"Whoa! What's she doing here?"
"She's here with Trent. You're back already?"
"Got here as Trent was leaving."
"Put your damn clothes on, you don't live here."
Olive shook her head, scolding him with her sparkling green eyes.
Brazil retreated to Raegan's room, and I nodded toward the door. "Beat it, kid. I've gotta get dressed, too." I winked at her, and she grinned before skipping into the living room.
I shut my bedroom door and dug into my drawers for socks and a bra, then slipped on a pair of jeans and a cream sweater. My hair still stunk like forty packs of cigarettes from working at the Red the night before, so I pulled it back into a tiny ponytail, sprayed some body spray on it, and called it good.
When I walked into the kitchen, Trenton was joking with Olive, putting away canned goods, among other things. All of the cabinets were open, and they were all full.
"Trenton Allen!" I gasped and covered my mouth. "Why did you do that? You're supposed to be saving money!"
"I spend a lot of time over here, eating a lot of your food, and I am three hundred bucks ahead, especially after Travis's year-end fight."
"But you don't know when it is or even if it's going to happen. Travis is all about Abby, now. What if he quits? What if the other guy backs out?"
Trenton smiled and pulled me into his arms. "You let me worry about it. I can buy a few groceries once in a while. I got some for my dad, too."
I hugged him, and then pulled the last cigarette out of my pack. "You didn't happen to pick up more cigarettes, did you?" I asked.
Trenton seemed disappointed. "No. Are you out? I can run back and pick up some."
Olive crossed her arms. "Smoking is bad fowr you."
I pulled the cigarette from my mouth and set it on the counter. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"Don't patwonize me. You should quit. Twent should quit, too."
Trenton watched Olive for a moment, and then looked to me.
I shrugged. "It was getting expensive, anyway."
Trenton pulled his pack from his coat pocket and crushed them with one hand, and then I picked up my last one, and broke it in half. Trenton tossed his in the trash, and so did I.
Olive stood in the middle of my kitchen, happier than I'd ever seen her, and then her beautiful green eyes began to leak.
"Aw! Ew! Don't cry!" Trenton said, sweeping her up into his arms. She hugged him, and her little body began to shake.
She sat up, faced me, and wiped one of her wet eyes. "I'm just so bwessed!" she said, sniffling.
I hugged Trenton, sandwiching her in between us. Trenton's eyebrows shot up, both amused and touched by her reaction.
"Gosh, Ew, if I'd known it was that important to you, I would have thrown them away a long time ago."
She pressed her palms against his cheeks, making his lips pooch out. "Mommy says that she is more proud of quitting smoking than almost anything. Except me."
Trenton's eyes softened, and he hugged her to him.
Olive watched cartoons on the love seat until Trenton had to go home to get ready for work. I beat him to Skin Deep and decided to dust and vacuum because Calvin had already opened the shop, turning on all the lights and the computer, which is what I usually did when I arrived.
Hazel burst through the front door, nearly hidden behind her big orange coat and thick scarf. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she said, rushing to her room.
I followed her in, curious.
She sprayed the chair with MadaCide, and then disinfected everything else. She was rummaging through her drawers, setting out various packages, and then turned around to face me. "I'm going to wash my hands, glove up, and then I'll be ready!"
I frowned. "Ready for what? You don't have an appointment this morning."
A mischievous grin swept across her face. "Oh, but I do!"
She left for about five minutes and then returned, putting her gloves on. "Well?" she said, looking at me expectantly.
"Well what?"
"Sit down! Let's do this!"
"I'm not getting gauges, Hazel. I've told you that. Multiple times."
She jutted out her bottom lip. "But I'm gloved! I'm ready! Did you see the new leopard gauges we got in last week? They're fucking hot!"
"I don't want my ears sagging. That's gross."
"You don't have to size up. We can just start with a sixteen gauge. That's teeny! Just, like . . ." She curved her thumb and index finger to form a tiny hole in the center.
I shook my head. "No, sweets. I did the nose. I love it. I'm good."
