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“Tris, do you know where Trent is?”
Tristan and I both look at each other, our brows furrowed in concern. “I’m right here. What’s going on?”
“It’s Ted. He’s had a heart attack.” Her voice breaks, and she takes a minute to compose herself. I lean my elbow on the window and put my hand against my head as reality comes crashing down around me.
Once again, I’m getting pulled away from Becka before I have a chance to fix things. But my aunt and uncle are the only family Tristan and I have left. So as much as it guts me, I start looking up flight information and texting Miles, Kasen, and Robbie. I find us a flight out in a few hours, which gives us just enough time to head straight to LAX.
As the plane pulls away from the ground, I look out the window watching LA fading away and knowing my heart is down there somewhere with someone who doesn’t even know it belongs to her.
23
My phone feels heavy as I hold it against my chest and let out a sob. God, hearing his voice was both the best feeling in the world and incredibly painful.
He misses me, but I didn’t even have the strength to ask if he missed me as only a friend or as more.
Does he miss me how I miss him?
Or does he just miss his friend from Texas who knew him before he was a rock star?
Does it even matter?
For eight months, I’ve thought about Trent every day, and the more time that passed the more I wondered if it’s better that things fell apart. If we got together, how long would we even last? I know myself well enough to know I need a man who’s here, who’s present when I need him, not someone who will be on the road half the year or more touring and having women constantly throwing themselves at him.
God, the idea makes my stomach curdle.
I lie back in my bed and throw the covers over my head, wanting to drown out the world and my heartache. Shouldn’t this have faded by now? Why is this such a persistent ache? I was able to get over Brad in no time at all, and we actually dated for nine months.
Why can’t I get over Trent when we only had one night together?
My mind races with questions, my heart aches with pain, and my body lies heavy on my bed until a fitful sleep finally overcomes it all.
* * *
My brother’s huge smile consumes his face, and he looks as excited as a little kid on Christmas at how well his new girlfriend, Gina, and I are getting along. I found out he met her family a week ago, so of course, I demanded to meet her. It took him nearly a week to finally schedule something, and I admit I was a mess of nerves when I drove to the dog park.
Will doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to choosing good women. Well, I guess it’s only one woman since Gina is only his second serious relationship. But after Candace, I’m especially protective when it comes to my brother. Which is also why I still haven’t told him about Trent calling me two weeks ago. I haven’t heard a word from him since.
Not a text.
Not a call.
Nothing.
And I’m fucking gutted at his silence.
Is this how he felt all those months that I ignored his texts? Even if I pored over them nightly, reading and rereading them and torturing myself, he didn’t know that. I don’t know what his silence means, but it can’t be anything good.
But Will is finally happy, and I don’t want to ruin that.
Now if Gina turns out to be a bitch, it’ll be a completely different story. I’m sick of gold diggers trying to own my brother.
I see Rex, Will’s dog, pouncing around my brother and a beautiful woman whose curves are envy-inducing. She looks nothing like Candace, and a small bit of relief courses through me. Now I can only hope her personality is nothing like Candace too.
“Rex! Come here, boy,” I shout, and Rex immediately comes bounding over to me. God, I love this fucking dog so much. I usually have him stay with me when Will’s out of town for away games, and he’s made these past eight months a little more bearable. There’s a reason they call dogs man’s best friend—they’re empathetic, caring, and sometimes feel like people in their own right.
Honestly dogs are better than people.
I give Rex a scratch behind his ears and then walk toward my brother. Gina looks nervous, and that endears her to me even more, so I decide to go into this as friendly as possible. I give her a kind smile and then walk right up to her and embrace her in a hug. “Hey, you must be Gina. It’s so good to meet you.” I pull away and look at Will affectionately. “Will’s been talking about you for ages.”
