With a pen in my hand, I scribble the date of the business trip in Italy, one that hovers around the same time as Jenna's wedding.
But honestly, fuck that wedding.
The more I see Wren pour into that and the way her sister treats her in return, the more it makes me want to tuck her away and show her exactly how important she is.
George Finley hums under his breath. "Will you be needing any extra accommodations?" As the person in charge of setting up every aspect of the event, I can't help but smile at his grumpy nature. "Usually you just need passes for one."
"Two." I say without thinking. "I'll have someone with me this time, Wren Jacobs."
Silence settles over the call, everyone else knowing that not once have I ever requested added amenities to a stop on any of the tours that I've attended.
"I've got that taken care of." His gruff voice comes through the receiver before he checks on everyone else. "Does anyone have any questions?"
Sitting at my desk, I turn around in the chair and look out of the floor to ceiling windows of my office that overlook the course as the call ends. It's hard not to want to just get lost in the view when the rolling hills stretch out forever and the clouds paint the skies in the most perfect ways.
Something cold presses to my hand only to be replaced by soft fur and the tiniest little growl, pulling my attention away from the view and to the dog in front of me.
"Does someone need some attention?" Scratching under his chin, I smile when his back foot hits the hardwood flooring. "Yeah? Did I get the right spot?"
"Niall?"
I know it's Wren before I even turn around. Her voice is soft but it reaches into every part of my body even from where she stands at the door to my office.
Cal abandons me, running across my office and sliding to a stop at her feet, tail swishing back and forth along the hardwood floor like a dust mop. "I swear he would pick you over me every single time."
"Hey there, cutie." Bending down, Wren smiles as she holds a couple folders in her hands but makes it work in order to pet him. "Do you like me more than your mean, old daddy?"
Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I do everything in my power not to focus on the way that last word sounds coming out of her mouth. Or how much I wouldn't mind hearing outside of this office.
"I am not mean or old." Crossing my arms over my chest, Wren looks up at me. "Thank you very much."
She hums, standing up and straightening out her skirt that makes me want to do the exact opposite. "That's to be determined. I was bringing you a couple of things for the spring marketing ideas. You'll just need to look over them and finalize whichever you would prefer."
Cal decides that the two of us are boring, retreating to the oversized bed next to my desk, resting his head and looking up at the two of us with those big brown eyes.
"I'll add it to my list of things to do." Stepping closer to her with a smile on my face and grabbing the folders, I let my fingers trail across her skin and relish in the way it feels. "You look beautiful today."
The apples of her cheeks flush the perfect shade of pink and she pulls back, crossing her arms around her waist. "I can't stand you."
"Are you sure about that?" Crowding into her space, my fingers reach out and tug on one of the loose curls framing her face before letting it slide through the tips of my fingers. "Because I feel like that's a lie."
Those perfect dark eyes with a hint of golden honey find mine, framed in dark lashes. "Who says I'm lying?"
There's nobody around, but I slide my arm around her waist anyway, pulling her body flush to mine. "I do."
Wren looks up at me, her pupils taking up more space and pushing the rich brown out even more. Cupping her jaw, I let my thumb travel along the edge of her bottom lip, my eyes glued to the motion.
"You are so dangerous. So fucking dangerous, do you know that?" My voice sounds rough, like gravel. "It drives me insane."
"Niall—"
Just as I'm about to lose any sense of self restraint, the phone on my desk starts ringing just like it has all day, breaking through the tension and making Wren pull back.
Which is probably for the best.
At this point, it's getting painful to not be able to touch her in all the ways I wish I could.
It's beyond painful trying not to tell her how much I don't think I want to pretend anymore.
By now Wren and I have spent enough time together for me to realize that she's the person that I didn't know was missing from each corner of my life and she was right under my nose the whole time.
Every single time I see her, I want to ask her if she feels the same. If she wants to trash the rules as much as I do.
If she wants me like I want her.
Sure— she's seven years younger than me and thinks that coffee should always be iced, but what does that really matter in the end? In the end what matters is that she makes me laugh harder than anyone I've ever met and her presence makes me feel more relaxed than I've ever been.
The phone keeps ringing as we stand there and look at each other, tension thicker than ever. "I should get that."
"You should." She whispers.
"Are you coming over later? For the date?" My hand hovers over the receiver as I wait for her answer.
We were supposed to go out to a nice restaurant but due to some issues with the ventilation issues in the kitchen, they called and canceled. So instead, Wren suggested we just cook at home and watch something on a streaming service.
It didn't matter to me. We could sit and watch paint dry for all I care. As long as I got to be around her that's all I cared about.
"Yeah." Wren backs out of my office. "Do I need to bring anything?"
Shaking my head I pick up the phone and tell them to hold, pressing it to my chest as a smile pulls at my lips just thinking about her being in my space. "No, I've got everything."
Turning and walking away from me, I watch her go.
Before I can stop myself I call out to her, making her turn around. "Have you ever been to Italy?"
And when she tells me that she's never been, I decide right then and there.
I'll make it happen.
For her.
__________
"Act cool, alright?"
Looking down at my dog, he looks up at me with his new green bandana, tail wagging as always.
Wren texted me that she would be a little later than she thought she would be because of traffic on her way home. It worked out perfectly because it gave me time to take a shower and take my little buddy on a walk before she got here.
A knock at the front door draws my attention away from the plethora of food that I ordered. When I asked her what she wanted before I left Willow Lake, she said that she didn't really care... So I ordered a little of everything.
Sushi. Tapas. Italian. Burgers. Pizza.
Literally everything spread all over the island in my kitchen.
Callaway barks excitedly as I make my way across the house, pushing open the door and looking at the most stunning woman I've ever seen standing on the other side of the threshold.
"Sorry I'm late." Wren smiles at me, pushing a lock of hair that slipped from her ponytail behind her ear. "The traffic was crazy."
Stepping aside and letting her pass me, I try not to focus on the way the dark blue leggings hug her in every place possible. Fuck, those leggings.
I know that I need to snap out of it— but I just fucking can't. I've never been so tired of fighting something in my entire life.
"Are you hungry?" Turning away from her and walking towards the kitchen, I smile when I hear her talking to our little guy. "Because I kind of—"
"Please tell me you didn't order all of this?" Wren laughs when I turn and grip the back of my neck, feeling exposed. "Niall!"
"Well you didn't really give me a lot to go off of when I asked what sounded good, therefore..." Spreading my arms wide, I give her a cheeky grin. "You get everything."
"You didn't have to get all of this." Crossing her arms over her cream colored sweater that's missing the bottom hem, she rolls her eyes. "What are you even going to do with what we don't eat?"
"Leftovers— Duh." Grabbing a couple plates from the cabinet and handing her one, we both fill up our plates. "What's in the bag?"
When she walked in, there was a tote bag hanging from her shoulder, the very one sitting on one of the barstools along the other side of the island.
"Oh!" Brown eyes grow wide as she sits her plate down, one already piled with various things. "I brought some face masks. I didn't know what you wanted to do but skincare is never bad."
"Let's do it." Without missing a beat, I put a few sushi pieces on my plate. "You gonna put it on for me?"
Wren swallows hard, looking down at her plate. "Yeah, yeah. That sounds good."
We look at each other for a couple more minutes, only the sound of the automatic water bowl for Cal piercing the quiet.
God fucking help me.
_______
This is the worst idea I have ever fucking had.
Just being around Wren in any capacity shreds every single sense of self that I've ever known.
"Okay, so we just sit here for like, five more minutes." Next to me on the couch, Wren settles back into the cushions with her head tilted towards the ceiling. "Then we can take them off and work the excess into our skin."
After we ate dinner, one that felt less like a date that we had agreed upon in a contract, but more like one that just felt right— We ended up here.
Wren was eager to dig into her bag of secrets and I can't say I didn't love sitting back and listening to her talk about skincare and what she liked.
All I wanted to know was how soft her skin was.
I know it is, I just fucking know it.
When she helped me put my own mask on, I almost said fuck everything and pulled her into my lap. From the way she sat next to me on the couch while One Tree Hill played in the background, it could have been so easy.
"I'm going to take mine off really fast and I'll be right back." Lifting herself off the couch, I stifle a groan when her palm pushes off my thigh. "Be right back."
In the few minutes that she's gone, I try to count backwards from a thousand or literally anything to get my mind off of the way her ass looks as she walks away from me.
"Okay so—" Coming back around the corner, Wren smiles at me and I know that I want to see that smile every single day. "Let's get this off."
Stepping between my legs, she leans forward and her fingertips trace over the edge of the mask before peeling it back and laying it on top of the discarded package on the table.
"How do I look?" A smirk pulls at the edge of my lips. "Well rested? Hydrated?"
Shaking her head, her laugh fills up every corner of my house— of me.
Her fingers work across my skin, her thumbs working the serum in, the feeling making a low groan work its way from my lips. "God, that feels good."
"Yeah?" Smiling down at me, I can't help but return it. "All done—"
Something happens outside of the floor to ceiling windows because all of a sudden the dog that was laying on the end of the couch has torn past us, going between our feet.
In the process, Wren loses her footing— tumbling straight into my lap.
With her hands fisted in my Nirvana shirt, my own hands find purchase along her waist, my fingertips burning against her skin from the absolute want that fires through every part of my body.
"Wren." My eyes drop to her lips. "Fuck."
Her eyes lock onto mine as she moves to straddle my lap, shaking her head back and forth so slowly it's almost like I'm imagining it.
"This is a bad idea." Breathless, her fingers find the nape of my neck, toying with the curls that lay there. "Such a bad idea."
"Please, baby—" I'm desperate for her in any fucking way that I can get her. "Please."
Resting her weight in my lap, I let my head fall back as her hips roll forward over the rough material of my jeans.
"Niall, god." Letting her head roll to the side, Her eyes flutter closed. "That feels good."
"You think it feels good sitting in my lap like this?" Dropping my hands from her waist, I reach up to cup her jaw and bring her closer to me. "Show me what else feels good."
Tentatively, her hips move just the slightest. "But this is against the rules— We shouldn't."
Those soft lips move against mine with every word, a tease.
"Wren." Dropping one hand back to her hip, I guide her along my length, knowing that there's no hiding how this makes me feel. "Who give a shit about the fucking rules?"
"If we do this—" A moan slips from her lips as she presses down harder. "No kissing."
"On the lips." I add, leaning up to press my lips to the base of her throat barely showing over the collar of her sweater. "But everywhere else is fair game, yeah?"
"Sure, yeah."
As soon as the words come from her mouth, there's no time to waste as I leave a trail of open mouth kisses along her throat, sucking the skin between my teeth and groaning at the whimper coming from Wren's throat.
Her palms flatten out against my chest, nails digging into my skin through the thin material of the vintage shirt, her hips rolling in an even rhythm against me.
"Can I take this off?" Kissing along her skin, I toy with the hem of her sweater. "Let me see more of you."
Nodding, she helps me pull it off before throwing it behind her and baring her torso to me.
I'm a dead man.
If I thought I was done for before?
It's nothing compared to how I feel seeing her smooth skin with the black lace right in front of me.
"I need—" Wren frowns. "Please—"
Leaning up, I nip at the skin of her breast above the edge of the lace. "Tell me what you need. Let me give you what I can."
"I just need you right now."
"Use me, Wren." Pulling at the waistband of her leggings and letting it snap back into place, I groan when she presses herself into me harder. "Be a good girl and get yourself off for me."
The way she moves against me has me half a second away from losing my mind, happy that she's using me to get something that she needs and not going somewhere else for it.
