Stolen Moments (And Then Came Love Book 2) (9 page)

BOOK: Stolen Moments (And Then Came Love Book 2)
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“That’s horrible. Did they find them right away? I hope they caught her ass and threw her in jail.” She flattened her lips.

“They found them, twelve years later.”

“Ohmigod! Twelve years? That had to be awful for your family. And then to be reunited with your family – a very large family at that, after all that time? Those boys had to be so messed up.”

Trevor hit his hand with his fist. “Why am I telling you this? Now everything I’m going to tell you is going to seem even more petty.”

“I’m sure after all that time, there were a lot of issues going on and readjustment was hard on all of you.” She rested her hands on his shoulders. “No matter what happened you have a right to feel the way you did.”

“It’s hard to think about anything else, when you felt like the invisible child. I was so self-sufficient and independent. Half the time my family didn’t even know I was there.” He clasped his hands together. “Blake was premature and had bad asthma as a kid, we’re ten months apart. By the time he got to the point that he wasn’t sickly, the twins came home. Shit for a while there, my go to person was Marissa and she was sixteen at the time.”

“It sounds to me like you’re completely justified to have issues with your parents.”

“None of that was there fault. I mean Mom was depressed after the twins were kidnapped, she ended up having four more kids in short period of time and I’m sure postpartum depression was an issue.”

Arianna smiled. “You’re defending your mom, which is fine. But what about your Dad?”

“He worked all the time and he didn’t need too. It’s not like we needed the money.”

“Yeah, but at the same time, didn’t his working instill some sort of work ethic into you kids? I know how much you hate not working.” Arianna tilted her head.

“And that’s why I feel bad. It’s like everything they did that I hated as a kid, made me the person I am today, but I can’t seem to get over it.”

“That doesn’t mean he still doesn’t hold some blame for your feelings.” Arianna caressed his shoulder.

“He wasn’t around enough as a kid. He left Mom all too often with six kids at home alone.” Trevor let out a sigh.

She looked over at him. “Your Mom doesn’t seem to resent him for it.”

“I ended up resenting him for that and then I joined the military partially, because of that anger I had for him. After being there for a couple years, being on my own, and hearing other people’s stories, I realized I was being selfish. I just don’t know how to make things right.”

“Talking to your Dad about it may help. Letting him know how you felt as a kid and why you feel bad about it now. Maybe in letting him know what’s going on, you’ll be able to not only forgive him, but forgive yourself.”

“Maybe. Meeting you and hearing your story made me feel even more like crap.” He shook his head. “I want to have a good relationship with my Dad, but I just don’t know how.”

“Talk to him.” Arianna bumped his shoulder.

“Maybe.” Trevor nodded. “Finish your soup. You need to rest.”

“Will you come back?”

“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.” Trevor smiled.

“I meant stay with me tonight?” Arianna bit her lip.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “When I said I wasn’t going anywhere I meant it.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m going to save the kids from my mother and let you rest. I’ll check on your periodically.”

Arianna picked up the bowl and took another bite of soup. She’d always wanted siblings, someone to sharing things with, but now, she questioned whether it would have been any better. One sibling wouldn’t be as bad as ten though, right?

She shook her head. Her mother barely paid her any attention as it was, if she had a sibling it would have been worse. If her mother treated her sibling the same way, it would have left her to pick up the slack. Instead of being a mother at fifteen, she may have been a mother earlier. She shuddered, to raise someone at ten or even earlier. She blew out a breath. No, it was good she didn’t have any siblings.

*****

April 27th

Trevor wrapped his arms around Arianna. “Would you be all right if I leave for a couple hours?”

“Of course.” Arianna smiled. “I’m just planning on getting more sleep. I’m hope I won’t look like warmed over dead by tomorrow.”

“You look great.” Trevor kissed her forehead. “Blake and I are going to hang out for bit. I’ll be back later.”

“I swear Blake is the only sibling you spend any time with.” Arianna laughed.

“We were the closest in age. We were the last two kids out of the house. He was the brother that came to visit me most in the military.” He wrapped his arms around her. “God, I wish you felt better.”

“Have plans for me?” She traced a finger down his chest.

“Yes. Plans that do not include teenagers, cell phones, or any other family members.”

Arianna threw her head back and laughed. “I’m looking forward to those plans.”

“Be prepared, they’re coming soon.”

She wrapped his arms around his neck. “Thank you. For everything you’ve done for me.”

Trevor shrugged. “It was nothing.”

“There’s not many men out there who would step up and take care of not only their sick girlfriend, but also take care of her daughter and the pregnant teenager she’s adopted.”

Trevor laughed. “I wasn’t going to leave you all to fend for yourself.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” She kissed his cheek. “Have fun doing manly stuff with your brother.”

“That sounds bad.”

“It does.” She chuckled and squeezed his hand. “I’ll see you later.”

“Later.”

Arianna headed toward her bedroom.

The doorbell rang.

Trevor opened the door and smiled when Blake came in.

Lindsay Ellis, Blake’s best friend, stepped in behind him. “Sorry, I’m crashing your party.”

Trevor shrugged. “It’s all good.” He gave her a friendly hug. “Good to see you.”

“It’s been a long time.”

He nodded. “You didn’t come with the guys the couple times they came down to see me.”

“Well, unlike the rest of your family, I have a job that I can’t get out of that easily.” She smiled.

Trevor opened the door and pushed them both. “Let’s get out of here. I need pizza, beer, and possibly to punch something. I’ve been stuck in a house with three women who want to watch chick flicks and only have healthy food in the house.”

