《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


    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."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    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.


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    "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


    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."


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    "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?"


    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,


    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."


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    "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


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    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


    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?"


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    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?"


    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


    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


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    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."


    "Bree who?"


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


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    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


    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


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    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.


    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.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    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


    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.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    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."


    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "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?¡±


    ¡°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


    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,


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    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!¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°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.


    ¡°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


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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,


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    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!¡±


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°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?


    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,


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    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.¡±


    ¡°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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


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    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


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    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.


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°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


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    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


    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.


    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.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 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¡¯?¡±Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°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


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    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


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    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


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    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


    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.¡±


    ¡°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


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    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


    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.


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    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.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°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


    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


    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


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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.


    Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    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.


    ¡°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


    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.¡±


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    groom?¡±


    ¡°Mine,¡± Monica said quickly. ¡°I hired her to sing.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the pastor said.


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    ¡°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


    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.


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°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


    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


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    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


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    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


    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


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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?


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    tears wereing. She let them fall. It wasn¡¯t an ugly, desperate, exhausting cry, just a gentle rain. It


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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


    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    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.¡±


    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.¡±


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°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.¡±


    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,


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    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


    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.


    ¡°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


    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    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, butAll rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    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


    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.¡±


    All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°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.


    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.

 Monica Calling

    Volume II: Lead Me Home


    It was no surprise to Trent that Monica called; he was just surprised that it took her almost three days to do it. By then, Trent and Bree had begun to settle into a routine of sorts. He spent much of the day exploring the market for starting a new ounting firm in Nashville and went to see her y her gigs at night. They''d eaten breakfast together each morning and dinner together every night, and he could see himself fitting into her world, especially when she was on stage, ying her heart out, and he was sitting on the front row, cheering her on.


    Then, Monica called, crying, and Trent was forced to rethink everything.


    Not because he was considering getting back together with her but because Monica was so demanding. "What are you thinking, Trent? You can''t possibly think this will work with her, do you? You know she''ll just put her career in front of you, like she always has before."


    "You were going to do that," he pointed out to her, no longer feeling the need to be nice to the woman who had cheated on him with his best friend.


    "I never would''ve done that!" she eximed. "I thought you supported my modeling career!"


    Realizing there was no point in arguing with her, Trent let out a sigh and said, "Monica, what did you want? Other than to tell me what an awful person I am?"


    ¡°I didn''t call to tell you you''re an awful person. I called to tell you that I love you, that I want to give it another try. Please, Trent. I''ve changed. I''ll never, ever cheat on you again. I''ll never lie to you again."


    "Sorry, Monica. I don''t give second chances to people who break my trust the way that you have."


    "But Trent... we have a life together!"


    "Had," he said. "We had a life together. We don''t have one anymore. I''ve gotta go, Monica."


    Trent hung up and put his phone back on the table. He was in a cafe, looking at the newspaper and trying to decide whether or not a few properties he''d seen recently would work for a new firm. He also wondered if any of the people who currently worked for him would be willing to relocate from Louisville. He thought some of them might be, but for the most part, he''d be hiring a brand new staff. It would be a lot of work, but it would be worth it if it meant he got to spend all his free time with Bree.


    He hadn''t been studying the properties long when his phone rang again. Assuming it was Monica, he moaned, but then he saw that it was Bree and his face lit up. "Hey, what are you up to?" he asked with a smile.


    "Well, my recordpany just called and asked me toe in tomorrow. They''ve decided it''s time to take things to the next level."


    He could hear the excitement in her voice. "What does that mean, exactly?" He couldn''t help but grin, knowing how happy she was.


    "I think it means... they''re putting together a band for me! So that when I y live gigs, I''ll have an entire backup band. Isn''t that amazing? I mean, I''ve worked with different musicians in the studio, but it''ll be different to be on stage with them."


    "Wow--that''s awesome!" He knew this had always been a dream of hers. "How does that work, exactly?"


    "I don''t know. My manager just said there were a few people they wanted me to meet. I guess I''ll juste in, listen to them y, maybe y with them, and see what we think. This is Nashville, so there''s got to be a million musicians just waiting to be put in a band with the potential this one has, now that they''re booking suchrge venues for me."


    "Yeah, I''m sure you''ll find some really talented people." Trent couldn''t get the smile off of his face, he was so happy for her.


    "Would you... want toe with me?"


    He raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow? To listen to them?"Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    If you''re loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for theplete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "Yeah. I''d really appreciate your opinion."


    "I''d love toe with you, Bree. I just... don''t know that much about music."


    "Sure you do. You know what sounds good, and what sounds bad, right? That''s all that matters."


    "Will they mind if I''m there?"


    "No, I asked my manager if you coulde, if you wanted to, and she said that would be great, that she''d love to meet the man who inspired my hit song." "Cool. Sure. I''d love to. I''ll be there."


    "Awesome. Thanks. I guess I''ll see you in a few hours."


    "Bye." Trent hung up, still smiling on her behalf. It was amazing to see Bree''s dreams finallying true, and the fact that he was getting to be part of it made him feelpletely blessed. It seemed like everything was finally going right, and he was excited about what the future might bring for both of them. Now, if he could just get lucky enough to find the right personnel for his ounting firm, they''d be all set.

 Plans

    Sleep had been elusive since Bree had started sharing her bed with Trent, but that was okay with her. Listening to his heart beat beneath her ear, his arms around her, made her feel safe and settled in a way she''d never felt before, even if it meant she was tired most of the day.


    Her gigs usually didn''t end until midnight, which meant she''d get home around 2:00 in the morning, earlier orter depending upon how far away they were. Then, she''d try to fall asleep for an hour or so, finally manage for a bit, and get up with him around 9:00. She knew that was sleeping in for him, that he''d be happier getting up with the sun, and the fact that he was willing to rework his entire schedule for her was just one more reason why Bree felt so unbelievably happy that Trent was finally her man.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    She was up before him that morning, though, ready to get to the studio and see what Zelda had in store for her. Her entire life, Bree had wanted to be part of a band. When she couldn''t get even Sam, her ex-boyfriend who used to y gigs with her, to stay loyal to her, she''d sort of thought it might never happen. Now that she was finally starting to make a name for herself, it was a necessity, and she couldn''t wait to meet the musicians she''d be partnering with for the next several years.


    Trent adjusted underneath her. Bree watched as he blinked a few times, and then his eyes opened. "Hey, what are you doing awake so early?"


    "How do you know what time it is?" she asked, leaning her head on her hand so that she could stare down at him.


    "By the sun," he replied. "I''m guessing it''s not seven yet."


    Bree nced at the clock. He was right. It was 6:53. "I couldn''t sleep."


    "Too excited about your big day?"


    Nodding, Bree trailed her fingers along his bare chest. They hadn''t gone all the way yet, though they''d been close, and she thought she was ready, but she didn''t want to rush him. Maybe before they headed to the studio.... She pulled her thoughts off of that. "I didn''t mean to wake you."


    "No, that''s okay. You know I''m a morning person. Want me to make you some breakfast while you get ready?"


