Then he kisses me again.
Chapter 32
Before Trent is able to take me home, I’m questioned by the police and checked over by the medics. Eventually our intruder comes to and is roughly walked out of the shop and into a waiting police vehicle. Turns out he’s just a poor, homeless guy who has an expensive addiction. He openly admits that he heard talk around town about the success of May’s and so he thought he was going to hit the jackpot with a simple armed robbery. I guess what he didn’t expect was a stubborn owner and a crazy she-devil.
All limbs intact and a bit of a headache, Trent takes me home. He doesn’t let me walk into the house; he walks to my side of the car and carries me inside. He walks me down the hallway to the bedroom, where I notice Jake on my bed.
“How did Jake get here?”
“Like I said, babe, he belongs here. Brought him back after I came to set you straight.”
“How did you know I was going to take you back?” I ask stubbornly.
“I didn’t. I took a chance knowing this thing between us is bigger than the bullshit that has been going on.” He lays me on the bed so delicately, then climbs over me and dips his head to press his lips softly to mine. “You feel it, right, CeCe? This pull that surrounds us any time we’re close. It’s like our bodies are in sync and have this special connection.” He dips again, kissing the side of my mouth. “I know we have some shit to talk about. But I also know that this”—he puts all his weight on one arm, then takes his other hand and waves it around, indicating us—“this is something I didn’t know existed, and I never plan on letting it slip away from me.” He ends his poetic speech with his lips meeting mine and kissing me so passionately I can feel every word he just poured out through his touch and his lips.
His beautiful mouth covers mine as we connect, not just in a physical way, but emotionally. I am feeling so full with love that I just want to wrap my arms around Trent and never let him go. I feel love and loss at the same time. Loss for all the time we missed due to a misunderstanding, caused by something that we could have communicated about and moved on with. I also realize there is still that gap that needs to be fixed before we go any further.
I push him away from me—not in a harsh way, but enough for him to understand. At first he meets my push with resistance, but he knows we need to stop and talk before we go any further.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Don’t be. I know we need to talk.” He sits up and moves his body so he is still on top of me but his legs are straddling mine.
“Is this how we’re going to talk?” Not sure this is the best position to have a serious conversation.
“Yeah, we are. Because when I talk to you, I want you to see me. I want you to see the truth in my eyes when I tell you my side. Then, when I do, and I see that understanding in yours, I want to waste no more time in showing you what I’ve been waiting to show you the past week.”
I choke out my emotion-filled words. “And that is?”
“That I love you, CeCe Westcott. Down to my goddamn soul.”
Oh my…
He sure does make it hard to be mad at whatever we are about to discuss.
“Okay,” I say, giving him the floor to speak.
Taking a deep breath, he begins. “I didn’t know anything about you or your situation until the morning your ex showed up. I swear to it. I want you know that.”
“Alright,” I reply.
“When I accepted the job transfer from Colorado, Cassie told me that she needed out of her place, quick. Told me that the market was shit, and if I took the job transfer here, I could just rent her place. Killed two birds with one stone. She’d have a renter and I didn’t have to search high and low for a place. My position was getting a bit too intense and it was time I took a step back from the front line, so I took her offer. At no time did she explain to me that her situation involved cheating with a married man, then taking off with him. She gave me the basics. She met a guy. They were in love and she was moving out with him. That’s it. I swear. I don’t really pry into my little sister’s love life, so I didn’t ask any questions.”
Still uncertain on how to process what he is saying, I reply back with a simple “okay” and allow him to continue.
“I didn’t even catch it when Jeff asked me if I told you who I was. I was so mad he was even touching you, I didn’t even question why he would say that to me.”
“Okay.” I can’t say that at the time I caught wind of Jeff’s comment either, but now it makes sense.
