by Celeste Raye
“You were beautiful yesterday.”
“Thank you, Trent. I didn't pick out the dress, though I do agree that I liked it very much.”
Trent wanted to say so much, but he did not know how to word it. He had messed up so royally, and there was nothing he could do to fix it. How was he supposed to explain that to her?
“So, was there something you wanted to ask me? You’re kind of standing in my way and I’d like to pass if you don't mind.”
He was so busy looking at her that he hadn't realized he was standing right in the middle of the path. He moved to one side and asked if she minded if they walked together.
“It's a free country.”
“I don't want this weirdness between us.”
“I don't think that's ever going to be a possibility. Do you?”
Trent did not think it was a possibility either, but he wanted to believe it could be. He wanted to think that there was somewhere, in some world, where they could coexist together. She could be married to his brother, and he would be okay with it. There had to be a scenario where that was possible, or it was just going to drive him crazy.
“No, I guess not, but I don’t want it to be this way.”
“I don’t either, Trent. It’s just a lot of changes.”
“My brother left?”
“Yes, just a little while ago.”
“I want to see you some more.”
She shrugged and asked him what that meant.
“It means that I want to have dinner tonight. How does that sound?”
“It sounds dangerous, Trent.”
“Not dangerous at all. I promise I will be on my best behavior.”
She didn’t seem too sure, but finally, she agreed, and Trent could feel the first real smile on his face in a long time.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sienna did not think that meeting up with Trent was a good idea, but she hadn’t been able to tell him no when he asked about it. How could she? She wanted to see him again, even if it was in passing and they weren’t going to be allowed to do anything else.
She knew that this was going to be hard on her, torture even, but she was going to have to make sure that it was what she wanted to happen. As much as Sienna liked to believe that nothing was in her control anymore, she still felt like some of it was. Maybe the moments that they shared together were going to have to last for the rest of her life.
But she agreed anyway.
No matter what she told herself, Sienna was careful, and she got ready, trying to look good for Trent. She told herself that they were just going to go out and talk, but Sienna hoped for other things to happen. She was still mad at Trent for sending her back, and it was something that hadn’t changed of course, and she still wanted him fiercely.
Her attraction to him was something that was never going to change, but that didn't matter to her. At the end of the day, she just wanted to see him again, in whatever capacity that was available. Especially knowing that soon she was going to have to go to be with Darius. Her husband.
Sienna kept reminding herself of that, over and over again. He was her husband now, and it didn't matter what she felt for his brother. What happened between Trent and her was never going to happen again. They were just going to talk.
Then why was she wearing lacy panties, hoping that he would see them? It wasn't something that a person would wear if they were not figuring on doing just that. Sienna admonished herself silently, though she didn’t change.
The time got away from her, and before she knew it, there was a knock on her door and Sienna jumped a little bit at the sound. She wanted to believe that it wasn't Trent. It could be room service or Frank, or a list of other people that she knew.
Then she answered the door, and her face fell a bit. Her time to prepare herself was done. Trent was there, but she wasn’t a hundred percent sure that she was ready for him.
“Why do you look surprised to see me? You knew that I was coming.”
“I don't know. I knew that you were coming; it's just crazy to see you here.”
“Are you going to let me in or are we going to stand out here and do this out here?”
“What is it that you think we're doing, friend?”
“Isn't it obvious?”
“Not really.”
“We are about to run away together. Isn't that what we're doing?”
For a moment, she thought he was being serious, and her brain stopped. It was, of course, exactly what Sienna wanted to hear a week ago, but now it was something else altogether.
“What do you mean?”
“Sienna, let me in. We have a lot to talk about.”
“So, you were just joking?”
“I wouldn't say that exactly.”
“Then what would you say?
Trent finally sighed out loud and shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly, I don't know what the hell is going on. I feel like I'm about to come out of my skin next to you, and I don't know how to act. How is that for the truth?”
Sienna moved back from the door and told him to come in. As bad as it sounded, that was exactly how she felt too. She was still mixed up as well.
“I can’t believe that you’re here, Trent. I didn’t think I would see you again. You kind of took off after the wedding.”
“I know. I thought that I was going to stay gone, but then my brother took off, so I thought it was a good chance for us to clear the air.”
“I guess we should. We are family, after all now, aren’t we?”
“You know that's the last thing I want to think about.”
“We are family.”
“Not like that.”
“Well, you're my brother-in-law now. That's family, isn't it?”
“No. You know that's not what I meant.”
Sienna was having a hard time with him standing in front of her. She wanted to act like there was nothing difficult about the fact that they were even together right then. They should not be seen together. He should not be in her room, that was for certain.
