Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Bree’s eyes were glued on the door as she impatiently waited for Trent’s arrival. Since she’d woken up, they’d transferred her out of the ICU and given her a larger, private room, which she was thankful for because the intensive care units were so small and scary. She wasn’t sure how long she’d have to stay in the hospital, but if she was going to be there, she wanted it to be with her family in such a way that they would be comfortable. This new room had a couch and a few cozy chairs, as well as a wide window she could see out of from her bed. It was a hundred times better than her ICU room, but until Trent got there, none of that would matter.

After her dad had called him, they’d made the room switch, and now, Bree sat there wondering how long it might take for Trent to get back to the hospital from the police station. Would he be able to find the new room? Would he get lost?

Eventually, she heard familiar footsteps in the hallway. He came in, flowers in hand, and she felt better than she had in days.

Trent rushed over, but he was cautious. “Hi. How are you?” He took her in, his eyes running over her with care, as if he could break her by looking at her too harshly.

“I’m okay,” she said, finding a weak smile. “I’m better now that you’re here.”

He held her gaze, not moving for several seconds, like a teen on a first date, not sure how to act. Then, he thrust the flowers forward. “I brought these for you.”

“They’re beautiful. Thank you.” She wondered what had happened to the first bouquet he’d given her after her first surgery and imagined it was probably trampled in the doctors’ haste to fix her.

“I’ll find a vase,” Bree’s mother offered, standing and walking over from the couch to take the flowers from Trent.

“I’m gonna go make a phone call,” her dad said. Judy had the flowers, headed to ask the nurses for a vase, leaving the couple alone for a few minutes.

“How is your head?” Trent asked, coming a little closer now that they were alone.

Scooting over on the bed, Bree gestured for him to sit next to her hip. She wanted his arms around her, but since that wouldn’t be safe with all of the wires still connected to her, she didn’t try to talk him into that. “It’s okay. I feel a little fuzzy,” she admitted. “Everything is a little blurry.”

“I’m sure that will pass as the medication wears off. I think the police will want to talk to you soon.”

“Yes, the officers that are watching over the door said they’d give me a few hours, though.”

“Good.” He ran a hand through his hair and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Sitting next to her, his hip resting against her upper thigh, she could breathe him in for the first time in a long time. How she wished all of this was over, and they could just go back to life before Cat lost her mind and tried to kill her--twice. He took her hand, careful of all of the hoses and whatnot. “I’m so proud of you, Bree.”

The statement caught her off guard. She raised an eyebrow. “You are?”

“Yes, immensely.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Why is that?”

“Because… you made it through something unbelievably difficult--three times. You made it out of the fire, through surgery, and then through this unbelievable attempt to murder you. It’s remarkable how strong you’ve been, Bree. God, I love you so much.”

He had tears in his eyes as he spoke, and his words made Bree’s heart melt. “Thank you, baby. I love you, too. I don’t remember much of anything that happened after you left to call my parents, but I know that I was thinking about you the whole time. I couldn’t let her kill me--because I had to get back to you.”

Trent lifted her hand and kissed it softly. “We’re going to make it through this, too, Bree. As long as you and I are together, we can make it through anything.”

Bree reached over and wiped his tears away, trying to get ahold of herself as well. The last thing she wanted was to cause her head to hurt more. “And to think… I thought Monica was going to be the only crazy bitch we had to worry about,” she joked.

Trent laughed, which helped him rein in his tears a bit. “No kidding. If there’s a crazier bitch out there than Cat, I don’t want to know.”

“Me neither,” Bree agreed. With any luck, all of the craziness was behind them now, and she could concentrate on healing. “I love you,” she said again, leaning forward as far as she could in hopes of reaching his lips.

“I love you, too, Bree.” Meeting her the rest of the way, Trent found her mouth with his, and even though Bree had been through hell the last few days, she knew Trent was right. Nothing could ever stop them as long as the two of them were together.

***

Sitting in the bed in her very own apartment, Bree looked out the window at the bright blue sky, thankful to be home. After four days in the hospital, having tests run and undergoing all kinds of other evasive exams to make sure she was all right, Bree had come home a few hours ago and immediately fallen asleep. Now, awake and ready to get on with her life, she could hear the sound of her parents’ voices filtering through the door. Occasionally, she’d hear Trent’s voice as well, which made her smile. Her parents had insisted on making sure she got home okay. It seemed as if they were also insisting on making sure she woke up okay.

Not that she was complaining--she really wasn’t. They’d been so wonderful to stay and spend time with her the last few days. Trent had been there practically the entire time as well, though he’d been called back to the police station a couple of times to give more details to the detectives and answer a few other questions. She’d tried to get him to go back to work, but he refused, saying he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work with her in the hospital anyway.

