“That’s why you asked about the past?”
“Yeah.”
Her answer gave him hope. “Does that mean you might be interested in me?”
Smiling, she looked away at the same time Verna brought their drinks to the table. “Enjoy.” She scurried away. He could kiss the woman who’d run the diner for most of his life. Seemed she knew what everyone needed the most.
Ella met his gaze again. “Yes, but I’m not ready to start anything.”
“Not even a friendship?”
A soft laugh escaped her lips. “That’s all you want?”
“For now.”
“I don’t know.”
His heart sank, but he wasn’t out of the game yet. “Let me be your running partner, your gym buddy, and a friend.” He couldn’t read her expression and started to worry as the silence stretched past his normal comfort zone. “It’s a place to start. Neither of us is looking for anything serious.”
She sat back and pushed her glasses up her nose. The thick black rims accentuated her long black lashes, and the most captivating eyes he’d ever seen. Hell, they were more beautiful than Raven Star’s. Then she combed her hair behind her ear and dropped her gaze.
“What’s wrong?”
One corner of her mouth quirked up as she lifted her stunning eyes. “Perfect place to start.”
Trent leaned forward and smiled. “Relax, Ella. I know what Mila probably told you about me. I won’t lie, I’ve been around, but I prefer to know the woman I’m getting involved with. That doesn’t happen overnight.”
She laughed. “She said you’re a bit of a man-whore.”
He groaned. “Yeah, because the first time she met me, Kyle’s ex was hanging on me. I let Rene flirt with me, but I didn’t take her home, and I didn’t go back to her place. Maybe it was dumb, but I was trying to keep Rene from causing trouble, which she’s known to do.”
Ella smirked. “Mila also said you had a heart of gold.”
And he was back in the game. “That so?”
“What?” Ella asked with a single arched brow.
“Find it hard to believe she has much faith in me when she keeps hounding me to be careful not to push you.”
Laughing, Ella leaned back. “Mila’s always been protective of her friends. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I trust her, so I trust you. Secrets or no.”
Ella shifted in her seat and looked out the window again.
He combed a hand through his hair. “I need to keep my mouth shut. Don’t I?”
“No. I need to stop feeling guilty for protecting myself.”
His brow pinched. Their conversation paused as Verna brought their meals to the table.
Ella grinned, “This looks good, Verna. Thank you.”
The woman dipped her head, her expression brightening. “Tell me what you think after you eat it.” She ducked away from the table.
Ella rubbed the scar on her arm, then met Trent’s stare. “So what do you all for fun out here?”
Trent grinned and happily led them down a new topic that would avoid her past and keep that gorgeous smile on her face.
Chapter 9
Almost two weeks later a loud banging echoed up the stairs, into the bathroom. Ella’s heart thumped against her chest as she slid down the shower wall. She shut her eyes and tried to breathe through the panic clouding her mind.
She should have been running with Trent… should have been out there already, halfway through her run. Not today.
Which reminded her, she never called to cancel their meeting time. Relief settled in. He must be checking on her. She owed him an apology.
Sucking in a breath, she shut off the water and wrapped a towel around herself before rushing down the stairs. Clutching the towel tight, she took a peek out the window and confirmed her suspicion.
Relief flooded in and she took a deep breath. She threw open the door before he could start another round of knocking.
So much concern stared back at her. His blue eyes locked on hers as he sucked in a breath, and his shoulders dropped slightly. “You okay?”
Ella shook her head. “Bad night. I’m not running. Sorry. I should have called.”
“Can I step inside?”
She nodded, backing up.
He followed her in and shut the door. “What’s going on?”
“Nightmares. Didn’t sleep much.” She swept her hair behind her ear.
He gently caught her wrist and shook his head. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”
She shrugged, taking a step toward the stairs, and out of his reach. “Yeah. Need a little time and I’ll be fine.”
Trent rubbed the back of his neck, watching her. “Want company?”
Hope flittered through her. She nodded slightly. “If you don’t mind.”
“Hungry?”
“Oh, no. Food won’t help yet. I need to figure out something to do to keep my mind off everything. Running won’t work.”
“Coffee?”
“I’ll make some when I come back down.”
He finally looked her over. His eyes trailed over her body as a sexy smirk spread, but his gaze stopped where the towel ended high on her thighs. “Yeah, better get dressed.” His voice was rough and low.
“Yeah.” She swallowed hard before climbing the stairs, mindful of keeping the towel in place.
Ella had been borderline panicking until they made eye contact. She was nowhere near okay, but his presence went a long way to calming her down. Part of her wanted to lay her secrets on the table and see where the pieces fell, the other half worried how much her other persona would affect his opinion of her.
As it stood, she didn’t know what he saw in her. Was it the mystery? Was it true attraction? And when he learned the truth, would that alter how he saw her?
* * * *
Trent watched Ella climb the stairs. If she hadn’t been terrified when she threw open the door, he might have made a fool of himself. He knew something was up when she didn’t show up on his porch right at seven.
He’d paced the wood planks for twenty minutes before he couldn’t stand his imagination and came over to see what the hell was going on. Her car sat in the driveway. She hadn’t left unless she went early. But he saw a light on upstairs, and it made him paranoid.
