Ashrika
WHEN THE CAR DREW TOa stop outside Trent’s apartment, I had no idea why I decided to go straight to him. I had my own place above the restaurant. For now. Until Zayne kicked me out of there too. Everything I owned belonged to him, so it was safe to say that I had no guarantee of him leaving the restaurant in my complete care.
“Rika?” I glanced at Jenson and smiled. “Shall I just drive?” For a man of few words, he seemed to pick up on my distress.
I shook my head. “Thank you, Jenson. This is perfect.”
“Should I wait or come back to fetch you when you’re done?”
I debated whether to tell him not to. He was, after all, employed by Zayne. I sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll call you.” I stared out the window at Trent’s building wondering what was in store for me in there.
A couple of minutes later, the door opened, and Trent’s welcome smile was like a beacon of hope to a ship about to go under. “Hi.”
Before I could stop myself, I fell against his chest and the tears I’d managed to hold back in the car, gushed like a dam that had just broken a wall. I balled his shirt in my hands and clung to him.
“What’s wrong, Ash?” I could hear the alarm in his voice.
Trent slipped his arms around me and held me tight to his body. His pure maleness blanketed me and rendered me helpless. And for just a moment, it was all that I wanted or needed until the shitstorm that represented my brain had a chance to abate.
“What happened, sweetheart,” he asked when my body finally settled from the jerks of unashamed wails to silent sobs. “Did Zayne say something?” he gently pushed before his grip tightened and anger chased his next words, “Did he hurt you, Ash?”
I sighed and leaned back to look at the man who’d made me step out of a shell I didn’t think possible. “We argued,” it was all I could manage for the moment.
“Does this have something to do with us and you sleeping with me?” He wiped my wet face with his fingers. Not sure myself, I hesitated. “Come on.” He walked me to his kitchen, sat me down at the modern breakfast nook before placing a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of me. “Drink,” he ordered when I just stared at the orange liquid. “You want to talk about it?” he asked after I downed the drink.
I ran my finger along the rim of the glass, debating what I should or shouldn’t say. Trent and I had never discussed my marriage or the impact us sleeping together would have on it. In his eyes, I was just cheating on my husband. In mine, I had no idea what the hell to think anymore.
After a lengthy silence, Trent cleared his voice before speaking. “Come home with me, Ash.”
My head snapped up. “Home?”
“Yes. My home is in Brenton. I stay here when I need to work in the city.” At my baffled look, he added. “It’s a two-hour drive.”
“Why? My place is here.” I wasn’t sure if I sounded wistful or not.
He came around the counter and took my hand in his. “Because I want to share everything with you. Show you my life. Tell you everything about me.”
“I don’t think I should,” I responded without thought.
He frowned. “Why?”
