Page 35 of Ordinary Secrets (Secrets Trilogy #1)

35

ARELLA

The doctor said my lip would heal within a week. After two days, my lip was fully healed without even a scar to show for it.

The doctor said my body would be sore for two weeks. It’s been a week now, and my body feels like it’s functioning at one hundred percent again.

I’m not wearing the neck brace anymore, despite what Trey wants. He thinks I should follow the doctor’s orders and wear it for the full fourteen days, but why wear something that’s awkward and itchy when I don’t need to?

Ever since the accident, Trey’s been intense. Even when we’re home, not really doing anything, he insists on being next to me at all times. If I leave the room, he comes with. I understand that I was injured, and that’s been hard on him, but nothing is going to happen to me in the safety of his house. The more I remind him of that, the more protective he gets.

Lately, his eyes have been swimming with anxiety. I wish he’d open up to me and explain what’s bothering him. Despite what he says, it’s not only the car accident that’s eating at him. However, the more I ask about it, the more he shuts down, so I let it go.

Something he won’t let go is the Paris thing. He brings it up every day—sometimes multiple times a day. He’s shown me housing options and talked my ear off about the wonderful sights. He even looked up storefronts where I can start my dream bakery. It’s enticing, but at the end of the day, I’m not willing to move to Paris on the promise that he’ll tell me why once we get there. No way. Whenever I urge him to tell me the reason, he refuses.

I’m climbing into bed when I ask, “Are you trying to get away from the feds?”

It’s the only thing I can think of as to why he wants to flee the country. While I’m flattered that he’s so into me that he won’t move without me, I’m not trying to live a life on the run. He mentioned that he’s got lots of investments. Maybe some are illegal and it’s finally catching up to him.

“No, baby,” he says somberly, sliding under the covers with me. “I’m not running from the feds.”

The sincere look on his face makes me believe him, so I throw out other guesses. “Did you mess with the wrong mob boss? Is someone after your money? Did you find out you have a child somewhere, and you don’t want me to find out about it?”

He pulls my back against his front. “No, baby. It’s none of those.”

I’m out of guesses. “And this is something that might make me break up with you?”

“Maybe, but I hope not. I’m one hundred percent sure you’ll be freaked out at first, but I also have faith that you’ll understand and forgive me.”

I am a forgiving person—sometimes too forgiving. “Can you give me a hint?”

“No, but what I can tell you is that I care about you more than anything in this world and I hope that’s enough to earn your forgiveness. It doesn’t even have to be right away, just eventually. And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you’ll never regret it.”

He didn’t have to tell me that he cares about me for me to know it. I feel it through the little things he does. Like the way he always brings me a fresh glass of water before bed and the way he holds me so tight until I fall asleep.

I’m torn. I’m nowhere closer to knowing what he’s hiding from me, yet I trust that whatever it is won’t change my feelings about him. This last week of watching him cook for me, clean for me, and treat me like a queen has made me realize that I’m in love with this man. While he hasn’t said it, I think he’s in love with me too. I can see it in his eyes every time he stares at me.

“Good night, baby.” Trey wraps his arms around me tighter, then kisses my neck the gentle way he has been since the accident. While it does send a spark down my body, I miss the way he kissed me before—long, hard, and passionate.

He’s the same when we make love too. He thrusts inside me like he’s afraid he’ll break me. I prefer the rough, animalistic way he pounded into me before. Yesterday, when I told him that, he said, “I don’t wanna hurt you.” No matter what I said, I couldn’t convince him that my body can take it.

The other thing I couldn’t convince him of is going to meet my grandparents. For weeks, he practically begged to meet them. Now he suddenly doesn’t want to anymore? What changed? I’m off work, with a real doctor’s note this time, so this is a great opportunity for us to go. Trey’s excuse is that he’s not ready for me to be in a car yet, but that’s not true. He’s been dragging me with him to work every day.

