“Why? Because you’ll be betraying his trust?” I interrupted.
J.J. pinned me with a serious look and my breath caught in my throat. “Yeah, I don’t want to betray his trust.” He smiled wistfully for a moment before turning serious again. “Trent’s a good guy. And, you should know, he’s having a hard time with this, Paige.” He nudged my shoulder with his.
“I’m sure he’s really heartbroken. You know, he’s the one who broke up with me. Not the other way around.” I said bitterly as I pushed myself off the counter and walked out of the kitchen. I went to the dining room and stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, wrapping my arms around myself.
“Paige...” J.J. followed and joined me in my admiration of the city below. “He broke up with you before you had the chance to leave him.” He spoke softly.
Before I left him?!
“I wasn’t going anywhere, J.J. I fell in love with him. He’s the one that was kissing his ex.” I shook my head, my lip quivering as I said the words aloud.
“The people he cares for the most always leave him. That’s what he thinks anyway. It’s deep rooted issues stemming from his mom. Oh, and Rebecca kissed him, Paige.”
“But his mom didn’t leave, J. She died. There’s a difference.” I threw my hands in the air, exasperated.
“You don’t know, do you? Trent didn’t tell you?” J.J. took a step away as he turned to face me.
“Tell me what?” I asked.
“How do you think his mom died?”
“An accident, I assumed.”
J.J. closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. “Paige, she killed herself.”
I gasped in shock. Trent’s mother killed herself? Why? She had so much. Granted, I had met Tripp and he didn’t seem like such a great prize. But she had two amazing children and a beautiful home. Wasn’t that enough? I just can’t imagine anyone’s pain being so much that they would want to end their own life.
My shoulders slumped as I let out a sigh. “I need to sit down.” I said, walking over to my sofa.
“Being there with you... When you stood up to Tripp in that office, Trent was stunned! Nobody has ever defended him like that. And Charlotte absolutely adored you. She thought you were wonderful. But what really got him was what his father said about you. Even after you insulted the man and pretty much threatened him, he still complimented you. Compliments from Tripp Knox is like ice water in Hell, Paige. Non-existent.” J.J. plopped down on the couch beside me.
I shook my head and placed it in my hands.
“Trent just freaked out, Paige. He realized the magnitude of what you two were becoming and he got scared. So, he pushed you away before you had the chance to run.”
I turned my face in my hands and looked at J.J. “Why are you telling me this?”
J.J. leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. “So, if he calls you or shows up on your doorstep, you’ll forgive him.”
But, could I forgive him? After hearing everything from J.J., I honestly don’t know...
“I should probably go home.” J.J. abruptly stood.
“Would you mind taking me to get my Jeep first?” I asked, looking up at him. He raised an eyebrow, questioning my question. “Well, I wasn’t going to leave your ZR1 in Old Montreal all night.”
He held his hand out to me and helped me to my feet. “So, you drove my car?”
“Yes, J.J., I drove your car.” I rolled my eyes at him. “And it’s still in one piece.”
“Oh, thank God!” He let out a sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair, making the strands stick up even more. If that’s even possible...
“Oh, hey J.J., I’ve been meaning to ask, what were you even doing at Matty’s restaurant last night?” I asked pointedly.
“Ughhhhh...” J.J. tilted his head and made a whole bunch of unattractive faces. “Let’s go get your Jeep.” He pointed toward the front door and darted out without another word.
Yep, that’s what I thought...
†
Gripping the door, I was relieved when we finally pulled into a parking spot beside my Wrangler. Saying J.J. likes to drive fast is the understatement of the year; I should really say J.J. likes to drive as if he were on the set of Need for Speed. In fact, I was surprised we made it to Old Montreal with all our limbs intact. J.J. turned off the ignition and jumped out of the car, coming around to my side and opening the door for me.
“Thanks for the interesting ride, J.J.” I patted him on the shoulder.