    She smiled. He was so sweet. And thoughtful. And perfect. "That would be awesome." She kissed him, letting her lips linger a little longer than she''d initially nned, and then headed off to the bathroom.


    When she was done showering, she headed to the kitchen, following the scent of bacon. Trent had gone to great lengths to make a wonderful breakfast, and Bree''s stomach growled in recognition of his efforts as she dug into eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. Once they were done, Trent went to get cleaned up, and then at a quarter until 9:00, they headed over to the studio.


    Bree would''ve been lying if she said she wasn''t nervous. Picking her bandmates was critical. She knew she wouldn''t have the final say; there''d be executives from the recordpany there, as well as Zelda, and who knew who else. Probably some sort of marketing experts who could tell them what sort of vibe their look gave off. All she knew was she wanted talented people who were easy to get along with. Thest thing she needed was more drama in her life.


    If Trent was nervous, she couldn''t tell. He had to be ufortable, she figured. After all, he was entering a world he''d never had any interaction with. She imagined she''d feel out of ce if he asked her to help him pick new ountants. But he knew he was mostly there for moral support, and she felt so much more calm with his hand in hers than she would''ve if she''d been doing this alone.


    Trent pulled into the parking lot outside of the studio a few minutes before she was meant to be there. "Are you ready?" he asked.


    "I think so. Thanks, Trent. You''re amazing, you know that?"


    He grinned, shrugged, and ran his hand across the back of his neck as he always did when he was nervous. "I try." He looked up at her, and she couldn''t help but slide over and kiss him. "Come on. Let''s go put the next great band together." Laughing, she climbed out of the vehicle, excited to see where this would lead. Nothing could get her down at this point. Nothing.

 Making the Band

    Zelda wrapped her arms around Trent the moment she saw him, leaving Breeughing. "There he is! The man who inspired the song that has inspired so many love birds! It''s lovely to meet you in person!"


    "Thank you," Trent said, his face a little pink from the attention. "It''s nice to meet you, too. I''ve heard so many nice things about you."


    Zelda looked at Bree and smiled. "That''s good to hear. Bree is one of my favorites." She wrapped her arm around Bree and pulled her close.


    As soon as Zelda let her go, the manager was back to business. "Come with me," she said, waving her arm and leading Bree and Trent back toward one of the studio rooms. "I''ve got some folks assembled I''d like for you to meet. We have auditions scheduled for the next few hours. We''ll have the prospective candidatese in, y for a few minutes in the studio so we can talk without them hearing, and then we''ll arrange call backs for anyone we''d like to hear y together. While it''s important that the individual musicians sound good, we need them to sound cohesive as well, as I''m sure you know."


    "That sounds perfect," Bree noted. "When are call-backs?"


    "Next Monday," Zelda said. She pulled open the studio door and gestured for them to go through ahead of her.


    Two men and a woman Bree had never met before sat behind the panel in the small recording space. They all stood as they came in, and Zelda stepped up to introduce them. "Bree, Trent, this is Alvin Cook, one of the chief music engineers here at Sonic Music. This is Sally Henderson, executive in charge of new musicians, and Jordan Right, chief sound engineer."


    Bree and Trent shook all of their hands, and they all exchanged pleasantries. She was d Zelda had introduced him because she wasn''t sure if she should use the term boyfriend or not, but Zelda just said he was the inspiration for Bree''s most famous song, "Meant to Marry Me."


    Once they were all settled into chairs facing the currently empty recording stage, Jordan said, "I really love the soulfulness of your music. It definitelyes across in your recordings, and it''s even better live."


    Bree could feel her face pinking at thepliment. "Thank you," she said, smiling. "I really appreciate that." She was shocked someone of his caliber had gone to hear her live.


    "What are you working on now?" Sally asked.


    "I have several songs that I''m ready to record. Of course, with a band, we might make some changes, but I''ve got six I''mpletely happy with." "Excellent," the executive said. "Any hits?"


    "All of them--I hope," Bree said, which got augh out of everyone.


    "This first guitarist has worked with several other recording artists on albums but hasn''t been in a band for a few years. I think you''ll like him."


    "Great," Bree said, picking up the clipboard they''d set in front of her. It had information about each of the musicians they''d hear. They''d certainly worked a lot into the schedule. In the two hours they had avable, they had forty musicians to listen to.


    The door to the studio opened, and a man who appeared to be in histe twenties, possibly his early thirties, walked in. He gave a wave and then stepped over to one of the microphones. "Hi. Kell Spinks." He was carrying a guitar case and quickly got out a Fender Telecaster, running a few scales before he plugged it into an amp and stepped up to the mic again. "Ready?"


    "We''re ready when you are," Alvin said into the microphone in front of him.


    Kell looked pretty calm as he began to y. The song was "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix, one of the most difficult songs to y on guitar, but he not only yed it well, it sounded great with just the solo guitar. When he was done, Alvin turned the mic back on. "Thank you, Kell. Can you y a bit of one of Bree''s songs?"


    "Sure," he said, shaking his blond hair out of his eyes as he began to y one of Bree''s moreplex songs, called "Night Life." He yed several measures before Alvin stopped him.


    "Thanks a lot, Kell. We''ll be in touch."All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Kell gave a wave and unlooped the guitar strap from his shoulders. He carefully put his Telecaster back into its case and then waved again on his way out.


    Everyone took notes on their clipboard, except for Trent, and Bree couldn''t help but smile at him. She knew he didn''t think his opinion counted, but it did to her. She liked Kell a lot. He seemed a bit shy, but definitelyidback, which was important to her. She didn''t want anyone who was going to be anxious or start drama.


    The next musician walked in a few minutester. Bree assumed there was a secretary or someone walking them back, but she didn''t know for sure. This was a drummer, a tall man without much hair on top but plenty down his back. He was great, and Bree really enjoyed listening to him. She wrote only positive notes next to his name, though she hoped it wouldn''t be a problem that he was so much older than her.


    For the next two hours, there was a parade of musiciansing through the door, one right after the next. Most of them were great. A few were so nervous, they didn''t perform as well as they might have otherwise. Bree liked all of them, but a few stood out to her. They were down to thest person, and she thought she had a pretty good idea who she would rmend toe back to y together, though she wouldn''t have minded listening to all of them y again. "This is ourst guy," Sally said, looking at the paper. "Zach Scott."


    "Cool," Bree said, not sure what else to say.


    A few secondster, the door opened and a man carrying a Les Paul case came in. Bree''s eyes bulged, but she tried to hide it. If she hadn''t been sitting next to Trent, she probably would''ve let her mouth fall open, too.


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    He was hot--that was the only word she could think of to describe him. Tall, muscle bound, with tattoos. His dark hair hung over one eye, and when he brushed it away, she noticed his eyes were a shade of gray she''d never seen on a person before.


    He didn''t say anything at all, only took his guitar out of the case, set it aside, put the strap over his head in one fluid motion, and then began to y.


    Bree recognized the song immediately. It was "Eruption" by Van Halen, arguably the most difficult song to y on guitar, and Zach was killing it. The entire room was silent as the captive audience listened to him y. When he was done, Zach just looked at all of them again without saying anything.


