Beautiful Oblivion

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER A GRUELING NIGHT AT THE RED, I dragged my ass into the apartment, and flipped on my bedroom light. Trenton was lying on top of my covers in a pair of navy-blue boxer briefs . . . and socks.

I peeled off my clothes, flipped off the light, and then crawled in bed next to him. He fought with the blankets as he tried to get beneath them with me, and then grabbed at me until I was close enough. He buried his head into my neck, and we lay there for the longest time, still and warm. I’d never come home to anyone before, but it wasn’t a wretched feeling. Just the opposite: I was in a warm bed with the warm, incredibly-hard-to-resist body of the man who loved me more than anyone ever had. It could be worse. Way worse.

“How is Olive?”

“Hmmm?”

“Olive. Is she doing okay?”

“She misses you. I promised to bring her here to see you tomorrow.”

I smiled. “How was Chicken Joe’s?”

“Greasy. Loud. Awesome.”

I squeezed his arm that was across my chest even tighter against me. “I see you found the key.”

“No, I couldn’t find it, so I crawled in through your bedroom window. Did you know it’s been unlocked?”

I froze.

Trenton laughed, slow and breathy. I elbowed him.

The front door slammed, and Trenton and I both sat up.

“Quit! Don’t fucking wave at him! Raegan!” Brazil yelled.

“He was being nice! He just didn’t want me to drive in the snow!”

“There’s no snow on the roads! They’re just wet!”

“Yeah! Now!” she said. She stomped down the hall, and Brazil followed her, slamming her bedroom door.

I groaned. “Not tonight. I need sleep.”

Brazil’s muffled voice filtered through the wall. “Because you can’t ride around with your ex-boyfriend, that’s why!”

“Maybe if you had taken me to work . . .”

“Nuh-uh, don’t pin this on me! If I had done the same thing . . .”

“Who says you didn’t?”

“What does that mean? What do you mean, Raegan? Has someone said something to you?”

“No!”

“Then what?”

“Nothing! I don’t know what you do when you’re out! I’m not even sure I care anymore!”

It got really quiet then, and after several minutes, they continued speaking in lowered voices. Ten minutes later there were no voices at all, and just when I thought to go check on Raegan, I heard her moaning and yelping, and her bed was knocking into the wall.

Ugh. “Seriously?” I said.

“Living together is sounding better all the time, isn’t it?” Trenton said against my neck.

I settled in next to him. “It’s been less than four months. Let’s pace ourselves.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s a big deal. And I barely know you.”

Trenton touched my knee, and then let his hand slide upward until his fingers were touching the cotton piece of my panties. “I know you fairly intimately.”

“Really? You want to get it on with Buffy and Spike next door?”

“Huh?”

“They’re fighting, and then they . . . never mind.”

“Not in the mood, huh?” he asked.

Raegan’s yelps were becoming shriller.

“Not . . . right now, no.”

“See? We’re practically married already.”

“You got jokes!” I said as I dug my thumbs between his ribs. He tried fending me off, grunting and laughing as I tickled him. Eventually, he began emulating Raegan’s high-pitched cries. I covered my mouth, giggling incessantly. Raegan grew quiet, and Trenton fist bumped me. Then we settled down again.

Half an hour later, Brazil and Raegan crept down the hall and then the front door opened and closed. A few seconds later, my bedroom door flew open and the light turned on. “Assholes!”

I covered my eyes until I heard Raegan gasp.

“Holy shit, Trenton, what happened to you?”

I turned to look at him. Three bloody scratches were on his cheekbone, and his lip was split. I jerked to a sitting position. “What happened to your face, Trent?”

“I haven’t thought of a good lie to tell you yet.”

“I thought you went to Chicken Joe’s with Olive tonight? You went to that biker bar, didn’t you?” I said, my voice thick with accusation.

Trenton chuckled. “No, I went to Chicken Joe’s. So did Chase and Colin.”

Raegan gasped, and so did I. My eyes filled with tears. “They fucking jumped you? When you were with Olive? Is she okay?”

“They tried. She’s fine. We went outside. She didn’t see much.”

Raegan took a step. “What happened?”

“They won’t try to jump me again, let’s just put it that way.”

I covered my face. “Goddammit! Damn it!” I picked up my phone and sent the same text to Colin and Chase. It only said one word.

ASSHOLES

Trenton’s phone buzzed, and he picked it up, and then rolled his eyes. I’d sent the text to him, too.

“Hey. They came after me.”

“Are they okay?” I asked.

“They’re hurting. They’ll hurt worse in the morning. But it’s done.”

My face compressed. “Trent! Damn it! This has got to stop!”

“I told you, baby, it’s done. Coby was with them. He didn’t jump in. He tried to talk them out of it. I beat their asses. They agreed to back off.”

