Page 11 of Trouble

“Why didn’t you warn me that she was back?”

My patience had officially worn way too thin. “No clue what the fuck you’re talking about, Nat. I told you I do not have the patience for games, now see your ass out.”

I turned my back on her, which normally wouldn’t be something I’d do, but my eyes tracked her movements in the mirror behind the bar as she snapped her back straight and dragged her hands through her hair. “Dammit, Trouble!” She called out. “Hollywood has been to her house countless times, so I know you know she’s back.”

“Not following,” I drawled out though I had a good idea who she was talking about now, just not why she thought it was my job to tell her Trinity’s business.

“Trinity is back,” Natalie huffed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Bitch, I haven’t spoken to you in almost a year.”

“Six months,” she snapped back.

“I think it’s been more like seven or eight.”

“Fuck you, Trouble.” I grinned at her because that was exactly what she wanted from me the last time I saw her, only I refused and let her watch as I chose someone else. Natalie started to get ideas in her head that we would be together since she had been a regular fuck buddy of mine for so long. The problem was, she could never be more because she lacked that all-too important quality of loyalty. She was an alright lay, if a little lazy, but nothing to write home about.

“Answer’s the same as it was last time you asked me to do that. Still a no from me.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“And you’re still at my clubhouse without a purpose.”

“You know what? Never mind. It’s clear you don’t know about her being back.” She turned to leave and then paused for a minute. “You let your buddy know that if I get fired because of her, I will not stop until I ruin her and run her back out of town like last time.” Natalie left after that and I immediately pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Hollywood. The fucker didn’t answer, so I sent him a text.

Trouble: Dude, we need to talk. I also need you to tell me what’s up with Trinity. Is she back for good?

Hollywood: Don’t worry about Trin. How about we hook up and have a little cookout at our place tomorrow. Been a minute since we got to hang out.

Trouble: Yeah, come prepared to answer some questions though, asshole.

Hollywood: See you then.

I was even more confused after I spoke to him, but I would relay the message Natalie gave me when I could see him in person. Something told me that I needed to see his face and figure out what the two women had to do with one another.

CHAPTER 7

DEATH COMES KNOCKING

TRINITY

The house was tooquiet when I woke up. I knew in my heart that she would be gone when I went to check on her, but I still managed to pull myself out of bed and shuffle down the hall until I got to Momma’s room. I peeked in and, at first sight, she appeared to be sleeping peacefully. That was something she hadn’t done for the entire time I’d been back home, so I doubted she was still simply sleeping. My body pushed forward somehow. I shuffled one foot in front of the other to the side of her bed and eventually glanced down. Her skin held a grayish tone that wasn’t terribly surprising. Usually, in the morning there was a bit of a flush to the skin on her cheeks though. I looked a little harder as if it would appear at will. Her chest never rose. Never fell. It stayed still, like everything else in the house. It felt as though the entire place held its breath while I decided how to handle the fact that my mother was no longer there with us. Her body was left behind but the magic that made her a person no longer existed.

“Sleep well, Momma,” I whispered to the room. “Say hi to Trent for me.” A tear ran down my cheek as I leaned forward to tuck the covers a little tighter around Momma’s body. Ididn’t want her to get cold while I went to grab my phone. Stupid thought. She couldn’t get cold anymore. Still, it was a compulsion from all the times I’d come home from work late at night or super early in the morning and I did the same thing as I leaned in, gave her head a little kiss, and told her to sleep well. It was something I’d done when I’d come in the night before. She had been breathing then. I thought I saw a smile on her cracked lips too. Maybe I’d just imagined the whole thing.

I reached my room and pulled my cell phone off the side table. There was a number Dr. Vaughn had given me to call in case this happened. They would come and take Momma to the funeral home to get her ready for her final goodbye. I would have cremated her and been done with it, but she refused. Momma wanted to be buried in a coffin beside her son in Lakeview Cemetery where they could look out at the ducks swimming on the water together. It was a lovely, if misguided thought on her part, but I’d agreed to her last request two weeks ago. It would tap out every bit of my savings, but I’d keep my promise for her to be with Trent.

Maybe, if I was lucky, there wouldn’t be any outstanding bills to leverage against the house and I could sell it. Then again, I had no idea where any of her important papers were. Every time I’d asked, she always told me there was time for that later. The knot in my stomach was proof enough that I thought she was hiding something from me, and that told me everything I needed to know about getting some of that money back. I wouldn’t even have enough cash to get me back to my life in South Dakota, let alone keep a roof over my head in Georgia.

I made the phone call to have someone come pick my mom up and then sat on the couch to wait for them to show. It took a few minutes for me to wrap my head around everything. When it finally happened, I reached for my phone again and called Uncle Bishop. He never answered, so I called the only person who wasclose by to come sit with me. Luckily, he picked up on the second ring.

“It’s early as fuck, Trin.” Hollywood groaned into the phone. I could hear rustling that meant he probably hadn’t spent the night alone.

“Who in the hell is Trin?” A woman’s sharp screech cracked down the line.

“Girl, we are not a couple for you to be asking me that. You only slept here because I was too fucking tired to deal with the drama over kicking you out. Get gone.”

“Some way you have with the ladies, cuz.” I said and my friend finally realized he was still on the phone.

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