THE ART OF FALLING GRACEFULLY by SARAH BETH LEE (novel24 TXT) 📖

“Come in.”

She expected to see Marley but instead it was Trent. He walked cautiously into the intimate and private world of Sydney.

“Sydney I’m sorry for intruding but I needed to see that you were okay.”

“I’m fine I just have a headache.”

Trent looked at her sympathetically. She didn’t sound okay her voice was like a faint whisper in the dark. He could see how dejected and sad she was in her big brown eyes. How dare that ass do this to her again.

“Of course you have a headache and his name is Rick.”

Sydney felt a bubble of hysterical laughter climbing up her throat. She gave into it and felt some of the tension in her shoulders loosening just a bit.

“Thanks I needed that.”

Trent shrugged, “What?”

“A little touch of normalcy, everything seems so surreal as if I am watching all of this happen to someone else.”

Trent could so the ghosts hiding in her eyes trying to come out. He wished she would let him help her but she was so stubborn and insisted on handling everything on her own. He couldn’t leave Sydney and Marley here alone tonight. He had this gnawing feeling in his stomach that Rick was not finished terrorizing Sydney yet and he wouldn’t rest knowing they were here alone.

“Syd I am about to run home for a minute but I will be back.”

Sydney looked up surprised, “Why would you come back?”

“I don’t even want to think about what might happen if Rick showed back up here tonight. I will not leave you and Marley alone.”

Sydney hated to trouble Trent like this but she would feel better if he stayed. He had scared her earlier today and now she was shaken to the core by his attempts to break her. She looked at the card that still lay on the floor by the bed.

“I think that’s a good idea considering everything that has happened today. “ As the words left her mouth the bedside phone rang shrilly through the room. Sydney picked up with a shaky breath. Trent watched as her face grew even more pale in the lamp light.

Sydney hadn’t said a word and he had no proof who was on the other end of the line but it didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out it was Rick. Her face was a white as a ghost and her hands were trembling so hard she almost dropped the phone. He could see her growing more agitated by the second.

“No, I don’t want to see you much less have lunch with you.” Sydney remained silent as she listened to the voice before speaking, “I don’t have to answer to you about what I do and if I am seeing someone its none of your business. So just leave me alone.”

With that Sydney slammed the receiver down on the cradle. She was shaken to her very soul; she couldn’t find enough strength to speak. She wished she didn’t let that man get under her skin so much.

“Syd it’s going to be okay.”

“I know it’s really no big deal.”

‘Sydney I think that it’s a very big deal. You should file harassment charges against him tomorrow.”

“Trent I really don’t think calling your ex-wife and pleading your undying love for her would be considered harassment in the eyes of the law.”

“Well maybe not but I don’t like it.”

Sydney heard the accusation in his words;”Oh and you think I do?”

“No that’s not what I meant. I just don’t think Rick’s intentions are entirely honorable.”

“Neither do I. I am glad you offered to stay tonight so thank you for that.”

Trent smiled, “It wasn’t an offer it was a fact and your more than welcome.”

Sydney walked with Trent downstairs where they met a frazzled Marley, “Hey you guys I have to get a couple hours sleep before I start my midnight shift at the ER.”

“Speaking of sleep I have to run home and grab a few things but I’ll be back.”

Marley raised her eyes in a suggestive manner at Sydney. Sydney ignored her, “Marley Trent has offered to stay with us tonight.”

“Sounds good to me. I really don’t like the idea of Sydney here alone if he comes back in a drunken stupor.”

Trent looked at his watch, “Ok lock the door behind me and promise not to let anyone in until I get back.”

“I promise.”

Sydney followed Trent to the door. She thanked him again and gave him a quick embrace. She watched him through the window as he climbed in his truck and pulled away from the curb. She could feel her eyes filling up with unshed tears as his taillights disappeared around the corner. She knew Rick was back and trying to turn her life upside down but she still dared believe that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.


