stepped closer to her, narrowing the space between them again. “But today, that doesn’t matter.”
“There’s a wine shop down the street. We can go over there and get a bottle if you want. Good selection.”
“No,” Trent replied, moving closer to Lauren until his body stood flush against hers. He could smell her, almost feel her, and if he wanted to, taste her. “This is perfect.”
Lauren’s stomach flipped in response to his nearness, and excitement filled every cell of her body. Having him this close to her made her feel alive, nervous, and exhilarated. It also almost made her forget why she’d even been mad at him in the first place. A little voice inside her head reminded her of all the heartbreak.
“If you think I’m going to let you get away with not telling me what happened back when we were kids, you’re wrong,” she whispered.
“I know.” Trent placed the wine bottle on the counter right next to them, but he didn’t turn his body away or take his eyes off her. “You deserve to know the truth.”
Lauren moved closer to him, so that his nose and hers were less than one inch away from each other. “So why won’t you tell me?”
Trent let a second or two pass, drawing out the moment as long as he could and weighing responses in his mind. “I will,” he finally said. “After we open up the wine. We’re going to need it.”
5:30PM, The Crawford Condo Living room
“It’s good wine,” Trent said from his place on one side of the small, black leather couch. He grabbed a coaster from the coffee table and set his glass on it. They both were on their second glass. “It’s very good.”
“I told you.” Lauren draped her right hand over the arm of the couch and let her half empty wine glass dangle from her fingers. “I know my wines.”
“I can see that.” Trent smiled. “I’ll make a note of that.” He raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you learn about them?”
Lauren grinned at him. “Oh, no. Not this. You’re not getting off track, Trent.” She took another sip of the wine, and by now, she had a slight buzz. “You promised to tell me what happened back in 2002.” She placed one pointed finger in the center of his chest. “You promised.”
Trent shrugged and a lock of his hair fell down in front of his eye, enhancing his features and making him look younger than thirty-one. “Maybe I hoped you’d forget.”
With that answer, a spark of familiar annoyance about their relationship bubbled up inside of Lauren. “Of course I haven’t forgotten. How could I?”
“I know.” He angled his body further toward her. “Just a joke.”
She lay back on the blue and purple decorative pillow wedged between her and the couch’s arm. She held her wine glass by the stem and gave what remained in it a slight swirl. “So tell me the big secret.”
Trent cleared his throat, unsure of how to start what had become the most important conversation he’d had in years. “I wouldn’t call it a big secret—”
“But it’s something no one talks about. At least not by name.” Lauren’s left hand shoved some wayward strands of her brown hair behind her ear. She kept her eyes on him, and the stare did nothing to ease Trent’s unwillingness.
“You’re right. No one talks about it.” The left corner of Trent’s mouth turned down. “My family sure doesn’t. They’d like to pretend it just never happened.”
“I asked Spen about it years ago. I know you told him, but he wouldn’t tell me anything.” She bit one side of her lower lip.
“That’s because Spencer doesn’t know.” Trent rubbed his long index finger over his top lip, under his nose. For months after Trent returned to Amherst, Spencer didn’t speak to him. “Well, he doesn’t know everything.”
Lauren scooted closer to him on the couch. Her eyes locked with his, pleading for the answers she needed. “I want to know everything, Trent. Everything.”
“Fair enough.” He looked down at the light
“There’s a wine shop down the street. We can go over there and get a bottle if you want. Good selection.”
“No,” Trent replied, moving closer to Lauren until his body stood flush against hers. He could smell her, almost feel her, and if he wanted to, taste her. “This is perfect.”
Lauren’s stomach flipped in response to his nearness, and excitement filled every cell of her body. Having him this close to her made her feel alive, nervous, and exhilarated. It also almost made her forget why she’d even been mad at him in the first place. A little voice inside her head reminded her of all the heartbreak.
“If you think I’m going to let you get away with not telling me what happened back when we were kids, you’re wrong,” she whispered.
“I know.” Trent placed the wine bottle on the counter right next to them, but he didn’t turn his body away or take his eyes off her. “You deserve to know the truth.”
Lauren moved closer to him, so that his nose and hers were less than one inch away from each other. “So why won’t you tell me?”
Trent let a second or two pass, drawing out the moment as long as he could and weighing responses in his mind. “I will,” he finally said. “After we open up the wine. We’re going to need it.”
5:30PM, The Crawford Condo Living room
“It’s good wine,” Trent said from his place on one side of the small, black leather couch. He grabbed a coaster from the coffee table and set his glass on it. They both were on their second glass. “It’s very good.”
“I told you.” Lauren draped her right hand over the arm of the couch and let her half empty wine glass dangle from her fingers. “I know my wines.”
“I can see that.” Trent smiled. “I’ll make a note of that.” He raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you learn about them?”
Lauren grinned at him. “Oh, no. Not this. You’re not getting off track, Trent.” She took another sip of the wine, and by now, she had a slight buzz. “You promised to tell me what happened back in 2002.” She placed one pointed finger in the center of his chest. “You promised.”
Trent shrugged and a lock of his hair fell down in front of his eye, enhancing his features and making him look younger than thirty-one. “Maybe I hoped you’d forget.”
With that answer, a spark of familiar annoyance about their relationship bubbled up inside of Lauren. “Of course I haven’t forgotten. How could I?”
“I know.” He angled his body further toward her. “Just a joke.”
She lay back on the blue and purple decorative pillow wedged between her and the couch’s arm. She held her wine glass by the stem and gave what remained in it a slight swirl. “So tell me the big secret.”
Trent cleared his throat, unsure of how to start what had become the most important conversation he’d had in years. “I wouldn’t call it a big secret—”
“But it’s something no one talks about. At least not by name.” Lauren’s left hand shoved some wayward strands of her brown hair behind her ear. She kept her eyes on him, and the stare did nothing to ease Trent’s unwillingness.
“You’re right. No one talks about it.” The left corner of Trent’s mouth turned down. “My family sure doesn’t. They’d like to pretend it just never happened.”
“I asked Spen about it years ago. I know you told him, but he wouldn’t tell me anything.” She bit one side of her lower lip.
“That’s because Spencer doesn’t know.” Trent rubbed his long index finger over his top lip, under his nose. For months after Trent returned to Amherst, Spencer didn’t speak to him. “Well, he doesn’t know everything.”
Lauren scooted closer to him on the couch. Her eyes locked with his, pleading for the answers she needed. “I want to know everything, Trent. Everything.”
“Fair enough.” He looked down at the light
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