Page 52 of Loving Trent
Adam
No one is welcoming him with open arms.
Parker
Bullshit, for fuck’s sake, he lived at Nana’s for a couple of days, and we all got talked into moving him in.
Me
Stayed, not lived. But Parker, give it a rest. Leon and Dad have looked into him. Do you really think they would sign off on anyone if they believed them to be lying about anything?
Emilee
Are we still doing this? Fighting because Shawn is falling for someone?
Parker
It’s not because he is falling for someone, but because apparently, he is not only moving in with a complete stranger, but is going to raise a teenager with him. What do we really know about him?
I close out of the group message and bring up mine and Trent’s.
Me
Hey, can I give Parker your number? He is freaking out about well… everything, and I don’t want to tell him your story, nor do I want you to feel pressured into telling him, but maybe if he talks to you, he will get off my ass.
Trent
I’ll do better than texting him. I was planning on having them look at the truck I’m going to be buying, so I’ll talk to him then.
Me
Thank you.
Trent
No need to thank me, Baby Boy. Are you and Sonny sure you don’t need my help?
Me
No, we have this. I’ll call you once we are done.
Trent
You better.
I switch back over and ignore all the messages that came in while I was texting Trent.
Me
Parker, Trent, is going to swing by the shop in a few. Talk to him, and for the love of all that is holy, listen to him. I’m telling you that he’s a good guy. Even if he wasn’t, this is my life, and I will do whatever I want. I love you for wanting to protect me, but I’m a grown-ass adult, and nothing you or anyone says will change my decision about him. You became obsessed with Emilee from the moment you looked at her, so don’t try to act innocent with all of us.
Sliding my phone into my pocket, I turn up the radio to drown out the message alerts. The pancakes I ate this morning tumble around, threatening to reappear. Not because of Parker’s worry over my sanity, but because I lied to Trent this morning. When Dad showed up, telling me that Jackson had found something we could use against Trent’s parents and located Trent’s sister, I agreed it was best to act sooner rather than later. I told Trent that Dad was taking me to check on the progress of my apartment building and grab more clothes.
After we were honest about our fears, lying to him feels horrible. However, no matter what today brings, I’m going to tell him what I did when I get back. I’m going with the ask for forgiveness instead of permission strategy. “What’s the deal with Trent’s sister?” I ask when a commercial comes on.
“Her name’s Betty. She’s two years younger than Trent, and from what Jackson found out, she hasn’t been in contact with her parents since she turned seventeen.” Dad grabs a folder from the backseat and hands it to me. “At seventeen, she petitioned the court for emancipation from her parents. She had the written support of her best friend’s parents. They cosigned forher apartment, gave her a job at their business, and said they would be there for her.”
I open the folder and find all the court documents. My eyes scan the papers and see a list of accusations of abuse along with evidence. “How the hell did the courts not look into her parents after all the evidence. I mean, she is claiming that they were abusing her.”
