Stitches and Scars (31 page)

“Trent, you have to make a move and you have to make your intentions clear. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the two past days, it’s to say what you feel.”

He nodded. “Okay. I can do that. Right?” He looked to his friend for silent confirmation. “I mean, I’ve never done it before, but there is a first time for everything, right?”

The two stood in silence for a minute, both of them thinking. After a brief pause, Trent turned around to leave, but stopped at the top of the steps.

“You guys have plans for Friday night?”

“Not that I’m aware of. I work Saturday morning, but I’m pretty sure I’m free.”

“Good. Keep that night open. We’re going out.”

The wide smile on his face signaled he had something planned, but Ethan didn’t question it. He simply gave him a nod before shutting the door. Kate was lying on the floor on her stomach when he walked back into the living room.

“Let me guess. Problems with Elle?” she asked, still facing the TV. “Is he questioning whether or not she’s actually interested?”

“Yes. What made you guess that?”

“Because that’s Elle; she’s the queen of mixed signals. Then again, from what she said about him earlier, he seems to be the same way. She doesn’t want to be just another girl to him, another notch in his belt.”

“I think he feels the same way. You know, it’s funny though. I’ve never seen him so worked up over a girl before. It’s almost painful to watch. Almost.” He smiled, remembering his friend’s confused face.

“I know, I thought the same thing with Elle. You know what this means, right?” She propped her head up on her elbow and faced Ethan

“They’re perfect for each other,” he responded.

She nodded. “Completely.”

He sat down on the floor next to her and glanced down at her back. Realizing that he hadn’t re-bandaged it after the shower, he pulled the bottom of her shirt up so he could take a better look. “I need to get this covered.” He grazed his fingers along the small of her back, raising goose bumps over her skin.

“Are you sure you want to cover me up?”

“Not really, no,” he said simply. “But I do want you healed. I don’t want it to get infected and make it hard to move around.”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t have any problems
moving
around,” she said smirking.

“No, I guess you don’t.” He slid his hand up her back and along her shoulder. “But still I need to be responsible and take care of you. We can swing by the police station on the way to the hospital and see if they need any more information about last night.” He started to stand when he felt Kate’s small hand on his wrist, stopping him.

“Why don’t you be responsible by checking my range of motion?” A sly smile took her lips as she looked into his eyes.

Ethan went back and forth mentally, debating his options, but knew by the look on Kate’s face that this was one argument she was going to win. “I think I can manage that, as long as you let me take you in later,” he said.

“I’ll do whatever you want,
Doctor
.” She smirked and looked up at him from under her dark lashes.

He swallowed thickly and stood up, pulling her to her feet. “I hope you have a good water heater, because as your doctor, I suggest cleaning your back again.”

“That sounds good to me.” She smiled. “After all, one can never be too clean, right?”

“Never.”

Chapter 23

Four Seasons

C
ome on, Elle, you have to go. All of us are going. It’ll be fun,” Kate pleaded.

 Her tall friend rolled her eyes for the tenth time and exhaled before turning over in bed and glaring.

“Kate, I told you. I’m not interested in going.” She stood up, walked over to her closet and began searching for her favorite patent leather peep toes. “Especially if Trent’s going to be there,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Please. Are you seriously going to let him keep you from having a fun night out with the girls? Or are you just afraid to be around him? Maybe he’s too much for you to handle.” Kate turned around casually and walked toward the door. Knowing Elle as well as she did, she knew exactly how she’d react.

“Hold on,” Elle said with narrowed eyes. “First off, let’s get a few things straight.” Pausing, she held her finger up in the air. “I’m not afraid to be around Trent Williams. If anything,
he
should be afraid to be around
me
. And since when have I ever
not been able to handle guys like him?” she asked with raised eyebrows.

“Never.”

“That’s right.” Elle nodded. 

“So …”

“So, what?”

“So, are you going to come with us or not?”

“Yes, I am.” She spun around and slipped into her shoes. “That fine man can send me all the mixed signals he wants. I’ll send them right back. Two can play that game.”

“You
do
realize that sending mixed signals is not the best way to win a guy over.”

“Who said anything about winning a guy over?”

“Elle,” she warned. “I happen to know for a fact that you like him. And I’m pretty positive that he likes you. So why don’t you guys just stop this game and get on with it?”

“Because,” she sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed, “I tried making it clear to him and it didn’t work.”

“When?” Kate sat down beside her and waited for an explanation.

“A few days ago.” She shook her head trying to forget the awkward memory. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I don’t have much experience in this area.” She was met with silence. “Fine, let me rephrase that. I’ve never actually had to
work
to get a guy.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” Kate laughed. “Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you and Trent are more alike than you think? I mean, you both seem to be professionals at giving off mixed signals.”