"I could come like this." Breathless, Wren arches her back when I thrust my hips up to meet hers. "You feel so good."
"Have you been thinking about it? Thinking about how good I could make you feel?" Leaving a mark along the top of her breast, I soothe it with my tongue. "Do you think about me when you're alone?"
Biting her bottom lip, she nods just a second before she pushes her hair out of her face. "All the time, Niall."
"Show me— Show me how you'd move above me." Dropping my hands to her thighs, I let her move even more frantic above me. "Tell me how wet you are— How easy it would be for me to get inside of you."
Reaching for anything to hold onto, her hands slide up my arms and just barely under the sleeves of my shirt to grip my biceps. "So easy. So fucking easy, Niall."
"Birdie—"
I watch her as she gets what she needs from me, knowing that I'm going to relive this moment in my mind for the rest of my life.
"I'm so close—" It's a heavy whisper, her breath hot on my neck as she buries her head into the crook of my neck.
"Take it— Take what you need." I groan, doing everything I can not to come in my pants like a teenager. "Let me see that pretty face when you come for me."
Wren looks at me, those beautiful brown eyes so full of everything I've ever wanted. "Yes. Yes."
With one more roll of her hips, I watch as she lets herself go, the most beautiful thing that I've ever seen.
A strangled moan falls from her lips just before she lets herself collapse onto my chest, my hands immediately going to her back and running up and down her spine.
"You're so perfect, don't you know." It's barely above a whisper, but it's true. "So fucking perfect."
Pressing her lips to my neck, I tilt my head to the side as she leaves her own trail of kisses up my neck and to the scruff that covers my jaw. "Thank you."
"Let me get you something so you can clean up, yeah?" Still tracing my fingers over her warm skin, I don't really want to get up but if I don't then something else will happen on this couch that shouldn't.
She nods as I stand up, lacing my fingers with hers and walking towards my room and into the master bedroom, showing her where the bathroom is and leaving a pair of old sweats for her, I take myself to the guest bathroom and step inside.
While she cleans herself up across the house, I wrap my fist around my cock and bring myself to my own climax without an effort with the thought of her on my mind.
It's both the best and worst high of my life.
Cleaning myself up and expecting to meet her out in the living room, I frown when I see her packing up her bag and awkwardly making her way towards the front door.
Before I can even get close to her, she gives me a terrible excuse and slips through the door before I can do anything to stop her.
Before I can do anything to make her stay.
And I would... Ask her to stay.
But as I watch the lights disappear down my driveway, I can't find myself to feel bad about what happened between us.
Because it might have started off as fake, but I know just as well as she does that there's no way that it's fake anymore.
Macy looks at me from across the table, breakfast food spread out between us.
Instead of looking her in the eye, I pick up the overstuffed burrito on my plate and reach for a small cup of salsa— anything to keep myself busy. “Yeah, I told you it was.”
“Right, right.” Rolling her eyes, she takes a bite of her omelet. “If you say so.”
“It is.” Heat travels up my neck as the words tumble out, my hand coming up to the base of my neck to trace the diamond pendant. “”You’re just seeing things.”
“So me watching that man put his hands all over you must have just been a mistake on my part? My contacts must have fallen out for a second.” Macy says with a deadpan tone.
“Must have been the alcohol.” Shrugging my shoulders and taking a bite almost too big for my mouth, I sent up a tiny prayer that she would change the subject.
Because I needed to change the subject.
Badly.
Last night needed to be as far away from me as possible.
When I threw on my favorite jeans and grabbed an old hockey shirt out of my drawer, not once did it cross my mind who I would see inside of that venue.
If it had, the last person I would have picked would have been Niall.
The two of us gravitated to each other like opposite ends of the strongest magnet, not a single damn thing we could do to keep ourselves from meeting in the middle of that crowd.
Feeling his hands on my skin, his lips ghosting over my neck, the words from those same lips whispered in my ear— God.
It was all I could do to keep myself from begging him to take me anywhere where we could be alone.
Just the two of us.
I was attracted to Niall and the more time that I spent with him the more I had to tell myself over and fucking over that we had made an agreement.
A plan.
This relationship between us wasn’t real and nothing would ever come from it.
Nothing could come from it.
He was Niall Horan, retired professional golfer and owner of one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world.
Me? I was just Wren Jacobs.
The girl who’s family catered to her little sister and the girl who worked in marketing.
There wasn’t anything about me that would make him choose me in a regular scenario, in a real dating atmosphere— it was fake.
Fake.
Fake
Fucking fake.
Yet there was a small part of me that let myself imagine if it wasn’t. Like right now as Macy tells me about work and I do my best to concentrate and listen.
“Saturday night is the event at the Lakes, right?” Signing the check she refused to let the waitress split, she smiles at me before grabbing her purse.
I nod, reaching for my wallet. “Yeah. It starts at seven but I have to be there around five thirty.”
“I’ll be there at six in case you need anything. Besides, maybe I’ll be able to properly meet the man who had his hands all over my best friend.” Shooting me a wink, we push out into the sunshine of the morning.
Sliding my sunglasses up the bridge of my nose, a sound between a horan and a scoff falls from my lips. “Oh my god, you are the worst.”
Her laughter makes me want to shove her over and hug her right all at the same time. Opening my car door, I watch her walk up to her car next to mine. “Make sure you text me when you get home.”
“I will.” Mirroring my movement, she slides into the driver's seat. “Oh, Wren?”
“Yeah?”
Meeting my gaze, a smirk dances across her face. “You didn’t have any alcohol last night.”
With that, she puts the keys in the ignition and shuts the door before during off, leaving me standing there like a fucking idiot in the middle of the parking lot.
I know it and she knows it— We both know I’m fucked.
I couldn’t blame my actions on anything other than myself. Although I don’t think the loss of inhibitions that comes with alcohol could even touch the way it felt to be around Niall.
He was his own kind of addiction.
One I might not be able to deny.
_______
I’m a coward.
I’m a coward— and I know that I am.
Considering it’s been a week since I felt the brush of Niall’s fingertips over my warm skin and I’ve managed to keep away from him… On purpose?!
Yeah, exactly.
Coward.
Something about being face to face with him after than and after the realization that I might be in over my head has sent me down into a spiral that seems like it may never end.
Thankfully I got out of our weekly dates because Piper demanded my presence for a cake testing and a dress fitting. Not that it mattered what my opinion was because everyone knows she just needed someone to boss around.
But I knew that eventually my luck would run out when it came to avoiding Niall, that eventually I would have to look into those ocean blue eyes with their devastating hint of the sunrise.
As I make a sharp turn into my office with a deli sandwich clutched to my chest hoping that I made it, the black and white ball of fluff that happily barks outside of my door before jumping over the threshold tells me that today is the day.
“Callaway!”
Niall’s accent is thick as he rounds the corner before skidding to a stop, his eyes going from the puppy chasing his tail to me, sandwich still clutched in my grip.
“Hi.” Lifting my hand awkwardly, a squeak comes out of my mouth replacing the confident tone I usually carry.
Those lips that felt like fire across my skin pull up into a grin at the same time he crosses his arms across his chest, the fabric stretching in ungodly ways. “Hello, Birdie.”
My fingers dig into the deli paper, the slight sound making Callaway’s ears perk up before he bounces over to me and sits, tail swishing back and forth as his pink tongue hangs out of his mouth.
I can ignore Niall, but a cute puppy?
Absolutely not.
“Did someone already teach you how to sit?” Crouching down and shifting everything into one arm, I reach out and scratch behind his ears. “Such a good boy, aren’t you?”
“Actually, yeah— Thanks for asking.” Niall grins. “But if you hadn’t been avoiding the two of us I guess you would have already known that.”
“I haven’t been avoiding you.” I lie.
The laugh that falls from his lips draws the attention away from the four legged beast in front of me, making him rush over and jump up to the source of the sound. “Bullshit, Wren. I’ve literally seen you ducking around corners this last week and I’ve been at the receiving end of your one-worded text messages.”
“I’ve been busy.” Another lie. “I had some wedding stuff to do and—“
“Are you okay?” His voice is devoid of the teasing tone as he takes a step towards me. “Did your sister do anything?”
Shaking my head, I stay in the crouched position, watching as Niall flexes his hands at his sides as if he doesn’t know what to do with them. “No, no. It was nothing.”
“Would you tell me? If someone said something they shouldn’t have?” Those damn eyes lock with mine.
Standing up, I try my best to smile even as he takes one more step closer to me. “Niall, you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to act like my protector all the time, this is—“
“Fake. Yeah, I know it’s fake.” Annoyance flashes over his features. “But I don’t give a fuck if it’s fake or not, nobody talks to you like you aren’t important. Do you understand me?”
I nod, clutching my stuff to my chest. “Yeah, yes… I'm sorry for avoiding you this last week.”
“No, I should be apologizing to you.” Blowing out a breath and running his hands through his fake hair, a half smile ghosts across his face. “What happened— What I said… The way I touched you… I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.”
God, just like that and I’m right back to where we were in the middle of that crowd.
Silence settles between us but the tension grows thicker and thicker as we stand so close.
“It’s okay.” Barely above a whisper, my voice doesn’t sound like my own. “I promise.”
“Birdie—“ This time it’s Niall who shakes his head, closing that gap between us and stepping close enough that I can feel the best from his body and the scent of the bergamot from his cologne. “Please don’t avoid me again, I hate it when—“ Between us, the ball of fluff let’s put a low whine just before he darts out of my office, making Niall let out a curse under his breath. “This conversation isn’t over.”
He doesn’t wait for me to respond before rushing out of the room, leaving me to finally drop my stuff at my desk and sit down, resting my head on my desk in an attempt to gain my bearings.
I needed to set myself straight sooner rather than later and I knew it.
The only problem?
It might already be too late.
_________
“Don’t be nervous.”
Macy looks over at me as we stand to the side, watching as people file into the ballroom and take their seats.
“I can’t help it.” My fingers reach for my necklace, running the pendant back and forth along the chain. “This event— I’ve worked hard to make sure everything goes well.”
“I know you have and it shows.” Taking a drink from her glass of water, she nudges my shoulder. “Besides, your boyfriend looks happy.”
“He’s not my—God, nevermind.” Arguing with her is pointless. “Besides, Niall owns this whole course. Of course he’s going to look happy— That’s his job.”
“Right, but is it his job to look at you like that?” She shrugs.
Looking up, it’s easy to find him in the crowd with his navy suit perfectly tailored to his body and the white shirt underneath fits in every way that it counts. That mop of dark hair so effortlessly perfect, like always.
As soon as our gazes meet from across the room, the smile on his face spreads a little wider and even under the dim lighting it’s easy to tell that his eyes get a little brighter. Niall turns to the man he’s talking to and shakes his hand, pointing towards me and patting him in the back.
“He’s not looking at me in any kind of way.” Clutching my drink in my hand, I ignore the goosebumps that blaze across my skin when he starts to make his way across the room.
“One day you’ll quit lying to yourself and when you do, I’m never going to let you forget it.” Patting me on the back, Macy gives me a mischievous smile. “I’ll remember to mention it in my maid of honor speech.”
“You’re so—“
There’s no time to finish my sentence when Niall finally reaches us, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me into his side. “Hi, Birdie.”
“Hi.” My pulse skyrockets under his gaze, the soft smile enough to undo me.
“Everything looks great, you did good.” The feeling of his thumb moving back and forth like a weight against the fabric of my dress. Macy clears her throat next to us, drawing away Niall’s attention. “I’m sorry— You must be Macy.”