    "Thank you," Alvin finally said. "That was... very good."


    Zach nodded. Bree wondered if he was unable to speak. He waited expectantly, as if he was assuming Alvin would tell him to y something else, but now Alvin seemed incapable of speech.


    Sally reached over and took the mic. "We''ll be in touch, Zach."


    He lifted a hand and then put his guitar back into its case and was gone, like a puff of smoke.


    "Interesting," Zelda said, rubbing her chin and then making some notes.


    Bree was doing her best to look as if she hadn''t noticed how good looking the man was. Trent had a slight smirk on his face, which Bree appreciated. At least he wasn''t jealous or hadn''t assumed Bree was all hot and bothered. "Okay--let''s see if we can narrow the field down to about three or four guitar yers, a couple of drummers, a couple of bass yers, a rhythm guitar yer or two, and a keyboardist, shall we?" Alvin said.


    The rest of them agreed and started discussing the different musicians they''d seen. Some of them were very easy to eliminate while others clearly needed to go on the list for callbacks. The hard part was narrowing down the group in the middle. There''d been a lot of musicians who had simr skills, and in a few moments worth of ying without any discussion whatsoever, it was difficult for Bree to narrow them down.


    "I liked Cat. She seemed nice," Bree said, brushing her hair back over her shoulder.


    Cat Hadley, one of the keyboardists, had dressed simrly to Bree, with cowboy boots and a denim skirt. She''d been impressive when she yed both of the songs she''d prepared.


    "She sings, too," Zelda added, looking at the notes they''d been given. "We''ll need some people who can harmonize."


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    "Very good. We''ll call her back. I do like the idea of having a few females in the band," Alvin noted. "It seems like so many backing musicians are male. It''d be great to have some other women in Bree''s band."


    They discussed a few more potential callbacks before they got to the end of the list. "And then, there''s Zach," Jordan said with a grin. "Now, that man could y."


    "Why is he not already in a band?" Sally wanted to know.


    "He was. He yed for Grifter, but they just broke up. He doesn''t sing, so it''s been hard for him to get another gig." Alvin shrugged as if that exined everything.


    "Why doesn''t he sing? Does he not speak?" Sally asked, and Bree almostughed because she''d wandered the exact same thing, but she figured the executive was serious so she bit it back.


    "He does--but not much. Not until he gets to know you. He''s a good kid. He''s definitely talented." Alvin seemed to be a fan.


    "I worry about him fitting in, though," Zelda said. "He doesn''t scream quaint country band."


    "And it would be nice if he could sing." Jordan looked thoughtful, his pen to his chin.


    "Maybe I could teach him," Bree said with a shrug.


    The others just looked at her for a moment before Sally said, "You might be able to teach him some, honey, but teaching him to sing harmony would be a challenge."


    "True," Bree said. "But... anyone who can y like that won''t be avable for long. If we''re going to get him for my band, we''ll need to act fast."


    "Are you saying you want him then?" Alvin asked, and Bree thought she heard Zelda giggle at his wording.


    "I''m saying, I think he''d be a good asset to have in the band," Bree replied. "I definitely want to give him a callback."


    "Okay then. We''ll add him to the list." Alvin did just that, and Bree nodded before turning to Trent and giving him a pointed smile. Hopefully, he wasn''t concerned about her wanting someone like Zach in her band. He had to know that was the only way she wanted him.


    Trent smiled back at her, and Bree let out a slow breath, feeling relieved. She hoped having Zach in the band wouldn''t prove to be a bad choice, but at the moment, she was excited about the prospect of having such a talented guitarist in her band--nothing more.

 The Elephant in the Room Plays Guitar

    On the way back to her apartment, Bree chatted about the different musicians, trying to get Trent''s thoughts. He was mostly quiet, giving one or two word answers, but he had a small smile on his face, so she didn''t think he was mad about anything. It wasn''t as if something bad had happened. She just wondered if he''d noticed that she''d noticed Zach and was hoping he''d just say something about it already if he had so that she would be put out of her misery.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    It wasn''t until they got back to her apartment and she''d gotten her guitar out to practice that Trent sat down across from her and asked, "Can you y ''Eruption''?"


    Bree raised an eyebrow. "Uh... no, not even a little bit." Sheughed, and Trent did, too. "Do you have any idea how hard that song is?"


    "I could probably y it. If I had more tattoos."


    "Oh, is that the key?'' she asked, giggling.


    "Yeah, I bet Zach couldn''t y it until he had about twenty or thirty," he replied. "You figure a guy like that''s probably married, has five or six kids, right? Probably has a day job as a librarian."


    Bree set her guitar down and studied him for a second, a smirk on her face. "I don''t know. I haven''t given it too much thought. But he is a hell of a guitar yer, which is what I''m looking for." Trent nodded. "And you think he''s hot."


    "Why do you say that?" She folded her arms, but the smirk wouldn''t stay off of her face.


    "Well, it was pretty obvious that you did. And so did the other females in the room. Maybe a couple of the guys. Hell, I thought he was hot, and I''m as straight as theye. I think."


    That made herugh. "Don''t worry about me, Trent. I''ve only had eyes for you for as long as I can remember."


    He grinned at her. "I''m not worried. But I did notice."


    "Thanks for pointing it out." She couldn''t help but think he was adorable, slightly worried but not too terribly concerned about her. Bree gathered her skirt into her hand and took two long steps across the distance, straddling him. Trent let out a soft moan, and she settled down against him, feeling him respond to her.


    Dragging a finger along his chin, she leaned in, her face hovering just above his. His breath was warm on her skin, and it staggered slightly as she lowered herself even further and rubbed against him.


    Trent''s hands slid up inside of her skirt against her outer thighs. He pulled her forward and then pressed her down as he shifted, and Bree felt lightheaded as she felt him pressing against all of her most sensitive parts.


    One hand slid up to the back of her neck, the other moved to her shoulder where her blouse had slipped down slightly. He caressed her corbone, tangling his fingers in her hair and pulling her face even closer to his.


    When his mouth tasted hers, it was with a hunger she felt mirrored in her own core. Her fingers worked the buttons at the top of his shirt and then struggled to pull it up over his head as his hands seemed to be everywhere, his lips sliding down her neck and lower. Bree knew it was time to show this man how much she loved him, to make sure he wasn''t ever worried about anyone else. No one could take his ce.


    He lifted her slightly, and when she came back down, he pulled away. "Bree, are you sure about this?" he asked, looking into her eyes.


    "I''ve been sure for as long as I can remember," she replied, not a doubt in her mind that Trent was the one she wanted to be with for the rest of her life.


    He smiled at her, and then, he easily swooped her up around his waist, standing and carrying her into the bedroom as if she weighed no more than a feather. Bree quickly lost all ability to reason as his mouth devoured hers and his hands imed her for his own.

 Waking Up Together

    Having the woman he had loved for so long asleep in his arms was even better than Trent could''ve imagined, and finally showing her how much he loved her had been beyond anything he''d ever dreamed possible.


