《Meant to Marry Me》


 Chapter 1: The Cabin

    Chapter 1: The Cabin


    The log cabin was bigger than Bree Matthews had expected. Of course, when her friends had


    suggested they rent a ce up in the mountains for a few days during winter break, she knew it would


    have to have a lot of rooms in order for all of them tofortably fit, but this ce looked more like a


    mansion made of wooden beams than a traditional log cabin.


    "Woah! This ce is massive!" Bree''s boyfriend, Jason Owens, said as he stared up at the house.


    "You''re telling me." It was nighttime, and due to Jason''s sses endingter than most everyone


    else''s, they were likely thest to arrive. After a long day in school and a three hour drive, she was


    ready to get inside, see friends from high school she hadn''t seen in a long time, and maybe have a


    drink or two.


    "Let''s go!" Jason said, bounding up the steps. ¡°I need a beer like nobody¡¯s business.¡±


    Snow lined either side of the pathway, but the walkway looked clear. Bree grabbed her suitcase and


    followed behind him, hoping there wasn''t any ice--and wishing he would''ve taken the bag for her. It


    wasn''t like Jason to think of something like that, though, and she was tired of always reminding him to


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    be a gentleman. So she took it up herself.


    When they reached the door, he threw it open without knocking. Bree prayed this was actually the right


    ce. "Hey! Someone order a party animal?" Jason announced stepping inside.


    Thankfully, Bree recognized the loud, squeakyugh of her best friend from high school, Nora Phillips.


    She was the only one who had ever even met Jason before since she''d visited Bree a few times at


    college. The rest of the gang saw her and realized who he must be, and everyone jumped up to tell her


    hello and meet her new me.


    "Bree!" Nora said, a wine cooler in her hand. "Thank goodness you''re here. We were thinking about


    sending out a search and rescue party."


    Bree giggled and hugged her. "We hit some snow on the west side of Lexington," she exined. "It


    slowed us down."


    "You? Since when is Bree Matthews afraid to drive on a little snow?" another friend, Abby Quinton,


    said, also hugging Bree.


    "I wasn''t driving," Bree replied, trying not to roll her eyes.


    "Well, we''re so d you''re here. Christy is about to fall asleep."


    "I am not." Christy Rice stumbled backward into the arm of the couch. "Okay, maybe." She was a tiny


    girl, and by the looks of it, she''d had one too many drinks. Bree stepped over and embraced her.


    "It''s nice to see you, girl. How''s Tennessee State?" Bree asked.


    "Ugh. Let''s just say¡­ D is for diploma." She took another drink of her beer. "Oh, Bree. This is my


    boyfriend--Devon Stahl. Devon, this is Bree. I know she''s beautiful but hands off!"


    "Please, babe. You know I only have eyes for you."


    Devon, who had to be at least six foot five, unfolded himself from the couch and wrapped his arms


    around Bree. "How''s it goin''?"


    "Don''t!" Christy shouted.


    Breeughed nervously. Jason was across the room, already chummy with some of the other guys.


    "Very funny. Nice to meet you Devon." She excused herself and was promptly introduced to Abby''s


    boyfriend, Ed Thorton, and Nora''s date, who wasn''t her boyfriend--yet--a sweet, but shy guy with red


    hair named Flint Vance.


    "Where''s everyone else?" Bree asked, once she''d introduced Jason.


    "ying pool," Christy said, practically falling into Devon''sp. "You guys should go check out your


    room."


    "I had to save it for you." Abby''s eyes bulged. "I tried to tell Grant''s girlfriend that because they didn''t


    pay as much, they couldn''t have one of the rooms with the ensuite bathroom, but she was being such


    a--"


    "Bother about it," Nora finished, making a face at Abby as if to say there was no need for name calling.


    "Great. Thanks," Bree said, going back to pick up the suitcase where she''d dropped it by the door.


    Jason still had his duffle bag slung over his shoulder.


    "You need some help with that, Bree?" Devon asked as she hauled the luggage to the stairs. Devon


    looked at Jason like he was worthless.


    "No, it''s okay. I can manage." She''d made it up about two steps before he came and took it from her.


    Jason was already at the top of the stairs.


    "Thank you," Bree said.


    "Sure. I don''t mind helping ady out." He smiled at her, and Bree couldn''t tell if he was hitting on her


    or just being polite. From Christy''s warnings to him not to flirt, she got the impression he was a little bit


    of ady''s man.


    "Which room is ours?" Jason shouted.


    "Third on the left!" Nora screamed up the stairs.


    Bree hadn''t quite reached thending when she heard Jason yell, "Sweet! This is a big ass bed!" She


    felt all the color rush to her face. She hoped Devon didn''t get the wrong impression. Jason hadn''t been


    her boyfriend that long, and they hadn''t taken their rtionship to that level--yet.


    Devon didn''t say anything, only set the suitcase down outside of the door. "Here you go. I know some


    of the guys in the other room were looking forward to seeing you, so¡­ don''t let Romeo get too carried


    away." Devon winked at her and then headed down the stairs.


    Bree picked her jaw up off of the floor and entered the bedroom..


    "This is awesome!" Jason was bouncing up and down on the bed like a little kid.


    It was a nice room, but she wasn''t ready to stay in it just yet. "I''m going to head down to say hi to the


    guys in the pool parlor. You wannae?"


    "Sure. I''ll be right down. I hope they have plenty of beer."


    "After what I paid for a stocked fridge and pantry, they better." She forced a smile and headed back to


    the stairs. Jason hadn''t shared any of the cost since he said they were her friends. Bree had been


    working every weekend for weeks to save up for this. While she loved ying the guitar at local clubs


    and singing, she would''ve also loved it if her boyfriend wouldn''t be so stingy with his cash.


    When Bree reached the bottom of the stairs, Nora was waiting for her. "So¡­ Jason seems¡­ nice."


    "Yep.¡± She heard the sarcasm in her voice but didn¡¯t want to exin herself to her friend at the


    moment. ¡°I''m gonna go say hi to the other guys. Are Hank and Isaac both here, too? Did they bring


    dates?" She was already walking through the living room toward the sound of pool balls in the back of


    the house.


    "Uh¡­ Hank did, but¡­ Isaac didn''t. His girlfriend broke up with him. Since he had twin beds in his room


    anyway, he brought someone else."


    "Oh? A friend from college?"


    Nora didn''t need to answer that question because as soon as Bree walked into the room, she saw


    exactly who Isaac had invited. "Oh shit," she muttered, her mouth falling open in shock.


    "Nope," Nora said. "Surprise."


    Surprise wasn''t even the half of it.

 Chapter 2: Girl From Yesterday

    Chapter 2: Girl From Yesterday


    Trent Walker had just sunk a difficult shot, knocking two balls in the outside pocket when Bree walked


    into the room. She took one look at him and muttered a curse word. Not sure exactly what to make of


    that, Trent lined up the next shot but ended up scratching, which wasn''t a surprise, considering how


    jarring it was just to see her again, let alone have her drop an expletive at the sight of him.


    "Our shot!" Hank Yarborough said, a little too much happiness in his voice. "But first, let''s take a break


    to say hi to Bree!"


    Everyone set their pool sticks down and went to say hello. Even the girlfriends who had been watching


    got up to go meet her, despite the fact that one of them, Grant''s girlfriend, Jody something-or-other,


    had beenining about Bree getting the good room ever since she''d sat down next to Hank''s girl,


    Kensey. Apparently, the two knew each other from school and were sorority sisters. What sorority,


    Trent didn''t know, but he had a feeling it was one full of rich bitches by the conversation they were


    having.


    He waited untilst to go say hi to Bree. She clearly hadn''t been expecting him. Why she didn''t want to


    see him, he didn''t know. As far as he could tell, they were on good terms. It had been a while since


    he''d talked to her or even sent her a text, but that was because he''d been so busy getting his


    ounting degree at University of Kentucky, he really didn''t have time to keep up with everyone. At


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    least, that¡¯s what he told himself every time he thought about picking up the phone to send her a text.


    "Hi," she said, stepping up in front of him. Her smile looked much more friendly now than the face she''d


    made when she first came in the room


    "Hi, Bree." Trent leaned down and wrapped his arms around her. He almost wished he hadn''t. She


    smelled just as good as she always did in high school--like vani--and it was all he could do to make it


    a quick hug.


    He could make up excuses all he wanted to, but he knew darn good and well the reason he hadn''t


    talked to her had nothing to do with college sses.


    "How''s it going?" she asked him as the pool game resumed behind them, and Nora headed back out of


    the room.


    "Good. It''s going good. How are you? How''s school going? University of Louisville everything you


    hoped it would be and more?"


    Sheughed, and he remembered how much her giggle had always made him smile, but he held back


    now, not wanting to seem too eager. "It''s great. I''m really loving my music program."


    "That''s great. You''ll be famous before we know it."


    "I don''t know about that. As long as I can teach music, I''ll be happy."


    He stood there for a second, looking at her awkwardly, not sure what to say, when a guy he hadn''t met


    yet stepped through the doorway behind her.


    Bree turned. "Oh, Jason. Come meet some more of my friends from high school. This is Trent Walker."


    "Trent?" It was a question. "I didn''t know you were going to be here."


    Shaking his hand, Trent said, "It was sort ofst minute. Isaac''s girlfriend didn''t want toe. Or be his


    girlfriend anymore."


    Bree hid a smile, but Jason just shook his head. "Well, it''s nice to meet you."


    "You, too." But the way Jason was looking at him, he didn''t think it was. Trent wondered what Bree


    might''ve said about him that made Jason leery of seeing him there.


    She gave him a small, awkward smile, and then headed off to introduce Jason to the rest of the gang.


    Trent turned back to the pool table, wondering ifing here had been a big mistake. He''d be lying if


    he didn''t admit that the main reason he''d agreed toe was because he wanted to see Bree, but he


    wasn''t expecting for her to still be able to take his breath away.

 Chapter 3: Memories of an Almost Kiss

    Chapter 3: Memories of an Almost Kiss


    Watching the guys y pool, Bree sat next to friends she hadn''t seen in far too long and tried her best


    to listen to what they were talking about. Concentrating was hard. She truly hadn''t been prepared for


    Trent to be there, and the fact that he was served as a distraction.


    Jason must''ve noticed her change in behavior. She''d mentioned Trent to him before because he''d


    group of friends while they were in high school. Jason had specifically asked if Trent was going to be


    there, which Bree had thought was odd, until now. Jason wasn''t the brightest bulb in the pack, but he


    had to have guessed there was more to her past with Trent than she was telling him.


    There was more to it than Bree was willing to admit to, most of the time. The drink in her hand was


    helping with the introspection, though. Trent still looked good. In high school, she''d catch herself staring


    at him and have to look away before he noticed. They were friends, after all, nothing more.


    Nora was telling a story, and everyoneughed. Bree chimed in, trying to fool them all into thinking she


    was a part of the conversation, but her mind had wandered back to junior year¡­.


    Out in the parking lot, Bree could still hear the music ying in the gymnasium. She felt so stupid,


    buying a new dress and getting herself all made up--for what? Stupid Chris Smith wasn''t interested in


    her. He''d just been using her to make his ex-girlfriend jealous.


    Bree pulled her phone out of her pocket and started to dial her mom. She hadn''t driven herself to the


    dance, so she had no ride home. She might look like a little kid having her parentse and get her,


    but it beat walking home.


    "Bree! Are you okay?"


    She turned around to see Trent jogging toward her, the corsage his date had pinned on hispel a few


    hours ago a visible reminder that he''de there with someone else.


    "I''m fine," she said, sticking her phone back in her jacket pocket. "I just¡­ want to go home." There was


    no sense trying to hide her tears from him. Trent knew her better than anyone.


    "I saw what that jackass was doing, Bree. I''m so sorry."


    She wiped her nose on the back of her hand, realizing she was also still wearing her corsage. She took


    it off and hurled it across the parking lot. "Why do guys have to act like that?"


    "I''m so sorry," he said again, brushing a strawberry-blonde lock of hair away from her face. "Not all


    guys are like that, you know."


    Shaking her head, she folded and unfolded her arms, not sure what to do. "Well, it seems like everyone


    I date is."


    "Yeah, I''ll give you that." He chuckled, sticking his hands in the pockets of his dress pants.


    "That''s not funny." She pushed him yfully, and since he had his hands in his pockets, he staggered


    backward a little bit.


    "I was just kidding, Bree. Trying to make youugh."


    "Yeah, except it''s true."


    "Bree¡­."


    "God, Trent. I''m such a loser."


    "You''re not a loser, Bree. He''s the loser." He had his hands on her now, pulling her by the arms so


    she''d look at him. "Anyone who doesn''t know your worth is a loser."


    She looked into his eyes for a moment but then dropped her head. "You''re just saying that because


    you''re my best friend."


    "Best friend?" he repeated. "Wow. I''ve gotten a promotion."


    "Stop. You know you are." He pulled her closer, and Bree put her head on his shoulder. His arms


    circled around her, and she inhaled deeply, wishing she had a way of telling him she wanted so


    desperately for him to be more than a friend.


    But she had no idea if he felt the same way, and she couldn''t mess this up. What would she do without


    him in her life? Shrivel up and die? Bury herself under a rock and stay there forever?


    "You shoulde back inside, Bree." Trent''s voice was just a whisper in her ear. "Don''t give him the


    satisfaction of knowing he upset you."


    "Are you kidding? And watch him dance with that stupid bitch all night?"


    "Let him watch you dance with a bunch of hot guys all night. All right, well maybe not any hot ones--but


    me, and Isaac, and Hank¡­."


    She raised her eyes to look at him. Did he really think he wasn''t hot? He was the hottest guy in


    Shelbyville. "What about your dates?"


    He shook his head. "Our dates all know that we''re friends. Hell, Missy and I are just friends. You know


    that."


    That''s what he''d said, but she didn''t know if Missy was aware of that. "Are you sure? I was just going to


    call my mom. How am I going to get home when this is over?"


    "Hi--I''m your next door neighbor. Pretty sure I can get you home." He slipped a finger under her chin


    and gently raised her face so she was looking at him. "Bree, Bree¡­ it''s okay. You''re okay. You''re better


    than okay. You''re amazing."


    Bree took a deep breath. Something was happening here, and while it made her nervous and a little


    terrified, it felt really good as well. An energy filled the air around them, and Bree found herself staring


    at his lips for a second before she realized they were moving closer to hers.


    He was going to kiss her! Trent Walker--her next door neighbor, hottest guy in school, best friend--was


    going to kiss her. Bree closed her eyes and leaned in, ready to ept his kiss and whatever it meant


    for them.


    "Yo, Walker! Youin'' back or am I gonna have to steal your girl?"


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    Trent jumped back about six feet, and Bree dropped her head. Stupid Hank! What the hell was wrong


    with him?


    "I''ming!" Trent shouted back. He took a few steps, ran a hand through his sandy blond hair, and


    then turned back to Bree. "You, uh¡­ you ready?"


    "Yep. Let''s go." How could she not go back in now? She took a deep breath and walked alongside


    Trent, back into the dance, pretending what had just happened hadn''t just happened¡­.


    Back in the cabin, Bree realized Nora was saying her name. "Bree? Are you even listening?"


    "Huh? Oh, yeah. I''m listening. Sorry. Maybe I''ve had too much to drink."


    "Isn''t that your first beer?" Christy asked.


    "Light weight," Abby joked.


    Bree did her best to tune into the conversation, but her eyes kept wandering back to Trent. Things had


    never quite been the same between them after that night in the parking lot when he''d almost kissed


    her.


    She wished she could go back in time and make it happen. If things were going to be odd, she may as


    well see what it would''ve led to. Instead, that night had been the beginning of thendslide of their


    friendship, and God how she missed him¡­.

 Chapter 4: Need to Breathe

    Chapter 4: Need to Breathe


    This Jason guy was a prick. Trent could tell by the cocky way he held his pool stick. Not to mention he


    didn''t have too many nice things to say about Bree. The girls were sitting on the other side of the room,


    something on her mind.


    Jason was telling stories, too. "So anyway, she decides to bring her guitar, right, as if she''s going to


    serenade the poor homeless dudes downtown. And I don''t want to be there anyway. I''ve got more to do


    with my Saturdays than work a damn soup kitchen, but we have to because it''s a ss assignment.


    And then, she''s shocked when some dumbass tries to steal her freaking guitar. I was like, ''You''re the


    idiot who brought it with you, you know?''" Heughed hysterically, but none of the other guys thought it


    was funny.


    "Did she get her guitar back?" Isaac asked, pausing in the middle of lining up his shot.


    "Yeah, some other guy in our ss chased the bum down and got it from him. I was like, ''If you wanna


    get all sweaty tracking down that piece of shit guitar when I told her not to bring it, then so be it, dude.''"


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    He shook his head a few times and snickered.


    Isaac took his shot but missed. "Was it that guitar of her grandma''s?"


    "Hell if I know," Jason said, shaking his head. "I can''t keep it all straight."


    Trent wasn''t sure what that meant, but he was beginning to dislike this guy. He wondered what in the


    world Bree saw in him.


    "How long have you two been dating?" Hank asked him, clearly as shocked as he was that Bree was


    with such a shallow guy. He was attractive, Trent supposed, not that he was used to checking out other


    guys. But¡­ he wasn''t smart, considerate, polite¡­. So, what in the world was she doing with him?


    "On and off for a couple of months," Jason replied. "She''s hot. And I like a challenge."


    "A challenge?" Devon, Christy''s boyfriend, asked.


    "Yeah. She''s not so quick to give it up, if you know what I mean. But¡­ hey, I''m up for conquering that


    mountain. My friends said it can''t be done. I figure that bed upstairs is plenty big, though, am I right?"


    He raised his hand to Hank who looked at it awkwardly for a few moments before he finally caved and


    gave him five.


    Trent hoped Bree''s resolve was stronger than Hank''s.


    It was his turn, and he was eager for this game to be over so he could get away from this guy. There


    were enough other guys waiting to get into the action anyway so that anyone who wanted to keep


    ying would be able to.


    So he made short work of the rest of the balls he and Isaac had on the table. As soon as the game was


    over, Jason was calling for a rematch, but Trent happily handed his pool stick off to someone else. He


    made his way into the kitchen to grab a beer but thought he might take a few minutes outside to catch


    his breath. After an hour or so of that Jason guy, he had had enough and was willing to do just about


    anything to stay away from him. Seriously, whatever Bree saw in him, she needed her head examined.


    Trent grabbed a beer out of the fully stocked refrigerator and then went to get his coat out of the closet


    in the front room. He went out a back door, away from the pool room, so maybe he could get some


    peace and quiet before anyone came looking for him.


    It was nice to see all of his friends from high school again. He didn''t see enough of them anymore,


    except for Hank, who was his college roommate. Isaac lived in the same dorm, so he saw him fairly


    often as well. But the rest of them, especially the girls, he''d lost track of them over thest few years.


    Especially Bree.


    He''d meant to stay in touch. When she started college, he''d texted her often, and she''d replied. Then,


    he''d gotten a girlfriend who really didn''t want him talking to other girls, especially after she saw Bree''s


    picture. She was gorgeous, after all. After he¡¯d broken up with that girl, he¡¯d found out Bree had a


    boyfriend. He hadn''t wanted to get in the middle of that. They''d drifted apart¡­. He had no idea how


    long it had been since she''d broken up with that guy and started dating Jason, but whoever that other


    guy was, he had to be better than this stupid prick.


    The stars were bright, their twinkling lights so much easier to see out here in the mountains than at


    school where there was so much city light pollution. It sort of reminded him of being home in


    Shelbyville, which wasn''t near any big cities, so the sky was clearer. How many nights had he looked


    up at the stars and wondered what Bree was up to, if she was looking at them, too?


    Now, he was single and possibly even brave enough to tell her how he was feeling, but she was dating


    a jerk. If he had a chance to tell her the awful things Jason was just saying, would he do it? He should.


    He hoped he would. While he had a chance to make confessions, would he be prepared to tell her that


    his biggest regret in the world was not kissing her that night in the parking lot outside the high school


    gym?


    The door behind him opened, and he turned to see Bree, arms folded against the chill. She was alone,


    and she seemed to be looking for him.


    Perhaps now was his chance toe clean atst.

 Chapter 5: A Talk Under the Stars

    Chapter 5: A Talk Under the Stars


    Bree hadn''t meant to follow Trent outside--not exactly anyway. She''d seen him leave but hadn''t


    realized he''d stepped outside for a breath of fresh air in the same ce she had until after she was


    halfway out the door. It would be strange to walk away from him. It seemed strange to walk toward him,


    too, though. But her feet were headed in that direction before she had a chance to stop them.


    The night was chilly, which was to be expected in the mountains in December; she wished she¡¯d


    thought to grab her coat. It wasn''t snowing, but the wind was stirring up ice crystals from the ground.


    The stars twinkling in the heavens were spectacr. This was exactly what she''d been looking for


    when she came out here. Peace, quiet, beauty, and a wonderful man. She had just hoped somehow


    that''s what Jason would end up being. The better she got to know him, the more she thought that


    wasn''t likely the case.


    "Hey," Trent said, ncing at her and then back out at thendscape. "You had enough pool for one


    night?"


    "Enough reminiscing for a while, I guess." She could feel the effects of the alcohol. She''d drank a little


    too fast on an empty stomach. Hopefully, it wouldn''t lead them to a ce of no return. "How have you


    been?"


    "Okay." He shrugged. "Trying to focus on school as much as I can."


    "Hence no girlfriend at the moment?" She smiled at him, hoping it came across as teasing and not


    inquiry, though she really did want to know. It seemed like every time she was single, he was dating,


    and vice versa.


    "Not at the moment," he replied. "Jason seems like a¡­ guy."


    Breeughed, nudging him gently in the arm. "He is a guy."


    "Sorry--I couldn''t bring myself to say anything better. ¡®Great¡¯ just wasn''t going to work in that sentence."


    Shrugging, she said, "You''ve just got to get to know him. He really does have some great qualities."


    "Like what?"


    He looked like he genuinely wanted to know. "Well, he''s really good at math--just like you. He may end


    up being an ountant."


    "Cool. Maybe I can work with him someday, and he can help me to better see all those endearing


    qualities you speak of."


    She shook her head. "He volunteers at the soup kitchen."


    "When it''s required for a grade."


    "Oh, he told you that story?" She turned to look at him, resting an elbow on the porch railing.


    "He did. If you ask me, it was the guy who went and got your guitar you should''ve brought to the cabin,


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    not that guy." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder.


    "Gee. I guess he really rubbed you the wrong way, huh?" Bree turned back around so she was looking


    at the mountains again.


    Trent let out a loud sigh. "I''m sorry. It''s just¡­ he said some things that weren''t cool."


    Now, he had her interested. "Like what?"


    "Like¡­ he expects you to¡­ you know¡­." His eyes were wide, but he didn''t say more.


    Bree was at a loss. "What? Lose my ability to speak?"


    That made him chuckle. "No. He just said that you haven''t¡­ that he expects you to¡­ that the bed was


    very big, okay?"


    "Oh. Oooh." Now it was Bree who was speechless. It took her a few seconds to ask, "He said that?"


    "Yeah. He said lots of things."


    Bree wasn''t sure if she should be embarrassed or angry. The idea of Jason standing over at the pool


    table with her friends, and the boyfriends of her friends, talking about their personal life, made her irate.


    "Bree, are you okay? Your face is turning red, and you''re breathing heavy."


    "No, I''m fine. I''m just great." She pressed a hand to her forehead.


    Trent''s hand was on her shoulder. "Hey, I''m sorry. I probably shouldn''t have said anything. It''s just¡­ it


    made me mad to hear him talk about you like that. You''re not a freaking prize he can win, you know?"


    She turned to look at him again and realized he really was mad, that it was Jason''sment that had


    prompted Trent to leave the pool game ande out here. "Thank you, Trent. You always were a


    gentleman. I appreciate it."


    He shook his head. "Not always. But¡­ if heys one unwanted finger on you, I swear to God, you


    scream, and I''ll bust the door down if I have to."


    Bree felt her cheeks reddening for apletely different reason now. "Thanks, T."


    He chuckled. "God, it''s been forever since anyone called me that."


    "What? Really?" She found herself giggling as well.


    "Yeah. That''s totally a Bree thing."


    "T and B for life--right? Isn''t that what we used to say? What everyone used to say?"


    He nodded, his hands pushed deep into the pockets of his ck coat. "Yep, that''s what we used to


    say."


    Again, she found herself speechless for a second. But Bree couldn''t help but ask, "God, Trent, what


    happened to us?"


    "I don''t know, Bree. I''ve missed you."


    "I''ve missed you, too."


    Silence settled around them, and she couldn''t help but lean over and put her head on his shoulder. He


    smelled so good--like the woods on a crisp day. He put his arm around her shoulders, and for a


    moment, she considered asking him about that night, in the parking lot, so many years ago. Would he


    have kissed her if Hank hadn''t showed up? If he had kissed her, would it have meant something?


    Would they have been a couple? Would they still?


    She didn''t get a chance though. The door opened behind them. This time it wasn''t Hank. It was Jason.


    And he looked pissed.

 Chapter 6: Time to Move On

    Chapter 6: Time to Move On


    With her back to Jason, Bree hugged a pillow and tried to stop her tears. It was past 2:00 in the


    morning, and she was exhausted. Not only was she tired from a long day of school, being on the road,


    and one too many drinks, she''d spent thest few hours arguing with Jason.


    It hadn''t been pretty on the porch. She''d tried to y it off, as if it meant nothing that she had her head


    on Trent''s shoulder, that his arm was around her, but Jason would have none of it.


    Trent had told him the same, that they were just friends, and Bree was just telling him how great a guy


    Jason was, but he didn''t believe that either.


    So they''d spent two hours arguing. Jason had been so mad, he''d broken a vase in the dining room.


    Christy had tried to clean it up for them and cut her finger--which got blood all over the carpet. The


    whole thing was a mess.


    They''d finally taken the argument upstairs, after she''d convinced Trent that he didn''t need to stand up


    for her, that it wasn''t about him anymore, that Jason was just a dick.


    By the time he''d finally told her to go to hell, Bree was so tired of shouting and crying, her throat was


    restricted, and her eyes ached.


    She wasn''t even sure why she was still in the same room with him. She should go downstairs and


    sleep on the couch or something. But she''d paid for the room, so she wanted to sleep in it at least one


    night before she left. That''s exactly what she intended to do, too. She definitely wasn''t staying here with


    him.


    Jason was good looking, and when they''d first started dating, he''d done nice things for her. But even in


    the few months that they''d been steady, he''d started treating her differently. It wasn''t until Trent told her


    what he''d said that she realized she''d been putting up with his crap because she didn''t want to be


    alone. It seemed so stupid now. She was a strong, independent woman. She didn''t have to have a man


    to be whole.


    Of course, part of it had also been this trip. She didn''t want to show up here solo. For all she knew, only


    couples wereing. If Isaac and his girlfriend hadn''t broken up, that''s all that would''ve been there. So


    she would''ve felt like a loser being the only one on her own.


    Now, she desperately wished she could go back and change things. If Jason hadn''te with her,


    maybe it would be Trent sleeping in the bed with her.


    That wasn''t a good idea either, though. She knew that. A quick hook up with Trent would be the sort of


    thing that would ruin her. She''d have to start singing ssic country western music to have an outlet for


    all of the heartache she''d feel after a one-night stand with him. An almost kiss had nearly derailed her


    entire life.


    If there was a chance it could be more than a hook up, that would be different. But she didn''t see that


    happening. He had said he was focused on school right now. Besides, it didn''t matter. She was dealing


    with hypotheticals again. Hypotheticals that would never happen.


    As Jason began to snore, Bree took the pillow she''d been holding onto for dear life and put it over her


    ears. In the morning, she''d get up, pack her stuff, and go. He could walk back to Louisville for all she


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    cared.


    She definitely wasn''t going out with him anymore. With a year and a half of school left, she''d just focus


    on getting her degree in music education, keep ying her gigs, and learn as much as she possibly


    could. Yep, Bree Matthews was done with men for the foreseeable future.


    So when she closed her eyes and she saw those brilliant blue orbs and that dazzling smile, she had to


    push thoughts of Trent aside, too. If she thought about him hard enough, she could still smell the scent


    of his cologne. It had been too long since she''d seen him. But it needed to be even longer before she


    saw him again. He''d messed with her head before; she couldn''t let him do it again.


    Bree could see the stars out the window. They twinkled and glowed, tiny pin pricks of light in a sea of


    dark blue. From now on, whenever she looked at them, she''d think of Trent. "T and B for life," she


    whispered. Bree squeezed her eyes shut and tried to go to sleep, praying that she could have onest


    dream of Trent and then forget about him again--at least until after they were both done with school


    and could see what might have happened if that almost kiss had been a real one.

 Chapter 7: Not Again

    Chapter 7: Not Again


    Bree was furious! How could that jerk of a now-ex-boyfriend take the car and leave like that? It wasn''t


    even his car! She''d borrowed it from her roommate because it had new tires on it and wasn''t as likely to


    break down as hers. Jason didn''t even own a car! He got to and from ss on a little Vespa he called


    his baby. He was such an idiot. At least they were done, and she''d never have to see him again.


    Her roommate, Lilly Edge, had gone home for the holidays, too, but her sister, who was a year younger


    than her, had stopped to pick her up on her way through town, so she didn''t have to drive. Her sister


    had been attending a college in Ohio, but she decided to transfer for the next semester so she''d be


    closer to home. Now, she''d be going to the same school Trent attended. Lilly and her sister, Monica,


    were very close. Sometimes, Bree wondered why they weren''t at the same school.


    She''d called Lilly as soon as she realized what Jason had done, but she hadn''t answered. Then, she''d


    called her mom. She was still on the line talking to her when Lilly called. "I''ve gotta go, Mom. Lilly''s


    calling."


    "Okay, honey. If you decide you wannae home, Aunt Stacy and Uncle Tom will being right


    through there in a couple of hours on their way to Grandma''s."


    "Okay. Thanks. I''ll let you know." She clicked over before Lilly hung up. "Hey, girl. I''ve got some news."


    "Someone stole my car?"


    "How did you know?"


    "I just got a phone call from the state police that it was broken down on the side of the road near


    Paducah. I couldn''t imagine what you''d be doing there."


    "Paducah?" She shook her head. "I guess Jason was taking it home for the holidays. I''m so sorry."


    "It''s okay. My dad''s taking me to get it now. We are hoping it''s just out of gas. But¡­ what''s going on?


    I''m d you weren''t with him. I mean, I''m assuming not."


    "No. We had a huge fightst night and decided it was over. I was intending to leave first thing this


    morning, but I fell asleep with a pillow over my face to drown out the sound of his buffalo snores, and I


    guess I didn''t hear him get up."


    "Gosh, Bree. That stinks. How are you going to get home?"


    "Well, he was supposed to be driving me to my house for the holidays after the weekend in the cabin,


    and then we''d go back together. But my mom said she''d take me back to college. I can get a ride to her


    house with one of my friends from high school. Or I can catch a ride with my aunt and uncle in a few


    hours. They''reing through here."


    "What are you going to do?"


    "I don''t know. I don''t really want to stay here. It''s been nice seeing everyone, but I''m so mad at Jason, I


    don''t even want to talk to anyone or have fun." She shook her head, her thoughts going to Trent. Now


    was her chance, but it just seemed dumb. Besides, he''d avoided her earlier when everyone else was


    trying tofort her. She knew he felt like this was his fault.


    "What were you fighting about?"


    She blew out a hot breath. "It''s a long story." She was sitting in a den in the back of the cabin, and she


    knew everyone was giving her space. She could hear them in the other room, ying a game of cards.


    It sounded like they were having a lot of fun, but she didn''t want to be part of it.


    "It seems weird you''d go all the way there to have a fight."


    "Well¡­ the fight was about someone who is here."


    "Who?"


    Bree had never told Lilly about Trent. She''d mentioned him in passing a time or two, but she hadn''t told


    her about the almost kiss, or the fact that she''d had a huge crush on him for as long as she could


    remember. "There are a couple of guys here who are single. Jason saw me talking to one of them and


    got the wrong idea. But¡­ he also said some pretty shitty things about mest night, like about me


    sleeping with him. So, it wasn''t just about that."


    "You''re kidding? Bree, I''ve been trying to tell you he''s a jerk. Sure, he''s hot, but you need a nice guy,


    like that guy who got your guitar back for you. What''s his name?"


    "I honestly don''t know," she admitted. "He''s in a couple of my sses, but I don''t know his name."


    "Maybe you need to know his name."


    "Maybe." She thought about the blond who''d chased down the thief. He was sweet and kind of cute


    with his goofy grin. But he wasn''t exactly her type. It didn''t matter. She¡¯d already made up her mind the


    night before¡ªfor the foreseeable future, she wasn''t dating anyone.


    "Well, we''re almost to my car."


    "I''m so sorry about all of that, Lilly. I''ll pay you for the gas money it''s taking for you to go get it, and for


    whatever repairs need to be done." She had no idea how she''d afford that. She''d have to be gigging for


    the rest of her life to make it up to Lilly.


    "No, it''s fine. My dad''s a mechanic. Besides, I''m guessing the moron just forgot to put gas in it. It''s not


    wrecked or anything."


    "If you change your mind, let me know. You did such a nice thing in letting us borrow it."


    "Okay. I''ll keep you posted. Just don''t worry about it."


    "Thanks, Lilly." She hung up and tried to decide what she should do next.


    Christy and Abby knocked on the door and then opened it before she could say anything, like they''d


    been listening and heard her stop talking. "Hey," Abby said. "We brought you some hot cocoa." She


    carried it over and set it on the table next to Bree''s chair.


    "Thanks." She took a sip out of the cup, just to be polite. It was good, but she wasn''t thirsty, or hungry,


    or anything else, except mad and frustrated.


    "Soooo, have you decided what you''re going to do?" Christy asked, sitting across from her on the


    coffee table.


    "Yeah, I think so. My aunt and uncle will being through here soon on their way to my grandma¡¯s


    house. I think I''m going to let them give me a ride home. I''m sorry. I would love to stay here and spend


    more time with you guys, but I''m just so angry."


    "It''s okay. We all understand, I think." Christy gave her a sympathetic smile.


    "It''s just¡­." Abby looked at Christy for a second and then back to Bree. "What about¡­ Trent?"


    Bree''s eyebrows arched. "What about him?"


    "Well, the fight was essentially over him, right? You do like him, don''t you? I always got the impression


    in high school that the two of you would figure out that you were meant to be together eventually. But


    you never did. Now, you''re both single for the first time in a long time. Maybe you should take this


    opportunity to¡­ see where things go."


    Bree had thought about that more than once while trying to make her decision. But now didn''t seem


    like a good time to be jumping into a new rtionship with anyone, especially not someone she cared


    about as much as she cared about Trent.


    "Yeah, thanks, but I don''t think now is a good time." She ran a hand through her long, strawberry-


    blonde hair. "I guess I''m just going to call Aunt Stacy and have them swing by and pick me up. I think


    I''ve had enough drama for one weekend."


    "Okay," Christy said, though she looked sad to see that Bree was going to leave. "Maybe we can hang


    out some other time."


    "For sure." Bree smiled reassuringly, and the other two got up and left. She dialed her aunt''s number,


    her mind made up.


    Later, Bree was upstairs packing when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. It was ajar, so when


    she turned, she expected to see one of the girls there. But it was Trent. "Hi," she said, timidly.


    "Hi. Do you have a minute?"


    "Sure." Bree checked the time. Her aunt and uncle wouldn''t be there for at least another ten minutes.


    He closed the door behind him and walked over to her, his hands pushed down deep in his pockets. "I


    just wanted to say¡­ I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to cause problems between you and Jason."


    "No, it''s not your fault. Clearly, our problems predated this trip." She rolled her eyes and he chuckled.


    "Yeah, maybe so. Still, I didn''t mean to stir anything up."


    "Don''t worry about it." She had a sweater in her hands, so she threw it on top of her suitcase. That was


    just about thest thing she needed to pack. So much for the big bed¡­.


    "Listen, Bree, there''s something I''ve wanted to ask you about for a while now, but I''ve never really


    gotten the nerve. Now, with you upset, it''s probably not the best time, but since I don''t know when I


    might see you again, I''ll juste out and ask, and you can tell me to go to hell if you want to."


    Her eyebrows were arched, and her breath was staggered. "What is it, Trent?"


    "Do you remember that night at the homing dance, junior year, when I came out to the parking lot


    to talk to you? Your date was being a jerk, and you were ready to go home."


    "I remember." Should she tell him she¡¯d thought about that moment every day and night since it


    happened? No, probably not.


    "Well, I was going to kiss you. I didn''t because Hank came out. But I was going to. I don''t know if it


    would''ve been a good move or not. All I know is, in that moment, that''s all I wanted to do. I was just


    wondering¡­ if I would have¡­ would you have kissed me back?"


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He was standing so close to her, she could hear him breathing, practically hear his heart beating in his


    chest. "Yeah, I would have," she admitted. "I thought you were going to. It might''ve been weird,


    because we were such good friends. But it might''ve been¡­ really great, too."


    Trent nodded. "Yeah. Okay. That''s good to know. I agree. It might''ve been weird--but great." He ran a


    hand through his hair, and looked at her lips. Bree tried not to move, thinking maybe he would lean


    down and kiss her now.


    Slowly, Trent leaned in, and Bree found herself moving forward to meet him. Finally, after all of these


    years, she had a chance to find out what would happen if Trent Walker kissed her. His mouth was so


    close to hers, she could practically feel the warmth on her lips. A few more seconds, and she''d finally


    know what he tasted like.


