Chapter Five
“No shit,” he mutters before pausing and looking between both me and Trenton. “Tell me what I’m seeing isn’t so. You two? Are you fucking kidding me? Tell me, dear twin of mine, how long did you wait to take her to bed after she walked out on me?”
“What?” I shout in response, my jaw dropping to the floor.
“Hank, you’ve got it all wrong,” Trenton states moving to face his brother.
As the two men glare back and forth between one another, my mind rapidly spins out of control. I’m trying to fathom what the hell is actually taking place right here in front of me, but I can’t grasp a coherent thought.
How could he know? Did Trenton tell him before I got here?
Turning to face me, Hank’s blazing stare is so intense it sears a hole straight through my heart.
“Don’t ‘what’ me, Taryn. I can see with my own two eyes what is going on here. I can feel it. You left me. You walked out on what we had and its plain as day why you did it.”
“I didn’t walk out on you or us. We both knew things were falling apart. I was just the one brave enough to say something before we destroyed any hope of remaining friends. I did what I thought was best . . . for us both.”
“What you thought was best? Come on, Taryn. I really don’t think the best thing for anyone but you and Trenton was diving into my brother’s bed. How stupid do you really think I am?”
“Hank, no,” I gasp as my hand flies to my lips. “That is not at all what happened. I didn’t . . . we didn’t sleep together while you and I were together . . . never.”
“Bullshit,” he seethes through gritted teeth. “You two are practically fucking each other with your eyes. If I wasn’t standing right here right now, I can guarantee this situation would look a whole lot differently.”
“Seriously, Hank. Nothing happened while you two were together. We didn’t . . .”
“I don’t want to hear another word. This is fucking ridiculous. You’re my brother, my twin. How could you?”
Tears begin to fall from my eyes and down onto my cheeks. As I cover my face with my hands, I want so badly for Trenton to pull me into his arms and comfort me . . . but know he can’t.
“Hank, leave her out of this. Whatever happened or you think happened, we can discuss it alone. There’s no need to upset Taryn any more than she already is.”
“Shut up. Just shut the fuck up, both of you,” he shouts moving to the other side of the kitchen.
The anger raging through Hank is tearing me apart. This is not at all how I wanted him to find out. I don’t know what I expected, but this is becoming too much to handle. Feeling completely helpless, I look across the kitchen to their mother. Pleading with my eyes, I beg her to help. To stop them from fighting. To do anything to make this all go away.
“Everyone please,” she urges before nodding to reassure me everything will be okay. “We can discuss this as adults. Hank, hear your brother out. Once you know the truth, you’ll understand.”
“What did you just say?” Hank asks, taking a step away from Trenton and toward his mother. “Please dear God, tell me you did not just say what I think you did. Please tell me I’m wrong. Am I the only one that did not know about this fucking relationship?”
“Hank, please . . . please hear me out,” their mother pleads as tears break free from her eyes.
Looking toward Hank, his dark eyes shift from his mother back to Trenton. I’ve never witnessed him so angry, so enraged. The depths of his eyes are blacker than I’ve ever seen. They are void of all emotion, like he’s turned off the light to his soul.
Everything around me begins to stop, as if our worlds were all set to pause. Taking a moment to breathe, I explore the expressions on everyone’s faces. I don’t understand . . . well, understand may be a trivial word in this situation, but I can’t wrap my head around why in the hell he is fighting this. Our relationship was over well before Trenton and I…
“Hello!”
Oh shit.
“Guys? Where are you at?” Traci’s voice calls out from the other side of the house.
In the snap of a finger, life begins to spin back into motion as they enter the room.
“Oh, hey,” Traci says with a smile catching sight of us. Her eyes quickly look to me, the happy expression that was etched across her face moments ago is now set into a solemn frown. “Oh hell, he knows,” she mutters while walking to my side and pulling me into her arms.
“Unbelievable! Was I the only one who didn’t know about this?” he asks staring daggers into each of our eyes while running his fingers through his hair. “I can’t do this right now. I’m out of here,” he growls.
The tears continue to fall while Hank storms out of the room, pushing past me and shoving Traci and me into the wall. I desperately reach my arms around her, preventing us both from stumbling over.
“Dude!” Trenton shouts walking after him.
“Oh dear!” Their mother exclaims. “I should . . . I should go after them.”
“No, I will,” Mike urges. “Stay here with Taryn and Traci. If I know those two like I do, this isn’t going to be pretty.”
“Thank you, Michael, please go after them and make sure they are kept safe.”
Watching as Mike walks out of the room, I can’t breathe as the sobs pull from my lungs. Tears fall faster and faster down the sides of my face. This is a mess. I’ve created a disaster and there’s no way for my heart to pull me back. All I wanted was to be happy. Instead turmoil and hatred are surrounding those who I love. I knew this was going to be bad, but what I just saw wasn’t at all what I was anticipating. Allowing my heart and mind to flush out the tears, I fall into Traci’s embrace while my body shakes.
Seconds, minutes . . . what feels like eternity seems to drag on while we wait for Mike and Trenton to return to the kitchen. The pain I feel in my chest is overwhelming. I knew what I was getting into when I first met up with Trenton. Every moment we shared together was like a light leading me towards something amazing. I thought what I had with Hank was it, that my future was being transformed into the present, but I was wrong. Being with Trenton is different. It isn’t just a physical pull or a lingering longing to be together. We are connected at an entirely different level. Our souls were calling for one another and there was nothing I could do to stop the pull I felt.
My mind races at the thoughts of what’s transpired over the last few months. I look back over the years, to my childhood when we were all growing up together. Three men shared such an intense part of my life with me, each of them helping me to grow and develop into the person I am today. They have been there for me through the best and worst times of my life and now . . . now the bonds we shared are slowly crumbling. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe the feelings and desires I had for two of them were so skewed that I really never knew what I wanted. The confusion that sits in the pit of my stomach as I scan the walls of the kitchen is unreal. What have I done? As much as I think I know what I’m feeling, maybe it’s nothing really at all. It hurts, it pains me that I’m the one who is putting up a barrier between two brothers, yet I can’t help the way my heart feels for Trenton.
The sound of the front door closing pulls my attention to the doorway of the kitchen. Together Mike and Trenton walk in, both of their heads down.
Is he ashamed of what he’s done?
Is he hurting right now as much as I am?
Is he doubting everything he says he feels for me?
When a million red flags are falling at my feet, I struggle with the pain to pick up my white flag and surrender to the defeat that Trenton and I may never be. It hurts now more than ever. I thought I knew what I wanted, only for life to throw me a curve ball. I can’t deny what we have and what could be.
“Please tell me everything is okay?” Mrs. Jones asks. “Is he coming back inside?” she continues as she stands from the kitchen table and moves towards Trenton.
“No, Ma, he’s not coming back in. I’m not exactly sure how any of this is going to play out. He’s livid and honestly I don’t feel he has a right to be mad at anyone,” Trenton responds before moving behind me.
The feel of his hands as they touch my shoulders sends a wave of warmth throughout my body. As he runs his fingertips over my back, the uneasiness of everything that has happened today slowly melts away, at least for the moment. He’s physically reassuring me of my mental anguish. He knows I’m hurting just as badly as I’m sure he is today. Even though my heart is breaking because of my role in this mess, I know with whom and where I’m supposed to be. He makes me feel like no other man or person has in my entire life. Our journey is not going to be easy, this I am certain. No matter what we are to each other, right in this exact moment, I don’t want to give up. I truly believe I have found my forever. Trenton will be my forever.