“So, what are you really doing here, Trent? I think we said all we need to say last time we spoke. Don't you think? I mean, you really let it out, so I don't know why you feel like we have to talk anymore.”
“You know that what I said that day you left, was not the truth. I don't feel that way about you at all. You know, that right?”
“What you did was push me to the side. It is a fact. That's what you did. I married your brother. You knew that was going to happen, so I'm a bit confused about why you are here now.”
“It is what had to happen, Sienna.”
“Yes, that's what I keep hearing. And I married him, so what now? What do you want from me now? You know damn well that I'm married to your brother.”
“I know that I made it even more complicated than it had to be. I wish I would've never brought you to your father.”
“You're a little late on that one, Trent.”
“I know.”
He rubbed his hands over his face and Sienna could tell that he was upset. She didn't feel one hundred percent bad for him because she was upset as well. He had done unimaginable things to her emotions, and she didn't think that it was ever going to get better.
“Don't you think I know how stupid I was?”
“Yes, I do think you know now, but it doesn't do us any good, does it? What's done is done. That is why I wanted to leave. I knew if we went back, that I would have no choice in things. They didn't let me out of their sight the rest of the time, and now here I am, married for life.”
“That makes me feel sick inside just to hear you say that.”
Sienna was not in the mood to play the games that he wanted to obviously play. She certainly didn't want to sit and talk about how much he was upset about the situation. He had caused the situation as far as she was concerned. He had made all of this happen, so it made no sense why he would be upset about it. This was his choice after all.
“Are you ever going to forgive me?�
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“There is nothing to forgive, Trent. As I said before, what’s done, is done.”
“But here we are now.”
He was moving closer to her, and Sienna took a step back. The last thing that she needed was to confuse her body by letting him touch her. That's where it had all started, and she knew better now. She knew that what she had started with Trent had brought on all the rest. She had brought it on herself.
“Yes, here we are. Now what?”
“I don't know, Sienna. I just wanted to see you.”
“It hurts to see you, Trent. You know that, right?”
Trent could only agree. He could certainly see that as he was dying inside, just like he had been the day before when he watched her marry Darius.
“Is he at least treating you well?”
Sienna put her hand up and shook her head. “We will not talk about him. I don't want to ever talk to you about Darius.”
“Just promise me that he hasn't hurt you.”
“No, he hasn't.”
Sienna thought of the night before, and she knew that everything would have been good, if only for one little tiny difference. It would have been good with Darius and she would have been able to accept him as her husband if only she hadn't met his brother first. After Trent, Sienna wasn't sure if she was ever going to feel the same way about another person again.
“And you won't run away with me?”
“I can't run away with you, Trent. I am married now. To your brother. You know this.”
“I do know that, Sienna, but I also know that all rules can be broken.”
“Not this time.”
“You wanted me to marry your brother, and I did. I did what I was told, but now it just feels like torture, you being here.”
“It's because we're supposed to be together.”
“That very well may be. But it's too late now.”
Sienna had high hopes when she first talked to Trent. She had convinced herself that she wasn't expecting anything, but in the back of her mind, of course she was. They had shared a moment together that she would most likely never forget. She wanted that again but knew that it wasn't going to happen.
“I think it's best if you leave, Trent. This is just confusing.”
“I just wanted to see you.”
Her heart melted a little bit with his words. It was just a simple request. It was hard for her to imagine telling him no, but she had to. She had made her choice, or rather the choice was made for her, and now she was going to have to live with it. That is what everybody had been telling her and that was just what she was going to have to do. The sooner she got Trent out of her mind, the better.
Trent didn’t stay much longer after that. She had made herself clear how she felt about it, and he left with a saddened look on his face.
It was easier to watch him go the second time. Though she wasn't sure if she would ever get used to it.
Sienna stared at the door that he had gone through and wondered when she would see him again. They were family, after all. And that somehow made it one hundred times worse. She was never going to be able to get away from him. He would be at every holiday and every gathering she attended.
She would never rid herself of Trent. He was always going to be the reminder of what could have been.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Trent left because he was told to. He didn't leave because he wanted to. He had high hopes for the night. He was sure that the two of them were going to be unable to stop themselves. They were so much in love that she would fall back into his arms, and they would figure it all out.
What he wasn't prepared for was how wrong he was about everything. She was certainly not running into his arms, and he was leaving her room not too long after he arrived. And he was leaving alone.
Trent had been sure that there was something there, something deeper that he had never known before. He had convinced himself of that. But now, he wasn’t sure about anything. If she truly felt the way that he thought she did, she would never have been able to walk away. It would have been impossible, just like it felt for him. But then again, he had walked away.
Everything that he thought he had felt, obviously wasn't real. If it had been real, then he would still be there with her. She wouldn’t have married his brother, and she wouldn't have told him to leave. It was not at all how it was supposed to go.