    Bree shifted and let out a little sigh. She had a show that evening, so he knew he couldn''t let her sleep for too long, but it was sweet to see her lying there so peacefully.


    She was the most beautiful woman he''d ever seen--not just on the outside but on the inside as well. He''d always been drawn to her and knew lots of other people were as well.


    That''s why Zach worried him--a little. It was actually sort of funny to see Bree try to pretend she hadn''t noticed how hot the guy was. It was okay with Trent that she had noticed arge, muscr guy. He knew she''d never act on it. Unlike Monica, Bree would never cheat on him. While he''d like to say he would''ve never guessed that Monica would either, that wasn''t true. He honestly wasn''t surprised at all.


    Would having this Zach guy in her band make Bree less likely to stay faithful to him? Or would she consider breaking up with him to date Zach? Trent doubted that. They''d been apart for so long, thinking about being together, longing for one another, he was certain this wouldst.


    Still, he''d be lying if he didn''t admit he wouldn''t mind if they gave Zach a hard pass.


    He didn''t see that happening, though. The guy was a magician on a guitar. Asking Bree to give up the opportunity to work with someone of that caliber wasn''t fair to her, and he cared too much about her to ask her to give that up. No, if they decided to go with Zach, he''d just have to trust Bree.


    Trusting Zach might be another story.


    Trent set an rm on his phone just in case he fell asleep, too, and then draped his arm over Bree and closed his eyes.


    The feel of her stirring woke him. Bree suddenly bolted upright in bed. "What time is it?"


    "It''s... a little past five."


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    She copsed. "Thank God. I thought I waste." Brushing the hair out of her face, she tried to calm down as Trent chuckled at her.


    "I set an rm for six. I figured that should give you time to get there by eight, right?"


    She nodded. "Thanks. I should''ve never doubted you." Bree rolled over and kissed him, and the feel of her body pressed against his excited him in ways that made him think of other things besides sleeping. Deepening the kiss, Trent pulled her closer and swiped away the sheets and nkets they were tangled in.


    Making love to her was easy and natural, just like breathing. He''d thought it would be awkward, they''d been friends for so long, but when he pushed inside of her, and she tipped her head back and released a small moan, Trent felt as if that was where he was meant to be. They moved together as one, her hands hooked around his shoulders, her knees squeezing against his hips as she lifted and arched her back in rhythm with him. He could''ve kept her there all night, spasming, gasping for air, and calling his name, but he wanted to hold her a little longer before she had to get ready for her show, so once he was sure she''d been at her peak for several minutes, he joined her in a wave of ecstasy unlike any he''d ever experienced with anyone else.


    He stayed there with her beneath him, staring down at her glistening body, wanting to shelter her from the world. Bree opened her eyes and smiled at him. Trent leaned down and kissed her softly before pulling his body from between her legs and wrapping her in his arms.


    Breeid her head on his chest, trailing her fingers up and down, setting him on fire again. He breathed deeply, knowing there wasn''t time for that. "It''s not weird, is it?"


    Her question almost seemed like it wasn''t one, like it was a simple statement. Trent''s answer came quickly because he''d already been thinking about that earlier, when she was asleep. "No, not for me." "Did you think it would be?"


    "Maybe."Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Yeah, me, too. But it''s not. It''s... perfect."


    He kissed the top of her head,pletely agreeing. "I love you so much, Bree. I''m so d we''re finally together. I can''t imagine anything ever being this perfect."


    "Me neither." She turned and kissed his chest and then snuggled up against him, and any worries Trent had had about anything at all faded away. They could handle any obstacle that came their way. He was sure of it.

 Dont Mess With My Girl

    Sitting at a table near the stage, but to the extreme right side of the club, Trent surveyed the crowd. The act before Bree had just finished, and the jukebox was ying. A few couples were dancing. Plenty of beer was flowing, and the crowd was fairly rowdy for a weeknight.


    The environment seemed a little off to him, though he couldn''t quite put his finger on the why of it. He''d seen three bouncers earlier and knew they were big guys who could probably handle just about anybody individually, but some of these packs of cowboys who''d had a little too much to drink might be a problem if they decided to get even more loud and rambunctious.


    Bree had been ying all sorts of venues recently, from theaters torger bars like this one. Most of the time, people hade to hear the music and would sit down and shut up once she started ying. But as Trent took a sip of his beer, he had to wonder if this group might be slightly different.


    "Hi, hon. You here by yourself?" A tiny redhead in cowgirl boots, a tank top and a pair of cutoffs that didn''t leave much to one''s imagination asked, putting her hand on Trent''s shoulder as she swung around to look him in the eye. "Nope," he said, eyeing her hand suspiciously enough he thought she''d have to move it.


    She didn''t. "Oh, well, I ain''t seen nobody sitting with you."


    "That''s because my girlfriend''s about to take the stage," he replied. Using that word to describe Bree had seemed odd at first--not wrong, just different--but now he really liked the sound of it, especially after they''d taken things all the way earlier that day.


    "You''re datin'' Bree Matthews?" the girl asked, her eyes growing wide.


    "Yeah, I am."


    "Wow--ain''t that somethin''. I shouldn''t be surprised, though. You''re so hot, and she''s so cute. Well, I guess I''ll cut my losses then, but if she ever dumps you for someone else, youe on back here and ask for Mandy, okay?" "Oookay...." Trent mostly just agreed to get her to walk away, but there was no chance of that ever happening.


    Before anyone else coulde over and hear his story, the crew came out and made sure Bree''s microphone was working and checked the rest of the equipment. When she had a band to back her up, it would take a lot more work to make sure everything was good. She''d have all sorts of crew members to help her with set up and tear down and all of that. Now, it was just a couple of guys who met her at the venue each night. She tuned her own guitar between songs, too. When she was with a band, she''d hand her guitar off between songs to be tuned and grab another one.


    When the guys left the stage and Bree walked out, the jukebox faded, and everyone turned to the stage to cheer her appearance. She looked so gorgeous, standing up there with the stage lights lightening her hair and giving her a halo. She had her guitar strapped on already and approached the mic with a huge smile. "Thank you! How are y''all doing tonight?"


    Everyone cheered but someone yelled, "Just got a helluva lot better!" Some peopleughed. It made the hairs on the back of Trent''s neck stand up. Was that guy the troublemaker he''d been sensing?


    "d to hear it," Bree said, strumming her guitar. "I hope you''re all ready for some more music. This is a song from myst album called ''Taking it with You."" That got a cheer from the crowd as the song was one of Bree''s more popr ones. She began to y, and a lot of people were up on their feet pping and swaying to the music. Trent stayed seated, keeping an eye on the situation.


    After the song, Bree gave him a little wave, and he waved back, trying to look at ease as he gave her a smile. He didn''t want to rm her or make her ufortable while she was performing. He was in awe of her; it took a lot of courage to get up there on stage and pour her heart out for everyone.


