“Did you?” Brie laughed, and Wren nodded.
“Yeah, he was all with that, ‘I hate her shit,’ and Jenny and I both knew he didn’t. But he was on that kick for a while.”
“We did hate each other,” she said with a nod.
Vaughn met her gaze. “I despised you.”
“Loathed you.”
“You were insufferable.”
“And you were a douche.”
“While you were a bitch.”
Wells and Wren gasped along with Alex, while Jensen just rolled his eyes, always a victim to their playful banter. Well, now, it was playful. Back then, it was borderline assholey. Meanwhile, Brie was beaming. “You loved it.”
“More than you know,” he said, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips.
Pulling back, he winked as she looked up, and Wells threw his hands up. “I demand you two get married and have babies. Now.”
“Shut it, Welly.”
“No, really, before you remember your whoring ways.”
The table laughed, but chancing a glance at Brie, Vaughn saw her lips press together as she moved her broccoli around the plate. “Fuck off, Wells.”
He laughed while Wren scoffed. “You guys act like he was bad.”
“He was,” Jensen supplied. “Like bad, bad.”
Wren nodded. “When he was here or while he was in New York. But since I’ve been here, he’s been kinda mellow. He’s focused on his career, and I think the last time he had a crazy one-night stand was like nine months ago.”
Vaughn’s jaw dropped. “What the hell, Wren? That was in therapy! I can sue. Can’t I sue?” he asked Brie, but her eyes were wide, her mouth open. Unable to handle the way she was looking at him, he pointed to Wren. “She has money, I’m suing.”
“Please, you ain’t suing shit,” Wren laughed and shook her head. “He was ready for this. He was just holding back like a dumbass, but really, only Brie could do this. She’s a great girl.”
Still shocked, Brie murmured, “Thanks, Wren.”
She toasted her cup to Brie and met Vaughn’s shocked gaze as he spoke. “I can’t believe you just ruined my image like that. And revealed private conversations. I’m pretty sure I can sue.”
“Hold on. You hadn’t fucked anyone in nine months before her?” Jensen asked, his eyes full of confusion. “That’s so unlike you. Did you have an STD?”
“Shut the fuck up now,” Vaughn demanded as he shook his head. “I hate you.”
Wren just giggled. “Come to therapy more, and I would consider you a client instead of a brother.”
“I’m blown away by that, more than I am about her, because she’s cool. But you lived for sex,” Wells said, his face scrunched up as his green eyes blazed. “Like, it was your favorite hobby.”
“I’m done with this, and I’m calling my lawyer.”
“I’ll deny it, and they love me more than you, so there is that.”
“She’ll vouch for me!” he said, pointing to Brie, but when he looked at her, she still had a confused look on her face.
“Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Because it didn’t matter! I fucked you right, you liked it, so there,” he said, making a throat-cutting motion. “My sex life is now off the table.”
But no one was listening. “I think he lied to you,” Jensen said, but Wren shook her head.
“Nope, he didn’t even want to tell me.”
Vaughn groaned loudly, and then it dawned on him how to get back at Wren. “She’s acting weird, Welly. I think she was in love. So does Jensen.”
Wren’s grin dropped, and she glared over at him. “You’re an asshole.”
“Yeah, right back at you.”
Turning to his sister, Wells nodded. “You are acting weird. Were you in love? We are here for you.”
Picking up a knife, she held it out. “I will cut all of you.”
“But, really, we will kill him,” Vaughn added with a nod.
“There is no one to kill. I’m fine. I just hate you guys.”
“You do not,” Wells said, leaning over and kissing her head, to which she pushed him away. “I’m worried. You don’t talk to us.”
“Because I don’t like any of you.” Brie chuckled as Wren shot her a grin. “You’re just boarding this crazy train. Wait, you’ll hate them too.”
“You guys’ dynamics are really cool. Have you known each other for a while?”
Everyone paused and looked across the table beside Wells. The Alex guy didn’t speak much, and when he did, Vaughn figured he was an idiot. Of course, they’d known each other for a while. They were family. At least Matty knew that.
Before Vaughn could say anything, though, Jensen said, “We’re family.”
“But not really, right?” Alex asked, looking to Wells, and he shook his head.
“Those two are my brothers as much as she is my sister. I’ve told you that.”
“I know, but it’s weird. Like, they aren’t blood.”
“You don’t need blood to love someone as they do,” Brie added. “When Vaughn speaks of Jensen, Wells, or Wren, I know he loves them. They are his family, and sitting here, it’s refreshing. It’s beautiful, and they are lucky to be so close-knit.”
Vaughn leaned into her. “Well said, girlfriend.”
“Thanks, boyfriend.”
“Yeah, okay,” Alex said simply and then he stood. “I’ll be back.”
When he walked away, the table was silent. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jensen shook his head as Vaughn leaned into the table. “Dude.”
Wells’s brows shot up. “What?”
“He sucks,” Wren said simply. “Please tell me it’s not that serious?”
Wells laughed, rolling his eyes. “He’s great.”
“He’s quiet and weird, and it’s obvious he doesn’t care for us,” Jensen said with a shrug. “Can’t we push Matty out of the closet?”
Wells’s face changed as he shook his head. “I love Alex.”
“Ew, why?” Vaughn groaned, and Brie smacked him.
“Leave him alone. As long as he is happy, you guys should support him,” she said, and Wells shot her a wink.
