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“Josh!” Mr. Dailey shouted as he, too, stood. Then Trent stood and they were all shouting at each other. Crystal looked over at Carmela, who stayed seated, her hand clutching the stem of her water glass so hard Crystal was surprised it didn’t shatter. Mrs. Dailey had come out of her seat, as well, and was grasping on to the front of Josh’s shirt, clearly pleading with him, though Crystal didn’t understand the mash of words the elderly woman spoke. Josh calmed a measure, looked down at his mother, and gave her a kind smile.
“Carmela,” he said, over his mother’s head, “I have a wish to speak to you in private.”
“Fine,” Carmela gritted out, and then she rose to her feet, seemed to stiffen her spine, and strode off toward t
he swinging kitchen doors.
Trent helped his mother back into her chair, and Mr. Dailey pulled her in close, giving her his strength. When they were all quiet once more, Mrs. Dailey spoke, attempting to apologize for the unseemly outburst.
“I wish that hadn’t happened in front of you, Crystal. I’m afraid Carmela and Josh have always rubbed each other the wrong way. He seems to think she is unworthy of the Dailey name, simply because she lives her life as a modern, independent woman. I don’t agree with my son, but he has strong convictions.”
“What about me? I’m not exactly old-fashioned, either, and I don’t see him acting that way toward me,” Crystal asked, wondering if there was more to the antagonism between the two siblings.
“Yes, Crystal, but you’re not a Dailey.”
The words hit her square in the chest. It hadn’t been Mrs. Dailey’s intention to hurt her, and yet Crystal felt her world swing out of focus for a second. The very pathetic part of it all was that Trent’s mother was correct. Crystal wasn’t a Dailey, and she had absolutely no right to be discussing private matters with them. Their meal was done, her time with Trent finished. It was moments like this when reality didn’t merely seep in; it gushed.
Crystal rose from the table and leaned down to place a gentle kiss against Mrs. Dailey’s cheek. “Thank you for a lovely time, but I’m afraid it’s time for me to leave.”
Trent stood up slowly, his face a stern mask as he glared down at her. “What is this?”
“I had a lovely time with your family, Trent, but I have to work in the morning and I need to get home.”
“No.”
Crystal’s eyes grew huge, surprised by the finality of that single word, as well as the vehemence behind it. “What do you mean, ‘no’?”
“There is no need for you to leave here. You can stay. With me.”
Crystal turned a dark shade of red, and she felt like she was going to pass out. “Trent!” she admonished. “This is neither the time nor the place to talk about this.”
Trent’s eyes bored into hers, a muscle in his hard, masculine jaw twitching angrily. Suddenly he looked at his parents and said, “Sorry.” Then, as if she were so much baggage, he was hauling her off.
Soon they were back in the dark confines of his car. It wasn’t until he’d driven her back to Mollie’s apartment that Crystal came to her senses. “How dare you embarrass me that way!”
Trent stared at her for several long seconds, then he cursed a blue streak—loud enough that she was sure everyone in the next county heard. He shoved a hand through his hair and then spoke so softly she very nearly missed his words. “Jesus! I’m sorry. I was taken by surprise when you announced that you were leaving and I simply acted on impulse. But that doesn’t mean you have to go. I want you here, Crystal, with me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Move in with me,” he gritted out. “You haven’t found a place yet, and I have more than enough room.”
Crystal’s face softened. Damn, this would be a lot easier if she hadn’t already fallen head over heels for him. She reached her hand up and stroked a finger over his lips. He grabbed her wrist and placed several small kisses in her palm, melting her heart further. “That’s sweet, Trent, but it’s not right. I can’t just. . . live with you. I need my own place. My own life. Besides, I need to know a man for a long while before I take such a huge step like moving in together.”
He released her hand and looked out the windshield. His face shut down so fast he looked like a complete stranger to her. “I can provide for you,” he said, his voice soft, but no less insistent for it. “I’m a wealthy man, as you no doubt have figured out by now. You will want for nothing.”
She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’ll ‘provide for’ me? What exactly are you proposing here?”
His gaze landed on her once more. “All your bills, your clothes, everything. I will take care of you. I want you to stay with me.”
Shattered. With a few well-chosen words, he’d managed to shatter her heart and soul. “I can’t believe you just offered that to me.” She shook her head and opened the door. “You’re a fool, Trent.” Crystal started to get out, but he wasn’t quite through digging at her heart.
“You care about me, damn it,” he muttered. “Don’t deny it.”
He’d just offered to keep her, as if she were a high-priced whore, and she was supposed to just swoon? But something about his tone made her think that he was purposely pushing her away. Crystal hadn’t expected that. She’d thought he would fight the issue a little harder. He didn’t seem the type to give in so easily. Unless, of course, he really didn’t care for her. Had it all been about sex to him? That’s when the truth struck Crystal, as if it were a fist in the gut. She really had been nothing but a good time for him.
“Yeah, I care about you. But I care about myself, too. I won’t be a doormat for any man. Not anymore,” she muttered. With that, Crystal fled from the car, determined to be out of his sight before the dam broke. She wanted to turn around. She really did. She ached to hurl a few insults right back at him. To slap him for doing this to her. For making her fall for him. But she knew that if she started, she wouldn’t be able to stop until she was empty. Moreover, she’d regret it later. So instead, she turned, entered the apartment, and waited until he’d driven away before letting the tears fall.
When she reached her bedroom, it took three tries before she managed to open the door. Once inside, she dropped onto the bed and let go completely. She’d never cried so hard in her life. It was as if a vital part of her had just been taken away by the cruel hand of fate. Sometimes life really did suck.
