Chapter 37
Aaron
It’s around six inthe morning when Renee finally stirs again. I haven’t been asleep yet, but Jake and Matt are snoring in their designated seats across from Renee. They, too, had been awake until just a few hours ago, all of us watching over Renee to make sure nightmares don’t plague her dreams.
“Aaron?” said Renee in a hushed whisper, and I passed her the glass of water waiting for her. She takes a sip and lifts herself onto the back of her elbows, looking around. “Did all three of you stay here all night?” she asked me. I nodded.
“We just wanted to make sure you were okay. Last night sucked, you know?”
“I know.” The sound of us talking wakes Jake and then Matt. Renee sat up stiffly, tossing the blanket off her legs to swivel around and place her bare feet on the floor beneath her.
“Take it easy,” Jake yawns. “Those drugs could still be in your system.”
I take one of Renee’s hands, Jake takes the other, and we help Renee up from the couch. She’s still shaky but much more stable than last night, which put my mind at ease.
“Come to the kitchen, and I’ll whip up some breakfast,” Matt said, and Jake and I exchanged a grimace. Cooking had never been Matt’s strong suit.
“I don’t want to impose longer than necessary,” Renee said quietly. “I already owe you guys, well, everything.”
“You owe us nothing,” I insisted, and the other two nodded in agreement, hands supporting Renee as she walked to the kitchen at Matt’s insistence. We help her sit down at the table and then get to work. I reach for the coffee to brew a fresh pot, and Jake goes to the cupboard to find some aspirin for Renee. Matt is already pulling on what technically belongs to me; a black and red apron with the words, “I rub my meat before I stick it in” plastered across the front. It was something I now realize is funnier when there’s not a woman in the house.
“Nice, man,” Matt said sarcastically, glaring down at the words on the apron. “Inappropriate, much?”
“Yeah, dude,” added Jake, glancing at Renee. “What a jerk you must be.”
“Yeah. You assholes got me that for Christmas last year,” I reminded them, and Renee laughed, which put us all at ease. Honestly, I couldn't remember the last time a girl had set us all on edge like this. And it’s not in a bad way, not at all. We don’t want to look like idiots ... we want her validation.
And I think we’re all okay with that.
Matt cooked everyone a breakfast of burnt toast, runny eggs, and sausage that could be raw in the middle, but no one complained. Renee kept looking better as the minutes ticked by. The color is returning to her cheeks, and the smile on her face is not forced. This is the first time we’ve all really been together; no sneaking around, going behind each other’s backs, and harboring secrets, and we’re all pleasantly surprised that no one has sucker punched anyone else yet. Despite the testosterone between the three of us, things seem okay. No, better than okay. Perfect.
“I have to admit, this is the first time I’ve been around you guys without wanting to bolt and never look back,” Renee said, reaching for a second slice of toast. “And I appreciate that. Really.” She swallows and looks down at the table like she just thought of something unpleasant. “I don’t have a lot of friends here,” she murmured. “You know, just Jami. Maybe Carly, if she ever forgives me.” She takes a bite of her toast and chews slowly, pensive. “I never thought the three people I hated most in high school would become my friends.”
Matt, Jake, and I glanced over Renee’s head, and I knew we were all thinking the same thing ... Who knew that we would be friends with Renee, either? Who knew that years of bullying an innocent girl would someday become vast respect and appreciation for that person? And in the look that the three of us exchange, there’s something more there, and it’s something we all know but don’t know how to say out loud ...
We each loved Renee as more than just a friend. And we wanted to be with her.
But how?
