Wren shook his head. “No, Hart. I didn’t… I never hated you. I don’t hate you. I just…”
“You wanted him,” Hart said. “I understand that.”
“I was angry,” Wren said.
“Was?” Black yelled. “When have you stopped being angry, dude?”
“Muffin…” Fix said, and Black clamped his lips shut.
“I knew we wouldn’t be placed on the same team,” Wren said. “I wasn’t angry at you, Hart. I—you—all of you mean so much to me. I just…”
“You loved him,” Hart said.
Wren shook his head.
“You still love him,” Fix said softly, and Wren felt his eyes burn with the tears he refused to let fall.
“Oh, Wren.” Hart looked heartbroken. “All these years?”
“Dude,” Ash said, and Black nodded in agreement.
“I just…” Wren shook his head, blinking against the sand beneath his lids. “I didn’t think I’d ever see him again. And he was so close this whole time and I don’t know what to do now.”
“What do you want to do?” Fix asked, and Wren locked eyes with him. There was no judgment. No scorn. Just worry, kindness, and an open heart to hear what Wren had to say, just like he’d told him in the garden.
“I just want them to leave us alone,” Wren whispered.
“Nexus?” Hart asked.
“We…we were caught,” Wren said. “Instructor Kellan knew and…”
“Wait, Kellan the creep?” Black asked.
Wren’s eyes widened. “Only one Kellan at Nexus,” he said slowly.
“OMG that guy is theworst,” Black said. “Thinking he’s all that, offering suggestions to me about my process when none of his fucked-up experiments ever worked.”
“Your process does leave something to be desired,” Hart said carefully.
“Excuse me, I am anartist.” Black turned back to Wren. “Dude was fucking glued to my sparkly ass until I told him I’d glitter bomb him into oblivion unless he fucked off.”
Wren felt sick. “Did he…did he ever hurt you?” he asked, and Black shook his head.
“Hurt my aura to have him breathing down my neck,” he said before Wren’s question registered fully. “Did he hurt you? Because I will fucking FUCK HIM UP.”
“He didn’t.” Wren shook his head. “Other than some glaring and talking crap, he didn’t hurt me. But I’m not sure about Ted—Damir.”
“Call him by his real name,” Hart said.
“Damir is his real name.”
Hart shook his head. “Clearly not. What did you call him?”
“Teddy.” Wren said it out loud in front of someone else for the first time. It felt like a slice of freedom. A wall torn down between him and those he loved most. “I called him Teddy.”
“Then he’s Teddy,” Fix said.
“Damir is a weird-ass name anyway.” Ash shrugged, crunching his lollipop.
