This was his fault. He could have somehow stopped it from getting to this point. He’d been there, knew she was being manipulated and kept against her will, and he fucking left.
There wouldn’t be a trial. The evidence was plain to see. So plain, he struggled to keep himself in check each time he looked at her. And yet, the true extent of the damage was still to come. She might never be the same again.
A soft moan drew his focus to her face. Her lashes twitched. He sat forward, carefully cradled her hand, but it remained slack. “Doll? Can you hear me?”
Her lips twitched. “Day—Matt—”
His body shuddered at the rasp of her voice. “They’re safe at my sister’s. She’s been calling every hour to check in. Adam and Tommy are with them.”
Her brow pinched then smoothed. “Marcus?”
His mouth firmed. “He’s gone.”
Her lips parted as if she were releasing a breath she’d been holding for over a decade. He brushed a finger softly over her arm.
“You should rest.”
Her fingers briefly tightened around his. “Hero.”
His gaze lowered. He wasn’t a hero. A hero would have stopped this when he had the chance. “Get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
As she drifted, he kept vigil. A little after midnight she awoke and asked for water. Trenton held a straw between her lips and helped her take a sip. She coughed but tried again. Every time she woke up she asked about her sons. Each time, he assured her that they were safe and sound.
Adam called his cell the following morning. He tried to speak softly but the ring must have woken her.
“My boys?”
He held the phone away from his face and reached for her hand. “No, sweetheart. It’s Adam. The boys are still sleeping.”
She squeezed his hand weakly. “Let me talk.”
Her voice was little more than a pained rasp, but he couldn’t tell her no. Holding the phone to her ear, he waited as she caught her breath.
“Adam,” she sighed and smiled weakly. Words were said on the other end that he couldn’t make out. “Love you, too.” She turned her head away and Trenton knew she was finished.
He offered Adam a quick goodbye and returned his phone to his pocket.
Her left eye had a broken blood vessel that filled the white with murky red. Seeing her look up at him with those familiar brown eyes so battered broke him in two.
Pressing his brow to their entwined fingers, he hid his tears. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. I’m so fucking sorry.”
“Don’t cry…” Her whisper crawled into him, so calming and heartbreaking. “You saved me. You saved my boys.”
But he hadn’t. She saved herself at a terrible cost because he was too late. He’d let a stupid warning from the police slow him down when his gut told him there wasn’t time. A restraining order never would have stopped an animal like Marcus Hunt, so why had he let it slow him?
He’d been on the phone non-stop, reaching out to child services, coordinating with Pete and Jeremy to work out a plan. But he knew she’d never leave until her children were safe. And his theory they were in danger wasn’t enough to spur a response from children’s services. Not until this morning had someone from CPS returned his call. He told them it was handled, but really he wanted to tell them to get fucked.
Thankfully, after everything that went down, Dayton and Mattie hadn’t seen the extent of the damage their mother suffered. There were some big talks happening and he trusted his sister to handle the situation with care. The boys knew something was wrong the day their father took them out of school. Trenton’s heart broke for them as much as it did for Chloe.
He sniffed and tried to get his emotions in check.
“Don’t be sad,” she whispered.
All he’d wanted a week ago was her trust, but now it slayed him. He didn’t deserve her affection or her forgiveness. “This is my fault.”
“No. It’s Marcus’s.”
He lifted his head, looking into her battered eyes. “I would have stopped him from finding you and the boys if I knew he was close. Please believe that. I love you, baby.”
A tear slid down her cheek. “Saved me twice.”
He wouldn’t argue with her, but he knew it was a lie. She saved herself.
They tried to keep anything with a reflection away from her for as long as possible, but once the nurse removed her catheter there was nothing to be done. She was expected to keep her ankle rested, iced, and elevated as much as possible over the next two weeks. With her foot in a boot the way it was and her other injuries still tender, she had a long road of recovery ahead, but she insisted to see her reflection, demanding to know what her boys would see when they saw her.
Reluctantly, Trent brought her a mirror. Her head tilted as she studied herself, her fingers ghosting over the injuries she could see.
“You’ll heal, doll.”
She began to cry. “They can’t see me like this.”
His heart broke again, knowing how badly she wanted to reunite with her children, but agreeing with her all the same. They couldn’t see how bad her injuries were. “You’ll heal fast.”
She lowered the mirror and shut her eyes. “He…” A tear rolled down her cheek. “He used to be so careful not to hit my face.”
His molars locked, thinking of the damage he’d inflicted beneath her gown. “You scared him. He wasn’t thinking in the end because he knew he was going to lose. You won, Chloe.”
“I feel like I lost.”
He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “No. You won.”
Once she was discharged nothing could stop him from getting her out of this god-forsaken town. Chloe agreed to let the boys stay with Pete and Phoenix a while longer. Her voice had a long way to recover, so she used his phone to text them hourly. They had lots of questions and the conversations quickly exhausted her.
He filled his truck with pillows and blankets so she wouldn’t jostle too much on the ride. The pain pills seemed to help her sleep. A nurse was scheduled to visit the house once they got settled and he was determined to make sure she got there safely.
