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

she would play along for now, “Well take care of yourself if you feel any worse go see Dr. Davis.”

She watched his nose wrinkle at the sound of the family doctor, “I will Mom. I love you and I’ll see you guys later.”

Trent kissed his mother’s cheek before going inside to kiss Kelsey goodbye before running to his truck. He felt bad for lying to his mother; she always could tell when something was bothering him. He just hated dumping all of his problems on her; she already gave up so much for Kelsey wasn’t that enough?
She deserved some time for herself and besides he knew how to make himself feel better---Sydney.

So much for not thinking about her. Trent knew he was coming down with a bug alright a love bug. He had all the symptoms couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t concentrate and the undying need to see her all the time. Sydney invaded his thoughts dozens of times throughout his day. Where was she? Was she okay? What was she doing? This was driving him mad and he knew he had to see her.

“Hey boss were going to lunch you coming?”

Trent looked up from his desk to see Ryan his best friend leaning in the doorway. “Where are you guys going?”

“I think Craig wants to go the drive-in so we won’t be gone too long.”

Trent nodded, “You guys go ahead I’ll grab something later.”

Ryan grinned at his friend, “Ok boss oh and say hi to Syd for me.”

Trent jerked up and looked questioningly at Ryan. He could see laughter in his eyes, “Come on I am not blind or stupid contrary to popular belief.”

“What are you talking about Ryan?”

“It’s so obvious every time you see her, your whole face lights up. If you don’t see her car you always suggest eating somewhere else and I still remember the lecture I got in high school.”

Trent spun his chair around to face the door, “I never lectured you.”

“Oh I beg to differ. It was junior year and I wanted to ask Syd to the prom but you got so upset I thought you might blow a gasket. If I hadn’t known any better I might have thought you had a thing for her, but you were with Meg. Anyways you told me what great person she was and not to hurt her or I’d have to answer to you. Ryan shrugged his shoulders, “After that all the guys were scared to ask her out; I have to say you did nothing to help her social life.”

Trent shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “I can’t believe you remember all that.”

“Admit it Trent you were and still are crazy about Sydney.”

Trent rose to his feet and crossed the room and looked at Ryan eye to eye, “Ryan listen to me very carefully, I like her. I like her a lot and that scares the hell out of me. I don’t want to screw this up so please don’t say anything to her about this.”

Ryan grinned, “No problem I think it’s great and thanks to you I won the bet.”

Trent narrowed his eyes, “Bet what bet?”

“Well the guys and I have had an ongoing bet on how long it would take you to ask her out.”

Trent groaned, “But I haven’t even asked her out yet.”

Once again Trent could see the cocky grin on Ryan’s face, “Well Sam and Jena took the twins to the park yesterday and they saw you and Sydney together so we just assumed.”

Trent sighed life in a small town, “Yes she was with me but only because Kelsey invited her. I ‘m not so sure she would’ve gone with just me.”

Ryan pounded Trent on the back, “Just ask her out already. Don’t analyze the situation or think so much; just follow your heart and ask the girl out. Besides I could really use that fifty bucks.”

“Go on get out of here, if your late I’ll dock you fifty bucks.”

Trent could still hear Ryan’s booming laughter as he climbed in to his truck. Trent filed a few papers and went over a couple of floor plans. Then he knew he couldn’t put it off any longer he had to see her and despite his best efforts he was having lunch at the Café on the corner. He just had to remember to breathe in and breathe out and he would be just fine or so he hoped.


CHAPTER THREE
SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY

Trent knew that Sydney’s car was parked in the usual spot; he had seen it early on his way to the office. He parked his truck next to her shiny new mustang. He could see her through the front window and seeing her caused his heart to start beating like a hammer against his ribcage to a strange new beat. He found himself smiling as he began to breathe in and out and force his feet to walk. He could see that she was sitting close to the door and she was talking to someone but the person was blocked by the curtains. Trent slowed his pace as his mind began to overanalyze the situation. He had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach and by the time he reached the door he was frozen with dread.

