Chapter 2

WREN

I ran so fast I nearly broke the door down.

The kitchen. I needed to get to the kitchen, find something to do with my hands, and blur my mind from the atrocity I had just watched…. Something I shouldn’t be watching or even have ever seen but the image had been buried in my mind and it wasn’t going to stop hunting me anytime soon.

“God, what the hell did my eyes just see?” I shut my eyes for a second. “How could he not bother closing the door when he was going to do all that?”

I found bread and some butter, I set them both on the counter and stood there gripping the edge of the kitchen island to support my wobbly legs.

Cracking an egg into a hot pan, I pressed both palms on the counter and stared at them, taking deep breaths, trying to act like I didn’t just lock eyes with Dani Calloway through the small crack in the bedroom door while he was…

I pushed myself off the counter and told myself firstly that what I had seen was nothing, people have their lives and anything they do isn't up to me.

“You cracked that egg quite aggressively.”

I spun around so fast I nearly knocked the pan off the stove.

“Ross told me you’d be coming around.”

Dani was standing in the kitchen doorway.

He had changed his shirt, leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed. His hair was still slightly undone and his popular neutral expression…

“So.” He said. “How’s settling in?”

I turned back to my eggs.

“Fine,” I replied to him. I was grateful I didn't sound like a strangled chicken at that moment.

“Fine.” He repeated.

“Yes.” I nodded, hoping he was going to move away as soon as possible.

He didn’t move away, I could feel his gaze on the back of my neck. I kept my eyes on the pan, pushing the eggs around, trying to let the heating oil blur my mind and not think of the doorway incident I had witnessed eleven minutes ago.

“You’ve been here, you know where everything is right?” He asked.

“I do.” I nodded, keeping my gaze away from him.

“So you’re comfortable?” He asked.

“Very.” It was half a lie and truth.

“You don’t seem comfortable.”

I gripped the spatula tighter. “I’m making eggs Dani, people do that when they are comfortable.” I rolled my eyes.

He pushed himself off the doorframe and moved into the kitchen and I told everything within me to please act normal. He opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, leaned against the counter making me feel more aware that I wished the kitchen was way bigger than it was right now.

“Ross said you had a rough week.” He said, gulping down the water.

“Ross talks a little too much.” I sighed, sliding the eggs onto my plate.

“He’s worried about you.”

“He worries about everything, that’s his personality.” I shrugged, I munched on my sandwich. “He once worried about a plant for six days straight, turns out the plant was plastic.”

Dani’s lips curled up in an almost smile, tilted his head slightly. “You’ve been living in a bad room for how long?”

“You’ve been living in a bad room for the past three weeks?”

“And you didn’t say anything.”

“I complained to the housing office multiple times.” I pressed my lips together, telling myself this was a normal conversation. “I guess I’m not a priority to them.”

“Ross could have talked to someone on your behalf.” He mentioned.

“Ross can’t talk to someone on my behalf, I’m not twelve.” I leaned on the counter. “I had a followup on every message I sent, there's no way Ross really could have anything on my behalf.”

He chuckled lightly. “Still you could use the resources available to you… Ross.”

“There’s no need for that.” I picked up my plate. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yeah.” He said. “You are.”

I needed to leave this kitchen immediately and go back to my room in peace and stop thinking about Dani Calloway’s face and the way he said things.

“Well, goodnight.”

“You didn’t put anything on the eggs.” He pointed towards it., I poked down at my plate, plain scrambled eggs… no salt, no pepper, no toast, nothing.

“I like them plain.” I said.

He arched his brows in disbelief.

“Goodnight Dani.” I said again, making my way to the kitchen doorway when the front door opened and Ross came in with his jacket half unzipped with his keys in hand. His gaze dropped on me, then Dani before gazing at the eggs.

“What did I miss?” He smiled warmly.

“Nothing.” I quickly responded.

“I was welcoming her.” Dani spoke almost the same time.

Ross smirked at his brother. “Quit teasing her.”

“I wasn’t teasing her but rather being hospitable.” He chuckled. “She’s obviously fine being around me.” Dani glanced at me again, still holding the bottle of water in her hand. “See you around.” He winked.