The Knowledge of the Hidden

Chapter 25

"Do you think there's something going on with them?"

I've finally gotten Wren alone, practically cornered her at the edge of the swimming hole, when she completely throws me off my plan by opening with such a question.

"What?" I ask, looking around to see what she means. "With who?"

She points forward and I see what she is looking at, Sienna and Josh, laying on the bank and casually tossing a rock back and forth between them, laughing and splashing water to throw each other off the game.

"Oh," I say. "No, they're just friends."

Wren doesn't answer, but continues to watch them with concern, her eyes fluttering between the pair, like she's watching a game of tennis. I take a deep breath, preparing my speech when she speaks again.

"You know, when I first got here I thought that you two were a couple."

"What?" I say again, immediately feeling stupid. Of course she meant Josh and me. She wouldn't be the first person to get that impression. I sigh. "No, we're just friends too."

"Then how are you so sure there's not something going on there?" Wren questions, looking at me impatiently.

I shrug, but am slightly thrown off by her question. "Well, I, uh, trust me there's nothing going on." I finally settle on.

"But how do you know?" Wren presses. "They're together all the time. They're always flirting..."

"It's not flirting," I say, feeling a flash of annoyance. "That's just the way they are. Why do you care anyway?"

"I don't," Wren responds quickly. "I just thought you might."

"Well I don't," I say. She looks down, swirling the water by her side gently with her fingers. I bite my lip. It hardly seems like the right time to bring it up, but I don't really have a choice. "They're figuring it out," I blurt out before I can talk myself out of it. "You have to tell them before they realize on their own."

Wren's eyes meet mine and I realize how crazy I must sound. She probably has no idea what I'm talking about. But as I open my mouth to explain, she cuts me off, speaking gently.

"Yes, I figured as much. Those two really are too smart for their own good, aren't they?" she glances back toward the bank, sighing deeply. "I'm sorry I asked you to keep that secret from them. I know it must have been hard on you."

I shrug, trying to hide my surprise at her insightfulness. "So you'll tell them?" I ask. "You'll tell them who your dad is?"

Wren purses her lips, looking agitated for the first time since I've met her. "What are they thinking?" she asks.

"Thinking...?"

"Well they aren't questioning my parentage for kicks," Wren frowns. "There must be a reason."

She's right, of course, but I can't bring myself to tell her our theory. Somehow, we think Erica is blackmailing the president by threatening you and your brother, doesn't seem like something you can just blurt out to a person. But I have no idea what the right way to tell it is, so I say instead, "they're just curious. You've been so vague about your past since you got here."

Wren studies me carefully. I know instantly that she knows that I am lying, but she doesn't call me on it. Instead she drops into the water, disappearing beneath its surface without a splash. I see her dark form moving, leaving my side like a graceful shadow beneath the ripples. I take a deep breath and force myself to let it go. I've done everything I can do. It's out of my hands. So why do I have such a feeling that I'm the one who's going to pay the price for these secrets?