"You love mine!" she said, becoming more deflated by the second.
"Yes. Yours. I don't want that for my ears."
Hazel ripped off her gloves and tossed them in the trash, and then she cursed, a lot, in Tagalog.
"Trent will be here any minute," I said. "Get a new tat. Blow off some steam."
"That works for you. I need to stab things. That's what brings me peace."
"Weird," I said, walking back to the front.
Trenton blew in, his keys dangling from his finger. He was clearly in a good mood. "Baby," he said, rushing to stand next to me. He gripped my arms. "The car's running. I need you to come with me for a second."
"Trent, the shop's open, I can't--"
"Cal!" Trenton yelled.
"Yeah?" Calvin called from the back.
"I'm taking Cami to see it! We'll be back in less than an hour!"
"Whatev!"
Trenton looked at me, eyes bright. "C'mon!" he said, pulling me by the hand.
I resisted. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," he said, leading me to the Intrepid. He opened the door for me, and I sat inside. He ran around the back, and then slid into the driver's seat.
He drove fast to wherever we were headed, playing the radio a little louder than usual, as he tapped the steering wheel to the beat. We pulled up to Highland Ridge, one of the nicer apartment complexes in town, and parked in front of the office. A woman about my age was standing outside in a pants suit and heels.
"Good morning, Mr. Maddox. You must be Camille," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Libby. I've been looking forward to today." I shook her hand, unsure about what was going on.
Trenton took my hand as we followed her to a building on the backside of the property. We climbed the stairs, and Libby pulled out a thick set of keys, using one to open the door.
"So, this is the two-bedroom." She held out one arm and twirled slowly in a half circle. She reminded me of one of those women on The Price Is Right. "Two bathrooms, seven hundred square feet, washer and dryer hookup, refrigerator, garbage disposal, dishwasher, fireplace, carpet throughout, and up to two pets allowed with pet deposit. Eight eighty a month, eight eighty deposit." She smiled. "That's without pets, and that includes water and trash. Trash pickup is on Tuesdays. Pool is open May through September, clubhouse year-round, fitness center twenty-four/seven, and of course designated, covered parking."
Trenton looked to me.
I shrugged. "It's amazing."
"Do you love it?"
"What's not to love? This blows my place out of the water."
Trenton smiled at Libby. "We'll take it."
"Uh . . . Trenton, can we . . . ?" I pulled him into a bedroom and shut the door.
"What, baby? This place isn't going to have vacancies for long."
"I thought you wouldn't have the money until after Travis's fight?"
Trenton laughed and wrapped his arms around me. "I was saving up for a year's worth of rent and bills, including my half of dad's. I can afford to move us in now."
"Wait, wait, wait . . . did you just say us?"
"What'd I say?" Trent asked, confused. "You just said you loved it and it was better than your place."
"But I didn't say I was going to move in, too! I said the opposite last night!"
Trenton stood there with his mouth open. It snapped shut, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, so . . . I have
a key to your place, you have a key to mine. See how it goes. No pressure."
"I don't have to have a key to your apartment right now."
"Why not?"
"I just . . . I don't need one. I don't know, it feels weird. And why do you need a two-bedroom?"
Trenton shrugged. "You said you needed your space. That room is for whatever you want it to be."
I wanted to hug him and tell him yes and make him happy, but I didn't want to move in with my boyfriend. Not yet, and if I did, it would be a natural progression, not this ambushing bullshit. "No."
"No to what?"
"To everything. I'm not taking a key. I'm not moving in. I'm not getting gauges. Just . . . no!"
"Gauges . . . what?"
I stormed out, running past Libby, down the stairs, and back to the Intrepid. Trenton didn't make me stand in the cold long. He slid in next to me and started the car. As it warmed up, he sighed. "I picked a bad week to quit smoking."
"Tell me about it."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Busy with packing and moving, Trenton wasn't around much for the next week. I helped him when I could, but things were awkward. Trenton was more than a little disappointed about me not moving in. He couldn't hide his feelings any better than I could, which wasn't always a good thing.
