Trace + Olivia Series Boxed Set (107 page)

“Hey!” Trent called from somewhere in front of me. “I’ll be there in a second!”

I stopped where I was and waited for him. I looked around and found the garage to be oddly neat and tidy. Don’t get me wrong, it was a repair shop so there were plenty of tools and the occasional grease spot on the ground, but it looked nicer than most. Trace had done a good job with the place. I remembered what a dump it had looked like before.

“Here’s your keys,” Trent grinned, appearing in front of me. He dangled them in front of my face, but when I went to grab them he lifted them too high for my reach. “Not so fast,” he wiggled a finger in front of my face.

“What do you want?” I rolled my eyes, a disgusted breath whizzing past my lips.

“Well,” he clutched my car keys in his fist, “since I was a good guy and stood over my brother all day to make sure he got this fixed for you, I think I deserve to be rewarded.”

“Rewarded, huh?” I raised a brow in disbelief.

“Mhmm,” he nodded, smiling crookedly. “Go to dinner with me.”

“Yeah, um, no. I don’t have time. I have to get home to take care of Tristan and Ivy, which means no time for dinner. Now, please, give me my keys,” I held my hand out.

“Fine. Say no. Crush my dreams,” he wiped away a pretend tear.

“I think you’ll live,” I rolled my eyes again, taking the keys from him. “How come
you
didn’t fix it?” I questioned.

He smirked. “I would have, but my talents are more useful elsewhere.”

“Talents?”

He shrugged. “Okay, that’s a lie. I’m not very talented, at least when it comes to cars, Trace has got me beat there. All I can do is change oil and rotate tires. I assure you, though, I’m extremely talented in many other ways and if you’d like me to show you I’d be more than happy.” He smirked, his tongue flicking out to moisten his lips.

“Uh… no thanks,” I shook my head. “I don’t need a demonstration.”

“Aw, too bad,” he bit his bottom lip.

I shook my head. I really needed to stop being distracted by Trenton. “How much do I owe you guys?”

“I already paid him,” Trent shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Why would you do that?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“Because I wanted to,” he answered simply.

“Did you think for a second that maybe I didn’t want your help?” My temperature was rising as anger filled me. “I don’t need you to take care of me.”

“Think of it as a friend doing a friend a favor,” he shrugged casually. “Don’t worry about it.”

I don’t think Trent understood how guilty I felt. I knew he had the money to blow, but that didn’t matter to me. I didn’t like being seen as a damsel in distress. This princess could take care of herself.

I didn’t have time to stand there and argue with him, so I found myself saying, “Fine, but don’t do it again.”

He smiled triumphantly. “Your car’s parked out front to your right,” he said, backing away. I couldn’t tell if he was angry that I’d turned him down or what. “And Rowan?”

“Yeah?” I turned back to face him.

“This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

I tucked Tristan and Ivy into bed, kissing each of their foreheads. I closed the door behind me and set about cleaning the kitchen. I was supposed to pick up Tatum in thirty minutes, so we could hopefully get some homework done. I didn’t know what went on at Tatum’s house, but I got the impression that her parent’s didn’t get along at all.

I hated leaving the kids once I got home, but they’d be asleep and never know I was even gone. If they woke up and needed me, I wouldn’t be here, and that worried me. Only my mom was home, who was currently passed out in her bed, the floor littered with various bottles of alcohol. I had no idea where Jim was, or if he was even coming home.

Once the kitchen was wiped down and the dishes were clean, I checked to see if the kids had fallen asleep. Both were snoozing peacefully and I knew I could make my escape.

As much as I hated to leave them, I needed to get out of the house more. My mom had been unbearable when I arrived home and didn’t shut up until she passed out. I needed to get away from this toxic environment for a while. It was killing me, but I wasn’t ready to escape yet.

I grabbed my backpack and purse from my room. I scribbled a note explaining where I was and shoved it under the kid’s bedroom door in case they awoke.

When I pulled in front of Tatum’s house she was already waiting outside. She hopped down the front steps and hurried to my car. “It’s freezing,” she shivered.

“Then why were you waiting outside?” I questioned as I pulled away.

“I couldn’t get out of that house soon enough,” she grumbled under her breath, looking out the window. “I hate it there. I just want to get away.”

I didn’t bother asking her about her home problems. It wasn’t my business, and besides, I knew all about how easy it was to become trapped.

I drove to a local coffee shop that was open all night and that we’d often used for homework nights before. I ordered a latte and a muffin. I normally didn’t indulge in such frivolous things, but since Trent had bought the groceries for me the other night I had the extra cash to treat myself.

I sat down at the table in the corner and Tatum left to order herself something. I pulled my books out of my backpack, sighing heavily at the amount of work I had to do. It never seemed to end. For once, I wanted to be like everyone else. I wanted to be able to sleep in and go out with friends. I wanted to let myself be with someone. But I couldn’t do those things. I had to focus on getting through school and making high enough grades that I got accepted into the nursing program. I had to be able to take care of Ivy and Tristan. My mom and step-dad didn’t do it now. It was all on my shoulders, and I was beginning to bow under the pressure. I was one person and I could only handle so much.

I removed the lid from my coffee so it could cool down. Tatum returned, pulling her blonde hair into a ponytail. She looked exhausted, with bruise like shadows under her eyes. A part of me wanted to ask her if everything was okay, but I knew how much I hated being asked the same thing, so I kept my mouth shut.