    "Hey, Bree! Your rides here!" Hank shouted in the hallway before banging his fist on the door.


    "Son of a bitch!" Bree muttered.


    Trent looked away and ran a hand through his hair. "I''ll, uh, help you with your suitcase."


    Unable to believe her stupid luck, Bree nodded. "Okay." She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but


    she couldn''t let him see them. Now was no time to be starting a rtionship anyway. She looked


    around the room one more time, and seeing that she''d packed everything, she let Trent get her bag


    and headed for the stairs.

 Chapter 8: At Last

    Chapter 8: At Last


    The snow was falling lightly as Bree followed Trent outside. Uncle Tom''s pickup truck was almost as old


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    as Bree was, but he did his best to keep it running, because it was his baby. It sat idling out front,


    breathing as heavy as Bree had been just the night before when she''d hauled the suitcase up the


    stairs. Had that only been a few hours ago? So much had changed since then.


    As Trent slowly turned and looked at her, she was reminded that just as much had stayed the same.


    He had almost kissed her--again. It just didn''t seem like it was meant to be. She should just tell him


    goodbye and forget about him. Maybe Christy and Abby were right and she should find out the name of


    that guy that had gotten her guitar back when it was stolen¡­.


    "Howdy there, Trent," Uncle Tom said, hopping out of the cab to grab her suitcase from him. "It''s nice to


    see you. Boy, you''ve gotten tall."


    "It''s nice to see you, too." Tom took the suitcase but gave Trent a hug. Her aunt and uncle knew him


    from all the times he''d been over at Bree''s house when they''d visited when Bree and Trent were


    younger.


    "Oh, my goodness! Trent Walker!" Aunt Stacy gushed as her husband stuffed Bree''s suitcase in the


    small back section of the truck behind the front seats. There was a sideways jump seat back there, too,


    and Bree knew she''d be getting acquainted with it soon. It was okay, though. It wasn''t that long of a


    ride home.


    Trent hugged her aunt. "It''s nice to see you, Mrs. Hitchens."


    "Mrs. Hitchens! Now, you call me Aunt Stacy!" She hugged him so tight, Bree thought she might cut his


    air off. "How have you been? We don''t see enough of you anymore."


    "Good, good."


    "Still studying ounting? Gonna join your dad''s firm?"


    "I am still studying ounting, but I''m not sure where I''ll be working. Hopefully, I''ll get an internship this


    summer, and that''ll give me some direction."


    "Oh, I''m sure anyone would be d to have you." Stacy turned to Bree. "Hi there, precious girl. Give


    me some sugar!"


    Stacy''s arms were wide open, and Bree stepped into them. Her aunt had the strongest hugs. She


    kissed her cheek, and Bree was sure she''d have a streak of red there, but she didn''t mind. "Thanks so


    much foring to get me."


    "Any time, girl, any time. Are any of the rest of your friends from high school inside?"


    "Yes, quite a few of them. Christy and Abby¡­."


    "Oh, I''ve got to get in there and see my Abby girl. It''s been too long!"


    Stacy and Tom went flying up the walkway like it was their own long lost children inside, and Bree


    turned and giggled at them. They were such good people. She''d already said her goodbyes, though,


    and she didn''t want to go back inside.


    She turned around to see Trent standing in front of her again. He was staring at the toes of his shoes


    but nced up at her and smiled. "You''ve got lipstick¡­ everywhere."


    "Oh, gosh. Aunt Stacy¡­ and it has to be red." She wiped at her cheek but figured she wasn''t getting


    anywhere.


    Trent stepped over, and using his thumb, he wiped it away, gentle but firm.


    His touch on her face left her knees feeling weak, her spine tingling. She wanted to say something


    about what had almost happened. But they''d tried that song and dance once, and they hadn''t gotten


    anywhere. It was futile.


    He was looking at her so intently, though, she couldn''t help but stare back. His eyes were the same


    color as the sky behind him, and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him, press her lips to


    his, and never let him go.


    "Bree¡­." His voice was a breathy whisper, and the distance between them was closing up again.


    There were years of space in those few inches, miles and miles of minutes. When his mouth was finally


    on hers, the intensity had her digging her hands into his shoulders, struggling to breathe as her lips


    melded into his.


    He tasted like mint and fresh falling snow, and she didn''t ever want this moment to end. Bree felt


    herself floating up among the clouds, back in time to years ago when she could''ve made him hers if


    only she would''ve taken advantage of that missed opportunity. Now, here they were together, years


    The sound of the door behind her sent him away from her. The snow, falling heavier, stood sentinel


    between them. Bree''s breath wasbored, and she knew her face was flushed. Trent bit his bottom lip,


    and she thought maybe she should stay¡­.


    "All righty! Let''s get loaded up!" Aunt Stacy said, patting her on the back. If she noticed anything about


    the way they were looking at each other, she didn''t say anything.


    "I have to go," Bree said, wishing that weren''t the case. If he''d kissed her earlier, before she''d called


    them, perhaps he would''ve changed her mind.


    "Yeah. Okay. I''ll¡­ talk to you soon."


    She nodded. She hoped so. After a kiss like that, they couldn''t deny that they were meant to be


    together, could they?


    Trent walked past her, taking her hand for a moment, and then letting it go. Her fingertips still felt the


    warmth of his flesh after he''d moved on. Her lips still felt swollen from his touch, and the taste of him


    lingered in her mouth.


    "Bree?" Uncle Tom called. "Youin''?"


    "Yes. I''ming." She took onest look behind her. Trent was standing at the door, looking over his


    shoulder. He gave her a small wave and then disappeared inside.

 Chapter 9: Bree Who?

    Chapter 9: Bree Who?


    Christmas came and went, as did New Year¡¯s Day, and Bree didn''t hear from Trent. When she went


    back to school, he still hadn''t called. She''d gotten the impression that he would, so she continued to


    wait for at least a text from him, but none ever came.


    She didn''t understand why. He''d finally kissed her, and for Bree, it had been just as magical and


    amazing as she''d always dreamt it would be. But.... maybe it hadn''t been for him. Maybe Trent was not


    as enamored with her as he had been with the idea of her.


    One afternoon, a few days after school started again, she sat on her bed, staring at her phone,


    debating about whether or not to call him.


    Her roommate, Lilly, walked in and sat down on her own bed next to Bree. "What are you doing?


    Please tell me you''re not thinking about calling Jason."


    "Oh, God, no." It was enough to make Bree toss her phone aside. "Gross. I''m so d there was


    nothing wrong with your car."


    "Yeah, the jackass just didn''t know how to put gas in it, apparently." She rolled her eyes and picked up


    herptop. "So, what were you doing?"


    "Oh, uh, nothing. Just thinking about calling one of my friends I saw at the cabin. Things were kind of


    weird when I left. I just wanted to see if he was okay." She tried to y it off, but Lilly could see right


    through her.


    "A friend you wish was more than a friend?"


    Bree shrugged. She''d never told her anything about Trent, only mentioned his name a few times when


    she was talking about her friends in general. "It doesn''t matter. I''m not calling him anyway."


    "Well, I just saw that other music major who lives a few rooms down out in themons area. He was


    practicing the guitar. It''s that same guy who rescued yours when it was stolen. Maybe you should go


    talk to him. I bet the two of you could make beautiful music together." Lilly wagged her eyebrows at


    Bree.


    "He lives here? I didn''t know that." They lived in a coed dormitory, so it didn''t surprise her to know a


    guy lived nearby. She just didn''t realize it was the same one who''d gotten her guitar back.


    "Yeah. He''s super nice. Every time I see him, we chat. He asked about you today. He asked me if I was


    your roommate and said he''d been at the soup kitchen with you that time. I asked him if he knew about


    your guitar getting nabbed, and he admitted he was the one who got it back. You should go talk to him.


    His name is Sam Fowler."


    "Maybe I should." Bree looked at her phone again. If she went and talked to Sam, what would happen if


    Trent did call her? Maybe she should just text Trent first. What if he was waiting for her to text him? A


    simple, "Hey," never hurt anything.


    "Or¡­ you could keep staring at your phone and do nothing." Lilly shrugged and returned her attention


    to herptop.


    Her roommate was right. It was time Bree took matters into her own hands. If she had done that years


    ago in the high school parking lot, she wouldn''t be staring at her phone now, would she?


    With a deep breath, she picked up her phone, opened her contacts, and found Trent''s name. "Hey,


    how''s it going?" she asked, and set her phone down.


    It seemed to take forever for him to answer but when he did, he just said, "Fine. How are you?"


    "Good. Did you have a good Christmas?"


    "Sure. Hey, who is this?"


    Was he being serious? Did he really not know who she was? "This is Bree."


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    "Bree who?"


    "Okay then. Never mind." Wow--so that''s how he was going to y it. Frustrated, Bree tossed her


    phone aside and flung herself back onto her pillow.


    "What''s the matter?" Lilly asked.


    "Nothing."


    "Did you text him?"


    "Yep."


    "Did he answer?"


    "Yep. Bree who."


    "Oh. Maybe it''s not his number anymore."


    Fighting tears, Bree rolled her eyes. "He''s had the same number since eighth grade. I''m sure it''s not


    that. Either he''s trying to be funny, or this is his way of blowing me off."


    "I''m sorry, hon. Maybe you should ask him who he is."


    "Yeah, that wouldn''t make me look like a stalker." She rolled her eyes and got up off of the bed.


    Standing in front of the mirror, she wiped her eyes. It seemed stupid to cry over something she never


    had. With a deep breath, she picked up her guitar case and walked out into the hallway. Maybe it was


    time to get to know Sam after all.

 Chapter 10: Moving On

    Chapter 10: Moving On


    "Is this seat taken?"


    Trent looked up to see a beautiful blonde with long, straight hair and a gorgeous smile standing next to


    him, a full tray in her hands. "Uh, no." She reminded him of Bree--sort of. She wasn''t quite as pretty as


    his friend, but the hair was simr, and she had a nice smile.


    "Thanks. It''s crowded in here."


    Trent looked around the cafeteria. Apparently, he had picked a busy time to swing by for lunch.


    Normally, he had an ounting ss right now, but the professor was sick. "Guess so."


    She set her tray down and waved across the way at a brte who gave her a thumbs up. "You don''t


    mind if my friend sits here, too, do you? All the other tables are really crowded. I''m sorry--it looks like


    you were trying to read or something."


    Dropping his phone into his jacket he assured her it was fine. "I was just on social media."


    "Oh. Cool." She sat down. "I''m Heather, by the way."


    "Trent. Nice to meet you."


    "Yeah, I think I''ve seen you around. Do you live in Dowdy Hall?"


    "I do." It was a men''s only dorm, so he wondered how she knew that.


    "My ex-boyfriend lives there."


    "I see. Sorry."


    "I''m not." She rolled her eyes and took a bite of her sandwich before she said, "He''s an asshole."


    "Well, then, I''m not sorry."


    She giggled. "Are you seeing anyone, Trent?"


    The way she asked was a little more suggestive than he would''ve expected. "Uh¡­ no." He couldn''t


    help but feel for the phone in his pocket. He had thought a few weeks ago that maybe he would be by


    now. But he''d tried to call Bree and gotten no answer, and she hadn''t ever called him back. He''d sent a


    text or two as well. It had urred to him that maybe she''d changed her number since high school, but


    he wasn''t sure who to ask about that, and it seemed weird to contact her on social media. She had left,


    after all. He''d finally kissed her, and she''d gotten in her uncle''s truck and rode away. If that wasn''t an


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    answer, he didn''t know what was.


    Heather''s smile was sweet, and he got the impression she wanted him to ask her out. Maybe he


    would¡­.


    * * *


    Bree sat in a packed movie theater next to Sam, wishing the movie wasn''t so long. It was only their


    second date, but she would''ve much rather spent the time talking to him than watching other people


    talk on screen.


    His fingertips brushed hers in the popcorn bucket, and she had to assume it was on purpose. Sam was


    a great guy. Nice, funny, and a wonderful musician. Why she''d never noticed before that night in the


    student lounge a few weeks ago, she wasn''t sure. They''d talked for hours and ended up having a jam


    session that brought out a lot of other students to listen. Since that day, the two of them had been


    together every spare minute.


    On screen, the actor and actress were talking about how much they loved each other, but they just


    weren''t meant to be together. It brought tears to Bree''s eyes, but she fought them off. That''s how it was


    with her and Trent. It didn''t matter that she''d invested so many years in thinking about him, or that that


    kiss in the snow was the most perfect moment of her life. They just weren''t meant to be.


    "You okay?" Sam whispered in her ear.


    "Yep. Just¡­ sad." She nodded at the screen so he''d assume she meant she was sad for the actors. He


    gave her a reassuring smile and put his arm around her, and she moved against him. He smelled like


    leather from his guitar strap and Old Spice. It wasn''t the same as Trent, but it wasn''t unpleasant. Sam


    was a good guy, and Bree liked him. She could make this work.


    She''d found out a few days after she''d thought she''d sent that text to Trent that his number had


    changed. When she''d talked to Christy about everything that happened at the cabin, her friend had


    asked if she''d spoken to him, and she said she''d sent him a text, and he pretended like he didn''t know


    who she was. So, at least that wasn''t the case. But she hadn''t tried again since she''d gotten his new


    number. If he wanted to call her, he would. Her number hadn''t changed in over a year, and she was


    pretty sure he had it.


    They weren''t friends on social media anymore, though. With hisst girlfriend, she''d unfriended him.


    She just couldn''t see pictures of the two of them together. If he ever asked, she''d say she had no idea


    what had happened, but he hadn''t sent her a friend request either.


    Sam''s arm around her felt good. It felt right. It wasn''t perfect. It didn''t make her weak in the knees or


    giddy, but it was better than what most people got out of this life. Besides, they had a lot inmon.


    Sam was going to be a professional musician, too. They had even talked about gigging together. Most


    importantly, he was here--and he wanted to spend time with her, unlike Trent.


    When the movie was over, Sam took her hand and led her out with the rest of the people leaving the


    movie theater. "What did you think? Did you like your chick flick?"


    "My chick flick?" Bree asked, tipping her head to the side to study him. "You picked it, not me."


    "Yeah, but I thought you''d want to see it."


    Bree giggled. "I prefer action adventure or horror movies, Sam. But it wasn''t bad."


    "Seriously? We just sat through that for no reason?" He tossed his head back andughed. "Do you


    want to go get some ice cream?"


    "Do you want to go get some ice cream, or are you just asking because you think I want to go get


    some?" She smiled at him, hoping he knew she was just joking around.


    "I love ice cream. I am an ice cream fiend. But if you''d rather not¡­."


    "Ice cream would be awesome."


    Sam slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the door, and Bree walked alongside him, d to


    have such a nice guy with her. It might not be perfect, but it was easy, and she could get used to a guy


    like Sam.

 Chapter 11: Everything Changes

    Chapter 11: Everything Changes


    The rest of the semester flew by in a blur of sses and weekend gigs. By the end of the school year,


    Bree and Sam were practically inseparable. They were even discussing the possibility of getting an


    apartment together when school started in the fall. Bree didn''t know how to tell Lilly, though. They''d


    been roommates for three years, and she couldn''t imagine leaving her their senior year.


    Thest day of school, Bree was in their room, packing up to go home for the summer when Lilly came


    in, an odd look on her face. "Hey, are you okay?" Bree asked, dropping a paperback book into a box.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    She''d already taken a few loads home thest few weekends, but this was thest day, so she''d have


    to take everything else. Sam had already gone home for the summer. He lived in Michigan, so they


    wouldn''t see each other for a few months, which would be hard.


    "Uh¡­ yeah, I¡¯m okay,¡± Lilly replied. ¡°But I need to tell you something." Lilly sat down on the edge of the


    naked mattress that had been her bed thest two semesters.


    "What is it? Is everything all right?"


    "Don''t be mad¡­." Lilly said, gritting her teeth.


    Concerned, Bree sat down on the edge of her own bed. "What is it?" she asked again.


    "So¡­ I''ve made a decision. It hasn''t been an easy one, but it''s made. I''m¡­ noting back in the


    fall."


    "What?" Bree could hardly believe her ears. "Why not? I thought you loved your program, and you''re


    almost done."


    "I do. It''s just¡­ Monica really loves her new school. And you know how close I am to my sister. So¡­ I


    decided to go to school there. That''s all. I''m sorry. I''m sure you''ll get another roommate that you''ll love."


    "No, it''s okay." Bree ran a hand through her hair. "Sam and I have been talking about getting a ce


    together. Maybe this is a sign that we should do that."


    "Oh, you should totally do that. Sam''s great. Maybe it is fate. Just don''t be mad at me, okay? Monica


    and I have always been so close. It''s been crazy not being with her these past few years."


    "I understand." Bree stood and hugged her roommate¡ªsoon-to-be former roommate. She''d had


    friends that were close enough to be siblings, though she''d never had a sister, so she understood.


    "We''ll still talk every day," Lilly said, and Bree nodded. She knew that wasn''t true. She''d said that to the


    same friends she considered sisters, and it just didn''t happen. It wasn''t anyone''s fault. They just grew


    apart, and she and Lilly would likely do the same.


    "I''ve gotta finish packing." Bree let her go, and Lilly went about tossing thest of her things into a box


    while Bree did the same. It seemed like everything in her life was changing. Bree just hoped it was for


    the better.


    She wasn''t even going to her hometown. Her parents had moved a few months ago. They didn''t live in


    Shelbyville anymore, having moved to her mother''s childhood home in Highview to take care of her


    aging grandmother. Her mother had always loved therge antebellum home, so when Grandma Ann


    got sick with cancer back in January and offered to give her mom the house when she passed away if


    they''d move in now to help her with her treatments, her parents had agreed. Her dad had taken early


    retirement from the postal service, and her mom was already retired from teaching. It seemed like a


    smart thing to do from their point of view, but for Bree, it was odd to think she wouldn''t be driving to the


    house she''d grown up in, and her summer ns to see her high school friends would be thwarted


    again.


    It was probably just as well. She didn''t want to see Trent. Sam and Bree had agreed that they could


    date other people during the summer if they wanted to--just for fun, nothing intimate--because they''d be


    apart for so many months, but there was no sense in getting her hopes up about Trent anymore.


    Besides, with her luck, he would be dating someone anyway.


    Bree put thest of her things in a box and looked around the dorm room. "Is that everything?" Lilly


    asked.


    "I think so."


    She came over to Bree and hugged her again. "I really will miss you. And someday, when I get married,


    you''re going to sing at my wedding. I''ve been telling everyone I know how beautiful a voice you have


    for so long. You''re going to be famous one day."


    Breeughed. "I don''t know about that. I''ll just be happy if I can make a living teaching other people


    music and performing on the side. If I''m destined to be a wedding singer, so be it. You know I''ll sing at


    your wedding." She kissed her friend on the cheek and took a deep breath before heading out the door.


    It was the end of an era, but with each ending came new beginnings, and that''s what Bree would


    concentrate on now.

 Chapter 12: A Convenient Meeting

    Chapter 12: A Convenient Meeting


    Summer in Highview was boring. Most of the day, Bree sat in her new room and practiced the guitar. It


    wasn''t as if it was actually her room, though. Her parents had left almost all of the belongings from her


    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    room in Shelbyville boxed up because they assumed she wouldn''t be moving back in with them. With


    only one year of college left, she''d likely be moving out on her own, starting a new job and a new life


    somewhere else. So¡­ they''d set up her bed and her dressers so the room could be a guest room.


    That was it. The rest of the room still looked an awful lot like Grandma''s old storage room. Most of her


    things were in boxes stacked against one wall now instead of upying the majority of the room, but it


    wasn''t like it was Bree''s own space.


    That was okay though. If anything, it would inspire her to get out on her own. Just as being bored to


    tears encouraged her to find ces to y every time she got a chance. She spent as many nights of


    the week possible ying in bars, restaurants, an asional wedding or party, wherever she could


    make a few bucks and get her name out there.


    It was different not having Sam with her. She''d sort of grown used to having him y alongside her


    after so many months of doing it at school. She was missing him more than she wanted to admit, and


    they spoke on the phone a lot. But Bree was used to missing people, so it wasn''t anything new.


    When Christy invited her to Shelbyville for her birthday party, she hesitated. Would Trent be there?


    Christy said she hadn''t invited him even though she''d seen him a few times that summer. "I figured you


    wouldn''te if there was a chance he''d be here," her friend had exined.


    "But¡­ he''s your friend, too. That''s not fair."


    "He''ll get over it," Christy had said. "I''d rather see you. I never get to see you."


    "Fine. I''ll be there," Bree had promised.


    Now, driving into town in her small Toyota Camry, she just prayed she didn''t run into Trent. It was


    unlikely since she was just going to Christy''s house, and he obviously wouldn''t be there. When she was


    almost to town, she got a text. At a stoplight, she checked it. "Could you please stop and get some ice?


    We didn''t get enough." Christy''s text had Bree cursing under her breath.


    "Sure." She set her phone aside and headed toward a little convenience store a few blocks away.


    Bree pulled into a parking spot and went inside, her money in her hand so she could hurry. The


    chances of her running into Trent now were slim to none, but her luck was rotten most of the time, so


    she wanted to be quick. She''d paid for her ice and was leaving when he walked in. "Son of a biscuit


    eater," she muttered under her breath.


    "Bree." It wasn''t a question. "Hi. How are you?"


    "Fine." She shrugged, hoping he realized that meant she didn''t have time for him.


    "You look¡­ great."


    She nced down at what she was wearing. It was a yellow sundress with brown and orange flowers.


    The peasant top came down around her shoulders, showing off her nice summer tan. Her brown


    cowgirl boots also looked great with it. "Thanks."


    He looked hot--but she wasn''t about to tell him that. In a pair of jean shorts that hugged everything just


    right without giving anything away and a T-shirt that might''ve been a second skin and showed off his six


    pack, she could''ve either tossed the ice aside and lunged at him--or doused herself in a cold bath of ice


    and melted water.


    "Are you going to Christy''s?" he asked.


    "Yeah. I''m sorry she didn''t invite you because of me."


    "Because of you? Oh. I thought it was because of¡­."


    The door behind him dinged and a beautiful blonde walked in. "Trent, babe, are youing?" She


    draped herself over his shoulder like a wet towel.


    "Yeah. I''ming. Heather, this is a friend of mine from high school. Bree, this is Heather."


    "Hey." Bree managed a small smile. So Christy didn''t like his new girlfriend? Did they even know each


    other? She didn''t bother to ask. "I''ve gotta go."


    "Nice to meet you," Heather said, though her eyes told a different story."


    "Yep. See you, Trent." She stepped around the happy couple and headed out to her car, putting the ice


    in the trunk because it was already starting to melt.


    "Bree, wait!" Trent came after her, leaving Heather standing there staring. "Listen, I wanted to say¡­. I


    didn''t realize I had the wrong number for you until after¡­. For a while. I''m really sorry. I did try to call


    you."


    "I tried to call you, too. And text you. It''s fine, Trent. Clearly, you have a girlfriend now. And I have a


    boyfriend. Sam. He''s a musician. I love him. In fact, we''re moving in together in the fall."


    "You are? Wow, that''s¡­ that''s great."


    "Yeah, so don''t worry about it. It was¡­ just a kiss."


    "Right. Yeah, it was just a kiss." He nodded. "Okay. Good. So we can be friends again?"


    "You bet." She managed to widen her smile, though she didn''t feel it in her heart.


    "T and B for life?" He held up his fist, and she bumped it.


    "Yeah. T and B for life."


    Bree got behind the wheel and took off, trying to keep her tears at bay and not speed out of the parking


    lot. Trent watched her go for a few minutes, but when he turned back to Heather, Bree saw her hands


    outstretched as she berated him for leaving her to go after Bree. Good. Served them both right. She


    headed off to Christy''s wishing more than ever that Sam was there with her. He wasn''t Trent, and he


    could never be Trent, but he was good at taking her mind off of Trent, and that''s what she needed right


    now.

 Chapter 13: Tears in Beers

    Chapter 13: Tears in Beers


    "What the hell was that?" Heather demanded as Trent came back to where he''d left her standing in the


    doorway of the convenience store.


    "That was a fist bump," he exined. "Now¡­ if you''ll excuse me¡­ I need a Gatorade."


    "But¡­ did you just stop here because you saw her car?" Heather followed him, the tone of her voice


    grating on hisst nerve.


    "No, I stopped here to get a Gatorade." He pulled his beverage of choice out of the refrigerated section.


    "Would you like something?"


    "But we''re almost at your parents'' house. Couldn''t you have waited?"


    ¡°They don¡¯t have any. Do you want something or not, Heather? You¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing.


    Bree and I are just friends. Have you ever even heard me say her name before?¡±


    ¡°No, but that¡¯s probably because she¡¯s in love with you. ¡° Heather followed him to the counter where


    she plopped a Diet Coke down next to his Gatorade and the clerk rang them up.


    ¡°What in the world makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°I saw the way she was looking at you,¡± Heather exined. ¡°All goo-goo eyed.¡±


    Trent sighed loudly, took his change and his drink, and headed to his truck. He climbed in and started it


    before Heather got in. Once she¡¯d climbed inside, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Heather. We¡¯ve been


    friends since we were in elementary school. Nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think anyone told her that.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She¡¯s going to a birthday party. We¡¯re going to y cards with my grandparents. She


    doesn¡¯t even live in town anymore.¡±


    ¡°I guess it was pure luck that you ran into her while she was in town, then, huh? Do you have her


    number in your phone?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t got anything to hide, right?¡±


    Shaking his head at how psycho Heather suddenly sounded, he pulled into his parents¡¯ driveway,


    unlocked his phone, and handed it to her. He didn¡¯t have Bree¡¯s new number, and he¡¯d deleted the old


    one.


    Heather scrolled through it. When she was satisfied she knew who all of his contacts were, she handed


    it back. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to her anymore, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Trent agreed only because he thought he¡¯d likely not be talking to Heather anymore--after this


    visit was over.


    * * *


    At the party, Bree was tossing back beers a little faster than she should be. At least she wasn¡¯t driving


    home that night. Christy had invited her to spend the night, so she wouldn¡¯t be driving anywhere.


    ¡°Dude, I¡¯ve never seen you drink so fast,¡± Hank said,ing over and dropping down next to her on a


    log situated on the perimeter of Christy¡¯s parents¡¯rge back yard.


    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just¡­ missing Sam, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡®¡°Oh, your man?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hank had had a few too many to drink as well.


    ¡°I hear you. I like this chick at school, but she won¡¯t date me. She says I¡¯m a fun guy, but I¡¯m not the


    sort of guy she sees in her future. She wants a professional. Man, she¡¯s so damn hot. And the sex¡­.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ I hate that she doesn¡¯t want me, you know? But personal training is my life! That¡¯s


    what I wanna do. I¡¯m so passionate about it. Just because it¡¯s not one of those jobs you tell your dad


    about doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m not gonna make a good living.¡±


    ¡°I get it. People say the same thing about my music. They say I should get my teaching degree, teach


    music to high schoolers, instead of ying it myself.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do both?¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Sure, I could. But¡­ I don¡¯t want to. I want to make a living from my music. To move to Nashville and


    be a recording artist.¡±


    ¡°That would be so cool. I could tell everyone I knew you back when you weren¡¯t famous yet. Hey, you


    could post about my personal training gigs. Maybe I can drum up some business.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Anything I can do to help a friend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awesome, Bree. I love you.¡±


    She giggled. ¡°I love you, too, Hank. Boy, are you drunk. I really hope everything works out between you


    and that chick, too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Me, too. Mon is the best. She¡¯s so pretty¡­. Maybe someday she¡¯lle to her senses and


    realize we¡¯re just meant to be.¡±


    Bree smiled at him and decided not to drink any more that night. Hank was wasted--his head was going


    to hurt tomorrow. She¡¯d just as soon hers didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Anything for a friend¡­.¡± she mumbled again. It was unfortunate that friends seemed toe and go


    pretty easily. She knew the second she¡¯d bumped Trent¡¯s fist their friendship, and anything else they


    might¡¯ve ever had, was over.


    Part of her wanted to sob uncontrobly at losing him for good, but the rest of her knew it was a long


    timeing. At least seeing him had allowed her to find a bit of closure, and that was better than


    nothing.

 Chapter 14: New Roomie

    Chapter 14: New Roomie


    Summer was over in the blink of an eye, but when Bree moved back to college for the fall, she moved


    back into the dorms. Dating Sam was one thing; living with him was something else entirely, and she¡¯d


    realized after seeing Trent at the convenience store that she didn¡¯t want to take the chance at moving


    in with someone and having him break her heart halfway through the first semester. Then, she¡¯d have


    nowhere to go.


    She¡¯d just finished unpacking her things when her dorm room door opened. A tall woman with long


    dark hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose practically galloped in. ¡°Oh, hey. Sorry. I


    would¡¯ve knocked if I would¡¯ve known you were here already.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Bree said, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m Bree.¡±


    ¡°Melissa. I guess I¡¯m your roommate.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Bree shook her hand. ¡°Are you new here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just transferred from Illinois State. I grew up in Paducah, and my parents just wanted me closer


    to home.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Are you a senior?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m starting my fourth year, but, I¡¯m not gonna graduate in May.¡±


    Bree nodded, not thinking it was her business to ask why not. ¡°What¡¯s your major?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ education.¡±


    She stepped back into the hallway and brought in a couple of boxes while Bree tried to figure out why


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    she didn¡¯t immediately know what her major was. ¡°What do you want to teach?¡±


    Again, Melissa seemed unsure. ¡°Probably kids. I don¡¯t know. I just like to have fun.¡± She dropped the


    boxes on her side of the room. ¡°I¡¯m going to go get the rest of my boxes.¡±


    ¡°Do you need some help?¡± Bree asked.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll find some dudes.¡± She smiled and disappeared out the door.


    Bree dropped down on the edge of her bed. Melissa was definitely nothing like herst roommate, Lilly,


    had been, and something told Bree this could go very badly if Melissa didn¡¯t take school seriously and


    was out partying all night,ing in drunk and waking her up. Maybe she should¡¯ve moved in with


    Sam after all.


    A few minutester, Melissa came in with a bunch of guys carrying boxes. They dropped them on the


    floor where she pointed for them. With a cute grin, she said, ¡°Thanks guys! Where are we hanging


    tonight?¡±


    ¡°We usually go to High Life around nine,¡± one of them said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡± Melissa sure knew how to use her body as a flirtatious weapon.


    ¡°Bring you friend,¡± another one of the guys added, looking at Bree.


    ¡°I will also be there,¡± Bree said, though not in the same tone.


    ¡°Cool,¡± a third guy said. ¡°Save a dance for me, beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­. I¡¯ll be ying the music.¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Melissa eximed, spinning to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re a rock star?¡±


    Laughing, Bree said, ¡°Not exactly. But I am a musician.¡±


    ¡°Get out of town!¡± Melissa seemed genuinely impressed. ¡°That¡¯s way cool. Do you y the guitar?¡±


    Bree¡¯s case was leaning against the wall by her closet. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, nodding at it.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Melissa said with a grin. ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to see you fes there either. I¡¯ll be sure to


    save enough dances for all of you.¡± She winked at them and the guys practically fell all over each other


    as she ushered them out of the room.


    Melissa shut the door on them and then came back to her bed. ¡°They were hot. Which one did you like


    the best?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have a boyfriend so¡­.¡±


    ¡°Really? Man, I¡¯m learning all sorts of shit about you, Bree. Is he cute?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡±


    ¡°Awesome. I love cute guys. What¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°Sam. He¡¯ll be there tonight. We y together.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, we¡¯re going to watch you y together?¡± She winked, and Bree wished she¡¯d chosen different


    words.


    ¡°You can listen to us y music together.¡± Desperately wanting to get away from the strange new girl,


    she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go see if he¡¯s moved into his room yet. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±


    ¡°¡®Kay,¡± Melissa said, kicking one of her boxes out of the way. It didn¡¯t look like she was in any hurry to


    unpack.


    Bree walked down the hallway, dodging peopleing in with boxes and friends reuniting. She didn¡¯t


    think Sam was there yet, or he would¡¯ve called her, but she was hopeful. It had been a long time since


    she¡¯d seen him, and she desperately wanted to, but she also wanted an excuse not to go back to her


    room.


    She found the room number he¡¯d given her and knocked on the door. A redheaded guy with no shirt on


    opened the door. ¡°Hey. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ hi. Is Sam here yet?¡±


    He looked around him and then turned back to her. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Confused, Bree asked, ¡°This is his room, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think so.¡±


    ¡°Is this your room?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Is your roommate¡¯s name Sam Fowler?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­.¡±


    A familiar voice to her left caught her attention. ¡°Bree!¡±


    She turned to see Saming down the hallway, his guitar case in one hand and a suitcase in the


    other. ¡°Sam!¡± she ran over to him, and he put his stuff down in time to embrace her. His lips found hers,


    and once again, Bree wished she¡¯d taken the leap of faith to move in with him.


    ¡°I missed you so much,¡± Sam said, once he¡¯de up for air.


    ¡°I missed you, too. How was your drive?¡±


    ¡°Long. But I¡¯m here now. Just gotta finish unpacking.¡±


    ¡°I met your roommate. He¡¯s¡­ sinct.¡±


    Sam chuckled. ¡°I haven¡¯t met him yet. How¡¯s yours?¡±


    Bree shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s interesting. A party girl, I think. She¡¯sing to the club tonight.¡±


    ¡°Great. Can¡¯t wait to meet her.¡±


    Bree helped him finish getting the rest of his stuff out of his car, found out his roommate''s name was


    Dusty and that he never wore a shirt, and was thankful when they were alone for a few minutes while


    Dusty went down the hall to visit some bros. It had been a long summer, and finding Sam¡¯s arms was a


    ¡°I need to go get ready to head to the club,¡± she saidter that evening, after a bowl of Ramen noodles


    for dinner. Dusty was back and watching WWE at an ungodly volume. Bree was happy to have an


    excuse to leave.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯lle with you so I can meet your roommate.¡±


    ¡°Okay. It was nice to meet you, Dusty,¡± she said, giving the guy a wave.


    ¡°See ya.¡± He didn¡¯t even look away from the TV.


    In the hall, Sam slipped his fingers through hers. ¡°I wonder if Dusty will go to the club,¡± he said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably not if their policy is no shirt, no shoes, no service.¡±


    Her room was just down the hall. When she got there, she pushed the door open slowly so as not to


    rm Melissa. She was on the phone, sitting cross legged on her bed. Very few of her boxes had been


    unpacked, but there was a sheet on the mattress and her pinkforter was tossed by her feet.


    When they walked in, she looked up. ¡°Gotta go, Syd,¡± she said and hung up her phone. ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Melissa. This is my boyfriend, Sam Fowler.¡±


    She was already off the bed anding over. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Her smile was a little too flirty for


    Bree¡¯s liking, but she knew that¡¯s just how the woman was.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, too.¡± Sam looked ufortable but offered his hand.


    She took it. ¡°Wow, you have the fingers of a musician.¡± She smiled and took her time letting him go.


    ¡°Thank you¡­.¡± It was an oddpliment, and he was obviously not sure what else to say.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta get changed. You wanna swing by in 20 minutes, and we can walk down together?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Amps are in my car.¡±


    ¡°Cool.¡± Bree kissed him quickly on the lips, and Sam turned to head back to his dorm. It was nice to


    have him back, to know she¡¯d get to see him every day.


    ¡°Wowzers, Bree. Your boyfriend is hot. I just love musicians. They¡¯re so...cool, but like they don¡¯t even


    know how cool they are.¡± Melissa¡¯s eyes were clouded over, and Bree wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to


    see drool pouring out the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s great,¡± she agreed. She¡¯d never had anyone tell her they thought her boyfriend was hot


    before, but she thought he was, so it stood to reason that other people would, too. Lilly thought he was


    ¡°cute, in a boyish way¡­.¡± and another one of her friends had said he was ¡°nice looking if you prefer


    thin to fit,¡± which Bree had taken to mean he needed to lift more. But in her eyes, Sam was pretty darn


    perfect--even if he didn¡¯t have washboard abs and killer blue eyes. There was something to be said for


    not dating the hottest guy in the universe.


    She tried to shake away images of the guy that had popped into her mind at the word ¡°hot.¡± There was


    reason to be thinking about Trent at the moment.


    ¡°So¡­ do you guys have a method for letting your roommates know when it¡¯s a bad time to walk in?¡±


    Melissa asked as Bree got the outfit she was nning to wear together.


    ¡°Uh¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I assume you don¡¯t want an audience, although, if you do, that¡¯s cool.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Bree figured out what she meant. ¡°No, we don¡¯t, uh, that hasn¡¯t been an issue.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not screwing that guy? That hot musician? You¡¯re not getting it on with him?¡±


    Bree¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°That¡¯s not what I said.¡± She felt her face turning red. She¡¯d never talked about


    stuff like that with Lilly, and they were good friends. ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­.¡± She didn¡¯t know what she was


    saying. She stopped talking.


    ¡°Okay, well, I prefer the old towel under the door. If you¡¯ve gotta force your way in, you should probably


    stay out. Know what I mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to remember that.¡± Bree gave her a small smile and then went into the bathroom to get dressed.


    She didn¡¯t need an audience for that either.

 Chapter 15: Not Your Love Song

    Chapter 15: Not Your Love Song


    With her backpack slung over her arm, Bree hurried down the hallway to her dorm room. She¡¯d


    forgotten her Chem book, and she¡¯d need it that day for a quiz. Professor Cross always let them use


    their book when he gave them a quiz, and she¡¯d need it since she¡¯d been outte the night before


    ying in a local club with Sam and hadn¡¯t had time to study.