“That night, when we were lying in bed, when you admitted who Jeff was and your story, that’s when I figured it out. When you talked about the neighbor, I knew then it was my sister. It was a good thing you were laying on my chest and couldn’t see my face because I probably would have scared you with the look of rage I was wearing. I wanted to destroy your ex for treating you like that, but even more, I wanted to whip my sister for being a part of any of your suffering. I was shocked she would have taken things that far. Our parents did not have a happily ever after. My father cheated on my mother throughout most of their marriage. Cassie didn’t take it well. Rebelled a lot. Eventually my mother did the right thing and divorced my father, and he left. I’m not sure either of us have seen or spoken to him in years. For Cassie to do the one thing she so much resented my father for shocked and hurt.”
This information actually surprises me. Trent barely ever spoke about his family; after hearing such a sad story, it makes sense why he chose not to disclose it.
“Anyways, the next day, I went in search of my sister but she made it real hard to get to her. She was dodging my calls and I can only assume it was because Jeff had told her what he saw that day he came by. She knew I would not be happy to hear how she ended up with him. She was sneaky and time started to just get away from me. The more time that passed, the more I felt the weight of what I knew. I tried to bring it up or tell you, but then the timing wouldn’t be right. You always looked so happy, and to take that away from you just made me want to ignore it. I kept telling myself that the time would be right another time.”
I understand why Trent wanted me to see his eyes while he told me his story; the honesty shadowed by sadness that is pouring from him feels real. I believe him.
He continues on. “Unfortunately, the first time Cassie and I were face to face about to have it out, was when you walked into my kitchen. Without me confessing my relationship with you, she figured it out. Gonna assume Jeff kept quiet on that part. She said some hateful things, and for that I am sorry. If I could take back all the hurt I saw in your eyes that day, I would. Once you left, I blew up at her. I yelled at her for the way she spoke to you. I asked her how she could have done what she did to someone. How could she turn around and become the one thing she hated so much? A cheater. The fight got ugly and we both said some things we probably shouldn’t have. Obviously, at this point you and Jeff were divorced, so it’s not like I could tell her to stop what she was doing. She cried and told me how ashamed she was but she loved him. Not sure why. Once a cheater, always a cheater in my book.”
I feel so solemn at his admissions. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” It’s the question that echoes in my head. I think about all the times we’d lie in bed, sharing stories. All the opportunities he had to just spit it out. “You let me share with you my troubles, my pain, and never once did you stop me to say you knew.”
He sighs. “She said you and Jeff had been over way before they started what they did, and that I didn’t understand. But, CeCe, I did. All the times you talked about your marriage, I could tell you were never happy or in love with him. I thought about how I was giving all that back to you and I just couldn’t be the one to take it away from you. I thought if I told you who I was, you would associate me with my sister and distance yourself from me.”
Would I have? I was always so stuck in my ways on hating the neighbor because of what she did. Would I have just listened to Trent explain and had been okay with
it?
“Trent, I would not have blamed you. You didn’t do anything wrong. That’s on them. But I trusted you to be honest with me. When everyone else was lying to me, I expected you to be truthful.”
Trent takes my hand and places it against his heart. Surely enough, I can feel his heart beating erratically.
“Do you feel that?” he asks desperately. “That’s my heart going nuts over what you might do or say. I know that right now I do not have the upper hand with you. I know I fucked up. I should have told you in the beginning, but this”—he presses my hand harder into his chest—“this stepped in and chose to protect you from something and love you instead. I can’t change what happened, Ce, but I can just love you. I’m sorry for what my sister and Jeff did to you. Shit, I’ve thought if maybe I had been closer with my sister and gotten wind sooner, I could have put a stop to it. I didn’t know what to do with the information that was thrown at me. But know that through it all, I’ve been so messed up. You can hate me for saying this, but it’s the truth. I’m glad that asshole of a husband cheated on you and is gone. Cause that means it gave me the chance to step in. You make me happy, Ce. I just wanted to be happy. And by Christ, you make me that way. Would I have done things differently if I had the chance, knowing you might have left me? Probably not. Because I would take any time I’ve been able to spend with you over having nothing at all.”
