I woke up for the second time wrapped in Trent’s arms.

Why can't I just stay like this?

The thought was a wistful one because I knew all the reasons why not. I wasn’t just going to disregard them, thinking things could possibly work out. There was nothing to stake that kind of faith and hope on, after all.

Still, I gave myself a few minutes to enjoy being held like this. As far as I cared, Trent was the man for me. Once I left, I wasn’t sure I would ever look at someone else the way I looked at him. So, arguably, this was my last chance to get in some snuggling.

After several minutes, during which my mind woke up, I sighed, knowing I had to get going. It was early because my work schedule had pretty much been ingrained in me. Today, had I still been going to work, I would have been going in for the early morning shift. Someone else would have to take my place by now.

“I’m sorry, Trent,” I whispered, blinking tears away. I placed a soft kiss on his chest, then got out of bed carefully.

I needed a shower and a change of clothes, and I did those listlessly, even as I tried to be quiet so I wouldn’t disturb him. It would just be more difficult if he woke up, and I had to explain to him that I was leaving anyway, even after he’d asked me to stay.

Once he wakes up and I’m not there, he’ll realize this was for the best, I told myself.

That was what I was hoping for. I hoped he wouldn’t be too annoyed with me for leaving. Who was I kidding? He probably wouldn’t even care that much.

“I need to get this stuff out,” I muttered to myself once I was dressed, my hands on my hips as I looked at the disorganized mess that was my living room. I packed away my clothes from yesterday, picking up Trent’s and leaving them on top of my dresser. Then I packed away my toiletries and sighed. “Now for the move to the car.”

I started with moving the boxes. I was so glad I’d already sent a few outside because this was going to be a tedious process.

I picked them up one by one and left them outside the door. Once I had everything outside, I closed the door behind me. It was early enough that I wouldn’t have to worry about anybody coming by and taking my things if I left them alone for a little bit.

I carried them one by one over to the elevator. I checked to see if it was in working order first, then moved the rest of the boxes to the outside of the elevator. Once I had them all, I pressed the button to head down, and when the elevator doors opened, I pushed all my stuff inside. I had to put one of the boxes in the way of the door when it was about to close early, but I finally got everything inside. I breathed another sigh and waited until I got down.

The process repeated, with me pushing the stuff out, leaving them on the outside of the elevator, then taking them one by one to my car, waiting outside in the staff parking.

After half an hour, I was ready to leave. And I did, jumping into the front of the car and putting it in drive. There were plenty of people I would have liked to have seen before I left, but they likely wouldn’t have been awake.

I drove out of the parking lot, easing the car into the street, then picking up speed. I knew the general direction I was supposed to be heading. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been driving when I lost the fight with my emotions and tears started streaming down my face as I cried silently. Familiar streets and buildings fell away behind me the further I went, until I was out of town, and there was nothing but a long stretch road ahead, and fields of grass to either side.

My phone rang. It made me jump but my hands on the wheel remained steady. I glanced over at my phone, checking the screen and seeing the name on it. I grimaced.

Emily.

I hadn't exactly been avoiding her along with Trent, but she and I hadn't really met up since he’d showed. I hadn't talked to her either, and I wondered if she even knew what was happening. She hadn't been to the hotel since her father got sick and her brothers came back.

She would be annoyed with me if I didn’t answer, so I used my hands-free feature to pick up her call.

“Hi, Jessi,” came her usually chipper voice, though I could hear some slight strain in it. “Sorry I haven’t gotten in touch, things are a bit hectic over here.”

“That’s fine,” I said quickly in reassurance. “I should have tried to call you first. My mom told me as much as she knew but I wanted to ask how your dad was doing.”

There was a short silence. “Dad is… doing just fine. He’s resting.”

I let out a sigh of relief and nodded even though she couldn’t see it. I’d been a little worried that what happened to Matthew Thompson was serious because it was so unlike him to not work. Even when he’d supposedly retired, my mom and I had known it was an excuse to stay at the mansion instead of traveling all over the place, but he still worked from home and at the hotel branch nearest to him.

“That’s not what I called about,” she said hurriedly. “I wanted to talk to you about Trent.”

I wondered whether or not I should be surprised.