Saturday night, Raegan was sitting on our love seat, flipping channels in a show-stopping cocktail dress. The single shoulder strap looked like shimmering diamonds, and the rest was curve-hugging red satin. The sweetheart neckline made it that much sexier. Her silver heels were sky-high, and her hair was straight, shiny, and half up, half down.
"I wish Blia were here. This moment definitely calls for one of her customized phrases. You are flawless."
Her buff lip gloss glistened against her brilliant smile. "Thanks, Cami. What are your plans tonight?"
"Trenton was going to unpack for a little while after he left Skin Deep, but he said he'd be here by seven. Travis is having a rough time lately, so he's going to check on him and then come over."
"So you're taking the night off?"
I nodded.
"Brazil is picking me up at seven thirty."
"You don't look all that happy about it."
She shrugged.
I walked into my bedroom, and slid open my closet doors. The left one was hanging off the track, so I had to be careful. My clothes were carefully categorized by type and subtype, and then by color. Sweaters were hanging on the far left, various shirts, denim, and then dresses on the right. I didn't have very many--I was more focused on paying bills than padding my wardrobe, and Raegan let me borrow a lot of her stuff, anyway. Trenton was taking me to some fancy Italian restaurant in town, and then we were going to have a few drinks at the Red. It was supposed to be a laid-back evening. His card and present were sitting in a red gift sack on top of my dresser. It was fairly lame, but I knew he would appreciate the gesture.
I pulled out the only thing that was close to appropriate: a black crocheted dress with a white liner and three-quarter-length sleeves. With a modest scoop neckline, it was the one dress I owned that didn't accentuate my cleavage and wouldn't draw attention at a nice restaurant. I slipped on a pair of red heels and matching red necklace and earrings, and called it good.
There was a knock on the door just before seven, and I jogged across the floor. "Don't get up. It's probably Trent."
But it wasn't. It was Brazil. He looked at his watch. "Sorry I'm so early. I was just sitting around the house and . . ."
Raegan stood up, and Brazil was speechless for a moment. His mouth pulled to the side. "You look nice."
I frowned. Raegan looked like a million bucks, and I could tell Brazil was intentionally acting unimpressed. He wasn't being mean about it, but there was a hint of regret in his eyes. Raegan didn't even complain about his nonreaction, she just mirrored his expression, and then picked up her purse from the breakfast bar.
"Better bring a coat, Ray," Brazil said. "It's chilly."
I opened the front closet and handed her black dress coat to her. She offered a small smile in thanks, and then they closed the door behind them.
I returned to my room and finished my hair. Seven came and went, and so did seven thirty. At eight, I picked up my phone and turned it over. Nothing. I tried calling, but it went straight to voicemail.
At fifteen 'til nine, I was sitting on the love seat, playing a stupid bird game on my cell phone. It didn't help my already building anger that Trenton hadn't called to explain his lateness.
Someone knocked on the door, and I leaped to my feet. I opened the door to find Trenton, or part of him, because he was hidden behind a vase full of several dozen dark red roses.
I gasped and covered my mouth. "Holy hell, are those for me?" I asked.
Trenton walked in and set the vase on the bar. He was in the same clothes he wore to work, and suddenly I felt overdressed.
When he turned, he wasn't smiling.
"What? Is Travis okay?" I asked.
"His bike was parked at Ugly Fixer Liquor's, so probably not."
I hugged him tight. "Thank you for the flowers." When I realized his hands were still at his sides, I pulled away.
Trenton was clearly working to keep his face smooth. "They were delivered to the shop late, after you left. They're not from me."
"Who are they from?" I asked.
He pointed to the vase. "There's a card."
I walked over and plucked the miniature red envelope from its plastic holder. When I pulled the card out, my lips moved but nothing came out as I quickly read the words.
I talked myself out of this several times this week, but I had to.
Love always,
T.
I closed my eyes. "Damn it." I laid the card upside down and flat on the light-green Formica and held it there, glancing at Trenton. "I know what you're thinking."
