Page 4 of Falling Into Forever
We’ve always been on our own.
His knee bounces erratically, and his fingers tap a relentless rhythm on the arm of the chair.
“Double what they’re worthnow,” I say, unable to keep the exasperation out of my voice.
A flash of bubblegum pink catches my attention through the glass wall. I glance quickly over Trent’s shoulder to where Lena and Poppy stand speaking with someone in the hallway. When Lena turns toward my office, I shake my head and hold up one finger. Trent’s too out of his mind to care, but she catches the gesture immediately, tightens her ponytail, then steps back.
She scans from me to the back of Trent’s head in a fraction of a second, before distracting Poppy and leading her away by the hand.
Only then do I return my focus to my brother. “The value of this company grows year after year. You’re looking at an instant payout instead of the long game.”
He stands so quickly that he knocks over the guest chair and glares at me like it’s my fault, then he kicks it to the side and paces behind it. He’s agitated and angry, his moods shifting faster than a tornado.
“Sell,” he hisses. It sounds like a threat, and I’m even more thankful I caught Lena before she entered my office.
I don’t think he’s heartless enough to endanger his daughter, but drugs change a person. I’m beginning to learn that the hard way. Would he do something to jeopardize her future?
“Is there anything else you need today?” There’s no point arguing with him. He can only hear what he wants to hear right now.
“You’re going to regret it.” His gaze jumps to the photos on my desk. When he stares at the one of Saylor, it’s all I can do not to clutch it protectively to my chest.
My blood simmers below the surface like an underground river rushing toward an exit. “Are you threatening me,brother?”
He shrugs, and all hope that the man I’ve gotten to know over the last six years is strong enough to fight his demons is gone. Trent’s losing this internal battle.
“I wouldn’t threaten my own brother,” he says condescendingly while glaring at my photos. “You didn’t grow up in Hollywood. You may be the golden boy now, but everyone falls. Everyone. Sell. The. Company.” Each word is a blow to my heart.
I regret every secret I’ve shared with him.
“Go home, Trent.” I pull at the tension in my neck and squeeze while he holds my gaze for a beat too long. I’m not even sure if rehab will work this time. The only emotion he can access is anger. How long has the life been seeping out of him? How long have I ignored the signs? I should have kept a closer eye on him.
“Fuck you,” he spits before storming out. He’s like a toddler having a tantrum, knocking over piles of paper and office supplies as he goes. I force a tight smile for the few heads brave enough to turn my way. This is what I get for having glass walls.
When our audience goes back to their tasks, I drop my head against the chair’s headrest with a dull thud and focus on my breathing. I only have minutes, maybe seconds, before my office is filled with sunshine and rainbows.
One. Two. Three and four. I repeat the mantra in my head until I hear the pitter-patter of little feet running down my hallway.
“Unca!”
A grin takes over my entire face before I even open my eyes. And when I do, I’m hit by a love so profound it rattles my bones.
“Lollipop,” I say, then open my arms so a four-year-old ball of energy dressed in pink tulle can run straight into them. She smells like strawberry shampoo and sweetness. She’s the warmth I thought I’d never feel again.
Her mom walks in behind her. Lena is the big sister I never had and has spent countless hours listening to my broken heart, but she enters today wearing a careful mask, and I sit up straighter.
She and Trent started dating a year after I moved to California, and if it weren’t for Poppy, I would regret ever introducing her to Trent. Lena deserves better, and I know her Prince Charming is out there somewhere. She’ll find him as soon as she allows herself to move on, but regardless of what happens in their relationship, I’m thankful for her because, in some strange way, she reminds me of the only place that’s ever felt like home—Hope Hollow.
A town I haven’t set foot in in over six years. Maybe it’s because she saw me at my lowest and helped me up. Or because she listened without judgment and told me to get my head out of my ass when I needed it. She embodies everything I grew to love about that quirky small town in Connecticut.
“So, it’s true?” she asks carefully.
I should have listened months ago when she told me she thought Trent was using again.
I nod while Poppy traces every line on my face. I hope she holds on to this level of curiosity for a while longer.
“Well, crap.” Lena rights the chair Trent knocked over. “Then today’s probably not the day to drop another bomb on you.”
I lift one brow in her direction, but Poppy instantly pokes at it, trying to push it back into place.