    Dropping her backpack by the door, she grabbed the doorknob, thinking it should be unlocked because


    Melissa didn¡¯t have ss right now. When the door was locked, she was surprised but pulled her key


    out of her pocket and stuck it in the hole.


    The door still didn¡¯t want to open all the way, but Bree was in a hurry and shoved against it anyway.


    Pushing the door open, she suddenly realized why Melissa had the door locked¡ªand there was a


    towel shoved under it. Two heads popped up on her roommate¡¯s bed. ¡°Oh, God! Sorry!¡± Bree averted


    her eyes, realizing her roommate was tangled in the sheets with a guy, but then, Bree stopped and


    considered exactly what she¡¯ d just seen as the two of them scrambled to cover themselves.


    ¡°Wait--what the hell?¡± she asked. There was no escaping the situation. ¡°Sam?¡±


    Melissa sat up while the man next to her hid under the bedspread. ¡°Huh? Oh, no. It¡¯s not Sam. I know


    he looks like Sam¡­ but this is a guy I metst night at the club. Name¡¯s¡­ Ram.¡±


    ¡°Ram?¡± Anger boiled up in Bree¡¯s blood, and she could feel her face turning red. ¡°Samuel William


    Fowler! Get your head out of that nket right now, or so help me God, I will take one of those pillows,


    shove it over your face, and squeeze the life out of you!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Sam sat up, the sheet falling down around his waist. ¡°Bree, I¡¯m so sorry. I can exin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like,¡± Melissa said, one of her breasts showing where she hadn¡¯t quite secured the


    nket.


    ¡°Really?¡± Bree demanded. ¡°Because it looks to me like my roommate and my boyfriend are having sex!


    That¡¯s what it looks like to me!¡±


    ¡°No, no. It is what it looks like, but I can exin¡­.¡± Sam said again, a pleading look in his eyes.


    ¡°Save it, Sam! You¡¯re an asshole! And you!¡± She pointed at Melissa. ¡°I never trusted you, you slut!¡±


    ¡°Hey! How dare you call me that!¡± Melissa said, jumping up and pulling the sheet away from Sam who


    scrambled to get the nket in ce, not that Bree hadn¡¯t already seen his tiny package. ¡°I was just


    satisfying his cravings, something you couldn¡¯t do!¡±


    Realizing she was going to bete to ss and couldn¡¯t deal with the situation at the moment, Bree


    grabbed her book off of the stack by her bed and shouted at Sam, ¡°We¡¯re through!¡±


    ¡°No, wait, Bree! You¡¯ve got to give me a chance to exin!¡±


    ¡°Screw you, Sam!¡± She red at Melissa, thinking she¡¯d have more words for herter, and headed off


    to her ss.


    Tears were streaming down her face as she walked to Chem, but she did her best to stifle them. She


    didn¡¯t want to let Sam have the satisfaction of knowing she was so upset. At least she hadn¡¯t moved in


    with him. Of course, if she had, Melissa wouldn¡¯t be her roommate. Thus, Sam likely would¡¯ve never


    met her. But¡­ he would¡¯ve found someone else to cheat with. A cheater would always find someone to


    cheat with.


    Bree arrived in ss and held her emotions in check long enough to get through her quiz. As soon as


    ss was over, she headed back to her room, done with school for the day. She prayed that Melissa


    wouldn¡¯t be there. Thest thing she wanted was to see that lying bitch.


    She was there, though, sitting on her bed, watching videos on her phone. Bree didn¡¯t even want to talk


    to her. She had nothing to say, and the other girl didn¡¯t even look up when she walked in.


    The stench of their sweaty bodies lingered in the air. Bree picked up a bottle of Febreze she had in her


    closet and doused the entire room in it.


    ¡°What are you doing? It smells like a goddamn flower garden in here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have ss? Ever?¡±


    ¡°Bite me,¡± Melissa said, going back to her phone.


    Bree didn¡¯t want to yell at her because she realized Melissa wasn¡¯t worth her time, but she couldn¡¯t


    help it. ¡°I cannot believe you did that. I thought we were friends.¡±


    ¡°Please. I don¡¯t need you to be my friend, bitch. I don¡¯t have any friends that are girls. And now you


    know why.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t even sorry. ¡°You¡¯re a horrible person.¡±


    Melissa just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re so upset. He¡¯s not even a good screw.¡±


    ¡°He was a lot more than that to me, you stupid bitch.¡± How in the world was Bree supposed to live with


    this person for the next two months before Christmas break, let alone the entire spring semester?


    Melissa didn¡¯t even acknowledge her. She just continued to flip through her phone.


    Grabbing her guitar, Bree went out to the lounge. Something told her, she¡¯d be spending a lot of time


    out there for the next few months.


    She hadn¡¯t been practicing long when she heard Sam clear his voice the way he always did when he


    was nervous. Bree didn¡¯t stop the song she was practicing, realizing she¡¯d made another mistake by


    ¡°Bree,¡± he said as she finished that song. ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    ¡°I have absolutely nothing to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Come on, baby. I know you¡¯re mad. I don¡¯t me you. I didn¡¯t mean for it to happen. It just¡­ did.


    She¡¯s persistent.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell,¡± Bree replied, starting another song.


    ¡°Please, Bree. What we had was so good. She meant nothing to me.¡±


    ¡°And yet, you chose her over me.¡± Bree mmed her guitar down next to her and leapt to her feet.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You know how I feel about cheating, Sam. I¡¯m not going to forgive you! Ever! So get the hell away from


    me!¡±


    ¡°But Bree¡­ what about our gigs? We have so many scheduled already. We were going to spend the


    holidays together. My mom can¡¯t wait to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Take Melissa,¡± she said with a sneer. ¡°As for the gigs, I¡¯ll just go back to ying by myself like I did for


    years before I met you. I don¡¯t need you, Sam, and I don¡¯t have time for anyone who would cheat on


    me. So get the hell away from me!¡±


    By now, there were a few people standing in the doorway listening, including one of the guys who¡¯d


    helped Melissa move in back on that first day, when Bree¡¯s whole life had changed, and she hadn¡¯t


    even known it. He asked, ¡°Are you okay, Bree?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Jeff. I¡¯m fine. Sam was just leaving.¡±


    Sam ran a hand through his unruly hair and limped away, knowing Jeff could take him out in a couple


    of seconds if he wanted to.


    Blowing out a hot breath, Bree picked up her guitar and started ying again, hoping she could lose


    herself in her music. She heard footsteps close by and looked up, thankful it wasn¡¯t Sam.


    ¡°Did I hear you right? He cheated on you? Does that mean you¡¯re single?¡±


    ¡°Not now, Jeff¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. But, hey, when you¡¯re ready, you know where to find me.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile. He was cute, even if he sounded a little desperate and had horrible timing.


    ¡°Thanks, Jeff.¡±


    He walked away, and Bree finished her song and then yed another before she set her guitar down


    again. What she really needed right now was a friend. She dug her phone out of her pocket and


    scrolled through her contacts. She¡¯d love to talk to Lilly about all of this. If only she was here in person.


    Before she called her old roommate, she flipped to a social media site and scrolled through her


    newsfeed. She had a friend request--from Trent. Of all the days. Shaking her head, she clicked it,


    wondering what he was up to. Now that she was single again, it seemed like just the thing for her to


    start dreaming of him again.


    But he wasn¡¯t single. She could see that within a few seconds of looking at his page. It wasn¡¯t the same


    girl she¡¯d seen him withst summer, and her name was nowhere on the page, not in any of the


    captions or anything. But she was beautiful, with jet ck hair and a confident smile. The way Trent


    was looking at her, there was no doubt they were together, and his personal status said, ¡°In a


    rtionship.¡±


    ¡°In a rtionship, but not with me.¡± Rolling her eyes and dropping her phone, Bree picked up her guitar


    and started to y a melody that had been stuck in her head for ages. Eventually, lyrics came to her,


    and she built a song around the fact that Trent was with someone else when all this time she thought


    he was supposed to be with her.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, you just don¡¯t know it.


    You love me, you just can¡¯t show it.


    Maybe someday soon, you¡¯re gonna see


    Baby, you were meant to marry me.¡±


    Once she was sure of the song structure and happy with the lyrics, she picked up her phone and set it


    to record. She thought she had something pretty special here, maybe even a song she could try to sell


    to another artist or use to market herself to agents and producers.


    She yed through it again, so lost in what she was doing she didn¡¯t realize she wasn¡¯t alone until she


    was done. A cheer went up from across the room, and Bree looked up to see a small crowd of about


    ten students standing there, watching her.


    Immediately, her face turned crimson. ¡°Oh, gosh, sorry. I didn¡¯t know anyone was listening.¡±


    ¡°That was great,¡± one of the girls who lived on her floor said with a smile. ¡°I loved it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t about that stupid Sam asshole was it?¡± a guy who¡¯d been there earlier when they were


    arguing asked.


    ¡°No, definitely not,¡± Bree assured him. ¡°It was about a guy I used to know a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯d better get his shit together because you''re gonna be famous one day,¡± the same guy said


    with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Bree said, still red in the face. Slowly, the crowd dispersed, and she went on to y another


    song, but she hoped the random guy in the hallway was right. Then, Sam really would feel like an idiot


    for sleeping with Melissa, and maybe Trent would finally see her as more than just a friend.


    But perhaps most importantly of all, she¡¯d be able to make a living doing what she loved most, making


    music.

 Chapter 16: Bright Lights

    Chapter 16: Bright Lights


    Two Years Later....


    Bright lights had Bree blinking, but that was all right. This was the biggest audience she¡¯d ever


    performed in front of. Over five hundred people dotted the auditorium in front of her. It was all surreal.


    Her heart was pounding out of her chest. She couldn¡¯t wait to start her songs.


    After graduating with her degree in musical arts a few months ago, Bree had taken a chance and


    moved to Nashville, Tennessee, one of the most popr ces in the world to live if you were a


    musician and/or a songwriter. She was both. Now, after a huge amount of marketing andworking,


    here she was opening for a band at a local theater. Crawfish was a great band, up anding on the


    country music scene, and Bree was thrilled to have this opportunity.


    ¡°Good evening, everyone,¡± she said, hearing her voice shaking slightly. She cleared her throat, took a


    deep breath, and smiled. It was hard to be nervous when you were smiling. ¡°How are y¡¯all doing


    tonight?¡±


    The crowd roared. They were clearly ready to hear some music. ¡°Great! I¡¯m so unbelievably happy to


    be here with you. My name is Bree Mathews, and I¡¯m going to y you a few songs. This first one is


    one I wrote a few years ago for my mama, it¡¯s called, ¡®Rock Me in Your Arms.¡¯¡±


    Once again, the people in front of her cheered, and Bree tried not to look surprised. It was as if some of


    them actually knew who she was and were familiar with her music. It was possible. She had almost a


    hundred thousand followers on her YouTube channel, and all of her videos got lots of likes and


    and bars she was still gigging at, but it was awesome to think perhaps a few of these people were there


    to see her.


    She started ying her guitar, all by herself, as she had been doing since she and Sam split almost a


    year ago. Immediately, the crowd in front of her faded away, and it was just Bree and her guitar. When


    she began to sing, a hush came over the auditorium as everyone listened, and a freedom soared


    through her veins like nothing she¡¯d ever experienced before.


    ¡°Rock me in your arms.


    Keep me safe from harm.


    Though the night is dark,


    I can hear your heart


    Beating, beating, beating in my ear.


    And I know you¡¯ll be there.


    Whenever I call,


    And I¡¯ll never fall


    As long as you rock me in your arms¡­.¡±


    With the reverberation of thest chord, the audience went wild with cheers. Bree couldn¡¯t help but


    smile from ear to ear. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± She tuned her guitar while she spoke,


    exining that the next song had been written one night when she was lost on the way to a gig. She


    yed, ¡°I Will Find You,¡± and everyone loved that song, too.


    For the next thirty minutes, Bree yed four more songs that she¡¯d written and did a cover of


    ¡°Landslide¡± by Stevie Nicks that got a huge response. This was the most fun she¡¯d ever had, and she


    was so thankful to have gotten this opportunity. If she never walked on another stage again, she¡¯d keep


    these memories forever. But, hopefully, this was the beginning of many years of sess for her.


    ¡°Thisst song I¡¯m gonna sing tonight is one so close to my heart. I wrote it for a boy I used to know,


    one I haven¡¯t seen in a long time. One I thought I could love. This is called, ¡®Meant to Marry Me.¡¯¡±


    Every time Bree yed the song she¡¯s written for Trent, emotion overcame her. She hadn¡¯t ever


    actually cried on stage, but she knew part of the charm of the song was the fact that it struck home with


    her, so it did with the audience as well.


    She put her entire heart into her performance and was fairly sure that others were singing along with


    her, especially on the chorus. When she got to thest line, she sang, ¡°Baby, you were meant to marry


    me,¡± and let the guitar ring out.


    It was silent. The audience was quiet, her guitar strings stopped vibrating, and the entire room was still.


    Bree held her breath and waited. Had they hated it? Had she messed up? Did the microphone fail?


    Then, as if everyone exhaled at the same time, a huge apuse broke across the crowd. Everyone


    was cheering, whistling, pping, shouting her name. She could hardly believe it! With her cheeks


    bright red from the realization that she¡¯d made so many people that happy, Bree thanked them all and


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    then headed off stage, still unable to register how excited everyone was to hear her y.


    As she walked off, Howard Alvord, the lead singer for Crawfish stopped her. ¡°Man, that was something


    else! Great job, girl,¡± he said, giving her a high-five. ¡°Did you write that song?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Bree said, grinning up at the man with wild, dark hair that hung past his shoulders.


    ¡°Killer! You¡¯re going to be big someday. You keep writing songs like that, and Crawfish will be opening


    for you one day!¡±


    ¡°Wow--thank you Mr. Alvord,¡± she said, bowing her head at the kind words.


    ¡°Please. It¡¯s Howard. You¡¯re amazing, Bree Matthews. You just made a bunch of new fans. We want


    you to open for us again next weekend at The Happening. Can you be there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d love to.¡± Bree was pretty sure she had something on her calendar for next weekend, but


    she¡¯d definitely move it if it was a conflict. The chance to open for such a big band again, to have an


    audience thisrge, was a huge break.


    ¡°All right. Our manager will give you a call. Nice job, kid.¡± He pped her on the back and got ready to


    go on stage.


    Her face was beginning to ache from smiling so big for so long, but that was okay with Bree. She felt


    amazing. The song that she¡¯d written might¡¯vee out of heartache, but the response it was getting


    her was nothing but pure joy. Maybe the only reason she and Trent never got together was because


    otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have written this song. If ¡°Meant to Marry Me¡± was going to be the song that


    made her a household name, perhaps it was worth it.


    Bree put her guitar in its case and sat down backstage to listen to Crawfish y. She knew a lot of


    singers would¡¯ve used this time to go sell merchandise, but she didn¡¯t have any yet. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to


    get some, though. She could sign autographs and take pics with people, too. That would help her build


    a name as people posted those pictures.


    The band was warming up and switching out instruments, so she pulled her phone out of the pocket of


    her jean jacket and noticed she had a missed call and a text from Lilly.


    ¡°Girl, what are you up to?¡± she asked under her breath. Lilly had been her best friend for so long, but


    when she¡¯d transferred schools, they¡¯d grown apart. She wasn¡¯t even sure what Lilly was doing these


    days. Had she gotten a job out of college or was she still searching? Where was she living now?


    Deciding it must¡¯ve been important for her to call, Bree sent her a text. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m at a show right now, so


    I can¡¯t call. Is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, everything is fine,¡± Lilly texted back a few minutester. ¡°Just wanted to say hi. I¡¯ve been


    missing you. I hear you¡¯re doing great in Nashville. Sometimes I watch your YouTube channel.¡±


    ¡°Aw, I miss you, too. What are you up to these days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a job in Lexington at an elementary school, teachingputer science. I absolutely love it!


    It¡¯s not exactly what I saw myself doing, but I wouldn¡¯t change it for the world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. How¡¯s your sister?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good. She¡¯ll graduate in May. She¡¯s got a serious boyfriend. Not sure what she¡¯ll do with her


    degree in fashion, but she¡¯s pursuing modeling. How¡¯s your family?¡±


    ¡°Good. I miss them, though. This is the furthest away from them I¡¯ve ever been.¡±


    The friends continued to chat via text for a while, and Bree was enjoying catching up when one of the


    stagehands came over to her. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Bree, right?¡± he asked, a little out of breath.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Cool. Howard wanted to know if you coulde sing backup on ¡®Whispers in the Wind.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Me? Come on stage with Crawfish?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you mind?¡±


    ¡°No, no, not at all. I¡¯d love to.¡±


    ¡°Awesome. It¡¯s up next, so juste on over next to the stage and when you hear him say your name,


    go on out. He¡¯ll show you where to stand, but you¡¯ll just share a microphone with Mike. You know, the


    bassist?¡±


    ¡°I know Mike.¡± She smiled. Share a mic with Mike. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Bree was breathing fast, but she knew she could do this. It was a great opportunity for her, and she


    appreciated Howard taking the time to think of her.


    When she heard her name, she inhaled deeply once more, and came out on the stage. Everyone


    cheered again, like they were happy to see her. It looked like the crowd had grown evenrger, which


    was really cool. She took her spot by Mike, as Howard indicated, and as the band began to y, she


    listened carefully to the melody and harmony so that when it was time for her toe in on the chorus,


    she could sing the high harmony. Howard gave her a thumbs up, which made her smile, and she


    continued to sing, having the time of her life.


    After the song, Howard said, ¡°Let¡¯s give Bree Matthews another round of apuse. Wasn¡¯t she


    awesome,dies and gentlemen?¡±


    Bree nodded her thanks and waved at the crowd, beaming with glee, and headed backstage again,


    thankful she¡¯d waited to hear the band. She¡¯d caught another big break, and it felt awesome.


    She was definitely on her way up and so excited to see just how high she could go.

 Chapter 17: Talk to Me

    Chapter 17: Talk to Me


    ¡°Good afternoon, we are here today on Nashville Rising Star with one of the newest voices in country


    music, Bree Matthews. Bree, it¡¯s nice to have you with us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be here.¡± Bree took a few deep breaths and tried to still her racing heart. In thest year,


    she¡¯d done a ton of interviews, but this was the biggest one to date. Alice Kingston was one of the most


    popr journalists in Nashville, and her show had a huge following. Bree was so thankful her agent,


    Zelda, was able to get this booking for her.


    ¡°Tell us, Bree, what¡¯s it like to be one of the most popr up anding faces in the country recording


    industry today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing,¡± Bree said with a giggle. Even though this was a radio show and podcast, she knew it


    was also recorded and put on YouTube and other sites. She was sitting in a radio station room a few


    feet away from Alice, who was a lot shorter in person, with giant red hair that would¡¯ve looked perfect in


    Texas. Her producer, a man by the name of Frank Wilson, sat on the other side of a ss window in a


    little booth, signaling them mostly with his hands, unless there was amercial, then he might talk to


    them.


    ¡°Have you always wanted to be a recording artist?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Ever since my grandma taught me how to y the guitar when I was a little girl, I¡¯ve


    dreamt of living this life--ying my music for people. It¡¯s certainly a dreame true.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. You say your grandma taught you how to y. Does she sing as well?¡±


    ¡°She does--though not professionally. We would sing at church together sometimes. And sometimes


    my mama would join us.¡±


    ¡°What a nice little family trio,¡± Alice chuckled. ¡°What about your dad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Daddy always joked if you gave him a bucket to carry a tune in, he¡¯d still manage to trip and


    spill it.¡± That got Aliceughing again, which put Bree at ease.


    The interview went on for about thirty minutes with a few breaks formercials before Alice said,


    ¡°Now, Bree, tell us about your most popr song. Anyone who listens to radio stations like ours that


    y up anding singers will recognize it. It¡¯s called ¡®Meant to Marry Me.¡¯ What was your inspiration


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    for such a beautiful, heartbreaking song? You¡¯re not old enough to be thinking about getting married,


    are you?¡±


    Breeughed, though Alice had asked a question that pained her to think about. ¡°I¡¯m old enough to get


    married now, but when I wrote it, I probably wasn¡¯t really. I wasn¡¯t ready to anyway. It isn¡¯t really about


    getting married, though, obviously. If you listen to the lyrics, you¡¯ll hear it¡¯s just about growing up


    thinking your life is going to be one way--maybe you¡¯ll have a certain job, or live in a certain ce, or


    marry a certain person, and then you get there, and you find out it¡¯s not really like that at all. You have


    to be able to say it¡¯s not what I wanted, but I¡¯m gonna have to move on, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Deep thoughts for a woman your age. How old were you when you wrote it?¡±


    ¡°I was twenty-one,¡± Bree said, remembering that night in the dorms when she¡¯d discovered Sam was


    cheating on her like it was yesterday.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re, what, twenty-three?¡±


    ¡°Almost twenty-four.¡±


    ¡°So still, pretty young for these sorts of philosophical thoughts. We heard from a young man a few


    weeks ago who said on his Twitter feed that he was there the night you wrote it, that you¡¯d caught your


    college sweetheart cheating on you, and that¡¯s where the song originated. Is there any truth to that?¡±


    Bree had heard the same thing--from Jeff. He had been there that night. She shook her head. ¡°No, not


    exactly. While it¡¯s true that I did write the song after I caught my then-boyfriend sleeping with my


    college roommate, the song isn¡¯t about him.¡±


    ¡°Would that be Sam Fowler, the guitar yer for the band Back Roads? It¡¯s fairlymon knowledge


    that the two of you dated and used to y together.¡±


    Sam¡¯s band had also been doing welltely, which was great for him. He¡¯d apologized so many times


    for what happened, Bree wasn¡¯t even angry at him anymore. But she¡¯d never give him another chance.


    Still, she didn¡¯t want to embarrass him. ¡°I did date Sam in college. He¡¯s a great guy. I would rather not


    get into the specifics, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. But you say he wasn¡¯t the one who inspired the song? Was it someone else


    that you thought you might marry?¡±


    Again, Bree couldn¡¯t bring herself to talk about that. She¡¯d never said anything to directly tie Trent to


    the song, not in concert, not in an interview, never. She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s probably more of a figurative


    person, someone who¡¯sprised of a lot of different people in my life. As we grow and change, we


    move on, and the people in our lives change as well. We go from being children who see our parents


    every day to adults who see them asionally in the blink of an eye. The same can be said for our


    friends, neighbors, coworkers, everyone. Sometimes we think we¡¯ve found someone who will be with


    us always, but they¡¯re not. It can be hard. But we have no choice but to adjust and keep going.¡±


    ¡°Wow--all deep thoughts from a very talented youngdy. Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eye and


    ear on this one. I guarantee Bree Mathews will be a household name soon enough. Thanks so much


    for joining us today, Bree.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so very much for having me,¡± Bree said with a smile.


    Frank told them they were clear, and Bree took her headphones off, as did Alice.


    The hostess came over to her. ¡°That was great. You are such an amazing interviewee.¡±


    Smiling, Bree said, ¡°Thanks. I appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotta know, though, off the record, is that song about Sam? I¡¯ve met the guy, and while he¡¯s plenty


    nice enough, I can¡¯t see him being the guy who broke your heart.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not about Sam. I promise.¡±


    Alice nodded. ¡°But it is about someone specific, isn¡¯t it? You can¡¯t write emotion like that for a make-


    believe person or an amalgam.¡±


    Bree shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I guess so. But I¡¯m not gonna tell you who.¡± She winked at Alice, and the


    journalist smiled.


    ¡°Fair enough. Any chance you might get back together with him, now that you¡¯re on the brink of fame


    and fortune?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Bree said, trying to keep her emotions in check. ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t about fame


    and fortune for him. The timing was always off. Even when I thought we finally got it right, I was wrong.¡±


    Alice nodded. ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re wrong. A guy who can inspire a song like that is worth having.¡±


    Bree smiled and thanked her again before heading out of the studio.


    ¡°You did great!¡± her manager, Zelda, who¡¯de along with her, said as she stepped out into the hall.


    ¡°You really have a talent for this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Zelda. I appreciate you arranging it for me.¡±


    ¡°You bet. Next thing you know, we can attack the national circuit!¡±


    Thoughts of going on national radio shows, or even television shows, made Bree¡¯s heartbeat stato.


    She would love to work on her national presence, but she had to try to stay humble. Things were still


    building upward. She¡¯d yed a lot of gigs in thest year or so since she¡¯d opened for Crawfish, but


    she wasn¡¯t exactly a headliner yet.


    As they walked out to the car, Zelda went over her schedule for the rest of the month. ¡°You have the


    weekend after next off, but that¡¯s it. You¡¯re booked solid, other than that. So you should go do


    something fun--go to the beach. Or go visit your folks. Then, next month is crazy packed, too. Your


    poprity is building right now, girl, and we¡¯re going to take advantage of it!¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Bree said with a smile as a gentlete-spring breeze lifted her hair from her shoulders.


    She had no idea what she might do with an entire weekend off. She hadn¡¯t had one in so long. Visiting


    home sounded enchanting--but then, so did the beach. A ton of her friends from high school and


    college had been begging her to make time to catch up. She just couldn¡¯t do it. But¡­ maybe now she


    could make the time.


    They got into Zelda¡¯s ginormous ck Cadic SUV, and she piloted them toward Bree¡¯s apartment.


    She had a personal assistant now, too, a sweet girl named Chalisa who was on top of everything. Right


    now, Bree didn¡¯t have enough work to keep Chalisa busy all of the time, so she worked for other


    musicians as well. But Bree envisioned having a big house one day with enough room in it that her


    assistant could live with her if she wanted to so she could keep Bree on track every moment of every


    day.


    Zelda pulled into Bree¡¯s apartmentplex drive and made her way over to Bree¡¯s building. ¡°All right,


    doll, if you need anything, give me a holler. I sure am proud of you!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Zelda. I¡¯ll be in touch.¡± She got out, smiled, and waved, before heading inside. Zelda was as


    close to a mother as she could ask for now that she was in another state, away from her own folks, and


    Bree felt so blessed to have such a trustworthy, loving manager.


    Bree headed into her apartment, d to be done for the day. She thought she might take a few minutes


    to see if she could find a nice beach vacation for one for the next weekend. It might not be as fun as


    spending time with her friends, but it would be rxing, and at the moment, Bree needed something


    easy to take her mind off of her crazy life. Excitement was definitely not what she was looking for when


    it came to her free weekend. No, Bree would stay as far away from excitement as she could get!

 Chapter 18: Invitation

    Chapter 18: Invitation


    Sitting down at herptop, Bree did a quick search for a getaway she might be able to fit into her


    schedule while she had the week off. The more she thought about going to the beach, the better it


    sounded. How long had it been since she had a real vacation? The cabin trip back in college definitely


    didn¡¯t count. She imagined herself sitting by the ocean, sipping a drink, letting her toes sift the sand as


    seagulls circled overhead and the sound of the waves soothed her to sleep.


    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ I¡¯m going to the beach!¡± Bree decided, doing a quick search forst minute getaways. She


    was browsing through avable hotels in Key West when her phone rang. She considered ignoring it so


    that she could continue her search, but then she nced over and saw that it was Lilly, her ex-college


    roommate. She hadn¡¯t spoken to her in weeks, though they¡¯d been doing a better job of staying caught


    up than they had right out of college. Bree quickly swiped to answer. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey, girl. How are you?¡± Lilly asked. ¡°How¡¯s life treating you?¡±


    Right away, Bree could tell that something was wrong. ¡°I¡¯m good, really good, Lill. How are you?¡±


    Her friend groaned. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Things could be better.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Is it your sister¡¯s wedding again?¡± A few weeks back, Lilly had called and told her she was


    running around like a crazy person trying to get her sister¡¯s wedding ns finalized. Monica was


    getting married, and Lilly was the maid of honor, which meant she was responsible for a lot of the


    details. Monica and Lilly were very close, but from the sound of it, her sister was a little bit of a


    bridezi. Lilly had vented for an hour about how upset her sister had been when she¡¯d identally


    ordered the flowers wrong--not the wrong flowers, but hadn¡¯t said something as specific as her sister


    wanted. ¡°This is why they make wedding nners,¡± Bree had reminded her, and Lilly had said she was


    many things, but that was not one of them.


    ¡°Yeah, it is her wedding,¡± Lilly admitted. ¡°Bree, I have a huge problem, and I don¡¯t know what to do


    about it.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± Bree took a deep breath, preparing to try to help the girl who had always


    been so kind to her. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Well, you see, my sister really likes country music, so she asked me to hire this local singer who does


    a lot of weddings in Gulf Shores. I called her months ago and thought we had it all worked out. I even


    put a down payment on the booking from my own money to make sure she had avability.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Bree asked, wondering if this was going to go from a vent to the asking of a favor.


    ¡°Well, I called her to confirm this afternoon, and somehow, she ended up writing it down on her


    calendar wrong. She insists I told her the wedding was June 28, but it¡¯s not. It¡¯s next Saturday, June 18.


    I know what I said!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, Lill. That¡¯s terrible! Is she going to give you your deposit back?¡±


    ¡°Nope, huh uh. She says it wasn¡¯t her fault, and if I want my $500 back, I¡¯m going to have to sue her.¡±


    Bree shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s a huge amount of money for a down payment.¡± She¡¯d never gotten that


    much for a wedding, let alone just the deposit. She¡¯d only be ying one, maybe two songs after all.


    ¡°Who was it? Martina McBride?¡±


    ¡°No, her name is M Lune. Have you heard of her?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I have,¡± Bree admitted. ¡°Has she released anything?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s popr in bama.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ for her. Gosh, Lilly, what are you going to do? Your sister must be furious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she would be¡­ if I had told her.¡±


    Holding back a chuckle, Bree said, ¡°Yeah, I guess that would be one way to keep her from getting


    mad.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Bree. I love my sister so much! But she¡¯s a nut when she¡¯s like this. She¡¯s


    insane! She makes thosedies on that show Bridezis look like perfectly rational human beings.¡±


    ¡°I wish I knew what to say, Lilly, but I don¡¯t know any musicians in Gulf Shores, bama.¡±


    ¡°I know, sweetie. That¡¯s not why I called you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you just wanted to vent?¡±


    ¡°No, I was thinking¡­ maybe you know a singer in Nashville who could help me out.¡±


    Bree started thinking of all the singers she knew who might be avable on short notice and willing to


    go to bama to sing at a stranger¡¯s wedding. ¡°How many songs?¡±


    ¡°Just one--during the ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Uh, well, there are a couple of people who might be avable. What date did you say? June 18?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but my sister has stuff nned from June 11-18. Not that they¡¯d have to be here the whole time,


    but if they coulde, she¡¯d put them up in the hotel on the beach, and they could take part in all of


    the activities we have on our schedule. Or just hang out at the beach.¡±


    ¡°I could make some calls I guess¡­.¡±


    ¡°That would be great, Bree, but actually¡­ I was kind of wondering if maybe¡­ you could do it.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Bree was shocked. She wasn¡¯t expecting that. ¡°But I don''t even know your sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know, but she loves your music. Her fianc¨¦ does, too. She actually wanted me to ask you to


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    begin with, but I told her you were busy because I didn¡¯t want to bother you, and then she saw this M


    chick singing your song on YouTube or some ce and wanted her, so I called her instead. But if


    there¡¯s any way you¡¯re avable¡­.¡±


    ¡°My schedule is so full right now, Lill. Let me look at my calendar.¡± Bree opened her calendar on her


    beach. ¡°Oh, wait--did you say the eleventh through the eighteenth?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± There was a hopeful lilt in her friend¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I have the twelfth through the neenth off. My manager scheduled it that way because she thought I


    needed a break and everything is about to get nuts after that. So¡­.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you can do it?¡±


    Bree wanted to make sure before she said yes, so she checked a couple of other things. She had


    nothing scheduled. The wedding was at the beach, which is where she was just looking. Gulf Shores


    was beautiful, even if it wasn¡¯t the Florida Keys. ¡°Yes, I can do it.¡±


    Lilly squealed so loudly, Bree had to hold the phone away from her ear. ¡°This is great! Thank you so


    much Bree! Monica is going to be so absolutely thrilled! I will let her know and then get you an itinerary


    and all the details. It¡¯s cool that you won¡¯t be here the first day. If you wannaeter in the week,


    just let me know, but she¡¯s basically had her fianc¨¦ rent out the entire hotel because she doesn¡¯t want


    anyone else around.¡±


    ¡°Gosh, he must be loaded.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I don¡¯t talk about money with them.¡± She sounded a little hostile about that, so Bree let it


    go. ¡°You are so amazing, girl! I¡¯m so happy! Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just d I¡¯m avable. This is the first week I¡¯ve had off in so long, I can¡¯t remember when.¡±


    ¡°Now I feel bad. If you don¡¯t want to¡­.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was going to go to the beach anyway. This way, I¡¯ll get to see you and spend some time


    rxing. It sounds like you¡¯re going to be awfully busy, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m guessing so, though there is a wedding nner at the resort, so that¡¯s something. All right.


    I¡¯ll let you go so I can talk to Monica. Thanks again, Bree.¡±


    ¡°Sure--but Lilly, what song does she want me to sing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. ¡®Meant to Marry Me¡¯ of course.¡±


    Bree was quiet for a moment. ¡°Does she realize that song isn¡¯t actually about getting married.¡±


    ¡°I mentioned it to her, but she said it¡¯s perfect and that her fianc¨¦ loves it, too. She says it¡¯s the only


    song she¡¯s ever seen him get emotional over, whatever that means. I don¡¯t think he has any say in


    anything, so at least he¡¯ll be happy when he hears a song he likes, I guess. Anyway, there¡¯s no


    changing her mind.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Bree said, ¡°Ookay. Do you have my email address?¡±


    ¡°I do--breematthewssings at gmail.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    The girls said goodbye, and Bree hung up, wondering if this was a good idea. She had a stirring inside


    of her, like something big was about to happen. Maybe she¡¯d sing at the wedding, and her sister would


    hate it. Or maybe she¡¯d go to the beach and meet the man of her dreams. Whatever it was, it seemed


    important.


    No longer needing to find a ce to go, Bree decided instead to do her homework on Gulf Shores to


    see if there was something she wanted to do while she was there that might not be on the itinerary.


    She also wanted to watch that YouTube video of the cover of her song. She hadn¡¯t even realized


    anyone was covering her. Part of her was ttered, and part of her was scared.


    Lilly had mentioned that Monica and her fianc¨¦ were big fans, which was cool. If her career kept


    trending the way it was, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do weddings or small gatherings anymore soon


    enough, not without causing a big stir anyway. It was a great feeling to know how far she¡¯de.


    At least she¡¯d get to see Lilly again, the best roommate a girl could ever have. Even if everything else


    was a disaster, it would be worth it because of that. ¡°Gulf Shores, here Ie,¡± Bree said, finding a


    smile. She was ready to go find the sun.

 Chapter 19: Lifes a Beach

    Chapter 19: Life''s a Beach


    The room was amazing! Bree had stayed in a lot of different ces over thest year and a half since


    she¡¯d started doing bigger gigs with more famous groups, but none of them had a beach a hundred


    yards outside of the room.


    Standing in the living area of the room, she could hear the ocean outside of the open windows and


    knew she would be able to hear it from the bed as well. The warm breeze billowed the white curtains,


    and she stood near thefy couch and took it all in. She¡¯d managed to get the dream vacation she¡¯d


    been longing for, help out a friend, and get a performance in all at the same time.


    She set her guitar case in the closet and wheeled her suitcase over as well. This ce was


    immactely clean, and the white and blue decor reminded her of the ocean outside her door. There


    was a sign on the wall that read, ¡°Life¡¯s a beach,¡± and so was her front yard at the moment. Practically,


    anyway. There was a small strip of resort that formed a barrier of green grass between her door and


    the sand dunes and surf, but it wasn¡¯t much, and she was looking forward to seeing how warm the


    water was.


    It was early afternoon, and she hadn¡¯t even seen Lilly yet. Her former roommate was doing her best to


    keep her head above water as she helped her sister make sure everything was in order for the wedding


    of her dreams. She¡¯d told Bree there was a dinner at 6:00 in one of the ballrooms, but she hadn¡¯t sent


    the agenda she¡¯d been promising for a week yet. That was okay with Bree as long as she knew where


    she was supposed to be for the wedding itself, which was on Saturday. That was still five days away. In


    the meantime, she was told she could participate in as many or as few of the wedding activities as she


    wanted to. The bride was just thrilled she was able to be there.


    Bree sat down on the couch and took a few deep breaths. No matter how big or small the gig,


    performing always made her slightly nervous. The anxiety she was feeling now was different, though.


    Lilly was about the only person here she knew. While she had met her parents a few times, that was in


    college, which seemed like a million years ago. They were wonderful people, though. The fact that she


    had never met Monica, the bride, and didn¡¯t even know the groom¡¯s name was rming. She thought


    she should¡¯ve probably asked that question along the way, but every time she talked to Lilly, she was in


    such a hurry, Bree never wanted to waste her time asking questions that didn¡¯t even matter. All she


    knew about him was that he¡¯d spent a fortune on this wedding, which meant he was probably loaded


    and likely came from money.


    The idea of a bunch of rich guys being at the wedding would¡¯ve probably been exciting to some people,


    but Bree hadn¡¯t even thought about dating since Sam. That wasn¡¯t exactly true--she had gone out with


    a few guys. But she hadn¡¯t been serious about anyone or even gone out with any of them more than a


    few times. It had been an easy decision to focus on her career and forget about love. After Trent had


    broken her heart, and Sam had proven anyone could cheat, she was just done with all of it.


