Whitney must have detected my fear, because she quickly and gracefully plucked my phone from Abby’s hand and held it out to me. I snatched it a little harder than necessary.
“I’m trying to drive, and you two are distracting me,” Whitney said with a hint of humor and playfulness, though I knew she was simply trying to keep the peace. “You.” She pointed at Abby. “Stop stealing her phone. And you.” She pinned me with a hard stare. “Trent can wait a little while.” She adjusted her grip on the steering wheel. “So… are we going to do something today or not?”
Abby and I shared a confused look, and then we both laughed.
“What do you want to do?” I asked.
“It’s supposed to rain today. A movie?” she suggested.
“I’m cool with that,” I said, fighting the urge to look at my phone and send Trent another message.
“Me too. We’ll have to ask Mom, though,” Abby said, her mood brightening.
A moment later, Whitney pulled into our driveway. “Ask her and let me know.”
We agreed and climbed out of the car. I waved as Whitney backed out of the driveway, and then I followed Abby into the house. The unmistakable smell of bacon hung in the air, and my stomach rumbled.
“We’re home,” Abby called.
“Shhh.” Aunt Beth rushed out of the kitchen. “Your father is still sleeping. He’s got some sort of stomach bug, so keep it down, okay?”
“Sorry.” Abby frowned.
“Is there any bacon left?” I asked. If I didn’t get something in my stomach, it was going to eat itself.
Aunt Beth nodded. “There’s a plate in the microwave. There are eggs in the fridge if you want to make yourself some, or there’s leftover waffles.”
My mouth watered, and I was tempted to make a little bit of everything and pig out. I hadn’t had much of an appetite the past few weeks, but now I was ravenous.
“Can we go to a movie with Whitney later?” Abby asked.
“You two are spending a lot of time with her.” Aunt Beth crossed her arms and tilted her head as if she were trying to determine if we were hiding anything.
Thankfully, we weren’t. Well, other than the fact that both our boyfriends just happened to live with Whitney. But I was tired of Aunt Beth constantly scolding us for spending time with Whitney. Couldn’t she find something else to complain about?
“So?” Abby shrugged. “I used to spend every day with Rachel and you never cared.”
I cringed at the mention of Rachel.
But Aunt Beth’s expression softened, and she dropped her arms to her sides. “I suppose it’s okay to go to a movie, but I need to know when and where.”
Abby smiled, and I nodded.
“And why don’t you invite Whitney to spend the night here tonight. I’d like to get to know her a little better.”
“Sure,” I said, knowing Whitney would be beyond thrilled to get an invitation to our house.
“Good.” Aunt Beth smiled. “I need to run to the pharmacy for your father. I’ll be back shortly.”
Abby went up to her room, and I headed for the kitchen. I warmed up a blueberry waffle and several pieces of bacon, then carried my plate upstairs. I knocked on Abby’s door and peeked inside, exactly like she always did to me.
“Hey.” I walked in and sat in her desk chair. “Want some?” I held out my plate.
She shook her head.
“Are you okay?” I asked and took a bite of bacon. “You seemed a little off in the car this morning.”
Abby sank down onto her bed. “Wyatt’s gone.”
My eyebrows shot up. “What? He’s gone? Like, not in Keene Valley anymore?”
She shrugged. “I guess. I don’t know. He talked to Trent last night, and then he just… disappeared. Never showed up again, and he’s not answering any of my texts or calls. Then, this morning, I wake up to find this.” She held her phone out to me.
I set my plate on her desk and took her phone.
Wyatt: SOMETHING’S COME UP. FAMILY ISSUE. GONNA BE GONE A WHILE. IT’S PROBABLY BETTER IF WE END THINGS. YOU’RE A GREAT GIRL, ABBY, AND I’VE HAD FUN. I’M SORRY.
“He broke up with you in a text message?” I asked, shocked. I’d thought the way Trent broke up with me had been heartless, but that was nothing compared to this.
“Yup.” Abby nodded. “It’s so… cold. Like he doesn’t care. Maybe he never cared. I don’t know.” She blew out a breath and stood.