“Thanks for last night, Paige. I really appreciate it.” He smiled from behind his mirrored aviators.
“Hey, anytime you want to get drunk again and need a designated driver, I’m your girl.” I smirked as I turned and ran my hand across the black hood of his car. “As long as I get to drive this... Now, are you going to tell me what you were doing, drinking alone at Les Deux?”
“Trying to get a pretty, young thing to take me home and allow me to spend the night.” He slid his aviators down his nose and winked at me.
I threw my head back and laughed, slapping his arm half-heartedly. “And how’d that work out for you?”
“Pretty well, I’d say.” He pushed his sunglasses back up on his face and smiled widely.
“You are the wolf in sheep’s clothing.” I mumbled under my breath. “Promise me, J, no drunk driving?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He mock-saluted me and then pulled me into a friendly hug. “Take it easy on him when you see him, okay?” He said into my ear.
I leaned back and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes. I nodded my head, softly smiling.
“What the fuck is this?” A booming voice caught our attention and we both turned our heads to look at the source.
“Shit.” J.J. dropped his arms and took a step away from me. “Knox, this is not what you think.”
Double shit...
chapter 13
Horror. Pure horror struck me as I watched Trent ball up his fists and take a step closer to J.J. Oh no… This is about to end badly. Very, very badly.
Trent looked terrible. Well, I don’t think it’s possible for Trent to ever look truly terrible, but he looked rough. His hair was stringy, as if he had been running his hands through it non-stop for the past week. His eyes were tired and it appeared he hadn’t shaved since New York. Clearly, he had taken this break-up about as well as I had. Well, serves him right...
“What I think? What I think is my best friend just couldn’t wait till I was out of the way, so he could move in on my girlfriend.” Trent said through gritted teeth. His muscles were tense underneath his navy blue thermal and black leather jacket.
“EX-girlfriend.” J.J. corrected him and I swear I saw a vein bulge in Trent’s neck in response to the provocation. I almost chuckled out loud at J.J.’s gall.
Trent clenched his fists tighter and took another step toward J.J. Acting purely on instinct, I darted between the two men and stopped directly in front of Trent. I placed both of my hands on his firm chest, urging him to stand still. He didn’t look at me, but instead, kept glowering at J.J. I knew that if I didn’t diffuse the situation, we would have a back-alley brawl on our hands and it probably wouldn’t end very well for J.J.
“You should probably head home, J.” I said over my shoulder.
“You got it, Paige. Thanks again for last night.” I heard J.J. antagonize and I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “I’ll call you later, Knox.” He said firmly, before getting in his Corvette and driving off.
Trent glared at the car as it travelled down the road. When the ZR1 was no longer in view, he turned and looked down at my hands still resting on his chest.
“Did you sleep with him?” He enunciated every word carefully.
Of course, Trent would think that with all of J.J.’s insinuations, but I couldn’t believe he would think I would actually do something like that. We’ve been broken up for all of ten days and he thinks I would sleep with his best friend. Preposterous!
&n
bsp; I dropped my hands and turned away from him. Shaking my head, I spun on my heels to face Trent again. “No, Trent, I did not sleep with him. I can’t believe you would...”
Trent crossed his arms over his chest before lifting his gaze to meet mine. “What am I supposed to think when I see him bringing you back to your car at ten o’clock in the morning?” His tone was clipped and his jaw was set in a rigid line.
“You’re not supposed to think the worst of my character, Trent! I was trying to keep your best friend from killing himself last night! He was too drunk to drive and I couldn’t get his address out of him, so he slept it off on my couch! Not in my bed!”
Trent’s mouth formed the shape of an O as he took in what I had said. He looked at me almost apologetically, but he didn’t un-cross his arms.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” I shot back as I crossed my arms, mirroring his defensive stance.
“I was coming to find you. I know you eat breakfast here sometimes, so I thought I would drive by before heading to your place.” Trent’s voice softened a little.