My phone chirped. It was Chase.

Sorry. We worked it out. It’s all good.

How does your face feel?

Not good.

Good.

Raegan’s eyes widened a bit before she backed out and walked to her room.

I glared at Trenton.

“What did you want me to do? Let them beat my ass?”

My face smoothed. “No. I hate that it happened in front of Olive. I’m worried about her.”

Trenton climbed out of bed, flipped off the light, and then crawled back in beside me. “You’ll see her tomorrow. She’s okay. I explained it to her, and then I explained it to her parents.”

I cringed. “Were they mad?”

“A little. But not at me.”

“Do you need an ice pack or anything?”

Trenton chuckled. “No, babe. I’m good. Go to sleep.”

I relaxed against him, but it took me quite a while to fall asleep. My mind wouldn’t stop racing, and I could tell from his breathing that Trenton wasn’t asleep, either. Finally, my eyes got heavy, and I let myself drift off.

When my eyes finally opened, the clock said 10:00, and Olive was standing next to my bed, staring at me. I held the covers against my chest, aware that I was nearly naked beneath them.

“Hey, Olive,” I said, squinting. “Where’s Trent?”

“He’s bringing in the gwocewies.”

“Groceries?” I said, sitting up. “What groceries?”

“We went shopping this mowning. He said you wuhr out of a few things, but he has six sacks.”

I leaned over but only saw the open front door.

Brazil stepped into the hallway, his dark bronze skin covered only by a pair of green plaid boxers. He yawned, scratched his ass, and then turned around to see Olive. He crossed his hands over his groin that was just waking up as well.

“Whoa! What’s she doing here?”

“She’s here with Trent. You’re back already?”

“Got here as Trent was leaving.”

“Put your damn clothes on, you don’t live here.”

Olive shook her head, scolding him with her sparkling green eyes.

Brazil retreated to Raegan’s room, and I nodded toward the door. “Beat it, kid. I’ve gotta get dressed, too.” I winked at her, and she grinned before skipping into the living room.

I shut my bedroom door and dug into my drawers for socks and a bra, then slipped on a pair of jeans and a cream sweater. My hair still stunk like forty packs of cigarettes from working at the Red the night before, so I pulled it back into a tiny ponytail, sprayed some body spray on it, and called it good.

When I walked into the kitchen, Trenton was joking with Olive, putting away canned goods, among other things. All of the cabinets were open, and they were all full.

“Trenton Allen!” I gasped and covered my mouth. “Why did you do that? You’re supposed to be saving money!”

“I spend a lot of time over here, eating a lot of your food, and I am three hundred bucks ahead, especially after Travis’s year-end fight.”

“But you don’t know when it is or even if it’s going to happen. Travis is all about Abby, now. What if he quits? What if the other guy backs out?”

Trenton smiled and pulled me into his arms. “You let me worry about it. I can buy a few groceries once in a while. I got some for my dad, too.”

I hugged him, and then pulled the last cigarette out of my pack. “You didn’t happen to pick up more cigarettes, did you?” I asked.

Trenton seemed disappointed. “No. Are you out? I can run back and pick up some.”

Olive crossed her arms. “Smoking is bad fowr you.”

I pulled the cigarette from my mouth and set it on the counter. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t patwonize me. You should quit. Twent should quit, too.”

Trenton watched Olive for a moment, and then looked to me.

I shrugged. “It was getting expensive, anyway.”

Trenton pulled his pack from his coat pocket and crushed them with one hand, and then I picked up my last one, and broke it in half. Trenton tossed his in the trash, and so did I.

Olive stood in the middle of my kitchen, happier than I’d ever seen her, and then her beautiful green eyes began to leak.

“Aw! Ew! Don’t cry!” Trenton said, sweeping her up into his arms. She hugged him, and her little body began to shake.

She sat up, faced me, and wiped one of her wet eyes. “I’m just so bwessed!” she said, sniffling.

I hugged Trenton, sandwiching her in between us. Trenton’s eyebrows shot up, both amused and touched by her reaction.

“Gosh, Ew, if I’d known it was that important to you, I would have thrown them away a long time ago.”

She pressed her palms against his cheeks, making his lips pooch out. “Mommy says that she is more proud of quitting smoking than almost anything. Except me.”

Trenton’s eyes softened, and he hugged her to him.

Olive watched cartoons on the love seat until Trenton had to go home to get ready for work. I beat him to Skin Deep and decided to dust and vacuum because Calvin had already opened the shop, turning on all the lights and the computer, which is what I usually did when I arrived.

Hazel burst through the front door, nearly hidden behind her big orange coat and thick scarf. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” she said, rushing to her room.

I followed her in, curious.

She sprayed the chair with MadaCide, and then disinfected everything else. She was rummaging through her drawers, setting out various packages, and then turned around to face me. “I’m going to wash my hands, glove up, and then I’ll be ready!”

