Wells muttered something along the lines of “I knew it” before he clucked his tongue at her. “Wren.”

“I know, I know you said I was, and I denied it. But I’ve gone two fucking weeks more worried about when we’re going to fuck than seeing all the signs that he truly loves me.”

He exhaled into the phone. “He does. For as long as I can remember.”

“And that’s not fair.”

“It isn’t.”

“Because he’s a good man.”

“The best.”

Her sobs racked her body as she slowly shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

“Wren, you don’t have to. Don’t you know that?”

“But it’s scary. Like the whole opening up thing. But I feel like if I don’t try, then I’m letting him down. I’m lying, and he doesn’t deserve that.”

“He doesn’t.”

Running her hands down her face, she leaned into it as she took in a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Wells.”

Breathing into the phone, Wells chuckled. “No, I’m sorry, Wrenny. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“I was gonna call you tomorrow and apologize, but I figured one more day of being a prick would be good, even if Jensen threatened to kill me.”

Her brows pulled together. “What?”

“I just got off the phone with him. Like seconds before you called.”

“Jensen?”

“Yeah, he called to tell me to get my head out of my ass because I’m hurting you. That you love me and feel like I don’t love you, which is completely untrue. I love you, Wren, so damn much, you know that. Don’t ever question that.”

But she wasn’t worried about that, only Jensen. “He called you?” she asked, her heart skipping in her chest. “Even after we just fought?”

“I could tell he was upset, but he was direct and to the point before he let me go—without giving me a chance to speak.”

She couldn’t wrap her brain around it. Why would Jensen do that? “I don’t understand.”

“That’s Jenny. He loves you, Wren, and even when he’s mad at us, he will always do what’s best for everyone. He’s loyal to a fucking fault.”

Her lips trembled as she slowly shook her head. “Can I tell you something?”

“Anything,” he said simply. “You know that.”

She almost couldn’t breathe as she whispered, “I don’t want to lose him.” A sob broke free. “Like, now that I have him, I don’t want to think about not having him. I don’t know if it’s for selfish reasons or for, like, real, ya know?”

Wells chuckled. “Let me tell you something, okay?”

“Okay?”

“You remember that summer—I think we were seventeen, so you would have been fifteen—and we were at Richard Oberlin’s pool party?”

She paused for a second and shrugged. “What does this have to do—”

“Yes or no.”

“Yes, jeez.”

“Okay, I remember I saw Jensen staring at you—you were in some stupid purple bathing suit that had a rainbow across your ass—and I started teasing him for staring at you. He ignored me, like always, even when Jo gave him shit, but he didn’t care. He kept staring at you, this dumb grin on his face. But then Richard came over, and he was talking shit, that the rainbow on your ass was so big that the pot of gold on the other side was probably massive… Well, before I could kill him, Jensen plowed his fist into Richard’s mouth in a way that was straight out of some damn ninja movie. Jo started laughing so hard, while I stood there in shock before Jensen very calmly told Richard if he ever said anything about you again, he’d kill him.”

Wren’s face broke into a grin. “I remember his nose bleeding, but I didn’t realize that’s what had happened.”

“Yeah, and I knew from that moment that one day he would get you, that you would notice he felt way more than just a friendship for you, and I knew you wouldn’t have a chance. Did I think it would be like this? No, but I always knew. Wren, really, don’t destroy this. Don’t let the past ruin your future. Because Jensen is one of a kind, and you’ll never find anyone like him.”

“I know—”

“Listen, I get it. You’ve been through your fair share of assholes, everyone knows, and we all understand. You’ve been scorned. But maybe this one time you can let something good happen for you.”

Swallowing hard, Wren’s eyes fell shut as she leaned back into the island.

Don’t let the past ruin your future.

She repeated her brother’s words a million times in her head, over and over again.

The problem was, it was easier said than done.

But damn it, she didn’t want to fail.

This was supposed to be fake, a means to an end so she could get her money. Now, things were different. It wasn’t about the money anymore. It was about the woman and the mother she could be with Jensen by her side.

Holy fuck, that was one terrifying thought.

But it didn’t just come out of nowhere.

Which meant something.

Right?

“I thought you said you were poor when we were younger?”

Jensen looked over at Wren as they drove down the long driveway that led to his parents’ house. “I was.”

She looked back at the house that was in the distance before scoffing. “We have two very different views on being poor.”

He laughed. “When I was drafted, I used my bonus to rebuild my parents’ house.”

“Oh,” she drawled, and he looked back out the window, taking in the beauty that was his parents’ home. It used to be a two-bedroom cabin, but now it was three bedrooms with bigger rooms and much more space for his parents. With his father’s diabetes and his immobility, it was good to have the room for his wheelchair and then the pool in the back for exercise. Jensen loved his parents’ home, and thankfully, they did too. “It’s big.”

“Yeah, my dad is in his wheelchair more than he isn’t.”

“That sucks.”

“It does,” he agreed as they pulled in beside his mom’s van. “But he doesn’t let it get him down. You ready?”