He’d thought she’d been asleep as they crossed through Maryland, but she surprised him by reaching for his hand and whispering, “We’ve been here before.”
He glanced at her and tried to smile. How was she taking this so much better than him? “It’s where we first met.”
She smiled, her eyes tired. “Trenton … Get me home.”
His hand closed tighter around hers. “Always.”
He’d called ahead for Adam to unlock the house. When they arrived in New Castle it was four in the morning. As he pulled into her driveway he spotted her neighbors waiting by her front door.
He carefully carried Chloe up the front steps. “She’s asleep,” he whispered as Adam held the door.
Tommy anxiously waited inside, his eyes wide as Trent carried her to her room. He tucked her into bed and the three of them stood over her, silently wiping their eyes.
“I never imagined…” Adam breathed. Tommy totally broke down, sobbing into his hands, and exiting the room.
Trent stood stoically, awaiting their blame, but it never came. When Adam’s hand touched his back, attempting to comfort, Trent lowered his head.
Adam looked at him, his mouth compressed in a sad smile. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“This is happening to all of us. And none of us are to blame.”
“I should have saved her.”
“You did.”
“I should have saved her sooner.”
“See if telling yourself that makes this easier on anyone, Trenton. We can’t go backward. This is where we are and we can only move forward from here.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chloe awoke to the sound of whispering. She was home. She felt it in her tired bones before she even opened her eyes. Home.
Blinking at the familiar yellow ceiling of her bedroom, she focused on
what was being said, but her head was foggy from all the painkillers. Trenton whispered and a woman’s voice she didn’t recognize answered him softly.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
She grimaced, knowing she wasn’t even passing for attractive. Swallowing, she winced, the movement still a little painful.
“Here, have some water.” Trenton held a glass with a straw to her lips.
His eyes had dark shadows and his jaw needed a shave. She sipped, scrutinizing him. “Did you … sleep?”
“I’m fine. Do you need anything? Are you in pain?”
“Bathroom.” Her throat was unbelievably sore.
The woman at the door stepped forward. “Chloe, my name’s Sue. I’m your nurse for the next week. I’m here to check on your injuries, show you some physical therapy exercises, and help in any way I can. What do you say I help you to the bathroom and from there we get you cleaned up? How does a bath sound?”
Her eyes closed on a long blink. “Divine.”
Trent reached to lift her, but Sue placed a staying hand on his shoulder. Chloe almost laughed at the threatening look he shot the nurse.
“Mr. Cole, she needs to use her muscles in order to heal. Let’s give Chloe a chance to sit up and try to walk on her own?”
“She has a fracture—”
“Yes, and she also has a crutch. Chloe, do you think you can pull yourself up?” She held out an arm and Chloe struggled to rise but made it. “Good. Want to try walking to the bathroom?”
Nodding stiffly, she slid her legs to the side of the bed. Trenton gently adjusted the crutch under her arm as Sue helped her find her balance.
“Careful of your ribs,” he warned.
He followed as she slowly hobbled to the bathroom. At the doorway, she avoided her reflection, awkwardly shuffling the crutch out of the way as Sue helped her lower herself onto the toilet seat. By the time she was seated she was sweating and out of breath.
Trenton closed the door, giving them privacy and Sue started the tub. “Would you like me to add some of this?” She held up a bottle of sun ripened raspberry bubble bath.
Chloe frowned, unsure of where the bottle came from. “That’s not mine.”
Sue uncapped the bottle and shrugged. “It smells nice.” She dumped the pink liquid into the bath and the room filled with a familiar scent of berries.
Once the tub was full, the nurse helped her undress. Still sitting on the toilet, Chloe’s gaze dropped to her legs. Her skin was hideous. Her face was a mess. Her ankle was fractured, as were her ribs, and her limbs were incredibly weak. It was all suddenly too much to bear and she shook as tears fell down her face.
“Shh, it’s okay. We’ll take it slow.” The nurse wrapped a clear plastic bag around her foot. After Sue helped to lower her into the warm water and made a pillow of soft towels for her foot, she shut her eyes and let the heat soothe her aching body.
Sue filled a pitcher with warm water. The gentle cascade trickled down her back, wetting her hair, as the nurse carefully protected her eyes, massaging shampoo into her sore scalp. “You’re doing great.”
Sue repeated the process with conditioner. It had been so long since she’d bathed properly and felt clean. She lathered up a soft brush, the kind the hospital gave new mothers for their newborns, and gently washed her skin.
“You’ll be back to feeling like your regular self again in no time.”
“I don’t know if that’ll ever happen.”
“Sure, it will. Your friends told me how strong you are. They all believe in you. What do you say we take this old nail polish off while you soak?”
She looked at her chipped nails and grimaced. She was a disaster.
Sue stood and opened the medicine cabinet. “Exactly where I keep mine. Let me guess, the cotton balls are under the sink.” She bent and retrieved the cotton balls with a smile.
Chloe silently watched as the woman swabbed away her old nail polish, and cleaned the grit from under her nails. Using a file, she smoothed out the jagged edges. By the time the water had chilled, she felt like a new woman. She was clean, shampooed, and ready for a painkiller and a nap.
