Since Lucy's financial crisis had finally broken, she and Wyatt were able to relax and cut back on their work shifts. They even ended up spending some free time together. Rufus and Jiya would call them up to go out for a dinner or movie with Lucy and Wyatt now and then. Wyatt was warm, supportive and always seemed eager to enjoy a night out. But he never initiated anything like that with Lucy on his own. She even felt like he put some distance between them, letting Lucy sit by Jiya in the theater. He was scrupulous not to try to pay for Lucy's share of their food at dinner. Thoughts of his smile, and of him touching her crept into her sleepy mind late at night, but they just seemed embarrassing and foolish in the morning light. She put them firmly out of her mind and focused on her editing, cafe shifts and most especially her writing. She started a little fund to save for a place of her own, in time.
Lucy finally felt like she was making headway in her new life. Not only was was she paid up on her bills, but she had a new stream of income from the editing jobs she was taking now. Her novel was taking shape, and she was able to continue honing her writing skills working with the University students she helped. Researching the wide variety of topics they tackled was invigorating to her intellectually. She and Wyatt had worked out their differences, and had a cordial supportive relationship as housemates.
This last development should have made her happy. Her paranoid fears that he was an agent of her mother were unfounded. She now was on even footing with him in terms of finances, and although she met many more people through him she was even gaining friendships independently. He was friendly and polite with her, and never made her feel uncomfortable or like he wanted anything more than friendship.
He was being the perfect gentleman and an amazing friend. Why then did her heart feel so tender and sad?
She reassured herself with the truth. Their backgrounds were so different. Even though she had rejected her mother's vision for her, she couldn't imagine herself in the life Wyatt seemed to enjoy: working long hours at a dead end job, drinking through the weekend with friends. Plus, he was the single most beautiful person she'd ever had the privilege to be close to. He was surrounded by some of the most attractive people she'd ever seen, on display at their best on the beach. There was no way her drab, geeky looks could ever compete with any of that.
Even his financial support of her could be explained away. Wyatt was a giving person. He volunteered his time to give younger people who needed help useful skills and a trade. She heard him talking with their parents on the phone and he told her that he'd gotten more involved with the program itself. Wyatt had probably seen her as another stray in need of a helping hand. She couldn't take it personally.
And to top it all off, Lucy felt as though she was taking advantage of Wyatt. Her writing had turned into a very steamy novel. And it had come about in large part with him as inspiration. At first, pushed by the need to sublimate her feelings of attraction into some kind of creative outlet she had poured out the words onto the page unselfconsciously. But as she continued, and the character on the page developed, she realized the ethical bind she had put herself into. She had no right to steal Wyatt's life for her fiction. She worked hard to distinguish the two, digging deep into the background and motivations of her character Liam to put him on his own path in the world. But when she imagined him, she still saw Wyatt. And as she wrote about Ivy, the woman Liam eventually came to love, she couldn't help but see herself there.
Every so often, Wyatt hosted his friends up at their place. Lucy enjoyed the time with these people better..and worse now that she had gotten to know them. She loved Jiya and Rufus, of course. They often visited her at the cafe. Lucy had begun to rely on the friendship of the warm and affectionate couple. They got along so well. She envied them their happiness. She hoped someday she could find someone to love and trust like they did each other. When her traitorous mind popped up with visions of blue eyes and warm smiles, she squashed those thoughts down firmly.
Some of Wyatt's other friends, Jessica in particular, Lucy felt very uncomfortable around. She was sure that Jess had it in for her. Unlike other friends, Wyatt never had her over alone. But whenever there was a social occasion that involved more friends, Jessica was sure to be there and to get super clingy. Lucy started to notice a correlation between the number of drinks in Jessica and the amount of pawing Wyatt had to endure.
That was what it looked like, too. Lucy was sure he didn't like the attentions. But maybe that was just her wishful thinking?
On one particular night, Rufus and Jiya came in together long after they'd been expected by the group. Lucy immediately knew something was up. Jiya had a barely contained look of glee on her face, and Rufus looked hugely smug. When Jiya flashed her hand with a dazzling rock on it and squealed that she'd agreed to marry Rufus, Lucy was not even surprised. She launched herself into her friend's arms, practically dancing up and down with delight. When Wyatt released Rufus from the bear hug he'd given him, Lucy threw an arm around Rufus, and started peppering him with questions about details. How did he ask? Where were they? What did she say?
The party really picked up at that point. Someone started calling for champagne so a group headed down to the liquor store. Jessica and her coterie started texting everyone they knew, that Rufus and Jiya were engaged, telling them to come over. Wyatt caught Lucy's eye and looked a question at her. It looked like this was going to turn from a small gathering into a giant party. She glanced at the happy couple. They were surrounded by friends and beaming. Lucy put a game look on her face and nodded agreement. Wyatt looked relieved and told her he was going to run out for more booze and ice. When he left, Jessica followed along. Lucy thought the other woman might have tossed a glare her way on the way out the door. Lucy shrugged and started looking around for extra chairs and stools for people to sit on. It was going to be a long night.
The little apartment became filled to the gills with people. Wyatt opened up his bedroom and Jessica and her friends took up residence on his bed. Classy, Lucy thought. Wyatt staunchly defended the sanctity of Lucy's room until the press got so bad people were sitting on the fire escape and Lucy herself opened up her room for guests. But first, she quickly straightened up her room, carefully hiding the many pages of her manuscript.
Rufus and Jiya were moving through the space, taking selfies with everyone there in small groups or individually. They had realized that other than their parents (who already knew about the couple's plans), basically all their friends were there, so the party had officially been dubbed their engagement party. Lucy stuck close to Rufus and Jiya, knowing many more people than she had when she arrived, but still all at sea with many of these strange faces.
