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

own Café. She headed to the kitchen and placed Trent’s order on the grill. She then grabbed her and Marley’s lunch, “Rob let me know when Trent’s order is ready.”

“No problem boss lady.”

She pushed the swinging door open and headed to the table by the door. When she reached their table, she almost dropped the tray she was carrying. There sitting with Marley was Trent. He was talking, laughing and he certainly didn’t look like hell now. What was hell supposed to look like anyway?

Trent reached out took the tray out of her hand. He sat it on the table while Sydney composed herself as best she could. She looked thoughtfully at Trent she just knew that she should excuse herself and let him enjoy lunch with Marley. She sat the plates on the table and grabbed Marley’s empty glass.

“Trent would you like coffee or Cherry Coke?”

He couldn’t help the smile that was suddenly on his face just being so close to Sydney. “Surprise me.”

Sydney took the now empty tray to the counter she refilled her and Marley’s sodas and grabbed Trent a Cherry Coke. Rob was placing Trent’s plate on the pick-up window, “Thanks Rob.”

“Add it to the list of IOU’s.”

Sydney grabbed the plate and laughed at Rob’s teasing. She wondered why she couldn’t love someone as easy going and nice as Rob. Oh yeah because he was her brother’s best friend. She could feel Trent staring at her and she avoided making eye contact. Trent watched Sydney as she loaded another tray and headed back to the table. He barely heard Marley as she rattled on endlessly. He continued to watch as she walked back to the table and placed Trent’s plate and soda in front him. She then sat her and Marley’s sodas on the table.

“Here you go Mr. Isaac one plain cheeseburger with extra cheese, onion rings and a cherry coke.”

Trent was amazed, “How did you know that?”

Sydney laughed, “I own the place it’s my job to know what the regulars order. Did I mention I have a photographic memory?”

Trent joined her laughter. She was so darned cute especially when she got nervous like that. The way she just rambled on.

“Sydney I was wondering if…”

Trent never got to finish his question. He was interrupted.

“Sydney I need to talk to you.”

Sydney could feel her smile fading as quickly as it had appeared. She would know that voice anywhere but why was he here? She flinched as he tried to grab her hand and suddenly she was running for the door. Rick quickly followed her into the glaring sunlight.

“Syd wait please talk to me.”

Sydney turned around to glare at this man. This man she had once loved trusted and supported. He seemed to be a stranger to her as if she had never known him.

“What do you want?”

“Syd I love you and I need you back in my life.”

“What!?” Did he really just say that? She was so confused, what was going on here?

“Please Sydney I’ve changed. I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you please just give me one more chance?”

Sydney began to shake uncontrollably. She couldn’t believe he would even think she would consider letting him back in her life.

“NO RICK NO.”

“Why Sydney? Why can’t you forgive me? Why is it that when two people separate they forget all the good times? Why do they forget they were ever happy together?”

“Rick it’ easy for me to forget. One night of heaven in your arms was erased by the three years of hell I spent living with you, that was living hell. Everyday being so scared of you, afraid of making you angry and of the wrath that would bring. Having you come home from work drunk, being thrown across the bedroom. Then you apologizing and promising you’d quit and then wondering how long you might be sober this time. Being told I was fat, ugly and worthless that no one else would ever want me. But the worst part of it all was being pushed down the stairs, ending up in the hospital and waking up to find that I had lost my one reason for staying our baby. Then to be told I might never be able to have kids well you had taken everything from me. So guess what? Maybe no one will ever want me again but I don’t want you now or ever again. You are a monster Rick Wells and I don’t love you maybe I never did. Please understand I don’t want you in my life so just leave me alone.”

Sydney was physically and mentally exhausted and she began to cry so hard she couldn’t see. She felt her legs give way and she slid down to the curb and just cried.

“Sydney I have changed and I would never hurt you like that.”

“But you did and I hope you have changed but Rick it’s over. Please leave>”

Sydney prayed he wouldn’t say anything else and then she heard a stern hard as steal voice, “You heard the lady so I think you should go.”

She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting there time had slowed to a standstill. She waited as she tried to stop her tears but they continued to fall.

“Who the hell are you?”

