She brushed a piece of hair out of her face as she looked up at him. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she wore big glasses that covered her made-up eyes. She had done something to make them brighter, and it had also taken her an extra twenty minutes since she claimed the lines weren’t straight on both eyes. He thought they were, but she wouldn’t leave until they were perfect. He was pretty sure she thought he was an idiot, but he wasn’t. He was completely on to her.
She was stalling.
Ever since her breakdown in the middle of the baby store, he had been worried about her. She used to have small panic attacks when they were younger, especially through college, but the one in the middle of the store was scary. Even for him, who usually handled pressure like that okay. But this time, he had almost been on the brink of tears. Wren wasn’t one to cry. She was a strong chick, even through her panic attacks. She’d deal with them and move on, but that one stunned him. He knew it was because it was Wren. Anyone else, he wouldn’t have worried, but he worried for her. Completely. Those pregnancy hormones were no joke.
It made him nervous for obvious reasons, but he tried so hard not to think about what could be going through her head. Was she already plotting out her escape when she got her money? Not that he was holding her like a prisoner, but was she ready to go? Sometimes he felt she was, but other times, he felt like she was maybe, sorta falling for him. He wasn’t sure, and it was driving him insane. But he couldn’t think about it now. All he could do was love her more than he had before and hope for the best. But coming out to the whole team, their boss, and everyone at Lucy and Benji’s baby shower wasn’t going to be easy. It weighed on her, he could see it in her eyes, and it bothered him. More than he liked. He wanted to be confident in them, but standing beside her as she looked for a way out already, he felt like he was a lamb going to slaughter.
She could ruin him.
Fuck.
“Wren, they’re already here. We’re late.” Reaching into the back seat, he grabbed the little box she had spent another thirty minutes wrapping and tucked it under his arm. “So let’s go. We’re late.”
She bit her lip as she looked up at the Paxton’s home. It was something out of a rustic southern magazine, it was so rich with culture. He thought it was gorgeous, but the way Wren’s brows pulled in, you would have thought the damn place was on an episode of Hoarders. “How late are we? Can we just skip it, you think?”
He rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. “No, babe. We gotta go.” Tucking her hands into her pockets, stretching the fabric so tight across the child he already loved, she nodded as his hand went to the small of her back. “It’s fine.”
She glanced up at him. “I’m nervous they’ll judge us.”
He made a face. “Who the fuck cares?” She seemed shocked by that, and maybe he was being a prick, but he was frustrated. He was proud to show her off, and he felt like she didn’t feel the same. “I mean, is it that bad to be seen with me?”
Her brows furrowed more as she reached out, holding his bicep. “That’s not it at all. I’m lucky as hell to be seen with you, Jenny. I’m worried they’ll be like your mom, judge that I waited so long to ‘fake’ tell you.”
His lips pressed together as he nodded. He shouldn’t have told her about that conversation with his mom. “My mom didn’t judge you. She was just upset it took so long for her to find out.”
“She was pissed.”
He hissed out a breath. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. We don’t answer to them. We answer to each other, right?”
She swallowed hard as she nodded. “Yeah. I guess.”
“So let’s go have a good time with our friends. Celebrate baby Paxton.” He urged her forward, but she didn’t move, her gaze still on him. “What’s wrong now?”
“Are you super sure about this?”
He let out an annoyed breath. “If you’re asking if I’m sure that I want to do this and that the child in your belly is mine, then the answer is yes.” Pulling down his sunglasses, he bored his eyes into hers as he said, “And please don’t ever ask me that again.”
Her lips pressed together as he put his glasses back. “I was just asking—”
“And I’m just telling you.”
“You’re mad.”
“I’m annoyed.”
“At me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re stalling, Wren.”
“I’m stalling because I’m nervous.”
“Why are you nervous?”
“I told you why!” she yelled, and he glared. He swore he thought she couldn’t piss him off, but lately, he was finding that was a delusional thought. She could irk him like none other.
“And I told you, you don’t need to worry or be nervous. Am I here?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you’re good. I got you. Remember?”
Even though he couldn’t see her eyes clearly, he felt hers on his. “I don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“Why you’re good to me.”
“Because I care for you,” he said simply. “Can we go?”
But she still didn’t move. As she inhaled deeply, letting it out in a whoosh, she looked up at him and whispered, “You’re a really good man, Jensen Monroe.”
His shoulders fell on an exhale. Didn’t she realize he was this man for her and only her? “And I’m your man, so you have nothing to worry about. Okay?”
Looking at the house, she started toward it, not acknowledging his comment, which annoyed him a bit. But he couldn’t push her. He had to be patient. Walking together, they didn’t say anything as they followed the signs to the backyard where the party was in full swing. Everyone was there, the whole team, their wives, girlfriends, but to Jensen’s surprise, he didn’t spot any of the kids. But then, he remembered it was an adult party, which was a nice change.
When Benji stopped in his tracks, his eyes fell on Wren and then on Jensen before he pointed to the both of them. “Hey, guys.”
