touch her.
“ You
asked about Nick ’ s father, ” Emily said. “ He ’ s
gone. I don ’ t know if he ’ ll ever come back, and if he
does, he ’ s not fit to be a
father. I ’ m the only one
who can take care of Nick and I don ’ t
even feel like I ’ m doing
that right now. ”
“ I
think you ’ re doing just
fine. ”
“ If
I was doing just fine, you wouldn ’ t
be here. ”
Trent nodded. “ Okay. I understand that then.
Was it just the fire that did all this? ”
“ That
was the last straw, ” Emily
said. “ I ’ m lucky the neighbor was
planning on tearing the barn down anyway. It was old. There wasn ’ t anything inside of it. No
animals or tools or anything. Thankfully. But it was still a fire. Arson. He
snuck out of his window and set it on fire. ”
“ Wow, ” Trent said.
“ And
I have no idea why. He won ’ t
open up to me, Trent. He shuts me out and pushes me away. I ’ ve let him in as far as I can. A
house. A room. Love. I stand up to him. I don ’ t
know …”
Trent lifted the pizza and moved
it. He reached across the table again, this time taking both of Emily ’ s hands.
“ Hey,
take a deep breath, ” Trent
said. “ You can ’ t get worked up like this. I
know I ’ m not the one to
tell you this stuff, but just take it easy on yourself a little. Nick is in a
tough spot, just like you. ”
“ And
you? ” Emily asked.
“ I ’ m always in a tough spot. ”
“ You
never explained your misconception. ”
Trent laughed. “ I knocked the hell out of that
guy. He was running his mouth at me and I kind of lost it. To anyone else it ’ s probably not a big deal, but
since I am who I am, it ’ s a
big deal. ”
“ What
made you lose it? ”
Emily ’ s
eyes were flirting with Trent. He knew that for sure. He had been around enough
women to know the difference between someone flirting with him and someone attracted
to his celebrity.
“ That ’ s another long story, ” Trent said.
“ You
could tell me …”
Trent wanted to tell Emily
everything. He shouldn ’ t want
to and he damn sure better not. Slowly, Trent slid his hands away from Emily ’ s hands and stood up.
“ Why
don ’ t I go find Nick? It ’ s starting to get late here. I
have an hour drive back and have to meet up with the band. ”
“ Yeah.
Sure. Okay. ”
Trent instantly regretted leaving
the table. He walked along the wall, trying to stay out of the way. It seemed
everyone was too enthralled with their games to notice a rockstar walking by
them. It was perfect since Trent wasn ’ t
really in the mood for any more pictures and autographs. He knew he needed to
get out of there as soon as possible to clear his head, because all he was
truly in the mood for was finding away to be close to Emily and help take care
of her and Nick.
As Trent turned the corner to one
section of the arcade he spotted Nick. He stood at a game, but he wasn ’ t playing it. He was slightly
off to one side and kept moving back and forth as though he was spying on
someone. Trent followed where Nick was looking and he smiled. A girl stood at
the skeet ball machine, rolling brown balls up, trying to score points for
tickets. She looked to be Nick ’ s
age, long blonde hair. A pretty girl, one that Nick must have had an interest
in.
Trent folded his arms and watched
Nick for a little bit.
He would take a step and then
retreat. The girl was with a couple other friends. Maybe that was stopping
Nick. He was nervous to say something to a group of girls. Then came the
perfect chance. The girl ’ s
friends all walked away. The girl waited for her tickets to stop spitting out
of the game. Nick made two fists and took a couple steps toward her.
“ Come
on, ” Trent whispered.
The girl looked at Nick and smiled.
Trent saw the way her blue eyes lit up when she saw Nick.
“ Hey, ” the girl said.
“ Yeah,
hey, ” Nick said.
He turned on his heels, shoved his
hands into his pockets, and walked away. That ’
“ You
asked about Nick ’ s father, ” Emily said. “ He ’ s
gone. I don ’ t know if he ’ ll ever come back, and if he
does, he ’ s not fit to be a
father. I ’ m the only one
who can take care of Nick and I don ’ t
even feel like I ’ m doing
that right now. ”
“ I
think you ’ re doing just
fine. ”
“ If
I was doing just fine, you wouldn ’ t
be here. ”
Trent nodded. “ Okay. I understand that then.
Was it just the fire that did all this? ”
“ That
was the last straw, ” Emily
said. “ I ’ m lucky the neighbor was
planning on tearing the barn down anyway. It was old. There wasn ’ t anything inside of it. No
animals or tools or anything. Thankfully. But it was still a fire. Arson. He
snuck out of his window and set it on fire. ”
“ Wow, ” Trent said.
“ And
I have no idea why. He won ’ t
open up to me, Trent. He shuts me out and pushes me away. I ’ ve let him in as far as I can. A
house. A room. Love. I stand up to him. I don ’ t
know …”
Trent lifted the pizza and moved
it. He reached across the table again, this time taking both of Emily ’ s hands.
“ Hey,
take a deep breath, ” Trent
said. “ You can ’ t get worked up like this. I
know I ’ m not the one to
tell you this stuff, but just take it easy on yourself a little. Nick is in a
tough spot, just like you. ”
“ And
you? ” Emily asked.
“ I ’ m always in a tough spot. ”
“ You
never explained your misconception. ”
Trent laughed. “ I knocked the hell out of that
guy. He was running his mouth at me and I kind of lost it. To anyone else it ’ s probably not a big deal, but
since I am who I am, it ’ s a
big deal. ”
“ What
made you lose it? ”
Emily ’ s
eyes were flirting with Trent. He knew that for sure. He had been around enough
women to know the difference between someone flirting with him and someone attracted
to his celebrity.
“ That ’ s another long story, ” Trent said.
“ You
could tell me …”
Trent wanted to tell Emily
everything. He shouldn ’ t want
to and he damn sure better not. Slowly, Trent slid his hands away from Emily ’ s hands and stood up.
“ Why
don ’ t I go find Nick? It ’ s starting to get late here. I
have an hour drive back and have to meet up with the band. ”
“ Yeah.
Sure. Okay. ”
Trent instantly regretted leaving
the table. He walked along the wall, trying to stay out of the way. It seemed
everyone was too enthralled with their games to notice a rockstar walking by
them. It was perfect since Trent wasn ’ t
really in the mood for any more pictures and autographs. He knew he needed to
get out of there as soon as possible to clear his head, because all he was
truly in the mood for was finding away to be close to Emily and help take care
of her and Nick.
As Trent turned the corner to one
section of the arcade he spotted Nick. He stood at a game, but he wasn ’ t playing it. He was slightly
off to one side and kept moving back and forth as though he was spying on
someone. Trent followed where Nick was looking and he smiled. A girl stood at
the skeet ball machine, rolling brown balls up, trying to score points for
tickets. She looked to be Nick ’ s
age, long blonde hair. A pretty girl, one that Nick must have had an interest
in.
Trent folded his arms and watched
Nick for a little bit.
He would take a step and then
retreat. The girl was with a couple other friends. Maybe that was stopping
Nick. He was nervous to say something to a group of girls. Then came the
perfect chance. The girl ’ s
friends all walked away. The girl waited for her tickets to stop spitting out
of the game. Nick made two fists and took a couple steps toward her.
“ Come
on, ” Trent whispered.
The girl looked at Nick and smiled.
Trent saw the way her blue eyes lit up when she saw Nick.
“ Hey, ” the girl said.
“ Yeah,
hey, ” Nick said.
He turned on his heels, shoved his
hands into his pockets, and walked away. That ’
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