Sydney needed to check her e-mails and drop a line to Alana and her cousin in Tulsa. She quickly read her messages and began her replies. She stretched trying to work the kinks out of her aching back. She was restless and began to pace the small room off the kitchen that she had converted into an office.

She walked back to the front door and looked out at the quiet street. She began to chew on her fingernails in frustration. She needed to check her mail at the end of the drive in all the confusion she hadn’t gotten around to it earlier. It would only take a minute. She would be out and back with no one the wiser. She tried to push the feelings of guilt to the back of her mind. She wasn’t breaking her promise not technically. She had promised not to let anyone in; she never said she wouldn’t go outside.

Sydney unlocked the door and hurried down the drive to the mailbox. She gathered her mail dropping a piece as she took one step to turn around. She knelt to retrieve it and felt as if someone was staring at her. She felt her heart begin to pump erratically as if it might jump right out of her chest. She surveyed her surroundings but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She got to her feet and walked swiftly to the door that was slightly ajar. That was odd she was sure she had closed the door. She wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her, after all she was under a tremendous amount of stress. She pushed the door closed behind her and locked it.

She made her way to the couch and began to flip through the mail. It was mostly junk mail and a couple of bills. She laid the pile on the hall table. As she walked through the house something didn’t seem exactly right. She had an eerie feeling as if something was out of place…but what? She passed the hall closet and that chill ran up her back again causing her to shiver. She glanced in each room but everything was exactly as it should be. Marley was sound asleep in the bedroom at the end of the hall. Sydney knew she was being silly her nerves were getting the best of her. She decided to take a long, hot shower to relax.

Sydney knew she being paranoid but she wished Trent would hurry back. It surprised her how safe she had felt with him. When he had held her hand and dried her tears it had felt so right. She couldn’t imagine not having him around; he just seemed to fit into her world and her life so perfectly. She had dated Rick for a year before marrying him. She had never felt loved or safe with Rick; she had been alone and scared. She knew it was crazy she had really only been around Trent for two days and she felt closer to Trent than she ever had with Rick.

It was time for that shower. She grabbed her robe and made her way to the bathroom. She found her thoughts returning to Trent what was about him that had her mesmerized? Sydney wanted to pretend her feelings were only those of friendship and nothing more. Somehow she knew she was lying to herself. She was allowing herself to get to close and she had vowed to never let anyone have that much control over her again. She had allowed herself to fall in love once and had given her heart freely only to have it crushed and returned broken. She was still picking up the pieces and she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to put them back together again. She had decided life was much of solidarity was much simpler and safer. She would never be rejected or made a fool of again. Besides she didn’t have room in her life for a man or romance. She had the café to run, her family and friends to care for, her activities in the community, night classes two nights a week, She spend Saturdays at the Hillsdale Retirement home visiting Gram. She was definitely too busy but she had the nagging feeling that all of those things were her way of dealing with her loneliness. Was she truly happy? She found herself wondering what she was doing for herself. She took care
She took care of so many people her family, her friends, her employees and customers. She solved everyone else’s problems but who took care of her? Who solved her problems? Sydney answered her own questions, “I take care of me and no one could solve all of my problems.

She leaned against the wall letting the water loosen her tight muscles. She began to feel her body relax. She tried to clear her head of everything, well of Trent. He seemed to be the only thing on her mind and she had really wanted to enjoy this shower but as she washed the soap from her skin his face was very much alive in her head and doing odd things to her senses. She could almost imagine him being right there with her she shivered at the images that flashed through her mind. She willed herself to think of other more mundane things like schedules and truck orders. She would deal with all of these odd feelings and sensations later. She knew from experience that that all of her problems would still be there in the morning. There was no need to worry about any of it tonight.

Sydney turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She began to towel dry the tiny drops of water from her skin and once again it was Trent’s voice in her head like a whisper on the wind and his hands she longed to feel. She shook the much too vivid daydream away what was wrong with her? An annoying voice in the back of her head whispered love but she shoved it back to the dark crevices