“Did you show this to Whitney?”
Abby shook her head.
“You should. She’s his sister. If anyone knows where he is, it’ll be her.” I grabbed another piece of bacon and bit into it.
Then, something occurred to me. Wyatt had talked to Trent right before he’d taken off. Did Trent have something to do with this? I dropped the bacon back onto my plate, wiped my fingers on my jeans, then wiggled my phone out of my pocket. I sent Trent a text.
Me: WHERE’S WYATT?
Trent: WITH JAX.
My stomach sank, and my appetite vanished. I knew I shouldn’t ask, but I had to, for Abby’s sake.
Me: WHERE’S JAX?
Trent: DOES IT MATTER?
I could easily picture him scowling right now.
Me: IT DOES WHEN WYATT BROKE UP WITH ABBY IN A TEXT BECAUSE OF A “FAMILY ISSUE.”
Trent: TELL HER I’M SORRY. JAX NEEDED TO GET OUT OF TOWN, AND I DIDN’T WANT HIM TO BE ALONE.
I couldn’t tell Abby that Trent was sorry, because then I’d have to explain why, and I wasn’t going to relive that part of last night ever again, not unless I absolutely had to. And even though I knew Jax was going to take off, knowing he actually did caused a sharp pain in my chest. I was glad he wasn’t alone, though. I hoped he’d be okay.
“Apparently, Wyatt took off with Jax,” I said, glancing up at Abby. “But Trent won’t tell me why, or where they went.”
“Figures.” Abby flopped face first onto her bed. “I am so glad I never had sex with him.” She groaned and rolled onto her back. “Why couldn’t he be more like Trent?”
I frowned. In a way, Wyatt leaving was kind of my fault. Maybe there was something I could do to make her feel better.
“You know, Isach told me he thought you were really pretty,” I said cautiously.
At that, Abby sat up. “He did?” She raised a brow as if she didn’t believe me.
“Yup. I kept teasing him last night that he was on a date with me but checking you out.” I laughed.
“He is really hot.”
“Right?” I said dramatically, hoping to improve her mood. “He said you were helping him with an English paper.”
“Yeah, I thought it was strange he’d brought it up.” She hugged her pillow to her chest. “So, he likes me?”
I grinned. “Yup.” Isach was really going to owe me now, and I was counting on that. I opened my conversation with Whitney and sent her a new message.
Me: WYATT BROKE UP WITH ABBY. SHE’S SAD. TRIPLE MOVIE DATE TODAY? HER AND ISACH. ME AND TRENT. YOU AND…???
“Trent again?” Abby rolled her eyes.
“No, I was texting Whitney to let her know we could go to the movies.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” Abby turned her body so she was facing me and sat cross-legged. “Tell me everything Isach said about me.” Her eyes were bright with excitement.
My phone buzzed, and I held up my finger to tell Abby to give me a second.
Whitney: UGH. MY BROTHER IS A MORON. FINE. TRIPLE DATE. LUKE. YOU CALL HIM. I’LL SET IT UP WITH TRENT AND ISACH.
My smile widened. I was going to get to see Trent today. Excitement and anticipation flared inside of me, and I wasn’t sure I could sit still. I typed out a fast reply.
Me: DEAL. THANK YOU! MEET YOU AT THE MOVIE LATER.
Now, I just had to get Luke to go with us. “Okay, we’re all set for the movies.” I tucked my phone back into my pocket. “Has Whitney ever said anything about liking Luke?”
Abby gave me an incredulous loo
k. “Uh, yeah.”
“She has?”
“Wow, you really are clueless.” Abby laughed. “Whitney’s had a thing for Luke since the night we all went camping, but she’s afraid he doesn’t like her. But he does. A lot.”
“Then why didn’t he ask her to the dance? Why did he go with Gina?” Those two were so incredibly mismatched. It made no sense.
“Have you seen Whitney? She’s gorgeous. Not to mention smart and funny. He’s so intimidated by her.”
Whitney was intimidating. Though, why she hadn’t just read his thoughts to figure out if he liked her was beyond me. Unless she was taking my advice seriously, in which case she was now on level with the rest of us.