Who was she having lunch with? He feared that it might be Rick her loser ex; word around town was that he had shown back up and he wanted her back. What if she was seriously considering giving him a second chance? With a heavy heart Trent pulled the door open and entered the Café, but he couldn’t make himself look Sydney’s way. He pretended he didn’t see her and slipped into a booth along the back wall. He deliberately sat facing the wall; he didn’t want her to see him. He was tempted to turn just enough to see who she was sitting with but he knew that who it was really didn’t matter because all he knew was it wasn’t him. Trent was very afraid that he might have missed his chance again.

Across the room Sydney and Marley were deep in conversation. They were laughing and rehashing old times; funny how they both had a different version of whose idea some of their stunts had been.

“Syd do you remember the time we made valentine cards for Ryan Harper?”

“Oh I only wish I could forget that. Poor Kate you made her run them across the street, lay them on the porch and then knock on the door.”

Sydney and Marley began laughing at the memory, “I know I have never seen her run that fast again, however as I recall it was your idea. I think you said something about ‘you and Ryan need to hook up!’ so it was most definitely your idea.”

Sydney leaned back against the seat to catch her breath from laughing so hard at the memory. Marley twirled her straw around her watered down coke, “Do you think he ever figured out it was us?”

Sydney shrugged her shoulders to Marley’s question, “I’m sure he did for many reasons 1) you lived right across the street, 2) Kate doesn’t run that fast and 3) He sat by me in Home EC and after that he always seemed to look at me differently almost like he was scared of me or something. Maybe he heard about my reputation as the ice queen.”

“Oh that’s not it trust me.”

Sydney looked across the table but Marley refused to look at her. She was staring intently at what little ice was floating around in her soda. Sydney had heard the tone of her voice and she knew that Marley was leaving a vital piece of information out.

“Marley what did you mean by that? What other reason was there for his sudden fear of being anywhere near me?”

“Maybe because he wanted to ask you out.”

Sydney knew her mouth had fallen to the floor, “He did not.”

“Oh but he did.”

“Then why did he ask you out that same year?”

Marley looked up from twirling her melting ice, “Do you want to know why he asked me out?” Sydney nodded her head for Marley to continue, “He wanted me to help him get a date with you.”

Sydney sat staring at her friend in a shocked silence. She had always thought the Marley had really liked Ryan; so later that year when he asked her out she had said no. She would never hurt a friend like that.

“Marley if he wanted to ask me out why did he wait so long to do it?”

Marley paused for a moment, “Well the rumor I heard was that Ryan was going to ask you to prom but supposedly someone informed him what a great girl you were and that if he hurt you he would have to answer to him. I think that was the reason he never asked.”

Sydney could feel her senses reeling from an overload of information, “Marley he did ask me but I said no. I thought you liked him and I didn’t want to hurt you like that. I had already talked to Michael and he was coming home so we agreed to go together.” Sydney paused to gather her runaway thoughts, “Marley who would’ve told Ryan something like that?”

Marley really wasn’t sure but she had always thought it must’ve been Trent. He had been the only one close enough to Ryan to get by with saying something like that. She was reluctant to tell Sydney that because she had always held out hope that he might ask her out. As if by magic she saw Trent sitting in the back of the crowded Café.

“Sydney isn’t that Trent Isaac hiding back there in the corner?’

Sydney turned around to look over her shoulder, “Yeah that’s him but he usually comes in earlier than one. I wonder if something is wrong.”

Marley careened her neck to look past Sydney, “I haven’t seen him since high school, man he looks like hell. I think you hit the nail on the head, something is definitely wrong with Mr. Isaac.”

Sydney wasn’t really listening to Marley she was studying the intent look of pain that was evident on Trent’s unshaven face. “The last time I spoke to him he seemed fine but something must’ve happened. Marley will you excuse me for a minute?’

Marley nodded her head never taking her eyes off of Trent. Sydney hurried to the safety of her office. What was wrong with Trent? He never sat in the back; he always sat at the front counter. She hadn’t even seen him come in and he always said hi to her, no matter how busy she was. She was afraid he was deliberately ignoring her. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and reapplied a touch of lipstick. She would not hide out in her