Page 38 of Loving Trent
Now it’s time for the muscle in Sonny’s jaw to twitch, but I don’t think it’s from anger, not from the way he is looking at me. “Thank you. Fuck.” He scrubs his hands over his face a couple of times. I don’t miss how he wipes his eyes multiple times before he drops his hands. “If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t be here. You saved my son. I owe you everything.”
“You owe me nothing, but I will take your help tracking down Tom while I work on winning Shawn’s heart and taking care of his problems.” I uncurl my fist and hold my hand out toward him.
Sonny wastes no time sliding his hand against mine. “You got it.” We finish our coffee and part ways, with him telling me thathe has emailed me everything they have found so far from the camp in Ohio. I’ll get to that, but first, I have two people who are quickly starting to mean the world to me whom I'd like to introduce to my uncle.
Nineteen
TRENT
Me
Change of plans, I’m going to focus on handling something that has come up here. Do you think you can take over looking for Tom and Sandy?
Demon
No problem. Does your new problem need my help? Or is it just that guy you’ve been stalking?
Me
If I need you, I’ll let you know. As for Shawn, I don’t need any help from anyone to get what I want.
Demon
Thought so. Even though I’m taking the point, I’ll run everything by you.
Me
Appreciate it.
Demon
If we need any more help, I know of a few guys who could help us out.
Me
Let's wait and see what the camp turns up. If you think we need them, by all means, bring them on.
Demon
Done.
“Hey, Firecracker, you ready to get the house settled and officially move in?” I ask Harley as I step onto the porch. She is sitting in a chair, typing away at the old laptop Leon gave her.
She smiles at me, and it warms my heart to know that she is excited about this. When we were picking out the bedroom suite for her, she was so worried that I feared I was messing everything up. I took her hand and walked right out of the store, leaving a shocked sales associate behind. Finally, Harley opened up and confessed that she felt like a burden and was afraid to spend too much of my money. I did the only thing I knew to do. I pulled up my banking account and proved to her that I had enough saved to buy her whatever she wanted.
Since I started working with my uncle at seventeen, I saved every penny of my checks. The only big purchase I made was my new bike when I turned eighteen. Uncle Joey refused to take any money for rent, bills, or food. He told me that as long as I lived under his roof, I was to save my money for my future. The only things I was responsible for paying for were my gas and any extras I wanted. I was far from rich, but I had enough to supportus both without getting a job for a while. However, I planned on getting a job once our lives settled down. I liked working. Just like hitting the gym, working helps me emotionally.
“Sure am. Hey, is Shawn coming with us? I overheard him talking to Maria,” Harley asks, looking up toward the front door.
“That’s the plan.” I stop in front of her and place my hand on her shoulder to gain her attention. When she turns back around to look at me, I ask, “Is that okay with you?”
“I guess. He seems like a good guy… a little lonely, but that’s okay. This morning, we talked a little more about my fear of attending public school.” She starts to chew on her bottom lip like she does when she’s nervous about something.
“That’s good. Did it help you make a decision?” I cock my head to the side, trying to figure out what has her so worried.
“Actually, it did. I want to go, but…” Harley looks out over my shoulder instead of meeting my gaze. “Are you upset that I went to him about my worries?”
“Harley, please look at me.” Once again, I wait for her attention before speaking. Once her gray eyes look back at me, I say, “I will never get upset or hurt if you go to someone you trust or feel safe around with your problems. All I want is for you to have the best life possible, and if that means that the people around you help you out and not me,” I shrug my shoulders and offer her a smile, “then that’s what I want for you.”
