Trinity (Moonstone Book 1) by Andi Bremner Page A

that to her? Was there another guy? “Well, what about tomorrow?”
    She kept her eyes on the floor. “Luke, you are a really nice guy—”
    “Don’t do that Trinity,” I whispered, “don’t say it.”
    “But I don’t think that we should see each other again,” she finished in a rush.
    I felt as if she had punched me. That this tiny creature, the one that was hurt and so fragile, had actually punched me in the gut. Figuratively.
    “You don’t mean that.”
    She nodded. “I do. I just think that, well, I am so busy with the band and work right now.”
    “You have no time for a boyfriend.”
    She shook her head. “Look you are a really—”
    “Nice guy,” I finished for her, “save it. I know I’m a nice guy. I don’t need a rehearsed speech from you to tell me that. What I need is the truth. Why won’t you see me? And who the fuck is hurting you?”
    “No one is hurting me,” she hissed, dropping her voice, “that is not what this is about. I just don’t think we should see each other again. Last night was fun but I’m sorry.”
    Oh hell no, she was not turning this around on me.
    I stared at her hard and she met my steady gaze this time. The purple cradled her face and I hated, hated whoever had done this to her. And I hated that she didn’t trust me enough to share with me what was going on. Was there another guy? I doubted it. Was it her dad? Who the hell was hitting her?
    And why wouldn’t she let me protect her? I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and hold her and have her trust me implicitly. Then I wanted to find out who was putting their hands on her face and tear them apart. But if she wasn’t going to trust me, if she didn’t want to see me then what could I do? I was powerless. Trinity didn’t want me, as much as I wanted her, she didn’t want me.
    Eventually I nodded, conceding for the moment. “Right,” I said, my voice tight, “well. Thanks and bye.”
    I turned on my heel and walked out.
    She might think that this is over but there was no way, no way was I giving up on her that easy.

Chapter Nine
     
    Luke
     
    “What do you know about Trinity?” I asked Toby two days later.
    I had spent the past couple of days brooding like a pathetic broken hearted schoolboy. One date. We’d had one date, a couple of kisses, and I couldn’t get that girl out of my fucking head.
    Toby commented a few times on my sullenness and tried to get me to go out and pick up but that wasn’t what I needed.
    I needed to know about Trinity. On our date she’d given little away about herself. I had her cell number but no idea where she lived. I knew she played in the band and knew her friends but knew nothing about her family.
    Now, it was Friday and I had finally given in and gone with Toby and the guys to Houdini’s, the local bar that we’d been frequenting for years. It wasn’t like The Silver Den. It was on the other side of town, near campus, and was popular with most of the college crowd.
    “I know she’s one fucked up chick,” Toby said and then sipped his beer.
    He’d said that before and I’d warned him not to talk about her like that. I didn’t want to hear that about her, but now… I just wanted to know.
    “Tell me what you know.” I asked, taking my own long swig of beer to ready myself.
    “Well for one, it’s just her and her mom,” he told me, “they live across town on Gloria Street.”
    I knew Gloria Street. It wasn’t that far from The Silver Den. I also knew it wasn’t one of the better streets in town. But I’d also known that Trinity wasn’t living down the road from the mayor and his family either.
    “What about her dad?” I asked.
    Toby pursed his lips. “Not around. Never been around as far as I know. Her mom is a bit of a skank though—she definitely has been around.”
    I nodded, growing thoughtful. “She doesn’t want to see me anymore.” I said after a while.
    “Tough.”
    “What about boyfriends?” I asked over the lump in