Page 57 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

BLAME GAME

His growing taste for cheap food was gonna make him into a potbelly, unemployed, fat fuck if he didn’t start giving a shit soon.

Maybe he’d give one after they made a home for this steaming carton of Chow Mein, pork fried rice, and sesame chicken—or maybe he’d give several , depending on how much his grumbling stomach could take.

Brent opened all the containers, divvying out portions between two plates at Wren’s small kitchen table, waiting for her to pop through the door any second.

For what it was worth…being here felt—oddly comfortable.

He couldn’t recall ever feeling this relaxed any time he’d been to Sarah’s place when they were together.

Usually, he could never leave that apartment fast enough.

So much about him was changing so fast that even Brent himself couldn’t keep up with who he was anymore.

He had only stayed over once, so far. That was two nights ago, and neither him nor Wren had gotten much sleep.

Neither one really had any place to be the next morning and took that time to catch up on those lost hours.

That was the first time he’d realized that Wren Vintorri was a god-awful snore—and a blanket hog.

She must have also taken quite a bit of time out of her day every morning to do something about that crazy red hair.

Every time he looked at her, no matter what state she was in, made him begin to realize that he may have never been in love before her…

and that notion was crazy. How could someone so damn maddening make you feel so fucking lost without them?

The whole ‘love at first sight’ thing must be the actual fairy tale.

Months ago, he would have been happy never to have to hear her nagging bullshit.

Now, going a day without her cut-throat insults caused the sky to be a little more gray… his smile a little less full.

Voices from behind the door sounded before the key slid into the knob, and it opened, Sarah following in behind Wren, and both of them appearing shocked to see him.

“Shit…Brent, I completely forgot, my dude. How long were you waiting?” Wren asked, locking up as Sarah stepped out of the way.

“Not long. It’s fine. I got enough for three.” He turned and pulled another plate from the cabinet.

“I don’t wanna impose,” Sarah said, throwing a palm up. Wren looked at her like she was flat-out stupid.

“Are you—get in there and sit down.” She snapped her fingers and pointed Sarah into the living room.

Sarah glanced between them, smirking as she followed orders and made herself scarce.

Not scarce enough, Brent realized, to miss the kiss Wren planted on him the minute she stepped into the kitchen.

He caught Sarah’s figure in the corner of his eye through the breakfast nook over the sink.

“Did you take care of that little mishap?” she asked, picking up one of the cartons to sniff it.

“Don’t beat me, but no.” Her eyes rolled and she dropped the container back to the table. “They already ran the story before I could stop it.”

“So, there’s nothing we can do?”

“Not unless you wanna throw ‘em a bone and have a public spat,” he smirked. “I bet you’d like that.”

Her eyes lit up, and there had to be about a thousand ideas flooding that red-headed mind of ways she could hurt him in front of a camera. “Hmm…raunchy.”

“Yeah?” he grinned, reaching around the back of her thigh and gripping it just under her ass.

She swatted his hand and boggled her eyes, tilting her head towards the living room.

“Don’t stress over it. I’ll think of something.

” He winked, and handed her a plate for Sarah, who cleared her throat in the other room.

Well…this was already awkward.

They all took up spots on the couch, and Brent decided to break the sound of quiet chewing and address the elephant in the room. “Wren said this was Athan’s old place.”

Sarah’s skill with chopsticks was a talent he never noticed, and she shoveled noodles in her mouth, nodding. “It was,” she said through her food. “I’m sure he’s missing it tonight, too.”

“Oh? Bit of a saddle sore on that white horse of his?” Brent asked, playfully, making Wren snort. Sarah pointed between the two of them with her sticks.

“I take back everything I said about the two of you being chummy.”

“That’s the fruit of your own labor, friend,” Wren laughed, taking another bite—from a fork.

“Touche,” Sarah smiled. “And to answer your question, no…no saddle sore. Just fucking sick of being kept in the dark about important shit.”

The look she flashed him struck a nerve, and he lowered his fork, closing his mouth. “That felt a little personal,” he admitted.

Sarah shrugged, and Wren feigned oblivion next to him, looking anywhere but at the two of them while she continued to stuff her face. “Yeah, well…it kinda started with you, didn’t it?”