    Bree continued to y through her songs. A few members of the crowd grew more rowdy. The next time the smartass had something to say, Trent spotted him. Knowing what he would look like might be helpful if things became heated. "This song is one I''m sure y''all have heard before," Bree said, strumming her guitar slowly. Trent recognized what she was going to y from that opening chord. The other night, in a theater, with a much calmer crowd, she''d mentioned that the man she''d written it for was there, and he''d turned bright red, not because he was embarrassed to be hers but because he still couldn''t believe such a woman would im him. That and everyone was looking at him. Since then, she hadn''t pointed him out, probably because she saw it made him as red as the theater seats.


    Tonight, she was discreet as well. "This is the most meaningful song I''ve written so far. If you know the words, go ahead and sing along with me." She broke into the first verse of "Meant to Marry Me," and a whole bunch of people sang along with her.


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    The smartass and his friends were listening but chugging back beers. When Bree was done, the crowd cheered loudly, as they always did when she yed that song. Trent knew she was almost through with her set, that she only had three songs left to y, and he hoped the group would mind their manners a little bit longer.


    After the next song, loud-mouth shouted, "Keep them songsin'' pretty baby!" His whole groupughed loudly. Trent could tell Bree was getting ufortable. Her eyes were flittering across the faces in the crowd, along the perimeter. She was looking for the bouncers.


    Now, Trent was looking for them, too. He saw one of them in the back, talking to a cute waitress. The other two were nowhere to be found. The guy with the big mouth was a little bigger than Trent, and older. He had at least four friends with him, which meant if Trent took him on, he''d be greatly outnumbered. But if he didn''t learn to keep his mouth shut, Trent would be forced to make him. It had been years since he''d thrown a punch at anything other than a punching bag, but lifting and working out six times a week had to count for something. Maybe he could at least hold his own until the damn bouncers showed up. He pushed his chair back slightly and readied himself to hop up if smart mouth said one more thing.


    Bree yed another song, "Under the Moon," another one of her more popr songs. When she was done, she said, "I''ve got one more song for you, and then--"Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Before she could finish the sentence, likely something like, "and then my time will be up," the smartass screamed, "Then you''ll show us your tits?"


    Trent was out of his chair before he could even stop to think about what he was doing, not that he would have stopped for anything. He closed the distance between himself and the hecklers quickly, ignoring Bree saying his name in the microphone. He grabbed ahold of the punk and mmed him down in his chair, hard.


    "What the hell?" the guy asked, his eyes wide. He was clearly drunk.


    "Mind your goddamn manners!" Trent growled, his hands still fisted around the man''s cor. "Don''t ever talk to her like that again."


    "Everyone stay calm," Bree said into the microphone. The bouncer from the back was there now as one of the man''s friends pushed Trent off of him.


    "Hey, hey, chill out," the bouncer said. "No need to start anything."


    "I''m not starting it. I''m ending it," Trent replied. He looked at the other three jerks to see if any of them wanted to try him. They all had their hands in fists, looking ready to swing.


    "I think the bouncers have that under control now," Bree said into the microphone. "So I''m going to go ahead and y myst song."


    She was trying to avert the attention from the scene near the middle of the room.


    "What''s going on?" one of the bouncers asked.


    "I was just having a little fun with the singer, and this asshole came and shoved me down in my seat," the drunk bastard replied.


    "The singer is my girlfriend, and you''ve been heckling her all night. What you said was inappropriate, and I''m telling you right now, you''re lucky I didn''t punch you in the face."


    "Okay, okay, let''s all settle down now," the first bouncer said. "She''s ying herst song. Why don''t you go wait for her backstage?"


    Trent looked the troublemaker in the eyes, a warning, and then backed toward the stage doors as he''d been instructed. He had a feeling this wasn''t over, though. He wasn''t normally the fighting type, but when it came to protecting Bree, he''d do whatever needed to be done.

 Rescue Me

    "What the hell was that?" Bree demanded, jabbing Trent in the arm. She was carrying her guitar in her left hand so she''d have her strongest hand to assault him with.


    "What do you mean?" Trent asked, not even rubbing his arm since she hadn''t hit him hard enough to hurt him. "I was defending you."


    "That''s what the bouncers are for," she reminded him. "Now, those jerks are going to be outside waiting for us."


    He looked hurt, like she''d inflicted more emotional pain than physical. "I''m sorry, Bree. But I couldn''t let them shout insults at you." "He was drunk, Trent. It happens all the time."


    "Well, it shouldn''t. And I''m not going to sit by and listen to someone say things like that to you."Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Now that she saw how passionate he was about it, Bree was a little ttered that he was willing to put himself into harm''s way to protect her. "Thank you, babe, but really, it''s not worth it. That guy was so drunk, he probably won''t even remember any of this in the morning."


    "Well, if he''s waiting outside for us, I''ll give him a memento for him to remember it by."


    "And if he has ten of his friends out there, too?"


    Trent didn''t seem to have an answer for that. He blew out a hot breath and rested his hands on his hips. He was hot, and she wanted topletely forgive him, but she also had to make sure he didn''t make a habit out of this. It wouldn''t be safe for either one of them if Trent was constantly stirring up problems with the audience members.


    "You guys need some help getting out of here?"


    Bree nced around Trent to see a familiar face and froze. "Zach? What are you doing here?" Immediately, she felt her face flush. Had he been there for her show? Had he heard her y guitar? If so, he probably thought she was pathetic. "Yeah, I know some of the guys in the opening band. When I found out you were ying after them, I thought I shoulde hang out a while, see how your set went. Sounded good." "Thank you." That seemed like a lot of words for him.


    "Anyway, I saw the scuffle and thought you might need some help getting to your car. If those assholes decide to wait outside and jump you, you''ll probably be outnumbered."


    "I got it, thanks," Trent said, his tone conveying he didn''t appreciate the offer nearly as much as Bree did.


    "Trent, it might be a good idea. I don''t think I''m gonna be much help."


    "Swing that guitar case at them and you might be," Zach said, and it was evident he was joking.


    "I think I value this guitar more than I do my own face," Bree admitted. It was the one her grandmother had given her.


    "In that case, why don''t you let me walk you out? Who knows? Maybe we''ll get lucky and there won''t be anyone out there. But if there is, you''ll be better off with me than without me." Bree thought she might just start feeling that way about Zach in general--in her band, of course.... Not in any other regards.


    "Fine," Trent said reluctantly. "But if there''s ten of them and two of us, I don''t think that will make much of a difference."


    "So I don''t count?" she asked, not sure what he was getting at.


    "I''m not letting you get into a bar brawl, Bree," he replied, already walking toward the side door they''d used to enter earlier.


    "You gotta mean right hook?" Zach asked her. Bree assumed he was just buttering her up, trying to get on her good side so he''d get the position in the band, but he seemed really nice, and she was d he''d shown up, even if she didn''t end up needing him--which she also hoped.


    "No, but I have a mean ear-shattering scream I like to employ when I''m in a pinch."


    Zachughed. Trent didn''t. He was annoyed, and she couldn''t me him. But he''d pissed her off first.


    Trent pushed the door open and stuck his head out, looking around before he opened the door and stepped out. Her car wasn''t far away, but as they started to walk over, a few men stepped out of the shadows. "Shit," Trent muttered.


