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

He had heard part of what Sydney had said to the ass in the parking lot but he couldn’t bear to think of her broken and hurt at the hands of such a sadistic monster. He was sure that Rick had played on her goodness and kindness until she was devoted to him and then he had let his true colors show after he had isolated her from every shred of her former life.

“Come on Marley you can give me more than that. I want to help her but I feel like I am walking on eggshells here. I don’t want to say or do the wrong thing. “

Marley could see the look in Trent’s eyes and she was afraid that he was falling for Sydney. She wasn’t really upset about that she knew Trent would be good to her and take care of her but would he love her like she deserved to be loved?

“Look Trent I can see that you care about Syd a lot. May I ask you a question?”

Trent stopped his pacing and looked over his shoulder at Marley. He had known her his whole life and he didn’t like the look on her face now, “Sure what is it?”

Marley sighed, “Well the thing is I love Sydney she is my best friend in the entire world and I think you have a thing for her.”

Trent wasn’t sure where this was headed so he just nodded his head and waited.

“Well have you always had a thing for her or is it something that just happened recently?”

Trent walked to the table and sat down across from Marley. He could see her gnawing on her lip a sign that she was worried about something. He reached across the table and took her free hand, “Marley I have always had this unexplainable desire to keep her safe and to be close to her.”

Marley knew that he was avoiding the word love but she could hear it in his voice in his words. She could see it in everything he did.

“Trent I am afraid that Sydney may be under the false impression that we, you and I had a thing in high school.”

Trent stared at her not comprehending the extent of her words. Why would Sydney have ever thought that? He and Marley and been friends since they could walk. His grandparents had lived next to Marley’s grandparents and they had always seemed to migrate to each other during holidays and summer vacations. He thought of her as the little sister he had never had.


“Marley why on earth would she think that?”

Marley looked up at Trent, “Well when you first moved to Cole County I was so excited and I had hoped that maybe we could be more. Sydney could always read me so well so she assumed that there was something there. I never told her that we were just friends.”

Trent spoke in a soft yet firm voice,”Why would you do that?”

From her downturned eyes Marley looked up at him sheepishly, “I was the it girl and I was devastated when you didn’t seem to want to go out with me so I never told her. How come you never asked me out or picked up on the vibe I was sending you? Was I not good enough for you, not pretty enough what was it?”

Trent shoved his chair back and walked to the kitchen door to check on Sydney. He could see her eyes still closed and that her breathing had finally evened out. He walked back to the table and looked at Marley.

“Look Marley I loved you but it was like a kid sister love. You were and still are beautiful but there was just never anything more there for me but the love of a friend.”

Marley nodded her head, “I guess you think I’m silly and your right. I always got what I wanted and you were the first and only guy who got away. I know how silly that sounds but after talking to Syd today I think maybe I did more damage than I realized.”

Trent raised an eyebrow and gestured for her to continue, “Well at lunch before you came in she mentioned something about not dating Ryan because she thought I liked him. She said she would never hurt a friend like that.”

Trent’s ears perked up he had never known that Ryan had actually asked her out. He wondered if Marley was the only reason she had refused.

“Ryan asked her out?”

“Yeah but he asked me out first but only because he wanted me to help him get a date with Syd. The funny thing is she never even told me he asked her out until today so maybe…”

As the unspoken words hung in the air he wondered if that was it. Had Syd thought she was betraying her best friend by being friends with the guy who she thought had broken her heart? Had she felt something for Ryan? These thoughts ran like wildfire through his head. Marley and Trent sat quietly for several minutes each lost in their own thoughts.

As Sydney woke in the living room she was a little disorientated; her memory was foggy as if she was stumbling through a thick haze. She tried to remember what she had been dreaming about and what had woke her up. She desperately tried to sort things out in her mind; the last thing she remembered was having lunch at the café. Then Rick had been there; it wasn’t a dream at all it had really happened. Slowly her head began to clear and the fog rolled away. She looked around, she was at home but how had she gotten here? Things were fuzzy again. She heard muted voices like soft muffled whispers in the dark coming from the kitchen. She gingerly sat up and rose to her feet and softly walked to the kitchen door and listened to what was going on behind the closed door.