“Believe me, the signal I got was not mixed.” She was speaking more to herself than to Kate, but she knew she’d been heard. Not wanting to explain further, she squared off her shoulders and took a breath. “It’s no big deal. I’m going with you guys tomorrow night, Trent or no Trent.” Her tone was final and she hoped that the subject would be dropped. “So, do you have another hot date tonight with Dr. Hottie?” she asked, hoping to help the flow in subject change.

“No,” Kate said. Her face fell. “He’s working late since he has off tomorrow night.”

“Guess it’s just the two of us, then.” Elle smiled. “I’ve got to run out now. But when I get back, let’s order takeout.” Grabbing her purse, she walked to the door and yelled over her shoulder, “And be prepared, because I want details!”

Kate laughed and didn’t even bother yelling anything back. If she knew Elle—and she did—there was no way she’d be able to get out of spilling at least a few details about the past few days with Ethan.

As Elle walked out the door, she heard her friend’s laughter ringing in the hall. It made her smile to know that she was so happy. The changes she’d seen in Kate over the past week had been significant. She was definitely happier than Elle had ever seen her. It seemed as though all of her past fears and worries, most of them stemming from Scott, were gone. She’d made her decision and so had Ethan.

Try as she might, there was no denying the bit of jealousy she felt. She was more than happy for her friend, but seeing her happiness only made her realize what she was lacking. After the football game a week ago, she could have sworn that Trent was interested, but now she knew she couldn’t have been more wrong. She climbed into her car and let her mind wander back to the night that started all the confusion.

The first fifteen minutes had been great, but then a few guys approached her and asked for an autograph. She’d been approached by fans before; but something told her that with the release of the
Sports Illustrated
swimsuit issue, things were going to be different. Having some experience with it already, she knew she had to play the part—the part of the “friendly and sometimes flirtatious Elle.”

She had been a little nervous about how Trent might react. After all, he’d almost ripped a guy’s head off at the football game for holding her waist a little too tightly. Making sure to be extra careful with her wording, she had made sure to keep her distance. Things had gone great for about five minutes, and then it had been like someone flipped a switch. Trent had, all of a sudden, become buddy-buddy with the guys, telling them to step closer and get a good picture. She had felt like she was out with her publicist, not on a date with a guy that liked her.

Not knowing how to react, she had done the only thing she could do when in an uncomfortable situation. She stepped it up a notch—the flirting, the touching, and the carefree attitude, all of it. Even though she knew it was childish, she waited for the reaction she was hoping to get—the same reaction that she had received on the night of the football game. The one that, even though she had yelled at him and called him a stupid jerk, had made her feel special. It let her know that he cared. But it never came.

That night she had left the bar alone, confused and pissed. It was a serious blow to her self esteem, and for the past few days, she’d been questioning what she could’ve done differently. Not one to ever let her guard down when it came to men, she was angry at herself for giving him a chance and thinking that maybe he was different.
That’s what you get for leaving your choice up to the fate of a coin toss,
she thought with a roll of her eyes.

She continued to scold herself for being stupid as she pulled into the dry cleaners. Grabbing her clothes, she folded them over her arm and climbed out of the car, making her way across the parking lot. Her heels clicked on the pavement and set a perfect beat to her natural strut. She was almost to the door when she noticed a good looking older man walking toward her. Keeping her head held high, she made sure to turn up the sway of her hips as she sauntered closer to him.

Without needing to check, Elle knew he was watching her. She could feel his eyes on her, looking over her body. When she reached the door, she took a quick peek over her shoulder and her suspicions were confirmed. The man’s head was craned around, his jaw open and eyes bulging. Giving him a smirk and a quick wink, she earned a smile and sigh in return. With a quiet giggle, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked into the store, feeling a boost in confidence.

Yep, I still got it,
she thought.
Friday night is going to be fun. Watch out, Trent.

***

“Elle, are you almost ready?” Kate yelled.

“Almost,” she yelled back, giving herself another glance in her full length mirror.

She’d spent most of her afternoon making sure she had a perfect outfit that would bring Trent to his knees. And looking back at her reflection, she knew she’d found it. The sexy skirt and heels were perfect.
Trent, baby, eat your heart out,
she thought with a wicked smile. Grabbing her clutch, she walked out of her bedroom and headed down the hall. Before she even made it into the living room, she heard the familiar laugh and felt her heart flutter. She gave herself a little pep talk and took a deep breath before turning the corner.

