Page 1 of Four Love (Ever and Always 2)

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Trent stared at the red numbers glowing on his clock. Six a.m. He’d lain there, awake, since his wife, Holly, had stormed out of his bedroom—his home, and maybe his life, too—just before midnight. The only thing that had made it worse was the fight he’d had with his two best friends following her departure.

Rare anger had marred Lorenzo’s face as he’d lit into Trent, not only for fucking up the incredible foursome he, Owen, and Trent had just finished having with Holly, but also because he was pissed that Trent had scared her away entirely.

Reliving his mistakes and the hurt he’d caused the three people he gave a shit about most in the world had kept Trent wired all night. He might as well get up. Visiting hours at the hospital where Holly’s mother was recovering from a kidney transplant started soon, and he intended to be there in case Holly needed him. Hell, he was hoping she would tolerate him nearby and that she wouldn’t send him away like his own family had while his father lay dying in the same building.

He wouldn’t blame her if she did, though.

Trent rolled out of bed, accepting the single open-eyed glare from his dog Moose—who seemed just as irritated with him as everyone else because Holly wasn’t there to pet him—and then trudged into kitchen to make a pitcher of extra-strong coffee.

He froze when he realized both Lorenzo and Owen were already sitting at the table, dressed, huddled over their own steaming cups as if they hadn’t slept a wink more than he had.

Should he turn around? They had made it perfectly clear they didn’t want to be near him if he was going to continue being a colossal fuck-up.

“Guys…” His throat threatened to slam shut, as if he were allergic to apologizing or eating humble pie.

“Nah, don’t say it.” Lorenzo waved him off. “You’re an idiot, yes, but I get why last night was a recipe for disaster.”

“You do?” Trent wished the guy would fill him in because nothing was making sense. One minute he had been having the best night of his life, and the next... It had fallen apart, exactly as he’d feared.

“We do.” Owen nodded. He picked up the pot of coffee and poured some into the third mug on the table, the one they’d set out for him. “It’s because you care about her. A lot. And it’s scaring the shit out of you. She was getting too close, so you shoved her away.”

Trent had come to the same conclusion sometime around three in the morning, so he didn’t bother to deny it, instead kicking the chair out from the table and sinking into it. Even though his coffee scalded his mouth, he downed a few gulps of his drink. Sometimes what you needed most had the power to burn you.

Holly was no exception.

Trent put his face in his hand and scrubbed his bleary eyes. “So how do I fix this?”

“We’re going to the hospital together. First, we’ll make sure Holly and her mom are okay. Then we’re going to beg her to give you—us—another chance and explain how your family refusing to accept you makes you think no one will, not even a woman as open-minded and perfect for us as Holly.” Owen bobbed his head to punctuate each step as if he was speaking to a child.

Trent deserved that.

And even though he knew that was probably what they should do, some part of him still recoiled like a bug caught in bright light, scurrying away from the thing it was most afraid of.

“What if she doesn’t want to come back?” Trent whispered before fortifying himself with several more long glugs of coffee.

“We’ll have to figure that out on the fly.” Lorenzo knocked his knee into Trent’s. “But I honestly don’t think that’s going to be the case. I saw her last night. The way she looked at you. It wasn’t only about sex. If she knows you care for her too, maybe she won’t keep running. Ihopeshe won’t.”

Trent winced, realizing what it must have done to Lorenzo to be walked out on with his pants down by the first woman he was getting attached to since he’d been left at the altar. Had to suck. And Trent had caused it. For the first time, he realized how much his roommates were banking on him, and he didn’t want to let them down.

“Now go get dressed. Wear the blue shirt Lorenzo bought you for Christmas.” Owen pointed toward the bedroom Trent had barely emerged from.

He grumbled but rose, draining the last of his cup before clunking it onto the table, resigned. “Fine. But you two are coming with me, right?”

“We wouldn’t risk letting you screw this up for all of us. Again.” Lorenzo was mostly giving him shit, his mouth quirked up in one corner. But there was a kernel of truth to his ribbing.

That was fine with Trent. He felt better with them by his side. Though the three of them were damaged in some way, together they balanced each other out. All of them might have a shot at convincing Holly they were worth a second chance.

* * *

Trent grippedthe rail on the elevator wall hard enough he was afraid he might put a dent in the thing. He hadn’t felt as much ominous dread in the pit of his stomach when he’d been waiting to hear about his father’s prognosis.

Holly’s reaction felt like a matter of life or death.

His happiness—as well as his best friends’—was hanging in the balance.

“It’s going to be okay,” Owen promised.

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