“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Macy shakes his hand, her watchful eye not missing the way his fingers grip my hip even tighter. “I’ve heard a lot about you from your girlfriend here.”
“All good things, I hope.” Tilting his face down to mine, there’s no escaping the blush blooming across my cheeks.
Macy takes a long drink from her glass. “Oh, yes. All good things.”
“Wren knows how to organize an event, doesn’t she?” Niall looks out over the ballroom. “She’s worked so hard on this.”
“I’ve always known her to be a hard worker. In my opinion, she’s the best one in her entire family.” She shrugs. “But that’s just my opinion.”
“Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one who thinks that.” Niall’s voice is lower, more rough. “Are they coming tonight?”
Shaking my head, I look down towards my feet and try not to let my disappointment show on my face. “Um, no. Piper wanted them to go to dinner. It’s not a big deal—”
Macy scoffs and rolls her eyes.
Niall takes in a deep breath before letting it out. “Don’t say that. What you do, the work you put into something… It matters.”
“Amen.” Macy mutters under breath from beside me.
Before I can even come up with a reply, the sound of my name draws my attention away from both of them, a genuine smile covering my face as Harper and her husband wave from across the room.
Once they join our little group, it feels like any and all the negative emotions that I was carrying dissipate as I laugh and smile with a group of people who not only have welcomed me but my closest friend as well.
Each time Niall looks at me or smiles in my direction, I can feel that hard exterior around my heart dissolve, the same hard exterior that helped me write the list of rules that I want to put through a paper shredder.
As the evening goes on, I finally find a moment to step outside, letting the cool air of the early October cool my skin.
Taking in a deep breath only to let it right back out.
I was so stressed out about this event and to see it go off without a hitch makes me feel so proud of myself.
Something I haven’t felt in a long time.
When you work hard and feel like the people who are supposed to be there and celebrate the good, and even the bad, aren’t there it just eventually wears you down.
Even when you put on a face as if it doesn’t bother you, there always seems to be this tiny hole in your heart that just can’t quite be filled.
Golden shadows stretch across the immaculately tamed lawn as the muted sounds of the people inside carry out as far away as they possibly can. A breeze picks up and sends a chill through my bones, making me cup my arms and rub my palms over my skin to give me even a little hint of warmth.
“Here.”
I know it’s Niall before I even turn around, the smell of his cologne mixed with the fresh scent that is just him surrounds me at the same time a jacket is placed over my shoulders.
“Thanks.” Gripping the edges along the front, I clutch it closer to me.
Stepping up behind me, I don’t even try and pretend like I don't want to be around him when he wraps his arms under the oversized fit of his suit jacket, those strong arms pulling me into him at the same time his chin rests on top of my shoulder.
“You smell good.” His words are warm against my skin from how close his lips are to me.
Tilting my head back, the smile on my lips is evident as Niall draws me even closer. “I’m wearing the same perfume I always do, weirdo.”
“I know.” He laughs. “I guess this is me telling you that you always smell good.”
My hands fall on top of his arms, the tips of my fingers tracing over the tops of the veins that run under his smooth skin.
Like this it’s easy to imagine a life of doing exactly this very thing.
Just him.
Just me.
“I’m glad that I didn’t ruin anything tonight.” My voice is soft, faint.
Niall shakes his head, burying his face into the crook of my neck. “You could never ruin anything, Birdie.”
“It feels like it, you know?” I lean into him, letting him support me. “Makes me tired.”
“You can be tired with me all you want, Wren, I promise you can. But let me tell you right now— You couldn’t ruin anything and every day you make me so fucking proud of you. Do you hear me?”
His lips press into my skin and linger there with his words.
“You’re just saying that because you have to say that, Niall. There’s nobody out here to hear what you’re saying.” It’s the truth, even though I don’t want it to be.
“Fucking hell.” Grumbling under his breath, Niall drops one of his arms from around my waist and reaches up, resting his forearm across my collar bone. “When I say that I’m proud of you, there’s nothing fake about that. Not a single fucking thing.”
Trying to keep my emotions in check, I bite the inside of my lower lip, my worst habit. “I’m just not used to hearing that from very many people.”
“Get used to it, Birdie.” When I feel his lips press against the skin of my neck, I close my eyes, letting myself feel all of the small kisses Niall trails along my skin up to my ear. “I could tell you all day long.”
Turning in his arms, I look up into his eyes, the soft glow from behind him casting a halo of light around his silhouette.
Honestly, I’m still not sure that I’ve ever seen someone as beautiful as Niall.
I don’t really want to see anyone but Niall.
Cupping my jaw, his thumb suns back and forth along my cheek before he drops down, his lips pressing to the corner of my jaw before he pulls away.
All I want to do is pull him back to me.
To feel his lips against mine, for real.
“Come on, let’s get back in there before people come looking for us.” I smile, trying to pretend like every look and every touch doesn’t drive me wild in one way or the other.
His lips tilt up in a half smile, hands dropping and leaving me feeling even colder than before. “Hey, Wren?”
“Niall?” Looking up at him, I force my hands to my sides, ignoring the urge to reach out for him.
We make our way up the stone steps and when he opens the door for me, I raise my brow in question, waiting for him to answer me.
As soon as we step inside, his hand slides over my hip and dangerously close to my ass before he leans in, his lips brushing against my ear right before he lays the truth out for me only to walk away right after.
Even hours later when I’m laying in bed I hear it.
The same low tone.
The same rasp.
His words play on repeat and when I finally doze off— it’s still the only thing that I hear.
I don’t even know how much I’m pretending with you.
Wide, pretty brown eyes stare back at me with no answer.
Again.
"There's got to be at least one here that you like." Looking down at the options, I shake my head. "Come on— Put me out of my misery!"
Cal stares back at me from where he sits in front of the shopping cart loaded down with at least eight million dog toys, nine thousand pounds of dog food, a minimum of six hundred training pads, and at least eight dog beds for around the house.
With everything else picked out, the last thing we needed was a collar and a leash. I'd picked out a few and sat them on the floor thinking that he would get curious and 'pick' which one he wanted, but so far my efforts have been met with the quizzical tilt of his head.
"I give up." Sitting back on my ass, I barely have a second before he barrels over the small space from the cart and stretching the lead we left the vets office with, catapulting himself into my arms and licking my face. "Cal! Fuck!"
A small bark makes a laugh tumble out of my mouth as he makes a couple circles in my lap before plopping down right in the middle, looking up at me with a pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Scratching behind his ears, I can't help but feel a tug at the bottom of my chest. When I heard the whimper out on the course the last thing I expected to end up with was my very own dog.
A puppy at that.
One that would require attention and training.
As daunting as it sounds though, the idea of not taking him home with me didn't even really cross my mind.
"I like this one." Reaching through the scattered mess of collars, my fingers wrap around the smooth material before holding it in front of him. "Do you?"
Raising his paw, he bats at it before trying to bite it, which seemed like the only answer I needed.
Picking up my mess and grabbing the matching leash and harness adding them to the cart, I make sure my little best friend was by my side as we made our way to the checkout.
"New dog?"
Looking up, I smile at the woman behind the register. "What would be your first clue?"
"I'm going to go with the training pads— Definitely a dead giveaway." She laughs. "Did you make sure to grab a name tag? There's a lot of options to choose from."
I follow her eyes to the spot behind me loaded down with options.
What seems like a simple task feels monumental as I look over all the colors and shapes, eventually picking the safe route and going for a circular golden tag, one that would easily fit his name and a phone number.
"There's a machine just over there that does the engraving." Taking my card in her hand, the woman looks between me and my overloaded cart. "If you need any help just let me know!"
With a quick nod, the two of us head over to the machine and put everything in to get it made, only to stop and stare at the screen when it asks if I want to put two phone numbers or just one.
I start to just type in mine— But then I think twice about it. Pulling out my phone, I open my text messages and type out a quick message.
Niall
Can I put your phone number on Callaway's tag? Just in case I'm somewhere where I can't be reached?
The reply comes in almost immediately, making my heart rate gallop in my chest.
Wren
Of course. That's my little guy too, whether you like it or not, Niall Horan.
I laugh as I take a quick picture of the way he's looking up at me from between my feet, pink tongue still hanging out.
Niall
He said he wanted to say 'Hi, Mom'.
Wren
Tell him that his dad is crazy.
Wren
But give that cute face a kiss for me.
My fingers go to respond, but the beeping sound from the machine in front of me forces that thought away so that I can punch in my phone number and Wren's, watching as the laser moves across the metal and then deposits the tag into the receiving well.
Grabbing it and putting it in my front pocket, I bend down to pick up my furry friend.
His smooth coat feels soft against my fingertips as he licks the side of my face, a reminder that I need to order Wren some flowers for meeting me at my house last night with a few essentials to get us through the first night.
When we left the vet's office she went and bought dog food, a bed, and some shampoo— nothing too fancy, but enough so that we could get our little guy all cleaned up and fed before we could make it to the pet store.
While I changed out of my ruined, muddy clothes she had already pulled out a couple of bowls and sat on the floor as the small fighter greedily ate his food and lapped up more water that I even thought was possible.
By the time we took him outside and corralled him into the bathroom, he was even more covered in mud and dirt than when we found him.
It didn't take long for us to give him a bath— But it also took half of that time for him to shake water all over both of us.
Even now as I load everything into the back of my car, I can still hear the way Wren laughed as she tried to hide behind me to avoid getting soaked from the water in the bathtub, a failed attempt considering she left my house wearing a pair of my sweats and an old sweatshirt.
Again.
The smile on my face matched the same one I had when I watched her leave.
One that just makes me feel happy.
"Here, let's get this on." Grabbing the collar from one of the bags and sitting in the front seat, I let Cal sit in my lap as I pull off the price tags and slip the shiny new name plate into place before buckling it. "There. Guess that means you're really mine now, don't you think?"
Before I can even scratch behind his ears, his paws land in the middle of my chest as he licks my cheek, making me laugh harder than I have in a long time.
I guess that to him it didn't sound like a bad deal.
I guess he likes the idea of coming home.
Just like I do.
_________
I love live music.
Always have.
So when my friends asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted to go as a group to see an artist we all liked, the answer was easy.
Yes.
Over the years, I've been lucky to keep the same group of friends.
Some of them came from the golf world and some of them didn't. It was nice to have a mix because everyone seemed to get along and really that was all I could ever ask for.
My life was chaotic and it was busy, but I tried my best to carve out time for people.
I almost backed out because I didn't want to leave a puppy alone, but when Rory suggested bringing him over and letting him play with his daughter and their dog, I finally broke down and said yes.
So here I was, drinking Guinness with my closest friends and waiting for the opening act to start and the lights to go down.
"How has work been, Niall?" Elliott asks me. "I know the course has been gearing up for some events."
Nodding, I swallow down the dark beer. "It's great. We've got a great marketing department and they are killing it."
"What he's not telling you is that his girlfriend is in that said marketing department." Rory chimes in, rolling his eyes with a laugh.
Arlo's eyes go wide over the rim of his glass. "I'm sorry— Did he just say girlfriend? You're dating someone and didn't tell us?"
"You're worse than a bunch of teenagers, I swear." I laugh, shaking my head. "Yes, I'm... Dating someone."
I could easily tell them the truth, the reason behind why I've got a girlfriend for the first time in years, but I don't.
"I never thought I'd see the day." Elliott whistles. "Don't forget to invite us to the wedding."
