“I’ve read a little about the trial,” Wren said softly. “It starts tomorrow, right? You must be under a lot of stress. Are you sleeping?”
She shrugged. “Not really.”
“Would you like me to prescribe a sleeping pill?”
“I didn’t do it,” Spencer blurted, then gasped. She hadn’t meant to tell him anything remotely personal.
Wren looked at her. “Of course you didn’t. I never believed that for a second.”
A lump formed in Spencer’s throat. He was the first person, it seemed, who believed she was innocent simply based on her character.
“But they can’t just convict you with what they’ve got, can they?” Wren pressed. “It sounds like there isn’t even enough evidence.”
Spencer picked at her cuticles. “There’s Alison’s blood, and they found a tooth. According to the many lawyers I’ve talked to, that’s enough.”
“You don’t even think she’s dead, do you?”
Spencer looked down. The cops had wrangled out of her why they’d gone to New Jersey. She’d told them they were looking for Ali on a tip, though she certainly hadn’t said anything about breaking into an old woman’s rental. Naturally, it had made the news. Liars Desperately Trying to Raise Ali’s Ghost, the headlines said. They looked even crazier than before.
Wren fiddled with his prescription pad. “So you think there’s no way you’ll get off?”
Only if I come up with $100,000, Spencer thought, remembering Angela. The conversation felt like a million years ago.
When she looked up again, Wren was staring at her so sympathetically, almost like he wanted to hug her. She inched closer to him, desperate for human contact. But then she flinched. What was she going to do, make out with the first guy who was nice to her?
Spencer tightened her jaw. “The bandage on my arm needs to be changed.” She rolled up her sleeve and revealed the old bandage.
Wren glanced at it for a long beat, then sighed. “Look, I hate what I did to you,” he said quietly. “And I hate that you still hate me.”
Every muscle in Spencer’s body tensed. Okay, so Wren had cheated on Melissa with her. And then she’d fallen in love with him, and then he’d cheated on her with Melissa. But it was ancient history. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking it ever crossed her mind.
“It would mean so much to me if I knew you forgave me.” Wren stared at her imploringly. “I’ve felt awful about hurting you, Spencer. I’ve never let myself forget it.”
Spencer knew that if she spoke she’d give something away, so she just shrugged.
“So do you forgive me, then?” Wren’s voice rose.
She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. Her resolve was crumbling. “God. Fine. I forgive you.”
Wren looked circumspect. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Spencer said, then took a breath. “Yes,” she repeated. And she realized—she did. Mostly. There was so much other bullshit to deal with right now, Wren fooling around with both sisters at the same time hardly registered on her Crazy Life Meter.
Spencer thrust out her arm. “Can you bandage this now?”
“Of course, of course,” Wren said quickly.
He rolled the stool back to Spencer and carefully wound a new bandage around her arm. She tried not to stare at his long, graceful fingers, and she was glad he was no longer listening to her galloping heart. Every so often, Wren paused what he was doing to give her a tiny smile.
“All done.” Wren pressed the bandage to stick. “I think that should hold you for a while.”
“Great.” Spencer jumped up and grabbed her bag. “So I can go now?”
“Yes.” Wren’s cheek twitched. “Although . . .”
“I’ll see you,” Spencer said at the same time. Then she looked at him. “Sorry. Go ahead.”
Two pink splotches appeared on Wren’s cheeks. “I-I was just going to say that I have your phone number, and I’ll stay in touch.” He fiddled with his stethoscope. “Maybe you’d like to get coffee sometime?”
Spencer stared at him. On one hand, it was a teensy bit flattering that he was asking her out. On the other, it sort of enraged her. Did he really think she had time for him right now on top of everything else? “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said bluntly.
He blinked. “Oh?”
She shrugged. “Melissa and I are in a good place. Better than we’ve ever been. And no offense, but you coming back into our lives—well, I don’t want to mess that up.”
Wren nodded slowly, his expression turning sad. “Ah. I see. Well, okay then.”
Spencer paused a moment, then gave him a firm nod good-bye. She felt satisfied with her decision—adult, even. Melissa was far more important than any boy.
Even if it was bedroom-eyes, sexy-voiced, gentle-doctor-hands Wren.
10
TOUCHDOWN
“Miss? Miss?”
Aria jolted awake. A pretty blonde in a tight blue uniform stood over her with a strange expression on her face. “You’re in trouble,” she said smoothly.
Aria’s heart leapt to her throat, and she looked around. Rows and rows of airline seats stretched in front of her, and there was that familiar droning sound of an engine in midflight. The cabin smelled like feet. A sleeping passenger across the aisle had a guidebook that said Go Paris folded across his lap, and two people in front of her were speaking softly in French. It was only then that Aria realized that her buying a ticket for and boarding a flight to Paris had not been part of her dreams. It had really and truly happened.