“Well, you found me. Now, what do you want? Because I think everything was pretty much said back in New York.” I couldn’t hide the hurt in my voice.
Trent stared at me without speaking. I nodded my head once and turned to get into my Jeep. If he wasn’t going to say a word, then he could just stand in the cold all by himself. No need in making myself sick just to stand here in silence. We would just part ways and always question what might’ve been, no matter how much pain it might bring me.
I dug my key out of my coat pocket and stuck it in the driver’s side door, turning it in the lock. I stopped and closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I took the key back out and opened the door. I turned to look back at Trent. He looked as if he had been punched in the gut and his green eyes were full of anguish as he watched my every move. I silently cursed and slammed the door shut. “No! You know what? I’m not letting you off that easy! Why did you come looking for me?” I asked, marching over to Trent. Nope, I wasn’t ready to let go of him. Not yet...
“I... I don’t know.” Trent’s deep voice was quiet.
“Damn it, Trent! Why won’t you talk to me?” I threw my hands up in the air out of exasperation.
Trent looked over my shoulder and stared intently at my Jeep, avoiding my gaze and my question.
“Maybe if I were a ghost, huh? Would you talk to me then? Maybe then you would say something! Anything!” I took another step closer and bobbed in front of him, trying to catch his attention. I was successful and he looked down at my face.
“Paige, I can’t stop thinking about you. Since the night you left, I’ve been... It’s been pure hell.” He paused and ran a hand through his hair. “But, I’m no good at relationships.” He said morosely.
“Because you don’t even try!” I raised my voice and he took a step back. I immediately took a step forward to counteract his evasiveness. “You won’t share anything about your life and sometimes I feel like I don’t even know you at all. Why won’t you let me in, Trent? Huh? Why do you feel you have to keep me at arm’s length?” Tears welled in my eyes as I pleaded with the man I loved. “Please, Trent, just let me in.”
Trent stepped away from me and began to pace back and forth. He glanced at me as he scrubbed a hand across his chin. “You feel like you don’t know me?! You were engaged, Paige! ENGAGED!” His voice rose almost to the point of yelling.
“Oh my gosh, Trent! Get over it!” I yelled and Trent stopped pacing immediately. “Yes, I was engaged. But you went to Boston-flippin’-University! AND, you dated the same girl all throughout high school AND college!” I walked right up to him and got in his face. “So, go ahead and give me all the hell you want for me being engaged, but just remember you omitted things, too. The road goes both ways, Knox.”
“What do you want from me? Huh?” He yelled and threw his hands up.
“You, Trent! All I’ve wanted since our very first date was you. When you kissed me goodbye in New York, I wanted to say something, anything but the only words forming on my lips...” I sighed, defeated. “...the only words were I love you.” I said quietly.
Trent looked down at the ground with slightly furrowed eyebrows and I knew I had just messed up big time. I should’ve never revealed my hand to him. I should’ve kept the fact that I’m in love with him to myself.
Trent slowly lifted his head and pinned me with an intense gaze before hauling me into him with one swift movement and kissing me fervently. I wrapped my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers in his hair as our lips moved in sync.
Even though our last kiss was only ten days ago, it felt as if it had been a lifetime. In truth, I’ve been struggling to stay afloat since our breakup in New York, and here’s Trent, throwing me a life buoy I’ve been so frantically searching for.
I held onto him for dear life as his tongue gently parted my lips and met my own. Trent’s strong hands pressed into my lower back, drawing me closer to him. And although there wasn’t an inch of space between us, his hands urged me closer still.
Trent slowly pulled his lips away, breathless, and rested his forehead on mine. “How’s that for arm’s length?” He smirked before kissing me once more. He took a deep breath and tilted my face so my eyes were looking straight into his.
“This doesn’t make everything ok. It... Doesn’t work that way and we’ve got so much...” I said while I twirled a lock of his hair around my finger.
