“NO.  He has no side.  He made his choices.  I don’t give a shit if he is trying to backtrack now.  He cannot come with us.”

“Kenna, we need another person to share the cost.  The cabin is costing a fortune, we need as many people as it can sleep.”  Bryan has a point.  I am fortunate to have my dad’s life insurance money and Kenna never has to worry but Colt, Bryan and the others are using money they should be saving.  It is cost effective to have as many people as possible.

“Why does he want to come?  All of a sudden, he wants to hang out with us.  Why Bryan?”  Kenna is still fuming.

“I don’t know.  He called, asked if we had plans.  I told him and he asked if he could tag along with us.”

“You’re telling her.”  Kenna points at Bryan.

“No point, I heard it all.”  I finally open the screen door revealing myself.

“Maddy.”  Kenna sighs.

“It’s ok Kenna, Bryan is right we need as many people as possible.  It’s a big enough group, I will just keep my distance.”  I say walking to the stairwell.

“Are you sure Maddy?”  Bryan asks.  His eyes are warm with concern for me.

“Yeah, it’s fine.”  I reply walking upstairs to the comfort of my bedroom.  I am willing to deal with this but I have to tell Gabe and I am not so sure he will be.

Gabe and I aren’t dating but I wasn’t going to leave out the fact that Trent is coming and have him find out later.  When I went home for Christmas, I stayed at Jack’s never seeing Trent.  Gabe came over a couple nights but I never asked if Trent was home and he never divulged the information.  Since I didn’t know how fast word would travel I decided to call Gabe right away.

“Hey, it’s me.”  I say.

“Hey you.  How are you doing?  Getting excited about your trip?”  He asks.  I hear him shuffling papers behind him.

“I guess, are you busy?”

“Never for you Madgirl.  You sound…not like yourself.  Something wrong?”  His voice etches with concern.

“Um… I don’t know how you are going to take this?”  I hesitate knowing he can hear it reflecting in my voice.

“Let’s see.  Hit me with it.”  Gabe’s voice relaxes.

“Ok, I’m just going to spit it out.”  I admit.

“Maddy…” Gabe’s stern voice trying to reassure me it will be ok but I know it won’t.

“Trent is coming with us to the cabin.”  I say it so fast I don’t think he will hear it but the silence on the other end indicates he did.  “He called Bryan and asked.  The other guys need all the people they can get to keep the cost down.  I didn’t want them to say no just because of me.”  I start rambling.

“Maddy, stop talking.”  Gabe’s voice now gravely.  “So this is Edwards doing?”  Anger is coming now.

“He is the one who agreed but it’s fine.  There is a big group, I can keep my distance from him.”  I am begging with him to be ok with this.

“You might be able to but Trent can’t believe me.  Maddy, I think this is a very bad idea.  I am half tempted to call Edwards myself to talk about this.”  Gabe is turning into some kind of fatherly voice now and I don’t like it.

“Listen Gabe, I know the situation isn’t ideal but its fine.  I will be fine.”

“I’m sure you will be.”  He sneers.

“What does that mean?”  I bite back at him.

“When it comes to Trent you are always ok with him being there.  It just sucks he doesn’t feel the same.”

“Gabe…why are you saying this?”  I say.

“God Maddy, seriously?  You honestly don’t see this as a bad idea?”

“No.”  I shake my head but he can’t see that through the phone.

“You know what, whatever.  Go ahead and go.  Have a great time.”

“Gabe, don’t be like this.”  I beg.

“Maddy, we aren’t a couple.  I have no say whether you go or not.”  He is back to being angry.

“I want you to be ok with this.”

“Sorry Maddy, I’m not.”  He is curt and short.

“Please Gabe.”  I plead one last time.

“Listen, I have to go see a house, I am going to be late.  Have fun at the cabin.  Give my brother my best.”  The phone goes dead. He hangs up on me without saying good-bye.  That isn’t like Gabe.

I wait for him to text me he is sorry but a week later I am still waiting for it.  He hasn’t called me, emailed me or Skype me.  I don’t know what to do, I miss him but think I should let him cool off a bit so I let him have his space.

A week later we are all in my Jeep on the way to the cabin.  There is a caravan of five cars including Trent/Gabe’s truck.  He has brought a few friends which helps tremendously with the cost.

“So Maddy funny thing happened the other day.”  Bryan says putting his head between me and Kenna in the front.

“Yeah?”  I turn down the music a little.

“Gabe called me.”  He smiles.

“Really?”  I act like I wouldn’t know why.

“He chewed me out for letting Trent come to the cabin.  He must have screamed at me for ten minutes.”  He says.  “Do you have any idea why he would call me?

“I told him it was you that said he could come.”  I admit smiling at Kenna.

“That’s what I thought.  I wish you three could get your shit together.”  He says leaning back down in his seat next to Colt.  I turn the radio knob up again.

I keep my distance the first night even though Trent is following me around asking to talk.  I have refused him enough times my hand starts automatically going up when he comes around.  Colt tries to run interference but he is trying to get with this girl named Kristi and he seems torn so I tell him I can handle Trent Basso.

“I know you can Maddy but I hate what that asshole did to you.  If I had my way he wouldn’t be up here with us.”  Colt puts his arm around me.

“You will be happy when you have money left for the semester.”  I say.  I have to keep justifying why he is here.  It is for the others not for me, right?

He shrugs going over to sit next to Kristi.  Of course he is replaced with Trent by my side again.

“Do you need any help?”  He asks.

“No, I don’t.  Just go and have fun.”  I shoo him with my hand.

“I want to talk to you.”  He begs.

“I don’t.”

“Come on Maddy” he puts his hand on my arm.

“Listen Trent, I didn’t want you here.  You are here to keep the cost down.  If your plan is to keep hounding me all week, I will leave.”  I tear my arm away from him.

“You keep telling yourself that but I am pretty sure things will change by week end.”  He whispers in my ear making goose bumps travel my body.

No, No, No.  Don’t fall for his tricks Maddy.

By day three I can’t take it anymore.  Every time I walk out of the room, he follows to get me alone.  I am trying so hard but I feel myself losing my willpower.  Gabe was right, he won’t keep his distance.  I should have listened to him.  Maybe I should leave.  Everyone has been drinking but I have refrained not wanting to lose my control.  Then Kenna decides it is a girl’s night and the boys go into town to some bar for the night and the girls stay in playing drinking games.  I forgot how much fun this trip was supposed to be.

When the boys get home it is late and I am plastered along with the rest of the girls.  So, when Trent comes sitting next to me putting his arm around my shoulders I don’t protest.  Kenna is staring holes through me and Colt looks sympathetic to what is happening.  He probably sees it before I do.  I relax into his body snuggling next to him.   It feels natural, I can’t stop myself from resting my hand on his leg.

“How much did it take for you to stop fighting this?”  He whispers in my ear.

“What the hell?”  I stand up fast yelling at him and the room gets quiet.

“Let’s go somewhere Maddy.”  He tries to grab my hand but I pull it back.

“If you want to talk, let’s talk right here.”  I am furious.  I don’t know if I am mad at what he said or if it is because he is right.  I can’t fight this between us.

“No, let’s go somewhere more private.”  He rubs his thumb up my arm insinuating we wouldn’t be talking.