I unhooked my seat belt, got out of the front seat and into the back with Trent. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and tucked me against his side. I sighed with contentment and snuggled closer. He placed a tender kiss to my forehead.
Could I really give him up a second time? Sure, the first time I’d had no memory of him, but I wouldn’t make that mistake again. If I didn’t let him change me, we had no future together, which meant eventually, I’d have to walk away. I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to do that.
I shifted to get more comfortable and caught Jax watching me in the rearview mirror. Our gazes locked. Emotion flickered behind his dark eyes as he held my attention captive. What was he thinking?
And why was he looking at me like… like he wanted to be the one sitting back here with me? My skin prickled with unease.
Still, Jax didn’t so much as flinch, and I was too afraid to look away. He gave me the faintest of smiles, then winked as if we shared some torrid secret. I licked my lips, and his eyes narrowed.
Trent rubbed his fingertips up and down my arm, and I finally broke whatever hold Jax had on me. I curled my arm around Trent’s stomach and snuggled up to him, refusing to think about how bizarre the past twenty-four hours had been.
I was finally exactly where I was meant to be—in Trent’s arms.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
Cabin in the Mountains
“HOME SWEET HOME,” JAX ANNOUNCED AS he shut off the car.
I straightened and yawned. I had no idea what time it was, but the moon was still high in the sky. How was that possible? Wasn’t it at least a couple days’ drive from California to New York? Dad and I had flown to California, so I really had no idea how long it took to make the drive.
I glanced at Trent, who was out of the car and holding the door open for me. I climbed out and stretched my arms over my head. “We’re here already?” I asked.
“Yeah, Jax thinks he’s driving for Nascar.” Trent gave his brother a dirty look.
Oh, yeah. I remembered how Jax drove. It was terrifying.
Shaking my head, I glanced up at the place that would be my new home for the summer—possibly longer—and a pang of sadness stole my breath. In less than a year, I’ve had three, now four, different homes. Would I ever be able to truly settle down in one place?
The two-story cabin was nestled against a monstrous mountain. Made completely from wooden logs, the place looked like something straight out of a movie—one of those slasher flicks where everyone parties a little too hard, then ends up brutally murdered. I shuddered and wrapped my arms around myself.
“You okay?” Trent asked.
I nodded, though I wasn’t sure I was okay.
“C’mon, let’s go inside,” Trent said.
I took Trent’s outstretched hand and followed him up the steps onto a massive wraparound porch that was decorated with white, wicker furniture. How often did they stay at this cabin?
Jax held open the front door, and I crossed the threshold, unsure of what to expect but knowing full well my entire life was teetering on the precipice.
Inside, the walls and floors were all logs and hardwood. To my left was a living room complete with a large sectional sofa, an oversized recliner, and a flat screen television. Behind that was a dining room, the table situated in front of the biggest sliding glass door I’d ever seen.
To my right were overstuffed bean bag chairs and body-sized pillows arranged in front of a brick fireplace. Directly across from that area was a small kitchen with nothing but a bar-like countertop separating the two rooms.
Now that I took a moment to really look at the layout, I realized there were no walls in this room at all—every area was separated only by various pieces of furniture. Talk about cozy. Between the living room and dining room was a short hallway, though I couldn’t see to the end of it from where I stood.
The place smelled like it had been recently cleaned, and the lingering scent of vanilla candles hung in the air. It wasn’t at all what I’d expected, but it was homey and welcoming.
“Oh, good. You made it,” Sean said.
My head snapped up at the sound of Sean’s voice. What was he doing here? He stood above us on the second floor landing.
A winding, spiral staircase jutted out from the wall beside the fireplace, leading to another level of the cabin—which was just as open and spacious as the first floor. An ornately carved wooden railing circled the upstairs in place of traditional walls.
“Barely,” Trent said.
Jax punched his arm and laughed. “I’m a fantastic driver.”
Nausea rolled through me at the very unpleasant memory of Jax and Trent fighting—really fighting. Trent throwing Jax into a tree. The crack of the tree trunk. Jax taking a bite from Trent’s neck. I closed my eyes and blew out a breath, willing the contents of my stomach to stay down.
“Chloe, it’s so good to see you again,” Sean said.
My eyes popped open to find him standing directly in front of me. I stifled a gasp. My eyes hadn’t been closed that long. I’d never get used to how fast they moved.
“Uh, yeah, you too,” I muttered.
He reached for my hand, and I jerked away. Last time he’d touched me, he’d abruptly dropped my hand as if I’d burned him, and then he hadn’t bothered to say another word to me. That type of behavior was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now.
Sean tilted his head, studying me.
I shifted on my feet.
“Are you all right?” he asked with what could only be described as fatherly concern.
“Just tired,” I said. “It’s
