“Brooke,” Dad barks louder. “Get in the car, the other car. I’m taking you home, right now,” he snaps. Not taking his eyes off Trent’s for a second.
But I’m not going with him, or with his girlfriend. I’m going to the bay with Trent, and after we’ve had our day out, I’m going home with him.
Our home, to our bed.
“Dad?” I say, in a strong voice, one I’m not used to hearing myself use.
“You know Trent, and I haven’t met your new friend yet. But I’m not going anywhere with you right now. I’ll talk to you later. Maybe once you’ve calmed down. But for now, Trent and I are going to the bay,” I tell him firmly.
I turn to Tracey, letting her know if she gives me her details, I’ll take care of the insurance side of things.
But my dad’s shaking his head still, not wanting to believe any of this is happening.
“You son of a bitch. You sonofabitch,” he shouts at Trent who remains unmoved. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Tracking me down, finding out the one thing I had that you never did. The one thing I did right in this life and all without your fucking help, that’s for sure!” he bellows even louder.
“Yeah, I had a daughter, Trent. I had a family of my own, even after you told Naomi I’d be better off without her, telling her to dump our kid and run. Hell, you even paid her to do it,” he spits, shaking his head violently as Trent folds his arms.
“But you’re not having her, Trent. I won’t let you anywhere near the one good thing I’ve done in this life. The only thing I got right, apart from staying clear of you. I raised her right, helped put her through college as best I could, and now I’m taking her home where she belongs,” he adds with some bitterness.
“Home Trent. My family, not yours. You can go fuck yourself with all your goddamned money, cars, and houses. You’ll never have what we have you asshole. Never!” he shouts, getting right up in Trent’s face, but Trent isn’t budging, and neither am I.
A few moments pass and Tracey puts her arm around my dad’s shoulders.
“You done?” Trent asks him, unmoved still even when my dad looks to me, tears in his eyes, begging me to get in their car.
“Just come home, sweetie. We’ll forget all about this. Just come home now, okay?” he sniffs.
But I feel my head shaking.
It’s hard, I won’t lie about that. But somewhere along the line my dad either got the wrong story or twisted it to suit his own situation.
Either way, as much as I love my dad, I know which man I truly belong to now.
I know who’s mine too.
Dad’s new girlfriend, if that’s what she is after today, leads him into her own car. He’s lost all his rage and sinks into the seat, his head in his hands.
Trent hands her one of his cards, assuring her the car will be repaired at his own expense and she looks thoughtfully at me before they leave.
She opens her mouth to say something but thinks better of it.
Trent pulls me closer to him as we watch them both drive away.
“He’ll come around,” he murmurs softly, and I look up at him, wondering if that’s true.
“You think?” I ask, surprised again by my calmness.
Surprised but more relieved, knowing that there are no secrets anymore.
That’s a bigger wreck than a dented fender, sure. But Trent and I are all that matters now.
“Yeah, he will,” Trent says firmly, nodding his head, and I believe him.
The one man who’s known my dad longer than I have ought to know.
More than friends, brothers really. They should know how things will go between themselves, as much as I do with me and my man, Trent.
“We can go home if you want,” he sighs, but I slip my hand into his. Squeezing it tight.
“Are you kidding, and stay cooped up all day?” I smile. “I can park your car now I have some room, and then I think we should take a wander around the bay, maybe grab some lunch?” I suggest. “My treat,” I add, hugging his arm, reminding him that I can pay my own way now.
Now we have each other, everything shared and every problem halved.
Through good times and the not so good, from now on.
“I love you, Brooke,” Trent smiles, leaning in to kiss me hard as he lifts me off the ground.
My own love for him is beyond words, but I tell him a dozen times that day before we finally head home.
Home to us.
Our home. Our life, together from now on.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Trent
Mike did simmer down, eventually. It took about a month before he’d answer his phone and another week or two before he’d even meet with me.