I frowned. “Ready for what? You don’t have an appointment this morning.”

A mischievous grin swept across her face. “Oh, but I do!”

She left for about five minutes and then returned, putting her gloves on. “Well?” she said, looking at me expectantly.

“Well what?”

“Sit down! Let’s do this!”

“I’m not getting gauges, Hazel. I’ve told you that. Multiple times.”

She jutted out her bottom lip. “But I’m gloved! I’m ready! Did you see the new leopard gauges we got in last week? They’re fucking hot!”

“I don’t want my ears sagging. That’s gross.”

“You don’t have to size up. We can just start with a sixteen gauge. That’s teeny! Just, like . . .” She curved her thumb and index finger to form a tiny hole in the center.

I shook my head. “No, sweets. I did the nose. I love it. I’m good.”

“You love mine!” she said, becoming more deflated by the second.

“Yes. Yours. I don’t want that for my ears.”

Hazel ripped off her gloves and tossed them in the trash, and then she cursed, a lot, in Tagalog.

“Trent will be here any minute,” I said. “Get a new tat. Blow off some steam.”

“That works for you. I need to stab things. That’s what brings me peace.”

“Weird,” I said, walking back to the front.

Trenton blew in, his keys dangling from his finger. He was clearly in a good mood. “Baby,” he said, rushing to stand next to me. He gripped my arms. “The car’s running. I need you to come with me for a second.”

“Trent, the shop’s open, I can’t—”

“Cal!” Trenton yelled.

“Yeah?” Calvin called from the back.

“I’m taking Cami to see it! We’ll be back in less than an hour!”

“Whatev!”

Trenton looked at me, eyes bright. “C’mon!” he said, pulling me by the hand.

I resisted. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” he said, leading me to the Intrepid. He opened the door for me, and I sat inside. He ran around the back, and then slid into the driver’s seat.

He drove fast to wherever we were headed, playing the radio a little louder than usual, as he tapped the steering wheel to the beat. We pulled up to Highland Ridge, one of the nicer apartment complexes in town, and parked in front of the office. A woman about my age was standing outside in a pants suit and heels.

“Good morning, Mr. Maddox. You must be Camille,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Libby. I’ve been looking forward to today.” I shook her hand, unsure about what was going on.

Trenton took my hand as we followed her to a building on the backside of the property. We climbed the stairs, and Libby pulled out a thick set of keys, using one to open the door.

“So, this is the two-bedroom.” She held out one arm and twirled slowly in a half circle. She reminded me of one of those women on The Price Is Right. “Two bathrooms, seven hundred square feet, washer and dryer hookup, refrigerator, garbage disposal, dishwasher, fireplace, carpet throughout, and up to two pets allowed with pet deposit. Eight eighty a month, eight eighty deposit.” She smiled. “That’s without pets, and that includes water and trash. Trash pickup is on Tuesdays. Pool is open May through September, clubhouse year-round, fitness center twenty-four/seven, and of course designated, covered parking.”

Trenton looked to me.

I shrugged. “It’s amazing.”

“Do you love it?”

“What’s not to love? This blows my place out of the water.”

Trenton smiled at Libby. “We’ll take it.”

“Uh . . . Trenton, can we . . . ?” I pulled him into a bedroom and shut the door.

“What, baby? This place isn’t going to have vacancies for long.”

“I thought you wouldn’t have the money until after Travis’s fight?”

Trenton laughed and wrapped his arms around me. “I was saving up for a year’s worth of rent and bills, including my half of dad’s. I can afford to move us in now.”

“Wait, wait, wait . . . did you just say us?”

“What’d I say?” Trent asked, confused. “You just said you loved it and it was better than your place.”

“But I didn’t say I was going to move in, too! I said the opposite last night!”

Trenton stood there with his mouth open. It snapped shut, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so . . . I have a key to your place, you have a key to mine. See how it goes. No pressure.”

“I don’t have to have a key to your apartment right now.”

“Why not?”

“I just . . . I don’t need one. I don’t know, it feels weird. And why do you need a two-bedroom?”

Trenton shrugged. “You said you needed your space. That room is for whatever you want it to be.”

I wanted to hug him and tell him yes and make him happy, but I didn’t want to move in with my boyfriend. Not yet, and if I did, it would be a natural progression, not this ambushing bullshit. “No.”

“No to what?”

“To everything. I’m not taking a key. I’m not moving in. I’m not getting gauges. Just . . . no!”

“Gauges . . . what?”

I stormed out, running past Libby, down the stairs, and back to the Intrepid. Trenton didn’t make me stand in the cold long. He slid in next to me and started the car. As it warmed up, he sighed. “I picked a bad week to quit smoking.”

“Tell me about it.”