Chapter Seven
IF MARA HAD ever doubted that the rich were different her experience the next morning confirmed it. She’d always loved traveling and the excitement and sense of adventure from going somewhere new but hated the hassle of flying.
They'd been running behind and she'd been surprised that the flight hadn't left without them. That was when Trent had finally clued her in that the plane wouldn't leave without them because they were the only passengers. It was a private jet owned by his father's company. That was the moment it all started to sink in.
Her future husband was a wealthy man. Wealthy in a way that was both foreign and intimidating.
After getting over her shock that they had an entire plane to themselves, she’d been further flummoxed to find out they didn’t even need to rush. To her surprise, there were no security lines for the wealthy. Oh no. They’d arrived at a separate part of the airport and then a driver had taken them directly on to the tarmac right next to their plane.
She'd flown plenty of times before but never on a private jet. Mara glanced around the cabin again, taking in the details that she’d previously been too overwhelmed to notice.
The plane wasn’t huge but it was lavishly decorated in a cream and gray color scheme. The seats were all covered in butter soft leather and the carpet on the floor was nicer than the kind she’d purchased when she’d bought her house. Trent had given them a brief tour before takeoff, showing them the bathroom and even a small bedroom. She hadn’t even been aware that you could have a bedroom on a plane at all.
She glanced over at Trent. He sat to her left working on his laptop the way she'd seen him do a million times. But now everything about him looked different. Or maybe it was just that she was finally paying attention to the right things. Her eyes roamed over him greedily, taking in the slightly too long blond hair and the bump on his nose that kept his profile from being too perfect. The face that she loved so much now represented something so frightening that she couldn't even put it into words. The idea that someone you loved could turn out to be a virtual stranger wasn't something that she knew how to process.
He looked up from the screen and blinked when he realized she was staring at him. “Are you okay? If there's anything you need let me know."
She shook her head and went back to her window gazing. It was easier to watch the skies fade away than to look at the man that she wasn't sure she knew anymore. But after a few moments her eyes were drawn back to him. It was impossible not to be curious.
Who was this guy?
The Trent she knew was more comfortable in board shorts and covered with sand than a suit. But this new Trent looked like he'd been born in Hugo Boss. The suit he wore was definitely custom-made and fit him perfectly. Then there was the way that everyone had treated him.
The morning had been a flurry of activity as they tried to get themselves together for traveling. Mara was used to traveling being a hassle. It wasn't so much the packing that she hated but all the minutiae of traveling. Scheduling flights and rental cars and all the other minor details that had to be taken care of. But traveling with Trent was an entirely different story.
With one phone call he had taken care of everything, from where Matt and Penny would stay to how they would get around when they got there. He wore power like a mantle that he could slip on and off. When they'd gotten on the plane everyone had immediately deferred to him. Everything had been "Yes, Mr. Townsend" and "Whatever you need, Mr. Townsend".
And every word spoken made her feel farther and farther away from the man she knew.
Someone tapped on her shoulder so she twisted around in her seat. Matt had moved so he sat directly behind her. His brown eyes searched her face.
"Is everything okay, sis?" He glanced over at Trent with a scowl. It had to be killing him to put their differences aside but he had agreed to do it for her. However it didn't mean he was going to be nice about it. If she knew her brother he was going to take every opportunity to make Trent's life hell.
Not that she blamed him. After all, she wasn't the only one who'd been deceived.
"I'm okay. What about you?" As tough as he was acting she knew he'd been hurt too. To find out his best friend for years had been lying to him had to be a shock at best and a complete betrayal at worst.
"I'm fine, don't worry about me. This is about you. I'm here for you. And if you ever want to get the hell out of here, just say the word."
Mara smiled to herself. Even if nothing else in her life made sense, she could always count on her brother.
She turned around to find Trent watching her. "So where are we going again?"
"I keep a penthouse in the city."
"Of course you do." Mara tried not to feel bitter. He had an entire residence that she'd never seen.
He opened his mouth to say something but she held up her hand. The last thing she wanted was to argue. They'd done enough of that over the past twenty-four hours. He'd wanted a new start and she'd agreed to that. She could only hope that this trip didn't backfire.
Because so far every single new thing she'd learned about him just made him seem farther and farther away.
* * * * *
THEIR EXPERIENCE ONCE the plane landed mirrored boarding except instead of the mildly balmy and humid Virginia air she was used to, they stepped out into a dry heat that made her sinuses tingle. Trent motioned them toward a black town car. Mara climbed in and then looked up in surprise when Matt slid in next to her.
By the tense line of Trent's mouth she realized that the men still weren't speaking. Also that her brother had no intention of leaving her alone with Trent any more than necessary. Penny got in next, giving Mara a reassuring smile.
Mara tried not to gawk as they passed the towering skyscrapers that she'd previously only seen on television. Her hands twisted in her lap. She refused to press her face against the window the way she really wanted to. That was the worst part about how things had been different since she'd found out about Trent's background, this crushing insecurity that he