    "Youe to teach me how to mind my goddamn manners?" the drunk asked, and Bree took a deep breath. They were outnumbered, and she wasn''t sure even if she did scream that anyone woulde.

 Confrontation

    At least there weren''t ten of them. Only four. That meant they were technically only outnumbered by one. But Bree wasn''t really going to be able to handle any of them, and then there was the fact that she had her guitar to protect. Trent''s response didn''t help matters. "Hell, yeah, I will. You should know not to talk to ady like that, you drunk bastard."


    Bree just stared at him. What had gotten into him? How much had he had to drink? She didn''t think he''d drank too much, but maybe she hadn''t counted beers right or he''d been drinking shots or something while she was backstage. "Let''s just calm down for a minute," Zach said, stepping around her. "Let''s let thedy get to her vehicle. There''s no point in her getting mixed up in this."


    "Why not? It was her tits I wanted to see, not his." The group of drunks startedughing, and she could feel the anger radiating off of both of the men in front of her.


    Trent and Zach exchanged nces and then each of them mmed their fists into the jaws of the closest drunks, Trent hitting the man who''d insulted her, and Zach taking out the guy right next to him.


    They''d caught the group off guard, and by the time the other two reacted, Trent and Zach were swinging again. Bree covered her mouth with her hand, stifling that scream she''d joked about a moment ago. There wasn''t any need for it. If the group of drunkards had been able to catch just her and Trent as they exited, he likely wouldn''t have been a match for all four of them, but with Zach''s help, the men were down in a matter of seconds withoutnding a single blow on either of the men in front of her.


    "You okay?" Zach asked Trent as thest drunk crumpled to the ground.


    "Fine. You?"


    "Never better."


    They turned to look at her, and Bree let out the breath she''d been holding. "Great. We should go before they get up. Or someone calls the police." She headed toward the car, guitar case in hand, and ced it in the trunk before she went around and got into the driver''s seat. She wasn''t sure how much Trent had had to drink and felt better driving herself.


    The two men shook hands, and she half wished Zach woulde over so she could tell him goodbye. Instead, he kept his distance and gave her a little wave. She waved back, and he disappeared into the night, a shadow in the alley. Trent was shaking out his hand, and she imagined it hurt but also figured that might teach him a lesson not to start fights at her shows. She figured he''d try to get her to move so he could drive, but he simply handed over the keys. Bree started the vehicle and backed out of the parking spot, not wanting to talk about any of it. She hoped Trent wouldn''t bring it up, and they could just drive home in peace. They were almost to her apartment when he said, "I''m sorry, Bree. I wasn''t thinking about anything other than keeping you safe."


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    "Yet, what you did actually put me in danger."


    "I wouldn''t have let anything happen to you."


    "What if Zach hadn''t showed up? What if you would''ve had to take those guys on all by yourself? They would''ve beat the shit out of you."


    "I would''ve figured it out."


    "You''re an ountant, Trent, not an MMA fighter."


    "What''s that supposed to mean? That because I''m an ountant, I can''t protect you? I handled those assholes pretty good."


    "I didn''t mean that. I was just saying... two of them, okay. But not four."


    "They were so drunk, I could''ve knocked them over by myself."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    She pulled her eyes off of the road to look at him for a second but didn''t say more. If that''s what he really thought, he was in for a rude awakening the next time he tried something like that. If he ever did it again. "I''m sorry, Bree." He reached for her hand, and she gave it to him. "I don''t want to fight with you."


    "I don''t want to fight with you either, but please promise me you won''t do that again, okay? Let me handle my own business."


    "Okay."


    But there was something about his tone that made her think he didn''t mean it.


    Bree let out a sigh and turned onto the street where her apartment was. It waste, and she was tired. How had she gone from the high of her first experience with him to wanting to smack him all in the span of a few hours? All she knew was she wanted to go in and go to sleep. If he expected make-up sex, it was out of the question.


    As she attempted to get out of the vehicle, Trent grabbed her arm and pulled her over, pressing his lips to hers. His touch, his scent, the taste of him.... Suddenly, she forgot how angry she was and all she wanted was for him to take her inside and show her just how sorry he was.

 Rock Star

    Sitting in the sound room, Bree found herself nervously wiping her hands on her floral skirt. She had no idea why she was so anxious when she wasn''t the one auditioning, but she felt as if her heart might beat right out of her chest. Trent had opted not toe to the callback. Bree would be lying if she said she wasn''t at least a little relieved. As much as she appreciated having him involved in her work whenever reasonably possible, the situation at the club the other night had unnerved her to some degree. It wasn''t thest show they''d gone to together, and Trent had stayed out of it when another heckler was shouting at her a few nightster at an equally seedy joint, but Bree was d he wasn''t with her today.


    For obvious reasons, she couldn''t quite get herself to admit to.


    Her eyes flickered over the line up for callbacks. They were expecting to see ten different musicians that day, two for each instrument they nned to have as part of the band, though it was a plus that some of the artists yed more than one instrument. Bree was particrly interested in hiring a rhythm guitar yer who also yed the fiddle since Bree could y rhythm herself. She had mentioned it to the others when they''d first started talking about who they might want in the band, but Alvin assured her it was fine if she wanted to y, too. "I''ve never heard of a band with too many guitars," he joked.


    Bree didn''t want to y on every song anymore if she didn''t have to. She loved singing and thought she was a better vocalist when she wasn''t ying. It allowed her to concentrate on the melody more. But she would miss it if she didn''t y guitar at all. And there was something to be said for a good fiddle yer.


    When the first musician came in, she put her thoughts aside and concentrated. It was Cat, the keyboardist, who also yed a few other instruments, including the fiddle, but Bree didn''t necessarily want someone who had to choose between those two instruments since the keyboard was so important to the band whereas the fiddle would only be yed on a song now and again. She liked the fact that Cat could sing, too.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Cat''s audition went very well, and Bree had a feeling she''d be the one they chose to y keyboards. She hoped she was as nice as she looked; thest thing Bree wanted was a woman in her band that she couldn''t get along with. Kell came in next to y guitar and did a great job. He was also strong vocally. She saw the others nodding their heads when he was finished. He seemed like a nice enough guy and was definitely very talented. It wouldn''t be so bad if he was the one they chose for lead guitar.


    Except for the fact that he wasn''t Zach.


    Even the thought of the other guitarist had Bree shifting ufortably in her seat. Ever since he''d showed up out of the shadows the other night when she''d needed him most, she''d caught herself thinking about him--which wasn''t a good thing. She was finally dating the only man she''d ever cared about, and now this new person was here, making her feel confused at every turn.


    It was stupid and selfish of her to even let her mind wander to Zach. She knew the only reason he''d been at that club was because he wanted this job. It wasn''t as if he would''ve ever gone to hear her y under any other circumstances. The fact that he''d kept her and Trent from getting pounded meant he was a decent human being, but it didn''t mean anything else. While he was certainly a better guitarist than Kell, the other guy would do just fine. It wasn''t as if many of the songs they''d be ying were anywhere near asplicated as what Zach had demonstrated he was capable of--so it wasn''t necessary to have him in her band.


