Love Me Dear (Love Me Book 3)

Chapter 21

Trinity sat in a swing that overlooked the marsh behind her parent's house. She had been back in Savannah for two weeks, and she was lonely. She hadn't given her notice to Levi, but she had left a long note for him, telling him that she needed to sort everything on her own. That it was the only way she could heal, and he must have accepted it because he hadn't come after her. She was relieved and disappointed all at the same time.

Her parents had welcomed her with open arms, and it had been nice to be in Savannah again after three years, but she had come to the realization that without Levi, it wasn't home.

Trinity wrapped her sweater a little tighter around herself as she looked out over the water, wondering if the rest of her life was going to be as empty as it was now. Christopher had caused her emotional and physical harm, but he hadn't broken her heart.

"You look sad, Trinity. What's going on?" Ben sat down next to her on the swing.

"I'm just adjusting to being home, that's all." She did her best to smile at him.

"I'm not buying it. I've given you two weeks to deal with whatever it is you're dealing with, but I can't watch you like this anymore. Where is Levi? I thought he was supposed to be here with you." Ben leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I told him he wasn't needed." Trinity cleared her throat because the lie stuck.

"But he is needed. What's going on?" Ben looked over his shoulder at his sister, curled up in her sweater, looking more miserable than he had ever seen her look.

"It's complicated." She shrugged.

"It didn't look complicated when I saw you two together. It looked like you fit."

"Yeah, well, others don't think we do, and after learning the truth, I tend to agree. I won't be his second mistake, I won't let him do it all over again. It's not fair to him, he deserves better." Trinity stood up and started walking towards the house. Her parent's party was that evening, and she needed to start getting ready.

"What does that mean?" Ben asked, grabbing her arm as he caught up to her.

Trinity rubbed her face as she looked back out at the water. It used to give her such peace, but not now.

"Is this what he thinks, that you would be a mistake, or is this what others think?"

"Leave it alone, Ben!" She wrenched her arm free and raced across the yard to the house.

Ben watched her go with a frown. He had watched Trinity change the past few months, and he wasn't going to sit by and let her fall back into the shell she had been living in the past three years.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Levi's number, it was answered on the second ring.

"Ben, is Trinity alright?" Levi asked, concern in his voice. It was not the sound of a man who had cast her from his life.

"No, she's not, and I want to know what's going on?" Ben demanded, turning his back to the house.

"Did Christopher get to her?" Levi asked.

"No, but tonight is the party, so if he makes a move it will be then, but that's not what I'm talking about. What happened between the two of you?"

"Nothing as far as I know. When Trinity left, she told me she needed to fight this battle on her own, and I had to respect that. She claimed the only way she could stop fearing Christopher was to fight him herself." There was confusion in Levi's voice.

"I don't believe she is overly concerned about Christoper right now, she should be, but all she can focus on is something I don't understand, other than that fact that she misses you."