    She¡¯d been outte the night before ying herst show before she took her week off, so she decided


    to take a nap before she headed to the dinner. Kicking off her sandals, she set an rm on her phone


    to make sure she got up in time to get ready for the get together. The bed wasfortable, and with


    the ocean air bringing in the sound of the waves, she knew she¡¯d be asleep in no time. Bree closed her


    eyes and immediately envisioned herself walking along, barefoot in the sand, hand in hand with a


    mysterious man.


    The longer she walked though, the more her mind wandered, the more she realized it wasn¡¯t just any


    man. His touch was familiar, as was the way he made her stomach flutter. Would she ever escape


    Trent¡¯s pull? Even in her own imagination, it seemed he was everywhere she went.


    Eventually, she drifted off to sweet dreams that didn¡¯t stay with her when her rm sounded a couple


    of hourster, but she felt refreshed and happy when she opened her eyes, as if her own subconscious


    was reassuring her that everything was going to be all right.


    The idea that she could potentially meet someone who made her as happy as Trent did before, when


    they were friends, when there was just the potential of them being together, was enough to make her


    smile. The kiss they¡¯d shared that night at the cabin was still by far the most perfect one she¡¯d ever


    had. Even thinking about it took her breath away. If she could find a guy who could kiss her like that,


    maybe she¡¯d stop dreaming of Trent.


    Bree changed into a nice beachy dress, fixed her hair and make-up, and slipped on a nicer pair of


    sandals than the ones she¡¯d worn in from the airport. She put on a few bangles and a matching


    ne and earrings. Satisfied she looked nice but not spot-light stealing, she decided it was time to


    go.


    Except she had no idea where she was going.


    Lilly had told her it was in one of the ballrooms, but that was all she knew. She fired off a text to Lilly,


    hoping she saw it and could give her directions, but she had a feeling it would go unanswered since


    Lilly had been so busy. She had replied to her text that she¡¯d arrived earlier, but it had taken her a


    while, and all she¡¯d said was, ¡°Yay! Can¡¯t wait to see you.¡±


    ¡°See me where?¡± Bree muttered. She checked the time and saw it was a little after six. The dinner


    would¡¯ve started by now. She could either wander around the resort or just sit there and wait on Lilly. It


    wasn¡¯t as if she was in a huge hurry to get there. They wouldn¡¯t eat right at six, would they? Wouldn¡¯t


    there be drinks and mingling and then dinner? Since she knew no one to mingle with, what was the


    point in being there right when it started?


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    After a few minutes, Bree remembered she had a map of the resort from when she¡¯d checked in. She


    grabbed it out of her handbag and studied it for a moment. All of the ballrooms were independent


    buildings in a row, next to each other, just down the row of rooms where she was staying. They all had


    exterior doors that led out to the strip of grass and the beach. She could just walk down and see how


    many of them were upied. If the windows were open, she might even see Lilly. There were only


    three. Surely, she could find the right one. There might even be a sign that said ¡°Something/Edge¡±


    wedding. Of course, since she didn¡¯t know Monica¡¯s fianc¨¦¡¯s name, she wouldn¡¯t know exactly what the


    sign might say, but she could figure it out, couldn¡¯t she?


    Deciding to give it a try, she took her key card and her phone and dropped them in a small clutch and


    then headed out. The sun was just starting to descend, though it would be bright out for hours toe.


    The sky was painted in hues of pinks, oranges, and yellow. It was gorgeous, and part of her wanted to


    blow the dinner off and go stick her feet in the waves. But she¡¯d told Lilly she¡¯d be there. It was too bad


    Lilly hadn¡¯t missed her enough yet to check her phone.


    Bree approached the ballrooms and heard noiseing from the first one, but there was no sign.


    There were windows, but she couldn¡¯t see into any of them. They had reflective material on them either


    for privacy or to keep the re out or both. Frustrated, she walked to the next one and heard noise


    there, too, though the third ballroom was empty.


    Not sure which one she should try, Bree sat down on a bench between the two and pulled out her


    phone. Nothing from Lilly. She tried to call her, but her friend didn¡¯t answer. Maybe someone would


    looking for.


    It was almost 6:30 when she saw a figureing toward her from down by the rooms. She couldn¡¯t


    see the man well, but he looked like he was dressed nice--in a button down shirt, cks, and a tie--so


    maybe he was going to Monica¡¯s dinner. He was arge man, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest,


    and something about the way he walked seemed familiar to her, but he was too far away for her to


    make out his face. He raised his phone, punched something in, and put it to his ear. Bree wouldn¡¯t want


    to interrupt if he was on the phone when he got there, but if she had to, she had to.


    The door to the first ballroom opened, and a man stepped out. She only knew it was a man because


    she could hear his voice; the door was blocking her view. But his voice was also familiar enough to


    make Bree suck in a deep breath. ¡°Surely not¡­.¡± she thought to herself.


    When the barrier between them swung shut, Bree couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. He had his


    back to her, but she was absolutely positive it was Trent. And then it dawned on her that the man


    walking toward them looked familiar because it was Hank. She hadn¡¯t seen him since Christy¡¯s birthday


    party, years ago, but it was him all right. And she hadn¡¯t seen Trent since that day either.


    Until now. He¡¯d hung up his phone. Clearly, he was talking to Hank. When he turned back toward the


    door, he looked right at her. Bree¡¯s mouth was no longer capable of functioning. What was she even


    supposed to say? She had no idea, but she needed to figure it out quickly, because Trent didn¡¯t look


    surprised to see her at all, and he was headed her direction.

 Chapter 20: Groomed

    Chapter 20: Groomed


    She was sitting on a bench, a confused look on her face, staring at him like she had no idea what was


    going on. Trent hadn¡¯t been looking for her, though he¡¯d wondered a few times where she was at.


    Instead, he¡¯d been out looking for Hank who¡¯d just gotten into town a few hours ago and needed a


    chance to rest and get changed before he headed to the dinner. Still, with Bree sitting there, he¡¯d killed


    two birds with one stone. Lilly hadn¡¯t had time to go looking for her yet.


    ¡°Trent?¡± Bree said, as he walked over. ¡°Uh¡­ hi.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Bree. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good¡­. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging in there. You¡¯re here for the dinner, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I mean¡­ I think so. I was waiting for my college roommate, Lilly, to tell me where to go.¡± She


    looked at her phone and shook her head. ¡°Do you know Lilly?¡±


    Heughed. It seemed like such an odd question. Of course he knew Lilly. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s inside. You


    wannae in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡± She stood but still looked apprehensive. Hank was almost there now, and he was sure


    their friend was going to be excited to see Bree, too. When he¡¯d told Hank Bree would be at the


    wedding, after he¡¯d asked him if he was nuts a few hundred times, Hank had be excited to see


    her. It¡¯d been too long.


    It¡¯d been too long for Trent, too. She was so beautiful, standing there with that lost look on her face, her


    strawberry blonde hair wavy and glistening in the sun. The dainty bracelets she had on her wrist


    echoed her fragile exterior, though he knew that was a facade. Clearly, Bree was tough as nails, or she


    wouldn¡¯t be there. ¡°Are you okay, Bree?¡±


    She scratched her head. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just a little confused. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you. I¡¯m sorry--how


    do you know Monica?¡±


    Then, it all became crystal clear to him. Trent had wondered why in the world Bree would agree to sing


    at his wedding, especially that song, which, while he had no proof, he had suspected she¡¯d written for


    him. Maybe he¡¯d gotten that all wrong. Maybe she hadn''t written ¡°Meant to Marry Me¡± for him at all. He


    started to answer her, but then, Hank arrived, and as usual, there was no way he could say what he


    needed to say to Bree.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Bree Matthews!¡± the big man said,unching himself at her. He scooped her up and


    swung her around. Breeughed, but it was obvious she didn¡¯t particrly like it. He set her down but


    didn¡¯t let go. ¡°How are you, gorgeous?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great, Hank,¡± she said once he let her go. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Not bad, not bad,¡± he said, nodding his head. ¡°It¡¯s so awesome you¡¯re here. I couldn¡¯t believe you¡¯d


    agreed to this, but then, you always were a professional. You definitely surprise the hell out of me.


    Anyway, I¡¯m going in to say hi to everyone else, but you¡¯ll catch up with meter, right, Bree?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. It was nice to see you.¡± She waved as Hank gave Trent a small wave and said he¡¯d catch


    upter. The man was always motivated by food. Trent raised his hand and watched him disappear


    inside before returning his attention to Bree.


    If she¡¯d been confused before, it was even worse now after Hank¡¯sments.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what he meant,¡± she admitted, returning her attention to Trent. ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°About why you¡¯d agree to do this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know Monica. Lilly was my roommate before she transferred for our senior


    year. We were very close. She called me and asked me to do it when that other singer backed out. It¡¯s


    not really that odd to sing at the wedding of someone you don¡¯t know, though.¡±


    ¡°Bree¡­.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how to tell her the part she was missing.


    She wasn¡¯t ready for it yet, even though he had the idea she was getting there on her own. She


    continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know the groom at all. I don¡¯t even know his name. Lilly never said, and I never


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    asked. I probably should have asked. I wonder if he¡¯s a serial killer or something. Is that what Hank


    meant?¡±


    Trent chuckled, but in a way, he almost wished that was all it was. He ran his hand down his face.


    ¡°Bree?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    He had her attention now. ¡°You do know the groom.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡± She was puzzled and turned to look at the door where Hank had disappeared for a moment and


    then looked back at him. ¡°It¡¯s not Hank. He would¡¯ve known where to go if it was him. So if it¡¯s not


    Hank, but I know him, then¡­.¡± She turned back to face him and all of the color drained from her face.


    ¡°Yeah, Bree.¡± Trent nodded his head slowly, no longer able to meet his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

 Chapter 21: End of a Dream

    Chapter 21: End of a Dream


    A horrible ache started in the pit of her stomach and rapidly spiraled through her inner organs out


    through her extremities until Bree¡¯s entire body seemed to be on fire from the inside out. ¡°Wait--what?¡±


    Maybe she hadn¡¯t heard Trent correctly. Maybe this was all a joke. Hank was known for being a


    prankster. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    The fact that Trent¡¯s blue eyes were focused on his shoes let her know she had heard him correctly,


    though. This wasn¡¯t an awful dream. This was reality. He was marrying Monica Edge. ¡°It¡¯s me, Bree. I¡¯m


    the groom.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re marrying Monica?¡± The words fell out of her mouth like rocks plopping into ake and sinking


    directly to the bottom, the weight of them just as heavy and un-buoyant.


    ¡°I am. She¡¯s¡­ my fianc¨¦e.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She ran a hand through her hair, and he could see the pain in her face. He wished he could take


    it back. He¡¯d just assumed she knew, that Lilly or someone had told her. But, he shouldn¡¯t have


    assumed anything. He should¡¯ve called her himself and made sure she knew. ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bree. I should¡¯ve made sure you knew.¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s fine. I mean¡­ it¡¯s a small world, that¡¯s for sure. I didn¡¯t even know you knew


    Lilly.¡±


    ¡°I knew Monica first. I knew her before Lilly transferred. When I broke up with Heather, Monica asked


    me out. We¡¯ve been dating for a while. I guess¡­ you and Lilly are close, right? I figured she had to


    have mentioned me.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t. But then¡­ I never mentioned you to her. Not by name, anyway. Not specifically. Probably


    in passing. She probably didn¡¯t realize that you were you. That the Trent I knew in high school was the


    same one that her sister was dating.¡±


    ¡°No, I guess not.¡± He was looking at her as if he had just assumed the whole world knew she¡¯d been in


    love with him once. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re notfortable singing, I don¡¯t think anyone would me you.¡±


    ¡°What? No, don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m definitely surprised. But of course I¡¯ll still sing. I¡¯m a professional, after all,


    and besides, you and I have been friends forever. Why wouldn¡¯t I want to sing at your wedding?¡± The


    fact that she was going to be singing a song she¡¯d written about him marrying someone else when he


    was supposed to marry her wasn¡¯t lost on her. She wondered how familiar he was with the song. Had


    he figured out that she¡¯d written it for him? Since she¡¯d never said anything to anyone to let them know


    for sure that he was the inspiration, he couldn¡¯t know for certain.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡± She took in a deep breath and let it out, and then, pushing down all of the pain that had


    surfaced earlier, she stepped forward and said, ¡°Congrattions,¡± as she wrapped her arms around


    him.


    It took him a second to hug her back, but he did. ¡°Thank you, Bree.¡± The scent of the ocean mingled


    with that masculine scent that waspletely Trent, and she had to thrust an elbow into the stomach


    of the pain that threatened to bubble up inside of her again.


    He stepped back, and she looked into his eyes for one more moment, wondering where they¡¯d gone


    wrong and reminding herself it didn¡¯t matter now. It was toote. He belonged to someone else, and


    she¡¯d just have to learn to let him go for good.


    ¡°You want toe inside, and I¡¯ll introduce you to everyone? I know Lilly is excited to see you.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Bree said, nting a fake smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡±


    She followed him to the door, still taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself down. Soon, she¡¯d


    make Trent her own. How would Bree look Monica in the eye and congratte her for making Trent her


    fianc¨¦ when he was the one person in the world Bree could envision herself being with? It might just be


    the most difficult thing she¡¯d ever do in her entire life--maybe impossible.

 Chapter 23: Breaking Hearts

    Chapter 23: Breaking Hearts


    Bree looked crestfallen, her eyes downcast, lost and out of ce. Trent hated that he was the one


    who¡¯d made her look that way. She was even more beautiful now than she had been thest time he¡¯d


    seen her, that day at the convenience store when he¡¯d insisted on stopping, despite his then-girlfriend¡¯s


    objections. He¡¯d seen Bree¡¯s car, knew she was in town for Christy¡¯s party, and wanted to see her even


    though he knew it wasn¡¯t in his best interest.


    He hadn¡¯t regretted seeing her, only that she didn¡¯t want to see him at the moment. Over the years,


    he¡¯de to realize he¡¯d messed up. He should¡¯ve tried harder to get ahold of her back in college,


    after he¡¯d kissed her. He hadn¡¯t gone far enough to try to track her down, and by the time he was face-


    to-face with her again, it was clear she hated him.


    But then he¡¯d heard that song and had to wonder if she¡¯d written it for him. While it was entirely


    possible he had nothing to do with it, ever since he¡¯d seen her singing it on a YouTube video, he


    couldn¡¯t get her out of his mind.


    It wasn¡¯t fair that she was here and didn¡¯t know what she was walking into, though. He wished there


    was something he could do to make her feel morefortable. Lilly was so busy trying to get


    everything ready for the wedding, she wouldn¡¯t have a lot of time to spend with Bree. Hank would go


    out of his way to spend time with her, Trent was sure, but other than that, she would likely feel like an


    outsider. He knew she wasn¡¯t necessarily nning on going to all of the events Monica had scheduled


    for the week anyway, but now that she knew what she¡¯d walked into, he¡¯d be surprised if he saw her


    again before the wedding.


    And he wanted to see her before the wedding. Even though it was stupid and made things more


    Ignoring her altogether meant he¡¯d be better able to focus on the woman he was marrying, the woman


    he loved.


    He did love Monica, didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°Are you okay, sweetie pooh?¡± she purred next to him.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± He smiled at her, and she kissed his cheek. Monica was always overly affectionate in


    public. Other ces, it was often a different story, and he¡¯d gotten the impression more than once that


    her reason for being with him wasn¡¯t all that it should be.


    But she wanted to marry him. In fact, she¡¯d arranged for him to propose. The whole situation was so


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    odd. He was here, though, about to marry Monica, which meant he needed to find a way to pull his


    eyes away from Bree. It wasn¡¯t as if she¡¯d ever forgive him for what had happened anyway. That face


    she was making had to have more to do with her being caught off guard than upset that he was getting


    married. He¡¯d have to find a way to keep her from feeling out of ce--without causing Monica any


    distress. It was a sticky situation, one he¡¯d gotten himself into, and he¡¯d have to find a way to get out of


    it. One way or another.

 Chapter 24: Breakfast of Champions

    Chapter 24: Breakfast of Champions


    Bree woke up to the sound of the ocean calling her, both figuratively and literally. She sat up in bed and


    looked straight out at the crashing waves. It couldn¡¯t possibly be thatte as the sun was still in the


    process of painting the horizon with brilliant coral colors, but she wasn¡¯t going back to sleep. It was


    hard enough to believe that she was awake now; everything that had happened the evening before


    seemed like a surreal dream.


    How could Trent be marrying her former roommate¡¯s sister? How could Trent be marrying anyone at


    all? Even though she hadn¡¯t seen or spoken to him in years, she¡¯d always harbored the desire to see


    him again. She¡¯d hoped that they¡¯d bump into each other, as they had that time at the convenience


    store, strike up a conversation, and both realize how much they meant to the other.


    Of course, it seemed silly now, especially since she was sitting in a resort room he¡¯d paid for so that he


    could marry someone else. But the dream had lived inside of her for so long, it was hard to imagine life


    without thoughts that someday it would happen.


    Bree stretched and tried to decide what to do with her day. Monica had given her an agenda before


    she¡¯d left the dinner the night before--or what would now be referenced in her mind as the most


    awkward three hours of her entire life, at least until this point--but she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to


    partake in any of the bridal party¡¯s activities. She wasn¡¯t actually one of them, after all. Sure, there


    would be distant cousins and other family members hanging out, too, but at least they knew Monica.


    Bree had known her for all of a few hours and wasn¡¯t particrly fond of her.


    Some of that was jealousy, of course. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to like anyone Trent was marrying. But then


    there were the rudements Monica frequently made, the backhandedpliments, and the dirty


    looks Bree felt boring into the back of her head whenever she looked away from the bride-to-be. It


    almost made her wonder if Monica actually knew the song she¡¯d selected for her wedding was about


    her groom.


    Surely not. No one knew for sure, and there weren¡¯t even very many people who would suspect that


    was the case. Just some friends from high school. Like Nora, Christy, and Abby. Maybe Hank. Oh, and


    Trent. He¡¯d probably figured that out the moment he heard the song--though he wouldn¡¯t be able to


    confirm it.


    Looking at the schedule, Bree tried to decide whether or not she should attend the brunch and visit to


    the local nature preserve with the rest of the group or just do her own thing. Thoughts of hanging out on


    the beach, catching some sunrays, dipping her toes in the waves, and basically bing a beach bum


    were much more inviting than fighting off Monica¡¯s res.


    She decided not to decide at the moment. She needed a shower and something to eat. Even if she was


    going to go to brunch at 11:00, her stomach was growling now. She¡¯d hardly eaten anything the night


    before at the dinner because she¡¯d felt so unwee and overwhelmed. But now, she was definitely in


    need of sustenance.


    After her shower, she put on her bathing suit with a bright teal sundress over the top. Once her hair


    was dry and her makeup was perfect for a sunny day at the beach--with enough sunscreen underneath


    tost her a few hours--she decided to go to a restaurant within walking distance of the resort and get


    some breakfast. Taking her beach bag with her, just in case she decided not toe back to her room,


    she set out.


    Already, kids were sshing in the waves. The sound of theirughter traveled through the morning air


    and brought a smile to Bree¡¯s face. As awful as her discovery of the night before had been, there was


    still a lot of good in this world, a lot of beauty, a lot of hope. She couldn¡¯t let losing Trent for good bring


    her down forever.


    The quaint cafe was decorated with beachy, yet tasteful, decor. Bree took a booth by the window where


    she could lose herself in a romance novel over her eggs. It was better to leave love to other people,


    imaginary people, who might just have a chance.


    ¡°Still putting ketchup on your hash browns, I see.¡±


    The sound of Trent¡¯s voice was a familiar tune in her ear. It made her smile at first until she


    remembered there wasn¡¯t much to smile about. Still, she didn¡¯t want to be rude, so she kept the


    cheerful expression as she put her book down and turned to look at him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    He was wearing a polo shirt and khaki shorts that showed off how muscr his tan legs were. Bree


    couldn¡¯t get that tan if sheid on the sun. He was always a shade or two darker than her, and she had


    been jealous when they were kids and impressed when they were older.


    Shrugging, Trent said, ¡°I was out for a walk and happened to see a friendly face in the window. I¡¯m not


    bothering you am I?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. Have a seat.¡± Bree had propped her feet on the bench across from her but slid them off


    now, hoping she hadn¡¯t gotten any sand on the seat.


    Trent slid in and folded his hands on the table, the look on his face letting her know he was trying to


    figure out what to say. ¡°How have you been?¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± she said, meaning it, except for thest few hours. ¡°Things have been really good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so d to hear it. I always knew you¡¯d make it big someday.¡±


    He had been her biggest cheerleader in high school, but she had to be realistic. ¡°I¡¯ve still got a long


    way to go before I hit it big.¡±


    ¡°Nah, you¡¯re almost there. It¡¯s so awesome seeing you on YouTube. I even heard one of your songs on


    the radio thest time I went to visit my folks.¡±


    That made her smile. She knew the local stations had been ying her songs for a while. ¡°How are


    your parents? I didn''t get a chance to talk to themst night.¡± They¡¯d been so surrounded by family


    from out of town, she hadn¡¯t bothered to try to squeeze her way in, though his dad had given her a hug


    before she left, and his mom had waved. She imagined this was odd for them, too.


    ¡°They¡¯re good.¡± Something about his eyes let her know that wasn¡¯t quite true. ¡°How are yours?¡±


    ¡°Hanging in there. Mom took it hard when Grandma passed awayst year.¡± They¡¯d all taken that hard,


    but she was old and it was a wonder she¡¯dsted as long as she did with her health problems.


    ¡°I was so sorry to hear about that. She was a good woman.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Bree gave him a small smile and then an awkward silence settled in that was only broken


    when the waitress asked Trent if he wanted some coffee, which he declined.


    ¡°Bree, I¡¯m really sorry you didn¡¯t know about this. For some reason, I was under the impression that


    you did.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said, not meaning it but not ming him either. She fought back the tears that sprang


    up again because crying now would make her look really stupid. ¡°I¡¯m happy for you. The two of you


    make a beautiful couple.¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything nice about Monica, though.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn¡¯t. She really wished the waitress would


    just bring the check.


    ¡°What time does your brunch start? Eleven?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, are youing?¡±


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll hang out on the beach today. I appreciate the invitation and all, but¡­.¡± She couldn¡¯t


    finish that sentence either.


    ¡°I understand. Monica takes everything to the extreme, the entire wedding included.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you must be doing really well in your career to afford all of this. I mean¡­ not that it¡¯s any of


    my business.¡± She suddenly felt like a dunce, talking about money.


    ¡°I actually got a little bit of an inheritance when my grandfather passed away a few years back and


    made a couple of investments that really paid off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± He always had been good with finances.


    ¡°Yeah. Monica wants me to quit working altogether so we can move to New York for her modeling


    career, but she hasn''t exactly convinced me of that yet.¡±


    His eyes were set when he spoke about the possibility of quitting, and she was tempted to pry again.


    She knew how much he loved working with numbers. ¡°I¡¯m sure the two of you will make a good


    decision, one that¡¯s best for both of you.¡± What else could she possibly say?


    He nodded, and the waitress dropped her check on the table.


    Trent grabbed it before Bree could move. ¡°Hey,¡± she said, her eyes wide. ¡°Uh¡­ that¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°I got it.¡± He already had his wallet out.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you paying for enough? My room and all that?¡±


    With a smile, he shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m just d you¡¯re here, Bree. It¡¯s great to see you.¡±


    The waitress came back and took the money, and Trent got up, clearly not expecting any change from


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    the twenty he¡¯d handed over. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll do some of the activities Monica has on tap, just because


    it¡¯s nice to see you.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. It was nice to see him, too, but she was sure they weren¡¯t on the same page


    about that. He was marrying someone else, and she wanted to throw herself at him and confess her


    undying love. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will.¡±


    ¡°See ya, Bree.¡± He ced his hand on her shoulder, causing electric pulses to shoot throughout her


    body, and then he was gone, and she was left taking deep breaths wondering how in the world she was


    supposed to get over him when all he had to do was touch her, and she became a mound of pulsating


    flesh beneath his hand.

 Chapter 25: Everythings Just Beachy

    Chapter 25: Everything''s Just Beachy


    The beach was everything Bree had hoped it would be and then some. Lying on a towel in her two-


    piece, watching the clouds trace across the sky, feeling the warm sea breeze while the rxing scent


    of the ocean filled her lungs had Bree feeling calmer than she had in as long as she could remember,


    certainly since before she¡¯d realized Trent was getting married.


    Seeing him that morning brought a new perspective to her. He was the same Trent he¡¯d always been,


    her friend from high school, the one who always cheered her on, made her smile, knew her better than


    anyone else. The fact that she¡¯d essentially lost five years of time she could¡¯ve been spending with him


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    made her heart ache. So they weren¡¯t meant to be a couple? So what? Could they not still be friends?


    The bottom line was, she missed him and wanted him back in her life, even if that meant a distant


    friendship as she followed her dreams with her music, and he started his new life with Monica.


    Monica was another story altogether. Bree¡¯s gut instinct had been to not trust her. She just seemed


    disingenuous. Perhaps it was just the fact that this was her wedding that made her seem that way. She


    was Lilly¡¯s sister, after all, and Lilly was one of the kindest, sweetest people Bree had ever met. So


    Monica couldn¡¯t be that bad, could she?


    And she knew Trent would never pick someone who wasn¡¯t worthy of him, and he was as close to


    being the perfect guy as anyone Bree had ever met--even if he hadn¡¯t called her after that kiss.


    The waves were calling her, and Bree spent some time in the water, letting the warm waves wash away


    her worries. Then, back on her towel, she started to doze off and might¡¯ve actually fallen asleep if it


    weren¡¯t for the sound of footsteps approaching her.


    Lots of families were on the beach, enjoying the sun and surf, but even with her eyes closed, she knew


    that those footsteps sounded familiar. Not that she¡¯d ever heard them on sand before, but the cadence


    was what caught her attention--a heavy step and a bit of a shovel. When she raised her head and used


    her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, she wasn¡¯t surprised at all to see Hanking her way.


    ¡°There you are, beautiful,¡± he said, smiling at her before he dropped down on the sand next to her. The


    ce she was sitting was sheltered by somerge rocks. He leaned back against one and let out a


    deep sigh. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty good,¡± Bree said with an easy grin. ¡°How are you?¡± He was wearing nice shorts and a polo,


    basically the same thing Trent was wearing when she¡¯d seen him hours earlier.


    Hank shrugged. ¡°All right. Howe you weren¡¯t at brunch and mini golf?¡±


    She giggled. She¡¯d forgotten about the mini golf but was d she¡¯d missed it. Something told her


    Monica wouldn¡¯t be that much fun to y against at the moment. ¡°I decided the beach was more my


    style today. Did you have fun?¡±


    He was thoughtful for a moment. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯ll never turn down food. You know that. But, I don¡¯t know. I


    sorta felt out of ce. I went to college with most all of these folks. I don¡¯t really care for Monica¡¯s


    friends. They never treat me like I¡¯m worth their time. Trent¡¯s other friends are all right--Matt and


    Dwayne--but I usually only hung out with them if he was.¡±


    Bree nodded. ¡°I know how you feel. I don¡¯t know anyone except for you and Lilly. And Trent. And his


    parents, but I can¡¯t see me and Mr. Walker hanging out at mini golf, shooting the shit.¡±


    That brought theugh Bree had been looking for. Then, his face got serious again. ¡°Look, I know it¡¯s


    probably not easy for you to be at any of that stuff either, but I think you and me are kinda in the same


    boat. Maybe we could stick together to get through this.¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, Bree asked, ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not easy for me?¡±


    He tipped his head to the side and considered her for a moment. ¡°Come on, Bree. There¡¯s really no


    one else in the whole world who knows the situation better than I do. I am the interrupter, times two,


    after all.¡±


    All the color seemed to rush to her face and simultaneously drain, and Bree wasn¡¯t sure if she looked


    pale or sunburnt. ¡°Hank, I¡¯m not sure¡­.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Bree. I might be a dumb jock, but I¡¯m not blind. I saw what happened--or almost happened--


    at that dance in high school and then again when I came to tell you that your aunt and uncle were there


    to pick you up at the cabin. But he did kiss you then, didn¡¯t he? When your aunt and uncle were inside


    saying hello to everyone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Hank, but that was years ago. Nothing else ever happened.¡±


    ¡°But only because you guys never talked about it. Bree, he was thinking about you. For a long damn


    time. And I bet you were thinking about him, too. Weren¡¯t you?¡±


    She shrugged. It was hard to lie to Hank. They¡¯d always been close. ¡°I mean¡­ maybe for a while.¡±


    ¡°Long enough to write a well-known song about it?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think that song is for him?¡±


    ¡°What makes me think that ocean is full of water? Some things a person just knows.¡±


    Blowing out a hot breath, Bree said, ¡°Okay, fine. Maybe it was at least partially about Trent. But most of


    it is fiction.¡±


    He nodded, and she knew he could see right through her but that he also wouldn¡¯t press the issue.


    ¡°Look, all I¡¯m saying is, this isn¡¯t exactly easy on me, either. And I don¡¯t want to go into it any more than


    you do. So please, woman, for the love of God, will you please promise me you¡¯ll go to all of the rest of


    this junk with me? So I don¡¯t have to face it alone? I was shocked as hell that you showed up here, but


    I was equally shocked that I managed to get my ass here, too.¡±


    Whatever it was Hank was sort-of admitting to had Bree asking a lot of questions that she wouldn¡¯t


    voice at the moment. His eyes showed he was in a lot of pain, a sort of pain she was familiar with on a


    level she didn¡¯t realize anyone else was aware of. But he was. Why, she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Okay, Hank.


    Sure. I¡¯ll go. From now on, I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    A loud sigh of relief exited his lips. ¡°Thanks, Bree.¡± Hank wrapped an arm around her and pulled her


    close, his massive bicep able to drag her easily over the sand and beach towel. He was a personal


    trainer and looked like it. ¡°You¡¯re the best. Boy, have I missed you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, too.¡± She meant it. When she¡¯d cut off Trent, she had lost Hank, too, and she wished


    she could go back now and change everything.


    But it was toote for that. All she could do now was be the best friend to Hank possible and help him


    through whatever it was that was making his heart ache. She couldn¡¯t go back to that time when she¡¯d


    had a chance with Trent either, but she could be a good friend to him now, too, which was something


    he also might appreciate because, the more Bree got to know Monica, the more she wondered what in


    the world he was doing with her in the first ce. If she was really as shallow and self-absorbed as she


    seemed, Trent was in for more than a week of ufortableness. The idea of such a sweet guy being


    permanently tied to a woman who couldn¡¯t form a sentence without the word ¡°I¡± in it was disheartening


    to say the least.


    ¡°What¡¯s next on the agenda?¡± she asked, forcing herself to smile. She¡¯d been dreaming of spending the


    evening in a nice, rxing bath and then reading more of her romance novel, but she would make


    amendments to her ns to help Hank out.


    ¡°Drinks and dancing at a local club,¡± he replied.


    Bree¡¯s eyebrows arched. ¡°I¡¯m sure the parents and grandparents will have a great time with that.¡±


    Hank¡¯s loud roar of augh filled the air, causing some seagulls nearby on the beach to take off. ¡°I don¡¯t


    think none of them are going. Just the younger folks. But that would be funny. I can see Mrs. Walker


    out there dancing.¡±


    The thought had Bree shaking her head to clear it. ¡°Gosh, I hope not. All right. I¡¯ll go. Will youe by


    and get me so we can go together?¡±


    One eyebrow arched over a green eye as Hank asked, ¡°Is this a date, Ms. Matthews? Really, I¡¯m


    ttered, but I¡¯m afraid I think of you as more of a friend than a lover.¡±


    Bree swatted him yfully with the back of her hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s not a date, silly. Just¡­ an escort.¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard about me, but those days are over. I needed money for


    college.¡±


    Bursting outughing, Bree couldn¡¯t help but think of Hank working as an escort. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.


    That¡¯s not what I meant either. Juste by room before it starts, please.¡±


    ¡°All right. Schedule says nine, so I¡¯ll be there at ten till ish?¡±


    ¡°How far away is the club?¡±


    ¡°Couple of blocks. You know I like to be fashionablyte.¡±


    ¡°The Hank I know likes to be more than fashionablyte. But okay. That works for me.¡± She didn¡¯t want


    to be early either. She didn¡¯t even want to go.


    ¡°Thanks, Bree. You¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said, winking at him. Heughed again, and she rested her head on his shoulder, d to


    have him back in her life.

 Chapter 26: Hands Off My Man

    Chapter 26: Hands Off My Man


    It was no surprise at all that Hank waste. In fact, Bree would¡¯ve been shocked if he¡¯d been on time.


    But when he knocked on her door at 9:30 that evening, she wasn¡¯t upset at all that he waste. It had


    given her a little more time to work on a new song she was writing and a little less time to be in the


    same room with Monica and Trent.


    ¡°You look purty!¡± Hank eximed as she opened the door.


    ncing down at the dress she was wearing, Bree said, ¡°Thanks.¡± It was a mix of beachy and


    nightclub. A nice green strappy dress that came to about mid-thigh with a floral print in corals and reds,


    she figured it would work for the local bar. Her hair was pinned up in a twist and she was wearing hoop


    earrings, a ne, and a few bangles, as well as strappy sandals with a small heel. ¡°You look nice as


    well.¡±


    Hank was wearing a rather loud floral print shirt in bright blue and orange with khaki shorts and loafers.


    But she could tell he¡¯d taken his time with his hair and double-checked he didn¡¯t miss any spots while


    shaving. ¡°Thank you, dear. I figured if I was going to walk in with a beautiful starlet on my arm, I should


    dress the part.¡±


    Breeughed, not knowing what to think of that. She made sure her phone and key card were in the


    wristlet that contained her ID, credit card, and a little bit of cash and then followed him out into the


    warm air.


    It was actually much cooler than it had been earlier in the day, and for a moment, she thought a storm


    might be on the horizon. But if it was, it was a long way off, and they should be able to get to the club


    and back without getting caught in the rain. It was a bit of a surprise that it hadn¡¯t rained on them yet


    since the area was known for getting storms from out to sea.


    ¡°Do you wanna walk or shall I hail us an automobile?¡± Hank asked in a sophisticated voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with walking. I might need a ride home.¡± She had a feeling she¡¯d probably end up drinking


    more than she should under the circumstances.


    ¡°Well, the princess bride has arranged for us all to get up bright and early tomorrow to y volleyball


    on the beach at eight, so you might not want to drink too much.¡±


    ¡°Eight? After a night out? Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°As a heart attack. I wonder if she¡¯ll even make that event herself. It might just be all the older folks who


    aren¡¯t out partying tonight who make it there.¡±


    Breeughed, thinking about Trent¡¯s parents versus Monica¡¯s parents on the sand. ¡°Maybe Great-Aunt


    Patricia will spike a few.¡±


    Hank¡¯sugh was loud and robust as he no doubt pictured the older woman jumping up and hitting a


    volleyball like she was Kerri Walsh Jennings. ¡°Now, I¡¯d get up early to see that.¡±


    The club wasn¡¯t far away. Within a block of the location, they could hear loud mariachi musicing


    through the open door. ¡°God, I hope they y some techno or something, too,¡± Hank said, making a


    face. ¡°I prefer country, of course, but I¡¯m not sure I can handle the music they¡¯re ying now all night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing they¡¯ll at least y some Caribbean hits,¡± she assured him. ¡°They probably try to hit all


    vors around here.¡±


    ¡°Probably not country,¡± hemented.


    With a giggle, Bree approached the man at the door. ¡°Good evening,¡± he said. He looked them over


    closely and seemed like he was considering telling Hank he couldn¡¯te in for one reason or another,


    so Bree slipped her hand around his arm. ¡°Come on in,¡± he said, still eyeing Hank like there was one


    too many dudes in the club already.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Bree said for both of them since Hank had already gotten his dander up. Asrge as the


    man at the door was, Hank had at least thirty pounds on him and was a few inches taller. Not that it


    shoulde to blows.


    Once inside, she let go of his arm and looked around. Almost immediately, she picked Monica¡¯sugh


    out of the crowd. It wasn¡¯t loud, but it was annoying enough that it met her ear from several feet away.


    She was surrounded by her group of girls, as she had been before the dinner the night before, and they


    were all looking at her like she was the queen and they were her minions.


    The guys were all standing nearby, beers in hand, and when Trent saw theme in, his smile


    broadened. He gave Hank the familiar head nod that most guys did when they saw one of their bros,


    but he just looked fondly at Bree, and then she turned away from him because she couldn¡¯t handle the


    thoughts that came to mind when she looked at him.


    Lilly saw her and came rushing over anyway. ¡°Yay! You¡¯re here! I¡¯m so d you came! We missed you


    this morning.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I was tired. I spent most of the day lying on the beach.¡±


    ¡°I totally understand,¡± she said as Hank excused himself to go hang out with the other guys. ¡°Let¡¯s get


    you a drink.¡±


    Bree was not arguing with that. She went to the bar and ordered whatever it was Lilly was drinking--


    something fruity and sweet--and did her best to calm her nerves by drowning her ufortableness in


    alcohol.


    By her third fruity drink, Bree was no longer feeling anxious. In fact, she was feeling pretty good. A few


    of the guys asked her to dance, and she happily epted. After a few hours, she no longer really


    cared about Trent and his beautiful, elegant, supermodel fianc¨¦e. She wasn¡¯t drunk--at least she didn¡¯t


    think she was--but she was happier than she¡¯d been since she¡¯d arrived, that was for sure.


    And then Trent had to walk over and bring her whole new happy world crashing down around her.


    With one hand on her shoulder, he asked, ¡°Bree, are you all right?¡±


    She knew it was him before she even turned around, but she was still startled to see how close he was.