Either way, arguing with him is pointless—like the argument we’ve been having about my car. Since my Civic is totaled, I’ve been online shopping for a new vehicle. It’s been hard to find something that I like and can afford. Trey keeps telling me to pick out whatever I want with any price tag because he’ll get it for me, but I refuse to allow that.

Nathan used to buy things for me so he could use them against me later. Whenever we fought, he’d say things like “You wouldn’t even have that if it wasn’t for me.” I recognize now that it was just another one of his many ways to guilt me into doing whatever he wanted. While I don’t think that’s Trey’s intent, I still don’t want to feel like I owe him.

Two weeks after the accident, I’m finally able to convince Trey to leave my side for the first time. His band has an all-day video shoot, and I want to stay home to bake. Lately, my blog hasn’t seen much new content, which has been affecting my traffic, which affects my paycheck.

“I’m staying home,” I say firmly. “Being out of work for the past two weeks means I need the extra money now more than usual. I promise you, honey, I’ll be fine by myself.”

“You’re so goddamn difficult,” Trey says with a huff, before getting into his car and driving away. It’ll do him some good to have a few hours away from me. He needs to relearn that in life, things will happen, and he can’t take me everywhere with him just to ensure I’m okay.

I’m in the middle of grabbing flour out of his cabinet when the doorbell rings. I expect it to be the mailman or someone trying to convert me into their religion, so I’m pleasantly surprised when it’s neither.

“If you don’t marry him, I will,” Javina says when I open the door.

“What are you doing here?”

“That man of yours called me—at work, mind you, because I wasn’t answering my cell, because ya know, I was working —just to ask me to hang out with you today. When I told him I couldn’t, he offered me another spa day to get me to fake a family emergency.”

My jaw drops. “Did you?”

Dramatically, Javina slaps a hand over her chest. “Please pray for my mother, who broke her ankle from falling down a ladder. She’s in desperate need of my care right now.”

With an eye roll coupled with a light chuckle, I gesture for Javina to step inside. “Aren’t we short-staffed?”

Javina kicks her shoes off. “Yeah, but luckily, we’re down five kids today, and I was able to call in Carrie last minute. So, it’s all good. Besides, I wasn’t gonna turn down another spa day. Also, he Venmoed me five hundred dollars after I agreed to his terms. The note said, “for missing a day of work.’” She scoffs. “As if I get paid that much to watch over children.”

“Wait...” I lead Javina into Trey’s kitchen. “What were his terms ?”

“He just asked that I don’t let you out of my sight. For five hundred dollars a day, tell that boy I’ll babysit you whenever he wants!”

I roll my eyes again. “He’s been overprotective lately.”

“Girl, I am too. First a spider invasion, now a car accident? What’s next? A building falling over you? A stampede of hyenas? If I could, I’d shrink you and put you into a padded box. Then I’d carry you around in my pocket to make sure nothing can harm you.”

On the spectrum of overprotectiveness, it goes Javina, then Trey, then my grandparents. Growing up, Gramps and Grammy rarely let me out of their sight. Even when we were doing simple things like hanging out at a playground, my grandparents were always one step behind me.

I’m used to people being overprotective of me. It’s part of the reason why I didn’t pick up on Nathan’s red flags for so long. I’ve since learned that there’s a difference between being overprotective and being controlling. Javina, Trey, and my grandparents keep me close because they genuinely care about me. Nathan kept me close because he needed to exert power over me.

Thankfully, Trey hasn’t done or said anything that’s felt controlling. Yes, he’s a little possessive sometimes—like the other day, when his security manager made me laugh and touched my arm, Trey stormed over within seconds to pull me away. Still, he has yet to tell me what I can and cannot wear. Not once has he tried to read my text messages over my shoulder, or suggest that I’m not allowed to see or call Javina. The second he does, I’m out. I don’t care how much joy this man brings into my life. I’m not going through another three years of abuse, gaslighting, and feeling unwanted. If anything, Trey has been making me feel overly wanted.

