Page 84 of Challenged By You
The sound of a bowl scraping across my station gets our attention. Springing apart, we catch Sterling in the act of dipping a spoon into the filling to get a taste. “What? Mia said it was incredible and I should get a taste,” she says innocently.
I’m about to respond when I hear an excited voice call, “Baptiste is cutting the cake!”
Suddenly unable to resist, I grab Elle’s hand and quickly drag her over to the door. Pushing it open just a little, I crouch down, and there he is. “God, he looks so handsome,” I breathe.
She bumps my hip. “Shut up before he hears you.”
“Right.” In silence, we watch as Baptiste offers coffee to Jonas, who accepts. Baptiste carefully pours and leaves him with an individual service tray containing cream and homemade sugar cubes. After doctoring his coffee, Jonas takes a sip.
My heart’s thumping against my rib cage harder than the KitchenAid whacked me under the jaw. Is this how love’s supposed to feel? Is love supposed to make me want to explain I was an idiot for not responding? Is love supposed to forgive I was devastated by his words? Even as he pulls his dish toward him, hope begins to bloom in my chest. We could have a chance to repair us. It’s early and we’re getting to know one another. There’s so much we could build on, I think as he takes the first bite of the cake.
Suddenly, Jonas’s fork clatters to the side of his plate. His eyes dart around the room as he shoves to his feet. Pulling out a wad of bills, he drops them on the table.
Without a word, he turns and strides from the room.
After a single bite.
Straightening, I bump into Elle, pushing her back. “It’s over. All of it.”
“No, T, that can’t be right,” she protests.
“You just saw!” I yell, ignorant of the small crowd gathering around us. “He took asingle biteand walked out the door, Elle. I don’t know what he was thinking, but I know what I was feeling.”
“What’s that?” Her voice is soft in contrast to mine.
“Pushed aside.”
“Trina,” Elle pleads. “Let’s get out of here and…”
“That sounds like a great idea, but I want to go home and be with my kids.” Moving quickly, not hearing the interested murmurs around me as I strip off my chef’s coat, I manage to gasp, “Never should have let him in. I promised myself Annie and Chris were all I needed. And look what happened when…”
“When what?” Elle asks.
Turning with my hand on the back door of Seduction, I lock all my emotions down before stating simply, “When I hoped for more. After all, people like me want to believe we deserve better.”
“Trina, don’t think like that. You deserve everything.”
“No, my kids deserve everything. I deserve exactly what I get. I forgot that for a little while.” Slamming the door open, I start out into the night to catch the train, ignoring Elle’s pleading voice to wait.
On the train on my way back to Parkchester, I realize it’s exactly a month since Jonas followed me home. A month after it all started, and I’m just as shaken as I was when I walked out after my confrontation with Chef Spencer.
My soul feels completely irreparable. Would it have been better for me to have never met Jonas Rice? I guess only time will tell.
I undo the locks on my door, expecting to find Mrs. McPhearson waiting. When my mother stands, wringing her fingers together, it’s too much. Tears burn the backs of my eyes. I’ve come full circle from where I started. I lost Jonas, but I gained my Mom. I won and lost.
And with that knowledge, I break down and cry.
Seconds later, my mother’s arms are wrapped around me. She doesn’t say a word.
She doesn’t have to.
Some things don’t require words.
Like Jonas’s actions tonight.
Chapter 31
Trina