Trent frowned slightly and nodded his head. “I know... Look... Just... Come home with me. You can ask me anything you want and I will answer all your questions honestly.” His fingers rubbed small circles on my back. “I know we have a lot to work through.”
“You’ll answer ALL of my questions?” I raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“ALL of them.” Trent placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before enveloping me in a tight hug. “Please, Paige. Just give me one more chance.” He whispered into my hair.
The strings Trent had wrapped around my heart constricted upon hearing his words. I closed my eyes, squeezing him tighter. Maybe he will open up to me... Maybe this can work... But he didn’t say that he loves me too. So what if I’m the only one... Oh, I’ve got to quit over-thinking.
I nodded my head against his chest and felt him relax in my arms. “I’ll follow you over there.” I leaned back and looked up at him.
Trent smiled his big, beautiful smile and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. He gave me a quick, soft kiss on the tip of my nose and pried his arms from around my waist. We both turned and made our way to our respective vehicles. I climbed into my Wrangler and turned on the ignition before buckling my seatbelt. I wrapped my fingers around the cold leather of the steering wheel and rested my forehead against my hands.
One kiss. That’s all it took. One kiss and I had completely forgotten all the bad things that happened in New York. One kiss and I had agreed to follow Trent home. I have this nagging feeling that all it would take is just one kiss and I would follow Trent anywhere. Even into the bottomless depths of Hell.
†
I slipped my black Ugg’s off my feet and folded my legs under me as I sat on Trent’s black leather sofa. I was thankful I still wore my Canadiens jersey and leggings, knowing that I would be comfortable for the long talk which was about to commence.
I stole a quick glance over the back of the couch and watched as Trent stood in the kitchen, making two mugs of coffee. He grabbed a mug with each hand and came over to join me on the couch.
“Here you go, a splash of cream and two sweeteners, just how you like it. Careful, it’s hot.” Trent said, placing a black mug on the glass coffee table in front of me. He leaned back and settled himself on the couch before taking a sip of his hot beverage.
I watched his every move. The way the muscles in his arm flexed and rippled under his shirt as he lifted his mug to his lips. The way his lips embraced the rim of the mug. The way his tongue slid across his lips, catching ever
y last drop of coffee. I was entranced by the man in front of me and all I could think was how I wanted to watch the muscles in his arm flex as he lifted me in his arms. How I desperately wanted his lips to embrace mine, his tongue to glide across mine. I have missed him terribly in the time we’ve been apart and here we are, seated on the same couch and all I can think about is taking the man to bed. Ugh... Pull yourself together, Paige.
“Well, where do you want me to begin?” Trent asked as he set his mug beside mine on the table and then turned to face me on the couch.
I thought back to every single question my mind raised since our trip to New York. I figured I would just start at the beginning and work my way down my mental “list”. Yep, that’s the way to go. “Well, after meeting your father and after what Hayden said… just how well DO you know Wall Street?”
Trent took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose and letting out a whoosh of air from his mouth. “Pretty well, I mean, I worked there five days a week, every week, from the time I was 22 all the way up until I moved here.”
I raised my eyebrows, surprised by that little tidbit. I stayed quiet though, hoping Trent would elaborate more.
“So, I was a pretty decent winger in high school. BU offered me a full scholarship to play Division 1 hockey. It was all I had ever wanted. Well, that and to be drafted into the NHL. BU was handing my dream to me on a silver platter, how could I say no?” He looked at me expectantly.
I shrugged and gave him a small smile, knowing there was not a hockey player in their right mind that would pass up an opportunity like that.
“So, I went.” Trent continued. “I left Scarsdale, my family, and Becca. Played my heart out, until I blew my knee out... sophomore year.” He paused and shook his head, clearly pained by the memory. “I majored in Economics simply to appease Tripp. When I couldn’t play anymore, I finished my degree and went to work with him at Bulwark.”
“Why would you go to work with him if it wasn’t really what you wanted?” I asked, genuinely interested in knowing the answer.
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