Then she opened the door and the look of terror on her face tore him apart. Yeah, he noticed her wet body barely concealed by the towel, but his first instinct was to pull her into his arms until she stopped trembling. Second was to find the asshole who terrified her so damned bad and beat the ever-loving shit out of him.
This morning she looked even more familiar and he couldn’t figure out why. Didn’t matter, though. He wanted her so damned bad, and it took every ounce of will to keep his feet firmly planted instead of following her.
He could only assume someone had attacked her. She was too cautious to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Or maybe that was wishful thinking, or perhaps the experience was so bad and she’d learned a lesson.
Fuck, I hate not knowing.
He dropped into a chair, trying to think about anything besides tugging that towel off her damp body and exploring her curves with his mouth and hands.
Trent swept his eyes through the living room and smiled. She had already started to decorate. Art hung on the walls. He knew Cadence hadn’t started working for her yet. He liked Ella’s style.
A few minutes later, Ella came back down in skinny jeans and a t-shirt that draped over her frame in the most sensual way. “I guess, if you still wanted to run, we could. I’m not as shaky now.”
He stood and approached her, studying her hands. She couldn’t hide the fine tremble. “No. We could walk down to the café. Sit down, have a cup of coffee, and walk back. Maybe take the long way. Stop for breakfast if you decide you’re hungry.”
Shoving her hands in her pocket, she looked down at the ground. “You won’t mind missing your run?”
Shit, before she had shown up, he normally on
ly ran on the treadmill. His only motivation for outdoor running was her, not exercise. “Nah. I’d rather spend my time with you.”
A short laugh escaped her lips as she looked away. “Even when I’m a mess?” The vulnerability in her voice tore at his heart.
“Ella, you’re anything but a mess.”
She snorted. “You didn’t see me this morning.”
He closed the distance and looked into her eyes. “I have things that scare the hell out of me too. We all have moments where everything comes crashing down, threatening to tear us apart.”
“This is worse. I’ve had panic attacks. I was on the verge of one. You calmed me down.” Blinking, she turned to the closet and grabbed a sweater. “Thank you.”
He closed his hands over her shoulders. “I’m here if you need to talk, even if it’s not about what happened. Let me help, any way I can.”
“You are.” She didn’t look back. Instead, Ella covered his hands with hers. “I’m not ready to talk about what happened.”
“Ella, you don’t have to share anything you don’t want to. I just want to be here for you.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“My first instinct is to make sure you’re okay, then beat the hell out of whoever made you afraid.”
Her shoulders shook slightly, and he turned Ella, capturing her gaze. Silent laughter lit her eyes. Trent threaded his fingers into her hair as he pressed his forehead to hers.
“That’s funny?” he whispered.
Her breath caught when her gaze dropped to his lips. “You aren’t anything I ever expected.”
“That a good thing?” His voice had grown husky.
She nodded before leaning up to press her lips to his.
Rational thought flew out the window as he wrapped his other hand around her waist and backed her to the wall before pressing against her. He licked the seam of her lips, and she opened to him, welcoming him in.
A needy whimper escaped her lips. Small hands slipped under his shirt, skating up his sides, then back. Even her hands were soft. When she shifted against his straining erection, he backed away, releasing her.
“Sorry, Ella.”
Closing her eyes, she slid down the door and pulled her knees to her chest. “My fault.” She pulled her glasses off and set them aside before covering her face. “Told you. I’m a mess.”
“Don’t do that.”
“You stopped.”
Crouching down, he pulled her hands away and captured those beautiful blue-green eyes full of tears. Moving his hands to her face, he wiped away the stray tear. “Tell me what you want, Ella. I thought you only needed a friend right now.”
She dropped her head back, closing her eyes again. “I don’t have a clue what I need at the moment. When you look at me the way you do, I forget why I’m holding everyone away. And the kiss, I guess I forgot why I shouldn’t.”
“Yeah, you look at me that way and I forget you need slow. I don’t want to fuck this up before I get a chance. Last thing I ever want to do is make you regret anything we do. I won’t take advantage of you, or your emotions.”
“Sounds like you’re interested in a lot more than friendship,” she whispered.
“Eventually.” He closed his eyes for a long moment, breathing deep. Then he looked into those beautiful blue-green orbs. “Right now, I’m more concerned with a friend I care greatly about.”
“You hardly know me.”
“Maybe not, but that doesn’t change the fact I want to know so much more about you. If you haven’t noticed, I have no problem waiting until you’re ready to trust me.”
Ella gripped the hand still resting on her face and returned a sad smile. “I had a stalker. He ran me off the road. I hit my head in the accident, wound up with a concussion. Woke up tied to a bed.”
“Did he touch you?”
Shrugging, she shook her head. “He took me to an old warehouse while I was unconscious, changed my clothes. I don’t know what happened before I woke up. The hospital did a rape test. Whatever he planned, he didn’t get that far.” Her eyes closed and she wiped her face.
“But you got free.”