“Marley enough about what happened ten years ago do you think she will be okay?”

Sydney listened with bated breath, “I’m not going to lie to you Trent she’s been through hell this last year. She had a very rough time with Rick. I would have thrown him out on his butt, but not Syd. She listened to all his flimsy excuses and she tried so hard to make their marriage work. She gave him so many chances because she wanted the happily ever after so badly. Rick well he never even tried; every time she forgave him he just got worse. He reminded me a spoiled little kid always pushing her like I got by with this what else can I get by with. I would say asking him to leave was the hardest thing Sydney has ever had to do. I admire her so much; she is the strongest, bravest woman I have ever met. So yes I think she’ll be okay.”

Sydney clamped her hand to her trembling lips as tears threatened to fall. She waited still as a mouse to hear more.

"I just can't believe that ass could be so stupid! What was he thinking?" Trent shook his head in frustration, "He was such a jerk. You have no idea how much I wanted to pummel him into the ground back there for hurting her like that. She deserves...Well she deserves so much more than he could give her."

Sydney was beyond mortified. Trent and Marley were not only talking about her but her monumental failure as a wife and her inadequacies as a lover that had resulted in a failed marriage. Sydney could think of no other reason for Rick's behavior. She was frozen in place terrified to move. A voice in the back of her head told it was wrong to be ease dropping but this was her house, she could stand here if she wanted too.

"Trent Syd's a very private person. If she knew we were talking about her she would be furious. I feel like I would be betraying her trust by saying any more about her relationship with Rick. It was bad if you want details you need to talk to her."

Sydney decided it was time to make her presence known. She walked back to the couch and made as much noise as possible to let them know she was awake. She walked through the kitchen door and ran into Trent's chest. She stumbled but his hand snaked around her waist and steadied her. She rested her head on his chest and let the slow rhythm of his heart calm her frenzied nerves. She took a deep breath in and her senses were immediately assaulted with the smell of ivory Soap, cinnamon and sandal wood. She regained her balance and smiled weakly at Trent's anxious face.

"Syd are you okay?"

Sydney nodded her head as he led her to a chair. She was grateful for the help as her legs were still trembling.

"Hi you guys, sorry about early but there's really no need for a fuss."

As the words came out of her mouth she could see the storms brewing in Trent's flashing green orbs. He looked dangerous and that was not a word she would have associated with laid back Trent Isaac. She watched as he regained control of his features and offered her a brilliant smile.

"I really am embarrassed at causing such a scene back there. I mean really I shouldn't have let my emotions runaway like that."

Marley quickly came to her defense. "You weren't the one making or causing a scene. You have nothing to be sorry for."

Sydney smiled gratefully at Marley, “Thank you Marley and thank you Trent for driving me home."

Trent nodded his head and smiled."No problem I'm glad you’re okay. I was getting a little worried about you."

Marley remembered that Sydney hadn't eaten any lunch, "Hey Syd are you hungry? You didn't even get to eat earlier thanks to long legs."

"To who?" Trent looked puzzled.

Sydney spoke softly, "Long legs is a nickname my dad gave Rick I guess because he's so tall and after the divorce I couldn't stand to hear his name."

Trent nodded in understanding, "I guess that makes sense."

Sydney looked at Marley. "Food sounds really good right now."

Sydney and Trent were left alone as Marley left the room to order pizza.

Trent studied Sydney's pale cheeks and sad eyes she didn't look ok. "Syd are you sure you’re ok?"

“Honestly I’m not sure anymore.” Sydney paused to gather her thoughts before continuing, “When I heard he was back in town I thought I could handle it. Now I’m not so sure.”

Trent spoke in a whisper, “Do you still have feelings for him?”

Sydney sat up straight and stared at Trent as if she had no idea who he was. She wondered how he could ask her such a question. “Absolutely not, the last thing I want or need is Rick Wells. He never loved me; if he had he would have never done those terrible things to me. Everything he did was for show.”

Trent wasn’t really following, ‘What do you mean for show?”

Sydney tried