“That’s why he is an asshole.  It’s his loss.  Now let’s talk about Gabe.”  She smiles at me.

“What about him?”  I play dumb.

“You know as well as I do there is something there between you two.”

“Oh Kenna, even if there was something, Gabe distanced himself after Thanksgiving and I can’t say I blame him.  It’s way too complex to ever work.” I look in my lap shaking my head back and forth.

“Maddy, you deserve to be happy and if that is Gabe you guys should see where it takes you.  I see the way he looks at you.  Believe me he wants you.  Even Bryan said something on Christmas break.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing” she turns around and I can tell she is trying to hide something.

“Kenna?”  I plead.

“Mad, I don’t want to get into more Trent drama with you.  It is time you put him aside and move on.”  She looks back at me.

“Kenna, you are my best friend.  Please tell me what you know.  It’s not fair for me to be kept in the dark.”

“Alright” she releases a sigh.  “We saw the Bassos at the tree lighting downtown.  Bryan went over to say hello to Trent since the dickhead never called him to say he was in town yet.  Just as he got close he noticed Gabe and him arguing about something and he heard your name a few times.”  She widens her eyes looking at me as though I should know what they were talking about.

“What did he hear?”  I lean closer to her.

“He just heard Gabe call Trent an asshole and that the way he treated you was wrong and he didn’t deserve you.”

“What did Trent say?”

“Um… I don’t want to tell you this part.  I wish I could keep my mouth shut.” She turns around not looking at me.

“Kenna?”

“Trent told Gabe that no matter how many girls he had or has in his life, you are his and Gabe needs to stay the hell away from you.”  She stares at me her eyes showing sorrow for me.  “You aren’t his Maddy.  He is out there sleeping with how many girls at school while you are here pining over him.”

“We aren’t a couple anymore Kenna.  He can do what he wants.”  I don’t even feel the first tear fall down my cheek before the rest came flowing out.

“See, this is what I am talking about.  You guys weren’t just boyfriend and girlfriend.  You were best friends.  Now he is trying to stop Gabe from having anything to do with you, it’s bullshit Maddy.”  Anger pours from her body while she embraces me into a hug.

I cry in Mackenna’s arms for half an hour before Bryan knocks on the door.  I quickly wipe my face with my fingers hoping he won’t notice my blood shot eyes.

“Come on in.”  I release Mackenna.

“How was Michigan Mad?  Did you go to that pawn store?  I should have given you something crazy to pawn and you could have ended up on television.”  His dark hair is pulled back in his hat with his high school soccer shirt and jeans.  He throws himself on my bed with us making Kenna and I bounce in the air.

“Sorry daddy wouldn’t let me go.  Next time you come with me.”  I say laughing.

“That’s a date.”  He winks over to me.

“Stop flirting with my roommate.”  Mackenna playfully punches his shoulder.

“Can’t help it, she’s hot as hell.  Hey, why don’t we have a threesome?”  He jokes pulling both of us in his arms.

“You want a threesome with me and Jennings?”  Mackenna cocks her eyebrow up to him.

“Of course.  You two would be anyone’s dream come true.”  Bryan smiles up to her thinking maybe it could happen.

“Alright, you, me and Jennings.  Done.”  Mackenna says straight faced.

I stare over at her like she has three heads but she disregards me.

“Really?”  Bryan’s eyes look like they are on a bobble head.  So wide and big they might fall out.

“Sure.  Let me see when JACK Jennings is available.”  She laughs at him.

“I’m game.  We’ll do your way first but my way second.”  Bryan winks at her and Mackenna and I start laughing.

Bryan has a knack for making situations lighter and happier.  I need his demented sense of humor right now.

Chapter 14 – Present Day

I am trapped in hell.  There is no way to get home unless I call a cab and that would cost entirely too much money.  My mom is sitting on the bench a few feet away from me. I can see the agony on her face.  She has her phone out texting someone, I assume Gabe.  This is all too much information for me to process and come to terms with in a matter of five minutes.  Seeing my newly changed mom ready to cry desperately texting the man she loves.  Thinking she made the wrong decision makes me go to her.

“Sorry mom.  I didn’t mean to overreact back there.  It was just hard information for me to process.”  I sit next to her and the relief in her eyes is evident immediately.

“I understand honey.  It’s a lot of information to take in.”  She pats my knee.

“Is that him you are texting?”  I nod my head towards the phone in her hand.

“Yes, we are supposed to be meeting for the lunch now.”  She looks at the new text that came in.

“I can’t say this news isn’t hard to take but I will be ok, I just need a little time.  If you want my approval or blessing you have it.  I would never want to deny you happiness.”  I grab her hand squeezing it.

“Thank you Maddy.  You have no idea how happy that makes me.”  She hugs me hard.

“Let’s go see your man, shall we?”  I joke.

She looks at me raising one eyebrow questioning my sincerity.

“Really mom, it’s fine.”  I wrap my arm around her shoulders laughing.

I had to tell my mom I was ok with it what other choice did I have.  To see them together is going to be a challenge.  It kills me that he knows what happened to me.  I wonder if Gabe thinks of me differently because of it.  How could he not?

My mom and I walk into the pizza place that is roped off for the Jennings wedding.  I swear Jack is taking this to the extreme.  More people have shown up.  I see the Bassos and Edwards there along with some other people I don’t know.  Gabe and Ian are sitting at a table in the back corner so I go over to join them.

“I’ll be right there honey, I want to say hello to a few people.”  She squeezes my forearm releasing me.

She walks right up to Mrs. Basso and they embrace each other warmly.  How the hell is Mrs. Basso ok with my mom dating her son when she hates me for some reason?  My mom continues making her way through the older generation until she rests next to a nicely dressed middle aged man.  He is wearing a Hawaiian shirt with khaki shorts.  He has a blonde gray hair with a mustache.  He face beams when he sees her and she gives him a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey scaredy cat.  How was the carousel?  The horse didn’t go too high did it?”  Ian teases me.

“That’s not what gave me my scare.”  I look at Gabe and see anguish in his eyes.

“Excuse me” Gabe gets up from the table.

“Oh she told you huh?”  Ian asks.

“She told you before me?”  I say dumbfounded.

“Well, when he came by last night she didn’t really have a choice.”  He sheepishly looks at me.

“I honestly can’t believe it Ian.  That was the last person I would have thought it was.”  I put my head in my arms on the table.

“It’s not that bad.  Don’t you think you are being a little dramatic?”  He places his hand on my back.

“No.  I honestly don’t.  What is he going to be my father now?’  I turn my head towards him.

“Would that really be that bad Maddy?”

“You are kidding right?”  I sit up hearing footsteps coming back.

“I thought you could use some beer.”  Gabe brings over a pitcher of beer.

“Try a couple shots.”  I sigh throwing my head back down on the table.

“Oh come on Maddy, we’ll be related now.  You were already practically a Basso, now you really will be one.”  Gabe smirks over at me.

“There is something seriously demented with you.”  I glare at him.

“I like to see the positive in situations.”  He pours me a beer putting it in front of me.