“How many chick flicks have you been tortured with?” Blake chuckled as they headed to his truck.

“I’ve sat through Bridesmaids and the Notebook, I was more than done after that. I found something else to do for the other two.” Trevor rubbed his forehead.

“You sat through the Notebook?” Blake laughed.

“I couldn’t move. Ari was asleep on my chest.”

“Did you manage to get in touch with your feminine side?” Blake grinned.

Trevor frowned and smacked his brother in the arm. “You’re an ass.”

Lindsay rolled her eyes as she climbed into the backseat of the truck. “Oh, please, you’ve watched chick flicks with me when I’m depressed.”

“Not the Notebook.” Blake climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Oh that’s right it was Steel Magnolias and The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.” Lindsay smirked.

Trevor held his stomach as he laughed. “Oh man, I think you had it worse there.”

“Fuck you.” Blake pressed his lips together. He glanced at Trevor and then turned to Lindsay. “Both of you.”

Lindsay hugged him from behind. “You know you love me.”

“I’m reconsidering your friendship.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “We’ll see.”

Blake started the truck. “So besides chick flicks, illness, and healthy food, how’s it going with Arianna.” Lindsay climbed into the back of the truck.

“It’s going great. I’m hoping to take her on an actual date in the near future. Kinda hard to do with two teenagers around though.”

Trevor’s phone chimed. He pulled it out of his pocket. And frowned as he read the message from Arianna.

Who’s the girl? I’m tired, sick, and emotionally on edge.

Trevor reached for the handle on the door. “Do me a favor will you?” He looked over at Blake.

“What?” Blake cocked his head to the side.

“Lindsay threw her for a loop.” Trevor smiled.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.” Lindsay bit her lip. “Can I go apologize?”

Trevor laughed. “Bring me back a pizza, a six pack, and a movie with action in it and I’ll see if she’s up for company.”

“Gladly.” Blake nodded.

“Sorry again.”

“It’s all right. I’ll go make her feel better.” Trevor opened the door and headed back to the house.

*****

Arianna sat in bed staring at her phone. No response to her text. She tossed it on the gray comforter and stood, maybe a hot bath would help.

The front door opened.

“Ari.” Trevor’s voice echoed through the house.

She continued toward the bathroom.
No reason to talk to him.

He walked into the room and stepped in front of her. “Are we going to talk about this?”

“Why? You didn’t bother to answer my text.”

“I didn’t make it out of the driveway.” Trevor put his hand on her shoulder. “The girl I was with is Blake’s best friend. They’ve been attached at the hip since they were in Kindergarten. We all grew up with Lindsay. She’s never been anything more than a friend to us.”

“You couldn’t have told me she was coming?”

“I didn’t know.” Trevor put his arm around her and led her over to the bed. He sat down.

She sat down with him.

“Blake didn’t tell me she was coming. I would have told you if I knew. I promise.”

“You could have told me when she arrived.”

“You were going to bed. I didn’t want to bother you. You’ve been sick, who wants to meet new people after two days of feeling like crap.”

She leaned against his shoulder. “I feel bad because you didn’t get your couple hours out.”

“Blake’s bringing me back pizza, beer, and an action movie.”

Arianna laughed. “I happen to like action movies as well.”

“You wanna watch with me?”

“I may fall asleep on you.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Trevor smiled. “Are you up for meeting Lindsay? When you see her with Blake, you’ll understand why none of the rest of us ever tried anything with her. Even if they don’t see it.”

“She’s not going to think I’m crazy for my jealousy?”

“Of course not. She’s looking forward to meeting you as well.” Trevor kissed her forehead. “Think you can eat something?”

“Not pizza.”

“I’m sure there’s healthy stuff in your refrigerator.”

“You know the reason there’s healthy stuff in there right?” Arianna glanced over at him.

“Because you like to cook healthy?”

“Because I haven’t been grocery shopping and we ran out of junk food.”

Trevor laughed. “Well what are you hungry for?”

“Do you have any more of your mother’s soup?”

“She sent a huge container.” He grinned.

“I need to find out the recipe for that one. That would be great to keep in the freezer.” Arianna followed Trevor into the kitchen.

“Ask her, she’ll fill your freezer instead.” Trevor winked.

Arianna laughed. Trevor rubbed Arianna’s back.

The doorbell rang.

She stiffened.

“If you’re not up for meeting them, I can have them drop it off and leave.”

“That would be rude.”

“He’s my brother, he’ll understand.”

“And Lindsay?” Arianna sat up.

“She’s cool, don’t worry about her.” Trevor moved his leg off the couch and stood. “Speak now or forever hold your piece.”

“I feel like I should be saying, I do.” Arianna laughed.

Trevor winked. “Maybe someday.”

“That would be a first.” She shook her head. “Let them in.”

He walked over and opened the door.

Blake stood there with a fake mustache and a red and white ball cap. “Pizza delivery, with beer, and a movie that will be $30.95.”

“Well, if that’s the case.” Trevor pulled out his wallet.

Blake shook his head. “Let me put this down before you kick me out at least.”

“Where’s Lindsay?”

“In the truck.”

“Tell her to come on in, Ari says she’s up for company.” Trevor stepped outside and motioned for Lindsay to come inside.

Lindsay hopped out of the truck and smiled. “She’s not still mad at me?”

“She was never mad at you, Linds.” Trevor held the door open for the two of them.

Arianna raised her eyebrow at Blake.

BOOK: Stolen Moments (And Then Came Love Book 2)
3.3Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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