"No, you don't."
"I am not talking to him. We haven't spoken in weeks."
"So it was T.J.," Trenton said, his face and neck turning three shades of red.
"Yes, but I don't even think he knows why he sent them. Let's just . . ." I reached for him, but he pulled away. "Let's just forget about them," I said, gesturing dismissively toward the roses, "and have a good time tonight." Trenton shoved his hands in his pockets, his lips pressed together in a hard line. "Please?" I begged.
"He sent them to fuck with your head. And mine."
"No," I said, "he wouldn't do that."
"Don't defend him! This is bullshit!" he said as he turned for the door, and then turned back to face me. "I've been sitting at work this whole time, staring at those fucking things. I wanted to calm down before I got here, but this is just . . . it's fucking disrespectful, is what it is! I bust my ass trying to prove to you that I'm better for you than he ever was. But he keeps pulling this shit, and showing up, and . . . I can't compete with some rich college boy from California. I'm barely getting by, with no degree, and up until a few days ago I still lived with my dad. But I am so fucking in love you, Cami," he said, reaching for me. "I have been since we were kids. The first time I saw you on the playground, I knew what beauty was. The first time you ignored me was my first broken heart. I thought I was playing this right, from the moment I sat down at your table at the Red. No one has ever wanted someone as much as I want you. For years I . . ." He was breathing hard, and he clenched his jaw. "When I heard about your dad, I wanted to rescue you," he said, chuckling, but not out of humor. "And that night at your apartment, I thought I'd finally gotten something right." He pointed to the ground. "That my purpose in life was to love you and keep you safe . . . but I didn't prepare for having to share you."
I didn't know if I could fix this. It was our first Valentine's Day, and he was furious. But I knew those flowers had nothing to do with Trenton and everything to do with T.J. being miserable. He loved me, but we just couldn't make it work. Trenton didn't understand because any attempt at an explanation would lead to questions--questions I c
ouldn't answer. It was hard to be mad at either of them, and easy to be angry at myself for putting us all in this situation.
I walked into the kitchen, pulled out the trash can, picked up the vase, and let it fall straight to the bottom.
Trenton watched me with a grimace, and then his entire face softened. "You didn't have to do that!"
I rushed over to him and wrapped my arms around his middle, pressing my cheek against his shoulder. Even when I wore heels, he was taller than me. "I don't want those flowers." I looked up at him. "I do, however, want you. You're not the one I'm stuck with because I didn't get my first choice. If you think you're in love with two people, you pick the second one, right? Because if I really loved T.J., I couldn't have fallen in love with you."
Trenton looked down at me, his eyes heavy with sadness. "In theory," he said, laughing once.
"I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Every woman who's met you wants a shot at you. How could you ever think you're the consolation prize?"
Trenton touched my jaw with his palm, and then he walked away from me. "Goddammit! I ruined our whole night! I'm such a fuckin' jerk, Cami! I was stressing because I wanted to get you flowers, but they're all so damn expensive . . . and then that ridiculously gigantic bouquet shows up. I'm a dick. I'm an unreasonable, selfish, insecure dick who is so scared of losing you. It's too hard to believe that you're already mine." His eyes were so sad, it broke my heart.
"Since we were kids? You never talked to me, though. I didn't think you knew who I was."
He laughed once. "You terrified me."
I raised an eyebrow. "A Maddox boy? Afraid?"
His face compressed. "We've already lost the first woman we ever loved. The thought of going through that again scares the shit out of us."
My eyes instantly filled with tears, and then spilled over. I gripped his shirt in my fists and pulled him against me, kissing him hard, and then I ran to my room, picked up the small sack and card, and returned to him. I held the sack in front of me.
"Happy Valentine's Day."
Trenton blanched. "I am the biggest dickhole in the history of dickholes."
"Why?"
"I was so worried about the flowers, I forgot your present at the shop."
"It's okay," I said, waving him off. "This is not a big deal."
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