When she walked into the room, Sophie was sitting on Logan’s knee, fidgeting with the buttons on his blue oxford. Kate stood beside Ethan, wrapped in his arms as he ran his fingers over the hair that brushed her shoulder. All four of them had their eyes on Trent, who was in the middle of telling a story. His vibrant green eyes glowed in contrast to the black shirt that clung to his broad chest and muscular arms. With serious difficulty, Elle forced herself to peel her eyes off of him just before he noticed her presence. As soon as he did, his voice cut off in a muffled choke.

He whistled. “Damn, Elle, don’t you look good enough to eat.”
 

“Sorry, but you better get used to fasting.” She smiled pleasantly even though her voice was laced with venom. Turning on her heel, she started for the front door. “Well, are we going or not?” she called over her shoulder.

The five friends looked at each other and quickly hopped to their feet. It was clear Elle was in a mood and none of them wanted to push her buttons. Except, of course, for Trent. As far as he was concerned, her fiery temper made her even more interesting. The group walked past Elle, who stood at the front door, but Trent paused when he reached her. Leaning in slowly, he placed his lips only an inch away from her ear. The warmth of his breath blew over her neck, sending chills through her entire body.

“Something tells me you’ll regret your little comment,” he whispered.

When her chest grew tight, she realized she wasn’t breathing. Silently cursing him for having that effect on her, she attempted to regain her composure and rolled her shoulders back confidently. Unfortunately for her, none of it went unnoticed by Trent, and she watched as a huge, knowing smile spread across his face.

“Speechless?” He laughed and turned away, walking down the front steps.

”Ha,” she harrumphed, following quickly at his heels. “You wish you had that effect on me.”

He stopped abruptly and spun around. Taking her by surprise, she slammed into his chest—her nose stopping an inch away from his collarbone. “Actually, I do wish.” He smirked. “And I’m pretty sure you do, too.” He looked at her, but she refused to meet his eyes.

Stepping back, she placed her hands firmly on her hips before finally looking at his face. 

“You know, despite what the fairytales say, wishes and dreams don’t always come true. Cinderella and that little green guy didn’t know what they were talking about.”

“Jiminy Cricket.”

Her face pulled together in confusion. “Who?”

“The little green guy. His name is Jiminy Cricket.”

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s go.”

Ignoring the way her heart was hammering within her chest, she walked past him quickly and was almost to her car when Sophie stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her path.

“Hey, why don’t you drive over with Trent? I’m leaving early with Logan, and Kate and Ethan have plans later. I’m sure he won’t mind dropping you off.” She turned and smiled up at the Trent, who was grinning back at her with a smile just as wide. “Right?” she asked.

“Sure don’t.” He shook his head.

“Good, then it’s settled. See you there!”

Before Elle could even open her mouth to protest, her friend hoped into Logan’s car and sped off with Ethan and Kate following close behind them.

“Come on. I promise I won’t bite.”

She let out a huff of annoyance, but followed him over to his SUV anyway. After settling in to the gray leather, Trent started the car and backed out.

“How have you been, Elle?”

“Fine,” she deadpanned. “You?”

“Can’t complain. I got cleared medically so I can play now.”

“Really?” There was no hiding the enthusiastic tone of her voice, and it took her a second to remember she was supposed to be playing hard-to-get and not interested. “Really?” she asked again, this time sounding nonchalant.

“Yep. You’ll have to come to my next game.”

“You’d get me tickets?”

“Sure. I get tickets for chicks all the—” He immediately caught himself and was about to apologize when Elle started talking. 

“That would be really great. I’d love to take …” She scrambled for a name and quickly remembered one of the guys she’d met at the bar the other night. “… Richard to a game. He’s a big fan of football and you already know how much
I
enjoy it.” She waited for his response, expecting to finally get the reaction she wanted. 

“Like I said, there’s no problem getting you tickets at all. But,” he paused. “I hope you won’t mind sitting next to Candy. She’s a big fan of mine and insists on sitting in the best seats. You know, so she can get a better view of me.”

She recoiled and had to bite on her tongue to keep from snapping at him. “I don’t mind sitting next to
Candy
,” she sneered at the name. “But if she’s hot, you may want to watch out. From what I’ve picked up on, Richard is into numbers …” she trailed of suggestively.
After all, what accountant isn’t?
she thought to herself.

She snickered, but kept her eyes forward. There wasn’t a sound from Trent, but she could’ve sworn she noticed his body stiffen. Waves of tension rolled off them both and clashed together in a silent storm. The already confined space suddenly felt even smaller, and Elle had to force herself to breathe.