“Is everything ok Gabe?”  I unbuckle my seatbelt turning towards him.

“Yeah, I just have some unsettled business back in Florida.” He vaguely answers.

“Ok, so I will text you tonight after I get back.”  I sheepishly look at him still trying to figure out his mood change.

“Please” he softly speaks not looking up from the steering wheel.

“Ok, well I guess I should go.” I put my hand on the handle of the car.

“Wait Maddy.”  He whispers making me stop my exit.  I turn to look at him.

“Sorry, I hate it that I am ruining this afternoon after everything.” His blue eyes look lost and cold.

“You can talk to me about anything Gabe.”

“I know Maddy, just not yet ok.  I promise I will tell you what is going on.  Trust me when I say now isn’t the time.”  He grabs my hands pulling me closer to him.

“Ok Gabe but don’t keep it all bottled up, you know that doesn’t help.”  I know Gabe would tell me if it was something to do with us.  One thing I can always count on Gabe for is truthfulness.

“Now come here.”  He leans forward over the middle armrest, which I am cursing right now for being between us.  Putting both his hands on my cheeks he thoroughly kisses me making me melt into him.

“I have a feeling that kiss wasn’t just for pleasure.”  I raise my eyebrow at him.

He starts laughing.  “Just want to remind you what is waiting for you back here.”  He gives me a chaste kiss and lets me go.

“Talk to you tonight.”  I say shutting the door.  I watch Gabe drive out and want to be with him in that truck.  He is still chuckling to himself as he waves goodbye driving away.

Chapter 15 – Spring Break Freshman Year

Cancun’s white beaches and clear blue water is just what I need from my hopeless life.   As I lay by the pool sipping my orange juice I can’t help but wonder where my life is going.  Don’t get me wrong, school is going fine, great even but my personal life is forever in shambles.  Since Christmas break I have spoken to Gabe twice which were coincidences running into each other on campus which he tried to avoid.  He never calls or stops by anymore.

It infuriates me that he is listening to his brother to stay away from me.   I miss Gabe’s laugh, his smile.  I miss the way he would grab my hand to lead me through a crowded bar or party.  I miss the way he would walk me to class even if he was going to be late for his own.   I missed the way he knew my favorite food at every restaurant we went to and the way I took my coffee.  I miss him calling me Madgirl since no one else calls me that.  I just miss Gabe.

Trent is another story, since Christmas he has been calling and texting me consistently.  I have been ignoring his apology filled messages.  He wrote me off last semester and I am planning on writing him off for the rest of my life.  Mackenna told me that he had called Bryan apologizing to him and of course Bryan accepted it.    They had rekindled their friendship and one weekend Bryan took the train down to Thrayer University to visit him.  Mackenna refused to go with him on grounds of supporting her best friend and I loved her for it.  I am thankful every day to have her by my side.

Turning around from my back to front I pick up my trashy romance novel.  I swore I would not be doing any academic reading this trip.  Actually, no reading that would entail my brain to think at all.  So when I saw the shirtless man sucking a half dressed woman on the cover I grabbed it from the shelf at the airport store.  Mackenna laughed making fun of me but then picked up the one next to it where the man and woman were even more naked.

The sun heating my skin feels good and I am thankful again for my olive skin tone I inherited from my dad’s side.  Two days in the sun and my skin has turned from clammy yellow to golden brown.  Hearing whistling and hollering I don’t have to look up to see whose coming my way.

“What is it like 85 degrees already?  I feel bad for those suckers back home.  It’s probably snowing.”  Mackenna throws her towel and bag on the lounge chair next to me oblivious to the few boys up at this hour.

“I see you finally woke up.”  I put my orange juice back down on the table between us.

“I don’t know why you insist on waking up so early.  We are on vacation Maddy.”  She takes off her cover up situating her swimsuit.

“Holy hell Kenna, what are you wearing?”  My eyes are bulging out of my head and I notice the boys mouths around us open gasping at her too small and practically non-existent bikini.

“It’s my new bikini.  I know it’s a little much but hey who knows how long I will have this body for.”  She twirls in a circle and more guys hoot over to her but she ignores it sitting down next to me.

“A little more fabric wouldn’t have killed you.”  I roll my eyes in disbelief.  If I am being honest I am jealous of her.  Not her body although she has an amazing body but of her self-confidence.  She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her in that bikini. I wish I had an ounce of assurance that Mackenna has.

“Oh Maddy.  That’s a cute suit.” She brings her sunglasses down a bit laying her brown eyes across my body.

“Thank you.  I know it isn’t the playboy edition but I like it.”  I sneer back to her and then we both start laughing.

The one thing about our friendship is we rarely fight.  I can probably count on one hand any fight that lasted longer than an hour.  The fights that do last longer are always about Trent in one way or the other.

By midafternoon more college aged kids are coming out of their rooms exploring the pool and beach.  Mackenna wants to take a walk so I grab my sunglasses and wrap my sheer cover-up around my waist and we make our way down the beach.  Of course Mackenna doesn’t cover up herself and I swear she put on baby oil her skin is so shiny.  She looks like she is filming a movie with her dark big sunglasses and her dark hair flowing in the breeze.  It is intimating to be walking next to her.

We go down closer to the water so the waves can come up and over our feet while we walk. The cool water instantly cools me brushing along the top of my toes.  The beach is filled with guys throwing Frisbees, parasailing and some are just hanging out checking out the girls.  With Mackenna by my side we aren’t alone for more than five minutes without guys coming up asking us to sit down and relax with them.   Mackenna ignores them and since I have enough boy problems with the Basso brothers I am not interested in them either.  I politely tell them maybe later.  Some are more persistent than others but all eventually fall back to other girls around that seem more interested.

It isn’t until I notice money blowing by me on the sand that I stop in my tracks.  I bend down to pick up the assortment of dollar bills in front of me wondering where they are coming from.  Looking around I see a guy in a pair of green board shorts a couple steps away frantically picking up the money and I contemplate if it is his or he is just reaping the rewards of someone else’s misfortune.

Standing there holding the money in my hand, Mackenna sighs impatiently at me as the guy approaches us with his hand out.

“Thank you for picking those up for me.”  He motions with his hand towards mine.

“How do I know these are yours?”  I hold it up away before he can take it out of my hand.

“Excuse me?”  He sets his head back in disbelief.

“The money could be someone else’s.”  I scrunch my shoulders up.

“Who the hell cares Maddy, just give him the money.”  Mackenna rolls her eyes.

The tall dark haired guy looks Mackenna up and down with pleasure on his face but quickly turns back to me since I am the keeper of his money.

“Prove it.”  I ignore Kenna focusing on the amber eyes in front of me.

“How exactly do you think I could prove it?”  He puts his hands through his brown hair getting his bangs out of his eyes.