"Tell us about her." Arlo adds. "How did you meet? Where did you meet?"
I ignore the wedding comment— As if.
Instead, I manage to tell them about how we met at the grocery store which isn't a lie.
I realize the more I tell them about her that it feels so natural to talk about her, to brag about her.
So fucking easy.
Even as the lights dim, I tell them about her.
How smart she is.
How funny she is.
How beautiful—
As if talking about her with my friends conjured her up, there she is. Standing with a couple of people, it's like my eyes couldn't look away from her even if I fucking tried.
I'd seen Wren in casual clothes before, but she looked so stunning in her jeans that looked like they were made to fit every curve she owned along with the cut off shirt that revealed the most tantalizing sliver of skin I'd ever seen.
Her dark hair fell in waves around her face and when she turned, the low lights refracted in the diamond— my diamond— hanging off of her neck.
It's like my body disconnects from my brain when I finish my beer in one gulp and toss the tall can into the trash before pushing my way through the crowd of people to get to her.
Halfway through the mass of people, the golden invisible string between us pulls tight, her gaze snapping up to meet mine as her friends laugh about something else behind her. Turning to them, she says something before she matches my pace, pushing through people before meeting me in the middle of the crowded room.
"Hi." Out of breath, she smiles up at me and I'll be damned if it doesn't rival the sunset every night. "What are you doing here?"
A smile of my own soon matched hers. "My friends convinced me to come out."
"What about Cal?" Wren asks as she bites her bottom lip, looking down as if he would magically appear at our feet.
"He's at Rory's. They have a two year old dog they rescued and so I figured they could play, besides it'll help him get more socialized. Besides his daughter is fourteen and has been getting for another dog." With a shrug, I jut my chin in the direction she came from. "What about you? What brings you out here?"
Turning to look over her shoulder, Wren laughs as her friends all make funny faces back at her. "One of my friends really likes the headliner so I agreed to tag along."
We stand in silence for a second, people talking around us and pushing us closer together.
When someone behind her accidentally pushes her a little too hard, her body lurches in my direction and I reach my arms around her waist and tuck her in front of me before telling the guy behind her to watch where he's going.
"Sorry— I guess we're going to end up being stuck together." Her laugh is nervous as she looks over her shoulder at me, those long lashes taunting me. "If you want to leave—"
"No." Stepping even closer behind her, I shake my head. "This is fine."
Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she just nods before turning to face the stage just in time for the opener to come out, everyone around us screaming and chanting their name.
But I can't focus on anything but the woman in front of me.
As the night goes on, the space that we've put between us becomes less and less and by the time the headlining artist gets into their set, I've lost my mind and I don't really care to find it.
Music thrums around us as people sing and push closer to the stage, my arm wrapping around Wren's waist, the smooth skin of her stomach along my palm making me unable to concentrate on anything else.
Leaning down, my lips brush against the shell of her ear, sending a shiver through her body that I can feel. "Is this okay?"
"Yeah." Her answer is breathy, barely audible, but to me it's like she's screamed it. "It's okay."
Her body relaxes into mine, each dip and curve folding to fit perfectly, driving me out of my mind. When she starts to sway with the music, I groan when her ass brushes against me, my grip growing even tighter. My nose brushes against her temple at the same time that I slip my hand into the front pocket of her jeans, pulling her back into me so there's no room for questions.
"Do you know how good you look, Birdie?" Closing my eyes for a second, I can feel the goosebumps as they travel across her skin beneath my palm. "I'm so tired of pretending you aren't the most infuriatingly stunning person I've ever seen." A whimper falls from her lips just for me to hear, but it travels straight to my groin, making me feel like I've lost all sense of control. "I know this is fake but give me one night— Just a few hours to act like it's not."
Reaching her hand up and cupping the back of my head, I can't help but groan when her nails drag across the skin underneath the few curls at the nape of my neck. "Niall, please."
"Please what?" Dropping my lips from her ear, I let them ghost across the skin of her neck. "Tell me everything, Wren."
"No kissing." She breathes out a rule from our list. "Not on the mouth— And when— When the lights come on it goes back. We go back."
I don't need another second before my lips press against her neck before raking my teeth over the same spot, soothing it with my tongue after.
"God, why do you taste so good?" My words are low, my voice like gravel. "I could do this all night."
Tilting her head to the side, I take advantage and let my lips travel over the smoothe skin and leave hot, open mouthed kisses anywhere and everywhere I can. Pressing my hips forward, I can't help but let out a low moan when her ass presses into me just right.
"If we weren't in a room full of people— Fuck, the things I would do given the chance." Taking her earlobe between my teeth, I tug. "There's not enough time."
"What— What would you do?" Turning just enough that I can see the look in her eyes, Wren bites that bottom lip that haunts my dreams.
Taking a chance, I let my fingertips on her stomach dip just below the waistband of her jeans. "I'd start here, giving you my fingers until you were dripping for me. Does that sound like a good start?"
Her gasp of an exhale sends electricity shooting through my body.
"And then?" Leaning her head back on my chest, those long lashes flutter against the top of her cheeks as her eyes close, like she's thinking about it just as much as I am. "Or would that be it? Would that be enough?"
"With you? With you there's never enough." I lick a path down her neck, pressing my lips to the warm skin before taking my hand out of my pocket and sliding it under her shirt, the tip of my finger tracing the lace of her bra. "You'd feel me here, too."
Another whimper. "I want to feel you everywhere, Niall. Please."
Resting my forehead against the back of her head, I take in the sweet smell of her hair, letting myself get lost in the way her body moves with mine along with the blazing need to feel her everywhere.
"Fuck, Wren." Barely shaking my head, I drop my hand from under her shirt and back into her front pocket. "You drive me crazy. So fucking crazy."
"I need you."
Those words from her are the last thing I hear before the music fades out and the lights barely come back on, the signal that we agreed on that breaks us out of our spell.
They say that time flies when you're having fun but those people have clearly never had the girl of their dreams against them in a dark room.
Right now, I contemplate if I could get away with smashing every light within a two block radius just so that I can give her what she wants— What she needs.
"I'm— I'm sorry." Wren turns around, her eyes finding mine as she wraps her arms around her stomach. "I wasn't really thinking and—"
I shake my head, reaching up to cup her jaw as people move around us to get out of the venue. "Don't. Don't do that, okay? What happened here? It stays here. Do you hear me?"
With a quick nod, Wren barely gives me a smile before she darts away from me, leaving me in the middle of the room thinking about anything and everything to make the feeling of desire go away.
Turning over my shoulder, I watch as she finds her friends, her own gaze finding mine before they disappear into the crowd.
Even from here I could see the emotion in those brown eyes.
The fear.
The want.
I know because the same emotions course through my body too.
Closing my eyes, I give myself another ten seconds before turning on my heel, searching for my own friends and reminding myself that no matter what just happened... Only one thing remains the same, only one thing remains true.
The thought keeps circling around and around in my mind, over and over and over.
Walking out of this restaurant with my fingers laced through Wren's— It's obvious. Getting to know her has made it impossible not to want to get even closer and closer.
Knowing that her lips felt like against mine?
That felt like the epitome of coming home... No matter how fake it was supposed to be.
I didn't have to come to this dinner with her family.
When she told me about it and said that I didn't need to meet her or go with her, the sour feeling in my stomach seemed to follow me all day long. So instead of going home after my last meeting, I found myself driving to the restaurant she told me about.
Walking in the doors and just seeing how close her ex was to her— The way his hand slipped across her leg under the table had a whole new feeling bubbling inside of my chest.
It wasn't jealousy, but anger.
For him to think that not only could he even sit in her presence, but to touch her? To put his hands on the woman he should have treasured?
Yeah, I don't fucking think so.
Without a second thought, I walked up to the woman who wasn't really mine and put my lips exactly where I wanted them to be.
Ever since that event, ever since I kissed Wren for the first time, it felt like all I wanted to do was kiss her again and again.
But I wouldn't do that.
It was against the rules.
"Thanks for coming." Turning to face me once we reach her car, those pretty chocolate eyes find mine. "You didn't have to do that."
"It's no problem." I shrug. "That's what I'm here for, right?"
Biting her bottom lip, the one I want to take between my teeth, her eyes search mine for just a moment. "Yeah, yeah. You're right."
We stand there facing each other for just a second before Wren reaches into her bag, the movement making the light reflect over the chain on her neck.
"You're wearing it?" I take the small pendant between my fingers without thinking, my eyes going from the stone to her lips, making a path until they meet her eyes. "I figured you'd let it sit in that box you tried to leave at my house."
Her laughter is melodic, her smile a perfect picture.
"Well, I figured if we really want to sell this thing then maybe I wouldn't let it get all dusty." Mischief dances behind her eyes. "Thank you, by the way, for coming here tonight."
Dropping the pendant, I put my hands in my pockets before I do something stupid like hold her when I shouldn't. "Yeah, well.... Just helping sell our story."
"Right." Clutching her keys in her hand, dark waves fall across her face. "I should get home."
Stepping back, I resist the urge to try and figure out how to spend more time with her.
How to prolong every second.
Being around Wren is like getting to feel the warmth of the sunshine after a twenty year dark night— an indescribable feeling.
The more I know her and see her the more I want everything with her.
As I watch her get behind the wheel the words circle back to me once again.
I am so fucked.
________
"Fuck."
Running my hand through my hair, I watch the golf ball as it sinks into the bottom of the oversized pond.
I came out here after the storm finally subsided, the course deserted and perfect for me to play a round by myself to try and get my thoughts straightened out.
There's no way that I can continue to think about Wren the way that I have been.
That'll just lead to heartbreak.
Golf had always been the one thing that felt like it was mine.
The golf course was a place where everything else just seemed to fade away and all of my problems didn't exist anymore. My entire career I got to do the one and only thing that made sense, the one thing that made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Right now though— I hate golf.
Because golf brought the one person I shouldn't be thinking about into my life.
My swing was fucked up.
My concentration was gone.
My patience was thin.
Dark clouds still covered the sky as if they could still drop rain at any moment, a true tell that I really shouldn't be out here holding metal in my hand.
Deciding to give it one more shot, I reach into my bag for another golf ball, rolling it between my fingers before placing it down on the tee and getting myself squared up.
Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I push every thought out and follow through with my swing and watch the ball as it soars through the sky—
Right into the fucking bushes.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." I grumble, all but jamming my club back into the bag. "This is fucking stupid."
Getting behind the wheel of the golf cart, the frown on my face draws down the closer I get to the thick shrubs, the logo of the Callaway golf ball barely peeking out from between the leaves.
I grab the iron out of my bag and make my way closer to the green leaves, ignoring the sound my shoes make in the mud.
Just as I get right where I need to be, only then do I hear it.
A line forms between my brows as I tilt my head to the side, making sure that I'm not imagining anything. Between a growl and a whimper, the sound is almost too quiet to hear.
"What in the hell?" Trying to look through thick branches I can't see anything but when the sound gets louder, I crouch down and see it.
Backed against the roots, a muddy ball of fur looks back at me as little white teeth show when another pitiful growl meets my ears.
Dropping to my hands and knees and ignoring the mud, I click my tongue against my teeth hoping to draw them out towards me. Instead though, all I get is a quick snap of those little teeth that turns into a whimper when tiny paws press further into the ground.
"Come on, I won't hurt you." I coo.
We stay like that for a couple of minutes before I sit back on my heels, digging into my pocket and pulling out my phone.
Before I even register what I'm doing, I hear Wren on the other line. "Niall?"