“I thought we were past this,” he clipped, setting his plate down on his lap. Sarah sighed and did the same.

“We are…sorry, I’m just—he pissed me off good this time. I’m not sure what to do about it.”

“Well, if you’re gonna kill him, I’m unemployed. Just don’t tell me. Can’t defend you if I know you did it. But I also couldn’t say I’d be unhappy about helping you bury his body,” he winked, smirking at her.

Wren’s fork clinked against her plate. “You know what? I might be the best friend, but I think you’re coming down a little too hard, Sarah.”

“You can’t be serious,” Sarah gaped. “Earmuffs, Brent. In case you get butt-hurt.” She turned her body towards Wren, and he intently listened.

“When we were at the cabin, you didn’t have a problem telling me that Brent was a piece of shit for what he lied to me about and the things we found out he’d done. No lie is any sweeter than the other.”

“True, and true. But by that point, you already knew the truth about what Athan had kept from you, and I told you there was a difference in what he’d done and what Brent had done…sorry Brent,” Wren winced, patting his arm.

“Yeah, you said that difference was the fact that Brent knew exactly what he was doing, and chose to do it anyway, while Athan didn’t have any control over what he’d done to me. How can you say this time is different? He knew damn well!”

Knew what? Whatever it was had to be huge.

“Look, dude. I can’t imagine that a scare like that would be easy to explain to somebody that’s about to be his wife. Can you honestly say that you wouldn’t have completely lost your shit if he’d tried to tell you that Rhaena might be having his fucking kid?”

Wife? Kid?! Wait…

Brent threw a hand out, getting their attention. “Wait…pause. Go back. Wife? ” Sarah’s face paled, and she swallowed. “You’re engaged?”

Her eyes shot to Wren, and Wren’s face flushed as she lowered it. “Sorry…I didn’t know that was a secret.”

“It’s not,” Sarah started, sighing again. “We are. He asked me on Christmas morning.”

Fuck…that was quick.

He thought he should feel some type of way about it but—he didn’t.

And it looked like Wren was searching his features for evidence that it bothered him.

He glanced over at her and offered her a soft smile before returning his attention to Sarah.

“Look at you,” he grinned, meaning nothing more than a genuine congratulations. “I’m happy for you.”

“Oh, please,” Sarah scoffed.

“No, I’m absolutely serious. Congratulations.”

She eased herself back against the arm of the couch and stared at him, narrowing her eyes. “Thanks…”

“Welcome. Now, is somebody gonna tell me what the fuck I missed? Rhaena’s pregnant?

And when did her and Kane…um…” He tread carefully, running a hand through his hair.

Sarah was obviously upset, and he wasn’t trying to pull his usual Brent Stratford short straw and fuck everything up past the point of being salvageable.

“It was before we were together. While it doesn’t make me leap for joy, I can’t exactly be pissed at him for it. I was still with you then, too.”

“That’s my argument,” Wren piped in. “He might have kept that little tidbit from you, but to be fair…I don’t think he really owed you that when you were still in a relationship.”

“Fine. I’ll give him that,” Sarah argued, gathering noodles with her chopsticks. “But the fact that it’s now put us all in a precarious situation, and he decided it was better not to share that with me? That’s a fucking problem.”

He understood it now. And damn, it was a mess.

But the deeper parts of him also understood what they couldn’t.

Athan might be a vampire, but he was also a man.

A man that, as surprising as it was, had put his personal feelings for Brent aside on more than one occasion to relate to human emotion.

He’d been there when he didn’t have to be.

And Athan probably would deny it, but not all of those instances were on Sarah’s behalf.

Guy code suggested that Athan deserved the same courtesy.

“I feel like, as weird as it is…I need to come to bat for Kane here,” Brent offered, scratching the back of his neck when Sarah glared at him with a mouthful of Chow Mein.

“I know I’m outnumbered, and if you two wanna give me hot oil, or the rack for this, then I guess I’ll accept that.

But women are fucking terrifying. I understand my track record for honesty isn’t great, but I had a reason for it.

I went up against Athan at the precinct that day in a rage for something I didn’t understand at the time. ”

“What’s your point?” Sarah asked, pursing her lips.