Page 50 of Room Service

19

Trent

It was just about lunch, and I’d paused working for the time being. After a moment of sitting back with my eyes closed to relax, I sat up and reached for my phone.

Still nothing.

How busy could she be that she wouldn’t even reply to my texts? Or was she going to go back to ignoring me, as she had before? Even after last night? I’d thought things would be different, but was it just me?

Fuck, I thought to myself as I came to a realization. I am such an idiot.

How exactly were things supposed to change for the better between us? I hadn't even talked to her about things yet.

I need to talk to her, I decided. Right now.

I didn’t know if she’d be on her break or not, or if she would still be in the kitchens. But I decided to give it a try, and picked up my phone to call her. I would have to come up with an excuse for how I got her number. Considering how prickly I knew she could be, it would be less weird if I asked someone for her number than if I got it using my standing in the company.

Before I could dial the number, the door opened with enough force to slam it against the wall, making me look up. I was surprised to note my unexpected visitor was my half-sister.

“Emily,” I said, putting my phone down. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Trent.”

The way she said my name made me look at her a little more closely, and I only then noticed how she was trembling. She had her hands fisted at her sides, her eyes were narrowed at me, and her lips were pressed flat.

“You look livid,” I muttered. “What’s wrong with you? Did something happen with Dad?”

She growled at me, and it was shocking enough that my eyes widened. I was pretty good at keeping my composure around other people in most situations, but I was caught off guard right then.

“Why the fuck are you still sitting on your ass, huh? Get up! You’ve got places you need to be.”

I arched an eyebrow at her. “What are you talking about?” I said. “I still have plenty of work to do here—”

She cut me off by crossing the space between us and slamming her fists down on my desk. The force of it was enough to make a loud sound that made me jump. I tried to play it off as I shrugged, even though she didn’t look like she cared in the least that I was a bit ruffled by her behavior. I glanced down at her hands, wondering if she felt okay after slamming them so hard, but I figured she would snap at me if I asked, so I kept my mouth shut. My little sister was just a tad bit angry.

“You are going to get Jessi back,” she outright demanded.

I blinked, not understanding. “I’m sorry?”

“You will get your ass on the family helicopter,” she said through gritted teeth. “You will go and retrieve my friend, big brother, and you will bring her back. I know you probably don’t understand because you have a black heart, but she is the closest thing I have to a best friend.”

“I didn’t know the two of you were so close,” I said tentatively. What was she on about anyway? Get Jessi from where exactly?

She let out a sigh, her whole body shuddering as the air passed between her lips. Her head ducked down, and she stayed in that position, bent over my desk, for a moment. When she stood up, she looked a bit calmer than before. She removed her hands, shaking them out, then flipping a lock of hair back over her shoulder.

“There’s something going on between you and Jessi, isn’t there? And don’t even pretend you don’t know who I’m talking about right now, Trent, because if you try, I will hit you.” From the steel in her gaze, I knew she meant it. She was not playing around. I backed away from her a little.

“I know the Jessi you’re talking about.” I frowned at her, just slightly, smoothing a hand down the front of my shirt as I finally found my composure again. “If you’re asking whether there is anything between Jessi and me, then yes. It’s none of your business though.”

She scoffed, giving me the stink eye. “It is my business if just your mere presence sends my friend packing, big brother.”

The words were said derisively, but I hardly cared, because her words had just sunk in for me. And my composure was gone again as I looked up at her with shock.

Jessi was gone?

I opened my mouth but couldn’t bring myself to say the words. I didn’t want to think it. I was with her just last night! Granted, she wasn’t there when I woke up, and her boxes were gone… A coldness flushed over me as I figured out I’d been wrong. I’d thought she just put the boxes away so she could do her job. Why would she have left without saying anything?

My eyes drifted to my phone. I picked it up, noting absently that there was a slight shake of my hands as I did so. I unlocked the screen, and her number was still there. I dialed it this time and put the phone to my ear. Emily stayed quiet through my silence, though she did start pacing the room in front of me. The phone rang and rang… until it cut off.