"Hey— Are you still here?" Nervous, I crouch back down to look under the bush. "At work?"
"Yeah?" Drawing out the answer, she sounds confused. "Why?"
"Can you grab a cart and meet me on the nine?" My eyes don't leave the small animal. "I need some help."
Movement comes through the other end. "Okay, yeah— I'm on my way."
"I'm around the bend to the left of the sand next to the big bushes." Another whimper fills my ears. "I'll see you when you get here."
"See you in a few minutes." Wren disconnects the call leaving me to wait.
Blowing out a steady breath, I lay down on the ground, getting mud and god knows what else all over my clothes. "It's gonna be okay, you hear me?"
This time, it's a small bark that meets my ears, making me smile just a little.
"Are you going to come out here? Let me get you?" I try, using the softest voice I have. "We can get you inside and all cleaned up.
Like a lunatic, I keep talking until I hear the crunch of tires, looking behind me to see Wren as she gets out of the golf cart and makes her way towards me.
God, she's fucking beautiful.
"What's going on?" Hands firmly placed on her hips, she looks up at me with worried eyes. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Shaking my head, I ignore the feeling in my chest over the thought that she would be worried about me. "No, um, it's not me."
"Niall— Talk to me—"
"There's a dog stuck under the bush and it won't come to me." Wiping the back of my hand across my forehead, I feel the mud as it leaves a steak there. "I think it's hurt."
Those dark eyes soften as she steps closer to me, crouching down to peer between the leaves.
"Hey there, little cutie." Soft and sweet, her voice sounds like warm honey. "Are you feeling bad? Want to come to me?" Reaching out her hand, Wren rubs the tips of her fingers together and clicks her tongue a couple of times. "We can even get you some snacks— There you go, that's it."
A rustle deep in the bush makes my breath catch as I stand right behind her, ready to protect her. Little by little, whimper by whimper, the body of the dog comes into view as it crawls out from under the bush and through the mud.
"You're so good, so good." Scratching behind its ears, big dark eyes look up at the two of us at the same time it sits back and holds one front paw off the ground, just barely. "Let's get you out of here."
"Come here, baby." Before she can do anything, I bend down and scoop up the shaggy dog and hold him close. "I'm gonna make sure you're okay.
Wren stands up and looks at the two of us, a small smile on her face. "This was not on my bingo card for today, that's for sure."
"Me neither." I smile, the dog in my arms pressing further into my chest and getting even more mud all over me before turning and giving me its belly. "That's a good boy. Let me see that paw."
Gently taking it between my fingers, I wince at the same time he whimpers when the swollen pad of his paw comes into my view.
"It looks like there's a thorn deep in his paw." I say, looking over to Wren as she tries and fails to wipe the mud off her jeans. "Sorry about those— I'll replace them."
"They're just jeans, Niall." Stepping close to me, the scent of her perfume engulfs me. "Can you see the thorn?"
Holding my new little guy closer, I shake my head. "I can but I don't want to hurt him by getting it out."
"I know there's a vet close by." Looking up at me, she gives me a soft smile. "My friend uses them for her cats and says that they are always nice."
I nod, walking back to the golf cart. "I'll call them. Will you come with us?"
My breath lodges in my throat, nervous about the idea of asking her to come with me, ignoring the way I want her to come with me.
With us.
__________
"Hey, it's gonna be fine."
Wren nudges my thigh with hers as we sit in the waiting room. Snuggled into my arms, the mass of fur looks up at me with soft brown eyes, ones that have already got me wrapped around their finger.
"I'm just nervous—"
"Horan?
My head snaps up to meet the woman in the doorway, her blonde hair pulled back in a long ponytail. "Hi, yeah. Here."
"Come on back with me." A wide smile spreads across her face as she holds the door open for us. "I see you've got yourself a little one here."
"Yeah, um, I found him on the golf course. I can see a thorn in his paw but I didn't want to make it worse." I say, following her into the room.
"You can set them up here on the table." Her eyes don't leave mine. "We'll take a good look."
As soon as my hands leave his body, he turns and whines and moves closer to the edge of the table as if in the last thirty minutes he can't be away from me.
"Hey, it's okay— I'm right here." Cradling his sweet face, I look over to Wren. "I guess this makes him my dog now, doesn't it?"
"I think he was your dog from the moment he came out of those bushes." She smiles. "He's so cute."
My eyes stay on hers for just a moment before I lean over the short space, pressing my lips to her temple, ignoring the small gasp that she takes. "Thank you, Birdie."
Turning back I focus on the vet as she looks over my guy and when we get him to roll over, I laugh when his tail works back and forth a million miles an hour as I scratch his belly.
The distraction is all he needs as she pulls out the nasty, mean thorn. "Okay, I got that. Wasn't so bad was it?"
"No, it wasn't." I answer only a second after I realize she was talking to the dog and not me. "Sorry."
"No, you're fine. I'm going to go ahead and give him a round of shots and get him all caught up there since he looks like he's a little over nine or ten weeks old." With her back to us, she rummages around in a drawer before turning around, the needle in her hand. "This will just feel like a little pinch to him."
Nodding, my fingers rub the top of his head. "You're such a good boy."
He yelps at the shot for just a second before that tail starts wagging back and forth.
"Perfect." Tossing things into the bin, the vet eyes me closely. "With those he's up to date on everything and just keep an eye on his paw. I'll send you with some ointment to put on that spot and a wrap just in case you need it."
"Thank you very much for your help." Scooping him off the table, I reach for Wren's hand. "If we need anything we will definitely be back. I think we're about to go give this guy a good bath."
Laughing, the vet leads us out into the lobby and passes us off to the receptionist who takes my card when I hand it over without question.
"He did so good." Wren whispers to me, her hand winding around my waist as she leans into me. "You both did."
"Thanks." I smile at her. "Thanks to you for being there."
"I'll always be there." Her statement digs deep into my chest, burrowing a home there. "Come on, let's get our little guy home."
Our.
"There you guys go! You're all set!" The receptionist slides my receipt across the counter. "Have you thought of a name?"
I look down at the wide eyed dog in my arms and over to Wren, who smiles at me like I've hung the moon, all the way down to my shirt.
With a smile, I look at the logo across my chest and then back at my new furry friend.
I might not know much in life, but I know that good things happen when they least expect it.
What I thought was the love of my life has brought me not one, but two perfect beings.
So I smile when I scratch under my dog's chin, knowing exactly what his name is.
Harper wraps her arms around me in a crushing hug outside of the venue as people walk past us to retrieve their own card or wait for the valet to bring them.
“Yes! I’m glad we met.” I say, my words getting lost in her thick, blonde waves. “Thanks for not making this a miserable experience.”
Her laugh is bright as her husband, Oliver, steps up and laces his fingers with hers and kisses her temple. “Are you ready to go?”
“You have my number, Wren!” She smiles. “I’ll text you and we can set up a time to grab lunch or dinner! Maybe even a movie?”
Nodding, a smile that matches her spreads across my lips. “That sounds perfect.”
With one last quick hug, the two of them disappear just in time for fire to lick across my skin when I feel the warm skin of Niall’s palm agaisnt my lower back.
“Are you ready, Birdie?”
Turning, I swallow down my nerves when his crystal blue eyes meet mine. “Yeah, sure.”
“Let’s get home, shall we?” Extending his arm, he gives me a carefree smile when I loop mine with his before heading through the parking lot. “Thank you for coming with me, by the way.”
“Of course.” Keeping my eyes down, I focus on my steps. “That’s what fake girlfriends do.”
His silence next to me lasts the entire way to the car until he makes sure to open my door and buckle himself into the driver's seat.
Letting out a long breath, my eyes close as my head tips back against the headrest.
What a night.
It feels like around every turn there was something unexpected.
The pendant.
The friends.
The kiss.
God, that fucking kiss.
When Niall walked over to me there was not even an idea in my mind that he would do that with me.
His lips were so soft and confident as they pressed against mine, claiming me in front of everyone he knew as if it was just second nature for him to touch me and make me feel like the only other person in the room.
There was not a chance that I could hold back when it came to returning the favor.
When it came to kissing him back.
I knew that it was all for show but that didn’t mean that I couldn’t let myself pretend for just a moment that it was real.
For the rest of the night my body was buzzing with electricity every single time that Niall came near me. While his friends welcomed me as one of their own with open arms, those blue eyes never let me stay too far away and his hands found my burning skin almost any chance that they could.
Even now, sitting in the car, my lips can still feel the gentle pressure of his own and it’s like the taste of fresh mint still dancing at the front of my mind.
“Are you alright?” Niall’s voice is low as he glances at me. “I didn’t push you, did I?”
“No, no— Everything is fine.” Rolling my head to look at him, I take the moment to study his profile. “I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”
Silent for only a moment, he nods. “How long of a drive is it from my house to yours?”
“It’s about twenty five to thirty minutes. Not too bad.” I say.
“You can stay in one of the guest rooms so that you don’t have to drive.” The words are so simple yet send nerves racing through my veins. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Shaking my head, my hand comes up to my chest as my fingers toy with the pendant that rests along my collarbone. “Don’t worry about me— I’ll be fine.”
“That’s the thing, Wren. I’ll worry no matter what.” Pulling out of the traffic and driving along, I notice the way he grips the steering wheel with precision. “Please, just stay. Just this once.”
Silence settles between us as I go to war with my own thoughts, ultimately losing the battle and agreeing to stay in one of the guest rooms if only to give Niall a peace of mine.
Only once we find ourselves back at his place do we realize how much the decision was made without much of a second thought.
“These should fit you.” Niall says, handing my a pair of sweatpants along with not only a short sleeved shirt but a sweater as well. “I guess I didn’t think about you not having anything to change into.”
“Thank you.” Giving him a tight smile, I ignore the feeling of his fingertips brushing agaisnt mine and trying to forget the way they felt across my bare skin all evening. “I promise I’ll give them back—“
“Don’t worry about it.” Running his hand through his hair, his timid smile matched mine. “There should be a basket of toiletries stocked in the bathroom and some fresh towels. If you need anything, my room is down the hall.”
“I should be fine.” Taking a step back, the loss of his radiating warmth almost seems like too much. “Again, thank you.”
We stand there in silence, both of us on opposite sides of an invisible line between the doorframe, blue eyes and brown eyes searching each other for something that we aren’t even sure of.
Unable to last under his stare, I finally give him a small wave and close the door, leaning my back against the cool surface and let out a long breath.
Spending the night at Niall Horan’s house is just the icing on the cake of things that I wasn’t expecting.
I can't stop thinking about it as I take a scalding hot shower and change into the clothes he gave me.
I can't stop thinking about it as I toss and turn.
And I really, really can’t stop thinking about it when I finally fall asleep— the comforting smell of cedarwood and bergamot filling my senses.
I realize that maybe I’m just destined to think about the one person I shouldn't.
My fake boyfriend, Niall Horan.
________
It’s early.
So fucking early.
Looking up and down the hallway, there’s barely even a hint of light coming from anywhere, a good sign as I tiptoe barefoot across the hardwood floor. Only stopping long enough to place the velvet jewelry box with the pendant tucked inside where he would be able to find it.
My eyes scan across the empty space as I let out a shallow breath.
Last night was more than I could have imagined and it felt nice to pretend to be important. To matter.
I catch sight of the security system next to the massive front door and thank the person who made the first pickle that it’s not set, giving the me the perfect opportunity to—
“Sneaking out on me?”
Screaming and tossing all of my stuff in the air, I turn in my heels to see Niall as he stands with his arms crossed, dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a Callaway golf sweatshirt.
