Until Series(153)

James nods before he comes to me, squatting down. “Hey, darlin’. You alright?” He asks softly, and I nod, thinking that I’m a big fat liar. “Sure you are.” He smiles, pulling me forward to kiss my forehead, then stands, walking out the door.

“You okay, baby?” Trevor asks, squatting the same way his dad had.

“Yeah, I’m just ready for this day to be over with,” I say, laying my head against Lolly’s side. Trevor’s hand runs over my cheek and back through my hair.

“Everyone will be gone soon.”

“Alright,” I whisper, trying not to think about what would have happened if I had walked in while Trevor was here alone with Jen. I would like to say that I am so secure in our relationship that I wouldn’t have assumed the worst; but the truth is, I, like a lot of women, would have jumped to conclusions, never thinking that this was some kind of sick setup.

“I’m going to be right outside talking to Dad.” He bends, kissing my cheek.

Ten minutes later, Trevor and his dad come back inside. Lolly is finally up and about, but still stumbling into things when she tries to walk.

“Are they still in the room?” James asks, looking down the hall.

“Yeah.” Just then, Jen comes down the hall, tears streaming down her face, her new bangs showing off her large forehead that she tries to cover with her hand. I bite my lip to keep from laughing at how bad she looks. Trevor, who is standing next to his dad, looks up when he hears her; his eyes go wide, then come to me. The look on his face makes me pull Lolly close and shove my face into her fur to muffle the sound of my laughter.

“Sheriff,” Jen’s dad says. I raise my head slightly so that I can see their interaction.

“Mr. Carlson, why don’t we talk outside?” James says, holding his hand out in front of him for Jen and her father to precede him. Jen hasn’t looked up; her dad places his hand against her lower back, leading her out of the house. When I hear the sound of the door closing, I can feel Trevor staring at me. I don’t look up; I just sit there and continue to pet Lolly.

“I didn’t know you wanted to be a hair dresser.”

“I didn’t.” I finally look up to see Trevor watching me closely. “Um…I may have gotten a wee bit angry.”

“Well, remind me when I piss you off to never leave any sharp objects laying around.”

“Don’t piss me off.” I shrug. He takes a step towards me, where I’m sitting on the floor, bending low so his mouth is next to my ear.

“You love my dick, baby. Maybe even more than I do. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the stunt you pulled today.”

“I already told you; I never said anything to Jules,” I growl, pissed off.

“I know you didn’t, and I was wrong to jump to conclusions. But you still turned off your phone, making it so I couldn’t get in touch with you; then you didn’t tell me about the visitor you had at the store.”

“Oh.”

“Oh.” He smirks. “What do you think your punishment should be?”

“You’re not punishing me.” My eyes narrow; his eyes drop to my mouth. He leans in, giving me a quick kiss.

“We’ll see,” he shrugs, standing back up.

“I’m serious, Trevor; you’re not punishing me,” I say, beginning to panic.

“When you get it, you won’t be thinking of it as a punishment.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You guys okay?” James asks, walking in. My face turns bright red, wondering how much he might have heard.

“We’re good, Dad. Just making plans,” Trevor says, looking down and winking at me. My mouth drops open. I have never seen him wink, and he has a good one, unlike mine. Once, when I tried to wink at someone, they thought I had something in my eye and offered me Visine. If that’s not an ego-crusher, I don’t know what is.

“Mr. Carlson and Jen just left,” James says, walking into the kitchen, pulling out a note pad. Trevor holds out his hand, helping me up off the floor. He pulls me flush against him.

“I love you, baby.”

“Always?” I ask, standing on my tiptoes.

“Always.” Kissing my lips, then my forehead, he turns me around, scooting me towards the kitchen.

“So, you’re going to need to sign a few things and decide if you want to apply for a restraining order.”

“Do you think that will be necessary?” I ask, worrying my bottom lip.

“I never thought you would need to press charges against Jen Carlson; so the question you need to ask yourself is: can you trust Jen to leave you alone?”