    But she wanted him in her band. Even though it was stupid. Even though it was dangerous, she wanted Zach in her band.


    He was up on the list next, and when he walked in, she had to look away. Her eyes flitted back to his face just as he was looking out at them, strapping on his guitar. He gave her a knowing, piercing look, one that went straight to her core, as if to say they had a bond now; they''d taken on the bad guys together and won. In an instant, he''d said more with his eyes than he''d said with his mouth the entire time she''d known he existed.


    Zach didn''t y anything nearly as difficult today. Instead, he yed one of Bree''s songs, one he''d heard her y the other night. But rather than sticking to the main melody as she did when she yed, he includes several riffs and amped it up quite a bit. It almost sounded like a different song, and she absolutely loved what he did with it.


    "Great, Zach. Thank you," Alvin said. "We just want to rify something. You don''t sing? Is that right?" He dropped his head slightly and shook it, not verbalizing his response, but the message was obvious.


    "All right, then. Thank you very much. We''ll be in touch."


    Watching Zach walk out the door was a relief in many ways. He did briefly catch her eye once more as he left, but Bree didn''t linger in his stare. She should let him go. She should vow not to let him in the band so he could stop messing with her heart. She was finally with Trent now, and she loved him more than anything. Why tempt fate by letting a random hot guy who happened to y guitar really well have an active part in her life? It was stupid and unnecessary. Bree settled in to hear the rest of the callbacks, resolved that she would put Kell in her band. It was the safe thing to do, and Bree always did the safe thing.

 Part of the Band

    "All right. We''ve got Cat Hadley on keyboards, Dominic Dunn on drums, and Griffin Bray on bass," Sally was saying once call backs were over. "We just need to decide who our rhythm guitar yer is and who we want on lead." "Rhythm is easier, I think," Alvin noted. "Bree has mentioned it would be nice to have a rhythm guitar yer who also ys fiddle, so I think Chase Simpson is a good choice."


    "I agree, Zelda said with a nod. "He''s talented enough to y lead, too, if we need him to. If somethinges up."


    "That sounds good to me," Bree said with a nod. That would only leave one position to fill.


    "Well then, what about lead guitar?" Jordan asked with a sigh. "This is going to be a tough one."


    "It really is. Both Kell Spinks and Zach Scott did a great job. I do like the fact that Kell can sing backup. He''s got some great harmonizing skills," Alvin offered.


    "I agree, he is talented," Sally said with a nod. "But... how can we pass up someone like Zach on the guitar? I mean, people with that sort of talent don''te along twice in the same lifetime." "He is talented," Alvin agreed. "It''s just too bad he doesn''t sing."


    "Maybe Bree was onto something the other day when she suggested he can be taught. Maybe we can pay for vocal lessons." Zelda tapped her chin as she thought.


    "That could take a lot of work, though," Jordan reminded them.


    "Bree, what do you think?" Alvin asked. "You really need to have the final decision here."


    "Me?" Bree echoed, her eyes widening. "Oh, I uh, don''t know. I mean, I think they''re both great. I''d be happy with either one."


    "But there has to be someone you prefer," Jordan said with a shrug.


    "No, not really. They''re both talented. I like them both."


    "Would you befortable with a lead guitar yer who didn''t sing back up?" Zelda asked her.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Sure." She had to admit that she thought it would be odd, but she wasn''tpletely convinced she couldn''t teach Zach to sing, at least enough to help her on the chorus with a backing harmony. "So... Zach then?" Zelda asked her.


    "If that''s what you all want."


    "What do you want Bree? Do you want Kell to y guitar for you, or do you want Zach?" Jordan asked.


    The way that he''d phrased the question wasn''t missed on Bree. "I want... Zach." The words were out of her mouth, even though she''d never nned to say them.


    "All right then," Alvin said, looking at the others. "I think we have ourselves a band."


    Bree thought to herself, "And I think I have myself a huge problem in the making."

 Dinner and Decisions

    Trent knew Bree was going to have a trying day. Not only did she have a difficult decision to make, she''d been outte the night before and had to get up fairly early to go into the studio for callbacks. She had another gig that night, too, so Trent decided to make her dinner so she could eat and rx before she had to go to the show.


    Cooking wasn''t really his specialty, but he had a few recipes he was able to create without too many trials. He went about making his mom''s favorite chicken-tater tot casserole and then sat down at the table to look online at a building he had his eye on that he thought might be a good ce for a new ounting business.


    As he studied it on hisptop, Trent couldn''t help but ask himself if they were moving too quickly here. He loved Bree, and he was certain she loved him, too. They''d been apart for so long, both secretly longing to be together. Now that they were a couple, it was easy to just assume everything would be easy.


    But it wasn''t. Sure, when they were together, they had a lot of fun and enjoyed each other''spany. He was learning what she was like to live with, what irritated her, what she appreciated, and he assumed she was doing the same. Just because they''d been friends for so long, that didn''t necessarily make them experts on one another, especially since they hadn''t seen each other for so many years. People changed.


    And Bree was likely going to end up with Zach in her band, a guy she was clearly attracted to. Was Trent getting ahead of himself thinking about moving to Nashville? What if they couldn''t make it work? Just because she''d thought they were meant for each other, that they would get married one day, when she''d written that song years ago, didn''t mean that it was still the case now. She could change her mind and fall in love with Zach.


    Then, what would Trent do?


    He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, realizing this wasn''t something he could answer by himself. It really wasn''t something he could ask Bree about either, though, because he already knew what she''d say. She''d assure him he had nothing to worry about.


    Instead, he decided to keep looking at other buildings, to stall a bit, and see how things went. In the meantime, he could find a temporary apartment to move into and work remotely. His business had been doing fine without him thest few weeks and would continue to do so, especially if he became active in thepany again from a distance in the next few days.


    The sound of Bree''s keys turning into the lock had him closing hisptop and going into the other room to greet her. It wasn''t arge apartment, so he was there before she waspletely in the room. "Hi! How was your day?" he asked as she hung up her keys and set her bag down.


    She let out a sigh. "It was okay."


    Knowing there was more to that than what she was saying, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her slowly, hoping whatever was bothering her would melt away at his touch.


    It seemed to, at least to some degree. She rested her palms on his chest and kissed him back before letting out another sigh and resting her head on his shoulder.


    Trent moved his hands up her back, aware that the oven timer would be beeping at any moment, so he needed to keep from getting too carried away with her. "You wanna talk about it?" Shrugging, she said, "Yeah, I do. I just... what''s that smell?"


    "I''m making dinner. Chicken and tater tot casserole."


    "It smells really good," she said, making him smile.


    "d to hear it. My mom''s special recipe." He took her hand and led her into the kitchen. "It should be done in a few minutes. Can I get you a drink?"


    "A beer would be great." Bree sat down at the table, and Trent went to the refrigerator to get her the requested beer.


    He opened it and brought it to her in the bottle, since he knew she preferred it that way. The timer said five minutes.