“Yeah. The burn… I managed to untie the rope from the bed, but couldn’t reach the knots at my wrists. There were candles. I burned the rope.”
He took her hand and turned her arm to press a kiss on the scar. “That’s strength and determination, Ella. You fought.”
She dipped her head. “When he came back, I hid by the door, shoved it into him when he opened it. I almost didn’t get out but hurt him bad enough to run. When he tried to drag me back down the stairs, I hit my face.” She touched her nose. “I kicked at him, slammed his head into the wall and got out. Someone had already called 911, thank God because they never found him or his body. So he’s still out there… somewhere.”
Tears flowed down her face and Trent pulled her into his arms. She buried her face against his shoulder.
“That’s what you were dreaming about?”
“Always the same. Exactly what happened. Sometimes it goes further, to what could have happened…”
“Have you told the police here?”
“No, the police back there didn’t take it seriously enough. The warehouse burned to the ground. They never found any signs of a body, but they gave up looking soon after. Local detectives had sketches floating around for a few days, but that was it. So I changed my name and now I’m here. No one knows how to reach me.”
Shit, he never expected she’d gone through so much hell. “You didn’t know him?”
“No. Never saw him before.” She leaned back, chewing her lip. “I’m not weak. I face every challenge that comes my way. But he shook my confidence. I’m trying to find it again.”
“I can’t imagine what you went through. But I’ll tell you something. You have more strength than anyone I know. You put yourself back together, came out here all alone, and you’re building a life.”
“I’m running, Trent. I wanted to get away from what I was doing before, but not like this.”
“Why?”
She laughed bitterly. “That doesn’t matter.”
He frowned. “Was it illegal?”
Ella laughed. “Can you really imagine Mila hanging out with a mobster or a drug dealer or some criminal?”
“No. I don’t understand why you don’t want anyone to know.”
“Life could get really complicated if my real identity got out.”
“Why?”
She shook her head, pushing him back. “I can’t, Trent. If that’s not good enough, then this won’t work. I’m sorry.”
He wanted to pound the wall in frustration. Giving up wasn’t an option. Maybe his reasons were selfish, but he couldn’t walk away from Ella. Desperately grasping for patience, he tempered his anger. “You don’t have to tell me right now. I hope one day you’ll trust me.”
“I don’t even trust myself.” She slid up the wall and stepped away from him.
He followed but didn’t reach for her. “That’s exactly why I didn’t continue the kiss. I want you to trust me. Doesn’t have to be today, not even tomorrow. I can be very patient when I want something.”
“You should go. I’m a waste of time.”
“You aren’t, Ella. You’ve been hurt and haven’t healed yet.” Instinct urged him to reach for her, pull her into his arms and kiss the doubt away, but that would only confuse the issue. “Look, you don’t have to let me all the way in. Just let me help. You said it yourself, you felt better when you saw me.”
She groaned. “Why are you so damned persistent?”
“I’d do anything to see you smile again.” He shrugged, a crooked smile lifting one side of his mouth. It was so much more than that, but he didn’t want to analyze his emotions. There was a very real possibility she would push him away again.
Her eyes slid shut as she let out a sigh. “Let me wash my face.”
Trent dipped his head as she ducked out of the room. He heard the lock click
into place. His heart sank and he thought about calling Mila to find out if she knew the whole story. He crossed that off his list real fast. Chances were she wouldn’t give him an answer anyway. And asking might just piss her off. No, he needed to talk to Kyle and see if there was something they could do to prevent this asshole from finding her again.
He picked up the glasses she left and walked to the door where she’d disappeared.
* * * *
Ella stood in the bathroom staring at the water washing down the drain. She had two options. Go out there and face the music. Or tell him to go away before she spilled everything about her past.
Not that she thought he’d tell anyone who she was, but at the same time, an innocent comment could turn into so much more. If the wrong person heard, they could call the tabloids. Oh, hell, a picture would do enough damage on the right social media sites.
With her oldest friend living next door, she had to wonder what the fuck she was thinking, moving there in the first place.
The gentle knock signaled her time was up. She had to tell him something but had no clue what. Trent already had big clues to her past. With that knowledge, anyone could piece the rest together. She couldn’t share more without risking too much. Hell, it was probably a miracle no one seemed to realize her true identity yet.
Eventually, the secret would come out, and then she’d see who her real friends were. To be honest, she was terrified how Trent would respond if he ever learned the full truth.
“Ella, at least, talk to me.”
She opened the door and melted into his icy blue eyes. Determined not to be weak, she nodded to the front door. “Let’s go.”
“You’re sure?” He seemed to look into her, see all the way to her core while wiping away the doubt with the sincerity in his expression and stance.
“You still don’t think I’m a lost cause?”
“Definitely not. Thought I told you I want to make things better. And as long as I’m not making the anxiety worse, I’m ready.”
“You do make it better, as crazy as that seems.”
“Until I kissed you, then stopped.”
She sucked in a breath, wishing she hadn’t made that move though she desperately wanted to repeat it. “I kissed you, not the other way around. And you were right to stop. When we get there, I want it to be for the right reasons.”
Falling Star (Combustible Book 2) Page 6