Chapter Twenty-four
Reid. Harper put the photograph back on her kitchen counter.
Sighing, she took a sip of her tea, her hands wrapped around both sides of the mug.
Where was he? In spite of everything, she missed him.
Missed the boy who had taken down Clinton Baines because he’d put wet grass down the back of her dress.
Who’d taken the fall when Harper’s poorly timed throw had smashed the bathroom window.
He had chosen Nathan over her, and it still didn’t really make sense why. They’d been so very close until the attack. It was perhaps the most heartbreaking part of the whole mess.
For the first time in years, she had somehow forged an unlikely group of friends.
Drea was her rock. Trent’s friends had embraced her as theirs.
They knew something horrible had happened but didn’t let that stand in their way of being there for her.
Cujo treated her like a sister, reminding her of Reid in the way he teased her.
Lia and Pixie sought her advice, took her to their favorite stores, and helped throw that birthday party for her.
And then there was Trent, who had somehow managed to sneak in past every defense and had taken her heart from her.
No one else could make her vibrate with need from a single touch.
He had the ability to soothe even her roughest edges.
He’d encouraged her to trust him over and over.
And although he hadn’t told her, if she read the signs right, he loved her as much as she loved him.
So what else was there? Sure, she didn’t want him hurt by Nathan, but Trent was a big boy who could take care of himself. Didn’t it say something about him and his character that he wanted to take care of her?
She didn’t want him to pass up the tremendous opportunity he’d been given for the show. She hadn’t absorbed the details when he had told her. Had she even told him that she was proud of him before leaving him shell-shocked in the restaurant?
She glanced up at the extra dead bolt she’d had Eddie install yesterday after Detective Lopes had left her apartment.
He was focusing on community CCTV camera footage for someone texting from a phone the police had already confirmed as registered in Idaho.
He’d also handed her back her laptop, scrubbed clean of the spyware that had been monitoring her computer activity.
A call to Lydia had confirmed Nathan’s passport was still being held and that he had made his early evening appointment with his probation officer the day before the text. Lydia’s computer was still with an IT specialist, being checked.
Her hand reached up and gripped the beautiful necklace Trent had designed for her, the beautiful, smooth glass drop with swirls of red and orange to represent the flames on her back …
the hottest fire she had withstood. She rubbed it between her fingers like a lucky charm. A talisman to keep her safe.
Through all the thoughts flickering through her mind at rapid speed, one was resonating the loudest. She needed Trent. More than that, she loved Trent and wanted to be with him.
She glanced at the clock. If Cujo was right, Trent would likely be landing very soon, cutting short the trip he had planned for the two of them.
What if he wasn’t prepared to give her a second chance?
Okay, so maybe it was a third or even fourth chance.
What if there was an end to his seemingly unlimited patience with her?
Her phone pinged. Cujo.
He’s on his way to the studio.
This was likely the last chance she was going to get to put this right.
* * *
He wasn’t going to go to her. A decision he made at the bottom of a bottle. He’d apologized, by text, by voice mail, and had received nothing back from her. The last couple of days had provided some much needed space, but that space hadn’t yet provided clarity.
Harper knew how he felt about her. He’d put the world on a plate for her before he left, and she’d thrown it back in his face. The irony kept hitting him hard. Yasmin had left because he couldn’t give her anything she wanted. Harper had left because he was trying to give her everything.
More than anything, the time away had solidified one thing. Trent still loved Harper. That part was simple. Everything else was so fucking complicated that it made his head want to do a Linda Blair.
Holed up in the office, he stretched out on the sofa and closed his eyes as he waited for Cujo to start his shift. He’d grabbed a six a.m. flight in LA, and it was now close to three. His travel bag was thrown in the corner, and the contents of his messenger bag were spilled out on the table.
The taxi had been on the way to his condo before he realized that he couldn’t face being there without Harper, so he’d redirected the driver here. It was so hard to face the guys, though. They couldn’t wait to hear details of the show.
Had it been only a week ago he’d been sitting here thinking he had the world in his hands? It was amazing how quickly the world changed.