“A friend and Sydney asked you to leave.”

“Look I’m her husband, so I think maybe you should leave.”

Sydney could hear the venom dripping in Rick’s words. She was afraid that he might try to start a fight with Trent and she didn’t want him to get hurt. She waited and then she heard Ryan’s voice,

“Hey Trent you need some help taking out the trash?”

“No guys I think Syd’s ex-husband was just leaving, right Rick.”

He mumbled something and Sydney could hear his voice fading into nothing. She felt Trent’s strong arms picking her up and carrying her across the parking lot. He gently placed her in the front seat of her car. She could hear him talking to Ryan.

“Ryan will you follow me to Syd’s in my truck and have Craig pick you up there?’

“Sure Trent no problem, did he hurt her? Is she going to be okay?’

“Do you think if had laid a hand on her he would still be standing?”

Ryan shook his head, “No we would’ve been picking him up off the ground.”

“He just scared her and tried to intimidate her. I am going to take the rest of the day off; I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“Ok no problem see you later.”

Trent slid in the driver’s seat and pulled the keys Marley had given him out of his pocket. He looked over at Sydney and the sight of her so small and frail broke his heart all over again. How could anyone hurt another human being like that especially someone who you were supposed to love? He could hear her soft sobs as she cried herself to sleep.


CHAPTER FOUR
WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Trent sat alone in the quiet of the late afternoon and watched Sydney’s uneven breathing. He knew she was trapped in an unending nightmare and tormented by a face she had thought she had known so well but had never really known at all. He ached for her as he watched her toss and turn in a fitful slumber. She had cried herself to sleep in the car in a matter of minutes and he had laid her on the couch so he could be with her when she woke. He hated what that ass had done to her; how dare he just show up as if everything was ok and he had any right to speak to her at all. Trent felt the sting on his palm as he relaxed his fist to see where his fingernails had almost pierced the skin. He was restless and ready for a fight but he knew that violence wouldn’t solve anything and he needed to be near Sydney to hear her random sleep induced whispers and to see her sweet face.

Trent ran his hand through his disheveled hair and paced absentmindedly in front of the bay window. He felt his body stiffen as he heard soft footfalls outside the door and the rattle of the door knob. He walked quietly to the door and peered out the peephole, he almost hoped it was the ass so he could punch him in the face just once, well maybe twice. He felt the air rush past his lips as he saw Marley about to knock. He quickly opened the door and ushered her in. He raised his head as a general greeting.

Marley glanced at Sydney’s sleeping form and pointed toward the kitchen. Trent followed pausing to cover Sydney with the blanket that had become tangled around her feet during her twisting and turning. He leaned over and pushed the hair out of her eyes tucking it behind her ear. She stirred slightly and her check seemed to fit perfectly in the palm of his hand. He dropped a feather soft kiss to her exposed forehead and straightened to see a thoughtful Marley just inside the kitchen door. He knew he should be embarrassed at having been caught in such an intimate moment but oddly enough he wasn’t. He honestly didn’t care what Marley thought. Of course if Sydney had been awake he was sure the moment would have passed him by. He gave her one last look before he straightened to his full height; she was like sleeping beauty so close yet so far away. He wondered if she had any idea how she touched his soul in ways he had never thought possible. He turned and walked into the kitchen with Marley.

Trent leaned against the counter with one ear listening for any sign that Sydney had woken. Marley sat at the table and looked worriedly in his direction, “How is she really?”

Trent raked his hair out of his eyes he wasn’t sure what the right answer to that question was. He shrugged his shoulders and began to pace the floor again.

“She’s hurt and scared. She fell asleep in the car so I haven’t really got to talk to her yet. Marley what can you tell me about Rick?”

Marley shuttered at the very mention of the jerk’s name, “I’m not sure how much I should tell you, it’s really Sydney’s place to give you the gory details.” Marley could see the intense look of frustration on Trent’s unshaven face, “What she shared with me was in confidence and I can’t break that but I can tell you that he is not a nice man. He slowly began to change and over time he had separated her from her family from her friends and all she had left was him. Well I’m sure you can do the math and figure what happened.”

Trent cringed at the thoughts that filled his head.