“And Gina really likes Jax, but he doesn’t know she exists, probably because he was too busy staring at you.” Abby pinned me with a knowing glare, which I ignored.
“How did I not know any of this?” I asked.
“Seriously?” She frowned. “You’ve been so preoccupied with Trent since you’ve come home you haven’t really paid attention to much of anything. Or anyone.”
She was right. I’d been so focused on my own problems I hadn’t been a very good friend to anyone else. I needed to fix that.
“I’m sorry,” I said with a sigh.
Waving her hand, she dismissed my apology in favor of more gossip. “So, tell me about Isach.”
CHAPTER SEVEN:
Triple Date
WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE MOVIE theater, Whitney was already there with Trent and Isach. My heart jackhammered when I saw Trent, and my nerves buzzed with energy, with the need to touch him. Dressed in dark jeans and a navy blue sweater that brought out the blue in his eyes, he stood near the entrance. Waiting.
“Oh, my God.” Abby’s eyes widened. “Isach’s here?” She glanced at me.
“Surprise,” I said.
Before Abby finished parking, Luke pulled into the spot next to us. I didn’t know how it was possible, but Abby’s eyes widened even farther.
“Does Whitney know he’s here?” she asked.
“Whose idea do you think this was?” I laughed and got out of the car. I attempted to keep my pace normal as I headed toward Trent, but the closer I got, the faster I walked until I was practically running.
He opened his arms, and I flung myself into his embrace as if it had been years rather than hours since I’d last seen him. The instant his lips landed on mine, everything inside of me calmed the way it did whenever I went home after a particularly long day.
“I hope you two aren’t going to be doing that all day,” Isach said.
“You’re free to leave anytime, Zoya,” Trent said, his tone curt as he released me and took my hand, lacing our fingers.
“He’s still bitter about me taking you to the dance last night,” Isach whispered to me, loud enough for Trent to hear.
Trent scowled and tugged me around so I was standing on his other side, away from Isach. I glanced up at Trent, but I didn’t get the chance to say anything because Whitney yanked me away from him.
She pulled me into a hug. “Thank you for getting Luke to come,” she whispered. “And what is going on with Isach and Abby?”
“I’ll explain later.” I released her and moved to stand next to Trent.
He took my hand again, his hold firm, almost possessive. He couldn’t seriously be jealous, could he? If he didn’t know by now that I loved him, only him, then there was nothing more I could do to convince him.
“We seeing a movie or what?” Luke asked, his gaze never wandering too far from Whitney.
“Let’s go,” she said, leading the way inside.
Trent and I went in last. “You should be a little nicer to Isach,” I said quietly.
He glared at me like I’d lost my mind. “You’re kidding, right?”
I shook my head but was unable to explain because we’d gotten in line to buy our tickets. Once we had those, and our snacks, and were seated inside the theater, I leaned closer to Trent.
“We need him to look the other way, remember?” I said quietly.
Because when I did find a way to break this bond, I wasn’t going to deal with Isach suddenly changing his mind because he was mad at Trent for something stupid.
Trent sighed. “Only you could convince me to be nice to my sworn enemy.”
“It’s for a good cause.” I bumped him with my shoulder, and a tingle shot down my arm.
“Did you talk to your aunt and uncle?”
“Not yet. Uncle Dean was in bed when I got home. He’s sick.”
He frowned. “You’re killing me, you know that?”
“Sorry.” I’d talk to them tonight, though. Hopefully, Uncle Dean would be feeling a little better. If not, then definitely first thing tomorrow morning.
“Y’know, I think this might be our first real date,” he said.
I took a second to think back on all the time we’d spent together. “What about my birthday? That was like a date, right?”
He shook his head. “That was a party, not a date.”
I took a sip of my soda. “We went on that double date with Abby and Wyatt, to the falls.”
“Nope, that doesn’t count, either.” He shook his head again. “That was more like hanging out with friends.”
“And this isn’t?” I laughed and waved my arm toward the four other people sitting with us.
