— Josh —
I groaned audibly as I heard soft yet hurried knocks on the front door. It wasn't that I was sleeping; my nerves were too unsettled for that. I just had no desire to leave the comfort of my bed today.
Carefully, I got up, taking care not to disturb Wren. Quietly, I made my way to the front door, checking through the peephole. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I saw it was only Tyler. He seemed a bit startled when I opened the door, clearly expecting Wren.
"Josh?"
"Hey, Ty," I said, gesturing for him to come inside. He looked uncomfortable as he entered, standing awkwardly in the kitchen, gripping his duffel bag tightly.
"Where's Wren?" he asked.
I pointed toward her bedroom, and Tyler's gaze followed, as if searching for confirmation.
"She's still sleeping," I replied quietly. Tyler furrowed his brow at me.
"So she's..."
"She's fine."
"She's fine?" he scoffed.
"That's what I said," I replied, feeling my jaw tighten slightly. Tyler appeared as if he might burst into laughter.
"So you didn't tell her."
"No, Ty, I didn't tell her. Because I don't want to hurt her. I love her, man."
"You love her?!" Tyler was actually laughing now. "If you loved her, you wouldn't have—"
"Josh?"
Tyler and I both froze, exchanging wide-eyed glances before I finally replied.
"Y-yeah, babe?"
"Is Ty here?" Wren yawned, still in bed.
"Uh, yeah. He is. But he was just leaving," I said, walking over to the door and opening it for Tyler, hoping he'd take the hint.
"Oh," I could hear the pout in her voice. "Bye, Tyler."
"Bye, Wren. I'll see you tonight," Tyler said, emphasizing the last part while maintaining eye contact with me.
"Go," I lightly shoved his shoulder, but Tyler didn't move.
"Tell her, Josh. Or I will," he warned before finally leaving.
I slammed the door once he was gone, causing Wren to wince from the bedroom.
"My head," she whined.
"I'll get you some aspirin, okay?" I said gently, grabbing a glass of water and the aspirin bottle I knew was in her bathroom above the sink. After handing her the hangover remedy, I crawled back into bed and softly kissed her forehead.
"Best boyfriend ever," she mumbled, resting her head on my shoulder.
