THE LEFTOVER RESIDUE OF Wolf's last rendezvous wrecked her body like a wave of sickness. She almost caved and lied to her mother about almost falling ill when they spoke earlier on the phone, but instead she sighed and confessed she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. If waking up meant walking out of Florentine Portrait Galleria four days ago.
Gwenn stayed cooped up in her apartment as much as she could, spacing out as she recalled every second at the galleria, trapped by Wolf. She would stay inside forever if she could help it, but, alas, she noticed an upcoming paper for her abnormal psychology class. She knew, without a doubt, that Ronan would need the extra help.
However, instead of going out to one of their infamous hideouts, Gwenn invited him over her place. She sent him the message not thinking much of it, until he said he would be there in a few minutes.
She took one hard look at her reflection, and bolted around her home, organizing everything that was messy, crooked, or even dusty. Once she was done in her kitchen and living room, she threw her hair into a more put-together bun, framing her face with loose tendrils, and trotted into her bedroom to fetch her beloved light brown blanket.
When the awaited knocks came, Gwenn tumbled to her doorway, wrapped in a cocoon of her blankets, and found Ronan standing so sheepish in his black hoodie and sweats, he looked like a sore thumb out in her apartment complex's hallway.
"You..." he stopped, studying her up and down, "look comfy."
She looked down at herself and flashed him a bashful smile. "I really don't feel like joining society today," she explained.
He ran his fingers through his hair, his other hand gripping his tattered bag slung over his shoulder. "I can see."
She stepped aside to let him in. His footsteps were soft against the linoleum floors. He looked around her apartment, taking in the new environment—the white kitchen counters and stainless steel appliances, the beige couch decorated with plush pillows and the fluffy area rug underneath it, the glass coffee table with brass legs, and the sleek TV mounted to the wall with the glossy white table standing beneath it, showcasing various trinkets like an oval ceramic vase, a glass sculpture of a torn body, and a large vanilla candle.
"Make yourself at home," she found herself saying as he continued his inspection. "I'll go get my laptop real quick."
When she came back from her room, Ronan stood by her couch, shoulders tense, as he continued eyeing the space.
Gwenn wanted to ask if he was okay, but stopped the words from rolling out of her tongue. Their last true encounter involved an illegal break-in, escaping cops, and making out in his truck. Being alone again brought back all the memories. She tightened the blanket around her body, and walked past him to place her laptop on her preferred corner of her couch.
She straightened and cleared her throat. "Would you want something to drink before we jump in?" He shook his head, still dazed as he lowered himself on the other side of the couch. "Alright..." she trailed off, frowning as he took a moment for his shoulders to drop as he sat back against the pillows. "So eating disorders, let's get right into it."
Ronan snapped into action, listening to her every word. She devised the best plan to attack the new paper, already having a good idea on how he worked best. However, when she began to quiz him on the material, she realized something was not right. Any other day, he would be answering every question with ease, and they'd find the right topic he could expand upon within minutes. That wasn't the case at present.
He kept his answers curt or told her he didn't know. He shut his eyes every time she tried to pry for his knowledge to flow, sucking on his lower lip as if to swallow his words. Gwenn stopped short after going in literal circles for what seemed like forever.
"What is going on, Ronan?" she asked, her voice punctuating the silence despite her soft tone. He winced, then set his things on her glass coffee table.
"I'm sorry," he started, rubbing a hand down his face. He still stared ahead, giving her his side profile to look at. She thought of their time stuck in his truck, hands all over each other just to sell a story. It must have changed something between them, at least for him. "My internship's been...crazy. Sorry, I shouldn't be taking out my frustrations on you when you're here trying to help me."
Gwenn reached over and shut her laptop. "What happened at MNTR?"
His gaze flickered to her closed laptop, then to her face, and groaned into his hands. She jumped at the sound, not expecting him to be so anguished.
"Honestly, honey, I'm barely getting by," he began, voice thick with emotion. "Every time I think I'm doing well, I get my results and see that I'm only going backwards. Even Carson is surprised, telling me he expected to see more from me."
She blinked at the revelation. The day she met Carson, he had alluded how Ronan was the next big engineer. He was considered to be one of the best novices in the company. How could that be revoked from him in the last few weeks?
"I don't understand—"
"Wolf," Ronan grumbled. Whatever she was going to say next went back down her throat as the oxygen she breathed was sucked out of her system. "Every project I've handed in, he has to top it. I don't know how he got better within days, but now I might be losing that spot."
Her blood ran cold. She wanted to respond, but she couldn't find the right words. It was always Wolf. She shouldn't have been so surprised. That was his plan after all, but seeing the consequence over Ronan made her want to shrivel up.
"Everything is on the line," he continued. "I've busted my ass off, Gwenn. And I have loans. If I don't get this spot, I don't know when I'll get a job that could help me pay off what I have. If another company wants me, I might have to move from Lockfell. MNTR is my big chance."
It wasn't like she hadn't heard his song of frustrations before, but this time it held way too much weight. Her shoulders sagged as he continued explaining how much he needed that slot if he wanted to stay in Lockfell to support his mother and pay his loans with a good job. While Lockfell was a great town, it lacked in the big jobs department. If anyone were to get a big position in the area, they hit the jackpot—a good job in a decent town. Alas, Lockfell was known for being a college town littered with minimum wage jobs. Everyone else had to scour through the crevices for a job that could cover their living expenses, or work elsewhere.