Bree took a sip of water from the glass next to her on the nightstand. She had no idea what they were talking about, but she loved the fact that her parents got along with Trent so well. Her parents had known Trent most of his life. It had been her mother’s questioning back in school that had made Bree wonder if perhaps she had deeper feelings for Trent than she had realized. Of course, she hadn’t been able to admit it to anyone back then, not even herself, let alone her mother, but when her mom found out that she was dating Trent, she’d cried and said she knew it was meant to be.

Now, despite all of the problems they’d been forced to overcome, there wasn’t a doubt in Bree’s mind that she was right. Despite the fact that he’d been about to marry someone else when she finally got up the courage to tell him how she felt, the fact that she’d been tested by another handsome suitor, the fact that she’d been almost killed and would have to struggle to regain her ability to play guitar again, she knew that this was a love worth fighting for.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Bree noticed Trent’s footsteps outside in the hallway. He quietly pushed the door open and smiled when he saw her sitting up, awake. “How are you?” he asked, his voice soft.

“I’m okay.” She smiled back at him, glad she wasn’t having to lie about the way she was feeling. The medication she’d had in the hospital that had made her mind feel fuzzy had worn off a few days ago. As long as she had the pain medication for her hand, she was fine. In a day or two, she hoped to be able to stop taking that, too, and then she could start physical therapy. She’d have to go back to the doctor in a month, three months, six months, and yearly from now on so that they could check her heart, but so far, it didn’t seem as if there had been any permanent damage from Cat’s latest stunt.

“Good,” Trent said, coming into the room and making his way over to the bed. He sat down so that his hip was up against hers. She reached for his hand with her good one, and he gently took her fingers between his. “Your parents are ready to head back home, once they tell you goodbye. I think they finally trust that you’re okay.”

A chuckle slipped through her lips. She couldn’t blame them for being too concerned to leave. She would’ve been the same way if it was her child who’d been hurt and nearly killed. “And when are you going to trust that I’m okay enough to go back to work?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Probably never,” he admitted. “I’m certainly not going to leave you alone. I’ve already set up some interviews for tomorrow for security, as well as someone to spend time with you while I’m out, once I start working again.”

“Seriously?” She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered that he was so thoughtful or angry that he seemed to think she needed a babysitter. “Will I get a say in all of this?”

“Of course.” Trent shrugged. “I know you don’t need someone to take care of you, but I thought it would be nice to have someone take care of the apartment anyway so you can focus your energy on getting your strength back and regaining the movement in your hand. Let someone else worry about the laundry, the dishes, and the cooking.”

Bree did like the sound of that. She had never cared much for doing those sorts of domestic duties anyway. “Will my agreeing to this plan allow you to get back to work?”

“Are you trying to get rid of me?” he asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

“Not at all. I just… want a little less fuss about me.”

Trent reached over and guided a lock of hair back behind her ear. “I’m always going to fuss about you, babe. You’re my world.”

She reached up and took his hand, pressing her lips against his knuckles before she lowered their interlocked hands to her lap. “I love you so much, Trent. We’ve had so much to overcome, but I know we can do anything, as long as we stay together.”

“I love you so much, Bree,” Trent said, leaning forward so that the distance between them was only an inch or so. “We’ve definitely had our share of obstacles, but you can be sure, no matter what comes next, I’ll always be right here next to you, holding your hand.”

For a moment, Bree let her mind wander to what it would be like to go through a trial, to have to testify against Cat, to go through therapy to fix her hand, all of the struggles ahead of her. Not to mention she may lose fans if she wasn’t able to get back on the road soon. Facing all of that alone would be overwhelming, but knowing that Trent meant every word he’d said gave her the strength she knew it would take to triumph over the adversities.

Bree tipped her face toward his, and he closed the space between them, his warm lips soft and secure as he gently ran his thumb along her cheek.

Trent sat up, abruptly ending the kiss. “Hold that thought….” he said, shooting up off of the bed like he’d forgotten he was boiling water in the kitchen.

Bree watched as he went around the end of the bed, over to his side, and opened the drawer in his nightstand. He reached in and grabbed something small enough that she couldn’t see it in his hand. Curiosity got the better of her, and as he made his way back, she had to ask, “What do you have?”

“You know...” he began, sitting back down next to her, but not facing her. He turned his head to look at her. “For weeks, I’ve been second guessing myself, wondering if it’s too soon, if it’s silly of me to even be contemplating this. But after everything that’s gone on, Bree, I know the timing is right. Maybe I could find a better location, something more romantic.” He shook his head. “But none of that matters. In the end, the only thing that matters to me is that I want to be with you forever. There’s no doubt in my mind that you got it right when you wrote that song. You and I are meant to be married, Bree. So….”

It was then she knew for sure what he was doing. Trent slid off of the bed onto the floor, one knee up, and she saw a sparkling object in his hand as he thrust it in her direction. “Bree… would you care to make it official? Will you do me the honor of promising to make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?”

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she struggled to breathe and answer the question. Her head bobbed up and down before she got the words out. “Yes, Trent. Of course. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. I know I can’t put it on your left hand right now, so how about your right?”

She thrust her unwrapped hand in his direction, and Trent slipped the ring on before leaning forward and kissing her again.

