Contradictions (Woodfalls Girls 3)

“So, we’re guessing you’ll be moving in with him,” Cameo stated, standing.

“I’m not sure what I’m doing yet. Trent and I have a few things to work out first.”

“Everything okay?” Cameo asked, trailing behind me as I entered my room.

“I hope so. I’ll fill you in later,” I said, shoving the majority of my clothes in my two big suitcases from the closet.

“You better,” she threatened. I zipped up the suitcases and together we dragged them down the hall.

“I’ll talk to you soon,” I said as I gave her another tight hug. It was a relief to have finally gotten past everything.

• • •

Trent was awake when I wheeled my two suitcases into his apartment fifteen minutes later. He jumped up like he’d been worried I wouldn’t come back. “Going somewhere?” he asked, eyeing my suitcases.

I nodded, walking toward him. “I’m going here,” I said, sliding my arms around his waist. I rested my cheek against his chest.

“I was worried you’d left me when I woke up and you were gone.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the way I totally effed things up. I thought you came to your senses and bailed.”

“Are you kidding? You wouldn’t even be in this position if it wasn’t for me. I’m not going anywhere. I’m standing by you through all this.”

“You don’t have to feel obligated to do that,” he said quietly, tilting my chin so he could look into my eyes.

“The only obligation I feel is to show you how much you mean to me every single day.”

“What did I do to deserve this?”

“Silly Clark Trent. I may not be the smartest cookie in the jar, but I know en

ough to hold on to a superhero if I’m lucky enough to snag one.”

“Does this mean you’ll dress up like Lois Lane?”

“Only if you’re willing to be Superman,” I answered, tugging his head down so my lips could claim his.

“I’m yours as long as you’ll have me,” he said.

“I hope you’re ready for a long ride,” I whispered as his lips settled on mine.

I sighed happily, settling into the kiss. Who would have thought two people who contradicted each other on paper would turn out to be a perfect match in reality?

Epilogue

“Are you sure you want to be outside tonight?” I asked skeptically. Everything about our evening had been kept a secret from me. Trent pulled a two-person sleeping bag and a tarp from the trunk of his car. He handed over the bag of goodies he had stopped and bought at Fran’s market on the way. I eyed everything suspiciously, wondering if he planned for us to sleep outside. I hated to break it to him but camping wasn’t my thing.

He grinned, looking into the narrow beam of the flashlight I clutched in my gloved hand. “Why, are you afraid Michael Myers is going to step out from behind a tree with a knife?”

“Please, he’s too busy chasing dippy sex-crazed teenagers,” I said, following behind as we left his car in the small clearing. “Hey, wait a minute. Are you Michael Myers? You are taking me into the woods.”

His smile looked downright devilish in the beam of my flashlight. “You never know.” He dropped his voice a notch and took a menacing step toward me.

“And here I thought you were the hero,” I said, with mock outrage, taking a halfstep backward. My foot got stuck in a drift of snow and I tried using my arms to regain my balance, but it was a lost cause. My momentum was propelling me backward. Trent dropped the sleeping bag and reached out a hand at the last possible moment, capturing my wrist. He tugged on it just enough to settle me against his rock-hard chest. I smoothed my hands up over the planes of his pecs. “Hmm, maybe you are my hero,” I murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth.

“You better believe it.” His lips captured mine briefly before pulling away. “Stop tempting me, woman. We’re going to be late.”