Wren looked like a deer in the headlights as Jensen smiled, handing him the gift. “Hey, man. Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” he drew out, looking back at Wren as Jensen returned his hand to her back. Benji looked utterly confused, and Jensen wanted to laugh, but before could, Elli Adler appeared beside him, her eyes wider than Benji’s when she revealed them from behind her sunglasses.
She was stalling.
Ever since her breakdown in the middle of the baby store, he had been worried about her. She used to have small panic attacks when they were younger, especially through college, but the one in the middle of the store was scary. Even for him, who usually handled pressure like that okay. But this time, he had almost been on the brink of tears. Wren wasn’t one to cry. She was a strong chick, even through her panic attacks. She’d deal with them and move on, but that one stunned him. He knew it was because it was Wren. Anyone else, he wouldn’t have worried, but he worried for her. Completely. Those pregnancy hormones were no joke.
It made him nervous for obvious reasons, but he tried so hard not to think about what could be going through her head. Was she already plotting out her escape when she got her money? Not that he was holding her like a prisoner, but was she ready to go? Sometimes he felt she was, but other times, he felt like she was maybe, sorta falling for him. He wasn’t sure, and it was driving him insane. But he couldn’t think about it now. All he could do was love her more than he had before and hope for the best. But coming out to the whole team, their boss, and everyone at Lucy and Benji’s baby shower wasn’t going to be easy. It weighed on her, he could see it in her eyes, and it bothered him. More than he liked. He wanted to be confident in them, but standing beside her as she looked for a way out already, he felt like he was a lamb going to slaughter.
She could ruin him.
Fuck.
“Wren, they’re already here. We’re late.” Reaching into the back seat, he grabbed the little box she had spent another thirty minutes wrapping and tucked it under his arm. “So let’s go. We’re late.”
She bit her lip as she looked up at the Paxton’s home. It was something out of a rustic southern magazine, it was so rich with culture. He thought it was gorgeous, but the way Wren’s brows pulled in, you would have thought the damn place was on an episode of Hoarders. “How late are we? Can we just skip it, you think?”
He rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. “No, babe. We gotta go.” Tucking her hands into her pockets, stretching the fabric so tight across the child he already loved, she nodded as his hand went to the small of her back. “It’s fine.”
She glanced up at him. “I’m nervous they’ll judge us.”
He made a face. “Who the fuck cares?” She seemed shocked by that, and maybe he was being a prick, but he was frustrated. He was proud to show her off, and he felt like she didn’t feel the same. “I mean, is it that bad to be seen with me?”
Her brows furrowed more as she reached out, holding his bicep. “That’s not it at all. I’m lucky as hell to be seen with you, Jenny. I’m worried they’ll be like your mom, judge that I waited so long to ‘fake’ tell you.”
His lips pressed together as he nodded. He shouldn’t have told her about that conversation with his mom. “My mom didn’t judge you. She was just upset it took so long for her to find out.”
“She was pissed.”
He hissed out a breath. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. We don’t answer to them. We answer to each other, right?”
She swallowed hard as she nodded. “Yeah. I guess.”
“So let’s go have a good time with our friends. Celebrate baby Paxton.” He urged her forward, but she didn’t move, her gaze still on him. “What’s wrong now?”
“Are you super sure about this?”
He let out an annoyed breath. “If you’re asking if I’m sure that I want to do this and that the child in your belly is mine, then the answer is yes.” Pulling down his sunglasses, he bored his eyes into hers as he said, “And please don’t ever ask me that again.”
Her lips pressed together as he put his glasses back. “I was just asking—”
“And I’m just telling you.”
“You’re mad.”
“I’m annoyed.”
“At me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re stalling, Wren.”
“I’m stalling because I’m nervous.”
“Why are you nervous?”
“I told you why!” she yelled, and he glared. He swore he thought she couldn’t piss him off, but lately, he was finding that was a delusional thought. She could irk him like none other.
“And I told you, you don’t need to worry or be nervous. Am I here?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you’re good. I got you. Remember?”
Even though he couldn’t see her eyes clearly, he felt hers on his. “I don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“Why you’re good to me.”
“Because I care for you,” he said simply. “Can we go?”
But she still didn’t move. As she inhaled deeply, letting it out in a whoosh, she looked up at him and whispered, “You’re a really good man, Jensen Monroe.”
His shoulders fell on an exhale. Didn’t she realize he was this man for her and only her? “And I’m your man, so you have nothing to worry about. Okay?”
Looking at the house, she started toward it, not acknowledging his comment, which annoyed him a bit. But he couldn’t push her. He had to be patient. Walking together, they didn’t say anything as they followed the signs to the backyard where the party was in full swing. Everyone was there, the whole team, their wives, girlfriends, but to Jensen’s surprise, he didn’t spot any of the kids. But then, he remembered it was an adult party, which was a nice change.
When Benji stopped in his tracks, his eyes fell on Wren and then on Jensen before he pointed to the both of them. “Hey, guys.”
Wren looked like a deer in the headlights as Jensen smiled, handing him the gift. “Hey, man. Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” he drew out, looking back at Wren as Jensen returned his hand to her back. Benji looked utterly confused, and Jensen wanted to laugh, but before could, Elli Adler appeared beside him, her eyes wider than Benji’s when she revealed them from behind her sunglasses.
