football
practice and games, and you working at the gas station when you had
free time. Still, we had a fight and agreed to take a break.”
She wrapped her arms around herself and
walked to the window. “Actually, I suggested the break, hoping
you’d tell me I was crazy. Instead, you told me it was a good
idea.”
Trevor closed his eyes, remembering that
argument clearly. As usual, her ex-boyfriend Bradley Banks had
gotten under Trevor’s skin. The captain of the football team and
supposedly all-around good guy from the right side of the tracks,
Banks was really a bastard beneath his moneyed looks. He’d always
played on Trevor’s insecurities, doing things like deliberately
spilling a drink, then laughing and telling the rest of the team
that Trevor’s dad, who was the high school janitor, would clean up
his mess.
“I’d bought you a necklace for your
birthday.” He vividly recalled the gold-plated heart with
rhinestones around the edge.
“I still have it, tucked away in the back of
a drawer,” she admitted.
He’d wondered if she’d forgotten all about
him over the years. Now he had his answer and his heart pounded
harder in his chest.
Trevor looked over her shoulder and out the
window, the glorious view a complete one-eighty from the small
house he’d grown up in. The side of his house practically butted
another home. When Trevor looked out his bedroom window, he could
see the O’Reillys’ back porch, so he’d had to keep his shades shut
tight. Maybe that explained why he’d been drawn to this view, he
realized now.
Lissa remained quiet, obviously waiting for
him to continue. She stood alone, wearing his big shirt, as lovely
and vulnerable as he’d ever seen her. But she still wasn’t looking
at him.
Well, this wasn’t any easier for him, but it
had to be done before they could ever move forward. If they could
ever move forward.
“Do you remember what was bothering you that
day?” she asked him.
He’d never told her.
He expelled a harsh breath. “Brad was giving
me shit in the locker room, telling the guys I bought you a piece
of junk at Sears and it was just a matter of time until you’d be
sick of my poverty and back with him.”
Though Lissa also lived on the “wrong” side
of Serendipity, with her gorgeous face and luscious body, Brad had
always seen her first as a prize, then as a challenge.
She turned around, eyes wide and angry.
“That son of a bitch. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He rolled his stiff shoulders, managing a
shrug. “Because it was the same song, different refrain. The guy
was a broken record and I have to admit that after a while, it got
to me.”
The man Trevor was now knew how stupid he’d
been, but back then, he’d been humiliated and overwhelmed. “I guess
I just needed to get away from the pressure for a little while.” He
stepped up beside her and pulled her into his arms. “I never meant
I needed to get away from you, but I let it happen.” She tipped her
head back, leaning against his chest. “I figured out what an ass
I’d been and tried to call you all weekend.”
“But I didn’t take your calls because I’d
already ...” Her voice trailed off, both of them knowing the end of
that sentence.
“Melissa Mayhue’s parents were away and she
had a party. I was upset and Brad and his friends were there. He
passed me drinks and I took them. Can’t blame him for that,” she
said, too much self-hatred in her voice. “And when I went to get my
things to go home, he offered to drive me.”
He stiffened, drawing on everything in him
not to get angry and pull away so he could smash something and
pretend it was her ex. The bastard had preyed on her vulnerability
and taken advantage of her being upset that night. Then she’d
gotten pregnant. Neither of them had been old enough or mature
enough to understand it back then. It was still hard enough to
accept now.
As much as he wished things had played out
differently, he couldn’t change the
practice and games, and you working at the gas station when you had
free time. Still, we had a fight and agreed to take a break.”
She wrapped her arms around herself and
walked to the window. “Actually, I suggested the break, hoping
you’d tell me I was crazy. Instead, you told me it was a good
idea.”
Trevor closed his eyes, remembering that
argument clearly. As usual, her ex-boyfriend Bradley Banks had
gotten under Trevor’s skin. The captain of the football team and
supposedly all-around good guy from the right side of the tracks,
Banks was really a bastard beneath his moneyed looks. He’d always
played on Trevor’s insecurities, doing things like deliberately
spilling a drink, then laughing and telling the rest of the team
that Trevor’s dad, who was the high school janitor, would clean up
his mess.
“I’d bought you a necklace for your
birthday.” He vividly recalled the gold-plated heart with
rhinestones around the edge.
“I still have it, tucked away in the back of
a drawer,” she admitted.
He’d wondered if she’d forgotten all about
him over the years. Now he had his answer and his heart pounded
harder in his chest.
Trevor looked over her shoulder and out the
window, the glorious view a complete one-eighty from the small
house he’d grown up in. The side of his house practically butted
another home. When Trevor looked out his bedroom window, he could
see the O’Reillys’ back porch, so he’d had to keep his shades shut
tight. Maybe that explained why he’d been drawn to this view, he
realized now.
Lissa remained quiet, obviously waiting for
him to continue. She stood alone, wearing his big shirt, as lovely
and vulnerable as he’d ever seen her. But she still wasn’t looking
at him.
Well, this wasn’t any easier for him, but it
had to be done before they could ever move forward. If they could
ever move forward.
“Do you remember what was bothering you that
day?” she asked him.
He’d never told her.
He expelled a harsh breath. “Brad was giving
me shit in the locker room, telling the guys I bought you a piece
of junk at Sears and it was just a matter of time until you’d be
sick of my poverty and back with him.”
Though Lissa also lived on the “wrong” side
of Serendipity, with her gorgeous face and luscious body, Brad had
always seen her first as a prize, then as a challenge.
She turned around, eyes wide and angry.
“That son of a bitch. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He rolled his stiff shoulders, managing a
shrug. “Because it was the same song, different refrain. The guy
was a broken record and I have to admit that after a while, it got
to me.”
The man Trevor was now knew how stupid he’d
been, but back then, he’d been humiliated and overwhelmed. “I guess
I just needed to get away from the pressure for a little while.” He
stepped up beside her and pulled her into his arms. “I never meant
I needed to get away from you, but I let it happen.” She tipped her
head back, leaning against his chest. “I figured out what an ass
I’d been and tried to call you all weekend.”
“But I didn’t take your calls because I’d
already ...” Her voice trailed off, both of them knowing the end of
that sentence.
“Melissa Mayhue’s parents were away and she
had a party. I was upset and Brad and his friends were there. He
passed me drinks and I took them. Can’t blame him for that,” she
said, too much self-hatred in her voice. “And when I went to get my
things to go home, he offered to drive me.”
He stiffened, drawing on everything in him
not to get angry and pull away so he could smash something and
pretend it was her ex. The bastard had preyed on her vulnerability
and taken advantage of her being upset that night. Then she’d
gotten pregnant. Neither of them had been old enough or mature
enough to understand it back then. It was still hard enough to
accept now.
As much as he wished things had played out
differently, he couldn’t change the
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