I go to open my mouth but nothing comes out. Again. I think he broke my vocal cords with his confession.
“Ce?”
“Yeah?” I croak out.
“I love you.”
Shit. That was the final push of the arrow right into my heart, sealing the deal. Up until now, I never realized how silly I had been acting about something so unimportant. I lost time with a man who loves me because of a past of lies and betrayal. Looking into the eyes of the man who truly loves me, I know he would never intentionally lie or hurt me. I lift my shaky hand and graze his cheek. Our eyes are locked on each other and his love is burning into me, straight to my heart.
“I love you, Trent Walker.”
“I love you too, babe.”
“Thank you for bringing Jake back.”
“You’re welcome.” He chuckles in response. “So, we good?”
I smile. “We’re good, babe.”
“Good, cause I really need something sweet right now.”
And with that, Trent got something really sweet, and in return I got an explosive firework show.
Epilogue
“Ohhhh God…”
“CeCe…”
“Shhhh…I’m almost there.”
“CeCe, I’m serious, let it go...”
“No…ohhhhhhh God!”
“Ce, I’m not going to tell you again, this is ridiculous. Let it go now.”
“No, I’m not done yet. Just give me five more minutes. I just need one last squeeze—ohhhhh shit!”
“Goddammit! That’s it!” Trent stops wrestling me for the icing dispenser and whips it across the bakery. I watch in horror as it hits the fridge, splattering beautiful, Tiffany-blue icing all over my brand new stainless steel refrigerator.
“You did not just do that,” I grunt. I’m not sure if it’s because of his actions or if it’s the pain radiating from down below that’s going to make me pass out.
“CeCe. I let this go on too long. And now you are about to give me a Goddamn heart attack! We should have been on our way to the hospital like twenty fucking minutes ago!” He ends his tirade on a howl.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Trent, it’s fine. They said you don’t have to rush it when you— Hoooooooly shit pudding,” I grumble. That was a bad one.
“Shit! See? We’re going now!”
So, when I start feeling a mini human trying to break through my lower region, maybe it’s time to let Trent win this one. But to know I am leaving mid cake and Mrs. Bellows won’t have her daughter’s communion cake on time just doesn’t feel right. “Trent. Just wait. If you let me breathe this out, I can finish the topping and let Katie—” That argument is cut off by yet another wave of killer contractions.
I bend over and try to catch my breath. “These are seriously getting to be a bit dramatic.” I probably should not have said that, because it turns Trent an even paler shade.
“That’s it, I’m just calling 9-1-1.” He pulls out his phone. Good thing he’s shaking so badly and can’t dial three lousy numbers, giving me the opportunity to smack the phone out of his hand. “You did not just do that,” he growls.
“Oh, I did. You need to relax. No one’s calling 9-1-1.”
“CeCe! Your water broke almost thirty minutes ago! If I didn’t get Katie to sell you out and confess you were here, then you would be by yourself about to have this baby in the bakery!”
I’m not really sure why he is yelling at this point. Trust me, I can hear him just fine. “Listen, I know I lied, but I just wanted to finish this cake.”
“Lied? I banned you from the shop, CeCe! You can’t even walk on your own, let alone ice a damn cake! How many times do I have to tell you? This is the fourth time this month I have caught you NOT going for some fresh air, or the mail, or letting Jake out, and instead, doing something sugar related!”
“Trent...”
“Don’t you ‘Trent’ me, woman! You were told to be on bed-rest. I have spent more effort holding you captive than I should have. The shop is running fine without you. Katie has it under control. I don’t know why you think you need to sneak in here to bake something every time I turn my back on you for a second!”
“Because I miss baking.”
“Well, I miss my sane wife! And just when I thought you were getting the hint of what bed-rest means, you lock me in the bathroom and drive yourself to the bakery!”
“Well, for the record, I didn’t lock you in there. I just may have left the chair where it blocked the door.”
“CeCe...did the chair also have a wire around the nob?”
“Well, that would be strange if it did.”