Requesting Trenton wait in the other room, Sue helped her slip into a nightgown and tucked her into bed. “Is there anything else I can do before I go?”
The woman was such an angel Chloe found herself searching for wings and a halo. “You know that big man hovering around here?”
“Mr. Cole?”
“Please tell him to get some sleep.”
“I’ll try, but I’m not sure he’ll listen to me. He seems set on keeping an eye on you. Why don’t you ask him to come take a nap with you?”
The thought chilled her blood and she looked away. “I…”
“I’m sorry. I’ll give him your message before I go. Try to rest and keep that foot elevated.”
“Thank you.”
* * * *
After the nurse left, Trenton went to check on Chloe. Her entire room smelled like raspberries. He was glad she’d found the bubble bath he’d asked Tommy to pick up for her.
She was sound asleep so he quietly refilled her glass with fresh water, pausing when her eyes opened.
“Sleep,” she whispered.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“No. You sleep.”
“I’m okay. I was going to heat up some oatmeal or would you rather wait until after your nap?”
“Not hungry.”
He wanted to lay with her but wasn’t sure he was invited. “I’ll let you rest.”
“Trenton…”
He paused at the door, his heart flipping at the hope that she’d let him stay. “Yeah?”
“Leave the door open.”
Nodding, he pushed the door and quietly left.
* * * *
Trent smelled popcorn as he awoke on the couch.
“That was the summer of 1963 - when everybody called me Baby, and it didn't occur to me to mind…”
Someone sighed. “I love this movie.”
“Me too.” Chloe rasped. “I can’t believe he died.”
“I know. Tragic. Jennifer Grey should’ve never changed her nose. Also tragic.”
At the sound of Chloe’s laugh, Trent’s eyes opened. How long had she been awake? He shoved off the couch and headed to her room.
Tommy, propped up in the bed beside Chloe, glanced at him and smiled. “Morning, poodle. You snore.”
He scowled. “You're getting popcorn on the bed.”
“Ooh, and grumpy when you wake up.” Tommy turned back to Chloe and said, “Remember in the eighties when they had the TV series Dirty Dancing?”
She laughed again. “Do you? You were, what, five?”
“Six. I remember it. I thought Charlie Stratton was hawt. I think that was the first time it occurred to me that I was gay. Well, that and how much I enjoyed decorating my Nana’s dollhouse with miniatures.”
She was sitting up, snuggled close to Tommy, another bowl of popcorn on her lap. He was supposed to make her something to eat—something that passed for nutrition. He would’ve given her actual food, not junk.
“Did you have lunch?” The sun was fading outside the window.
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“You should try to eat something more than popcorn.”
Her eyes focused on the television as she nibbled a kernel. “This is fine.”
“Chloe, you have to eat if you want your strength—”
“I said this is fine.” The room chilled and she gasped and covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, Trenton. I don’t know why I snapped.”
Maybe he was making too much out of nothing. “It’s okay.” Ignoring the tightness in his chest, he said, “You guys enjoy your movie.” He should be happy she was enjoying herself at all, even if he wasn’t included.
No one objected as he left the room.
* * * *
“Your face looks a hundred times better today. Pretty soon you’ll be able to cover up the last of the marks
with just a dab of concealer.” Sue stretched and flexed Chloe’s wrist as they chatted on her bed.
“I miss makeup.”
“So wear some.”
“What’s the point? I’d like to wear my lipstick, but I can’t find it.”
“I’ll look for it when we’re done here. If I can’t find it I’ll stop at the store on the way over tomorrow and pick some up for you. What brand do you like?”
Trent stepped away from the door, envy burning a hole in the pit of his stomach. Chloe was doing great. She often smiled and sometimes laughed, but never with him. She seemed happiest with Tommy or Sue or when speaking on the phone with her sons.
Adam didn’t seem to mind that they were the odd men out. Maybe Adam didn’t feel left out. But Trent did. He wanted to make her smile. He wanted to sit close to her. It had been days since she let him touch her. When he reached for her hand, she tensed and he always drew back. He didn’t understand why she seemed to be avoiding his contact when she didn’t seem to mind anyone else’s.
When Sue arrived the next day Chloe immediately perked up. “Look what I got,” the nurse cheered as she walked into Chloe’s room, holding a bag from the drug store. She pulled out a small black tube.
“My lipstick!” Chloe smiled.
His hand went to his pocket, his fingers brushing the tube he’d been carrying for days. He should’ve given it back to her, but he’d grown so used to touching it in his pocket, he couldn’t bear to let it go.
After Sue left, he brought Chloe lunch. She wasn’t in bed. The bathroom door was cracked, light showing from the inside. The clatter of her crutch hitting the tile floor brought him rushing to the door. “Chloe—”
“Get out!”
She was sitting on the toilet, but not indecent. Her nightgown covered her thighs. He quickly bent for the crutch. “You should have—”
“I said, get out!”
Startled by her self-consciousness, he shut the door. Adam stood behind him holding a basket of laundry.
“Is she all right?”
Trent shook his head. “Tell her I’m running to the store. Text me if she needs anything.”
Something Borrowed (New Castle Book 3) Page 27