    She looked around for Monica and saw her sitting with her girls at a table across the room, in the


    middle of one of her epic stories. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°You look a little¡­ inebriated. I just wanted to make sure none of these guys was getting a little too


    familiar, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Her eyes searched the crowd of guys who had formed around her. None of them were part of their


    party. As far as she could tell, none of them had done anything inappropriate, but then, she hadn¡¯t been


    paying that much attention either. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said again.


    Trent was looking at her skeptically. The song switched to something slow, and the people around them


    paired off, except for the excess men who couldn¡¯t find a woman. Most of them headed to the bar.


    Others went back to the tables.


    Without thinking, Bree wrapped her arms around Trent¡¯s neck. ¡°Have you even danced with anyone


    tonight?¡±


    His eyes went to Monica and then back to her. ¡°No, but Monica does like to dance. She¡¯s just been


    busy with her friends so far.¡± His hands were on Bree¡¯s waist now, and he was moving in time to the


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    music.


    ¡°She¡¯s so beautiful,¡± Bree admitted. ¡°And tall!¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°She is both of those things, it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Damn, Trent. Did you meet her at school? It seems like a woman who looks like that wouldn¡¯t be at


    regr school. She should go to one of those fantasy academies all the kids are reading about these


    days.¡±


    ¡°I met her at regr college,¡± he said, smiling at Bree. ¡°She was in my geography ss my senior year-


    -her junior year--and we studied together.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did she pretend not to know anything so you¡¯d have to lean over and point to the map for her?¡±


    ¡°No, she did quite well, thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°I said pretend,¡± Bree pointed out.


    Still smirking at her, he said, ¡°No, she asked me out one day after a study session, and we¡¯ve been


    together ever since.¡±


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s just beautiful. And so are you. The two of you are going to have the most gorgeous


    children.¡± Bree heard herself but couldn¡¯t stop from talking,


    ¡°Thank you, Bree. Listen, I know this is weird for you. If you don¡¯t want toe to any more of this


    stuff, I get it.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be there. Hank asked me toe, and I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    ¡°Hank asked you toe?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Trent looked perplexed. ¡°Huh. I wonder why.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe Hank likes me.¡±


    Shaking his head, Trent said, ¡°I know he does, but it seems odd that he¡¯d ask you toe to


    everything.¡± A shadow passed across his face, and Bree got the impression whatever it was it had


    something to do with whatever it was Hank had eluded to earlier on the beach.


    Trent never got a chance to say more even if he intended to. Bree heard Monica clear her throat and


    knew that it was her before she even turned her head. ¡°Hi! Well, aren¡¯t you two cute. Look at you,


    dancing with my man before I even got a chance to.¡± She was smiling, but there was a harshness


    around each word as it floated out of her mouth.


    ¡°We were just talking,¡± Trent assured her with aidback shrug.


    ¡°And dancing,¡± Monica pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bree said, her hands already moving off of Trent. ¡°I figured as long as we were standing


    here talking, we may as well dance. No harm intended.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no harm done. Believe me, I¡¯m not at all intimidated.¡± Again, Monica¡¯s face said one thing while


    her tone said something else. The way she was looking at Bree was enough to set her off, as if Bree


    was some sort of ogrepared to the beautiful bride. ¡°I was just hoping to have a chance to dance


    with my husband before anyone else, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Bree wanted to correct her--he wasn¡¯t her husband yet--but she saw no reason to do so. ¡°Sorry,¡± Bree


    said, moving away from Trent. She caught his eyes, and he looked sympathetic. ¡°See youter.¡±


    ¡°Bree¡­.¡± He said her name but didn¡¯t follow her, and Bree didn¡¯t turn around. Instead, she headed


    straight for Hank, wanting to tell him it was time for her to go home.

 Chapter 27: A Walk with Hank

    Chapter 27: A Walk with Hank


    ¡°Man, that¡¯s bullshit,¡± Hank was saying as he and Bree walked home. The streets were a little crowded


    around the club, but once they got closer to the resort, there were less people, and Bree felt herself


    sobering up with the beach air in her lungs.


    ¡°I mean, I guess I can¡¯t me her for being upset. I¡¯d be upset if my fianc¨¦ was dancing with someone


    else, too. I guess.¡±


    ¡°No you wouldn''t, not if it was a friend from high school. Besides, it¡¯s not like Monica doesn¡¯t dance with


    other guys.¡± He muttered something under his breath that Bree didn¡¯t understand, but she thought he


    said something along the lines of ¡°and worse.¡± She didn¡¯t question it, though, because she felt like


    Hank was more upset about the situation now than she was.


    They walked a bit further, the streetlights casting a glow on the sidewalk and street making them shine,


    as if it had rained, though Bree knew it hadn¡¯t. It was a pleasant night outside of the club. She shouldn¡¯t


    have even gone, but Hank had been so insistent. ¡°Do you think¡­ do you think she knows?¡± Maybe it


    was the alcohol that made her courageous enough to pose the question. Once it was out of her mouth,


    she wished she hadn¡¯t asked. She didn¡¯t want to hear the answer.


    ¡°Knows what? That you wrote the song she¡¯s requested you sing at her wedding for her fianc¨¦? Come


    on, Bree. No one is dumb enough to request you sing a song you wrote for their fianc¨¦ at their own


    damn wedding. No, she doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    Bree rolled her eyes as they walked through the entrance to the resort. ¡°No, I mean, do you think she


    knows that I have¡­ had feelings for Trent?¡± Again, she¡¯d have to me the booze for that mess up.


    Maybe Hank was too drunk to have caught it.


    No such luck. ¡°Was that present tense or past tense?¡±


    Not wanting to answer the question, she said, ¡°I¡¯m just saying, Monica doesn¡¯t seem to like me much.


    For someone who is allegedly a fan and wanted me to sing at her wedding, she seems a little put out


    that I¡¯m even here.¡±


    Hank let out a soft chuckle. ¡°No, that¡¯s just how she is.¡±


    ¡°To everyone?¡± Bree questioned, headed up the walkway to her room. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve never seen


    her talk to her bridesmaids like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different. Those two are also models, and she has a different level of respect for them than she


    does all other human beings.¡±


    ¡°Models or aspiring models?¡± Bree didn''t mean to sound rude. It was just her understanding that


    Monica hadn¡¯t quite made it to that level yet, the ¡°professional model¡± level she was reaching for. Not


    that Bree was one to talk. She hadn¡¯t made it big yet either.


    ¡°I think Monica¡¯s doing pretty good for herself. She¡¯s done a lot of shoots, just not at a national level.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    She¡¯ll make it, though. Not only does she look and act like a model, she¡¯s determined, and that goes a


    long way.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t lost on Bree that Hank was defending Monica, though he wasn¡¯t sure why. None of this was


    making much sense to her. She decided not to say any more to him about her, though. ¡°Are we still


    going to the beach tomorrow? Volleyball at eight?¡±


    ¡°Hell, yeah. It¡¯s only a little after twelve. We still have time to drink in the room a little while and get


    enough rest to kick everyone¡¯s asses tomorrow.¡±


    Breeughed politely, but she hoped he didn¡¯t mean he wanted toe into her room to drink. She


    hadn¡¯t checked to see if there was anything in the mini-bar she¡¯d even want to drink, but even if there


    was, she thought she¡¯d had enough to drink for one night. ¡°Okay. Well, I guess I¡¯ll see you bright and


    early then. There¡¯s no¡­ breakfast or anything?¡±


    ¡°Not that I know of. I figure I¡¯ll call room service. Wanna join me? Around seven?¡±


    ¡°Gosh, I think I¡¯ll just eat a protein bar or something,¡± Bree said, hoping she didn¡¯t hurt his feelings. She


    didn¡¯t want to eat a heavy breakfast and then go out on the hot sand and try to move around. She¡¯d


    never been much of an athlete anyway, so ying volleyball was going to be a struggle as it was. Hank


    was a personal trainer, though, so it would be nothing for him to eat a huge meal and then go out to the


    beach and y sports for hours.


    ¡°All right. Well, if you change your mind, give me a call.¡± They were at her room now, and Hank


    wrapped his muscr arms around her before he turned to go.


    Bree went into her room, certain she wouldn¡¯t change her mind, and thinking she needed to talk to


    someone about how oddly Hank had been acting--but who? She¡¯d been so busy with her career in the


    to be objective anyway.


    It suddenly urred to Bree who she should call. Most people wouldn¡¯t be up this time of night on a


    weekday, but she had a feeling this person would, and she¡¯d have good advice, too. Bree dug her


    phone out and sat down on the sofa across from her tropical view, dialing, and hoping she didn¡¯t reveal


    too much or say anything rude about Monica, though at this point, she had no idea what mighte


    out of her mouth. There was something evil about that woman--she could feel it in her bones.

 Chapter 28: Christy Cant Help

    Chapter 28: Christy Can''t Help


    ¡°God, Bree--do you have any idea what time it is?¡±


    Christy¡¯s voice sounded in her ear, and even though she was annoyed, Bree was just happy she¡¯d


    answered. At a time like this, when she needed to talk to someone who knew the background and was


    capable of saying the things she needed to hear, Christy was her go-to girl and had been ever since


    high school.


    ¡°Sorry, hon. Did I wake you up?¡± Bree asked, thinking Christy didn¡¯t sound groggy--just irritated.


    ¡°Hell, no. But I¡¯m in the process of switching clubs. What¡¯s up, bitch?¡±


    That had Bree giggling. While everyone else their age who wasn¡¯t at an event like Bree happened to


    be, was home, sleeping, preparing for work the next day, Christy was on her way to a different party. ¡°I


    just hoped I could talk to you for a few minutes, but if you¡¯re busy, it¡¯s okay. I can call you some other


    time.¡±


    ¡°No way. You¡¯re at that swanky wedding in Gulf Shores, right? I mean, of course I¡¯ve got time to listen


    to that. Besides, I¡¯m in an Uber. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Bree took a deep breath. ¡°Well, first of all, do you have any idea who the groom is?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. So I guess you do, too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? You knew, and you didn¡¯t tell me?¡±


    She could hear Christy shrugging over the phone. ¡°I thought you knew.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you say, ¡®that swanky wedding¡¯ and not ¡®Trent¡¯s wedding¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Because, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s the only one there I know. Hank is there, right? And Trent brought Matt and


    Dwayne over to my house a couple of times on breaks and stuff, so I know them, too. I know Lilly


    because she used to be your roommate, and Monica¡¯s been in some fashion shoots and shit, so I


    recognized her.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, I get it.¡± Bree hoped she didn¡¯t sound too mad, but she was a little mad. Why would


    Christy not tell her what she was walking into? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there Saturday. So will Abs and everyone else. You think Trent didn¡¯t invite us to his wedding?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t invite me.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a reason for that, isn¡¯t there? And yet, there you are, soaking it all up. How is that,


    anyway? How is it knowing he¡¯s gonna marry someone else? I mean, I¡¯ve always spected that you


    wrote that song for him.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t write it for him. I didn¡¯t write anything for him.¡± Now, Bree was lying to the very person she¡¯d


    called for help. Still, she felt betrayed that all of these people knew she was walking into a firestorm and


    hadn¡¯t warned her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ weird, though. If I had known it was his wedding, I would¡¯ve said no.¡±


    ¡°God, Bree, I¡¯m sorry. I guess I should¡¯ve told you he was getting married when I first found out. I just


    figured you were better off not knowing, especially since she¡¯s a model and all. I mean, not that you¡¯re


    not gorgeous--just as pretty as she is--it¡¯s just¡­ who wants to hear the guy she used to have a crush


    on is marrying a model, you know?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Bree let out a hot st of air. ¡°That¡¯s actually not why I called, though.¡± She heard Christy


    talking to her driver and getting out of the car, and in the distance, she could hear the beat of the music


    ¡°What is it?¡± Christy asked, and Bree hoped she didn¡¯t mind standing outside for a minute while she


    told her the real reason she¡¯d called.


    ¡°It¡¯s Hank. He¡¯s not himself--not the Hank I remember from high school, anyway. He doesn¡¯t want to go


    anywhere without me. One minute, it seems like he can¡¯t stand Monica, and the next, it¡¯s like he¡¯s her


    biggest fan. It¡¯s so weird. He¡¯s kinda mopey, too. I haven¡¯t seen him act this way ever--except for that


    one time at your birthday party. Thest one I came home for.¡±


    ¡°Hank was upset at my birthday party? I don¡¯t recall that.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were a little inebriated, to say the least. Yeah, I was upset because I¡¯d just seen Trent at the


    convenience store with some girl, and he was upset because he liked this girl at school, but she


    wouldn¡¯t date him because he was going to be a personal trainer, and she was looking for someone


    more ¡®professional,¡¯ or something. Apparently, she was screwing him but wouldn¡¯t date him date him.


    What did he say her name was?¡± Bree asked herself. She couldn¡¯t remember. It was something weird.


    ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s acting a little bit like that, like he¡¯s broken-hearted but doesn¡¯t want to dish any details.


    Do you have any idea what¡¯s going on with him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Christy admitted. ¡°I do remember that chick, though. She was such a bitch. She¡¯d swing


    him along, make him think he had a chance, and then cut him off until the next time she needed a quick


    screw, and then she¡¯d call him. Stupid bitch. I wish I knew who she was so I could p her in the face.


    Anyway, Hank has known Monica for a long time, too, you know? They went to college together. Maybe


    he¡¯s just thinking of her like a sister or something--where you get mad at someone and then you¡¯re cool


    with them again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe. This seems different somehow.¡± Bree couldn''t quite put her finger on it.


    ¡°He might be mad that Monica is spending so much of Trent¡¯s money, too. That wedding isn¡¯t exactly


    Trent¡¯s style.¡±


    Bree didn¡¯t think that was it either. ¡°Hank said something weird to me at the beach, though. What was it


    exactly?¡± She thought back to what he¡¯d said when they were sitting on the beach and it suddenly


    came to her. He¡¯d slipped it in so quickly, it hadn¡¯t quite stuck, but now, she thought it was significant.


    ¡°He said this isn¡¯t quite that easy on him either. Why would he say that?¡±


    ¡°The wedding?¡± Christy questioned. ¡°I have no idea. Is he afraid he¡¯ll lose Trent? I mean, if Monica


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    makes him move to New York City or Paris, he will.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Again, Bree didn¡¯t think that was it. She had an odd feeling in her gut; something wasn¡¯t quite


    right with Hank. But Christy hadn¡¯t ended up being the help she¡¯d wanted, and now she was getting


    tired. ¡°All right, sister, I¡¯m gonna let you go. I¡¯ve gotta get up early to y beach volleyball.¡±


    ¡°Beach volleyball? You? Lord, have mercy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I can do it¡­ maybe.¡±


    ¡°At least maybe there will be hot guys without their shirts on. I mean, other than Trent and Hank. Are


    Matt and Dwayne still hot?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t spent that much time around them.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know if they¡¯re hot? Girl, you have still only got eyes for Trent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop! I¡¯ve gotta go. Talk to youter.¡±


    ¡°See youter,¡± Christy corrected, and then her friend hung up.


    Bree set her phone aside and realized Christy could read her like a book. She hadn¡¯t thought about


    seeing Trent without his shirt on, though it had crossed her mind that her little petite self would be


    wearing a bathing suit next to Monica and her friends who were seventy-five percent legs. Bree would


    look like a twelve-year-old girl next to them. At least Lilly wasn¡¯t as statuesque as her sister and her


    friends either.


    Again, she blew out a deep breath, realizing she was screwed. She had to go to the volleyball match


    because she¡¯d told Hank she would. Chances were, she¡¯d end up embarrassing herself by bouncing a


    ball off of her head or falling on her face.


    ¡°This is going to be epic,¡± she said, shaking her head. Hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t dream about face


    nting or otherwise making a fool of herself. How bad could her dreams be when her life was already


    a nightmare?

 Chapter 29: Intimidation

    Chapter 29: Intimidation


    Dozens of hunky, shirtless guys on the beach, and all Bree could think about was one of them--the one


    she couldn¡¯t have. The night before on the phone, Christy had asked if Matt and Dwayne were still hot.


    Now, seeing them in swimming trunks with the early light of morning illuminating a thinyer of sweat


    that dampened every rippling muscle, the answer was a resounding, ¡°Yes!¡± Hank looked good, too,


    though it was apparent from his bloodshot eyes that he had gone back to his room to drink a little after


    he¡¯d dropped her off the night before. Some of the cousins hade to y, too, and a few of them


    were also pretty good looking, not to mention all of the other random dudes out on the beach jogging,


    ying frisbee, walking through the surf. Yeah, a few dozen hot, sexy, bare chested men, and she


    couldn¡¯t keep her eyes off of the groom.


    Trent did look hot, though. There was no question he was still running every day like he had in high


    school and probably lifting more than he had back then, too. He¡¯d yed baseball and ran track, and


    his physique had only be more defined over the years. He wasn¡¯t bulky like Hank who loved


    powerlifting and did his best to resemble those California dudes who were always at Muscle Beach.


    No, Trent¡¯s muscles were long and lean and rippling with every subtle movement, and Bree¡¯s fingertips


    itched to run down those abs and find that low V she knew was there if his blue trunks were set just a


    tiny bit lower.


    ¡°I¡¯m in trouble, uh huh. Big trouble,¡± she muttered as she dropped her beach bag by everyone else¡¯s


    and approached Lilly.


    ¡°Oh, thank God you¡¯re here,¡± her former roommate whispered.


    Bree was certain she wasn¡¯tte, not by more than a minute or two, but then, if Hank was already


    there, maybe she¡¯d looked at the time wrong. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Them,¡± Lilly said, tipping the point of her head at Monica and her friends. A few other women their age


    were with them, too. Bree vaguely remembered having met them at the dinner the other night . ¡°It¡¯s like


    the Sport¡¯s Illustrated swimsuit edition threw up all over this beach, and I¡¯m the only one whose legs


    aren¡¯t two miles long.¡±


    Bree chuckled nervously. Lilly was right. The other women all looked a lot more like supermodels than


    either one of them. It wasn¡¯t that Bree and Lilly weren¡¯t attractive--they just weren¡¯t built the same way.


    The shortest of the girls standing with Monica had to be five foot ten at least with the kind of legs a guy


    would die to have wrapped around him--all the way around him.


    Swallowing hard, Bree said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯re cute, Lilly. Besides, aren¡¯t you rted to most of these


    guys?¡±


    Lilly rolled her eyes. ¡°No, I have, like, three cousins here. I¡¯ve had my eye on Matt for a while now, ever


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    since I met him senior year. But¡­ there¡¯s no way he could want to be with me after having met


    Monica.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± Bree said, rolling her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous. Now, shut your pie hole, and let¡¯s not let them


    intimidate us, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lilly looked slightly convinced, though notpletely. Bree certainly hadn¡¯t convinced herself


    either. She¡¯d been nervous toe here anyway for fear of being around Monica in a bathing suit,


    having every single one of her imperfections highlighted against the goddess. Now that Lilly had


    mentioned how striking most of the other girls were, Bree was a little intimidated to take her coverup


    off. A few of Lilly¡¯s cousins, and Trent¡¯s as well, didn¡¯t have the same traits as the gorgeous couple they


    were there to celebrate, but that didn¡¯t make Bree feel any more confident. When Monica went over to


    talk to Trent a few secondster, just as Bree was taking her wrap off and preparing to join the others


    on the sand, she just knew the bride was talking about her, and it made her want to run back to her


    room and put some clothes on.


    She didn¡¯t, though, and it helped her feel a little more confident when Hank shouted, ¡°Damn, Bree!


    Lookin¡¯ good, girl!¡±


    Her face reddened as if she¡¯d been outside without sunscreen for a few hours. ¡°Thanks, Hank.¡± A


    nce at Monica told her that she was stillughing at her, but Trent wasn¡¯t, and that was something.


    He didn¡¯t look particrly happy about whatever it was Monica had said either. At least she hadn¡¯t


    made him start acting like a horrible person. The more time she spent around Monica, the more Bree


    was beginning to think that¡¯s exactly what the bride-to-be was--a horrible person.


    They quickly drew teams and got into position to y a game Bree hadn¡¯t yed since high school,


    when she was forced to in PE ss. But she was determined to have fun and not let Monica intimidate


    her.


    For the most part, Bree just tried to stay out of the way of the ball. She had Hank, Matt, and Dwayne on


    her team, as well as Lilly, and one of Trent¡¯s cousins, a girl named Michelle she¡¯d met a time or two


    when she¡¯de to visit him growing up. Sometimes she¡¯d pretend to be going after a ball, but only


    after she was sure one of the guys was going to get it. The guys were totally into it, and that was just


    fine with Bree because she didn¡¯t want to go after it anyway.


    That all changed when Monica was serving. Bree was standing toward the back, minding her own


    business, when the volleyball came rocketing at her. It was evident Monica had yed volleyball in


    high school because her aim was precise, and her strength was enough to send the ball with so much


    velocity that when Bree instinctively got her arms up to receive it, the collision between her bare


    forearms and the vinyl of the ball stung with the intensity of an attack from a thousand bees.


    She¡¯d hit it, though, and straight enough that one of her teammates, Dwayne, was able to set it. Hank


    spiked the ball, sending it back over the at the two bridesmaids, Hannah and rice. Neither of


    them got there in time, and they almost collided diving for it. The ball hit the ground, and Bree¡¯s team


    got the serve back.


    ¡°Yes! Nice hit!¡± Dwayne said,ing over to her with both hands up. Bree pped her palms against


    his, and then he wrapped her up in a big hug. For a second, she lost herself in his embrace. He was a


    hot blond, tall with tanned skin, and a cute, crooked smile. Perhaps he was worth getting to know a little


    better. But when he stepped aside, and Hank came over to also give her five before they rotated to


    serve, she caught Trent¡¯s eyes. Was that a little bit of jealousy she saw there? Surely not. He had


    Monica, after all. Still, it seemed as if Trent might be giving Dwayne the stink eye, and if that was the


    case, perhaps the tiny flutter of hope she¡¯d held in her heart that her chances of being with Trent


    weren¡¯t dead after all. They¡¯d definitely need life support and a good doctor, but if there was anything


    there at all, maybe she should figure out just how deep it went.

 Chapter 30: Eye on the Ball

    Chapter 30: Eye on the Ball


    A long run on the beach at dawn hadn¡¯t been enough for Trent to escape the uneasy feeling he had


    inside. After Monica had broken up the dance he shared with Bree at the club the night before, he¡¯did


    awake most of the night thinking about her. He knew the fact that she¡¯d wrapped her arms around his


    neck to dance had been partially the alcohol and partially Bree¡¯s innocence. She certainly hadn¡¯t meant


    to offend Monica, but that was easy to do, and once his fianc¨¦e was up in arms about something, it


    was difficult to get her to let it go. She¡¯d been talking about Bree for the rest of the night.


    Trent didn¡¯t believe in coincidences. He thought Bree had ended up singing a song she¡¯d written for


    him, as best he could tell, at his wedding, for a reason. Her grace and tender heart was amplified even


    more in the presence of Monica, who had lots of amicable qualities, but kindness wasn¡¯t always one of


    them, and the more he considered what had drawn him to Bree all of those years ago, the more he


    found himself questioning what the hell he was doing with Monica.


    She was gorgeous, that was true, but that wasn¡¯t it. When they¡¯d first started dating, he¡¯d needed


    someone like her, someone confident who didn¡¯t give a damn about what other people thought about


    her because she knew she always looked good. She¡¯d been fun, wild, and refreshing. Sure, she was a


    little conceited and never went out of her way to make other people feel happy or included. But that


    wasn¡¯t that big of a deal to him at the time. Now, it was really starting to annoy him. Bree was her


    guest, after all, and she had done nothing to make her feel wee.


    Bree had just dropped her cover up on the sand, revealing a two-piece swimsuit that showed the lean


    muscles of her legs and her tiny waist. She¡¯d always been petite, and in high school, sometimes he¡¯d


    wonder if he could fit his hands all the way around her waist. She wasn¡¯t tall like Monica with mile long


    legs, but she was beautiful, and her skin glowed in the morning light, illuminating the blonde highlights


    in her hair so that she looked like she was wearing a halo. Bree was the closest thing to an angel he¡¯d


    ever seen.


    And then Monica came over, a crooked smile on her face, and quietly said, ¡°Gee, maybe she should


    put that thing back on.¡±


    Confused, he asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Our little musician friend. God, I bet I could fit her in my pocket.¡± Sheughed and added, ¡°Thank God


    there¡¯s no one on this beach whose figure¡¯s half as nice as mine.¡± She kissed him on the cheek and


    moved away.


    Anger rumbled around on his insides like a volcano getting ready to burst. Why did Monica always find


    it necessary to be rude to other people? And why did she choose to pass her nastyments on to


    him?


    Trying not to think too carefully about his life choices at the moment, Trent focused on the volleyball


    game. He could tell Bree was doing her best not to engage with the ball. She was letting the guys


    around her take all of the hits that came close. He saw the way Dwayne and Matt were looking at her,


    too, like she was a fresh prospect. His best pals went through women like sand through a strainer, and


    he didn¡¯t want either one of them anywhere near Bree. Maybe she¡¯d be the one that would stick with


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    one of them, but he seriously doubted it, and she didn¡¯t deserve to be treated the way they normally


    treated women.


    Monica¡¯s serve was aimed at Bree¡¯s face. There was no way Bree could escape having to y now.


    The bride had done it on purpose. He shifted his attention away from Bree for a second to see a


    satisfied smile on Monica¡¯s face as she thought Bree was going to get smacked in the face with the


    ball.


    When Bree was able to handle the serve and straighten it out so that her team was able to get the ball


    back, he almostughed. Served Monica right for being so mean. But then he saw the look Dwayne


    was giving Bree, the way he wrapped himself around her, and the muscles in Trent¡¯s stomach


    tightened. Who was he to be touching her like that?


    But Bree wasn¡¯t his girl. And she never would be. Not now, not since he would be marrying Monica in


    just a few days. The fact that they had never gotten together as a couple was both of their faults; the


    fact that they never would was entirely his.


    The game went on around him, but Trent was lost in his own world. What if he was making a huge


    mistake? Was there still time to back out? It wasn¡¯t over until he said, ¡°I do¡± after all, and he hadn¡¯t


    done that yet.


    Most of his family was already here. Others would be flying in Saturday morning. Her family was here,


    too. They had friends who¡¯d spent a lot of money to join them on this blessed asion. Calling it off


    now would waste a lot of time and money for a bunch of people he didn¡¯t want to hurt.


    He looked over at Monica, trying her best to look like a sex-goddess as she got into position to receive


    the serve from the other team. She really was a good woman, most of the time. Self-absorbed, sure.


    But she was driven, smart, and passionate about what she wanted out of life. He could list all of her


    strengths and weaknesses because he¡¯d been over them a million times as he puzzled over whether or


    not she was the one for him. The one measurement he hadn¡¯t ounted for, or at least hadn¡¯t paid


    enough attention to, was whether or not Monica was enough like Bree. Now, he knew for certain the


    answer was, ¡°No, no she is not.¡±

 Chapter 31: Something Fishy

    Chapter 31: Something Fishy


    The ocean waves rolled beneath the boat as Bree looked out the window at the setting sun. Normally, a


    dinner cruise would seem like a rxing, romantic event. This evening, sitting in a dining room with the


    wedding party, romantic was thest word she would¡¯ve used to describe it.


    Dinner was delicious. The lobster was buttery, the crab cakes ky, and the wine was flowing. She sat


    with some of Trent¡¯s family, aunts and uncles, a cousin, no one she¡¯d met before. All of them had


    arrived earlier that day. The rest of them spent a great deal of time talking about how proud they were


    of Trent, how he¡¯d grown up to be such a wonderful young man, and how beautiful Monica was. They


    weren¡¯t wrong on either ount. Bree didn¡¯t want to hear it.


    ¡°Did you go with the kids out to y volleyball today?¡± Susan, Trent¡¯s aunt, asked Bree, attempting to


    get her involved in the conversation, no doubt.


    ¡°I did,¡± Bree replied, forcing a smile. It had not gone well. Not only had Monica spent most of the game


    trying her best to make Bree look silly, after Monica¡¯s team had won by a couple of points, she¡¯d made


    a point of making it seem like it was Bree¡¯s fault saying to Matt, ¡°You might¡¯ve won if you had some


    height on your team,¡± and looked right at Bree.


    It didn¡¯t make a lot of sense to Bree. Why had Monica wanted her there if she clearly didn¡¯t respect her


    as a person, or an artist? Had she only wanted her there so that she¡¯d have someone to pick on?


    ¡°I heard it was a lot of fun,¡± Uncle Rob said.


    ¡°We had fun.¡± It wasn¡¯t the truth, but it was close enough. Some people had had fun, Bree supposed.


    She wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re the singer, aren¡¯t you?¡± Susan asked. ¡°Is it odd being around all of these people you¡¯ve


    never met before? I bet most people don¡¯t invite the musician to the entire wedding event--how nice of


    Monica and Trent to do so.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I went to school with Trent--elementary school through high school. And Lilly, Monica¡¯s sister,


    was my college roommate.¡±


    ¡°Wait--you¡¯re Bree, from high school?¡± Trent¡¯s cousin, a young man a few years younger than Bree


    named Simon, asked, his eyebrows arching. ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Bree¡­ and I went to high school with Trent.¡± What was Simon getting at?


    He started snickering, and his mother said, ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so funny, Simon. Why are you being so


    rude?¡±


    ¡°No, Mom, I¡¯m not,¡± he insisted. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ when he was in high school, he came to stay with us


    for a week one summer. Some chick was hitting on him at an amusement park, and he said he had a


    girlfriend named Bree, I think just to get her to leave him alone. But I asked him about you, and he


    talked forever. It wasn¡¯t for another year or so that he admitted you weren¡¯t actually his girlfriend. Man,


    did he ever have a crush on you. Kinda ironic that you¡¯re singing at his wedding now. But he said the


    two of you decided just to be friends, so that¡¯s cool. Did you have a boyfriend or something?¡±


    Bree didn¡¯t know what to say. If only she¡¯d known then what she knew now, maybe she would¡¯ve done


    or said something differently back then, when she had a chance. Why hadn¡¯t she taken advantage of


    that opportunity? ¡°Uh¡­ yeah¡­ we just decided we were better as friends,¡± she said with a shrug.


    ¡°Trent¡¯s great. He¡¯s¡­ amazing.¡± Her eyes went to him, where he sat with Monica at the front of the


    room. She wasughing and patting him on the arm, and he looked mildly ufortable, though not


    necessarily pointed at her, just in general. Bree knew that this wasn¡¯t his sort of thing. He didn¡¯t like


    being the center of attention. Monica relished it, clearly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s awesome that you¡¯re singing that hit song of yours at his wedding,¡± Simon added. ¡°I don¡¯t


    know a lot of singers as famous as you who would¡¯ve agreed to do that.¡±


    Her face flushed, Bree looked away. ¡°It¡¯s hardly a hit, but thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s a hit. They y it on the radio where I live, in Kansas. Lots of girls at my college know who


    you are and even try to dress like you. Seems like you¡¯re pretty popr if you ask me.¡± He shrugged


    and went back to his dinner.


    ttered, Bree tried her best to focus on her dinner as well, but all she could think about was how


    amazing it was that other girls wanted to be like her. Maybe they¡¯d all learn to follow their dreams and


    be musicians, artists, actresses, whatever they¡¯d like.


    More than anything else, though, she was looking at Trent. He nced at her briefly and then looked


    away. That was about all she¡¯d gotten from him that day. She wanted more--so much more--but it


    seemed pointless to try to talk to him about missed opportunities at this point when he was so close to


    getting married.


    Close wasn¡¯t the same asplete, though. If she had a chance to tell him how she felt, would she


    take it? Would he listen? And even if he felt the same way, would he take a chance with her or the easy


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    path of sticking with Monica? Bree didn¡¯t know, but she wanted to find out.

 Chapter 32: Unengaged

    Chapter 32: Unengaged


    Trent found a quiet spot out on the boat deck. Like everything else, it had been Monica¡¯s idea to take


    an evening boat ride for dinner. The sunset was beautiful, and the water was calm and serene, but


    Trent didn¡¯t feel peace as he looked out at the horizon. He felt like a tempest was brewing under the


    surface, and he wasn¡¯t sure how to put his finger on exactly why he was feeling that way.


    He wanted to ignore the tickle in the back of his brain that said it was Bree. He thought he¡¯d moved on


    from her years ago, that he¡¯d convinced himself that being with her was a dream he¡¯d never achieve.


    But the more time he spent around her, the more he wondered if he¡¯d sold himself short and not taken


    every opportunity he had to see where their rtionship could go.


    Monica was still in the dining room. He¡¯d asked her toe out on the promenade with him, but she


    was afraid her hair would get messed up. Most of the rest of the bridal party was out on the deck,


    drinking andughing. He was d they were having fun, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it. Only Monica,


    Hannah, and rice weren¡¯t with them--and Bree. The bride and bridesmaids were sitting inside with a


    bottle of wine, allegedly talking to some of the other out of town guests, though if Trent had to hazard a


    guest, it was more like they were talking about themselves.


    Where Bree was, he didn¡¯t know, until he heard her light footstepse around the side of the boat.


    She kept her distance from him, propping her hands against the railing and said, ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful night,


    isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± he said, noting over to her. ¡°Are you having a good time?¡±


    She shrugged, and he knew no matter what she said the answer was no. ¡°I¡¯ve had worse.¡±


    He chuckled, and regardless of whether or not Monica would forget about her hair ande flying out


    after him, he stepped over by Bree. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the volleyball match. I¡¯m not sure why¡­ some


    people were taking it so seriously.¡±


    ¡°Some people are just morepetitive than others.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve known you to bepetitive during certain circumstances as well,¡± he reminded her with a yful


    nudge in the arm.


    ¡°If you bring up that Monopoly game again, Trent Evan Walker, I swear to God¡­.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking about.¡±


    ¡°That was ten years ago!¡± She threw her hands out in exasperation, but she was smiling, that gorgeous


    friendly smile that made him melt on the inside like ice cream on a slice of hot apple pie. ¡°Besides, you


    cheated!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat!¡± he protested, hands up in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m just better at Monopoly than you are.¡±


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, whatever. You were the banker, and you were paying yourself under the table.¡± She winked at


    him, and he had to look away. Why did she have to be so damn cute?


    ¡°God, I¡¯ve missed you so much, Bree.¡± It was an under his breathment, but she¡¯d heard it just the


    same.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, too.¡± Bree nced back through the window at the bride. Monica was still in the


    conversation, but one eye was on them. ¡°How long ago did you get engaged?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t been expecting that question, but part of him was d she asked. ¡°Well, it was kind of


    strange. We had discussed getting married, but I wasn¡¯t sure at the time that we were ready. We¡¯d


    been dating for a year and a half or so, but I didn¡¯t know if we were going to be able to make what each


    of us wanted in the future work together.¡±


    ¡°You mean because she wants to be a model?¡±


    ¡°A supermodel, yes, that¡¯s part of it. I would never try to talk her out of her dream, but I can¡¯t be moving


    all over the ce and run apany at the same time. So¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure about that. Or the fact that


    she doesn¡¯t want kids.¡±


    Bree¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°She doesn¡¯t?¡±


    Trent shook his head. It was even more of a sore point between himself and Monica than anything


    else. He couldn¡¯t imagine his life without children--someday, not right away, but someday. ¡°I thought


    we¡¯d keep talking about it, figure it out, you know? But then one day about a year ago, we were at the


    mall--she was taking back some shoes she decided she didn¡¯t like--and she pulled me into a jewelry


    store. The next thing I know, she¡¯s wearing a ring.¡±


    Again, Bree looked stunned. ¡°A ring you bought?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Trent admitted, even though he wasn¡¯t going to admit the ring had cost far more than he¡¯d ever


    seen himself spending on any one piece of jewelry.


    ¡°And you never actually proposed?¡±


    He shook his head, unable to say more.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Bree looked out at the ocean. ¡°So what does she say when people ask how you proposed?¡±


    Trent shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what she tells everyone, but I¡¯ve heard her say on more than one


    asion that it was during an ¡®intimate moment¡¯ so she can¡¯t borate.¡± He rolled his eyes, not sure


    how Bree would respond to that. Would she be offended?


    She burst outughing. ¡°Well, was it? Maybe you did ask her, and you just don¡¯t remember it.¡±


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯d remember that.¡±


    ¡°Not if you were lost in the moment,¡± Bree countered.


    Trent shook his head, realizing his face was turning red. ¡°No, I¡¯d remember. I didn¡¯t. I never asked her.


    But¡­ here we are.¡±


    ¡°And you want to marry her?¡± Bree waspletely serious now, and Trent realized there was more to


    that question than what it seemed on the surface. She wasn¡¯t just asking if he was okay with the way


    he¡¯d ended up engaged to Monica. She was asking if he was sure that¡¯s what he really wanted to do, if


    he was certain he saw himself with Monica in the future--and no one else.


    ¡°I, uh¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t get a chance to answer. Monica was tapping on the window, crooking a finger at


    him, that tight smile on her face that let him know he was in trouble without her having to say it or show


    everyone else she was pissed. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°All right. It was nice to talk to you.¡±


    He smiled at her and headed back to the dining area, sure he was about to get an earful from Monica.


    But then, that was nothing new.

 Chapter 33: Clued In

    Chapter 33: Clued In


    Despite her promise to Hank, Bree couldn¡¯t stomach attending the breakfast Monica had organized


    Thursday morning. Instead, she was back on the beach. She had a lot to think about. Tomorrow night


    was the rehearsal, and then on Saturday, at 2:00, Trent would be a married man--unless Bree could


    figure out a way to speak the truth about how she felt about him in a way that made him realize he


    would rather be with her than Monica.