His lips were warm and soft. Bree’s head began to whirl as he deepened the kiss, letting her know just how much he meant every word he’d said. He was still gentle, careful with her. Bree lost herself in his kiss, wishing it could be more but knowing she wasn’t physically ready for anything else just yet. Soon enough, they’d be able to express their love to each other again completely.

Bree realized this was the perfect way to end what had otherwise been a disastrous event. Knowing Trent would be with her forever was a powerful way to put the past behind her and step into the future. He pulled back, smiled at her, and then kissed her softly again.

A knock on the door interrupted them. “You kids all right in there?” her mom’s voice called.

Leaning back, Trent sighed. “I told them I’d be right back. I forgot.” His face turned slightly red as they both imagined what her parents were thinking.

Bree laughed. “That’s okay--I want them to see the ring.”

Trent got up and went to open the door. “Sorry. Yes, we’re fine. Come in. Bree wants to show you something.”

Her mother’s eyes widened as she crossed to the bed. Bree lifted her hand and said, “I know it’s the wrong hand, but….”

“Oh, my gosh!” Judy exclaimed, covering her mouth with both hands. Her father was behind her and couldn’t see over Judy’s shoulder, but once her mom started squealing, he figured it out pretty quickly, too. “Let me see!” Paul jostled Trent good naturedly as he chuckled with pride.

Her mom sat down next to her and looked at the ring. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Bree asked. Her dad congratulated Trent and welcomed him to the family. Paul didn’t look as surprised as Bree had expected, so she had to wonder if maybe Trent had talked to her dad ahead of time.

“It’s gorgeous. Oh, honey, I’m so happy for you!” Her mom wrapped her arms around her, and then her dad came over and hugged her, too.

“You got yourself a good one, sweetheart,” he said, kissing her on the forehead.

Bree looked over her dad’s shoulder and saw Trent standing at the foot of the bed, his hands in his pockets. “Yes, I did,” she agreed.

“Well as much as we’d love to stay here and help you get started planning the wedding, I suppose now is as good a time as ever for us to leave you be and get on the road home.” There were tears in her mom’s eyes as she spoke, a mixture of happiness over the upcoming nuptials and sadness at leaving, Bree assumed.

She couldn’t help but tear up as she told her parents goodbye. She waved goodbye as Trent walked them to the door.

Once she was alone, Bree stared at her ring, wishing she could put it on the other hand, the one it was supposed to go on, but tried not to let that get her down. In a few minutes, Trent was back, a big smile on his face, and she assumed that was because they were alone again. As much as he liked her parents, she knew he preferred it to be just the two of them. In many ways, so did she.

He kicked off his shoes and went around to the other side of the bed, flopping backward onto his pillow before moving closer to her. Gently, he picked up her hand and looked at the ring. “Do you like it?”

“I love it. It’s perfect. How did you know my ring size?”

“I borrowed another one of your rings and took it with me to the jeweler,” he said with a sly smile.

“When did you even go?”

“A few weeks ago.”

Bree’s eyes widened. She’d had no idea he was considering proposing. That was before everything had happened with Cat. “Well, you did a great job picking it out—and surprising me.”

“Thanks.” The smile on his face let her know he was proud of himself.

He turned toward her, and Bree couldn’t help but smile. “Are you all right?”

“I’m wonderful. I just… can’t believe you’re engaged--to me.”

“I can’t believe it either,” she said. Looking at her hand, she said, “But I think I could get used to it.”

“Yeah? Good--because this is one marriage I’m planning to see through.”

That made her laugh out loud. “Great. Because I’m holding you to it.”

“I’m pretty sure I got all the crazy out in my first wedding,” he said, but Bree wasn’t so sure.

“Bite your tongue. You’ll curse us,” she said

“Seriously? What else could possibly go wrong?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t want to tempt fate.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Trent conceded. “It’s just… I meant it when I said I know we can overcome anything as long as we’re together. That’s all.”

Bree nodded. “I believe that, too. But… I’d prefer it if ‘anything’ meant the difficulties of deciding what to have for dinner or whether or not to buy a new couch--not more fires, near-death experiences, or God forbid, anything worse.”

Holding back a laugh, Trent said, “I agree. Now, why don’t we put all of those obstacles--past, present, future--behind--and admire your ring.” He held her hand up and gazed at it, smiling.

“I’d rather admire the man that gave it to me,” Bree said. That got his attention. He turned to face her, and Bree pressed her lips to his, so glad to finally be completely alone with him again after so much time with family, doctors, nurses, and friends around.

“Well, then,” Trent said, coming up for air, “I guess I can get onboard with that.”

He kissed her, and Bree let her mind return to that first kiss, outside of the cabin, when they were both in college. She’d thought that day would be the start of something wonderful, and even though they’d taken a few twists and turns, and a detour or two, they were together now, and she couldn’t be any happier than she was in that moment, knowing one day she’d be his wife--no matter what.