Wren sipped her coffee and then shrugged. “You were scared. I get it. You didn’t want me to get hurt. But it was still annoying as hell.”
“I know,” I said, nodding. “I’m sorry for that.”
She tilted her head. “Are you trying to earn brownie points now that you’re hooking up with my best friend?”
I cracked a half-grin. “Just trying not to be a hypocrite.”
Wren laughed under her breath, but then her face softened. “Cam, I love it,” she sighed. “You and Harper… I’ve been waiting for it to happen.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded, setting her mug down. “You make her feel safe. You ground her. And she makes you less grumpy, which is honestly a gift to all of us.”
That pulled a genuine smile from me.
“And all that teasing she used to do?” Wren added. “It wasn’t just for fun. She liked you, Cam. That was Harper trying not to look like she liked you.”
I blinked. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious,” she said. “She’s been into you forever; she just didn’t know how to deal with it. Probably figured you’d never go there, especially since you were so mean to her.”
I stared at the floor for a second, thinking about every moment I brushed off. “Damn,” I muttered.
“Yeah,” Wren said, walking around the island to my side. While bumping her shoulder into mine, she continued speaking, “So maybe now you won’t make that same dumb face every time she walks into a room. The one where you pretend not to be looking at her, but you’re actually staring like a creep.”
I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks burned.
“Just… don’t screw it up, Cam,” she added. “This could be real.”
I looked down into my coffee, a smile pulling at my lips.
“I know,” I said softly. “There is something else, too, Wren. I am just not sure how to get it out.”
She takes a step back so she can look at me properly. “I’m all ears.”
“As you know, I haven’t really dated. There have been girls here and there, but nothing serious because my priority has always been you.”
She gave a knowing nod.
I closed my eyes, gaining the strength to come out to my sister. “There is more than just Harper.”
She gasps, a hand flying to her mouth. “What the fuck do you mean? Are you playing her? Are you seeing more women?”
This is going bad very fast. “God, no, this is hard for me to say. I’ve barely processed it myself.”
“Just say it before I have an aneurysm, dude.”
“I think I’m bisexual. But also, I think I am interested inbeing in a polyamorous relationship. And I kissed Tucker last night. A lot. I truly think I’m finally understanding who I am,” I finally got out in a quick ramble, nervous to hear her reaction. I had to blink away the burn in the back of my eyes. I didn’t want to cry, but I wasn’t sure I could hold my tears back.
My sister was always more emotional than I was, but this might’ve just broken her. She burst into tears, not a few stray tears but crocodile tears and sobs that took over her body.
“Wren, what the fuck?” I set my cup down and wrapped my little sister in a hug. I stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. A few of my own tears silently slid down my face. I felt so fucking free.
As her sobs turn to sniffles, I pull back to look her in the eyes.
“I am just so proud of you, Cam. Out of everyone in the world, it is you who deserves to be happy. You gave up everything for me, and I could never repay you for it. Hearing this? It’s overwhelming. I have waited so long for you to find yourself. You know I would support you no matter what.”
More tears stung my eyes, but I didn’t make any effort to hold them back. The only thing going through my mind was, ‘I deserved to be happy’. I pulled her back into a hug, and we just stood there together.