God, why does he have to look so damn good?
From the slightly disheveled hair to the smirk on his lips.
Every inch of him is glorious.
It’s fucking disgusting.
“I—I—“ Bending down to grab my things makes it easier because he can’t see my face. “No?”
A small laugh bursts from his lips as he comes closer, bending down just in time to grab the straps of my shoes and letting them dangle from his finger. “Lying doesn’t seem to be your strong suit, is it?”
“I thought I’d just be able to sneak out without bothering you, especially after last night—“
“Hey, look at me.” Thick and raspy, his voice sounds like there’s still some sleep mixed in giving it a gravely tone. “There was nothing bothersome about last night.”
With a nod, I swallow thickly as the two of us stand up. “Okay, yeah. Anyways— Thanks, for everything. I put the necklace on that table in case you need to return it for some reason.”
Even in the dim light of the open space, Niall’s eyes shine with words that I don’t understand for just a moment before he grabs all of the stuff from my hands before placing it back on the floor. He doesn’t even answer me as he crosses the space to grab the smooth box, making it back to me in no time at all.
“Turn around and lift up your hair, Wren.” There’s a sharp edge to his voice, one that makes me spin around on the spot and follow his instructions. “This is for you. Do you understand me?”
He’s so close to me that I can feel his warm breath in the back of my neck, goosebumps dancing across my skin in every direction. Delicately Niall places the chain around my throat, the diamond resting right in the hollow of my collarbone, settling there like that’s where it belongs.
“There.” His thumbs travel down the nape of my neck as we stand there closer than we should. “Now, if you want to leave, be my guest.”
“I don’t want to impose.” My teeth press into my bottom lip as I look over my shoulder, the soft rays of morning light just starting to fill the open room. “I’ll wash your clothes and bring them back to you.”
Standing in the same place, Niall shakes his head. “You won’t— You aren’t.”
The only thing I can do is nod, reaching down to the floor and scooping up my stuff again and stepping towards the front door, trying my best to ignore the heat that’s spreading across my cheeks. Wrapping my hand around the cool metal and pulling the door open, the cool air hits me and reminds me that fall and winter are right around the corner.
“Thank you for everything.” A small smile pulls at my lips when I look back, noticing that Niall is still standing in the same spot as his fingers mess with the seam of his sweats even though his eyes are trained to me. “I’ll see you at work—“
“Stay for breakfast, Birdie.” Rushing the words out, he takes a step forward, eyes searching mine. “Just stay. For a little bit.”
Running through the options in my head, I decide to make the decision based on the look on his face, one that seems to have so much that’s being left unsaid.
So I do.
I stay— Probably longer than I should.
So much so that when I finally got home later that day with a written out list of things we have to do in the next couple of weeks, I didn't even realize that I left my stuff at his house.
My heels sit in the closet along with my dress.
Yet I still have on his sweats and old shirt, ones that smell just like him.
Warm and comforting.
And when my hand reaches up, I feel it.
The golden chain around my neck.
The diamond.
Niall.
_________
I knew that I should have said no.
This dinner with my parents, Piper, and Lucas?
The worst possible way to spend my evening.
Sitting at the table and looking at my parents as they dote over Piper and the pictures from her most recent ultrasound, I feel more like an outsider than I ever have in my entire life.
Lucas sits next to me, a little closer than he should, making me wish that I had just said no when they asked me to come to dinner.
Wishing when Niall asked before I left work if I wanted him to come that I had said yes.
Instead, now I’m sitting here counting down the seconds until I get to go home.
“So, Wren, how’s work?” Smiling at me, my mom asks me what feels like the first question since I sat down.
Looking up from my plate that’s mostly still full of food. “It’s going pretty well, actually. There’s an event coming up that I’ve put a lot of work into and—“
“Lucas and I wanted to tell you guys first.” Piper’s eyes find mine for just a second before she smiles. “We’re having a girl!”
Gasps travel across the table before my words die on my tongue, watching as everyone turns to her and gushes over the news.
Lucas leans towards me at the same time his hand finds my thigh under the table. “Don’t worry. If you need someone to talk to, you know where—”
“Sorry, sorry! I’m running a little late.”
Pulling away from his lingering gaze, I turn around in my chair to watch as Niall stands behind me, running his hand through his hair as those expressive blue eyes lock onto the person sitting next to me and zeroing in on his hand.
The first real smile since I've gotten here pulls at the corner of my lips as he steps up to me, bending at the waist and cupping my jaw bending down and pressing his lips to mine like he’s done it a million times before.
All of the thoughts that swim through my mind halt at the same time that Niall lets his thumb brush along the apple of my cheek, only the sound of a soft hum from deep in his throat vibrating my lips.
“What are you doing here?” Leaning back just enough to meet his eyes, there’s no hiding my surprise.
The brush of his thumb feels grounding as he keeps moving it back and forth. “Meeting my girlfriend for dinner.” I don’t miss the way he says the word girlfriend, the emphasis bringing out his accent as his eyes slide over towards Lucas. “You don’t mind, do you? If I sit here?”
“What— I—“ Lucas stumbles over his words in the time it takes for Niall to grab a chair from the empty table behind us, pushing my chair over just enough to slide it between the two of us.
“Perfect.” Giving everyone a bright smile, Niall turns towards me and pressing his lips to my jaw. “How is everyone? Wren, did you tell them about the project you’ve been working on?”
Piper crossed her arms with a scoff and an eye roll. “I was just telling everyone about how we are expecting a girl.”
“Congratulations!” Wrapping his arm around the back of my chair, I can’t help the goosebumps from covering my skin when the pads of his fingers slip under my hair and grace the gold chain at the nape of my neck. “Hopefully she’s as smart and determined as her aunt is, not to mention beautiful.”
Heat spreads across my cheeks as I watch my sister smile, no doubt annoyed that someone would mention me during something that is meant to be focused on her.
“Well, one could only hope.” She says, disdain clear in her tone.
Niall looks at me before turning back to her. “I think you would consider yourself lucky to have someone even a fraction of who she is.”
The smile doesn’t leave his face as he pulls me a little closer, almost as if he wants to keep me by his side.
My fingers drum across the bar top as I look at the woman standing next to me.
Her blonde hair is done in long waves down her back, a perfect red color painted across her full lips as she smiles at me, waiting for me to answer.
She’s gorgeous, truly.
“I am.” Lifting my Guinness to my lips, I revel in the taste of the dark beer as it dances across my taste buds. “I’m sorry though, I may be alone— But I have someone waiting for me back home.”
Sure, Wren and I aren’t in an actual relationship, but I was committed to the act.
I left town a week ago on a work trip, one that had me all the way in London. Just because there were miles and miles away from me and the list of rules I signed, I wasn’t about to disappoint her.
“Well that’s too bad.” Giving me one last smile, the woman turns on her heels and disappears into the crowd.
A little over a week and a half ago I sat across the table on a date with one of the most enigmatic people I had ever met.
Wren wasn’t an open book like I was, she was more like a poem written in a language so grand that I needed a masters degree to be able to even begin to understand.
It was beautiful, much like she was.
Of course it was awkward, sitting at a table trying to get to know someone who you’ve already supposedly been with before. If it was going to work between us, we would both have to put our best foot forward.
Give acting a solid try.
What Inrealized at the end of the night was how much I liked being around her. Really that wasn’t a surprise to me though. Just from the interactions we had before I found her in that closet led me to believe she was polite and kind.
But now I knew more about her and saw a glimpse into the person she was— the small details that I was trying like hell to remember.
The way we lip barely lifted at the side when she was trying not to laugh.
The way she asked for extra oreos in her ice cream.
The way she hugs her arms to herself when she’s unsure of something.
Each small thing I picked up that night went on a list of things I needed to remember to make this work for her— It had to work for her.
Buzzing on the counter next to me, my phone lights up with a reminder to check in for my flight in the morning, the one that would take me back home to the house I worked so hard for years to be able to live in.
The house that had room after room on a sprawling property with gardens and walkways, everything I'd always wanted.
A house that would be only one thing when I got home.
Empty.
________
The only sounds heard throughout the house are the wheels of my suitcase across the hardwood floors as I walk past the floor to ceiling windows that look out over the immaculate property that I get to call mine.
From the heated pool and built-in jacuzzi to the covered part of the patio with a grill and soft, oversized outdoor seating— it was everything that I could have ever dreamed of. When I retired and bought Willow Lakes, this house fell into my lap and I had my realtor put in an offer the moment I stepped inside the front door.
Stepping into my bedroom and lifting up my suitcase onto the bench at the end of my bed, I do what I always do and unpack everything before rolling the suitcase into the back of my closet before carrying the heaping pile of laundry down the hall.
Once everything is loaded in and started, I do what I always do when I get home from a work trip…
I work some more.
Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator that has a couple bottles of beer and maybe a stick of butter, the home office that looks out over the pool calls my name.
Working kept me busy and it distracted me from the fact that my life only felt like it existed when I was around the golf course or doing something that related to it. I was proud of myself and had been for quite some time— but at the end of the day, that’s all there was.
My achievements and me.
There wasn’t anyone that I was sharing it with or even children to pass it on too.
I’d never thought I would be where I am, much less as alone as I feel the majority of the time. Yeah, there were friends and people I spent my time with but those people weren’t here when I came home.
Those people weren’t there when the lights went out at the end of the day.
A reminder pops up at the bottom of my screen, one that has the date and time along with an address not far from here, a black tie event held every year to raise money for Make-A-Wish.
Reaching for my phone, I pull up the contact that shows my last text as read— but with no answer back to me.
Typical.
Niall
How do you feel about another date this weekend?
Unlike the last message, her reply comes almost instantly.
Wren
Instead of telling you how I feel about it, I’ll just go ahead and agree to it.
Niall
I can sense your excitement all the way from here.
Niall
I’ll send you the details, Birdie.
Wren
You can just call me Wren, Niall.
Niall
It’s a black tie event so I’ll leave you my card so that you can get yourself something to wear that you like.
Wren
I don’t need your money.
Niall
I never said you did.
Niall
See you soon, Birdie.
With that, I turn my phone on do not disturb and get back to my emails.
Doing my best not to think of what she might pick out to wear.
Or how pretty I know she’ll be no matter what she chooses.
__________
Saturday.
A day where I could be doing anything without feeling buried in my work, but not today.
Today Wren and I would walk through the french doors of River Links Golf Club in front of people I considered my friends, doing our best to sell the very relationship we were faking.
It was all fake— So why did I feel nervous as my fingers worked over the buttons of my shirt before slipping the black fabric under my collar and tying the knot at the base of my throat?
The watch on my wrist tells me that it’s almost time for her to be here. No matter how many times I saw her around the clubhouse over the last week and told her that I would pick her up… She insisted that she just meet me here.
That we could just ‘ride together’.
Stubborn.
You could use that word to describe her for sure.
One final look in the mirror as I pull the black jacket over my shoulders, the sound of Wren’s arrival chord through the house and with one last breath, I know that I’ve prepared as best that I can for tonight.
Only when I open the front door and see the way the last bit of the setting sun catches her chestnut colored hair do I realize that maybe I’m not prepared at all.
Not one bit.
“Niall.” Wren gives me a single nod as her lips press into a thin line.
My eyes can’t help but take her in, the black fabric of her dress calling to me like a siren drawing a ship to a rocky shore.
Without even thinking, I run my hand through my hair as I swallow the lump in my throat. “Wren, hi. You look— You look stunning.”