    He still had feelings for her. Not only could Bree see it in his eyes, she could see it in Monica¡¯s. If Trent


    didn¡¯t like her at all, what was Monica so afraid of? When the bride had seen the two of them chatting


    the night before, she¡¯d flown over there and insisted hee back inside. Bree had felt so sorry for


    him, watching him sit there, pretending to care about what Monica and her friends were talking about. It


    was like he was already strapped to the old ball and chain.


    And he hadn¡¯t ever even asked her to marry him. Why would she do that? Was she so desperate to


    sink her hooks into him that she couldn¡¯t just give him the time he needed to know for sure that he


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    wanted to propose to her? It was all so¡­ odd, to say the least.


    She¡¯d been sitting there in the shade of therge rocks for a couple of hours when she saw Hank


    walking toward her. He was wearing his swim trunks, and she could tell by the way he was walking he


    wasn¡¯t particrly happy with her, though he didn¡¯t lookpletely pissed either.


    He dropped down beside her on the sand, arms resting on his knees, staring out at the ocean.


    Eventually, she felt the urge to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just¡­ couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± he said. ¡°You should¡¯ve sent me a text, though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I should have. How was it?¡±


    ¡°Okay. They all went to some go-kart ce. I told them I was too big for that, meaning tall, and wide,


    and they let me out of it.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She rubbed him on the shoulder. ¡°Hank, what¡¯s going on? What is it that makes you not want


    to be around them?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± She didn¡¯t want to press him, as much as she wanted to know the answer to her


    question. ¡°Did you know that Trent never asked Monica to marry him?¡±


    The nod came so quickly, she was surprised. ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Trent told you?¡±


    ¡°No, Mon did. She said she didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever get around to asking. She had to take matters into her


    own hands.¡±


    There was something familiar about the way he said that nickname--Mon--but Bree couldn¡¯t quite ce


    it. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the two of you were that close.¡±


    Again, his answer began with a shrug. ¡°Did Trent tell you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,st night. Right before she ordered him back inside.¡±


    He snickered. ¡°You¡¯re a threat, Bree. She sees that.¡±


    ¡°A threat? A real threat? You can¡¯t mean that. She can¡¯t honestly think that he would call this all off to


    be with me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she would expect him to do that, but that doesn¡¯t mean that she doesn¡¯t think about what it


    would be like to be married to a man who is meant to be married to someone else.¡±


    The use of her song title didn¡¯t escape her. ¡°Hank, that¡¯s not how it is.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know that.¡± He looked at her for the first time. ¡°Neither does Trent. Bree, I think you¡¯re


    here for a reason. I think you¡¯re here because your song is right. Are you going to sit on your hands


    and let this happen, or are you going to do something about it?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Hank!¡± She felt frustration boiling up inside of her. ¡°Are you implying you think I


    should actually try to get Trent to call off the wedding? He¡¯s your best friend. Don¡¯t you want to see him


    happy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I do want to see him happy. Thus, my point in saying I think you should say something before


    it¡¯s toote. He might be happy with her, but he won¡¯t be nearly as happy with her as he would be with


    you.¡± With that, Hank got up off of the beach and headed out to the surf.


    Bree watched him go, her mouth agape, trying to justify why he was wrong, but if there was even the


    faintest chance Hank was right, then, didn¡¯t Bree have to do something?

 Chapter 34: Putting Two and Two Together

    Chapter 34: Putting Two and Two Together


    Thursday evening was the lobster boil on the beach. Normally, Bree would be excited to attend, but


    under the circumstances, she didn¡¯t want to go. Sure, it might be fun to eat lobster and corn on the cob,


    amongst other things, beneath the moon and stars and listen to the wavesp against the shore. But


    Hank¡¯s words had yed over and over again in her mind all day, so by the time she was supposed to


    be heading to the beach, she was sitting on the couch in her room instead, staring out the window at


    the descending sun, wondering what she should do.


    Her phone rang, and she nced down to see it was Lilly. She was probably calling from the beach,


    asking where she was. Not that it was like Lilly to notice when she wasn¡¯t around that week, but in


    fairness, she had been unbelievably busy trying to make sure Monica had everything she needed.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Hey. Have you left your room yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± she admitted, looking around as if she wasn¡¯t sure if that were true or not. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking, maybe you could bring your guitar. It might be nice to sit around the fire and sing


    some songs.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Bree wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. It hadn¡¯t crossed her mind that anyone would want her to do


    that. ¡°I guess I can.¡± She¡¯d brought her favorite guitar, the one her grandmother had given her when


    she was younger. She hoped nothing happened to it. Thoughts of getting sand in it, or someone


    stepping on it, or Monica losing her shit and throwing it into the fire all made her shake.


    ¡°Awesome. You shoulde on out. The boil¡¯s on, and a lot of the guys are ying football. Dwayne¡¯s


    asking about you.¡±


    She made thatstment in a sing-song voice, and Bree felt herself blushing. Dwayne was hot, and


    he¡¯d been paying a lot of attention to her since the volleyball game, but she wasn¡¯t really interested in


    him. If she messed around with Dwayne it would only be because she couldn¡¯t have Trent, and that


    wasn¡¯t fair to anyone. That didn¡¯t make her cheeks any less red.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± They hung up, and Bree decided it was time to get herself up off of the couch.


    Taking her guitar case from the closet, she headed out, hoping everything went better tonight than it


    had at any of their other recent get togethers.


    She followed the sound ofughter down the beach, not certain she was headed in the right direction


    until she saw Monica¡¯s statuesque form outlined against the fading sun. There were lots of groups of


    people partying on the beach, but Monica stood out for certain, even amongst her gorgeous friends. It


    was no wonder Trent had decided to go ahead and marry her. Who wouldn¡¯t want to marry a woman


    who looked like that?


    The voice in the back of her head whispered, ¡°Trent wouldn¡¯t. She¡¯s shallow. And mean. And nasty.


    And she¡¯s not you.¡± But that was just hope speaking, and it¡¯s voice was a whisper because it was about


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    to fade away forever.


    Hank spotted her first, and she saw the look of relief wash across his face as she arrived. Staff from the


    resort was working on the food. Plenty of tables were set up, and a few guests were sitting at them


    drinking while others were ying catch with the football or sitting on nkets in the sand, drinks in


    their hands. She saw Trent, going long for a pass thrown by Dwayne, and tried not to stare at him.


    God, he was a magnificent specimen of a man. So perfectly sculpted, so handsome, so¡­ nice. Could


    he actually marry Monica and be happy? She didn¡¯t think so. Maybe she would be doing him a favor by


    convincing him to break up with her--if she could even do that.


    Sitting by the small fire, sipping a beer, Hank looked morose. She still hadn¡¯t quite figured out why he


    was so upset about this entire situation. His posture reminded her of that night at Christy¡¯s party when


    he¡¯d been upset that that girl wouldn¡¯t date him. What was her name?


    He looked up at her then, and she pictured what he¡¯d said about her, how upset he¡¯d been that she


    wouldn¡¯t do anything but sleep with him. And then it hit her. Like a monsoon wave crashing into her


    stomach, Bree almost dropped her guitar as she thought back years into their past. Could it really be?


    Had he been talking about who she now thought he¡¯d been talking about? It had to be her! He¡¯d been


    upset about a beautiful woman who was ashamed of him--a beautiful woman he called Mon.

 Chapter 35: Carry A Tune

    Chapter 35: Carry A Tune


    ¡°y a song!¡± Monica insisted, sitting on a bench set back from the fire. After dinner, everyone had


    yed on the beach until the sun went down, and now the wedding party was roasting marshmallows.


    It was a warm evening, so the fire was low, and the benches were nowhere close enough for the sticks


    to reach, so anyone who wanted a treat had to stand and approach the mes. Bree was content to eat


    the sugary snacks without warming them first.


    ¡°Do you know ¡®Unchained Melody¡¯?¡± Monica asked as Bree considered whether or not to make an


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    excuse as to why she didn¡¯t want to y while Monica sang.


    ¡°I do,¡± she said. When she¡¯d agreed to bring her guitar, she¡¯d figured it would be for a sing along, not to


    listen to the bride-to-be serenade the rest of the group. But¡­ it was her wedding, and Bree didn¡¯t want


    to be contrary.


    ¡°Good, good! y it, and I¡¯ll sing it for Trent.¡±


    Bree shifted her attention slightly to Trent for a moment before she stood to grab her instrument. He


    was sitting next to Monica, and she was draped all over him, as usual. He didn¡¯t look like he wanted to


    be serenaded, but it was obvious he wasn¡¯t going to protest either.


    With her back to the crowd, Bree got her guitar out of its case and found a smile. By the time she got


    back to the bench, she was calmer. She didn¡¯t look at Trent as she tuned her guitar and then started to


    y the intro to the song Monica had requested.


    When she got to the part where Monica was supposed toe in, she gave a nod at the bride, and


    she started to sing.


    It was awful.


    Bree had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from making a face. If someone would¡¯ve handed


    Monica one of the buckets the children who¡¯d been out with their families earlier ying in the sand


    had been using, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to carry the tune. In order to keep herself together, Bree


    couldn¡¯t look at Monica or anyone else, but she knew there were other people trying their best not to


    As she got to the bridge, Bree happened to nce over at Trent. He had a huge smile on his face, and


    to anyone walking by, it would appear as if he was smiling at his beautiful bride as she sang to him. But


    Bree knew better. He was also trying not tough at her horrible singing.


    She messed the words up going into thest chorus and looked at Bree like it was her fault. Bree


    waited for her to sort it out, and Monica got even more frustrated. She yelled, ¡°Stay with me!¡± and then


    started that part over again. Bree jumped in, no longer thinking anything about the situation was funny


    as she tried not to shoot daggers out of her eyes at the bride. She saw Trent¡¯s hand tighten around


    Monica¡¯s leg, likely a sign to her that she needed to calm down, and Monica went into her big finale.


    When she was done, everyone pped, and someone, maybe Matt, yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll never forget that!¡±


    A few people snickered, but Monica was too busy trying to find Trent¡¯s tonsils to reply.


    ¡°y one of your songs,¡± Trent¡¯s aunt said to Bree, probably not wanting to see her nephew swallow


    his bride¡¯s tongue.


    ¡°What would you like for me to y?¡± Bree asked, praying it wasn¡¯t the song she was supposed to sing


    at the wedding.


    ¡°y ¡®Under the Moon,¡¯¡± Lilly said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Bree thought that was a fitting song, so she started to y. As she sang, she kept her eyes off


    of Trent and Monica. She wasn¡¯t the only one avoiding them. Hank, who was on about his seventh or


    eighth beer, was sitting with his back to the fire now, across the way from Bree. She was worried about


    him, especially now that she knew what the problem was. Bree tried to lose herself in the song. It was


    easier than thinking about where she was or why.


    When she finished, someone shouted for her to y ¡°Top of the World¡± by The Carpenters so they


    could all sing along, and she dly did so, noticing that Hank got up about halfway through and started


    wandering toward the ocean. She kept an eye on him, thinking she should go see if he was okay, but


    as long as the crowd wanted music, she was obliged toply.


    She just hoped the request list would run out before Hank ran out of patience and ended up doing


    something stupid.

 Chapter 36: Confessions of a Drunken Best Man

    Chapter 36: Confessions of a Drunken Best Man


    It took a while for Bree to break free of ying the guitar. When Dwayne asked if he could y


    something, she dly handed the instrument over. It seemed to her that he likely wanted her to sit next


    to him and sing along, but she made an excuse about stretching her legs and headed out after Hank.


    She found him sitting by the cluster of rocks he¡¯d found her at a few times already that week. He had a


    beer in his hand--and he was crying.


    With a deep breath, she sat down next to him, not sure what to say. Almost immediately, he plopped


    his head down on her shoulder, and Bree put her arm around him, not sure why he was so upset about


    Monica, but it wasn¡¯t her ce to judge him, only to be his friend.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­.¡± he whispered between sobs. ¡°God, I love her so much.¡±


    ¡°I know, honey. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    He looked up for a second and said, ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. You told me-- a few years ago. I just forgot.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± He was sobbing again, and Bree rocked him gently, wishing she coulde up with something


    to make him feel better. ¡°I thought¡­ maybe you could help Trent see the light.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him how you feel?¡±


    ¡°Are you shitting me?¡± Hank asked, sitting up straight. ¡°If he found out what we¡¯ve been doing¡­he¡¯d kill


    me. Trent¡¯s my best friend, man. I never should¡¯ve done what I did. But now that I have¡­. I don¡¯t know


    how I¡¯m gonna stop. I love her so much.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ so you slept with Monica?¡±


    Hank nodded his head against her shoulder.


    ¡°Since¡­ she¡¯s been dating Trent?¡±


    Again, that was a confirmation. Bree could hardly believe it. She didn¡¯t think Hank was the sort of guy


    who would do that to his best friend, but it seemed like she¡¯d gotten him wrong, too.


    ¡°I got all these pictures of her¡­. I can¡¯t stop looking at them.¡± He pulled his phone out of his pocket and


    shed it in her direction.


    Bree didn¡¯t see everything, but she saw enough. Hank had photographic proof that Monica was


    cheating on Trent.


    With a deep breath, Bree went into action, not stopping to think about what she was doing. Hank had


    dropped his phone in the sand, so she picked it up before it had a chance to turn off. He was lost in his


    tears. She quickly went to his photos and selected all of the ones of him and Monica, as well as a


    couple of videos, then, she airdropped them to her own phone before Hank knew what was happening.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay, Hank,¡± she said, still rocking him.


    Hank made an awful noise, and Bree realized he was about to be sick. She loved him, but not enough


    to stick around for that. She skirted out of the way, and he got up and ran out to sea, spilling his guts in


    the waves.


    ¡°Hank, are you all right?¡± Trent was headed toward him, obviously concerned.


    ¡°Clearly not,¡± Bree replied as Trent reached their mutual friend and rested his hand on his back. The


    puking was done now, but Hank wasn¡¯t doing well.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with him? I mean, besides the booze?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Bree replied, but Trent would see right through that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get Matt or someone to help me get him home. Thanks, Bree.¡±


    She nodded and watched Trent help Hank back to the resort. He had no idea his best friend had


    stabbed him in the back. Bree wanted to tell him for more reasons than she could count. But how could


    she betray Hank like that?


    Caught in an ufortable situation, Bree debated what to do. Deciding it would be nothing that night,


    she headed back up the beach to get her guitar and head back to her room. The only reason she¡¯d


    could sing for the rest of them if they wanted music. Bree was done.

 Chapter 37: The Bride Has a Big Mouth

    Chapter 37: The Bride Has a Big Mouth


    The next morning, the women were asked to attend a brunch while the men were doing something


    else. Bree wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but she had a feeling golf was involved. She didn¡¯t even want to go,


    but Lilly had sent her a text before the brunch started, and she ended up saying she¡¯d be there.


    The pictures and video on her phone were burning a hole through it. She definitely didn¡¯t want to watch


    the videos or study the pictures, but she also didn¡¯t know what to do with them. If she told Trent they


    existed, he¡¯d be so mad at Hank--he might never forgive him. That didn¡¯t seem fair to Bree for some


    reason. Why it didn¡¯t bother her as much that Hank had been fooling around with Trent¡¯s fianc¨¦e as it


    did that she might mess up their friendship, she wasn¡¯t sure. But she didn¡¯t want to be the one to drive


    a wedge between them.


    She was dying to tell someone, though. It couldn¡¯t be Lilly. That was Monica¡¯s sister. She considered


    calling Christy, but she¡¯d already bothered her once with her wedding nightmare. As Bree finished up


    getting ready for the brunch, she thought if she didn¡¯t say something to someone soon, she¡¯d explode,


    and likely end up telling Trent.


    Brunch was held at a quaint restaurant a few blocks away from the resort, in the same area that the


    club had been in, so Bree walked over there, enjoying the sunshine and the milder climate of the


    morning. The whole time, she had to convince herself she was doing the right thing. Monica was on her


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    rehearsal dinner was that night, the wedding was the next day, and then she could be rid of all of these


    people if she wanted to. Including Trent.


    But would she ever bepletely rid of him? Even if he was married, would she be able to let him go?


    Especially if she knew that Monica was being unfaithful to him. What if she spent the next ten years


    waiting for them to get a divorce? That would be no way to live.


    Bree decided to duck into the bathroom before she went to find the rest of her party in the restaurant,


    which looked like a Victorian tea party.


    Seeing the sign for the restroom, she headed down the hallway and stopped. The door was slightly


    ajar, and she could hear Monica¡¯s voice inside. She knew she shouldn¡¯t be eavesdropping, but she


    couldn¡¯t help it, especially when another voice mentioned ¡°that singer.¡± It was Hannah, and obviously,


    she was talking about Bree.


    ¡°I mean, she¡¯s got a pretty voice and all, but I could¡¯ve sang myself if it wasn¡¯t such a huge faux pas to


    sing at one¡¯s own wedding,¡± Monica was saying.


    ¡°Still¡­ doesn¡¯t it bother you the way that she looks at Trent?¡± rice was asking. ¡°I¡¯d just wanna p


    her little face.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Monica said with augh. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of her. I bet she had a crush on him in high school or


    something, but I¡¯m not worried about it. You know Trent is wrapped around my finger.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Hannah agreed. ¡°God! What if the song she¡¯s singing at your wedding is written for Trent!


    Wouldn¡¯t that be hrious?¡±


    Bree felt all of the blood drain from her face as Monica¡¯sughter grew louder. ¡°That would be hrious.


    How pathetic would that be?¡±


    ¡°Totally pathetic,¡± Hannah agreed.


    With her legs shaking, from anger and embarrassment, Bree began to back down the hallway. She


    turned at the corner and headed out of the hall, back the way she came, almost colliding with Lilly. ¡°Oh,


    good. You¡¯re here. Thank God.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lilly. But I have to go,¡± Bree said, pushing past her.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Lilly called after her. ¡°Bree, are you okay?¡±


    Bree didn¡¯t stop to answer her. Instead, she headed outside and didn¡¯t stop to think until she was back


    at her room. She shoved her key card into the door so hard it jammed and didn¡¯t open. Frustrated, she


    pulled it out and tried again. It took three tries, but she finally got it open. By then, tears dampened her


    cheeks.


    Dropping the key on a table by the door, Bree numbly walked over to the couch and dropped down.


    She now fully understood what it felt like to be bullied and picked on, something she¡¯d never


    experienced before. Monica was a horrible person, and she didn¡¯t deserve to be with someone as kind


    and loving as Trent. Even if Hank wanted to murder her, she had to find a way to tell Trent the truth.


    With a deep breath, she raised her phone and dialed Trent¡¯s number.


    It took him a moment to answer, but when Trent did say, ¡°Hello?¡± she could hear the concern in his


    voice. ¡°Bree, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy, but I need to talk to you. In private. Soon.


    And no one can know about it, not even Hank.¡±


    He was silent for almost a minute before he said, ¡°Okay. That might be a challenge. I¡¯m kind of


    expected to be here. I am the groom after all.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need the reminder. ¡°I know, but it¡¯s important.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll find a way to make that happen. We¡¯re about halfway through the course, so maybe


    another hour or two. Do you want to meet me at the beach at 1:00? Will you be okay until then? We


    can meet in that little cove where you found Hankst night.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That will work.¡± That ce was bing a home away from home for her. She took some deep


    breaths. ¡°Thank you, Trent.¡±


    ¡°Bree, are you at the brunch?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I went. But I didn¡¯t stay?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure how to answer that question, at least not at the moment. ¡°Uh, I¡¯ll talk to you about it


    when I see you, okay?¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± In the background she heard someone calling his name and knew he needed to go.


    Whoever it was thought he was talking to Monica. They called out in a lilting voice, ¡°Get off of the


    phone with your woman and let¡¯s go.¡± It wasn¡¯t meant to be painful, but it still hurt.


    ¡°Good luck with the round of golf,¡± she said, upset that she¡¯d interrupted. It would probably throw his


    entire game off.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± She thought he might say more, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Bye, Bree.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    She hung up and deposited the phone on the coffee table, as if it had betrayed her. Now that she was


    back in her room and there was distance between her and Monica, she had to wonder if she was doing


    the right thing or if she was acting irrationally. Her head in her hands, Bree considered her options. She


    could just tell Trent that Monica had been making fun of her and leave it at that. Or she could tell him


    the whole truth, that Monica was cheating on him with Hank.


    With a deep breath, she resolved not to decide at that moment because it wouldn¡¯t be a rational


    decision. She¡¯d meet Trent, at least tell him that she didn¡¯t think Monica was right for him, and then see


    how it would go from there.


    In times like these, there was only one thing Bree could do to calm herself. She got up off of the couch


    and went to retrieve her guitar from its case. Settling down on the couch, she set a timer for 12:45 so


    she didn¡¯t get lost in the music and lose track of time. Then, she channeled the emotions she was


    feeling at the time into her music and began to write a song.


    This one was about Trent, too, but rather than taking the path of reality, she imagined what it would be


    like if she was the one who was going to marry him, the man she¡¯d been dreaming of being with for


    over ten years. The words and music poured out of her effortlessly, and by the time the rm on her


    phone alerted her that it was time to go, she had another masterpiece, she just knew it. ¡°Lead Me


    Home¡± epassed all of the feelings she¡¯d had bottle up inside for so long. Maybe someday she¡¯d


    have the chance to sing it to him, but only if she could convince him that Monica was the wrong girl for


    him and that she was the right one.


    Bree inhaled deeply and put her guitar back into its case. She went to the mirror and fixed her hair and


    then corrected her eye makeup that had gotten smudged earlier when Monica¡¯s cruel words had


    brought tears to her eyes. Grabbing her phone and her key card, she paused before her door, saying a


    prayer for guidance so that she didn¡¯t mess everything up for everyone and then headed out to find the


    man she loved and potentially pour her heart out to him, which could slide through his fingers and


    disappear in the ocean waves, never to be found again.

 Chapter 38: Can He Handle the Truth?

    Chapter 38: Can He Handle the Truth?


    Trent was already there when Bree arrived at the meeting location. She took her time walking over, not


    because she was puzzled about what she was going to say but because she was studying him. The


    sun was almost directly overhead. It picked up the golden highlights in his hair and reflected them like a


    halo around his head. His skin was more bronze now than it had ever been in all the years she¡¯d known


    him, probably from so much beach time. His eyes were the color of the sea, and the way he worried his


    hand against his set jaw, he looked so handsome she could hardly handle looking at him, but she also


    couldn¡¯t pull away.


    How could she lose him forever? He¡¯d never truly been hers, but for all of these years, she¡¯d always


    assumed, somewhere, in the back of her mind, they¡¯d figure out a way to be together. Now, he was


    getting married tomorrow to someone who not only didn¡¯t deserve him, she didn¡¯t deserve anyone--


    unless there was someone in this world as evil and self-absorbed as she was, and that was hard to


    imagine.


    Trent saw Breeing and raised a hand to her. She tried to smile and wave back, but her emotions


    were about to choke her up, and she didn¡¯t have the heart to be too friendly. She sat down next to him,


    her hand merely inches from his, and stared out at the ocean.


    It reminded her of a time when they were younger, when they¡¯d gone to the movies with a bunch of


    friends. That wasn¡¯t the memorable part--they did that all the time--but they had sat next to each other


    that night. It was a scary movie, and every time a jump scare caused the audience to leap in their


    seats, her hand inched closer to Trent¡¯s until she was actually holding his hand in hers. There wasn¡¯t


    necessarily anything romantic about the death grip she had on his fingers, but it was still holding his


    hand, and she wished she could reach over and take it now.


    Eventually, she set those thoughts aside and got on with it. ¡°Thanks foring to meet me. It must''ve


    been hard for you to get away.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but it''s all right. What¡¯s wrong, Bree? Your tone before was worrisome. Monica said that


    she didn¡¯t see you at the brunch.¡±


    ¡°I overheard her talking to Hannah and rice in the bathroom. I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard


    her nevertheless.¡± She dropped her head and focused on herp.


    ¡°What¡­ was she saying?¡±


    With a deep breath, Bree shrugged and said, ¡°She was making fun of me.¡± She nced at him, and his


    eyebrows were arched as he tried to process what she was saying. ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t care, but she


    was being particrly ugly about it. I thought, when I took this job, that I was going to be singing for a


    fan, but Trent¡­ Monica¡¯s not a fan of anyone but herself.¡±


    He held her gaze for a second and then focused on the ocean. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to repeat what she


    said. I¡¯m sorry, Bree. She can be like that sometimes.¡± He swallowed hard. ¡°A lot of times. You don¡¯t


    deserve that.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve that.¡± Bree emphasized the ¡°you¡± so he¡¯d get what she was implying. ¡°I don¡¯t


    understand, Trent. Unless you¡¯ve changed a lot in thest few years, and I don''t think you have, what


    the hell are you doing with her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really hard for me to exin, Bree.¡±


    ¡°Try me. I¡¯ve got time.¡± She knew she was being demanding when it wasn¡¯t her ce to be so. It wasn¡¯t


    her business.


    He ran a hand through his hair and said, ¡°I¡­ wanted someone who wouldn¡¯t remind me of you. And for


    the most part, she doesn¡¯t. But¡­ she does have her good points. I know you¡¯re having trouble seeing


    them, but most of the time, it¡¯s easier to see them than it is at the moment.¡±


    ¡°Why did you want someone who didn¡¯t remind you of me?¡± Her voice was soft and there was


    hesitancy in her tone.


    ¡°Because¡­ by the time I met her, I thought you and I would never be together, and I was tired of


    thinking about you. So¡­ I went out with her when she asked. I let her call me her boyfriend. And I


    already exined how we got engaged.¡±


    ¡°All of that because we didn¡¯t connect after¡­ the cabin?¡± She wanted to say ¡°the kiss¡± but saying it


    might be too much. She might lean over and press her lips to his right now, and whether she liked it or


    not, he was still engaged.


    ¡°Not exactly, Bree. I couldn¡¯t tell what was happening between us. All I knew was that I¡¯d been in love


    with you for as long as I could remember, and it hurt too much to continue to pretend I didn¡¯t love you.


    So I tried to find someone else I could love, someone who wasn¡¯t into music or sweet natured and kind.


    Someone who didn¡¯t go out of her way to make sure everyone else in the room was taken care of.¡±


    Now, she was staring at him with her eyebrows arched. ¡°You did a great job.¡±


    He snickered. ¡°Yeah, thanks. In some ways, she does remind me of you, still, though. You¡¯re both


    driven, smart, sophisticated, beautiful. But¡­ it turns out I didn¡¯t have to be reminded of you to still think


    about you. I never stopped doing that.¡±


    Bree had the opening she¡¯d been looking for. It might be possible for her to get Trent to break up with


    Monica without even mentioning Hank. ¡°Do¡­ you love her?¡±


    Trent answered too quickly for her liking. ¡°I do love her.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you don¡¯t love me.¡± She resolved herself to that fact, which wasn¡¯t hard. She¡¯d alreadye to


    that conclusion as soon as she¡¯d seen him outside the first dinner earlier that week.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    She stared at him for a moment. Should she ask him? Bare her heart to him? Or just¡­ let him go?


    With a deep breath, Bree drew in the salty ocean air and let it go slowly. ¡°If I said right now that I want


    to be with you, that I¡¯d do whatever it takes to make it work, would you call it off with her?¡±


    Trent¡¯s eyes turned down at the corner and a pained look overcame him. ¡°Are you seriously asking me


    that right now, Bree? Do you have any idea how hard it would be for me to do that? She¡¯s put so much


    nning into this. And even if it seems like she doesn¡¯t love anyone but herself, I do think she loves


    me. She has ns, and I¡¯m part of them. I can¡¯t imagine doing that to her right now, in front of her


    friends and family. She¡¯d be humiliated. My family would be embarrassed. Bree¡­ if you¡¯re actually


    considering saying something like that, please, make sure you mean it. Would you give up your career


    for me? Your music?¡±


    ¡°Would I have to?¡± she asked, turning to him with a furrowed forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, if you did have to, would you?¡±


    She knew in her heart that she would. As much as she loved music, and as great as her career was


    going, she would do anything to be with him. Except for tell the truth if it was going to break his heart.


    ¡°What if¡­ what if you found out she doesn¡¯t love you as much as you think?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Bree?¡± His tone was guarded, and Bree felt her insides tighten. It was now


    or never. She could tell him the truth, show him the pictures and the videos, or pretend like it was a


    hypothetical question.


    Seagulls circled overhead, calling to each other and enjoying the summer breeze. Children sshed in


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    the waves not far from them, and the surf rolled in across the sand. Bree looked at Trent, really looked


    at him. She had such an important decision to make, but telling him would break his heart for certain,


    whereas keeping the information to herself could allow him to have a long marriage to Monica. Maybe


    she wouldn¡¯t cheat on him anymore. Maybe she would, and he¡¯d never know. Was it Bree¡¯s ce to tell


    him the truth?


    His hand covered hers in the sand, and all of the feelings she¡¯d been bottling up inside for so many


    years bubbled to the surface. She was a sixteen year old kid in the movie theater again, a seventeen


    year old crying in the parking lot at a high school dance, a twenty-one year old leaving a cabin after a


    horrible break up.


    He was her lifeline, her best friend, the guy she¡¯d been dying to be with for as long as she¡¯d been


    interested in boys. Her thoughts flew forward through time. She saw her own engagement, wedding,


    birth of her first child, so many images of what her life could be with him in it.


    ¡°Bree, what did you mean what if Monica doesn¡¯t love me as much as I think?¡±


    Bree looked up at the sky, turned to Trent, and said what she thought was best for both of them,


    praying she didn¡¯t end up ruining everything for everyone.

 Chapter 39: Nothing But the Truth

    Chapter 39: Nothing But the Truth


    ¡°Bree, is there something you want to tell me?¡± Trent asked, his hand on top of hers in the sand.


    Slowly, Bree nodded and pulled her phone out of her pocket. ¡°Yeah, I guess you could say that. Do you


    know why Hank was so upsetst night?¡±


    Trent nodded, and she was surprised. She¡¯d assumed he had no idea. ¡°He still has feelings for Monica,


    I guess. He went out with her a time or two before she and I started dating. I wouldn¡¯t have gone out


    with her at all under the circumstances, but Hank said it was fine.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s not fine,¡± she said, looking into his eyes.


    ¡°I guess not. But by the time I realized that, it was a little toote. Besides, Monica insists she never


    had serious feelings for him. So even if I stopped seeing her, that wouldn¡¯t solve Hank¡¯s problem.¡±


    ¡°It might¡¯ve made him feel better. At least he wouldn¡¯t have to see her all the time and know he couldn¡¯t


    have her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± Trent shrugged and looked out across the ocean.


    ¡°Besides¡­ I don¡¯t think Monica was beingpletely honest with you. I know she wasn¡¯t. Neither one


    of them were.¡±


    She could almost see the shiver that went through his body. His eyes were on her again, heavy with


    concern. ¡°What do you mean, Bree?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ she¡¯s cheating on you. With Hank.¡±


    His blue eyes widened and his mouth hung open for a long while before he finally cleared his throat


    and asked, ¡°Are you sure? I can¡¯t believe either one of them would do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°I debated about whether or not I should tell you for a lot of obvious


    reasons. I finally decided it wouldn¡¯t be fair to anyone if I didn¡¯t, but most especially not fair to you.


    Trent, you deserve to be with someone who knows what she has when she¡¯s with you. How anyone


    could ever step out on you is unfathomable to me. If she doesn¡¯t recognize how special you are¡­.¡±


    Bree stopped talking because she knew she¡¯d end up reciting the vows she¡¯d written for him when she


    was in high school and had dreamt of marrying him. She¡¯d ramble off a list of all the things she loved


    about him right here in the sand. But that¡¯s not what he needed right now.


    He looked away from her, and she gave him some time to process. It had to be a shock. When he


    pulled his hand away from hers to cross his arms over his knees, she tried not to be offended. But her


    hand felt cold now without his.


    ¡°I wish there was a way you could hear this and not be mad at Hank. He first mentioned that he had


    pretty strong feelings for her at Christy¡¯s party, a long time ago. I think he¡¯s tried to get over her, get


    away from her, but just can¡¯t seem to do it.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s supposed to be my best friend.¡± Trent ran his hand through his hair.


    ¡°I know. I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d do that either. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not shocked that she¡¯s cheating?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m surprised anyone would cheat on you. But, no, I¡¯m not shocked Monica would do


    something so selfish. Even if she wasn¡¯t cheating, Trent, you deserve so much more.¡±


    He shook his head and scoffed. ¡°Now you say that. Bree, why didn¡¯t you say anything like that five or


    ten years ago when I wasn¡¯t about to get married?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ you were my best friend. I didn¡¯t want to ruin it and lose you. I wasn¡¯t sure how you felt


    about me¡­.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, Bree. I kissed you, didn¡¯t I? I would¡¯ve in the parking lot at the dance, too, if Hank hadn¡¯t


    shown up. He¡¯s been sabotaging my life for years.¡±


    It was her turn to be quiet and contemtive. Eventually, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Trent. I should¡¯ve said


    something, especially after you kissed me. I tried texting you, but I guess I had the wrong number, and


    whoever my messages went to jerked me around a little bit. But¡­ does it have to be toote now?¡±


    As the question rolled off of her tongue, she wished she could take it back, that she could suck it back


    in, or reach out and grab it.


    ¡°Bree¡­ I¡¯m engaged.¡±


    ¡°Even after I just told you she¡¯s cheating, you¡¯re going to marry her?¡±


    ¡°Just because Hank says--¡±


    She stopped him with her hand and then found the pictures on her phone. ¡°I don¡¯t think Hank¡¯s this


    good at Photoshop. And besides, there are videos.¡±


    Trent took her phone and looked closely at the first picture before his expression changed. He turned a


    little green, and she thought he might be sick for a second. Quickly, he scrolled through the rest of


    them, not looking at any of them long, and certainly not watching the videos. ¡°Why would they take


    pictures of that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask. Hank doesn¡¯t know I stole them.¡±


    ¡°How did you get them?¡±


    ¡°Last night, when he was drunk, I airdropped them to myself.¡± She put her hand out for her phone, but


    he didn¡¯t give it back to her. Instead, he pulled out his own phone and stole them from her. She


    deserved that. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell him I told you. If I¡¯m going to lose you, at least leave me Hank.¡±


    Trent handed her phone back to her. ¡°You¡¯re not going to lose me, Bree. I¡¯m right here. I never meant to


    leave you. I¡¯ve thought about you every single day since I¡¯ve met you, especially after that kiss. But¡­.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re engaged to Monica, and you don¡¯t even care that she¡¯s sleeping with your best friend.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I need some time to think. To talk to her. To¡­ figure this out.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t me him for wanting to think about it. She would want to, too. But she¡¯d also be furious,


    and he didn¡¯t seem like he was. In fact, he seemed so calm, it was almost as if he wasn¡¯t all that


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    shocked himself, like he¡¯d suspected it.


    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll let you think,¡± she said, pushing up off of the sand. She took a few steps and then nced


    back at him. Trent hadn¡¯t moved. He was staring out at the ocean as if the answers were all in the


    crashing waves.


    So many thoughts came to mind. How many times had she gone over this moment in her head? This


    was her opportunity to tell him how she felt, to let him know that she loved him, that she wanted to be


    with him, that if he would leave Monica and be with her, he¡¯d never have to feel like second best ever


    again, and she¡¯d certainly never cheat on him. Instead of pouring all of that out, she turned to face him


    and cleared her throat. He nced up at her. ¡°You know, people ask me all the time who I wrote the


    song for--¡®Meant to Marry Me¡¯.¡± He nodded.


    Bree took a deep breath and continued. ¡°I always lie and say it¡¯s just a made up song, that it¡¯s not really


    written for anyone in particr. But you and I both know that it¡¯s a lie, Trent. You know that I wrote it for


    you. When I¡¯m singing it at your wedding tomorrow, listen to the words really closely, because every


    single one of them is true. I just can¡¯t believe the song I wrote is really happening.¡± She shook her head


    and walked off through the sand, headed to her room and a soft ce to fall.


    Tears were streaming down her face as she reached her room. She¡¯d done everything she could to try


    to change his mind. Maybe Trent would give it some thought and realize Bree was right, that he


    shouldn¡¯t be with Monica. But if he didn¡¯t¡­ there was nothing else she could do, and that was probably


    the most painful realization of all. For so many years, she¡¯d said he hadn¡¯t chosen to be with her


    because he just didn¡¯t realize how she felt. But now, he knew. And if he chose to be with someone else


    anyway¡­ she wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d make it through.


    In her room, Bree copsed on her bed, sobsing in angry bursts as she thought back over all of


    the memories she¡¯d collected of Trent, ever since that day in kindergarten when she¡¯d met him at the


    bus stop. He¡¯d been waiting there, his shaggy hair a mess in the morning breeze, one strap of his


    backpack constantly falling down, a lopsided grin on his face.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he¡¯d asked.


    Being shy at the age of five, she¡¯d said, ¡°Bree.¡±


    ¡°Bee?¡± he¡¯d asked. ¡°That¡¯s kinda different.¡±


    ¡°No, not Bee--Bree.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness. I thought you might sting me.¡±


    She¡¯dughed, and so had he. They¡¯d sat by each other that day and every day for as long as they¡¯d


    both ridden the bus. Tomorrow, he¡¯d marry someone who wanted to unseat her, and Bree¡¯s heart was


    broken into a thousand pieces. There was nothing in the world she or anyone else could do about it,


    though. Not unless Trent recognized that Monica didn¡¯t know how to love anyone but herself and sent


    her packing. Otherwise, the dream Bree had had for so many years would be like the sand on the


    beach, sifting through her fingers.

