sports reporter. She’s actually very knowledgeable in the sport.”

He hadn’t known that, and why that made him want to get her on the ice was beyond him. No one could know that. Shooting Wren a deadpan look, he mumbled, “You’re not helping.”

Giggling, she nodded. “Maybe not, but it’s making me laugh.”

“Oh, well, you’re welcome.”

She grinned as she leaned back, tucking her hands under her biceps. “She’s pretty. You two would look adorable together.”

“What happened to fuck love?”

“I said adorable together, Vaughn. Relax.”

Before he could say something, Jensen added, “Yeah, but they can’t be in a room together without ripping each other apart.”

Holding Vaughn’s gaze, she gave him a sneaky grin. “Maybe try ripping each other’s clothes off instead?”

Vaughn gasped. Though, his cock heard every word she said and truly enjoyed it. “Wren Josephine Lemiere! That is very dirty.”

“Hey, just saying. Maybe you two want each other, and instead of getting it on, you fight?”

Vaughn went to deny it, but Jensen laughed, nodding his head. “Exactly. There is so much sexual tension between the two it’s disgusting. You can hear the crackles around them if you listen closely. But they yell pretty loud.”

“Fuck off, Jenny.”

“Just saying.”

“Hey, go for it. She’s great.”

“She hates me, and I hate her.”

“Thin line between love and hate, JoJo, don’t forget that.”

Scrunching up his face, Vaughn shook his head. “Why did we come here? Let’s go.”

Getting up, he was followed by Wren’s laughter as Jensen threw his hands up. “Really?”

“Yeah, she doesn’t want us here anyway, and I’m ready to go home. Tricksie misses me.”

“Give her kisses for me, and Merry Christmas,” she said before wrapping him up in a tight hug, kissing his cheek. “Thanks for coming over.”

Vaughn kissed her back before backing up to smile at her. “Anything for you.”

He squeezed her once more before walking away and heading for the door. When he looked back, he saw Jensen holding Wren with such tenderness. They were made for each other. She was the perfect height for him, coming right under his chin as his head rested on hers softly. The way his eyes closed as he cuddled into her kind of hurt Vaughn’s cold, dead heart. Jensen loved that girl—more than Vaughn had even realized until that moment. Why he didn’t say anything? Or fight for the girl? It would forever be a mystery to him, but as Vaughn stood there watching them together, he wondered how it would feel to hold Brie.

To touch her hair.

To feel it against his lips.

To be intoxicated by her scent.

To kiss that sassy-ass mouth of hers.

Exhaling hard, he shook his head before he pulled the door open. “I hate you, Wrenny.”

Her laughter followed him out of the apartment as she called to him, “Love you too, Vaughny. Give it a try!”

He wouldn’t be giving Brie Soledad a try.

He only went after things he could win.

Brie wasn’t someone he could win with.

Or against.

With her hand on the back of her very heavy couch, Brie stroked the softness of the cushion as she sipped on her eggnog. Her leg swung back and forth over her other foot as a small smile settled on her lips. Rodney sat in front of her on her chair, their mother’s guitar in his lap as he sang softly. He had sung every Christmas since he was a kid. His rendition of “Rudolph” was something she could still remember vividly. Today, though, she was enjoying a beautiful version of “Mary, Did You Know?” While the folks on the radio were amazing, nothing was like Rodney.

His voice was low, raspy, almost Johnny Cash-like, but totally Rodney. His talented fingers moved along the guitar with ease, and she was so proud of him. He had finally gotten the instrument down. It had taken him almost six years, but he stayed with it. Now, he was awesome, in her opinion. And boy, did he love it. The smile on his face was unstoppable as his eyes drifted shut and he sang from his heart. He never ceased to amaze Brie, and this Christmas was no different.

When he finished the song, she tucked her cup between her legs and clapped loudly for him as his face filled with color. He was always so bashful, but she knew he ate it up. He especially loved when the folks at Riverdale would cheer for him after afternoon tea.

Leaning her head to her hand as he put his guitar down, she smiled. “Everyone will miss that if you leave Riverdale.”

He shrugged. “That’s all they’ll miss.”

She waved him off. “No, they’ll miss everything about you.”

He rolled his eyes. “They hate me, and everyone is already talking about how I’m leaving.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they asked what cake I want.”

Brie scoffed. “Chocolate, duh.”

“Right? Why even ask?”

She smiled. “So I guess you’ve already got a foot out the door, huh?”

His brows drew together as he looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

“You’re ready to go?”

He nodded hard. “I’ve been ready.”

But she felt so differently. At Riverdale, he was taken care of, and she knew everyone there. Even the old people that hated him, because she brought them cookies in the hopes maybe they’d like him. She understood that he was loud and busy, but he was a good guy. Sweet as all get-out, but…even she knew he didn’t fit in.

Maybe he would be better at NateWay, but it scared the living crap out of her. She didn’t do well with change when it came to Rodney. He had already been through so much with their mother passing and then going to Riverdale. It was hard, and since she traveled so much, she liked to know he was taken care of at all times. Since she couldn’t do her part in his care, she wanted the people caring for him to do an outstanding job. How was she supposed to trust that this Nate guy’s people would? How was she supposed to leave and know he’d be in a house by himself with no one there? The thought made her gut hurt.