Page 27 of As They Are (Strawberry Springs #2)

Wren nodded and leaned her head against the window. Her eyes closed and we lapsed into silence. She had to be exhausted after falling off a ladder. It was normal for it to hit after the adrenaline faded.

I didn’t mind the silence. It gave me time to think about how I’d slipped today, how I’d ordered her around because I was so worried about her. I needed to be the Henry she wanted, not the one I hid.

We pulled into the farmhouse and there wasn’t a car in sight.

“Wren,” I said softly. “We’re here. Do you have a key?”

“Yeah.” She reached into her pocket. She handed them to me and opened her door. I was at her side in a second. “I wanna walk. Just help me do it.”

“Fine. But only because I have to unlock the door.”

She put her good arm around my shoulder and we slowly made our way inside. She didn’t protest as I carried her up the stairs, and she led me to the guest room, where she fell on the bed with a sigh.

“I forgot how nice being indoors is when it’s hot.”

“You need this day off,” I said. “I’ll get you ice and be right back.”

It felt odd going through Cain and Mollie’s house, but I was able to find what I needed and put it on her ankle. Her eyes were closed again and I was sure she was asleep.

But then she caught my arm as I was about to leave. “Can you stay?” she asked. “Wait, you have the clinic. Sorry. I just hate being alone when I’m sick ... or injured.”

I went over the schedule for the day in my head. My heaviest workload was behind me, and I could easily reschedule my last two appointments over text.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll stay.”

“Really?”

I nodded, and she moved over on the bed, patting the space next to her. I took off my shoes and joined her. I thought she might go to sleep, but she laid on her pillow and turned to me.

“I can’t believe I fell off a ladder. I’ve never done that in my life.”

“What happened?”

“Jude was being weird today. He kept trying to talk to me while we were filming. Usually, he’s busy making himself look like he’s working, and nothing bothers me.

I kept telling him I was busy, especially since I wanted to work on the windows on the second floor, but then he followed me up the ladder and knocked it over. A tree caught it. Just not me.”

“He’s a fucking idiot.”

“He is,” she replied. “And he’s only doing this when we’re rolling, which makes me think he’s been told to. Plus, there was something about the editing of the first episode. They’re making him look like he misses me.”

“So, the show’s pushing a different narrative.” One that I didn’t like.

“It could be nothing, but with the way he’s acting, I think so. It could be a love triangle thing.”

“A love triangle only works if you give him the time of day. I suppose we’ll have to make sure our fake relationship stays strong.”

“Yeah.” She sighed. “When are you gonna let me help you in return, by the way? I still owe you one.”

“I don’t need anything.” And I didn’t. Any help she could offer would mean opening up more of my life.

“I wanna do something. Especially after you dropped everything to make sure I was okay.”

Shaking my head, I said, “I’m doing this because I want to.”

“Still. It feels wrong to take this much.”

“You’ve had a long day,” I replied softly. “Rest until Mollie gets back.”

Wren’s lips pressed together, but she shuffled closer until her cheek was pressed against my arm. Her eyes slowly closed and her breathing evened out.

I leaned my head against the headboard, trying to process everything she’d said. I was still out of sorts from her being in danger at all, and I hated the idea of Jude wanting anything to do with her. She’d been hurt by him once. She’d said she didn’t want to fake anything else with him.

And she was mine.

No, she wasn’t mine. I was helping her out.

With a sigh, I knew I had to get myself back on track. But there was something about her. Whether it was the freckles dotting her skin or the way she smiled at me—it made me lose all of my sense of control.

I had no idea how long we stayed like that. I lost track of time after I closed my eyes too. But the slamming of the front door jolted me back into the present, and I gently moved away from Wren’s still-sleeping form to make sure Cain and Mollie knew what happened.

I met Mollie as she was running up the stairs. But she was in the bathroom with the door shut before I could even say hello.

“Mollie, dammit,” Cain said as he came up the stairs. “I told you, we should—Henry. Hey.”

“I was about to leave,” I said, raising my palms. “Wren fell at the library and I?—”

“Wren fell ?” Mollie yelled from the bathroom. “What the fuck ?—”

The sound stopped and was replaced by retching.

“Is she okay?” I asked Cain. “Because I can check on her.”