 Chapter 40: What to Do Now

    Chapter 40: What to Do Now


    After Bree left, Trent sat on the beach for at least a half an hour or more staring out at the ocean,


    thinking about what Bree had said. He¡¯d have to head back to the room and talk to Monica eventually.


    He had no idea how that conversation was going to go, but he had a feeling she¡¯d deny everything,


    even with the pictures right in front of her face.


    He¡¯d had an idea she was sneaking around with someone, but he didn¡¯t know it was Hank. He never


    would¡¯ve thought Hank could do anything like that to him. Granted, he did meet Monica first. They had


    slept together before he started dating Monica--though Trent didn¡¯t know that at the time, or he never


    would¡¯ve gone out with her in the first ce.


    There were a lot of things that would¡¯ve prevented him from dating Monica in the first ce if he had


    known about them before he¡¯d finally consented to go out with her. She¡¯d been so persistent, though.


    He¡¯d been ttered to have such a beautiful woman interested in him. Now, he was thinking none of it


    was for the right reasons. But what were her reasons? Would he ever know for sure?


    If Trent was going to call this entire wedding off, though, it had to be for a good reason. The fact that


    Monica was sleeping with Hank was a lot more legitimate in his mind than the possibility that Bree


    might actually want to be with him. He had heard what she¡¯d said before she left, and he wanted to


    believe that she meant it, that she wanted to be with him, but it was almost too good to be true. After all


    of these years, for her to admit that she¡¯d wanted to be with him all along was sort of like finding out


    that the sky was actually green. He couldn¡¯t process it.


    His phone was ringing. It was Hank. Trent had a feeling he¡¯d put things together and realized that Bree


    had swiped the photos and that she was going to tell him. How could Trent marry a woman standing


    next to a best man who¡¯d been sleeping with the bride while a woman sang a song about how she was


    in love with the groom? It was like one of those soap operas his mom used to watch, only not quite as


    believable.


    Rather than answering the phone, he put it in his pocket and watched a pair of seagulls circling in the


    air above the turquoise waters. It would¡¯ve been peaceful under other circumstances. But the paradise


    he was surrounded by was about to get ugly in ways he knew he couldn¡¯t even imagine.


    With a deep breath, Trent stood up, dusted the sand off of his shorts, and pulled his phone out of his


    pocket. ¡°Monica? Hey. What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m resting, trying to make sure I don¡¯t have any bags under my eyes when I go to get my makeup


    done before the rehearsal dinner. What are you doing? I heard you left golf early. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. Do you mind if Ie by your room? I need to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°God, Trent. You sound upset. You¡¯re scaring the hell out of me. What¡¯s going on?¡± He could practically


    hear her eyes rolling as she asked the question.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather talk to you about it in person. I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. I love you.¡± Her tone was sweet and innocent and made him wonder if the pictures on his phone


    were real.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡°I love you, too,¡± Trent said, and he did mean it, but he wasn¡¯t sure the love he felt for Monica was all


    that it should be, and if it was true that she really was sleeping with Hank while she was engaged to


    him, how could he do anything but call the wedding off?


    Not knowing where he was headed, he took off down the path toward Monica¡¯s room, certain wherever


    the road led, it would be full of tough decisions that could end with him in apletely different ce


    than where he imagined he¡¯d be this time tomorrow.

 Chapter 41: Forgiveness is an F Word, Too

    Chapter 41: Forgiveness is an F Word, Too


    Monica opened the door wearing a long, white nightgown made of silk, her dark hair hanging down


    past her shoulders, her makeup perfect, and her expression innocent. ¡°Hi, babe,¡± she said, stepping


    aside so Trent coulde in. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He took a deep breath and crossed into the room, thinking the threshold was a point of no return he


    couldn¡¯t go back from. ¡°I have something important to talk to you about, Monica, and I need the truth


    from you, okay?¡±


    She studied him for a moment, her eyes narrowed before she nodded. ¡°Okay. What¡¯s going on?¡± She


    gave a nervousugh, and Trent ran his hands down his face as she sat down on the sofa.


    He didn¡¯t feel like sitting. He wanted to pace, possibly il his hands irrationally. But he needed to keep


    his head on straight, so he sat down a good two feet from her, folded his hands, and breathed deeply.


    ¡°Monica, it¡¯se to my attention that you might be¡­ seeing someone else. Behind my back.¡±


    An eyebrow lifted and she studied him carefully for several moments before she said. ¡°Who told you


    that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your response? Not a denial?¡±


    ¡°No, of course, I¡¯ll deny it. I just wonder who in the world would dare say something like that to you.


    Who would dare stick their nose into our business and make up such awful lies? Was it Hank? Was it


    when he was drunkst night? You know how he gets when he¡¯s drinking.¡±


    Trent couldn¡¯t possibly sell Bree out. If he told Monica it was her, she¡¯d lose it, and Bree didn¡¯t need


    Monica¡¯s wrath in her life right now, even if she was right. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who told me. What I want to


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    know is why you¡¯re not being honest with me now. Monica, I can tell when you¡¯re not beingpletely


    honest. Your upper lip tightens. Are you saying you¡¯ve never slept with anyone else since we¡¯ve been


    seriously dating?¡±


    She ran a hand through her hair and scratched her head, and Trent¡¯s heart melted. He knew what that


    meant. She had cheated on him. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be honest, Trent. It¡¯s true. I did sleep with someone else.


    But it only happened once. We were both drunk, and it was a long time ago, back when you and I first


    started dating. I¡¯m so sorry, baby. But believe me, it meant nothing. And I wanted to tell you. But I didn¡¯t


    want you to be mad at him.¡±


    Trent¡¯s mind was swimming. He leaned his head back on the top of the couch and stared up at the


    ceiling, trying to get his head to stop spinning in circles. At least she¡¯d told him the truth. She hadn¡¯t


    denied it, at least not for long.


    Monica¡¯s thin fingers wrapped around his wrist. Her hand was cold. It was always cold. When she


    touched his hand, he never felt that warm excitement, that tingling sensation, he¡¯d noted earlier when


    Bree¡¯s hand had been in his.


    ¡°Believe me, Trent, I¡¯ve regretted that day since it happened. There¡¯s been so many times I wanted to


    He looked at her. ¡°Because it was Hank or because it was you?¡±


    ¡°Both! He¡¯s supposed to be your best friend. He should¡¯ve never put me in that situation. I mean, I do


    take responsibility. I also made a horrible choice. If I hadn¡¯t been with him before you and I started


    dating, I never would¡¯ve even considered it.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you were drunk.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was. But I think it was because he was so familiar that made me lose my mind. I¡¯m so very


    sorry, baby.¡± Tears started rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Please, please don¡¯t call the wedding off. I know it


    was wrong. It¡¯ll never happen again. God, if you were to call things off now, it would be so


    embarrassing. For both of us.¡±


    ¡°Is that the only reason you don¡¯t want me to call the wedding off, Monica? Because you¡¯ll be


    embarrassed?¡±


    Her face went white. ¡°No, of course not. I love you, and I want to be with you. I just meant¡­ I can¡¯t


    even fathom you ever walking away from me. I know we can work this out. But please don¡¯t call off the


    wedding while we figure things out. Trent, I love you so much. More than anything. Please, believe


    me.¡±


    He opened his mouth to argue with her, but no words came out, and Monica took the opportunity to


    kiss him. Pushing her off was moreplicated than it should¡¯ve been. She deepened the kiss, and


    Trent wrapped his arms around her.


    Believing her was the easy thing to do. It was the straight and narrow path, with no twists or turns, no


    steep hills to climb, no treacherous drop offs. But he needed some time to think.


    Putting his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her back slightly and freed his mouth. ¡°I need to go


    think this over, Monica.¡±


    The tears were back now. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    He nodded and stood before she had a chance to kiss him again. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter, okay?¡±


    ¡°Before the rehearsal?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Trent walked to the door, his hands in his pockets, hoping he could sort all of this out before the


    rehearsal dinner because it seemed like a further waste of everyone¡¯s time to practice for a wedding


    that wasn¡¯t going to take ce.

 Chapter 42: Show Must Go On

    Chapter 42: Show Must Go On


    Bree kept expecting to get a phone call from someone letting her know that the wedding was off. Either


    Lilly--or Hank--or if things were really heading the right direction--Trent himself. But the closer it got to


    the time she was supposed to leave for the rehearsal dinner, the more she began to realize nothing


    had changed.


    She¡¯d done everything she could. She¡¯d gone to Trent, proof in hand, showed it to him, poured her


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    heart out, and it hadn¡¯t been enough.


    Perhaps she¡¯d been wrong all along, and this entire time, the rtionship she was dreaming about was


    all one sided.


    With a loud sigh, Bree ran her hands through her hair. It all made sense. The reason Trent hadn¡¯t


    called her after the kiss outside of the cabin wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t have her number or whatever


    bullshit she¡¯d been telling herself. It wasn¡¯t because they were at different colleges or because he was


    afraid he¡¯d ruin their friendship. It was because he didn¡¯t feel the same way about her as she did about


    him, but he didn¡¯t want to tell her that and break her heart.


    Tears threatened to run down her cheeks, but Bree held them off. She¡¯d already spent so many tears


    on him. The idea of wasting more was just too much. He didn¡¯t deserve it. And to think, this whole time,


    she¡¯d been under the impression those little nces or subtle touches had meant something.


    She¡¯d been holding his hand at the beach, for crying out loud!


    It would¡¯ve been so easy to just pack up her things and walk out the door, but she wasn¡¯t going to do


    that either. No, she¡¯de here to do a job, and now that she knew the truth, that Trent didn¡¯t have


    feelings for her at all, she had to stay. She had to show him that he didn¡¯t mean as much to her as he


    thought either. She¡¯d stand up there and y the guitar, sing the song she¡¯d written for him, and look


    him in the face, letting him know it didn¡¯t mean anything to her either.


    The fact that it meant more to her than she could articte was beside the point.


    Bree finished getting ready to go to the rehearsal. She was wearing a long dress with peekaboo


    sleeves and ruffles around the top in a light green that she knew looked great on her. No, she wasn¡¯t a


    statuesque goddess like Monique, but she was pretty. And she would have no qualms about flirting with


    Dwayne or anyone else now that she knew the truth about Trent--that he had never really had feelings


    for her at all.


    When it was time to go, she took several deep breaths and repeated to herself that she could do this,


    that she could do hard things, and this was just like anything else. Ufortable, sure, but doable.


    She picked up her guitar case and headed to the chapel, praying she was right and she¡¯d get through


    the rehearsal and the dinner to follow without creating a scene.


    On uneasy legs, she made her way down the path. The call of the seagulls, the crash of the waves,


    children ying in the surf--all of those sounds urged her to run to the beach, to escape. Yet, she kept


    walking, knowing she had to face him now or else she¡¯d spend the rest of her life wishing she¡¯d been


    strong enough to do so.


    A lot of the wedding party was already in the chapel when she got there. The ce was decorated with


    tropical flowers in turquoise and coral colors. A white runner went up the center to the stage where


    there were more flowers, some seashell decor, and the unity candle set up off to the side. There was


    also a piano, and in front of it, a stool with a mic for her to sing into and one set up for her guitar. That¡¯s


    where she¡¯d watch Trent marry Monica.


    As she walked in, the two of them were sitting next to each other on the front row of the pews,


    whispering quietly. She looked emotional--sad, maybe? He looked irritated. For a moment, Bree


    thought perhaps she¡¯d jumped to conclusions, and he just hadn¡¯t gotten everything settled between


    them yet. Was it possible he was still in the process of deciding what to do?


    No, it didn¡¯t matter. If he really had feelings for her, there was no way he¡¯d be contemting marrying


    Monica. He would¡¯ve went and told her where she could go and then ran to her hotel room--wouldn¡¯t


    he?


    ¡°Oh, good. You¡¯re here.¡± Lilly¡¯s smile was tight as she approached down the aisle. ¡°You can put your


    guitar up there.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Bree asked, hoping Lilly was okay. It wasn¡¯t like her friend to have such a worried


    look on her face unless Monica was yelling at her about something.


    She nced over her shoulder at the ¡°happy¡± couple and then looked at Bree. ¡°Nothing.¡± She sighed


    and forced a smile. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. We¡¯re just waiting on Hank.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Where is he?¡±


    ¡°No one knows.¡± Lilly blew out a hot breath before she added, ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Bree nodded and carried her guitar to the front, careful not to look at Trent or Monica. If either of them


    wanted to acknowledge her presence, they¡¯d have to yell at her to get her attention. She was on a


    mission.


    As soon as she set her guitar down, she turned around, still careful not to look at them. Since neither of


    them said a word to her, she walked to the back of the chapel and pulled her phone out of her pocket.


    Where was Hank? Was he okay? She prayed he¡¯d answer because she was worried about him. He


    clearly wasn¡¯t handling this situation well, and she thought if anyone else was likely to make a run for


    the airport, it was him.

 Chapter 43: Rehearsed

    Chapter 43: Rehearsed


    Aware that Bree had arrived, Trent did his best not to look at her. He wanted to; he knew she looked


    gorgeous in that green dress without even turning his head that direction. But Monica didn¡¯t need to


    know Bree had anything to do with his discovery of her cheating, nor did she need to know that he had


    feelings for Bree, that he¡¯d been in love with her for at least a decade and wasn¡¯t sure how he¡¯d ever


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    stop loving her, even if he did go through with the wedding.


    Monica had made more promises in thest few hours than she ever had in the whole time they¡¯d been


    dating. She had sworn she¡¯d never, ever leave his sight again, if that¡¯s what Trent wanted. He could


    trust her--she swore. It had only happened once. It was so long ago, she hardly remembered it. She¡¯d


    been so drunk¡­.


    He¡¯d given her the benefit of the doubt, though he wasn¡¯t sure why. He wished he could get ahold of


    Hank to hear his side of the story. If Hank said something different, like it wasn¡¯t that long ago, or it had


    happened more than once, he¡¯d believe him. Monica had every reason in the world to lie to him, and


    Hank had none.


    But he¡¯d only gotten his friend on the phone for a few seconds before he¡¯d hung up on him. All he¡¯d


    gotten out was, ¡°Hank, we need to talk. I know--¡± and Hank had dropped the call. Trent had tried to call


    him back a dozen times but gotten nowhere.


    Then, he¡¯d gone to talk to his parents. His mother had been honest like always, saying she¡¯d never


    liked Monica and this was all the more reason why he shouldn¡¯t marry her. His father had been a little


    more diplomatic, saying Trent needed to give it some thought. Of course, if he needed some more


    time, he should wait. He didn¡¯t have to get married tomorrow, even if it did cost him a bit of money. He


    had money, after all. Money wasn¡¯t the issue.


    Monica was.


    She¡¯d lied and cheated. He didn¡¯t know if he really loved her. He knew he loved someone else. Why


    was he still sitting here? He nced around and saw all the people waiting for them to get started.


    Some would understand; some wouldn''t. More people were on their way-ing inter that night or


    in the morning. What would those people think? He could pay them back for their travel expenses, but


    again, that wasn¡¯t the point.


    Everyone would want to know what happened, why he¡¯d called it off. How embarrassing would it be to


    have to admit his bride was sleeping with his best man--and he¡¯d had no idea? When people got a


    divorce, there were questions, but a simple, ¡°We just weren¡¯t getting along¡± was sufficient. In this case,


    people would demand details.


    He heard a cheer go up in the back and turned to see Hank was there. Bree must¡¯ve called him. She


    was the only one who could¡¯ve convinced him toe. He looked like he¡¯d been crying. Trent gave


    him a small smile, and Hank seemed to rx. Again, Trent should be furious with him. He should want


    to punch him in the face. He knew if Hank had slept with Bree, he wouldn¡¯t ever want to speak to him


    again. But he didn¡¯t care as much that Hank had slept with Monica--why was that?


    He looked at the woman sitting next to him and knew the answer immediately. He didn¡¯t love Monica.


    Maybe he never had. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to tell her he wanted out.


    ¡°Please, Trent,¡± she said through barred teeth, with tears in her eyes, before he could say anything at


    all. ¡°Don¡¯t do this. Not now, okay? Let¡¯s talk about it againter. Okay? Let¡¯s just¡­ get through the


    rehearsal.¡±


    Blowing out a deep breath, Trent nodded. The pastor was ready, and he stood, hoping to get this over


    with quickly so that he would have time to think. Marrying Monica just seemed wrong, but he had no


    idea how to get out.

 Chapter 44: Play Me a Song

    Chapter 44: y Me a Song


    Hank looked awful. When he walked through the door, Bree felt horrible for being the one to make him


    look that way. Technically, it was his own fault. He was the one who¡¯d slept with his best friend¡¯s


    woman. But Bree was the one who¡¯d told Trent about it.


    It had taken her several minutes to convince him toe to the rehearsal. He¡¯d said he couldn¡¯t face


    Trent, not at the moment. But Bree had finally talked him into it, reminding him, if she could do it, so


    could he.


    She saw the exchange between the two of them, the small wave and the rxation in Hank¡¯s shoulders


    as he realized Trent wasn¡¯t about to murder him in front of everyone. She walked over to Hank and


    gave him a hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said quietly into his ear. ¡°I thought it was best for all of us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m mad at myself. I never should¡¯ve let this happen.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done. All we can do now is try to fix it the best we can.¡± She managed a smile, even


    though she could feel tears creeping into her eyes again.


    He nodded but then quietly asked, ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough?¡±


    Bree had to turn away. ¡°Apparently not.¡±


    Hank let out a hot breath and then headed toward the front of the church to meet Trent, Monica, and


    the pastor. Bree wouldn¡¯t have anything to do for a while, so she sat in a pew and studied the group.


    Monica had to feel awkward, didn¡¯t she? Standing there with her husband to be and the best man,


    knowing that she¡¯d been with both of them recently--and that they knew it, too. As far as that was


    concerned, Monica didn¡¯t even know who was aware of her infidelity and who wasn¡¯t.


    It didn¡¯t seem to have fazed her, though. When the pastor called for the rest of the wedding party to


    as usual. At least she wasn¡¯t ring at Bree for the moment.


    Trent looked uneasy, but not like someone who was about to say something to stop what was


    happening. Bree tried not to look at him at all. It made her angry to think he thought so little of himself


    that he was willing to put up with her behavior. Didn¡¯t he know there were women out there who would


    cherish a guy like him? Hell, there were women in here! But if he didn¡¯t want Bree, the least he could


    do was tell Monica off and start all over again. No one deserved to be treated the way she¡¯d treated


    him.


    ¡°All right¡­ now is the time for the musician.¡± The pastor looked around the room, and Bree stood up


    and walked forward, avoiding everyone else¡¯s eyes, save the older gentleman.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Very good. We¡¯ll have you sit on the end of the second row. Are you a guest of the bride or the


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    groom?¡±


    ¡°Mine,¡± Monica said quickly. ¡°I hired her to sing.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the pastor said.


    ¡°Actually, Bree has been a friend of mine since we were in elementary school,¡± Trent said. ¡°I¡¯d prefer it


    if she was on my side.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but look at him, and it was obvious he wasn¡¯t just talking about where she¡¯d sit.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Monica said with a shrug. It was also clear she¡¯d spoken so quickly because she was


    trying her best to ignore the fact that Bree and Trent had ties of any sort.


    The pastor looked from the groom to the bride, a little bit of ufortable tension in his eyes. ¡°Very


    well, Miss, uh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Matthews,¡± Bree offered.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll sit here,¡± he gestured to the second row behind Trent, ¡°after thest prayer I just said, you¡¯ll


    ¡°Can she y something else?¡± Monica asked as Bree approached the stage.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Trent asked, his forehead showing the same consternation Bree was feeling.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to ruin the song for tomorrow, that¡¯s all,¡± Monica said, her voice uneasy. ¡°Anything


    else.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Bree said, getting her guitar out. She sat on the bench and tried to decide, a million songs


    Rainbow.¡±


    By the time she was done, most of the people in the room had tears in their eyes. But Bree didn¡¯t. As


    much as she wanted to cry at the sentiment of the song, she wasn¡¯t about to let Monica see her cry


    now.


    The bride, on the other hand, was bawling like a baby. She figured that had more to do with how guilty


    she was feeling than Bree¡¯s performance. Trent was stone faced, not looking at anyone.


    Bree put the guitar back in its case and moved back to the pew, taking the seat the pastor had


    rmended for her. Her part was done. She could tune out now. She especially didn¡¯t want to see


    them kiss. Monica didn¡¯t deserve to kiss Trent ever again after what she¡¯d done, and just the thought of


    her doing so made Bree feel nauseated.

 Chapter 45: Delayed Decisions

    Chapter 45: Dyed Decisions


    How many times had he listened to Bree y that song over the years? More times than Trent could


    count. This performance had to be the most beautiful of all, and it had taken everything he had within


    him to keep from letting the tears stinging the back of his eyes make their way through the stone


    facade he¡¯d built around himself.


    What was he doing? How could he stand there and pretend like marrying Monica was a good idea? It


    was all wrong--all a sham. But walking away would be difficult, too. They had so much time invested in


    each other¡­ He was in a horrible position, and he wished he¡¯d never let ite to this. He nced


    down at her finger, at that ring, the one she¡¯d picked out herself, the one he¡¯d never even used to


    propose to her. How had it gotten on her finger?


    He went through the motions and finished the rehearsal, but when it got to the end, and the pastor said


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    he could kiss the bride, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. He just stared at Monica. How many times


    had he kissed her? At least a million, surely. But now¡­ he couldn¡¯t imagine pressing his lips to hers.


    Monica could read his expression. Ever one to save face, she said, ¡°We can¡¯t kiss now! It¡¯ll jinx it for


    tomorrow.¡±


    That got a giggle out of everyone, except for Trent. He wasn¡¯t in aughing mood. He was grateful he


    wasn¡¯t going to have to kiss her in front of everyone, though. Even offering his arm to her was hard.


    Monica looped hers through his, and he led her to the back of the church.


    The pastor met them there a few momentster and went over where the receiving line would be,


    where they¡¯d go next. The photographer came over and spoke to them about how to handle the


    pictures, where to wait for the announcement of the happy couple at the reception, all a blur of


    information Trent didn¡¯t process. He hoped Monica had been paying attention--if it even happened.


    Was he going to go through with this?


    He needed to get out of the room, to go out on the beach, get some fresh air, figure things out. But the


    pastor wanted to go through the ceremony again, and Monica was agreeing. Trent¡¯s head was


    swimming. Passing out in front of everyone wasn¡¯t really an option either.


    Like a statue, Trent turned and walked back through the motions, his mindpletely somewhere else.


    Thankfully, they skipped Bree¡¯s part altogether. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle looking at her


    now.


    The second time through went much quicker. Trent was thankful for that. As hard as it would be to sit in


    front of all of these people, and even more who hadn¡¯te to the rehearsal but would be at the


    dinner, and pretend like everything was okay between him and Monica, it would be better than standing


    up here and pretending to walk through a ceremony he knew he shouldn¡¯t go through with but hadn¡¯t


    found the courage to call off yet.


    As they walked outside to make their way next door to the rehearsal dinner, Monica tugged on his arm.


    ¡°Are we okay?¡± she asked, a pleading expression in her eyes.


    Trent wanted to say yes because that¡¯s what she wanted to hear. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted.


    Monica swallowed hard, and there were tears in her eyes, but she kept walking, and Trent went with


    her because that¡¯s what they were supposed to do.

 Chapter 46: Cuts Like a Knife

    Chapter 46: Cuts Like a Knife


    The ufortable tension between the bride and groom permeated the entire dining room. Bree could


    feel a crawling in her skin that made every inch of her body itch. All she wanted to do was rip her skin


    off, but since that wouldn¡¯t solve the problem, she did her best to ignore both of them, praying it would


    Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    all be over soon, and she could get on a ne back to Nashville and never think about any of these


    people again.


    Even the people who had no idea anything had happened between Monica and Trent could still feel the


    uneasiness around them. They were pretending to be fine, talking to each other. Monica would giggle


    every once in a while and touch his arm. But it was fake. It was a good thing she was trying to be a


    model and not an actress because she would¡¯ve never made it as thetter.


    Soft conversation filled the room from time to time, but for the most part, the jubnt party atmosphere


    that had surrounded the group all week was gone, reced by confused expressions of people who


    wanted to know why they felt bad who had no exnation.


    After dessert was served, a few of the older couples got up to dance. There was a quartet ying


    ind music in the room, and they were very talented, but all Bree could think was that she needed to


    get out of that room. Now.


    Hank made his move first, though. He was sitting closer to the door. He got up and nodded his


    goodbyes to a few people,pletely ignoring the bride and groom. He looked briefly at Bree, but she


    felt like that was an ident. Then, he was gone.


    And she was right behind him.


    Bree didn¡¯t say goodbye to anyone. She¡¯d left her guitar locked up in one of the closets at the chapel,


    so all she had was her phone and her room key. While she wasn¡¯t as fast as Hank, she was on a


    mission. She saw him veer off of the path toward the beach and followed right behind him, running a


    few steps, and grabbing him by the arm.


    He must¡¯ve known she wasing because he said, ¡°What do you want, Bree?¡± before he even turned


    around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But¡­ I couldn¡¯t let you walk away by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You think I¡¯m gonna go for a long dunk in the ocean?¡±


    ¡°No, but I know if anyone else in the whole world feels as shitty as I do right now, it¡¯s you.¡±


    That¡¯s when he turned to look at her. An exasperated smile took over his face. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± Hank


    opened her arms, and she fell into them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry I told him. I¡¯m sorry I told him, and it didn¡¯t do either one of us any good.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± Hank admitted. ¡°I should''ve taken the pictures to him myself, but I was too afraid of losing


    him. Now, I know we¡¯ll never be the same as we were before, but he doesn¡¯t even seem to care.¡±


    ¡°He cares. Couldn¡¯t you see the tension between them? He¡¯s upset, but he doesn¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to them at all.¡±


    ¡°The whole room could feel it,¡± she said. The two of them started walking again. The moonlight was


    beautiful out over the water, the soft wavespping against the shore, but it was difficult to admire


    anything when Bree felt like the entire world was spiraling out of control.


    ¡°He wanted to talk to me, but I avoided him. I didn¡¯t know what he wanted to say, but I expected it to be


    pretty ugly. Now, I¡¯m guessing it wouldn''t have been at all. How can he still let me stand up there next


    to him tomorrow after what I¡¯ve done to him? Is he really some sort of saint or somethin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Bree replied, folding her arms. ¡°No. I think he¡¯s afraid of what everyone is going to think if he


    doesn¡¯t go through with this. I don¡¯t even think it¡¯s the money. He¡¯s afraid of the judgment. I think he¡¯s


    always been a little afraid of what other people thought, a little more than you or I have been anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that, but only because he doesn¡¯t want to let anyone down. He won¡¯t want to


    disappoint his parents, but he also won¡¯t want to disappoint Monica¡¯s parents. They¡¯re good people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. They are. But they¡¯ll be more disappointed if they end up getting an annulment or a


    divorce.¡±


    ¡°Sure. But that¡¯s two steps down the road, not right now. He¡¯s thinking about right now. Besides that, I


    wonder if it¡¯s even urred to him that I¡¯m probably not the only one. I don¡¯t think I am.¡±


    That was news to Bree. ¡°You think Monica¡¯s slept with other guys while she¡¯s been engaged to Trent?¡±


    ¡°Hell ya, I do. I can¡¯t prove that, though.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you took the pictures? In case you ever wanted to tell him the truth--so she couldn¡¯t deny


    it?¡±


    ¡°That and because I wanted pictures of myself with such a hot girl. But... maybe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I stole them. That was pure evil on my part.¡±


    ¡°Yeah it was. But I don¡¯t me you. Have you deleted them off of your phone?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Bree pulled her phone out and did it right then. ¡°Trent has them, though. He stole them from


    me.¡±


    ¡°Figures.¡± Hank let out a deep sigh.


    They walked on for a few minutes in silence. Bree could see her room off to the right, across the sand


    and the palm trees that lined the walkway. It would be easy to go back there now, go to sleep, and not


    wake up until she had to go y her song. Then, she was catching the first flight out. ¡°Let me ask you


    something, though, Hank. If Monica wanted to be with you now, say she broke up with Trent, would you


    be with her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. No doubt about it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Bree was shocked. ¡°How could you do that after what she¡¯s done to him?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I love her. I¡¯d do anything for her.¡±


    ¡°But Hank¡­ she¡¯s¡­ a horrible person. She¡¯s been doing her best to ruin your life and Trent¡¯s. How can


    you love someone like that?¡±


    ¡°Hell, Bree, I don¡¯t know. But I do. Maybe that¡¯s Trent¡¯s real problem. Maybe he still loves her, too.¡±


    That was thest thing in the world Bree wanted to hear. ¡°Maybe so.¡± She took a deep breath, held it,


    and then let it go. ¡°I¡¯m gonna call it a night.¡± She patted him on the arm. ¡°Take care, Hank. It¡¯ll all work


    out.¡± She didn¡¯t believe that for a minute, but she¡¯d said it anyway. It didn¡¯t matter--he didn¡¯t believe it


    either.


    Bree headed back to her room, thankful to be inside and alone. Her n now was to take a hot bath


    and do her best to go to sleep. She turned her phone off, made sure the door was locked, and closed


    the curtains. She¡¯d had enough of the world for one day.

 Chapter 47: Bros

    Chapter 47: Bros


    Leaving Monica to fend for herself amongst the crowd of people who were beginning to understand that


    something wasn¡¯t right didn¡¯t seem like the best idea to Trent, but he found himself headed for the door


    ten or fifteen minutes after his friends--or should he say former friends?--ducked out.


    He had no idea where they¡¯d gone, but he figured he¡¯d find them. When he finally caught up to Hank,


    he was alone. ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Bree?¡± he asked his best man, who was carrying his shoes, and a half-


    empty bottle of whisky.


    ¡°Hell if I know,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Maybe she went for a swim.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about that. Is she okay?¡±


    ¡°Hell no, she isn¡¯t okay. She¡¯s pissed as hell at you. What are you doing, man? How can you marry


    Monica after the way she¡¯s treated you when you know Bree loves you?¡±


    Hank¡¯s words cut right through him, and if he¡¯d been in a better mood, he might¡¯ve actually listened to


    him. Instead, he said, ¡°Are you actually telling me what you think I should do about my love life, Hank?


    With your track record?¡±


    ¡°I know, man. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry about everything.¡± He took a swig out of the bottle, and the brown


    liquid rolled down the corner of his mouth. He wiped his chin on the back of his hand. ¡°I¡¯m a shitty friend


    if the world ever knew one.¡±


    ¡°In this case, I¡¯m going to have to agree with you. I wish you would¡¯ve said something, Hank. If you


    would¡¯ve told me you still had feelings for her, maybe it would¡¯ve changed things.¡±


    ¡°Changed things how? You would¡¯ve broken up with her? For me?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Especially if you would¡¯ve told me before I started dating her. I had no idea the two of you had


    slept together before Monica and I started going out.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know. I should¡¯ve told you. But¡­ I screwed the whole thing up. Listen, though. You can¡¯t be a


    dumbass like me. You need to go talk to Bree. She¡¯s the one for you. She always has been.¡±


    Trent ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Hank. Things never work out


    between the two of us. Maybe it¡¯s just not meant to be.¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you just say?¡± Hank gave him a shove, probably a little harder than he meant to,


    since he was clearly drunk, and Trent went flying backward. ¡°Sorry--again. But listen, that¡¯s not true.


    The two of you have never given it a chance. You have got to give Bree an opportunity before you just


    decide it¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that and also go through with my wedding to Monica, Hank.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re still considering that then?¡± Hank asked, disappointment in his voice.


    ¡°I have to. She apologized a million times, gave me a bunch of reasons, some of which are my fault.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. None of this is your fault. She screwed me because she wanted to, because it¡¯s fun. Because


    I¡¯m hot. Anything else she told you wasn¡¯t true.¡±


    Trent knew what he was saying was likely urate, but it was a lot to think about and he didn¡¯t have a


    lot of time to go through it. He certainly wasn¡¯t going to gain any rity standing out here talking to his


    friend who was drunk off his ass. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go. Be careful, man. Don¡¯t fall in the ocean.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m headed back to my room. Soon as I can remember what number it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 542.¡± Trent wasn¡¯t sure why he remembered that, but it was the right room. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    Trent patted him on the shoulder and then headed back toward the rooms. He knew Bree¡¯s number,


    too. He did need to talk to her, but he didn¡¯t want to wake her. The curtains were pulled tight, and it


    looked like the lights were out. He tried calling her, but she didn¡¯t answer. With a deep breath, he


    knocked lightly on her door. She didn''t answer that either.


    Deciding it was just as well since he had no idea what he wanted to say to her, he walked away. Maybe


    by the next day, he¡¯d have had enough time to think it over ande to some sort of a logical decision.


    It was just too much all at once, and he hated it.


    Trent saw Monica walking toward him down the walkway, and even from a distance, he could see that


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    she was crying. As she approached, he couldn¡¯t help but take her in his arms. She rested her head on


    his shoulder, sobbing, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Trent, baby. I love you so much. I¡¯m so, so sorry.¡±


    He wanted to believe her, to tell her it was okay, that she was forgiven. But he couldn¡¯t say that either,


    so he said nothing, only held her, praying for some rity, some sort of a sign to let him know what he


    should do. But at the moment, he was as lost as a bottle floating along on the waves far from shore


    with no direction and nothing to do but wait.

 Chapter 48: Wedding Blues

    Chapter 48: Wedding Blues


    Before Bree even opened her eyes, a tightening in her stomach reminded her that this was the day


    she¡¯d been dreading for days--maybe longer than that if she was honest with herself. She¡¯d been


    dreaming of marrying Trent for a decade, hadn¡¯t she? Now, he was getting married. But not to her.


    He¡¯d tried to call her the night before. She¡¯d seen a missed call on her phone. And at one point, she


    thought she¡¯d heard a soft knock on the door. She¡¯d been in the bathtub and hadn¡¯t been sure. When


    she made it to the door, no one was there, so either she¡¯d imagined it, or he hadn¡¯t been too serious


    abouting to see her.


    It was just as well. He likely just wanted to apologize to her, sort of like he had in the restaurant earlier


    in the week. At the time, she¡¯d felt as if they¡¯d bonded a bit, like they were getting their friendship back.


    Now, she realized that had all been a part of the same delusion that had made her think that showing


    him evidence that his fianc¨¦e was sleeping with another man would make him call off his wedding.


    She got up and went through the motions she always did. The wedding started at 2:00. While she¡¯d


    been invited toe to the salon to get ready with the bride and the rest of the bridal party, she¡¯d


    declined via a quick text to Lilly. If she never saw Monica again, that would be too soon, and since


    she¡¯d have to see her at the wedding, Bree had sworn off going anywhere that might bring her into


    contact with the bride.


    Instead, she decided to spend some time on the beach. Since she didn¡¯t want to see anyone--including


    Trent and Hank--she went for a long walk away from the resort and found a spot where she was fairly


    certain no one woulde looking for her. It wasn¡¯t as beautiful as the spot where she¡¯d found sce


    earlier in the week, closer to the resort, but it was lovely, and she pulled out her notebook and wrote


    down the words to a song.


    The ocean was a great inspiration. Before she knew it, she¡¯d penned three songs, all about love and


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    life--about feelings washing away with the tide, about love sifting through one¡¯s fingers like sand, about


    chasing each other through the sky like birds only to fall from grace¡­. She was happy with her work


    but knew she¡¯d never sing any of these songs without thinking of Trent. She¡¯d have to get used to it. So


    many of her songs had been inspired by him in one way or another.


    Her phone rang around noon, just as she was thinking she should probably head back so she could get


    cleaned up, dressed, and go to the chapel. It was Trent. She turned it off. He left her a voicemail, but


    she didn¡¯t bother to listen to it. Thest thing she wanted to hear was him making excuses about why


    he couldn¡¯t break up with Monica. In a matter of hours, it wouldn¡¯t make any difference anyway.


    She headed back to her room, humming one of the new songs she¡¯d written as she went. She¡¯d have


    to put herself into performance mode to get through the song at the wedding, but that was okay. Bree


    was a pro--she could do it. Then, she¡¯d be done, and she could leave--and forget about Trent forever.


    * * *


    Trent nced down at his phone and uttered a swear word. He really wanted to talk to Bree before the


    wedding. He needed to tell her how he felt. But then¡­ what difference did it make? It wouldn¡¯t change


    anything. It just seemed like the right thing to do.


    After he¡¯d left Bree¡¯s room the night before, he¡¯d ran into Monica and the two of them had spoken.


    She¡¯d been crying when he found her on the walkway near the beach, and she¡¯d sobbed for hours,


    begging him to give her another chance, promising it was just one little indiscretion that had happened


    so long ago.


    So¡­ he¡¯d decided to give her another chance. It wasn¡¯t the easy thing to do, even though it might


    seem like it to someone watching from afar. It was damn hard to think he was giving up Bree forever


    because he¡¯d already missed his chance with her, alreadymitted to someone else. If he¡¯d realized


    before he and Monica got this far that Bree was still out there waiting for him, he never would¡¯ve gotten


    here.


    But here he was. And he couldn¡¯t give up on the promise he¡¯d made to Monica, on the life they¡¯d


    established, over one awful mistake made over a year ago. No, he had to trust her, and he had to get


    up there in front of all of those people who¡¯de to see him pledge himself to her and do it. And he


    had to believe that he could trust her when she said the same thing.