He looked at the blue plastic folder with all the filming locations and details.
It had been Dred who’d taken him out and gotten him liquored up. As he had stared at the condensation running down the outside of a vodka bottle, Trent had ended up spilling his guts about Harper.
Stroking his hand along his jaw, he considered whether his stance on not going to see her made sense. Maybe she needed him to show her how much he’d be there for her, no matter what happened.
The timid knock at the door irritated him.
“I told you I needed some shut-eye. Please fuck off!”
He pulled his arm up over his eyes. Another bang at the door, this time more forcefully.
“What the fuck? Seriously, do you want to get fired?”
“It’s H … Harper.”
Trent sat up quickly and rubbed his hands across his face.
“Can I come in?” Her voice wavered.
Walking to the door, he flipped the lock and wrenched it open.
Harper was ghastly pale and looked like she’d lost five pounds. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles. He had thought it would make him feel better to know that she was hurting as much as him, but he was wrong.
The instinct to pull her to him and wrap her in his arms was strong. It was tearing him up inside to see her like this. She looked as shredded as he felt.
The light had gone out in her green eyes, but there was a determined look in them as she stood tall in front of him, her right hand gripping her left so hard that her knuckles were white.
“I need to talk to you, if you’ll let me,” she said softly.
* * *
Trent locked the door and sat down on the sofa. Harper sat down next to him and turned to look at him. His face was more stubbly than usual, and his eyes were drawn. No sign of her usually happy man.
“I’m sorry.” Harper chewed the inside of her lip as she considered her next words carefully. “I know I’ve said that to you a lot, but I am. Very sorry. I know that seems kind of lame for an English teacher, but I’m incredibly short on words right now.”
She took a deep breath as Trent continued to study her.
“I was always scared what would happen if Nathan ever finally found me, but I found out there was something that terrified me more. What he would do to you. I couldn’t risk you.
When you told me about the show, all I could imagine was that this could be his tipping point.
You know, the thing that pushed him over the edge to move from threats to action. ”
“I won’t let him harm either of us, darlin’. There are things we can do to be careful, to stay safe.”
Reaching out, she took Trent’s hand in hers, relieved as his thumb brushed against her knuckles.
“You can’t promise me that, and it’s okay, because I realized something else,” Harper said, taking a deep breath.
“You were right. All those things we would have to do to guarantee staying safe do add up to less than a full life. I’d decided not to run, but I hadn’t committed to staying.
You were right. I was half in. I’m sorry I made such a mess of this. ”
Trent’s eyes searched her face. “I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard, Harper. You’ve been through enough.”
“No, don’t you see? You should. I want you to challenge me to be a better person every day. I don’t want you to make allowances for me, or feel sorry for me in some way. And I should do the same for you.”
“I’m sorry too, Harper. I kept pushing at you to trust me and the reality was, I didn’t trust you either. I lied to you about the trip for a reason.”
Harper’s pulse started to quicken. “Why? I mean, about what?”
Trent looked down at their hands. “Because I messed up once before, and I didn’t want it to happen again.” He let go of her hand and ran his fingers through his hair. “I thought I was in love once.”
A burning sensation flared in Harper’s chest at the thought of another woman in Trent’s life. “What happened?” she asked.
“Christ, Harper, we were so fucking young. On paper she was perfect. Loved ink, cars, and me, I hoped. We lived in this crappy apartment, and I thought we were on this crazy adventure together.”
Harper tried to ignore the pangs of jealousy, tried to wrap her arms around her middle until Trent pulled her hand back.
“No, you don’t, darlin’. I need to tell you this. I wasn’t enough for her. Yasmin left me because I couldn’t give her everything she wanted fast enough.” Trent tugged on her arm and pulled her into his side.
“The look on her face when she told me that she wasn’t prepared to wait while I built my career.
” Trent stopped, shaking his head gently.
“She was disappointed in me. It crushed me. I thought I was over it. But when I got the call about the show, I just couldn’t tell you.
