“End what sweetheart?”  She quizzes.

“What I have caused.  I have to make it right.”  I grab her keys from her hand.  “Thanks.”  I start out the door but Ian grabs my arm.

“Oh no you don’t, I smell drama and where drama is I am.” Ian hooks arms with me accompanying me to my mom’s car.

Chapter 24 – Present Day

Jack has been storing my boxes in his attic so Ian happily agrees to go up the ladder after some heavy persuading on my part.  A half hour later Ian is coming down the stairs showing me my purple plaid box.

“You have a bunch of other shit up there.”  Ian motions with his thumb up the ladder he just came down.

“Thank you Ian.”  I ignore his comment concentrating on the box.  When I lift the lid the smell of the beach and water practically float to my senses.  I can feel the sun on me playing volleyball with Gabe and the midnight walks along the beach letting the waves crash across our ankles.  My eyes close remember his hands on me, holding me close and those wet lips kissing me goodnight.

“Jack, could you call Doug. I have a plan.”  I yell towards him walking down the stairs.

“Why?  Maddy, Linds and I are extremely busy, can’t this wait?”  Jack walks into the room holding some kind of tulle and a ribbon trying to make a bow.

“Just give me this.  Go call Doug.  It’s time his brothers grow up.”  I lead the way into the kitchen sitting down with Lindsey helping her tie her boxes of candy into little tulle packages clasped with a ribbon.  Of course Ian sits down joining and we soon have an assembly line going.

Two hundred tulle presents later a scheming plan has been put into place recruiting not only Jack and Doug but Mr. and Mrs. Basso as well.  They convinced Trent that the bachelor party should be at the Bassos here with all the press that is probably waiting around for him to show up at the clubs in Chicago.  Since Jack isn’t concerned where his bachelor party is held but more who was at his bachelor party, it made my plan that much more possible.

Trent is still at his parents so I text him to meet me at the barn in a half hour.  After jotting a down a quick note I hand Gabe’s letter to Ian.    “Make sure he reads it.”  I instruct Ian holding it firm in his hand.

“I will Maddy.”  He practically has to rip it from my hands.  I am reluctant to let it go.  That is my love letter from Gabe, a goodbye love letter, but a love letter nonetheless.  That time in Cancun was ours and I will always cherish it.

“Ian, let’s go.”  Jack puts his hand on his shoulder motioning him in to the hallway.

Ian reaches over giving me a huge hug.  “Good luck honey.  I will be waiting for you after.”  Then he retreats down the hall.

“Are you sure?”  Jack asks me not following Ian.  “When we talked last I thought this was going to end…differently” he falters through his words.

“It’s for the best.”  I say.

“For who?”  Jack questions but I don’t answer.  I just wrap my arms around him trying to assure him this is the right decision.

I pull out of my brothers driveway following the three boys most of the way but when they turn into the driveway of the Bassos I continue on.   Turning left at the next stop sign I park along the side of the road about a block down.  Déjà vu hits me reminding of all the times I parked my red Jeep in this spot sneaking out to the barn to meet Trent.  All the nights we made love or had wild sex.  The nights he held me until I feel asleep or comforted me when I cried over my mom.

The tall grass scratches my legs following the path up to the barn.  I push the wooden door open and Mr. and Mrs. Basso have already been hard at work preparing it for the bachelor party.  There are poker tables and chairs strewed around with long tables along the walls for food and beverages.  The barrel in the corner indicating there is a keg coming soon.  Jack is going to love his bachelor party.

I climb the ladder up to my hide away spot with Trent.  I am surprised seeing him already resting against the hay pale.   He is wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  One of his legs is sprawled straight while the other is bend with his elbow resting on it.  When his eyes meet mine it makes me want to run back down that ladder, out of the barn and back into my mom’s car.  I reluctantly walk over to him hearing the floorboards creak with every step reminding me I will never be here again.  I take a seat next to him and he grabs my hand smiling over to me.

“Trent” I sigh heavily releasing the breath I’ve been holding for last two minutes.

“Maddy, I am truly sorry for this morning.  I have already called Eric and made a statement.  I told them that the fight outside the bar was just brothers messing around and you were just trying to get us to stop before someone got hurt.  I didn’t explain the pictures of you crying though, I didn’t know how.”  Then he releases my hand.

“Thank you.”  I bite my lower lip unsure of how to start this.

“What did you want to talk about?”  He doesn’t turn his head towards me; he just stares down at the piece of hay he is wrapping around his fingers.

“Um…Well…” I stutter making Trent peek his eyes up at me.  I have to gather the strength to this.  It will be better for the both of us.  “We need to talk about us.”  I deadpan.

“What about us?”  He asks inquiring.  Does he really not know what I am about to tell him?  That makes this that much harder.

“We need to say good-bye to each other as lovers.”  I turn towards him sitting Indian style in front of him grabbing his hand off his leg.

“So, you are choosing him?”  He sneers at me.

“I’m not choosing anyone.”  I shake my head back and forth “No, I am choosing you and Gabe.  I want you two to get past this fight and be the brothers I know you can be.”

“Maddy, I told you this morning, I tried.  He doesn’t want to.  Not to mention if I have to lose you for him I am not willing to do it.”  He stares down at our hands clasped together.

“Trent, can I ask you a question?”

He shakes his head up and down.

“Would you marry me?”  I ask more as an inquisition instead of a sincere request.

“In a couple years yeah.”  He shrugs his shoulders indifferent.

“No, I mean right now.  Fly to Vegas and be married by the end of the night.”

“Maddy…” he sighs.

“Trent, I love you and I know you love me but you can’t deny we have changed through the years.  There was a time when you would have pulled me up right now and had me in your car driving to the airport to marry me.  We aren’t those kids anymore.  Through the years our paths separated and unfortunately”

“Someone took my spot” he interrupts.

“That’s not the reason, well…it’s not the only reason.  We gave it everything Trent but we don’t want the same things in life anymore.  You love the clubs and parties where I like quiet dinners and nights in.   It was all proven last year.”  I take his other hand so I am holding both.  “You mean the world to me and what we have shared over the years will never be forgotten.  I will continue to support you and be your friend but I cannot be your lover anymore.”  I look down at the flower blanket that I lost my virginity on with Trent and a tear falls down soaking a small dot.

“I told you Maddy, I changed.”  He confesses.

“Please Trent, don’t fight this.  Respect me enough not to argue with what you know is the truth.”  I plead with him.

His blue eyes study me for what seems like an eternity.  My eyes don’t waver and I can’t tell what he is thinking and it scares me.

“Do you love him?”  He softly asks.

“Trent, this has nothing to do with him.”

“Maddy, just answer the question.”

“Yes” I whisper.

“More than me?”

“Trent…” I breathe in exhaustion.

“I know, don’t answer that.  Sorry.  I don’t think I could handle the answer anyway.”  He throws the piece of hay to the ground.