When my man returns home from his video shoot, he shows up in a car I’ve never seen before. Javina and I step outside to greet him in the driveway, where a brand-new white crossover is sitting.

Javina whistles through her teeth. “Damn, pretty boy. Lexus ain’t doin’ it for ya no more?”

Trey flaunts a megawatt smile from the driver’s seat with the door open. “I’m good with my car. This one’s for Arella.”

In sync, Javina and I gasp. For the first time ever, my talkative friend is out of words.

I’m not. “Honey, you didn’t . . .”

“I did.” He beams and even has the nerve to do it proudly.

I’m not sure if I should be mad, glad, frustrated, or thrilled. I’m a little of all. It’s the anger that comes out though. “Why would you do this? After all the reasons I told you not to?”

Javina flashes me a What the hell? look. “Ari! Ungrateful much?”

Trey hops out of the car with his arms up in surrender. “I bought the car under your name. It’s all yours. Fully paid for. No strings attached.”

I pretzel my arms together. “I’m not accepting it.”

Trey sighs heavily. “How ’bout you get in and drive it around before you make that decision?”

I’m about to protest again when Javina shoots her arm up. “Shotgun!”

Later that evening, Javina’s gone, and Trey and I are still arguing about the car thing.

I’m heated. “You know I have a meeting with a guy tomorrow to talk about buying his used car.”

“Exactly. I overheard you on the phone with him, and his car sounds as shitty as your ex. He said it’s missing a side mirror. What’s wrong with me buying you a nice car with all the mirrors and extra safety features?”

“Because you got me a car I can’t afford!” I’m shouting, and I don’t want to be. I’m not a shouter, but Trey’s turning me into one.

He replies calmly, and it only pisses me off more. “Did you miss when I said that it’s fully paid for?”

“I’m gonna have to pay you back.”

“No, you will not.” It’s the firmest and loudest thing he’s ever said to me.

I return the conviction. “Yes, I will.”

Things between us feel tense as we get ready for bed. We’ve stopped talking about the car, only because neither of us will back down. He’s told me that I’m “so goddamn difficult” at least four times now. Eventually, I get tired of arguing with him, and I fall asleep.

The need to pee stirs me awake. Blackness engulfs the room. I flip the lamp on to discover that Trey is missing. Of course.

Typically when I wake up in the middle of the night, he’s gone, doing who knows what around the house. Typically, it doesn’t bother me. And typically, I just go back to sleep and wake up in the morning with him here. Tonight, though, I’m not feeling typical, and I want to know what’s so important at three in the morning.

I shuffle down the quiet hall toward the living room. My feet stop when Trey’s voice comes from around the corner. His tone is low and laced with frustration.

“Not yet. She’s still recovering.” A pause. “It’s a three-hour drive and—” It goes silent as he listens to whoever is on the phone. “Maybe it wouldn’t take this long if she wasn’t hospitalized.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard Trey on the phone at this odd hour. However, this is the first time I’ve caught this much of the conversation. Where is a three-hour drive, and who is he talking to?

“All right. Just give me more time,” he says, then there’s a clatter. It sounds like he chucked his phone onto the coffee table. As he lets out a long, aggravated groan, I tiptoe back to bed.

A few minutes later, my bladder is empty and I’m cuddled up in bed with my teddy bear from the hospital. Trey is quiet as he slowly slips back under the covers.

“Who was that?” I ask with my back facing him.

“Shit.” He bounces backward. “I thought you were sleeping.”

I turn to face him, and it goes quiet as I wait for him to answer my question.

“Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Who were you on the phone with?”

“Nobody important.” He said that the last three times I asked him this question.

Trey gestures for me to scoot closer, then pats his shoulder for me to lay my head on. Usually, I would. This time, I don’t budge.

“What’s wrong, angel?” Whenever he calls me that, I think about the necklace I haven’t taken off since he hooked it around my neck. It’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry anyone’s ever given me.

