Page 49 of Love Me Gently

The only time I saw barely a hint of happiness was when Valerie called, and I handed my cell phone to Trina. That conversation lasted over a half an hour, and through my stalking and pacing on the other side of the bedroom door in the guise of giving her full privacy, I’d heard more than one soft laugh. Her voice was dry and scratchy from lack of use and pain, but even then, that laugh had been exhilarating.

After the call ended, and I went to grab my phone back, I got a mumbledthank youin response, and while her gaze held no emotion, her eyes seemed to be softer.

I took it as a win, as pathetic as it was.

When I left to get some work done and spend time with my girls, Mom and Dad came over. Even though Valerie had a bag stocked full of comfortable clothes for Trina on the plane before we headed back to Deer Creek, Mom had also gone out and bought a bunch of lounge sets and soft pajamas for Trina. She kept cooking and baking up a storm, but considering how Trina had treated me, Mom didn’t head downstairs. They were just there in case she rang the bell, in case she ever gave any indication she wanted help from us.

By day five, Marie wasn’t thrilled Trina was in no shape to leave my house, and we’d made a short-term decision about the girls. They’d stay with Marie another week for her week of time with them, but after…

Well,afteranother week and a half, there’d be explaining to do.

Trina’s leg brace wasn’t required unless she moved around too much and it caused her pain. As painful as it was listening to her fumbling around, I tried my best to stay back and respect her wishes. I heard the water run when she was showering and using the bathroom, and by day seven, I decided she’d had enough silence and seclusion.

Nothing good could be going on in her head with all the noise she had to carry, and not only was she fine to move around, it’d be good for her.

The sky was bright blue, the temps were going to hit the low sixties so I decided that when I took Trina’s breakfast down to her that we were getting out of the house.

I’d carry her myself if I needed to.

A quick knock on her door got me a quiet, “Come in,” and when I entered, I was surprised as hell to see her.

She wasn’t in bed like she’d been. Her hair was wet and air-drying even though she had a hair dryer she could use, and she wasn’t lying there, doing nothing but staring at the window.

Instead, she was using her bed as a stabilizer and doing elevated push-ups on them.

“What are you doing? Your ribs.” I caught myself and the bark in my voice and scaled it back. “I brought you breakfast.”

Trina stared straight ahead, down slowly, up slowly.

“Get tired of laying down?”

“Need to stay in shape.”

The hell she did. And she definitely didn’t need to do itnow. “You can relax, Trina. Take your time…you don’t have to?—”

“When Jonathan comes to get me, it’ll be worse if I’ve let myself go.”

She spoke like a robot, cold and plastic, and I hated everything about it. About the thoughts she had.

Iknewshe hadn’t been alone down here, planning a new vibrant future, with the entire world at her fingertips.

No, she’d been down here thinking of Jonathan’s retribution.

“The hell he will.” I gripped the serving tray harder and set it down on her bed. “He’s not coming here, and you’re sure as hell not going back to him.”

She scoffed, like I was the fool. “Of course he’ll come here. Don’t be naive.”

Okay. So maybe he would. “Even if he does, he won’t get to you. I’ll never let him lay a hand on you again. You’re safe here. I swear it.”

She speared me with a glare, and there was nothing kind of shimmery or hopeful in that look. It was so dark, so ugly, I sucked in a breath. “I think I’ve believed enough promises that have been broken. I know who Jonathan is, and if you think he’ll just happily be okay with his wife going missing, you’re an idiot. Besides, I didn’t ask for this.”

All the breath fled my lungs and my brain.

Did she…was shemadat us for getting her away from him? Did shewantto go back?

Trina turned back, all that long blond hair of hers fell over her shoulder blocking my view of her face. She did two more push-ups which I was certain she did to make her point and then climbed back into bed. Tray situated on her lap, she shoved the bacon to the side and began using the side of her fork to separate the egg whites from the yolks on her fried eggs.

I was still frozen, trying to understand and yet it was beyond my capability. As the words clawed up my throat to ask her what she meant, I choked them down.

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