Serenity frowned then she pulled her lower lip between her teeth and gnawed on it. Finally, she sighed and with one final glance toward the door, she leaned forward. Her whisper was so quiet he was worried he might not be able to understand her. “Okay, Wendy is upset. She goes from being mad to crying. But she won’t tell me why. Whenever I catch her, she pretends it’s nothing and she’s just tired.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t give me anything.Whyis she upset?” Tripp should have come to Serenity first. She was a much easier shell to crack. Already, he was getting somewhere.
Once again, Serenity hesitated.
“Serenity,” he said forcibly, “I can’t help her if I don’t know why she’s mad.”
“You can’t think of anything?” This time she seemed more desperate than anything else.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t drag you into this conversation if I had even an inkling of what I did wrong. I’m not that selfish.” Then again, he was dragging her into it now. Who was he kidding? He’d been selfish most of his life. It was one more thing he’d have to work on. He cleared his throat. “Just tell me,” hepleaded, his exhaustion bleeding through with his words. “I need to know.”
She sighed. “I don’t know.”
He froze.
“But even if I did? I probably wouldn’t tell you.”
His sharp look made her flinch and he had to rein himself in. “You can’t be serious.”
“She’s one of my best friends, Tripp. And she’s hurting. I wouldn’t destroy her trust like that. I’m sorry.”
None of this made any sense. Wendy was not only shutting him out, but her friends. What had happened?
Tripp had one last hail Mary up his sleeve, but he wasn’t sure it would do any good. “I think I’m in love with her, Serenity.”
There wasn’t even an ounce of surprise on Serenity’s face. “I know.”
He stiffened. “You do?”
“Of course I do. All anyone has to do is catch a glimpse of the way you look at her and they can tell. She’s your whole world.”
“Have you told her that?”
She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“It’s not my place.” Then she frowned. “Have you told her how you feel?” There was accusation in her tone and he could feel the heat rolling through his body. His ears were likely red as beets by now.
Looking away, he muttered, “Not yet. I didn’t want to scare her off.”
“Well, maybe that’s your problem.”
“How am I supposed to tell her when she won’t let me talk to her?”
Serenity considered his question then sighed. “I don’t know.”
Yeah, well that seemed to be the problem lately. No one knew how to help him. “Thanks, Serenity.”
“For what?”
“Being her friend.” He pushed away from the counter and headed for the door. Then he stopped, his hand on the doorjamb. “If you get a chance, will you try to talk some sense into her?”
“I can try,” she offered.
He nodded then slipped out of the shop.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