Her mother was one of the lucky ones, having a high position in town. But not everyone could climb the heights she did in a marketing company.
And Ronan was studying to be an engineer, focusing on automobiles as she had gathered, and that was a specific niche. Finding a job in Lockfell was going to prove hard if he didn't get that MNTR spot. He would either have to work part-time or leave.
She shuddered at the thought of saying goodbye to Ronan. She couldn't fathom walking down the streets of Lockfell and not having him there. She'd miss the gurgling of his truck's motor, his annoying cheeky comments and humor, and how he challenged her every day. She would probably not be able to step into Forte Viridian Library without picturing him between the shelves, making eye contact from above the book spines.
Lockfell without Ronan King would be like living in a husk of a town.
"Ronan," she murmured. The image of him gone crumbling all over the edges of her brain. She gulped a breath of air. "You are amazing at what you do. You're at the internship for a reason."
"Being chosen for the internship is one thing, it's another to be given employment." Ronan sighed and scrubbed at his cheek. "It might go to Wolf now."
Her heart squeezed as if a fist stabbed through her chest and threatened to pull the organ out. Every time she met with Wolf flashed in her mind. Gwenn had handed over every piece of information she got from Ronan, and now he was suffering the consequences of her actions.
She might puke.
"I've been working on this project," he admitted after a beat of silence. "We usually focus on parts of a car, anything to improve any model, but...I started working on an actual car model."
Gwenn blinked, allowing his words to wash over her until realization hit. "You're designing an entire car?"
He nodded, cheeks flushing. "It's something I've been working on for months, but maybe I can submit it as my final. Even if they don't choose me, then maybe they can see what I'm made of?" He finished in a question as if insecure that the people of MNTR would truly think like that. "I don't know, but whatever the case, it's my dream to work on a car model from scratch."
"I don't care what Carson says," she started, pausing to lick her lips, "or what Wolf does, but you're gonna get that spot. I know you are."
Ronan opened his mouth to respond but was cut short by a demanding rap at her front door. Her eyes widened as she untangled herself from her blankets. A tremor raced through all of her veins as she stalked the door.
Was her mother there?
The thought made her want to hurl. The scene that would cause would make her bed-ridden for a week with all the migraines and physical aches that would come with it. She shuddered.
The person on the other side knocked again, getting more impatient.
"G, I know you're in there," Aura called out from the hallway. Gwenn almost collapsed in laughter. The fear slipped right out of her system within a second. "Bitch, open the frickin' door, I have so many things to tell you. Oh my gosh!" Another knock attack hit the door, and Gwenn scrambled for the doorknob.
"Aura, I have—" Gwenn started to say, but her best friend talked over her as she bursted into her apartment.
"Finally! G, you are not going to believe the wild weekend I just had in LA. This hunk of a man—" Aura stopped short as her eyes met Ronan still sitting on her living room couch. She tilted her head, then spun on her heel to face Gwenn. A gasp escaped her glossy lips. "Girl, you did not just take a page from my book and sneaked him over here."
Blood rushed into Gwenn's face and neck, leaving her looking like a cherry. "No!" she squeaked. After settling her breathing, she motioned for Ronan with the same crimson hue on his cheeks as hers. "Aura, this is Ronan." Gwenn turned to him. "Ronan, this is Aura, my best friend who doesn't know how to shut up."
"Well, hey," Aura complained.
Gwenn didn't even bother to look back at her, focusing on Ronan as he stood to his full height. He was an obvious contrast to her apartment, standing out in his all-black attire. He stretched out a hand to Aura, who jumped in to shake it.
"It's nice to meet you," Ronan spoke. Aura hummed in response. "Gwenn has talked a lot about you."
"I wish I could say the same," Aura offered. Gwenn closed her eyes. "G has been real quiet these days."
Gwenn didn't have to look at her friend to know the last part was directed at her. She bit down on her lip.
"She's a busy woman," Ronan supplied for her. "It's hard enough for me to find time with her." Aura cleared her throat, but Gwenn didn't dare meet her dark eyes. She knew the unspoken conversation flashing in them without having to look to confirm.
She expected an earful soon enough, followed by the group chat frying her phone.
"Anyway," Ronan interrupted the silence, "I should get going."
Gwenn watched him bend over her coffee table to put his things back in his bag. "Are you sure?" she asked. A deep pang hit her chest, but she tried her best to smother her features so as to not let anyone know what was going on in her troubled mind. She didn't want him to go, but they had made rules: no one could find out about their deal. Now Aura had waltzed in on them.
"We'll meet soon," he told her, stepping a little too close. She peered up at him, fighting herself to keep her arms by her side and not reach up to touch his hair falling over his forehead. "I'll keep in touch, honey."
She nodded, not trusting her voice. Ronan said his goodbyes to Aura before walking out of her apartment, closing the door softly behind him. Gwenn stayed frozen, looking out into the newly emptied living room.
Aura cackled. "Oh, you have a lot to spill, G."