    Trent pulled up one of the pictures he¡¯d stolen from Bree and looked at it. It was one where he could


    see Monica and Hank kissing but nothing lower than their necks, thank God. But there was something


    off about the picture, something that made him feel unsettled that had nothing to do with the fact that


    his best friend was kissing his fianc¨¦e.


    He looked at it carefully. Monica had her hand up by her face, the other draped around Hank and he


    had his eyes open enough that he was looking at her. It was clear that he was enamored with her.


    Trent had seen it before in person more than once but pretended even to himself that he didn¡¯t notice.


    Hank really loved her, and if Monica wasn¡¯t so full of herself, maybe they could¡¯ve been together.


    But she said she¡¯d never marry a guy like Hank, never even seriously date him. So Trent hadn¡¯t given it


    a second thought. Maybe he should have, but now it was toote.


    He was going to the chapel, and he was going to get married. To Monica. Like he was supposed to.


    And he¡¯d probably never see Bree Matthews again, unless it was on TV. He¡¯d always love her, but


    sometimes love just wasn¡¯t enough.

 Chapter 49: Playing My Song for You

    Chapter 49: ying My Song for You


    Bree walked into the chapel and noted her guitar was already in ce. She didn¡¯t wait for an usher. Her


    spot was reserved, so she walked right to it, ignoring all of the other guests. There were several there


    already, and she heard her name shouted in a familiar voice that was probably Christy, but she didn¡¯t


    look. She was in performance mode, robot mode, and she didn¡¯t want to lift her eyes to look at anyone


    or even make small talk and pretend smile. She¡¯d have to talk to Christyter and exin that she just


    hadn¡¯t heard her, which wasn¡¯t true, but Christy didn¡¯t need to know that.


    The guests came in and were seated. Bree kept her face pointed straight ahead. Even when the pastor


    came out, followed closely by the groom and the groomsmen, she didn¡¯t waiver her focus from a spot


    on the wall near the pastor¡¯s head.


    The music changed, and everyone stood. It took Bree a moment to realize the bridesmaids were all


    headed up the aisle, the flower girl had thrown her flowers, and Monica wasing in.


    Now, Bree turned her head. She couldn¡¯t help it. Never had she seen a lovelier vision than the bride


    sky on gossamer wings.


    Immediately, Bree looked at Trent. She didn¡¯t mean to do that either, but she had to. Surprisingly, he


    didn¡¯t seem as enamored with Monica as everyone else. Trent looked¡­ pained, as if he wasn¡¯t sure


    what he was doing there. Bree swallowed hard. Was he still contemting whether or not marrying


    Monica was the wrong thing to do?


    Surely not. He wouldn¡¯t still be standing there if that was the case, would he?


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Monica¡¯s father ced her hand on Trent¡¯s arm and did the obligatory giving her away and then took a


    seat in the front row, next to her mother who was wiping at her eyes already. Monica¡¯s smile was as


    bright as the sun. Trent¡¯s was the one he wore when he knew he was supposed to look happy but


    didn¡¯t.


    Bree went back to her spot on the wall, but she was tuned in enough so that when the pastor said it


    was time for her song, she automatically got up and went to the stage. She caught Trent¡¯s eyes as she


    was walking, though she didn¡¯t mean to, and she shook her head slightly, again, not on purpose. He


    looked away.


    Picking up her guitar, Bree made sure it was in tune with a strum and then, she sat on the provided


    stool and began to sing.


    Her intentions were to look out at the crowd, perhaps at Christy and Abby, or over their heads. But as


    he began to sing, she couldn¡¯t help but look at the couple, to look at Monica, standing there with that


    satisfied smile on her face, and Trent, not meeting her eyes. But then he looked up, and she was


    singing to him and no one else.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine, you just don¡¯t know it.


    You love me, you just can¡¯t show it.


    Maybe someday soon, you¡¯re gonna see


    Baby, you were meant to marry me.¡±


    Bree finished, stood, put her guitar back on the stand and then walked down the stairs without even


    looking at anyone, she headed down the aisle, but she didn''t stop at the second row. She kept walking-


    -all the way down the aisle--and out the door.

 Chapter 50: Ocean of Tears

    Chapter 50: Ocean of Tears


    The sun was still shining; the waves continued to roll across the shoreline, wetting the sand, and


    tumbling back out to sea. The seagulls danced and yed above her, and the blue sky was vivid and


    bright, refusing to hide itself in clouds.


    Bree sunk down in the sand, leaning back against the rocks she¡¯d used as shelter many times that


    week--a week that had taken on a life of its own, stretching beyond five days into a millennium.


    But now, it was all over. So was thest decade of wishing, wanting, and waiting. He was actually going


    through with it. In fact, considering how long it had taken her to walk here from the chapel, he¡¯d


    probably already done it. He was probably already married. The pastor would¡¯ve said, ¡°Ladies and


    gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Trent Walker.¡± There would¡¯ve been apuse, and then the


    gorgeous couple would¡¯ve gone to greet everyone, to relish in their congrattions. They¡¯d be doing


    pictures now, soon to be headed to the reception where they¡¯d cut the cake. Bree had no doubt Monica


    would do something to embarrass Trent--like smear it all over his face. Yeah, he was a married man


    now, married to that woman who didn¡¯t appreciate him. And here she was, sitting in the sand broken


    and miserable.


    Her thoughts flickered to Hank for a moment. How his heart must also be breaking as he watched them


    kiss for the first time as man and wife. He¡¯d likely stick around for the whole reception since that¡¯s what


    the best man was supposed to do. People would probably be whispering about Bree at the reception,


    asking what was the matter with her, why she¡¯d left, what kind of a professional musician just left a


    wedding like that? But she couldn¡¯t care at the moment.


    Her phone would likely ring soon. It would be Hank or Christy or Abby, wanting to know if she was all


    right. Telling her how sorry they were for her, that it would be okay, that she could do better, that Trent


    was getting what wasing to him for choosing Monica over her. She¡¯d thank them, hang up, and


    keep sitting there until she finally had the strength to go to her room, gather her belongings and head to


    the airport, looking for an alternate flight on the way.


    Yes, that¡¯s how it would all y out. She should¡¯ve seen it unfolding from the moment she realized it


    was Trent who was getting married. Why she¡¯d ever thought she was strong enough to do this, she had


    no idea. How she¡¯d ever convinced herself that Trent would choose her over Monica, or even that he


    would be so angry at her for cheating on him that he¡¯d tell her off and walk away, she couldn¡¯t say, but it


    was all over now--all of it but the crying.


    Despite her best attempts not to cry, to tell herself she¡¯d done enough of that for him over the years, the


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    tears wereing. She let them fall. It wasn¡¯t an ugly, desperate, exhausting cry, just a gentle rain. It


    would take longer this way to let the emotions out, but it was better than that soul purging cry that


    would leave her aching and shuddering for hours. Bree tipped her head back, stared up at the birds,


    listened to the ocean, and cried.

 Chapter 51: A Ring of Truth

    Chapter 51: A Ring of Truth


    Trent watched Bree walk down the aisle. He wasn¡¯t surprised when she didn¡¯t stop at her seat. It had


    been a shock that she¡¯d stayed as long as she did. The fact that she had actually sang that song at his


    wedding, while staring into his eyes, let him know how much he meant to her--she really did love him,


    still.


    And here he was, holding the hands of a woman he knew had cheated on him with his best friend,


    getting ready to say, ¡°I do.¡± I do--what? Want to be with you? Want to spend the rest of my life with


    you? Treasure you? Trust you? Love you? Were any of those things true?


    Trent thought about that picture he¡¯d been staring at all morning. What was it screaming out at him that


    Monica was still lying? He couldn¡¯t quite ce it, but he knew it was there. If only he could put his finger


    on it, maybe it would be enough for him to realize he was making a mistake.


    ¡°Have you the ring?¡± the pastor asked, and by his tone, it seemed like maybe it wasn¡¯t the first time


    he¡¯d said it.


    ¡°The ring?¡± Trent repeated.


    ¡°Yes, the ring.¡±


    He turned to Hank, and he dropped the wedding band into his hand. Monica stuck her left hand out, her


    engagement ring in ce, twinkling at him.


    And it hit him--right then and there--like a ton of bricks. Like a punch to the gut. ¡°The ring,¡± he said,


    even though the pastor was telling him to say something else, to repeat, ¡°With this ring I thee wed.¡± He


    couldn¡¯t repeat that phrase, though. Not to Monica. ¡°The ring¡­.¡± Trent said again.


    Monica had an awkward smile stered to her face. Her eyes darted from Trent to the crowd and then


    back again. ¡°Trent?¡± she asked. ¡°Put the ring on¡­ my finger.¡±


    ¡°The ring was on your finger.¡± It was almost to himself, not to her, but then he looked up, looked her


    straight in the eyes. ¡°You said it was a long time ago, but it wasn¡¯t. You were wearing your ring.¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°It was a different ring.¡±


    ¡°No, I could see the diamond in the picture.¡± He let go of her hand, took a step back. ¡°You did that after


    we bought the ring.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, Trent. Please.¡± Her eyes fixed on the crowd for a moment. Then, she turned back to him.


    With her teeth gritted together, Monica said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this now.¡±


    He studied her for a moment. She was trying so hard to save face, to not be embarrassed in front of


    this entire chapel full of people. Not being embarrassed was far more important to her than making a


    mistake. ¡°How can you say you love me when you would do something like that?¡±


    ¡°Trent--stop!¡± It was a threat. He knew that look, that tone. She¡¯d used it lots of times before when she


    wanted him to do something he wasn¡¯tfortable with or let her buy something he thought was a


    waste of money. ¡°Knock it off. Put. That. Ring. On. My. Finger.¡±


    Murmurs from the crowd reached his ear now, and he realized they were all trying to figure out what


    was happening. Why were they arguing? Was he really contemting not putting the ring on her


    finger? Was there a chance the wedding wasn¡¯t going to happen?


    Trent took another step back. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, Monica. I can¡¯t put this ring on your finger. I can¡¯t stand


    up here in front of all of these people that I love and respect, people who love and respect us, and tell a


    lie. I can¡¯t love you, Monica, not when you¡¯ve made it painfully obvious that you don¡¯t love me.¡±


    ¡°Trent--you¡¯re being ridiculous! Of course I love you! Sleeping with Hank was a mistake, okay? I admit


    that! It was one mistake!¡±


    Gasps echoed through the chapel. The pastor took a big step back, as if he would no longer condone


    this wedding himself even if Trent decided he did want to go through with it.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t one mistake. It wasn¡¯t one time. It wasn¡¯t even just Hank, I have no doubt. I¡¯m sorry, Monica.


    But I don¡¯t love you anymore, not when you care so little for me. I can¡¯t give you this ring. And I can¡¯t


    make you my wife.¡±


    Monica mmed her hands down to her thighs. ¡°What? You can¡¯t be serious! You asshole! You know


    you¡¯ll never find anyone as good as me. What are you nning to do? Run off after that little bitch


    country singer? You think that song was about you, don¡¯t you? Well, it wasn¡¯t! She doesn¡¯t love you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether she does or not,¡± Trent said, ignoring her angry words and doing his best to keep


    his cool, ¡°but Bree would never, ever treat anyone the way that you¡¯ve treated me--or the way that


    you¡¯ve treated Hank for that matter. You¡¯re not the type of woman I want to be with Monica. You can be


    angry. You can yell in front of all of these nice people, if you want to, but I won¡¯t be here to listen to it.


    I¡¯ve gotta go.¡±


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    With that, Trent turned and headed out through the same side door he¡¯d entered through. Monica was


    shouting his name after him, but he didn¡¯t stop. His walk turned into a run as he thought about where


    he needed to go and what he needed to do. He knew he wasn¡¯t thinking clearly at the moment, but


    deep down inside, it was clear what needed to happen next, and even if it was just as painful as


    making a scene at his almost-wedding in front of hundreds of people, it needed to happen, and it


    needed to happen now.

 Chapter 52: Meant to Be

    Chapter 52: Meant to Be


    Bree was still gazing up at the sky when she realized she wasn¡¯t alone. The familiar scent of his


    cologne told her who hade to sit next to her on the sand without her even tilting her head over to


    look at him. She didn¡¯t, either. Whatever he had to say, he could say it while she watched the only


    cloud she¡¯d seen in a while slowly float by.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Trent said, his voice as quiet and still as the heavens above them. ¡°I should¡¯ve listened to


    you.¡±


    Bree took that to mean that he hadn¡¯t. It was odd that he was here, but it was also quite possible he¡¯d


    snuck away from the reception for a few minutes toe and apologize to his lifelong friend. Monica


    had gotten what she¡¯d wanted, after all. Why would she care if Trent left for a few minutes to apologize


    to someone who no longer mattered in his life? With nothinging to mind as a response, she


    continued to look up at the clouds.


    So¡­ he continued. ¡°I just kept telling myself that there was a logical exnation. Like I do about


    everything. Or that it had been my fault. She said it happened a long time ago, so maybe it had been at


    a time when I was too busy to give her the attention she needed. Or¡­ something. I had been about to


    call it off at the rehearsal, but then she started crying and begging me not to. Giving her another


    chance seemed like the right thing to do. And¡­ then there was the embarrassment of having to tell


    everyone what had happened. As far as I know, no one has ever cheated on me before, certainly not


    with Hank, who was also supposed to be my best friend. It was easier to pretend it away and worry


    about itter.¡±


    He went quiet, and Bree slowly rolled her head toward him, catching his eyes. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to


    now,¡± she said with a shrug. Her voice didn¡¯t sound bitter, though, not even to her own ear, even though


    she felt like she had a right to be bitter. She noticed he had his jacket off and his tie was undone,


    hanging around his neck, the top two buttons on his shirt unhooked.


    Trent arched an eyebrow at her. ¡°I already did, Bree.¡±


    Sitting up, Bree looked at him directly now. ¡°You already did what?¡±


    ¡°I already worried about it--I already dealt with it. I¡­ didn¡¯t marry her.¡±


    The oxygen drained from her body as quickly as a breeze blowing out to see on a windy day as she


    studied his face. Was he serious? And if so, what did this mean for her? ¡°You¡­ you didn¡¯t?¡±


    Trent shook his head and then dropped his gaze. ¡°As soon as you were done with your song, the


    pastor asked us to exchange rings. I was supposed to go first, but that¡¯s when I realized what it was


    about those pictures that had been driving me crazy ever since I first saw them.¡±


    ¡°You mean besides the fact that they were pictures of your fianc¨¦e with your best friend?¡±


    He pressed his lips together and nodded his head at her. ¡°Yeah, other than that.¡± Trent narrowed his


    eyes, and Bree almostughed. Almost. That was the look he gave her when he wanted to scold her


    but couldn¡¯t because he knew she¡¯d just say something smart right back. ¡°It was the ring, Bree. Monica


    had told me she slept with Hank a long time ago, but she had on the engagement ring I bought for her,


    so it couldn¡¯t have been as long ago as she said.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t long ago at all. Hank could¡¯ve told you that.¡±


    ¡°He could have--if he would¡¯ve been willing to talk to me about it at all. But her exnation made things


    easier for me, so I didn¡¯t hound him. Anyway, when the pastor asked me to give her the ring, it all


    became clear. And I couldn¡¯t do it.¡±


    Bree swallowed hard, wishing she would¡¯ve stayed there a few moments longer to see that. ¡°What did


    you do?¡±


    He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, which hardly moved thanks to all the product he had in it


    for the big day. ¡°Caused a scene, I guess.¡±


    Now it was her turn to smirk at him. ¡°What did your parents think of that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I came straight here. I was hoping this is where you¡¯d be.¡±


    ¡°And where is your jacket?¡±


    ¡°Gave it to some kid who wasining that the sand was too hot.¡±


    Breeughed. ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t a rental.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Monica made me buy this entire getup. And believe me, I¡¯m never wearing it again.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re never getting married?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure what possessed her to ask the


    question, but it had slipped out before she could stop it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. But not to her. And not to anyone like her. She was just¡­ wrong for me in so many


    ways. No matter how hard I tried to justify the good in her, Bree, we both know I would¡¯ve never been


    happy with her.¡±


    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t. But I¡¯m still sorry. It couldn¡¯t have been easy for you to stand up there and do


    that.¡± She put her hand on his arm, ignoring the tingling sensation from his touch and focusing on


    attempting tofort him. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Trent.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Bree. That means a lot. And I am sorry I didn¡¯t listen to you. I should¡¯ve known you


    wouldn¡¯t steer me wrong.¡±


    She sighed and removed her hand. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t me you for not wanting to listen to me. I mean, it¡¯s


    not as if my purposes for telling you were one hundred percent selfless.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    An easy smile took over his handsome face. ¡°I know they weren¡¯t when you told me. But now that, once


    again, I¡¯ve screwed everything up, do you still feel that way?¡±


    ¡°What way?¡± Bree asked, raising an eyebrow at him.


    Trent cocked his head to the side and studied her. ¡°Do you¡­ still like me a little?¡±


    ¡°Like you¡­ or like you, like you?¡± Bree grinned at him, knowing she was exasperating him and feeling


    a bit vindicated for it.


    ¡°Do you like me, like me, Bree? Or should I just go stick my head in the sand right now and be done?¡±


    With as serious a tone as she could muster, Bree looked into his eyes and said, ¡°Sorry, Trent. I don¡¯t


    like you like you.¡±


    He swallowed so hard, she could see his Adam¡¯s apple bob. ¡°Oh. Okay. Well, that¡¯s unfortunate.¡± He


    shifted so he was looking out to sea.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± She had to ask. She¡¯d been forting with her feelings the other night when she¡¯d told


    him about the pictures. Now, she wanted to hear his.


    ¡°Well, I was hoping maybe we could finally see where this might go. Now that we¡¯re both single at the


    same time again. I know it would be hard since we don¡¯t live in the same town, and you¡¯re working so


    hard on your career right now, but I¡¯d be willing to do what it takes to finally know for sure if being with


    you could be what I¡¯d always imagined it would be.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± she asked, her voice soft and slow as she waited for his answer.


    His eyes met hers again. ¡°Perfect.¡±


    A smile pulled up the corner of her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t like you like you, Trent. But¡­ I do love you.¡±


    His eyebrows arched over perfect blue eyes. ¡°Say what now?¡±


    ¡°I hope that doesn¡¯t scare you, but it¡¯s true. I love you. I¡¯ve loved you since I was about twelve years


    old, and I don¡¯t know what my life would be like if I didn¡¯t love you. So¡­ if you wanna see where this


    goes, I¡¯m all for it. I¡¯m happy to put in the work. You just gotta say--¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, not expecting him to interrupt her.


    ¡°I said, ¡®I love you, too.¡¯ Is that what you were going to say I had to say?¡±


    ¡°No, I was going to say you just gotta say you¡¯re willing to give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, in that case¡­.¡± He took a deep breath, turned to face the ocean, let it out, and then turned


    back to her. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give it a try. Because I love you, too.¡±


    Bree couldn¡¯t remember a time in her life where she¡¯d ever been so happy. Her smile was so bright,


    she was sure it rivaled the sun. When Trent leaned in and found her lips, something deep within her


    rose to the surface--joy, peace, a love so deep she¡¯d never known it existed before. She slid her hand


    to the back of his hair and pulled him closer, hoping the moment never had to end.


    Eventually, he pulled back, and looking into her eyes, he said it again. ¡°I love you, Bree. More than


    anything. Thank you for never giving up on me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you foring back to me.¡±


    Trent grinned at her and leaned in for another kiss, which she willingly nted on his perfect lips. When


    they next came up for air, he said, ¡°Ready to go get your guitar?¡±


    She¡¯d forgotten all about it. If it hadn¡¯t been the special one she¡¯d gotten from her grandmother, she


    might¡¯ve just left it. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go get it,¡± she agreed.


    Trent stood and pulled her to standing. Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again,


    letting Bree know that he never wanted to let her go. There was no doubt in her mind that this man was


    hers--that they were meant to be together.


    When he stepped back, Bree slipped her hand in his. ¡°I never had my doubts,¡± she said, though it


    wasn¡¯t true. Only a few moments ago, she¡¯d thought it was all over, and he¡¯d married Monica.


    ¡°About what?¡± Trent asked as they walked along, hand in hand.


    ¡°That you were meant to marry me.¡±


    Chuckling, he said, ¡°Ah, that sounds like a song. You should write that someday.¡±


    She gave him a yful elbow in the side. ¡°Good idea, Maybe I will.¡±


    Walking with his hand in hers was as natural as the tide rolling in and out, serenading them as they


    went. Whatever the future brought them, Bree was sure they¡¯d face it head on because they¡¯d face it


    together--just as it was meant to be.

 Chapter 53:Reception

    Chapter 53:Reception


    Bree was relieved to hear that the pastor had locked her guitar back in the closet in the church where


    he¡¯d kept it the night before. ¡°Here you go, dear,¡± he said, unlocking the door and handing it to her.


    Then, he turned to Trent and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry things didn¡¯t turn out the way you¡¯d expected, son.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Trent said, and Bree could tell he wasn¡¯t sure what else to say. The pastor gave them a


    sympathetic smile and then waved, and Bree and Trent headed out.


    The sounds of people talking andughing came from the building next door, where the reception was


    supposed to be held. ¡°What is that?¡± Bree asked, her stomach tightening. Was Monica in there having


    the reception without Trent?


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Let¡¯s go find out,¡± he said tugging her in that direction.


    ¡°But what if it¡¯s Monica?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I got a text from Hank earlier. She went back to the room, crying, as soon as I left, and he followed


    her.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Is he picking her over you--again?¡±


    Trent shrugged. ¡°He thinks he loves her. I¡¯m just d she¡¯s not alone. She deserved what happened,


    but I still feel bad about it.¡±


    Bree leaned her head against his arm. One of the reasons she¡¯d always loved him was because he


    was so tenderhearted. She should¡¯ve realized it would be hard for him to walk away from Monica--even


    if she didpletely deserve it.


    Trent opened the door to the banquet hall and immediately startedughing. He held the door and


    ushered Bree inside, and she walked in to see his family and friends inside, eating the food, drinking


    the champagne, and having a great time. The band had stayed and was ying, and some people


    were dancing.


    ¡°Hey, there they are!¡± Christy shouted, bounding across the room, no shoes on, her arms wide open.


    She flung herself at Trent and Bree and wrapped them both in a hug. She smelled like she¡¯d been


    drinking for a while, which made Bree wonder if maybe she¡¯d been drinking before the wedding, but


    she was so happy to see her friend, she just hugged her back.


    ¡°So d you¡¯re here!¡± Abby said,ing over to hug them as well. ¡°It seemed weird eating all of your


    food without you here, but then, we couldn¡¯t just let it go bad either, could we?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it¡¯s great that you¡¯re here,¡± Trent said with a broad smile. ¡°This is not exactly what I¡¯d


    envisioned, but all of my favorite people are here, and I¡¯m ready to party, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Christy said, pumping her fist, and Bree startedughing. It was a side of Trent she rarely saw,


    but when he took her guitar, set it against the wall, and pulled her out onto the dance floor, she dly


    went.


    The song was a dance hit from the 1970s, and Trent¡¯s dance skills were better than she remembered


    from their high school days. ¡°You¡¯ve been practicing,¡± she said as he moved her around the dance


    floor.


    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯ve had months of dance lessons just for this event,¡± he replied, the disgust obvious in his


    voice.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± she asked, trying not tough.


    ¡°Yes. Apparently, my previous dancing skills left much to be desired.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a champ now,¡± Bree assured him, smiling as he twirled her around.


    ¡°Thanks. It helps when my partner is enjoying herself instead of counting the steps.¡±


    Bree opened her mouth to ask if it was true that Monica really did that but then closed it. If it was true,


    she probably didn¡¯t want to know.


    A slow song started ying, and Trent pulled her close. Bree closed her eyes and rested her head on


    his chest. Being in his arms had been a dream for so long, now that she was there, it was almost


    impossible to believe it was real. He smelled so good, and she could feel his muscles through the fabric


    of his shirt. His heart was beating in her ear, and it was racing almost as quickly as hers.


    It didn¡¯t seem appropriate for them to show too much affection at the moment. Thest thing she


    wanted was for people to start specting as to whether or not Trent and Bree had been together


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    before he¡¯d called off the wedding.


    With his mouth right next to her ear, Trent whispered, ¡°I know this is all sudden, Bree, but I want you to


    know, I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we can be together now. We can take our time,


    figure it all out, whatever you need.¡±


    She leaned up and looked him in the eyes, and a smile took over her face. ¡°Thanks, Trent. I know we


    can make it work.¡± He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and she leaned back into him, never


    wanting to let him go.


    ¡°Hey, Trent!¡± someone shouted as the song ended. Bree looked up to see it was one of his cousins, a


    guy she¡¯d met earlier, but she couldn¡¯t remember his name. ¡°Can we cut the cake?¡±


    ¡°You bet,¡± he replied. ¡°Just leave the top tier, okay?¡±


    ¡°You got it man!¡±


    Bree raised an eyebrow, but she didn¡¯t ask what he wanted the top saved for. Since the band was still


    ying slow music, she rested her head back on his shoulder and tried to memorize every detail of this


    moment. She had a feeling, in years toe, she¡¯d look back on this night and smile, no matter what


    was going on in her life. It was definitely one of the best nights of her life.

 Chapter 54: Cake by the Ocean

    Chapter 54: Cake by the Ocean


    A few hourster, after more dancing, eating, and drinking, Bree found herself on a nket under a full


    moon on the beach with the man she loved, two sses, a bottle of champagne, two forks, and the top


    tier of Trent¡¯s wedding cake. It was delicious.


    ¡°You know, it took her about a month to decide what vors of cake she wanted,¡± Trent said between


    bites. They weren¡¯t bothering with tes. The cake sat on its original tter between them on the


    nket, the gorgeous detail in the white frosting visible in the moonlight. It was a German chocte


    vor with buttercream frosting, and Bree might¡¯ve eaten the entire tier herself if Trent hadn¡¯t been


    there, and she hadn¡¯t already stuffed herself on chicken parmesan.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good,¡± she assured him, taking another bite.


    ¡°It should be for what I paid for it,¡± he said with a chuckle. He took another bite, too, and then sat his


    fork down, clutching his stomach. ¡°It¡¯s very rich. In more ways than one.¡±


    Breeughed and also set her fork aside. As good as it was, she didn¡¯t have room for another bite.


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°You know, today did not quite turn out the way that I thought it was going to,¡± she said, unhooking her


    shoes and setting them aside.


    Trent picked up the cake and set it inside of the box he¡¯d used to transport it, moving the forks, too, so


    he could get closer to her. ¡°You can say that again.¡±


    Sheughed, thinking she might be a little tipsy. ¡°I mean¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to actually go through


    with the wedding at all. But then, when I saw that you were going to, I expected you to just marry her


    already. But the whole time, I thought, if you didn¡¯t marry her, I¡¯d probably still end up on a ne back


    to Nashville, and maybe you¡¯d call me in a week or two. Or not.¡±


    ¡°You only thought that¡¯s the way it would go because that¡¯s what happenedst time.¡± He put his arm


    around her shoulders, and Bree snuggled into his chest.


    ¡°Maybe a little. But¡­ I never would¡¯ve imagined that we¡¯d end up together--eating your wedding cake.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°Yeah, none of this was what I expected to have happen either, but I¡¯m d that it did. I


    couldn''t imagine a better way for this evening to end.¡±


    Bree leaned up and kissed his cheek, and he turned to face her, capturing her lips. He tasted even


    sweeter than usual, since he¡¯d been eating cake. ¡°I love you, Trent,¡± she said, softly. ¡°I always have,


    and I always will.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± He brushed her hair back and smiled at her. ¡°Hey, wanna go stick our feet in the


    water?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± she asked with a giggle.


    ¡°Yeah. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± she repeated. She already had her shoes off so she waited for Trent to take off his fancy


    dress shoes and socks and roll his pant legs up. Then, he stood, pulling her up, and they ran off in the


    moonlight toward the breaking waves.


    The water was warm, and there was no one else around. At first, they just sshed around in the surf,


    but then, the hem of her dress got wet, and the next thing she knew, they were both in the water,


    sshing each other, soaking wet.


    They went from sshing to hugging to kissing to making out in the surf. Bree was lying on top of Trent


    in the sand, the waves rushing up against them, picking up the skirt of her dress and floating it higher


    and higher around her waist as her lips devoured Trent¡¯s, his hands working their way through her wet


    hair and rubbing her legs as she straddled him. She knew they¡¯d talked about taking it slow, but she


    loved the feel of his hands on her, and with each kiss, she felt herself meld deeper into him.


    Trent flipped them over, and Bree brought her knees up on either side of him. In the moonlight, with


    droplets of water clinging to his hair and rolling down his face, he looked sexier than he ever had


    before. ¡°I love you, Bree,¡± he said, his fingers brushing through her tangled hair where ity on the


    sand.


    ¡°I love you, too.¡± His lips crashed down on hers as the waves crashed against their tangled bodies, and


    Bree was ready to give him everything to show him how much she meant those words.

 Chapter 55: Planning the Future

    Chapter 55: nning the Future


    Bree woke up in Trent¡¯s arms, but nothing had happened once they¡¯d gotten to her hotel room. For that


    matter, nothing had happened on the beach either. Well, that wasn¡¯t quite true. There¡¯d been a lot of


    kissing, a lot of touching, but they hadn¡¯t gone all the way. That was okay with Bree, though. She loved


    Trent, but she thought he was right to take things slow. He¡¯d obviously just gotten out of a long term


    rtionship, and she was making the mental adjustment to thinking they¡¯d never be together to


    realizing he was hers now.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful,¡± Trent said, his eyes meeting hers. ¡°How are you?¡± He brushed a lock of strawberry-


    blonde hair away from her face. Bree had taken a shower when they¡¯de back to her room the night


    before while Trent went to his room to get a few things and also take a shower. They¡¯d both been


    covered in sand. It had been well worth it, though.


    ¡°I¡¯m great. How are you?¡± she asked, leaning up to kiss him.


    ¡°Better than I¡¯ve been in a long time,¡± he replied, once he pulled away. ¡°What time does your ne


    leave?¡±


    ¡°Two o¡¯clock.¡± How many times in thest week had she thought about making that an earlier flight?


    And now, she didn¡¯t want to get on the ne at all.


    The night before, he¡¯d talked about how he was supposed to be leaving for his honeymoon that


    morning. He should¡¯ve been getting ready to go to the airport himself right now to catch a flight to the


    Bahamas. Instead, he was wrapped in Bree¡¯s arms. He¡¯d asked if she wanted to go with him, but when


    she told him she had a bunch of gigs booked over the next two weeks, he¡¯dpletely understood.


    He¡¯d also went ahead and cancelled all of the amodations so that Monica couldn¡¯t use them.


    ¡°Last night, after you went to sleep, I was thinking, I¡¯ve got two weeks off from work. How would you


    feel about meing to Nashville for a while? I don¡¯t have to stay with you if you don''t want me to, but


    that will give me a chance to spend more time with you, and maybe I could even look at the possibility


    of opening a firm there.¡±


    Bree¡¯s eyebrows arched. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. ¡°You¡¯d do that? You¡¯d


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    consider moving to Nashville. For me?¡±


    He shrugged as if it weren¡¯t that big of a deal. ¡°Sure. I mean, I was already thinking I might have to


    move to New York or Paris. I¡¯d much rather move to Nashville. It¡¯s not Kentucky, but it¡¯s close. My


    parents will be thrilled.¡±


    Once again, Bree couldn¡¯t help but lean up and kiss him. ¡°You¡¯re amazing. Yes, of course, I¡¯d love for


    you toe with me. Some of my gigs are out of town, though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cool. I can either go with you or hang out in Nashville and wait for you. Whichever you want.¡±


    Bree¡¯s smile widened, and she ran her hand through his hair. ¡°God, you¡¯re amazing. I can¡¯t believe


    you¡¯re actually willing to give up everything you¡¯ve worked so hard for just to be with me.¡±


    ¡°Bree, you¡¯ve worked so hard to make it to where you¡¯re at right now. Of course, I¡¯m willing to do


    whatever I need to do in order to be with you and help you achieve your dream. Besides, I have a lot of


    money saved. If I can¡¯t open my own firm, I should be able to find a job somewhere else eventually. If


    not, I¡¯ve got enough to fall back on for a while.¡±


    ¡°It would be so cool if you moved to Nashville, Trent. I just love it there. Even though I may have to


    travel some, and eventually, I might even do a tour, I think Nashville will always be my home.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a great ce to start a family to me,¡± he replied. He realized what he¡¯d said and his eyes


    erged. ¡°I mean¡­ you know, if a person intended to start a family¡­.¡±


    Grinning mischievously at him, Bree asked, ¡°And¡­ do you want to start a family?¡±


    Trent shrugged. ¡°Well, yeah, maybe. Someday. Probably.¡±


    Laughing, she pushed him over and climbed on top of him so that her arms had his pinned. ¡°Don¡¯t you


    think you¡¯re getting ahead of yourself a little bit there, Mr. Walker?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe,¡± he said, smiling up at her. ¡°I guess, when I know what I want, I take it¡­ ten or


    fifteen yearster.¡±


    Bree couldn¡¯t hold herughter back. She leaned down and kissed him, letting his arms go, and he


    wrapped them around her, pulling her close as she swung her leg over his hips so that she was


    straddling him. The idea of starting a family with Trent was enough to make her feel all warm inside. He


    would be an excellent father, she just knew it. And making the babies was sure to be more fun than she


    had ever even let herself imagine.

 Chapter 56: Home Sweet Home

    Chapter 56: Home Sweet Home


    ¡°Here it is¡­ my humble abode.¡± Bree opened the door to her small, one bedroom apartment, and


    stepped aside so that Trent could bring in their baggage. She was slightly embarrassed at how tiny the


    ce was, but Trent smiled and nodded as he walked in.


    ¡°It¡¯s really cute, Bree. I like how you¡¯ve decorated it. You always did have a good eye for things like


    that.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± She let out a deep breath. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Sure. The way you described it on the ne, I was expecting it to be much smaller.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m assuming your house is a lotrger than my little apartment.¡±


    He shrugged and set his bag down, letting go of the handles of their bigger suitcases. ¡°My house is


    pretty good sized, but it¡¯s also a rental. Monica didn¡¯t want to buy anything until after we got married.


    Now, I¡¯m really d I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t actually live together, too. That could¡¯ve made things a lot harder.¡±


    ¡°True. I hope she¡¯s prepared to start paying her own rent.¡± He rolled his eyes, and Bree shook her


    head. She really had been mooching off of him for all of these years. ¡°I called my neighbor and had him


    change the locks on all of the doors, and I had the housekeeper bag up all of the stuff Monica had left


    behind and take it to her apartment so that she has no reason toe by.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking.¡± Bree hadn¡¯t even thought about all of that. Trent was on top of it.


    ¡°Well, I can see her being¡­ vindictive.¡±


    A cold breeze seemed to blow up Bree¡¯s spine, leaving her shuddering. Would Monica try to do


    something to either one of them now that she¡¯d be a woman scorned? Hopefully, she was so busy


    with Hank now that she would just let Trent go. Hank had called Trent earlier that day to see how he


    was and to let him know that he was with Monica. She was still really upset at being left at the altar, but


    Hank was doing his best to keep her distracted. He¡¯d also asked about the flight to the Bahamas.


    Apparently, Monica had been considering using the tickets. Bree almost rolled her eyes just thinking


    about it.


    Bree took her bag and rolled it toward the smallundry area by the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go back out to your car


    and get your guitar and your other bag,¡± Trent offered.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled at him, d that he was so thoughtful. He¡¯d even paid for her parking when


    they left the airport, but she was going to be careful about not letting him pay for everything. She knew


    he was used to it, but she wasn¡¯t Monica.


    She put in a load ofundry, not wanting to let it wait, and when he came back in, she asked, ¡°Do you


    have any dark clothes you want to add to this load?¡± She had a feeling he didn¡¯t have a lot of casual


    clothes with him, just swimming trunks and nice clothes.


    ¡°I do. Thanks. I¡¯m probably going to have to go shopping soon, though.¡± Bree nodded, thinking that was


    probably the case.


    In order to give him some privacy, she took her other bag into the bedroom and started putting her


    makeup and other essentials away. It was strange to have a man in her apartment; she¡¯d never lived


    with a guy before and hadn''t had a roommate in a long time--not since college, and that hadn¡¯t always


    turned out well. But the idea that she¡¯d get to see Trent every day for at least the next two weeks


    brought a smile to her lips.


    ¡°What are you so happy about?¡± he asked,ing up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.


    Looking at their reflection in the mirror above her dresser, Bree noted how amazing they looked


    together. He was so handsome, and he brought a glow to her she¡¯d never seen before. ¡°I¡¯m happy that


    you¡¯re here,¡± she replied, leaning her head against his shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to be here.¡± He kissed her cheek, and Bree turned her mouth toward his, aware that the bed


    behind him was only steps away.


    Trent deepened the kiss, his hands caressing her through her dress. She turned, wrapping her arms


    around his neck, and slowly backing him toward the bed.


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    He didn¡¯t put up a fight. Instead, he lifted her and took her down to the mattress with him. Bree wasn¡¯t


    sure if he was ready to consummate their rtionship or not, but as he continued to kiss her, and their


    hands tugged and pulled each other¡¯s clothing, she found her leg hooked over his hip, and she couldn¡¯t


    help but do her best to erase the distance between him. She¡¯d always wanted Trent; at the moment, it


    was a desperate hunger, and as his mouth kissed a trail down her neck, she knew nothing would


    satiate it until he was hers in every way possible atst.


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