Page 170 of Save You

A funny look crosses Wren’s eyes.“Ruby’s sister, huh?”

I nod slowly and look in confusion from one to the other.

“Evidently I have good taste,” he continues, his voice almost mocking and totally different from his tender tone just now.“If you still want to—”

“I don’t think Ember does want to.Whatever it was.Fuck off, Wren,” James says, cutting him off again.There’s an authority in his voice that won’t be contradicted.I ask myself if he always speaks to his friends like that, and if so, why the hell he still has so many of them.

The smile is wiped off Wren’s face and he’s looking pretty pissed off.He shakes his head and mutters something extremely rude.Then he looks at me again.“I wish we’d been able to continue our conversation, Ember.”

The next moment, he bends down and presses his lips to my cheek.As he pulls away, he’s looking at James, not me.

Before I can say a word, he turns and disappears into the crowd.I lift my hand to where he kissed my cheek while James glares after Wren.Why do I get the feeling that Wren only kissed me to annoy James?

“Sorry about that, Ember,” James murmurs.

Then he runs after Wren and I’m left on my own at the bar.

James

I find Wren out in the lobby with the lads.As I join their little circle, Cyril lifts his hand.

“Beaufort!To what do we owe this honor?”

I ignore him and give Wren a dirty look.

“What were you playing at?”I snap at him.

He doesn’t answer, just takes a long swig from a flask.

“Wren.”

He rolls his eyes.“We were just talking.Stop making such a big deal of it.”

“She’s Ruby’s sister, for God’s sake.Keep your hands off her.”

Wren snorts.“I’ve had it up to here with constantly making allowances for you.”

I raise a mocking eyebrow.“Allowances?What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You know what, Beaufort?Fuck you,” he retorts, draining the flask in one and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Wren,” says Kesh warningly.

“No, Kesh.I’ve had enough of sparing James’s feelings.”Wren turns back to me.“All the stuff you said back in the summer was just talk.You’re skipping training because you’re on the fuckingevents committee, you walk out of parties to go and see your girlfriend, and now you’re coming over all prissy because I want to chat someone up.I get the feeling you don’t give a shit about us anymore.You don’t even listen when anyone tries to tell you anything.”

“That’sbullshit,” I reply.

He shakes his head.“You know what?You deal with your own shit.That’s all you’re fit for at the moment anyway.”

I look at him in confusion.“I have no idea what you’re on about.”

Wren walks away, takes two steps, then turns on his heel and jabs his finger at me.“That’s exactly what I mean,” he hisses.“I’ve been trying for ages to have a normal conversation with you, but you’re just not interested.”

“Leave it out, Wren.”

Deep down, I know he’s right.The last time we were out together, he hinted at something that I just blanked on because I was too busy thinking about Ruby.Now I’m starting to get a guilty conscience.

“Leave what out?I’m right and you know it.There’s no room in your head for anything but Ruby.She’s all there is left in your life,” he shouts.