“Dammit, CeCe, you’re gonna send me to an early grave. “
“It’s fine, trust me—” That’s as far as I get because I barrel over with another wave of holy shit, one badass contraction hitting me right where it counts.
“Oh, fuck this,” Trent groans and takes action, scooping me up in his arms. It’s weird because not a second ago, I swear I wasn’t sweating. Trent shoves us through the shop doors and heads to his Jeep. He opens the door and guides me into the front seat. As he attempts to latch my seatbelt, I get hit again and double over in pain. Trent might as well be feeling the same agony; a pained expression of horror covers his face.
“Baby, breathe it out, okay? Just breathe it out.”
I take his advice and breath in and out once, then say fuck it and use the remainder of my energy to curse out all mankind. Trent shuts my door and sprints to the driver side, practically hopping over the hood of the Jeep to get to other side faster. He jumps into the car and throws it into drive. He throws his police light on top of his hood and drives like a bat outta hell to the hospital.
“Trent?” I say, grinding my teeth.
“Yeah, babe?”
“Maybe we should have left thirty minutes ago.” That gets a panicked look from Trent as, impossibly, his face gets paler still.
“Seriously, CeCe, I love you, but if you have that baby in this car, I swear to God, I will cancel all your wine memberships while you are stuck in your hospital bed.”
He swerves to avoid a parked car and I begin to take in how serious this situation is. He has scared me into squeezing my goods closed as tight as I can. The only thing scarier than giving birth in a vehicle is the death of my wine club membership.
…
So, since you have stuck it out this far into my story, it’s only fair to backtrack a little and fill you in on the good stuff. It wouldn’t be my life if my story didn’t end in the most unconventional way ever. How did I get here? I would only describe it as tripping, f
alling and landing right where I needed to be. Life next door took away a part of my past and replaced it with my beautiful future. It’s been almost a year since Trent and I became an official us.
So much has happened since that day of the attempted robbery. Where do I begin? In regards to the incident, once we were spent, sated and officially made up, Trent flipped. It took less than twenty-four hours for Trent to take control and add a security system to the shop. I have faith in humanity so I was not as worried, but Trent was taking no chances and had the system up and running ASAP. Not only did he have it up and wired, he also had it ready for the expansion. Trent was taking no chances with his girl.
In a small town, no gossip goes unheard, so the store was insane with meddling customers for the next few weeks. Everyone wanted to hear the brave story of how Trent’s mystery sister and I took down a crazy man with a gun. The story took some crazy twists; at one point, I heard that I had been stabbed three times and that Cassie didn’t make it. It took Cassie actually walking into the shop a week later—and Mrs. Humphries swearing she just saw a ghost and passing out right in line—for that rumor to get set straight.
And you’re right, Cassie did come back to offer her monumental apology. Turns out, Cassie wasn’t such a she-devil after all. She showed up at my house a few days after the attack and, shockingly, she left with my number and a blooming new friendship. I officially retired “she-devil” and replaced it with Cassie in my name bank. We sat in my living room for hours as she explained how sorry she was about how she and Jeff came to be. She explained that it just happened and that she is truly in love with him and believes he is the one. She went into detail about her family drama and the deceitful past that Trent had already shared with me. She cried when she apologized for allowing Jeff to be unfaithful to me; she does feel shame for how they got together.
As much as I wanted to hate her, I understood–Jeff wasn’t mine anymore as much as I wasn’t his. I think hearing that she knew she was wrong made it better. But in the end, I guess you can’t fight true love. She expressed how she had been suffering from nightmares since the attack and thanked me for being so strong during it all. I, of course, left out that I was actually scared shitless. Someone needed to be the hero here. We talked about Trent. She told me that after I left that day, Trent threatened her and went as far as cutting off family ties if she didn’t make it right with me. He told her that he loved me and admitted to her he was going to marry me one day. I was moved to hear he already knew, even back then.
Life Next Door (Love Not Included Series Book 2) Page 16