“This is supposed to be normal.” He crossed his arms. “But I feel like I’m losing my mind here.”

My brow furrowed as I tried to think of a time when throwing up would be normal.

Then it hit me. “She’s pregnant.”

“Yep. Please don’t tell anyone. Not yet, at least.”

“Has she seen a doctor yet? I could probably confirm it and get her a referral to an OBGYN.”

“We have a doctor in Nashville. It’s a long drive, but they’re one of the best in the state. Her mom found them.”

“Does Wren know?”

Cain nodded, but then his eyes moved to the bathroom door, which had just opened. “All right, throwing up is completed.” Mollie sighed. “Now, can someone tell me what happened to Wren?”

“She fell off a ladder.”

“A ladder?” Mollie’s voice climbed in pitch.

“She needed stitches and has a sprained ankle. All because of Jude.”

“That asshole. What did he do? Did he do this on purpose?” If Mollie’s anger was directed at me, I would have feared for my life. But I agreed with her.

“He’s been trying to talk to her. She didn’t want to and had work to do. He followed her up a ladder.”

“What an idiot,” Cain said.

“She’s fine. I took care of her and got her back. I’ll need to get her truck and bring it here, and she needs to rest for at least a week. Maybe more, if she heals slowly.”

“I’m on it,” Mollie said.

“And you can rest too,” Cain added.

Mollie rolled her eyes. “Don’t start on that again. I’m fine to do normal activities. I was in the fields for eight hours a day before I got pregnant.”

“You’ll just need to hydrate and stop if you feel off,” I added.

“See? Henry’s on my side.”

Cain blew out a breath. “Traitor.”

“Nothing good will come out of telling Mollie no,” I explained. “Even I know that.”

He shrugged, but we both knew I was right. “Come on, Henry. I’ll help you get Wren’s truck.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Might as well. Mollie probably wants to stay here and make sure Wren’s okay.”

“Definitely,” she added. “And the proximity of the toilet helps too.”

“That leaves you and me.”

The quiet end of a stressful day gave me enough energy not to worry about the drive to get Wren’s truck, so I agreed. Mollie grabbed Wren’s keys and gave them to Cain before we left.

“So,” he said as we got back on the road. “How is fake dating going?”

The Cain I’d met hated small talk, especially in person. The gruff man who’d barely talked to me had vanished when Mollie came into town.

He was trying, and I knew that.

“It’s going fine. Though I don’t trust Jude.”

“He’s always looked like a fucking tool,” Cain muttered. “Even in season one.”

“I try not to judge people by their looks, but yeah. He has one of those sports cars, too, and revs it for no reason.”

“Jackass. At least Mollie also hates him now that she knows everything. I always thought something weird was going on. It seemed fake.”

“Hopefully, Wren and I don’t look the same.”

“You definitely don’t.”

There were a lot of implications one could take from that. Were my feelings too obvious? How did I play the perfect boyfriend and not let it slip through?

“You know, you’re a good guy, Henry. I don’t think it would be bad if anything happened between you two.”

“I’d probably have to get Mollie’s approval if I even wanted to. But Wren and I are friends. That’s all we’ll be. And she’s leaving when this season is over.”

Everything had come out of the library already and they were going to be putting it back together soon. Once that was over, we were over.

And it would be for the best.

“Mollie thinks she could be convinced to stay.”

“Is that what Mollie thinks , or what she hopes for?”

“You might have a point there,” Cain said. “But it’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”

“You’re saying that as a man who got the perfect relationship.”

He shrugged. “You’re right, but it’s been nice not being alone.”

I never let myself even think about a life where I wasn’t alone. I was certain I would have that with Norah, and when she left, I didn’t think of it ever again.

Even if Wren did want to try, I knew I was losing the battle within myself. I got firm with her. She would grow tired of that.

I was better off by myself.

“I’m glad,” I said. “But I’m fine where I’m at. And once this season is over, I’m sure she’ll be too.”

We were nearing the square and we lapsed into silence. Cain gave me a quick glance before saying, “I don’t know who you’re trying to convince. Me, or yourself.”

Then he was gone. I watched him as he got inside Wren’s truck to drive it home. When I was alone, I let out a long breath, hoping to get what he’d said out of my mind.

It didn’t work.