I didn’t want to let you down if I didn’t get it. ”
Trent shifted on the sofa and looked at her, his chin trembling as he struggled to regain his composure.
“I couldn’t handle it if you ever looked at me the way she did, Harper. I should have talked to you about the show before making all those decisions.”
Harper brushed her lips across his. “You could never disappoint me. I think it’s amazing that you got asked, but even if you hadn’t gotten it, I would still have been proud.
In a way, yes, you should have talked to me about it, but it was so early on in our relationship that it really wasn’t any of my business.
And even now, I shouldn’t be the one who stands in the way of you achieving something incredible.
I want to be the one cheering you on, not stopping you from making it onto the field. I’m just not sure how.”
Trent lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles softly. “I think we’ll figure it out together.”
She looked at the strong hand holding hers. “Oh my goodness, what did you do?” Harper asked, eyebrows raised and mouth open as she studied the cuts and bruises.
“Had a conversation with a streetlight once you got into the cab,” he said, pulling her closer to him.
“I’m sorry, Trent. I really am. If I blew you and me because of all this, I get it and I don’t blame you. I’m done running. I’m done being scared. I’m done doubting whether you and your friends will help me if I need it. I am done with everything except being in love with you. I—”
Harper was flipped onto her back and underneath Trent in the blink of an eye.
“Say it again.” His dark eyes were fierce as he held each side of her face in his big, safe hands.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“No.” He cut her off. “Not that part. The ‘I love you’ part.”
“I love you.” Harper had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before Trent’s lips descended on hers. Their mouths clashed together, banging teeth before soothing bitten lips with soft tongues.
Trent pulled away, taking a deep breath before staring deep into her eyes. Harper could feel his very soul merging with hers.
“I love you, Harper. Everything else is details. A lot of fucking details, granted, but just details.”
He didn’t look away from her as he lowered his head to kiss her again, this time slowly and gently. His lips soothed the burn in her heart, a soft balm to the pain and hurt she had been carrying for so long.
Hands gripped her hair, holding her steady as she poured everything she felt for him into this one kiss—all the love that had been building that she had been too scared to share.
The thankfulness that she had someone on her side who would care for her and protect her like she deserved. Wanted. Needed.
Harper arched into him as he slid his hands along her ribs and under the hem of her T-shirt to rub over her breasts. The brush of his thumb over the white lace of her bra caused a delightful friction across her nipple.
Reaching for the bottom of his T-shirt, Harper lifted it up over his head as they broke apart quickly. Trent made short work of removing the rest of their clothes, pulling on a condom, and moving her down the sofa before laying back on top of her.
“This is all that really matters, Harper. You and me and our crazy life that we’ve got covered if we stick together.” Trent lifted one leg and pushed it up with his forearm. “Harper. I need you now,” he groaned before sliding slowly home.
The feeling of Trent filling her so fully was painfully delicious. Harper could feel each delicious inch of this thick erection stretch her as he moved deeper.
Trent leaned his forehead onto hers. “Jesus, sweetheart, I missed you. Don’t do this to me again. Please.” His voice was thick with emotion as he moved to claim her lips.
Harper slid her arms around Trent to pull him close to her as his hands slid underneath her to grasp her ass in both hands and lift her tight against him.
It felt so incredibly intimate. Lying flat against each other, holding each other so tight with Trent so deep inside her, filling her physically and emotionally. Tears welled and she stared deep into the eyes of the man she had fallen in love with.
“I won’t, I promise.” She needed to ask him the question that burned her the most. “Do you forgive me?”
Trent was grinding against her without pulling out, his cock twitching deep inside her.
“Christ. Yes.” He growled, finally pulling out and easing himself back inside her.
An orgasm was bearing down on her, deep within her core, threatening to overtake her, drown her in sensation.
“Come with me, sweetheart. I’m so fucking close.” Trent was speeding up, pounding into her at a furious rate. She could feel the pulsing of his erection deep inside her. Could feel the love pouring from him in waves. Could see the tears in the corners of his eyes.
Trent groaned as he came deep inside her, and there was nothing else she could do but follow.