Please enjoy the following preview for
“Hearts Exposed” (Zoe’s World, Book 2)
Chapter 1
I took a sip of my wine and smiled. It was what I’d gotten accustomed to doing during our weekly visits with Trent’s friends. We played games, which could be fun sometimes, and then the night always ended with deep discussions about life, politics, science—whatever was on their minds—never about fashion, though.
“All I’m saying is that if we spent more time thinking about global warming, we’d have less damage done to the planet—and how could that be a bad thing?” Heather shrugged. “So why not make that the focus of our daily lives?”
“What do you think, Zoe?” Trent looked over at me, his eyes warm, his lips curved in a mild smile.
The truth was, I’d zoned out about ten minutes before. The conversations usually went right over my head, not because I couldn’t grasp what they were talking about, but because I wasn’t interested in most of the topics.
“I recycle.” I smiled. “I also donate clothing to charities. Less for the landfill, right?”
“That’s not exactly what I meant.” Heather spoke in a condescending tone.
Heat flooded my cheeks as I squirmed in my chair.
Luckily Trent steered the conversation in another direction. I felt some relief, but it was still difficult for me to tolerate. I was usually the life of the party. I liked to talk, I liked to debate, and more than anything, I liked to laugh and have fun. But it seemed to me that Trent’s friends were only interested in serious conversations.
Over the past few months, I’d tried to fit in with them. I knew they were important to Trent, and I wanted to show him that they were important to me too. I made sure that I was available for their weekly meet-ups. I learned how to play games I’d never heard of and didn’t find that entertaining. I even toned down my wardrobe in an attempt to blend in with the group.
I’d noticed that Heather, the only other girl in the group, wore very plain clothes. I decided after a couple of meet-ups that I would choose more muted colors and plain styles, so that I might be taken more seriously.
But the wardrobe change hadn’t helped. It seemed to me that I was a spectacle to them, something to watch and be amused by. It was a terrible feeling, one I’d never experienced before.
With my confident nature, it took a lot for me to experience humiliation, but just the way some of his friends looked at me was enough for me to get a taste of it.
As the conversation continued I pulled out my phone and ordered a taxi. Then I looked over at Trent. He was as beautiful as ever. His straight black hair hung messily in his eyes and his lips curved into the sweetest smile the moment his eyes met mine.
“Need anything, babe? Want another glass of wine?”
“No, thanks.” I slid the glass toward him. “Actually, I’m not feeling great. I’m going to head home.”
“Are you sick?” Heather stared at me. “Because I can’t get sick. I have like five million papers due this week.”
“No, I’m not sick.” I gritted my teeth as I did my best to be polite. “I’m just tired. It’s been a busy week.”
“Okay, let’s head out.” Trent started to stand up, but I placed my hand on his shoulder and smiled.
“No, you should stay and have fun. I’ve already ordered a taxi.” I looked into his eyes for a long moment as a ripple of fear carried through me.
Would he be upset with me for leaving? It struck me that I was frightened of the idea of losing him. I’d been single for so long and then Trent showed up in my life. He started out as the tech guru for my website, but he’d become much more than that, despite my resistance.
“No way. I’m taking you home.” Trent frowned, the light fading from his eyes. “Cancel it.”
“The driver’s already here.” I glanced at my phone, then back up at him. “It’s fine. Really. I don’t want you to miss out. Don’t have too much fun without me, guys.” I flashed a grin around the table, then shared a brief kiss with Trent.
He relented as I headed for the door. I wasn’t one to change my mind once it was made up, and the truth was, I needed some time alone.
As soon as I was in the taxi, I was flooded with self-doubt. I started searching for information about global warming on my phone. Of course I knew the general concept, but Heather and the rest of Trent’s friends liked to dig deep into topics.
By the time the taxi driver dropped me off at my condo, I had five sites open on my phone, and my head spun with all the information I was trying to cram in. I struggled with my keys to get the front door open, then realized I was using the wrong key to try to unlock it.
“So stupid.” I muttered.
Those words echoed through my mind as I stepped inside. All at once I recognized that I wasn’t just making a comment about using the wrong key, I was saying what I’d been thinking for months. Being around Trent’s friends made me feel stupid.
Alarms went off in my mind as for the first time I recognized what had been happening to me. I’d let my power slip away, bit by bit. I’d been down on myself because I thought I wasn’t good enough for Trent.
The horror of that realization caused me to draw a sharp breath. I dropped my keys into a small bowl on the table inside the door and stared into the mirror that hung above it.
“You are not stupid, Zoe. You’re a strong, intelligent woman who runs her own business. There is not a darn thing that is stupid about you!”
End of the preview.
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