Chapter 1

“West!” I called from my bedroom. “Have you seen my car keys?”

He walked through the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and an amused expression on his face. “Really?”

I continued digging in my purse. “What? I swear they were right here. I don’t want to be late to dinner. Wren’s coming home and we haven’t seen him in ages.”

Correction: I haven’t seen him in ages. After high school he decided to go away to college. I was partly the reason for that, even if he denied it. We’ve texted regularly and have spoken on the phone. But I’ve only seen him a handful of times. Now, we were graduates and he was coming home. Finally.

“Catherine, please tell me you’re joking.”

With a frustrated sigh, I looked up at him. “What?”

He nodded in my direction. “Look in your hand.”

I opened my right hand and there they were. My car keys. “Oh, wow. Guess my mind is a little jumbled.”

West smiled as he walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist. I placed my hands on his chest and looked up at him. “Stop stressing yourself out, Catherine. It’s just dinner with my parents and Wren.” He paused before adding. “Oh, I think his girlfriend, too.”

My heart dropped a little and I made sure to keep my composure. “Girlfriend? Has your brother finally hopped on the commitment train?” God, I hoped not. For my own good, I hoped not.

“I don’t think so. I think it’s new. Like, really new.”

Good. After the debacle at the graduation party four years ago, Wren went to UCLA and I stayed here and went to NYU. When the fall semester started, it was like nothing happened. We went right back to being friends. During West’s Christmas party at their parent’s house two year’s ago, he asked me out on a date. I figured, what the hell? Wren gave us his blessing and didn’t have a problem with it. One thing led to another…and here we were.

West’s been trying to get me to move in with him, and I’ve been using the ‘I’m not ready’ excuse. It was true, I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to see Wren tonight either. The last time I saw him, he seemed different and wouldn’t open up to me.

“Ready?” West asked and my brain snapped to attention.

“Yes, let’s go.”

We walked out of my small apartment and West held the passenger door open for me while I slid inside his car. My knee shook anxiously while I waited for him to get in and start the ignition.

“Babe…”

“Yeah?” I asked as I looked at him.

“Your leg,” he laughed.

“Oh! Sorry.” Whenever I did that anxious shake thing I did with my knee, it seemed to annoy West. Not Wren. Wren always tried to make me feel better and settle down.

With all the craziness I’ve dealt with in my life, one thing I was sure about was West and Wren were polar opposites. West was the party type. He loved to go out with his friends, get drunk on the weekends, and go to sporting events. Wren, on the other hand, was the musician. He had a creative personality and liked to do things like camping, or spend the day reading a book. Unless something’s changed, he was never much of a drinker either. He would have the occasional beer or glass of wine.

What if he was different now? What if he wasn’t the same Wren I knew since I was little? I didn’t think that I’ve changed, even though West tries to convince me otherwise. When it came to West, I think he’s changed the way he sees me and that’s why he says that.

West never really showed any interest in me until I was in college. He tried to ask me out a few times and I playfully let him down easy. Then…he asked me again.

The first thing that popped into my head when he asked me was Wren. I immediately shut that down. I had been in love with Wren my whole life, and I couldn’t keep living that way. He made it clear he didn’t feel the same and he had no intention of starting a relationship with me. The sooner I accepted that, the sooner I could move on.

I’ll admit, it was a little awkward at first when I started dating West. Personally, I still saw him as Wren’s older brother. After a few dates and awkward kisses, we seemed to fall into a groove.

“Are you excited?” West’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“About what?” I asked as I kept my gaze out of the window.

“To see Wren, of course.”

“Oh, yeah, I am. Its been a long time.” Was I excited about him? That was a fucking understatement. But I couldn’t blame West for asking. He honestly had no idea how I felt about his younger brother. He thought our relationship was purely best friend status. I wasn’t going to tell him otherwise.

“He’s dying to see you,” West said with a smile as he pulled into the restaurant.

“Really?” There was a hint that surprising my voice. Even though the two of us went back to being friends, it was a little different after graduation.

“Of course. You’re his best friend. He said he’s glad to be coming back home. That way the three of us can be like we used to.”

Were my hands shaking? The looked like they were shaking. “I’m excited, too. Especially to meet this girlfriend. I have to admit, I never saw either one of you being committed to one person.” Okay, that was a lie. Wren was definitely the type to commit. West, on the other hand…

He pulled into the parking spot and looked at me as if I offended him. “Excuse me, ma’am. What do you call this past year?”

I knew he wasn’t really offended and I laughed at his question. “You’re right. That’s why I said I am very surprised. I wonder what she looks like.” We got out of the car and started heading towards the entrance when I asked, “Did he tell you anything about her?” Perhaps that she was missing some teeth? Had a lazy eye? That she was a hag?

“Nah,” he answered as he held the door open for me. “Just that he was bringing someone home. Pretty tight-lipped about it actually. I thought it was weird.”

Yes, it was weird. It was completely out of character for Wren. I was hoping once he was here and I got to talk to him, he would make sense out of a few things.

“Right this way, guys,” the hostess instructed us. West’s parents must already be here.