Flattening her hands across the tulle that creates a tiered effect, heat blooms across her cheeks at the same time she looks down to the heels in her feet. “Thank you, um… You look nice as well.”
When those dark eyes finally meet mine again, I have to count backwards from ten to try and get a grip on my own composure.
Thin straps rest over her shoulders and down to the front of her dress, the deep cut of the front exposing the delicate bone along her collar as well as smooth skin accompanied by a few freckles.
I don’t know what kind of dress that I had expected her to choose, but I know that I’m fucking glad it was this one.
“Come on in.” Stepping to the side, I let her pass me and have to restrain from reaching out to her as she moves past me, giving me a view of her exposed back. “I just need to grab my wallet and my keys and then we can get going.”
“Sure, yeah.” With a half smile, Wren steps to the side as I head over to the kitchen.
My things sit neatly on the corner, accompanied with the velvet box that I almost forgot about. “Oh, I got you something— I almost forgot.” Nerves shoot up my spine as I grip the box in my hand, crossing the space between us. “I figured if we’re doing this, I might as well do it right.”
Handing her the box, the soft pink of her nail polish looks perfect against the black velvet as she flips it open, expressive eyes going wide as she looks at the pendant paid across the flat surface.
“Niall— I can’t accept this.” Shaking her head and shoving the box into my chest, she takes a step back. “That’s like, probably worth more than my entire outfit.”
Taking the gold chain between my fingers and plucking it off of the insert, it glimmers in the light through the floor to ceiling windows as I hold it between us. “Turn around.”
Wren looks at me for a few seconds that feel like years, eventually turning and giving me her back.
As she looks out of the windows that frame the rolling hills and sunset drenched clouds, I undo the clasp and slide the piece into place, letting my fingers travel over the way the gold contrasts with her skin tone like it was made for her all along.
“This is— You didn’t need to do this.” Turning to face me, bottom lip captured between her teeth, her gaze comes from under thick lashes. “I’ll just wear it for tonight.”
“Wren, that’s yours.” Reaching out and picking up the tear shaped diamond, my thumb travels over the top of the faceted cut. “Like I said, I want to do this right. Everyone knows that there wouldn’t be a way in hell that I wouldn’t spoil the woman of dreams.”
A soft laugh falls from her lips. “Only I’m not that.. The woman of your dreams.”
“But you are at least for a little while.” My gaze falls to the diamond before meeting hers again. “Right?”
“Right.” I can almost hear her thoughts as she takes a step back from me, gripping her small clutch in her hands. “For a little while, yeah.”
With a nod, I turn in my heel and listen for the sound of her heels along the hardwood floor as we head out to the grave and climb into the car, the scent of her perfume filling the space almost as much as the silence.
Just for a little while, I remind myself.
Only a little while.
________
“I didn’t even know you were seeing someone.
Turning to my side, I look at Oliver who stands next to me and nurses the drink in his hand. “Yeah, well, you know me— I’ve always been pretty private.”
“Mhm, if that’s the story you’re going with.” He laughs.
Ignoring the words of one of my long-time friends, my eyes find the star of the show standing in the middle of the room, her head thrown back as she laughs at something Oliver’s wife says.
There’s a tug deep in my chest at the sight of her fitting in and laughing with a group of my own friends.
Surely it just has to do with seeing her with people who make her smile.
Surely.
Almost as soon as we got here, I watched as Wren fit in with everyone as they all welcomed her with open arms.
“There is no story.” Giving him a smile, the rest of my drink goes down smoothly as I shrug my shoulders. “Wren and I are together. We met at the store and then it turns out she ended up working at Willow Lake.”
Words fall from his lips but I don’t hear a thing when Wren looks at me over her shoulder, those full lips pulled up on one side. “She looks at you like I look at Harper.”
“Like you have something between your teeth?” I joke.
“You’re such an ass, Horan.” His own laugh mixes with mine as she turns back around and jumps into the conversation with Harper and a couple of other people. “She looks at you like you’re the only other person in the room besides her.”
I remind myself that she’s just acting— Something I should be doing. So as Oliver starts to make his way towards his wife, my feet follow along.
The skin along the open back of her dress is soft beneath my fingertips, eliciting a gasp that only I can hear just before they slip just under the edge of the black fabric, my thumb swiping back and forth across the smooth surface.
“Niall.” Turning to me, her beautiful features shine under the low lights just as goosebumps fly across her skin under the burning tips of my fingers. “Hi.”
I swallow thickly, caught off guard by the sweet smell of her perfume and the depth of her chocolate eyes. “Hello, darling.”
And as if that wasn’t enough, I lean forward and don’t think twice before my lips press to hers.
Delicate fingers instantly cup my jaw as she presses her lips to mine, everyone else within a hundred mile radius disappearing at the same time that my tongue finds her bottom lip for only a second before she opens to me.
She tastes sweet like champagne and strawberries.
My new favorite.
A small cough draws us apart and I can feel the heat in my own cheeks as she reaches up to cover her lips, a dimple carving into her cheek as she tries to hide the smile that delivered it.
That’s the moment that tells me everything I need to know.
Using the spoon in my hand, I scoop up a piece of chocolate cake from the plate that sits between us before eating the bite of decadent dessert.
Niall watches me, his deep blue eyes dropping down to my lips for just a moment. “You’ve got— Right there.”
Heat floods my cheeks as I wipe at the corner of my mouth hoping to get the remnant of chocolate off my face. Only when I look back across the table, he only shakes his head with his perfect lips drawn in a soft smile.
“Here.” Leaning over, my breath catches in my throat when Niall drags his thumb just under my bottom lip, the moment so small yet leaving a trail of fire across my skin. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”
As he sits back in his chair, my eyes follow his movement as he lifts his finger to his mouth, his tongue darting out to taste the sweet treat. A low, satisfied hum falls from the back of his throat for only a moment before reaching for his own spoon from our shared dessert.
“Tastes divine, don’t you think?” Those eyes sparkle under the lights.
Clearing my throat and shaking my head, anything to get myself out of the spell I’ve been put under, I nod. “Yeah, it’s great.”
Niall’s focus goes to the plate in front of us which gives me the chance to take him in. Wearing the short sleeve pink shirt, the gold of the thin chain around his neck glitters against the low lights— just like the two gold hoops through his ears.
When he cuts a piece of the cake off, even the simple movement showcases the ripple of the vein in his forearm under his skin.
Niall Horan really is… Yeah.
I almost didn’t even show up tonight.
The note left in my desk had his messy scrawl on it telling me when and where to meet him. It was right on top of my desk along with the list of rules that I’d printed off for him.
Only now there were doodles and that same messy scrawl scratched along the edges along with a handwritten list of his own rules along the bottom.
As ridiculous as they seemed, not to mention his changes, there was no way I was going to argue with them.
Niall didn’t have to be tied to me for the next few months to trick my family into thinking I was in a happy relationship. We barely even knew each other other than what google told me about him and what he could probably find out from my social media if he even cared to look at it.
My sister had already planned for me to have a plus one in a million different circumstances so the thought of having to tell her that my plans changed made me nauseous.
If anything it would send Jenna into a tailspin.
Then everything would be my fault, just like it always is.
“I figured those changes wouldn’t be so bad.” Raising his eyebrow at me, Niall drags his spoon through the chocolate on the plate. “Besides if we are going to make this believable— we’re going to have to put in actual effort.”
My entire life I’ve hated being wrong and right now is no exception.
“Fine.” Crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair, I level my gaze with his. “We can abide by the amended rules but no other changes.”
“So, girlfriend—“ His smile makes me want to punch him. “Tell me every detail I need to know about you.”
Blue eyes pour into mine as I squirm in my seat, hating the attention. “There’s nothing to know really.”
“I think you’re wrong.” He smiles. “I think there are endless things you could tell me about yourself and I wouldn’t get tired of learning.”
Rolling my eyes, I look down at my glass of water. “You’re just saying that because you have to say that.”
“Wren, look at me.”
The low timbre of his voice draws my eyes back to his, a softness I’ve never seen there, just for me.
“I promise you when I say that just because we decided to do this as a team— It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to know you.” Niall runs his hand through his dark hair. “You haven’t told me the whole story of your life and your family, and that’s okay. But I want to be here for you, I want to know you.”
Sincerity drips off his words like a sweet honey in the summer, something that feels so foreign to me.
It feels like a lifetime I’ve spent as the black sheep and the loner, the person who doesn’t mind being on the sidelines.
Watching people step around me like I was invisible felt fine until it had me crying in the closet at work.
I was still fine.
I was still strong.
But as I open up a little bit and start talking to Niall, the way he looks at me like his favorite book of poetry stirs up an emotion I can’t nail down, one I’ve never felt before.
So for what feels like the first time in a long time, I decided that letting someone in might not be all bad.
It might just be my favorite thing yet.
_________
“You did so good!”
Wiping the sweat from across my forehead, I look at Marcy like she has two extra heads and at least twelve arms.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” My breath is still ragged from the kickboxing class she managed to talk me into. “I need a breathing treatment and a dozen margaritas.”
Stretching her arms above her head, she looks perfectly poised. “I can get down with the margaritas for sure.”
Marcy was my best friend.
Really, my only friend.
My circle was small and I was okay with that.
We met in college and have been nearly inseparable ever since.
While I got my degree in marketing, she got hers in teaching. The two of us couldn’t be any more different but at the same time that’s why our friendship works the way it does.
We just click.
“Or ice cream. I could go for some ice cream.” With my hands on my hips, I take a deep breath.
Macy points at me. “Sold to the brunette.”
Reaching out, I laugh as I push her hand away before we make our way to the locker room of the gym to grab my stuff.
Bernie’s is only a block away and with the warmer weather hanging one for just a little while longer, we decide to walk and enjoy the breeze over our skin. Once I’ve got my waffle cone stuffed with ice cream and we sit at a bistro table outside, only then does everything seem right in the world.
With everything going on with Jenna and the wedding we haven’t been able to see each other very much.
If at all.
“So how is everything going with the evil sister?” Taking a bite out of her chocolate ice cream, her eyes meet mine. “Have you told her to go tuck herself yet?”
I can’t help the laugh that falls from my lips as I shake my head. “No, but I wish.”
“Seriously like, not only are you dealing with her but Lucas too? He’s even worse if that was possible.” She mutters.
“I don’t know.” Pushing a chunk of cookie dough around on the end of my spoon, I blow out a breath. “Now that I see him for what he’s worth, it feels like him and Jenna make the perfect couple.”
“You should take me as a date to the wedding.” Pointing her spoon towards herself, Macy smiles. “I’ll get wasted and throw up in her dress for you.”
Looking down into my bowl, I can’t help but bite in the inside of my lip. “Actually, I kind of have a date.”
“What?” Sitting up and putting her ice cream down, Macy stares at me. “Wren… What are you not telling me?”
“So maybe my boss found me crying in a closet and somehow saved me from utter humiliation and we are sort of fake dating until everything is over.” Putting my cup next to hers, I bury my face in my hands. “It’s literally a whole fucking thing. With rules, Mace! Rules!”
“Oh my god.” Peeking through my fingers, her face is one of total shock. “Are you talking about like, Rory? The guy who runs everything?”
“No.” I groan. “It’s not.”
“If it’s not him then— Holy fucking shit, Wren.” Realization dawns on her. “Niall Horan? The Niall Horan?! You’ve got to be shitting me!”
“That’s the one.” I squeak.
