Falling For Dad’s College Rival by Flora Ferrari
Chapter Seventeen
Brooke
I’m shocked, sure. But I don’t blame Trent for my mom leaving my dad before I was even old enough to crawl.
If anything, I’m glad things worked out the way they did.
If things had been different if my mom stayed. Maybe I would never have gone with dad to his college reunion, and I would never have even met or known about Trent.
Things would have been way different, and maybe not for the better.
I explain to Trent how my dad never mentioned him. “And he certainly never mentions my mom. He can’t even bring himself to say the word let alone her actual name.”
“How did you find out?” Trent asks. “I mean if your dad didn’t tell you.”
“I joined the dots when I was old enough to see my own birth certificate,” I recall.
Mom’s original name was on it, and I did some digging online. It wasn’t hard to make the connection my dad never wanted to talk about. “And once I saw that old yearbook, it proved it.”
“How long have you known though?” Trent asks. “And do you want to find your mom?” Making a way bigger deal out of all this than I ever would, but I guess he’s still reeling from finding out why dad’s had it in for him all these years.
“A while, and…nope.” I shrug, answering both his questions, just wanting to cuddle up to him again instead of talk about the past. My dad’s past of all things.
If Trent wasn’t part of it, I wouldn’t have any interest at all. It’s nothing nowadays for kids to be raised by one parent.
“All I care about now is us,” I tell him. “Is that so bad of me?” I add, feeling like I should be here for Trent too if he’s troubled by his own past.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” he tells me, relieved more than anything by the looks.
“I guess now’s not the best time to ask you what you really want. Us I mean,” he asks, making my heart flutter in my chest, my belly doing a summersault dance.
“I want you to come live with me, Brooke is what I mean,” he says firmly.
His eyes move around my tiny little room and out down the hallway, almost making me laugh out loud.
The idea of Trent coming here to visit or trying to ‘date’ me and do other things to me in this tiny bed, let alone with my dad in the next room…
“I thought you’d never ask,” I tell him, glad but a little sad at the same time too.
I love this house, my room, and my dad of course, but I do feel different now.
Reallygrown up, and I know I can’t stay home forever.
“Well, that’s settled then,” he breathes out again, beaming. “Just your dad to go then,” he remarks quietly like he’s checking off some mental list.
“He did say he’d be gone for the weekend,” I remind Trent. “It’s not like we have to leave right this second.”
“I know,” he assures me and adds that he’s not kidnapping me either. “I just want to try things out, with us,” he explains. “If it doesn’t work out…” but he stops himself.
I stop him.
“It’ll work out,” I remind him, kissing him on the cheek. “And I want to be with you. Can you imagine me staying here with you out there doing whatever it is you do?” I ask, and he shakes his head, laughing.
“What is it exactly that you do again?” I ask, feeling a little odd that I still don’t really know everything about Trent Latham.
“Not a whole lot for a while, I reckon,” he says, putting his arm around me and announcing he’s on vacation as of this moment.
“I did all my business a while ago,” he explains for my benefit. “Nowadays I just let things run. Pay bills mostly, and hopefully make sensible choices about where to invest. It’s pretty boring really.”
“And what do you see yourself doing?” he asks me, sounding like the businessman again.
“Is this like a ‘where do you see yourself in five years?’ question?” I ask, trying not to giggle, but I can tell he’s serious.
“Why not? It doesn’t matter if you don’t know either,” he adds. “I’m just curious.”
I take a moment to really think about it. Considering my college education, my student loans, and the fact I have no real skills or prospects, it’s an easy answer.
“I don’t know,” I tell him honestly. “But if I could make a wish? I’d prefer to do as little as possible.”
Trent laughs loudly, slapping his naked thigh and kissing me again.
“I like that plan,” he says, still smiling. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to do nothing in particular, I’m proud of you for reaching that conclusion so early in life,” he adds, making himself sound old which isn’t how I see him.
Age is just a number, and Trent has more energy as well as youthful looks than most men half his age.
Not to mention his other talents, so it’s no real surprise to learn he’s as successful as the TV makes him out to be.
“We still have a lot of today left,” Trent says, glancing at his Rolex thoughtfully.
“What did you have in mind?” I ask, happy to spend the rest of today in bed with him, but just as eager to start living a different, new, and more exciting life.
“We could do anything you want. A little lunch, maybe some shopping?" he suggests, raising his brows up and down, but instead of thrilling me like it should I feel that old familiar pang of regret.
The great thing about being around Trent is he makes me feel like a million bucks.
The truth in my head hurts, because I know I don’t have a million dollars.
I’m pretty sure I’m overdrawn on my account courtesy of the dress and hairstyle I shelled out for to go to the reunion.
Trent’s not totally oblivious to my problem. He’s a man who knows what he wants and has it because he’s clever. Because he can see things in people. Because he helps people to help themselves.
“We’re together now, Brooke. You’re mine,” he calmly explains. “And, I’m yours. Everything I have is at your disposal, so don’t make a face or look like you’re gonna expire every time something has to be paid for, okay?” he asks.
“I don’t want you worrying about anything, so we can set things up so you have your own money too if you want. No point walking around with an empty purse or feeling like you have to ask for what’s rightfully yours,” he says firmly.
I don’t mean to, but I can feel my expression change.
This is all new to me and worlds apart from the conversations my dad and I have, the arguments we have about money.
“But I can’t just live off you,” I protest. “It isn’t fair.”
Trent shrugs and thinks for a moment. “Okay, we’ll set it up so you’re on the books. Good idea by the way.” He winks. “You can be an employee, starting with a generous base salary, working your way up to the boss,” he says with a deadly serious expression before he breaks out laughing again.
“I mean it though, Brooke. We can set it up Monday. I’ll have the accountant arrange it.”
I feel confused. “But what do I actually have to do?” I ask, worried I’m maybe getting myself into more than I bargained for.
“Nothing.” He smiles. “Just be you. I’m just letting you know not to worry about something silly like money is all. Okay?”
I guess that’s settled then, but I feel my head spinning still.
I’ve never known anything as long as I can remember apart from never having enough or always having to hear people complain about money because they never have any.
Trent talks about it like it’s air or sunshine, or even the rain. Like something you needn’t worry about because it’s always sunny here and it’s always raining somewhere else.
And if you need some air, just open your mouth and breathe.
“You don’t have to buy a yacht,” he says confidentially. “Maybe we could just start with some lunch? I’m starving,” he groans, laying back and clutching his belly, as though he really is in pain from hunger.
I gasp, then cringe as I remember the double serving of mac n’ cheese in the microwave from yesterday.
Note to self: take it with you and throw it in the trash.
My dad’s been known to go through the garbage on occasion, making sure we’re not throwing too much away.
Yes, it’s real. He actually does do that sometimes.
“What is it?” Trent asks, and I almost tell him, but I don’t want to put him off by sounding any weirder than he probably already thinks I am.
“Nothing, I just forgot to take out some trash,” I tell him, suggesting maybe I should take a shower, and then we can go, suddenly not wanting to spend the day here when according to Trent himself, the whole world is waiting for us.