Trent leaned around me to look at them. “Hmm, good point. Okay, so this isn’t our first date then.” He grinned with mischief. “Which means I still get to take you on a first date.” He tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
I stared at him in awe. His entire body was relaxed, and he looked so normal, like any other teenage guy in the place. Though, he was a million times hotter than any other guy, and he was all mine.
Every single time I thought about that, about our future, my heart would flutter, then race. I didn’t think it was possible to love anyone more than I loved my mother—she’d been my mom and best friend—but I could say, without guilt or shame, that I loved Trent more. It was a different type of love, of course, but there was nothing stronger in my life.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.” I smiled.
He tilted his head ever so slightly, brow raised.
All it took was that single look for me to spill my guts. “I was just thinking about how much I love you.” My voice cracked with a rush of emotion.
Trent set the tub of popcorn on the floor, then leaned over to kiss me, his hands on either side of my neck, grounding me in the moment.
“What you’re feeling right now… it’s a fraction of what I feel for you, Chloe. Every moment of every day. I swear there are times when I feel like I’ll combust if I can’t see you or touch you.” His tone was low and husky and barely audible over the sound of the previews on the screen, but I’d heard him perfectly.
I was already overwhelmed by the depth of my feelings for him. Would I be able to stand it when they became even stronger? But I wanted that; I wanted to feel like he did, to know what it was like to have no end to my feelings for him.
“Which is why you”—he kissed the tip of my nose—“need to talk to your aunt and uncle.”
“Will you two hush?” Abby said, swatting at me.
I stuck my tongue out at her, and she rolled her eyes, but there was no mistaking the blush on her cheeks. Clearly, she and Isach were hitting it off. A small nugget of doubt crept into my mind. Was encouraging a relationship between them a bad idea? What if he hurt her again?
Pushing the thoughts away for now, I settled into my seat and focused on the movie. Trent and I were silent, but he held my hand the entire time, and I had my head on his shoulder, which he took advantage of by occasionally placing sweet kisses on my forehead.
When the movie ended, I stood and stretched. Abby motioned for me, and I leaned over so she could talk to me privately.
“I don’t want to go home yet,” she whispered.
Good. Neither did I. “What
now?” I asked as we all filed out of the theater.
“We could go get some food,” Abby suggested, giving me a sly smile.
“Works for me,” Trent said, wrapping his arms around my stomach and walking awkwardly behind me. Once we were outside, he moved and took my hand instead. “Hey, Whit. Give me your keys.”
She gave him a dirty look. “Have you lost your mind?”
“No, I just figured you’d want to ride with Luke.” Trent shrugged.
“Oh, yeah.” Whitney glanced at Luke. “Are you cool with that?”
“Yup.” Luke smiled.
Whitney tossed her keys to Trent, and then made her way toward Luke’s jeep.
“Is Isach riding with you?” I asked Abby.
Her face flushed, and she nodded. “Yeah, if he wants to.”
Isach was already opening the passenger door of her car. I laughed and got into the front seat of Whitney’s car. Trent slid in behind the wheel and adjusted the seat to accommodate his longer legs.
“So,” I said, hooking my seat belt, “when are you going to take me on a real first date?”
“As soon as I meet your aunt and uncle, and they know I’m your boyfriend.” He started the engine and backed out of the parking spot.
He really wasn’t giving up on that, was he? That was okay, though. Knowing their approval was as important to him as it was to me was comforting.
“I’ll talk to them this weekend. I promise,” I said.
He once again took my hand and laced his fingers with mine, then kissed my knuckles. “I realized something earlier,” he said.
“What?”
“I don’t know the most important things about you.” He sliced a look at me, his expression serious.
“Like what?”
“Well, like your favorite color. Or movie. Or song. I didn’t even know your middle name until this morning. I should know those things about you.” He gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “I want to know those things about you, Chloe.”
I smiled. “I want to know those things about you, too.”
“All you have to do is ask,” he said.
“Why? So you can answer me with a question and not actually tell me anything?” I teased.
Eternal Love: (The Cursed Series, Book 4) Page 5