I opened one of my books, flipping to the right page. I felt too tired to do homework, but I didn’t have a choice. I only hoped we’d both be able to finish in two hours. I needed to get some sleep before class tomorrow. It was our last day before break and while we weren’t starting anything new, I was sure they’d give us plenty to do for the few days we got off. I had learned early on that there was no such thing as a break.

I took a tentative sip of coffee, not wanting to scald my mouth. It was the perfect temperature though. Griffin, the owner of the coffee shop—that was really a coffee shop, restaurant, and a place for local musicians to perform—always got everything just right. I had never really talked to the guy—he was older and always pretended to be grouchy—but he seemed like a cool guy. He kept the place open round the clock. He and his wife mostly ran the place, with the help of a few employees. They did a really good business with all the local college kids.

An hour later I was out of coffee, had eaten my entire muffin, and thought if I read one more word I might fall over.

“I’m getting more coffee,” I told Tatum as I stood.

She nodded in acknowledgement of my words, but didn’t look away from her laptop.

“Same thing?” Griffin asked as I approached the counter.

I nodded. “No muffin this time, it was delicious though.”

He punched something into the register and gave me the total. “Yeah, my wife makes them from scratch. Best muffins in the whole world.”

I handed him the money and took my cup of coffee.

As I was turning I bumped into someone. “Shit,” I cursed, doing a little dance to avoid spilling my hot coffee all over the person. Some sloshed on the floor, but I managed to miss the guy. “I’m so—you’ve got to be kidding me,” I groaned. “Do you have a tracking device on me or something? This is so not cool.”

Trent smirked, tilting his head as he studied me with those piercing blue eyes. “Maybe
you’re
following me.”

“I was here first,” I responded, cringing at my words. I sounded like a whiny child. “Anyway,” I moved around him, backing towards the table, “sorry for almost spilling coffee on you,” I ground the words out.

“Apology accepted,” he smiled, his eyes sparkling.

He turned to Griffin to place his order and once he wasn’t looking I ran for the table, falling into my seat.

“What the hell?” Tatum exclaimed, surprised at my abrupt arrival. “No more coffee for you if it makes you that hyper.”

“It’s not the coffee,” I whispered, letting my hair fall forward to shield me.

“Then what—” She looked over her shoulder to see what I was staring at. She smiled. “Ah, I see now,” she laughed. “I don’t know why you don’t face facts, y’all so want to do each other, so get it over with already.”

I spat out my coffee, surprised at her words. She ducked to avoid the spray, but some still landed on her shirt.

“I can’t believe you said that,” I grabbed a napkin, wiping up droplets of coffee.

“Hey,” she shrugged, “you two are the ones who have sex with your eyes.”

“Who’s having sex?”

I closed my eyes, my whole body flushing in embarrassment.

Trent grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the table. “Please, don’t stop talking on my account. It sounded like you were getting to the good part.”

Tatum sat forward, propping her head on her hand. “I was saying that clearly you’re both attracted to each other,” she pointed from me to Trent, “so you might as well do it and get it over with. It’s going to happen eventually.”

“Tatum!” I shrieked.

“It’s true!” She exclaimed, throwing her hands dramatically in the air.

“Well,” Trent tipped his chair back on two legs with a smirk gracing his full lips, “I’m happy to hear I have someone on my side. Not that I only want to
do
the lovely Rowan,” he nodded in my direction, “I want much more than that.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please.”

“What?” He raised a brow. “It’s not possible that a guy might want more than sex? Come on, Row, you know I’m not some player looking to get in your pants for one night.” He eyed me, daring me to refute him, but I couldn’t. I did know Trent, and I knew he wanted much more from me than sex, and that’s what scared me the most. Trenton wanted all of me, specifically my heart, and it wasn’t something I could give away. I couldn’t deny my attraction to him though. I did yearn for him, but he wanted more than I was willing to give. “Go on a date with me,” he pleaded. “You, me, and a delicious dinner. I’m not asking for anything else.”

Tatum kicked my shin from beneath the table, willing me to say yes.

“No.”

Trent stood, replacing the chair he’d sat in back to the table it belonged with, and grabbed his cup of coffee. Pointing a finger at me, he said, “I knew you’d say that. But it won’t stop me from asking you again and again, until one day you do say yes. See you later, Rowan.”

With that, he turned sharply on his heel, and headed out the door. The bell dinged above the door, signaling his departure.

“Why won’t you go on a date with him?” Tatum asked, her mouth agape with shock. “He’s hot and he’s nice, that’s a winning combination in my book.”

“I don’t date,” I stated bluntly. “I don’t have time for a relationship. It wouldn’t be fair.”

“Excuses, excuses,” Tatum shook her head, a few strands of blonde hair escaping her ponytail to frame her face. “I know you’re busy with school, and taking care of your brother and sister, but you have to find time to do something for yourself. What’s so wrong with letting yourself have some fun?”

“It’s complicated.”

“I don’t see anything complicated about it. You like him. He likes you. Go for it. Live a little,” she smiled as she started packing her stuff up.

Live a little.

I pondered those words, wondering if I could do it—if I could branch out and let myself give in to my desires.

Jude and I walked across the parking lot towards our cars. Today had been the last day of classes before our short break. Unfortunately, the professors hadn’t been kind enough to cut us some slack so I had plenty of homework to occupy my time—which I had been sure would happen.