She squeals as she reaches across the table and playfully shoves my shoulder. “You’ve been holding out on me with this?! Wren, he’s like— Have you seen him?”
“I have, a few times.” Laughing, I finish off my ice cream. “It’s not a big deal. Everything is strictly for the wedding stuff and I have to go to a few work events with him. No feelings, no attachments.”
“Oh this is going to be so good.” Crossing her arms a sly smile pulls at the corner of her lips.
A crease cuts between my brows as I stack our trash together. “What?”
“Nothing.” Macy stands up with me as we walk to the trash and then start our trek back to our cars. “I’m just writing my speech in my head for when I have to speak at your wedding.”
“Stop!” I laugh. “It’s not like that. Yeah, Niall is— He’s— Okay, he’s attractive and incredibly nice… But it’s not going to go anywhere. It can’t.”
Rolling her eyes, she bumps my shoulder. “May I ask why?”
“I don’t know— It just can’t. He’s just helping me out and trust me, he wouldn’t ever actually be into me.” I kick a pebble along the sidewalk. “Niall is a whole famous golfer who owns the place where I work— Not just like he’s another coworker. Besides, who would actually want to try and date the same girl who spilled an entire jar of pickles on them?”
Reaching into her bag and unlocking her car, Macy stands behind the open driver's side as she looks at me. “Wren, literally anyone would be crazy to not fall for you. I know that you feel like it’s not possible that someone would find you perfect— But you are wrong and I’ll be here to tell you ‘I told you so’ as many times as you want when you realize that.”
“Stop being nice.” I say, opening my own door. “I’m leaving before you get too nice. Text me when you get home?”
Climbing into her car, she calls out an ‘I love you’. “Yes, mother.”
Driving home, her words bounce around in my head and even after I’ve taken a shower and packed my lunch for work, they are still playing on repeat.
So much so that I pull out my phone and open the text thread with Niall’s name at the top, his last text sitting at the bottom without an answer from me.
Away on a business trip, it took me by surprise when the picture came in yesterday, the pinks and oranges of a sunset along with a sandwich sat on the table in front of him.
A reminder of how he found me not that long ago when I needed an escape.
I focus on the words under the picture, the ones that I’ve tried to figure out a response to at least a million times.
Niall
The sandwich just doesn’t taste the same without someone else here.
Just like every other time I’ve tried, I type out a response only to delete it and back out of the messages.
I tap the paper on top of my desk, looking up at the woman in front of me from under my furrowed brows.
“Yes.” Wren answers simply, crossing her arms over her chest. “Isn’t that how a business agreement works?”
“Being in a fake relationship counts as a business agreement?” A smirk pulls at the corner of my lips as I lean on my elbows. “Go on, enlighten me.
Determination flashes across her whiskey colored eyes. “If I had known you’d be so difficult I wouldn’t have ever said yes to your proposition, Niall.”
“Admit it, Wren Daniels, you need me.” Standing up and walking around my desk, my hip resting against the dark wood once I’m in front of her. “Now tell me about these rules, darling.”
“I know you’re my boss, but don’t be an ass.” She levels me with her gaze. “I’ve got enough of those in my life.”
Her words remind me of the way I found her a few days ago— alone and by herself.
She doesn’t know that I saw her and her sister sitting in the dining room of the clubhouse. Which means that she didn’t know that I saw the emotions in her face as her sister said whatever she had to say to her.
Before they were even done with their conversation I left and made my way towards the deli down the street. It was quick and easy and something that was always good so I put in an order for her and for me.
By the time I got back to the course and saw her climbing into a golf cart there was no hesitation in my mind but to follow her.
We sat there and ate mostly in silence while the sun went down below the horizon.
It was easy to tell that whatever happened with her sister wasn’t easy from the sad look behind her pretty eyes. If anything it made me want to find everyone who had ever done her wrong and talk some sense into them.
“I’m not—“ Running my hand through my hair, I let out a long sigh. “Listen, I’m not an asshole and I want to help you.”
Wren closes her eyes, long lashes fluttering against the apples of her cheeks, taking her own deep breath. “I know, I know. Sorry— This whole thing just freaks me out and it’s a lot, okay? Rules make things easier.”
Nodding, I reach behind me and grab the paper off of my desk and read over the words written out in black and white.
This stays between us.
After the wedding it’s over.
No touching.
No talking about it at work.
No kissing.
NO SEX
No spending the night.
No nicknames.
A small smile tugs on the corners of my lips at her list. “I’ll take them into consideration.”
“Consideration?!” Wren balks. “No, no, no— This is like a must, Niall.”
“You said this was a business arrangement, correct?” Still holding the paper in front of me, I look at her from under my brows and wait for her to nod. “So, since we are working together, it makes sense that I get a say as well, yeah?”
Wren rolls her tongue inside of her cheek, shifting to rest on her left foot and making her hip pop to the side. “Okay, fine.”
“Perfect.” Straightening up and making my way towards the closed door to my office. “I’ll be sure to get back with you in a timely manner.”
“But—“
Pulling open the door and stepping out into the well lit hallway, the natural light warming my back as I turn and walk backwards while looking at the stunning woman in my office.
Standing with her mouth slightly open, I send her an over exaggerated wink.
“It’s nice doing business with you, Wren Daniels.”
With that I turn on my heel and walk away with a little extra pep in my step.
Only when I get down into the lobby do I realize I’ve still got her list of rules in my hand.
Rules I plan to change.
__________
Owning a golf course is amazing.
From details as small as which font rests in the letterhead all the way to the big decisions like which golf tournaments we could host— every single one of them belonged to me.
Right now I’ve been on a call for so long that every word sounds like mumbled nonsense.
Well, at least they do when you’re not paying attention.
Me and my attention?
They’ve been focused on the sheet of paper in front of me for hours.
Wren Daniels thinks that we need an entire list of rules to get through this ‘relationship’ we’ve managed to get ourselves into. To me everything seems pretty black and white, but just looking at the list it’s easy to see that Wren does not agree with that idea.
Thomas Milburn talks about bringing another high dollar tournament to Willow Lakes, something I should be taking notes on.
Instead, golden sunlight streams through the picture window and warms my back as I reach for a felt tipped pen, uncapping it, and pressing it down to the papers in front of me.
As I try to listen and make notes, the black ink bleeds into the pages over the length of our meeting.
“Niall, are you still there?”
Raising my head up as if I’d been caught red handed, I nod. “Yeah, Yeah… I’m here.”
“So what do you think?” Thomas says. “We would be looking at bringing a few sponsors out.”
“That sounds great.” I lie knowing that nothing he said in the last hour has even mattered to me. “You’ll send the details over so we can confirm?”
“Of course. I’ll have Madison send them over and we can go from there.” He answers. “Anything else?”
Everyone else on the call gives out a varied chorus of no, the answers all turning into their own versions of goodbye as they all log off the call one by one.
“Alright, Niall… I’ll send over the details and then if you need anything else you can reach out to me. I think that this will be amazing and I can’t wait to do this with you guys.” I can hear the excitement in his voice as I nod.
“Perfect.” Smiling, I look down to the paper in front of me. “I look forward to it.”
We swiftly end the call and I manage to sit back at my desk.
Multiple pieces of paper are scattered on top of my desk, but only one of them had the freshly inked words all over it.
The random doodles that line the edges of the paper.
The coffee mark in the corner.
The rules.
Wren had written her own list of rules… But I decided to add some of my own.
Not to mention amending a few of her own.
This stays between us? And one friend.
No touching? Okay, unless other people are around.
No talking about it at work? Big line through the middle of it.
No kissing? Unless people are watching.
No sex? I didn’t know that was an option.
No spending the night? If that’s what you want… But I have snacks.
No nicknames? Okay, Birdie.
It brings a smile to my lips as ai look at my messy handwriting next to her perfectly typed list, especially the rules written underneath hers.
The rules that belong to me.
No fighting.
Go out with me twice a week.
Come with me to work events.
At least pretend you like me.
No seeing other people.
Standing up and grabbing the paper, I turn to look out over the rolling hills of the course that’s quickly become like a second home to me.
That’s when I see her standing with another person out on the veranda.
Dark hair blowing in the breeze as she laughs, a real smile on her face that makes her look so incredible stunning it could break even the strongest soldier.
Leaving my place, I leave my office and make my way to hers and leave the paper on her desk with a notecard with a date written on it.
Our first date.
But unlike the other people, I could stay strong.
I wouldn’t fall for Wren Daniels.
________
Waiting is the absolute worst.
I’ve never been patient so I guess it’s nice knowing that hasn’t changed.
However— Not knowing what you might be waiting for makes it even worse.
A week ago I left a note card on Wren’s desk, right next to a cute little disco ball, telling her exactly where to meet me.
If she wanted.
While I made my own rules to add to hers, I wouldn’t force her to go along with them if she didn’t feel like it. From what I’ve learned about her in a short amount of time it seemed like everyone made her feel forced to do everything.
Never taking the time to ask her.
Letting out a deep breath, I think about the situation we’ve put ourselves in.
The last time I was even in a serious relationship it lasted for over three years and ended with us just naturally drifting apart. Neither of us had any remorse or regrets when we broke things off, knowing that it was for the better.
Of course there’s been people I’ve casually been with since then, but nothing on the level that Wren and I were about to portray.
God, could I even fake a relationship?
For her I would have to figure it out.
There was no way that I was going to let her deal with the fallout from her family or the guy who treated her like less than she deserved. Not on my watch.
Taking care of people was just always something that came naturally to me. I would always protect the people close to me and the people that needed someone on their side.
She just happens to find herself in both of those categories now.
“Sorry— I’m late—“
Looking up, I take a deep breath as Wren drops down in the seat across from me. Her long, dark hair is wind blown no doubt from the storm that seems to be rolling in and she does her best to get it back in place.
“It’s fine. Did you make it here alright?” My eyes travel over her. “It hasn’t started storming as it?”
Shaking her head, her shoulder shimmy out of the light jacket to reveal a simple black long sleeved shirt. “No, not yet.”
“I’m glad you could make it.” Giving her a small smile, I try to overlook the weird nerves settling in my belly.
Looking up at me from her menu, her brown eyes are soft under the low lighting. “Well, considering that I barely know anything about you and we’re about to try and convince everyone we know that we’re together— I figured that I should.”
I can’t help but laugh as our waiter comes over to get a drink order from her, his eyes lingering just a little longer than they should before walking away.
“So then, tell me what I need to know about you, Wren Daniels.” Reaching for the glass of whiskey to my side, I bring it to my lips as my eyes stay on hers.
Shifting in her seat, her fingers trace small circles over the cloth covering the table at the same time that she bites her bottom lip. “There’s nothing interesting to know about me, really.”
“I think that’s a lie.” Leaning on the table and letting the whiskey tumbler dangle from my fingertips, I run my tongue along the inside of my cheek. “There’s more to you than you want people to see, but I do. I want to see you— I want to know you.”
“Um, okay.” Her gaze drops to the table, picking at a piece of lint that doesn’t exist. “When I was a teenager, I wrote fanfiction about this band member I was obsessed with.”
Watching her, I see the corners of her lips turn up at her own admission which brings a smile to my face.
Just like that, for whatever reason, we tear down a couple of walls.
Loving the next 2 chapters. Can't wait to see how the story pans out for niall and wren. Sisters a bitch, hopefully she sorts herself out. Looking forward to more 💗
i think i’m looking at a sunday and wednesday schedule update so then you’ll know when to look for it!!
wrens development is one of my favorites and niall is SOOO
i love him lol
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