We were in my car, driving back up to Charlotte with my stuff packed in the trunk and the back seat. Trent had insisted on driving, even though he’d looked at my car in disapproval at first, and I was in the passenger seat.

“If you came with the helicopter, why couldn’t we just go back with it?” I asked. I wasn’t complaining, just feeling curious and a little cramped in the car, especially when I didn’t have driving as a distraction from boredom.

Trent shot a glance at me. “Well, I didn’t want you to leave your stuff just so you would have to go back for it later, and it wouldn’t all fit in the helicopter. Don’t worry, though. I promise I’m a good driver.”

“I’m not worried about that. If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have given you the keys to my car to begin with.”

He scoffed. “What, are you afraid I might harm your old scrap heap?”

The tone of his voice was teasing, so I knew not to take him too seriously, even though the words sounded a bit familiar.

“Don’t call my car an old scrap heap,” I threatened. “It’s all I’ve had for years. I got it pretty cheap, and I was ecstatic to get it.”

“I’m sure you could afford a better one by now.”

That gave me pause, and after a moment of thinking, I shrugged. I had enough cash in my bank account that I could probably buy myself another, nicer car. I could even afford a new car, probably, but that would just be a waste of resources to me. I was saving up. I didn’t know what for, but I was going to let it sit pretty in the bank until I had a reason not to anymore.

“It must be uncomfortable for you,” I said with a sigh. “My car is pretty small, and your height…”

“A bit,” he admitted. “But it’s not anything I can't handle for a few hours.”

When we finally made it back to Charlotte, I was mildly surprised that Trent took us to the hotel and not the mansion. I pouted a little because I wanted to see my parents, but it wasn’t a shock that he was still avoiding home.

“Let’s go in,” he said, shooting me a grin and jumping out of the car before I could follow.

I stared at him because this was the front entrance. What, did he expect me to carry my boxes up through the same entrance guests went through? It would make way too many people a little too curious about my life!

Before I could get my bearings, he was already around the car and opening my door for me. I undid my seatbelt and stepped out, taking the keys from him.

“Just lock it for now,” he instructed. “We can get everything later, I promise.”

I sighed and did as he asked. “As long as you help me get them all up.”

He grinned. “Definitely.”

Trent took my hand, twining our fingers together, and practically dragged me behind him with his hurried steps into the hotel. I could feel my eyes widen because we were in full view of staff and guests as we hurried through the lobby to the elevators. He had a slight skip in his step the whole way, and I thought he even whistled.

We stepped into the elevator alone, though there were others standing there, probably waiting for one as well.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered to me as the doors closed. “It happens to me all the time.”

I looked up to meet his eyes. “Really?”

He nodded. “When people recognize me, a lot of them tend to keep their distance. This is the first time I’m truly glad for it, though.”

“Why is that?” I arched an eyebrow, but I was distracted by his openly happy expression, so much that it caught me off guard when he suddenly picked me up and whirled me around.

“Because you’re finally back with me,” he said in a sing-song voice. “I wanted to come after you so many times, you know? But I didn’t, because I didn’t know why. I’ve figured it out, though.”

I met his eyes as my heart beat a little faster for a different reason. “Why?” I asked, my voice coming out breathless.

He grinned, then ducked his head down close. I thought he was coming in for a kiss, and I closed my eyes. I felt his lips at my ear instead.

“I love you, Jessi,” he whispered.

I gasped, and I could have sworn for a second my heart stopped. He pulled back to grin down at me, and I just stared at him, dumbfounded, taking the words in.

Trent just said he loved me…

Shit!

I opened my mouth to say something back. I didn’t know exactly what, maybe to say I loved him too? But before I got the chance, the elevator doors opened, and Trent was dragging me back out. My eyes were fixated on his back as I replayed the words back in my mind.

He’s different.

Trent wasn’t acting quite like himself, and I wondered just how fast a person could change. He was no longer the same somber, somewhat mysterious man I’d met after a decade nearly a month ago. He was talking to me, he kept acting all playful like that sing-song thing in the elevator. He even told me he loved me!

“Is this a dream?”

I didn’t realize I’d blurted the words out until Trent paused to glance over at me. We were already at the door to his suite, and he unlocked it and let us in.

“You’re not dreaming,” he said in reassurance. “But I guess you could say that I finally woke up. I wouldn’t have gone looking for you otherwise because I’m a stubborn bastard.”