“You know about him and me?” I asked.

She sighed. “Well, I didn’t at first. You mom certainly doesn’t know.” The words were accusing, and I winced. “But I heard the rumors. I don’t know how much of it is true, but… my brother played with you, didn’t he?”

I pursed my lips at the wording. “First of all, never say that. You can't call what went down between me and Trent ‘play’, Emily. I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it’s true that I’ve been in love with Trent for a long time, and… we clashed when he came back.”

Emily hummed. “It was a bit of a surprise when he suddenly started looking for me. Usually, he wouldn’t give me the time of day. And then I show up on his doorstep, and he’s asking me all about you. I was worried, Jessi.”

“There was no need for you to worry.”

“But something happened, didn’t it? I’m not going to ask what… but there was something?”

I couldn’t answer her. I wiped my tears away as they blurred my eyesight, but I could feel my throat tightening uncomfortably. I was far from done with crying.

“Where are you right now?” she asked.

I sighed, knowing she probably heard the news that I was leaving, too.

“I’m sorry,” I said first thing. “I should have told you first when I was going to leave. You’re right. Something did happen between me and Trent.”

“Was it enough to make you run away?”

I shook my head. “I couldn’t stay there, Emily. I just… couldn’t stay close to him after everything. I’m already in too deep, and I know him. He might not be outright plotting it, but he’s going to break my heart if I stay, I just know it. He’s already done it so many times without trying, this wouldn’t be any different.”

Except it might be, I thought.

I pushed that thought away, or I wouldn’t have made the decision to run away. I’d pretty much bared all of myself to this man. There was no way I could handle any disappointment from him after that.

“Couldn’t you try to stick around and work things out though?” Emily reasoned. “I mean… you probably know my big brother better than I do, but he can't be that big of an ass, right?”

I huffed a small laugh. “I don’t know about that. I mean, he’s changed over the years since I’ve known him, but there are parts that are familiar. I might know him better but it’s not by much. But he… started making promises this time, and that’s probably the scariest part. I know they’re not things he can give me.”

There was a short silence, and I wondered what Emily was thinking. My own thoughts were replaying last night, from when Trent showed up at my door and asked me to stay, then started giving out praises like he actually believed everything he was saying. It… all had to be a lie, right?

“I see,” Emily finally said, her voice tight. “And there’s absolutely no way for you to change your mind?”

I shook my head slowly. “I don’t think that would be possible at this point, Emily. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about any of this before.”

“It’s fine, I understand,” she said. “He’s my brother, of course it would be awkward for you to speak to me about him. As much as I don’t like this, I wish you luck, Jessi. Keep in touch, okay?”

“Thanks, and you too.”

With that, we hung up. I wiped away the fresh tears, took a deep breath, and drove on.

My destination was Myrtle Beach, and it was a six-hour drive to the new hotel I’d be working at. I just wanted to get there and start getting settled in. I wasn’t sure about a lot of things, like where I would stay and what my position there would be in the kitchens, because there was always some hierarchy. But right then, I just wanted to get out of the car.

I had a week. When the manager told me, I’d wanted to let him know that I wouldn’t need it, but I got it anyway. I would have a week to change my mind, if I wanted to stay at the new hotel or go back to Charlotte, but I doubted I would.

As abrupt as it was, I knew I needed this change. And besides, after I’d set it all up, it was too late to change my mind, wasn’t it? What would be there for me to go back to anyway, now that I’d actually left? Trent would be annoyed with me after I stole away for a second time while he slept. It would do me no good.

Even if Emily said I could change my mind, there was no point now. With all the rumors I’d left behind, I could just imagine what the staff would come up with if I suddenly came back after a transfer. And even if I was making a mistake, it was made. If I went back and Trent ripped into me for it, I couldn’t take that any more than him not keeping the promises he’d made to me.

You’re doing the right thing, I told myself. It was the only thing I could have done in the situation I was left in.

I truly believed that. But… why did I keep looking in the rearview mirror? There was no way someone would be coming after me to stop me, to get me to go back. I knew that logically, but the further I got from my hometown, the more my heart dropped.

It was my fault for having expectations. It’s time to move on… to my new, boring life.