Chapter 56 - emotions

Wren Austin sat on the bar stool, occasionally engaging herself in small talks with Gwendolyn Jefferson and Mary since they were busy attending to clients.
The times when Gwendolyn’s attention was focused elsewhere, Wren would struggle to keep her eyes focused on the bottle before her, because Giovanni sat next to her.
His gaze has been on her. It was intense and she hated it.
Wren whispered yelled Gwen’s name, giving her pleading eyes, but the dark-haired smiled at her. She approached the blonde, leaned in and whispered words that weren’t of any help to Wren.
Wren was pissed. She couldn’t stay there any longer. Not when Giovanni was staring at her, waiting for her to step outside so he could follow.
Just when Wren decided to leave, the door to the pub flew open and Topaz walked in, followed by Mason, Gary and Joshua. The blonde has never been happy to see those boys as much as she was happy right now.
She knew that Mason had feelings for Giovanni and he would most definitely want to talk with him. And her, well, she could talk with Topaz.
“Well, would you look at who graced us with her presence” Wren Austin commented as Topaz O’Connell pulled out a chair next to her.
She didn’t acknowledge Wren’s remark because her eyes were glued to Gwendolyn, who was trying so hard not to blush.
Then, the blonde watched her friend lean in and whisper something to Mary before making her way over to the counter. She leaned over and pulled Topaz in for a kiss.
“Go off, don’t mind me sitting here,” the blonde said sarcastically, earning a smile a Topaz when she pulled away from the kiss.
“Wren, it’s always a pleasure to see you” the young girl stated as she gradually lowered herself back to the seat.
“Is it? Because I can’t tell” Wren commented sarcastically, earning a chuckle from Topaz.
Against her will, Wren’s eyes looked past Topaz and landed on Giovanni who was already staring at her. Oddly, he didn’t seem interested in the talk that was going on between Mason and the others, and what she found even odd, was that Mason wasn’t throwing himself at Giovanni like he normally would and was instead playful with Gary.
Giovanni’s lips moved. Wren read his lips and understand what he asked, but she rolled her eyes at him before turning just in time to see Gwendolyn place a bottle before Topaz.
“I swear, the way you look at each other is disgusting. It makes me feel like I am intruding and I damn well know that I’m not” remarked the blonde.
“Is that jealousy I sense” Topaz tilted her head quizzically.
“No, it’s disgust” Wren clapped back almost immediately.
Topaz O’Connell’s vibrant laughter filled the room before she went silent. Now, her gaze lingered on her, just like her brother’s.
Wren knew that she wanted to say something, but for some reason, she held back. Perhaps she feared that what she had to say was going to upset the blonde and she didn’t want to be the reason for it.
But Wren couldn’t handle it. She couldn’t another one of the O’Connells staring at her.
“Whatever you have to say, Paz, just say it” the blonde spoke out and brought the bottle to her lips.
Topaz O’Connell let out a sly smile. “I’m worried what I have to say will put me in your bad books” she replied.
The corners of Wren’s lips raised. “Relax, you can never be your brother” she murmured, tilting her head just enough for Topaz to see the teasing smile on her lips.
“I’ll take that as a compliment” she stated then paused for a while before saying.
“Well, I just wanted to apologise on behalf of my idiot of a brother” the young girl began, and when Wren didn’t make any remarks, she continued.
“These days, I don’t recognize him either. I know you were hurt by his actions and I just want to apologise on his behalf” she finalized.
For a while, Wren Austin didn’t utter a word. She was touched by Topaz’s kind words. But then again, she wasn’t the one who should be apologising” she said.
Topaz O’Connell didn’t reply until she had drank the last of her drink. “I know you, Wren. We have been friends for a while and although it doesn’t look like it, I care about you and to a certain extent, I can boast of the fact that I know you. I know you won’t let him anywhere near you”
Wren frowned. Topaz was right. They have been friends for a while now, and the blonde could honestly say she was the only person asides from Gwen who knew her. Of course, their friendship over the years had been a little rocky because of what her brother did.
Topaz felt guilty. She didn’t know how to act around Wren after that incident and that made them grow apart.
Wren Austin gave Topaz a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s difficult Topaz,” Wren said after a while.
“He’s changed. He’s not the same person I fell in love with. All he cares about is his goddam self and his selfish wants” the blonde said.
Topaz was about to reply when Gwendolyn appeared out of the blue. Wren watched her friend fall into the arms of her lover.
It warmed her heart. Seeing them together. After years of flirting and endless teasing, her friend was finally able to be with the person she loved.
Suddenly, Wren felt like she was interrupting a happy moment between both girls and took that as her call to leave.
"I appreciate you guys not rubbing it in my face that I'm third-wheeling" Wren began as she got up from the stool.
"I'll be returning to the solitude of my apartment" she finalized.
Gwen let out a laugh as she took her friend in for a hug, and when she pulled back, Topaz did the same.
"This conversation is not over" Topaz whispered in Wren's ear before pulling back.
The blonde gave her a sly smile before walking out of the pub.
As the blonde walked back to her apartment in the cold evening air, she wrapped her hands around her body to generate some body heat, but mostly to not feel lonely.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Wren hated it.
She couldn't understand why she suddenly felt a void inside of her, making her feel like crying.
Perhaps it was the fact that she had an interaction with Topaz after years, or maybe it was more than that, Wren know.
All that mattered to her right now was making it to her apartment before she broke down in tears.
And she did exactly that.
The moment she opened the door of her apartment, she broke down in tears. She fell to the ground, brought her knees to the level of her chest and buried her head in time.
She cried. And cried.
Then, she sniffed a familiar cologne before feeling the person next to her.
He pulled her into him, and placed a kiss on her hair. This time, she didn't push him away.
She needed to be held like this whilst she cried. In this instance, everything he'd done to her didn't matter.
"I'm sorry Wren. I am truly sorry" he whispered in her ear.
--------