    "Thanks," Bree said, taking the beer and knocking back a long swallow. Trent smiled at her and went back across the room to get the tes and silverware ready. Bree was quiet, and he figured she needed some time to collect her thoughts, though he was dying to know who''d made the band.


    Once he''d served up dinner and they''d both spent a few minutes eating, Bree seemed ready to talk. "I think we''ve got a pretty good group," she said. "We''re going to start practicing next week. We''ll also do some recordings, send out some demos, and see if we can get some more radio y. Zelda thinks it''s time we started looking at more national attention. She wants to start booking some long weekend road tours. Not exactly a big tour, not yet, but eventually, that''s what she wants to do."


    "That all sounds exciting," Trent said, rubbing her hand and smiling at her.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "It does. I am excited about it. I always imagined myself riding around in a RV from town to town with a band. But... what about you?"


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    "What about me? ountants don''t typically take their show on the road, so it never urred to me to do that before," he teased.


    Bree smiled at him. "I know that. But I won''t get to see you very often if I do that."


    Trent shrugged. "I can fly out to see you wherever you are. I can maybe even travel some with you. I mean, it''s up to you. I don''t know how much you''ll want me around, but I can do most of what I do from the road as long as I have a good Inte connection and a good cell phone connection. I prefer to be where I cane into the office a few days a week, especially when I''m first establishing things, but that doesn''t mean I can''t ever go with you."


    "Would you be willing to do that, though? Spend all of your time hanging out with a bunch of musicians? We are an odd bunch, you know. We talk about things most people don''t know anything about."


    Chuckling at her, Trent said, "I know what you talk about, Bree. I''ve been around you and your musician friends a lot recently." There were always other musicians at the clubs, and Bree would spend a lot of time talking to them before and after her shows while Trent stood there and smiled and tried to rte to what they were talking about. "I''ll be fine."


    "All right. Well, nothing''s for certain yet. Just something to think about." She smiled and took another bite of her dinner.


    Another something to think about, Trent noted. He couldn''t imagine not seeing her at all for a few weeks at a time, so they''d have to figure it out.


    He still didn''t know who''d made the band, and she didn''t seem to be volunteering the information, which made him assume Zach was one of them, and she just didn''t want to tell him. "Who''d you go with?" he finally asked. "Well, Alvin has to call all of them still, but we went with Cat, Chase, Dominic, Griffin, and Zach."


    Her voice wavered slightly when she said Zach''s name. Trent pretended not to notice. He pretended not to care--even though he did. "Sounds like a good group."


    "Yeah, we think so. Hopefully, they''ll all ept, and we can y some beautiful music together for many years toe."


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    "I sure hope so," Trent said, meaning it. "Bands are like families. You don''t want to be one of those groups that''s constantly breaking up or having to rece people. That would suck."


    "I totally agree. I hope none of them has a secret drug problem or anything like that." She scrunched up her nose, and Trent chuckled at her again. She was so cute.


    When they were done, Bree stood to clear the table, but he waved her off. "I''ve got it."


    "You cooked. The least I can do is clear the table."


    "No, no, no. You go rest. I''ll take care of it. You''ve gotta show in a few hours."


    "Are you going to rest with me?" she asked, running her hand up his arm in a way that made him think the dishes could just go in the trash.


    "That depends. How much rest did you need with your rest--and how much of something else?"


    Bree''s smile let him know exactly what she meant. Trent kissed her. "I do wanna load the dishes, but I''ll be right in."


    "Only you would choose tidying up over sex,¡± she teased.


    Laughing, Trent said. "I''m definitely not choosing that. It''ll take me... two minutes."


    "I hope you mean to load the dishwasher and not to make love to me," she said, backing up with ae hither look. "Nah, that''ll take me at least five or six minutes."


    She giggled and reached beneath her shirt, unhooking her bra and sliding it off. Trent forgot all about the dishes.

 Practice Makes Perfect

    Bree felt as if she hardly had a second of free time. Once everyone they''d chosen for the band epted, practices were scheduled. Since Zelda had already booked so many jobs for Bree, she was ying at night and practicing during the day. It was an exciting whirlwind, but it also left her tired most of the time. She was living off of coffee and other forms of caffeine.


    Jordan was directing their practices. He arrived far too enthusiastic for Bree''s taste early in the morning. "Hey, gang! I think the older stuff is really starting toe along. Let''s give it one more day with the songs you''ve been working on, and then, tomorrow, I''d like to turn it over to the new stuff. Zelda is looking to get some gigs scheduled for next month, so we need to get some new jams together, get everyone hyped up about the new album, which we''ll startying down soon, too. Y''all are really starting to sound like a band now, so it''s time to crank things up a notch and get some killer new songs out there."


    Bree stared at him for a moment, hoping she''d at least gotten the gist of what he was saying. They''d practice the old songs today and move to the new songs tomorrow. That shouldn''t be a problem since she had dozens of songs ready to go, but none of them had been worked through with a band. At least the older songs had been arranged with a full band for their recordings, so the new musicians could just y what had been yed before. This was brand new territory for her, and she''d have to coborate with her bandmates to make her new songs sound like she''d wanted them while also making sure everyone got a chance to contribute. It was a little unsettling to her.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Let''s work through this like it''s a ylist, what do you say?" Jordan proposed, and everyone agreed. "All right. I''ll put it in my rmended order, we can chat about it if you have suggestions, and then will get at it."


    "I have a ylist I usually use, if you want it," Bree offered. "There''s no sense in reinventing the wheel."


    "I''m sure your ylist works just fine for when you''re ying solo, but when you''re with a band, there are other considerations we''ve got to think about."


    "There are?" Bree asked, really not having ever thought about that before. "Would you mind exining?" She was genuinely curious and hoped she didn''t sound sarcastic.


    Jordan didn''t seem to be offended. "Sure thing. So some of these songs have strong guitar solos in them now that they didn''t have when you were ying them by yourself. We want to make sure we spread those out. Same for the other instruments. You''ve got a strong piano melody in ''Lead Me Home'' that wasn''t there when you yed it on the guitar alone. Same with ''Can''t Take It.'' We don''t want those back to back. Make sense?"


    "It does. Thanks for exining." Bree gave him a smile, and Jordan winked at her, which was a little creepy, but she got that it was an older-guy sort of way of saying, "No problem."


    "We''ll get started in ten," Jordan said, clicking his pen annoyingly as he walked back to the booth.


    Most of her bandmates put their instruments away now that they had a small reprieve. Cat hopped up from her stool. "I''m going to go grab some more coffee. Anyone else need a refill?" "Yes, please!" Bree said, handing over her nearly empty cup.


    Cat giggled. She''d gotten Bree more than a few refills recently, so she knew how she took it. "You got it."


    The rest of the guys started talking about a baseball game, and Bree pulled her phone out to check it. Trent had sent her a text, saying he hoped she was having a good day. He was so sweet. She knew he had a building he was thinking about leasing to start his new firm here in Nashville. She texted him back to tell him she hoped it was going well.


    "Trent doing okay?" Zach asked over her shoulder. She turned to see he wasn''t looking at her text, which was a relief. It must''ve just been a good guess that she was texting her boyfriend. