What You Don't Know (Sequel to "Secret Love")(Hunter Hayes/James Marsden)

Easy

Bethany chuckled. "You've just got it all figured out, don't you, Trent?" She shook her head at him teasingly. "What do you mean, though, about the old ladies not wanting to be underground?"

Trent looked down, then up at her from under his lashes. He smiled and laughed. "Not to put too fine a point on it, but I think it reminds them of being in a grave."

Bethany was shocked for only a moment before she burst into laughter. Tears were suddenly streaming from her eyes, and she wiped them away frantically. When she finally calmed down, she looked at him with a twinkle lingering in her eye and said, "Wow. That's hysterical."

Trenton could not wipe the smile off his own face. He loved the sound of her laughter. He wondered when the last time it was that she laughed that way. She had just broken up with that piece of rubbish, after all, and while Trent may hate his guts, she did not.

He studied her for a moment, then heard himself say, "Would you like to hear a secret?"

Bethany blinked twice, then crossed her arms and nodded shyly. "Sure."

Trenton smiled and looked around the restaurant. "This is one of my favorite places in the whole world."

Beth tipped her head to the side, looking past Trenton at the elegant, but scant decorations, dim lighting, and moist walls. What could possibly make this his favorite place?"

"I don't know," Trenton continued, answering the question she had not asked. "There's just something about it, you know? I mean, I know it kind of feels like being in your grave, but I like that. It's so...private. It's easy to think here. And this place reminds me that however bad things are up there," he pointed towards the ceiling, which was the floor just before they had descended the staircase into this hollowed hole, "They could always be worse."

Bethany's mouth dropped open for a moment. That was...that was actually really profound. Who was this man? Why had she never seen this side of him before?

As the dinner progressed, Beth became more and more easy with Trenton. She tried to blame it on the wine, but she had only had a glass and a half. It was just...him. Something was different about him. It was like he had peeled back a mask and shown her an underbelly that was so drastically different that it was disorienting. He made her laugh harder than she had since she had left Hunter, and he pulled at every bit of intellect she had with his deep, worldly queries. He seemed to have a theory about everything, and the conversation never stopped, whether they were debating an issue or agreeing whole-heartedly, or laughing at a societal faux-pas they did not comprehend.

It was five minutes to midnight, and Trenton had somehow managed to end up on Beth's side of the booth, where they were playing a heated game of rock-paper-scissors, when the waitress that had brought them their check half an hour ago told them that the restaurant would soon be closing.

"Oh...I guess we had better get going, then," Bethany suggested, brushing her hair out of her face.

Trenton sighed dramatically, winking at her. "If we must."

She collected her things, he grabbed his jacket, and they climbed the steps together, still chatting amiably.

When they got to the landing, they walked through the small entrance lobby and onto the street, where the darkness was sticking to the air like a thick, wet blanket. The street lights purged the area of complete blackness, but it was still difficult to see where they were headed, if either of them cared to notice.

The restaurant had been on the outskirts of town, so the two decided to walk while they waited for a taxi to drive by. As they meandered down the sidewalk, they fell into an easy silence. The privacy of the restaurant was no longer with them, and continuing their boisterous banter on the streets seemed almost irreverent to the quiet, sleepy city.

Before she knew what was happening, Trenton had her hand in his, their fingers laced together. She swallowed the knot in her throat and tried not to think of Hunter. Tonight had been a million times more fun than she had ever anticipated, and she felt horrible because of it. It was so wrong. She was here to unmask Trent; she was not here to have fun with him. She had not even managed to ask him a single question about his evil doings tonight.

"Look, Bethany...there's been something I've been meaning to say to you."

He stopped walking, and she followed suit, turning to look up at him.

"What is it?"

He took a deep breath for effect. He did not really mean what he was about to say, but in the interest of his vendetta, he had to make sure she bore him no ill-will.

"When you left before...I tried to do something I should not have. I can't offer you any excuse that could possibly atone for it, and I don't expect you to ever forgive me, but I want you to know what happened." He took another deep breath, then let it out with a small chuckle. "This is hard to say."

She squeezed his hand, her curiosity mounting. "Just say it."

He looked at her intensely, his palms getting clammy in hers. "That night was the anniversary of my wedding day. My wife, Marissa...she died six years ago, and that night...well. As I said, it is no excuse, but I was completely and totally drunk. I was so sloshed I barely remembered my name. And...well, you look like her. I just...I'm really sorry that it turned out that way. And I'm sorry for how I treated you back then. I harbored both resentment and a strange kind of dependency on you because you remind me so much of her. Her vibrancy, her looks, her loving nature...all of it. You are practically Marissa incarnate, and I didn't know how to handle it back then."

Bethany was taken aback. Wow...what am I supposed to say now?

"Is there anything I can do to make you give me a chance to treat you the right way this time around?"

She let silence pass between them as she tried to collect her thoughts. There was no possible way to sort out her feelings right now.

Come on, Beth. For the mission. You know what you have to say. You can think more about this later. Just say you forgive him.

"I...I'm really sorry about your wife, Trenton. I had no idea. And yes, I was really traumatized by what you did that night..." His head fell and she lifted it with her free hand. "But, hey, we all make mistakes, right?" She smiled kindly. "I forgive you." As long as you forgive me when I discover your secrets and turn you over to the American government.

Trenton sighed loudly, catching her other hand and kissing her palm. "Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

She nodded uneasily. Oh, Lord. What a mess. I need to talk to Jeremy Willakers about this. No, I need to talk to Hunter.

Just then, a cab rolled to a stop by the red light, and Trenton called it over. Bethany bid him goodnight, climbed into the cab, and drove away, stewing in her own confusion.

Trenton opted to walk back to his home, which was not but a few blocks from the restaurant. With a spring in his step and a smile on his face, he brushed his hands off on his pants and climbed over the threshold.

What a sucker, he thought. This is going to be so easy.