Page 16 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. One

“It was fun,” she says after a minute. She manages a smile, although the brightness that was in her eyes last week is still missing.

“Good,” I say, wracking my brain for something else to ask her. But all I can think about is those tears in her eyes. I know I shouldn’t care this much—know I’ve latched onto her in my head more than I should’ve—but sometimes, I just can’t stop myself.

Wren hands Elliot the two black coffees. “Did you, um… Did you read at all this week?”

I kick myself. OfcourseI should’ve asked her about books instead of the damn movie.

Elliot’s smile is warm and even, the perfect picture of confidence and stability. It’s what made me fall for him when we were in high school together. It also stops Wren in her tracks, causing her to lean against the counter, her gaze caught in his.

“I did, actually,” he says. “Picked up a book I’ve wanted to get into for a while.”

That puts the first genuine smile on her face that I’ve seen all morning. “Good! I’m glad. What’s it about?”

“It’s a thriller. Husband-wife duo go on killing sprees together every month.”

“Oh, wow. Sounds like a good time. Do they get caught?”

“So far, no, but I’m only a hundred pages in.”

“You’ll have to tell me how it ends next week.”

“Guess I’ll have to make sure I finish it.”

That pulls a tiny laugh out of Wren—barely even a sound, more of an amused breath. But instead of feeling jealous that her attention is on Ell, my heart warms. I can’t blame her for finding him attractive. After all, I am in love with the man.

Wren makes my cappuccino while her and Elliot chat about books a little more. I’m happy to listen, especially when she angles her body to include me in the conversation while she explains the plot of her latest read. By the time my drink is finished, she seems a little happier. Not great, just more distracted.

More customers get in line behind us, so once we have my cappuccino, we sit down with Rhett. He silently sips his coffee while his gaze bounces between me, Ell, and Wren. It’s what he does when he’s thinking and trying to decide if he wants to say something or not.

I pick up my mug before setting it down again without drinking anything. “Wren was crying.”

“I think we both got that,” Elliot says.

“Did you overhear them talking?” I ask Rhett. “Do you know what’s wrong?”

Rhett casts a scolding glance my way. “Flirting with Wren is one thing, O. But her personal life is none of our business.”

“Okay, but did you hear anything?”

He sighs, watching her for few seconds before responding. “All I heard was Ava offering her a place to stay.”

My body goes rigid. That can’t mean anything good. Is Wren in trouble? Is this a safety issue, or a financial one? Or—

A hand clamps down on my arm with an iron grip, and I realize I’m already halfway out of my seat. Rhett yanks me back down until my ass hits the cushion.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he grits out.

“I…”

My eyes search the coffee shop until I find Wren. Her head is still down as she cleans up a spill on the counter. Truly, I don’t know what my plan was. I didn’t even realize I was moving.

“We can’t help her,” Elliot says gently. “At least…”

My head snaps around so I’m looking at him, but he’s pressed his lips into a thin line. Whatever he was about to say, he has it locked away now.

But I’ve already latched onto his words.At least not for now.

That means there’s a chance.