She felt more isolated as the night went on and the people got more drunk, the voices getting louder. Watching Rufus and Jiya awkwardly holding the phone taking pictures of themselves with friends, Lucy offered to be their photographer. They gratefully accepted and Lucy suddenly felt more at ease. She ignored the noise and her lack of place in this community, and helped her new dear friends get good shots with all their buddies. They turned a corner into Wyatt's room and found Jessica still there along with many other people squeezed tight, and Wyatt. He was sitting near Jessica, his hand on her shoulder. When Jessica saw what was going on she cheered and hoisted her glass, sloshing some of the liquid onto Wyatt's bed. He rolled his eyes and took the glass out of her hand. Jessica ignored him and grabbed Rufus and Jiya, pulling them onto the bed. All the people in the room crowded around trying to fit themselves on the bed with the happy couple for a photo, while trying to avoid the sticky wet spot Jessica had made.
Jessica motioned to Lucy to take the picture and seemed to take in who Lucy was at that moment. If Lucy had thought vaguely that Jessica didn't like her before, certainty gripped her right then and there. The look of unmitigated annoyance and gall that Jessica threw at Lucy was unmistakable. What did I do to her? Lucy was shaken, but she continued on, protected from having to interact with the extremely drunk, unfriendly woman by her role as photographer. Lucy gamely got everyone to pay attention to her by making silly faces and getting them all to say "cheese", which they did half-heartedly with few smiles. Then she had an idea and had them say "Tequila!" which they did with laughter and smiles, at the top of their lungs. Photo taken, the group broke into cheerful conversation and surged off the bed, with many hands happily slapping and hugging Rufus and Jiya.
Lucy sighed with relief to be out of Jessica's focus and made her way out of Wyatt's room trying to wade awkwardly through the crowd. She couldn't help but spare a glance around as she did so. She hadn't been in his room..ever she realized. It was sparsely decorated. With a couple pictures of what Lucy guessed was Wyatt's mother, and grandparents. No Dad? Lucy wondered as she escaped.
Or thought she had made her escape. She felt a hand on her arm. She looked up ready to defend herself from a drunk guest getting too friendly, when she saw with surprise and relief that it was just Wyatt.
"Hey," he said, "I bet there's no picture of you with Rufus and Jiya yet. Right?" Lucy nodded, realizing it was true. Lucy braced herself for being dragged back into the teeming room, dreading having to face Jessica again. But Wyatt made no motion to take them inside. He had let go of her arm immediately, but the feel of his hand on her skin lingered. He still held the glass that he'd taken from Jessica. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, then he gestured her over to a corner between the door to his room and a book case that happened to be free.
"Let's wait for them to come out here." They positioned themselves there. Wyatt set the glass down on one of the shelves and looked at Lucy.
"I'm so sorry this got out of hand."
"It's no trouble, everyone is just so excited for them. I may head out for a while though. It is a bit much for me." Wyatt shook his head.
"Lucy, you're being such a good sport about this. I realize you don't know a lot of these people, and it's your home too. You don't have to leave, I'll get everyone out of here." He started looking around as if starting to strategize about where to start in the eviction process.
"No!" Lucy panicked, "That will get everyone upset. And I'm already not liked in some quarters, I don't want to think about what would be said if it came out that I got everyone kicked out of Rufus and Jiya's engagement party."
Wyatt's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Jessica, right?" Lucy made a face as if to deny it, but Wyatt crooked his mouth skeptically, and she relented, nodding. "That woman thinks she owns me, since we dated in high school." Lucy looked embarrassed and Wyatt shook his head again. "I'm sorry, Lucy. You're getting caught in my ridiculous life. You don't deserve that." He gestured around at the raucous crowd, "There's a lot of my past that I'm not sure fits for me any more, but I don't really know how to leave it behind." The sincerity and concern on his face were a bit too much for Lucy to take. She looked over towards the door and was relieved to see that people had started to leave Wyatt's room. Jessica came out and Wyatt stepped back out of her view. After she disappeared into the crowd, Wyatt clucked his tongue against his teeth and repeated his apology.
Lucy shook her head and shrugged. "I just don't get why she seems to not like me. I've done nothing to her. I think we've barely spoken twice." A strange look came over Wyatt's face, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but they were distracted by the sounds of Rufus and Jiya's voices. Lucy called to them and asked for their picture. The moment with Wyatt was broken. She put her arms around each of them, handing the phone to Wyatt. He dutifully took a couple of pictures, and then he put his arm around Jiya and Lucy from the side, holding the camera up to get all of them together. Wyatt's hand landed on Lucy's hip. She froze, breathlessly distracted by the feel of his hand on her, realizing that she would like nothing better than to take his hand and pull him out of the party. She wanted her home and her Wyatt back to herself, alone.
My Wyatt? What am I thinking? The feel of his hand on her hip burned. She longed to look over at him, but stared at the camera terrified what he might read in her eyes if she did. Lucy realized she had to get some space.
When the photo was taken, Lucy thanked Wyatt, got the phone back to Rufus, and hugged the couple. She made her excuses and made an escape. Giving the briefest of smiles to Wyatt when he protested, she skedaddled. As she left she she heard Jessica say, "There you are!" and drape herself around Wyatt. Lucy felt a twinge of guilt leaving him to her after what he'd said. But it was all too much for her to process, and she was definitely done with being in such a big group of strangers.
Ironically, as she headed down the stairs, she joined a small group of people she had met at their housewarming party who greeted her enthusiastically. She had planned to head back to the cafe to read and take notes for her book (as she suddenly had some great details to add to a couple of the scenes she'd been working on). They invited her to go to the beach with them. After hesitating a moment, Lucy accepted gratefully. Maybe I do belong here? At least with some people.