He passed Frank on the way to his room and ask the old man if he ever slept.
“How can I sleep when there are always so many interesting things going on around here?”
Trent waved him off.
“There is nothing of interest to see here. I assure you of that.”
“Things didn’t go like you hoped?”
“I hoped for things that I shouldn't have.”
Frank chuckled a little bit. “Don't we all, kid? Don't we all.”
Trent needed to get away, and it wasn't but a few moments before he was outside, shifted, and in the air. It was the only time that he felt free lately. When he was on the ground, the only way that he felt normal was if he drank more than he should and his mind was muddled just enough. Then he wouldn’t have to think about her. Sienna. She was always going to be the one that got away. But the bad part was that she wasn't just going to be a thought in passing. No, she was going to be the sister-in-law that he saw every time he turned around. How was it possible for him to ever get over her when she was always going to be there?
“I have a good feeling about all of it. Don't give up hope.”
Trent wanted to tell the old man off. If he hadn’t listened to Frank in the first place, he wouldn't have been shut down so spectacularly again in her room. He could have pretended like she was gone or not an option. Frank put hope in his heart for just a moment, and it was long enough for common sense to get pushed back down. Whatever he wanted to happen between him and Sienna wasn't going to happen. He just had to get that in his mind and get Frank out of it. Frank was doing him no favors.
He gave an excuse and left again. Every time he turned around; it was just another reminder of her. He couldn't have her. He wanted her. The Dynasty Club was becoming his own personal prison.
Trent was making everyone around him nervous. The few people that were still at the Dynasty Club that knew him personally were even more worried about him than everyone else. They knew that Trent wasn’t like this. Trent didn’t drink in the day, and he certainly didn't do it for a week straight. There had already been word from his brother and father, and now that it was all coming to an end, it was even worse.
Somewhere inside of him, Trent had hoped that he and Sienna would work things out. He didn't know how it was going to happen, just that it was. He had been so sure of it.
But it hadn't worked out. Sienna was avoiding him at all costs and considering how their last conversation had gone, he didn't blame her. He couldn't blame her for any of it, really. Sienna was the one that had tried hard to get them together and keep them together, but he had pushed her away every chance he got. Trent did not know why he had acted that way. He had made a mistake and, in those moments when he could have done something, he did not. Now he had to live with the consequences.
Part of the consequences were that he had to bring her back home to his brother. The flight would not be that long, maybe a couple of days because they would have to stop for her, but just the idea of being that close to her was hard for a Trent to imagine.
He saw Frank walk into the bar and he downed the glass quickly. Frank always had advice, but Trent did not want it. His advice did not really matter, because it didn't work. He had done his best to have a few more shared moments with Sienna. Trent knew that a lot of it had to do with Frank and his comments, but there was nothing that he could do about it. He tried and failed, rather miserably.
“I hear that you're leaving, Trent.”
“Yes, we are finally going to get out of your hair.”
“You're always welcome here, Trent. You know that.”
“I suppose I am. My money is anyway.”
Trent stopped and pressed his lips together. He wasn't being fair. He was forcing his issues on the old man, knowing that it wasn't his fault.
“Sorry about that. You know that I will be back, Frank. Maybe next time, it will be under better circumstances.”
“Maybe next time it'll be for your own wedding.”
“I doubt that very seriously. I don't think you could pay me enough to get married, Frank. It seems like a bunch of hassle to me.”
“I have been married several times and I assure you that every single time was worth it. Sometimes we need to experience the wrong person to appreciate the right one.”
Trent had to shake his words out of his mind because they were too close to what he wanted to hear. The whole time that he was at the club, he’d commiserated about the wedding that he had brought her to. He thought about what they had done the night after the wedding, and so many other things that he shouldn't have even thought about. But it was all that he had on his mind.
“I hope you're right, Frank. If not, it was a whole lot of wasted energy.”
“Falling in love is never wasted energy, Trent. I'm telling you; I see good things for you. You are just going to have to trust me. I am usually right.”
Trent wasn't very committal about it, but he liked the idea that Frank was right. It was hard to imagine that it would be any worse than it was at the moment. Trent couldn’t even imagine everything working out how he wanted to. He knew better than to have that sort of dream.
“Well, I better get going. I have a sister-in-law to take back home.”
“I do wish you the best, Trent. Just keep your chin up. It's about to get better.”
Trent said something about hoping that he was right and got out of there before he could make another comment one way or another. He wasn't upset with Frank, but he would snap on him. It was easy to blame someone else for his problems, but he knew that they were all on him. He should have never brought her to Darius. They should have run off together and none of this would have ever happened. They would be together now.