“Yeah, he was all with that, ‘I hate her shit,’ and Jenny and I both knew he didn’t. But he was on that kick for a while.”
“We did hate each other,” she said with a nod.
Vaughn met her gaze. “I despised you.”
“Loathed you.”
“You were insufferable.”
“And you were a douche.”
“While you were a bitch.”
Wells and Wren gasped along with Alex, while Jensen just rolled his eyes, always a victim to their playful banter. Well, now, it was playful. Back then, it was borderline assholey. Meanwhile, Brie was beaming. “You loved it.”
“More than you know,” he said, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips.
Pulling back, he winked as she looked up, and Wells threw his hands up. “I demand you two get married and have babies. Now.”
“Shut it, Welly.”
“No, really, before you remember your whoring ways.”
The table laughed, but chancing a glance at Brie, Vaughn saw her lips press together as she moved her broccoli around the plate. “Fuck off, Wells.”
He laughed while Wren scoffed. “You guys act like he was bad.”
“He was,” Jensen supplied. “Like bad, bad.”
Wren nodded. “When he was here or while he was in New York. But since I’ve been here, he’s been kinda mellow. He’s focused on his career, and I think the last time he had a crazy one-night stand was like nine months ago.”
Vaughn’s jaw dropped. “What the hell, Wren? That was in therapy! I can sue. Can’t I sue?” he asked Brie, but her eyes were wide, her mouth open. Unable to handle the way she was looking at him, he pointed to Wren. “She has money, I’m suing.”
“Please, you ain’t suing shit,” Wren laughed and shook her head. “He was ready for this. He was just holding back like a dumbass, but really, only Brie could do this. She’s a great girl.”
Still shocked, Brie murmured, “Thanks, Wren.”
She toasted her cup to Brie and met Vaughn’s shocked gaze as he spoke. “I can’t believe you just ruined my image like that. And revealed private conversations. I’m pretty sure I can sue.”
“Hold on. You hadn’t fucked anyone in nine months before her?” Jensen asked, his eyes full of confusion. “That’s so unlike you. Did you have an STD?”
“Shut the fuck up now,” Vaughn demanded as he shook his head. “I hate you.”
Wren just giggled. “Come to therapy more, and I would consider you a client instead of a brother.”
“I’m blown away by that, more than I am about her, because she’s cool. But you lived for sex,” Wells said, his face scrunched up as his green eyes blazed. “Like, it was your favorite hobby.”
“I’m done with this, and I’m calling my lawyer.”
“I’ll deny it, and they love me more than you, so there is that.”
“She’ll vouch for me!” he said, pointing to Brie, but when he looked at her, she still had a confused look on her face.
“Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Because it didn’t matter! I fucked you right, you liked it, so there,” he said, making a throat-cutting motion. “My sex life is now off the table.”
But no one was listening. “I think he lied to you,” Jensen said, but Wren shook her head.
“Nope, he didn’t even want to tell me.”
Vaughn groaned loudly, and then it dawned on him how to get back at Wren. “She’s acting weird, Welly. I think she was in love. So does Jensen.”
Wren’s grin dropped, and she glared over at him. “You’re an asshole.”
“Yeah, right back at you.”
Turning to his sister, Wells nodded. “You are acting weird. Were you in love? We are here for you.”
Picking up a knife, she held it out. “I will cut all of you.”
“But, really, we will kill him,” Vaughn added with a nod.
“There is no one to kill. I’m fine. I just hate you guys.”
“You do not,” Wells said, leaning over and kissing her head, to which she pushed him away. “I’m worried. You don’t talk to us.”
“Because I don’t like any of you.” Brie chuckled as Wren shot her a grin. “You’re just boarding this crazy train. Wait, you’ll hate them too.”
“You guys’ dynamics are really cool. Have you known each other for a while?”
Everyone paused and looked across the table beside Wells. The Alex guy didn’t speak much, and when he did, Vaughn figured he was an idiot. Of course, they’d known each other for a while. They were family. At least Matty knew that.
Before Vaughn could say anything, though, Jensen said, “We’re family.”
“But not really, right?” Alex asked, looking to Wells, and he shook his head.
“Those two are my brothers as much as she is my sister. I’ve told you that.”
“I know, but it’s weird. Like, they aren’t blood.”
“You don’t need blood to love someone as they do,” Brie added. “When Vaughn speaks of Jensen, Wells, or Wren, I know he loves them. They are his family, and sitting here, it’s refreshing. It’s beautiful, and they are lucky to be so close-knit.”
Vaughn leaned into her. “Well said, girlfriend.”
“Thanks, boyfriend.”
“Yeah, okay,” Alex said simply and then he stood. “I’ll be back.”
When he walked away, the table was silent. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jensen shook his head as Vaughn leaned into the table. “Dude.”
Wells’s brows shot up. “What?”
“He sucks,” Wren said simply. “Please tell me it’s not that serious?”
Wells laughed, rolling his eyes. “He’s great.”
“He’s quiet and weird, and it’s obvious he doesn’t care for us,” Jensen said with a shrug. “Can’t we push Matty out of the closet?”
Wells’s face changed as he shook his head. “I love Alex.”
“Ew, why?” Vaughn groaned, and Brie smacked him.
“Leave him alone. As long as he is happy, you guys should support him,” she said, and Wells shot her a wink.
