Meant to Marry Me

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.