I smiled wryly. “Well, I can't argue with that.”

He shot me a betrayed look, and it made me laugh. But then I sighed, looking up at him with a frown.

“What exactly is going to happen to us?” I asked. “I ran away before because I didn’t think we’d have a future.”

Trent’s expression suddenly turned solemn as he led me over to the couch and sat me down.

“We are going to have a future, Jessi. If you don’t have any more plans that would take you away from me, I would very much love to spend the rest of my life with you.”

His blunt nature sure hasn’t changed, I thought, my jaw hanging open a little.

“I have no such plans,” I squeaked out.

He was grinning again. “Good. The only real obstacle is my dad, but it’s more what I’m going to do about him, than him being against a relationship between us.”

“You finally got to see him?”

He nodded. “Yeah, though it’s more that he came over to see me. I need to talk to him.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’d like to go back to my mountains, up in Asheville where my real home is. I don’t want to let my dad down any more than I already have, either. For the first time, he asked me instead of just demanding I do shit.”

“And that’s a big deal?” I said slowly.

“Yeah, it is,” he said. Then he gave me a pleading expression. “I’d hate to do this, and I’m sorry, but I’m going to leave you here for a little bit, okay? I’m trying to rebuild all my relationships so they aren’t quite as messed up as before. Your friends will be coming to stay with you for the time being.”

Before I could speak, to ask a question or protest, he pressed a quick kiss to my lips then he was rushing out of the room as I gaped at his back.

What the hell just happened? We weren’t even back twenty minutes!

But I knew that fixing the relationship between him and his father was important. And if he was going to fix all the relationships he’d got wrong in his life, it was going to take a lot of time, and some massive groveling where his sister was concerned.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there like that, but then the door was opening again, and in walked the last two people I expected; Emily and Laura.

“Jessi!” they both squealed as they rushed me, and I jumped up so they wouldn’t squish me into the couch. I couldn’t help breaking out into giggles as they attacked me with bear hugs.

“We missed you so much,” Laura said.

“I was about to track my brother down and beat him to a pulp,” Emily added with a pout. “Or just drag you back myself.”

I chuckled, hugging them both back tightly before I fell back on the couch, and they moved to sit on either side of me.

“You look exhausted,” Laura said sympathetically, running a hand through my hair.

“Because I just came from a six-hour drive with no stops,” I said with a roll of my eyes. And it was right after Trent and I had a little extra action as we washed up before checking out.

“You’ve changed,” Emily said with a narrowing of her eyes, leaning back as if to try and get a better look at me.

“What do you mean?”

She grinned. “You look happy for once. You’re also acting all confident or some shit. And I could almost swear you’re glowing.” Her eyes widened. “Are you pregnant? I mean, the two of you sure work fast, huh…”

I shook my head slowly, trying not to let out how much that bothered me. Thinking that the ‘glowing’ was probably because the great sex was enough to make me perk up and give sly looks that had the both of them bombarding me with questions.

The thought stuck with me though, and I couldn’t help remembering those damn pills. I regretted taking them now, instead of talking to Trent about it first. At the time, I thought for sure I was making the right decision, but was it the best in the long run?

I waited up for Trent to come back long after the other two had already left, with promises to look for me later. He finally walked in, sending a small smile my way.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” he said, shrugging, then moving to join me on the couch. “You can ask me whatever you want.”

I took a deep breath and decided to just go for it. “Do you remember the first time we slept together? How we didn’t use any condoms?”

“Yeah, why?” he asked casually, only for his eyes to blow wide open a moment later as he caught the implication. “You—”

“Before you get the wrong idea,” I cut in. “No. I… went out and bought some pills afterward. I thought you’d get mad, if…”

My words trailed off as my expression crumpled, and I tried to keep myself from crying. Trent just sighed, then pulled me to his chest.

“I don’t blame you for taking the pill, Jessi. But you won’t have to from now on. I should have thought of protection first, and I’m sorry that I didn’t, but I’m not sorry that I didn’t use any either. If you don’t want to take the pill… then don’t.”

I curled up against his chest, feeling so much relief that it sapped all the remaining strength in my body. I closed my eyes against the tears that wanted to fall, thinking how grateful I was that Trent had decided to come for me himself.

It was more than enough to show just how truly he cared for me, and I was determined not to waste the chance I’d been given with the love of my life.

I’m going to be yours now, Trent. For the rest of my life.