Serenity took a seat as well but remained quiet. She was like that. She didn’t demand to know things like Hallie did. She was the type of person who liked to look at things from every angle before she made a decision. It was one of her best qualities. But then it did mean she overthought about a lot of stuff as well.
Wendy blew out an exasperated breath. “Fine. I’ll tell you.” Honestly, she didn’t like the idea of her friends judging her on the way her ‘more than friendship thing without strings’ had come to be. Would they look at her differently? Probably.
Keeping her eyes trained on her desk, she fiddled with her hands in her lap. “He dated my best friend several years ago.”
Neither of the woman seemed surprised. Perhaps they’d overheard conversations. Perhaps they knew of Olivia. Either way it didn’t matter.
“It didn’t end well, and it left a sour taste in my mouth. I hated him when we were paired up for the wedding.”
Serenity smiled knowingly and Hallie snorted. Of course they’d caught on to that.
“But things changed.” The room seemed to drop in temperature at her confession. “I don’t know how to explain it, but he got to me somehow. He was funny and we got along. He could be really sweet, too.” Wendy peeked at her friends. “And he’s a really good kisser.”
Hallie blanched and made a face. Serenity snickered at their friend’s reaction. But Wendy only grew warmer.
“So I told him that we could be friends. Hang out. Kiss. Spend time together, but under no circumstances were we to date.”
Hallie seemed understanding but Serenity frowned at that. She leaned forward. “Why?”
Wendy shrugged. “He doesn’t do relationships. You guys know that. I knew—know that.” She shut her eyes. “It was my way of keeping my heart safe.”
“Smart,” Hallie murmured, earning a sharp look from Serenity.
“No, not smart. That sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
Wendy glanced between the two.
“What? Why? Like Wendy said. Tripp has a habit of losing interest. I can’t remember if he ever had a girlfriend that lasted more than a month. He’s always bouncing from one to the next.”
Wendy returned her attention to her hands. This right here was why she’d made that decision. She knew all about his habits. And yet she’d still managed to fall for the guy.
“So what happened?” Serenity whispered.
Flushing deeper, Wendy refused to meet their gazes. “I realized that I wanted to try for something more. So, I was going to tell him.” She glanced briefly at Hallie. “That day we were going to have lunch.”
Hallie scowled. “The day you said you suddenly didn’t feel good after we caught sight of him?” There was an edge in her voice. “I knew he’d done something. What happened?”
Wendy flinched. “He was with someone else at that coffee shop.”
Hallie muttered something under her breath. Serenity seemed thoughtful but she didn’t lift her gaze to Wendy.
“Anyway, I realized I’d made a mistake. I couldn’t believe I was stupid enough to fall for his charms?—”
Hallie shot forward and placed a hand on the desk, causing Wendy to glance up at her. “You’re not stupid. He’s the idiot. If he can’t see that you’re worth it, then that’s on him. He’s probably not cut out for something long term. Some guys just aren’t built for that.” Her eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment. But then clarity returned. “I say good riddance and you’re well within your rights to ghost him. It’s not like you were dating. Just tell him to leave you alone.”
Wendy only got a short nod in when Serenity spoke up. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Both Wendy and Hallie stared at her, surprised.
Serenity shifted in her seat and a small blush filled her cheeks. “Take it from someone who has been lucky enough to fall in love twice in her life. You don’t want to make any rash decisions right away. You still need to have a conversation with him. Maybe you should tell him?—”
“Tell him what?” Hallie scoffed. “I mean, I like Tripp as much as the next person. He’s my family for heaven’s sake. But when it comes to dating my friends, he’s not good enough.”
“You don’t know that,” Serenity said firmly. “You don’t know what he’s going through. Heck, if you didn’t go into that coffee shop to confront him, how do you even know if that was a date? What if it was a business meeting?”
Wendy contemplated Serenity’s words. That was an excellent point. She’d made a similar mistake earlier. And when she’d realized it, she’d been embarrassed. Suddenly, she felt a littledizzy. She had the worst habit of overreacting to things she shouldn’t.
“Don’t listen to her, Wendy. Tripp is a serial dater. That’s how he’s always been since college. I don’t know if something happened to him down in Georgia or whatever, but that’s how it is. The fact that he even agreed to this whole relationship thing that isn’t a relationship thing tells me everything I need to know. I’m sorry, but a guy who wants more isn’t going to settle for less.”
