Page 79 of Gold Rush

“Ho-ly sh-it.” She exaggerates each syllable. “That’s very adult.”

“We are adults.”

“Rory? Yes. You?” Wren smirks. “Debatable.”

“Things change.” I lift my glass, tilting it toward her. “Like you drinking legally.”

“I’ll cheers to that.”

Our glasses tap.

After we’ve both swallowed a sip, she asks, “Have you lived with a girlfriend before?”

“Uh, no.” I glance at the clock again.

“Rory’s never lived with a boyfriend before.”

“I know.”

“That’s a big step for her, especially after what happened with Carson.”

“I know,” I repeat.

“If you hurt her, I’m never talking to you again. I don’t care how long you and Kit have been friends for.”

“Good,” I state. “I’d deserve it.”

I’ve seen Rory support her sister dozens of times. But this is the first time I’ve witnessed a clear reversal of their roles, and it makes me happy. It’s the loyalty Rory deserves. From everyone, but especially from those she always shows up for. I witnessed her comfort Wren’s heartbreak during one of the many occasions Carson proved how little he deserved her. I’m only realizing in retrospect how selfless that moment was. I’m not sure Wren has. It’s easy to take someone for granted when generosity is all you’ve ever received from them.

“You would,” Wren agrees. “That being said, I think you’re good for her. Good together. You push her, and she lets you. That’s rare.” She smiles, but it falls quickly, one of her fingers circling the rim of the glass.

It occurs to me that Wren showing up here, randomly, might be an indication something is wrong. I’m not sure if it’s my place to ask since I’m not actually dating her sister and I’m not a member of her family, no matter how many times they’ve included me, but I do anyway.

“Everything okay?”

Wren sighs. “I got into a fight with Sawyer.”

“What sort of fight?”

“A bad one. I bought him a watch. He hated it.”

“He said that?”

“He said that I was trying to turn him into someone else. And to not buy him anything that costs more than a hundred dollars. That leaves, like, nothing.”

I squash a smile. “Did he say he wanted a watch?”

“Well, no. But I thought it was a thing for guys. You’re wearing a fancy one.” She nods at my wrist. “Crew and Scarlett gifted Kit and Bash watches when they graduated high school. Sawyer and I weren’t together then. But now … I thought he could wear it to presentations or job interviews or to Lili’s wedding. It’s practical.”

“Practical to you. My guess is, the guys Sawyer hangs out with don’t wear watches worth more than most cars.”

“It was a gift. Who cares how much it costs?”

“He does, Wren. And he should. You don’t want to be with a guy who treats you like a bank.”

Wren sniffs. “I don’t want to be with a guy too proud to accept a Rolex either.”

I smile. “Yeah, you do. I was there, on New Year’s Eve, remember? After seeing that, I swear I’d be telling you to ditch his ass if I hadn’t seen how ridiculously happy he’s made you since then. You guys didn’t magically become different people when you started dating. You are different. You really thought he wouldn’t care if you spent a ton of money on him?”