I sit up, hugging the bear to my chest, then click the lamp on. Trey does the same on his side. For a moment, I only stare at him, admiring his adorably messy hair, sexy stubble, and those blue-gray eyes. Something in them is deeply sad. I wish I knew why, and if it has anything to do with what he’s hiding or what’s strange about him. Maybe it’s both.

I draw in a breath and slowly let it out as I think of how to ask the question that’s been burning in my mind since our first night together in Long Beach. “Is there something I don’t know about you? Like, besides whatever mysterious reason you want to flee the country?”

In the time it takes for him to answer, I could have walked to Paris. His face says he’s impassive, but his eyes tell me he’s torn. “What makes you think there is?”

There he goes... answering a question with a question. “You’re just different sometimes.”

“Different how?”

I was hoping you’d tell me. “There are little things I’ve noticed about you. Things that don’t make sense.”

“Like?”

“Well, first, let’s talk about your late-night phone calls, and how you never want to tell me who it is.”

“It’s not your business,” he says, a little clipped.

“It is if you’re talking about me.”

His eyes go wide. “What did you hear?”

“Who were you talking to?”

With a heavy sigh, he gives in. “It was my uncle. He wants to meet you. I told him you need to recover first.”

Reasonable, I suppose. His uncle lives in Three Rivers, which is three hours away. If that’s the case, why all the secrecy? And why did he sound so exasperated? “Why is your uncle calling you at three in the morning?”

“He’s not much of a sleeper.”

“What about you? Do you ever sleep?”

“Of course.”

I arch my eyebrows. “ Every night?”

“I sleep with you every night, don’t I?”

“Not really. Some nights, I feel like you’re just laying there.”

His eyes fall to his hands, speechless. I’ll assume that means I’m right.

“Are you afraid of anything?”

“Everyone has fears, babe.”

“Not you. You walked into an apartment crawling with spiders and carried me out like it was nothing.”

He shrugs a shoulder. “Spiders don’t scare me.”

“Why do you tint your windows?”

Silence.

“Why don’t you ever sweat during your workouts?”

No answer.

“How does your body heal so fast? You had a bruise on your face and gashes in your knuckles that were gone within days.”

Still no answer.

“What was up with your old teddy bear asking for a password?”

Nothing.

“How did you know Lucas was in trouble?”

Finally, he looks at me. “Who’s Lucas?”

“That teenager getting beat up in Long Beach.”

“Oh.”

“You knew something was wrong from all the way at the restaurant. How?”

Trey drags a hand through his hair, letting out a huffy breath. “I can’t explain how. I want to. I just can’t. And for the record, I tried to ignore it. It wasn’t until I realized it was three against one that I assumed it was a girl getting raped or something. I couldn’t live with myself if I allowed that to happen. I didn’t want it to turn into something like this for us. That’s why I asked you to stay at the damn restaurant.”

“If I had, I wouldn’t have known there’s something unusual about you, and I think it’s time you tell me what.”

“I can’t.”

I hug my teddy bear tighter to my chest. “Are you an alien?”

His face screws together. “What? No.”

“Are you a superhero?”

“No.”

“Are you from the future?”

“No.”

Well, that’s the last of my theories. “Does anyone know your secret?”

“No.”

That’s a total lie. Somebody knows, and I’d put money on that somebody being Liz. “Are you dangerous?”

“No,” he answers easily. “Not to you.”

“Who are you dangerous to?”

“Anyone who tries to hurt you.”

That makes my heart swoon until a thought hits me: Is there more to why he’s been so overprotective lately? “Is there someone out there trying to hurt me?”

He swallows thickly. “Kinda.”

“Were you, like, sent from another world to protect me?”

“Something like that.” His gaze softens as he takes my hands into his. Instant warmth washes over me. “You asked if I have any fears, and I do have one. I’m afraid of losing you.”

That’s heartwarming and scary at the same time, because if he’s lost me, that means I’ve lost him too.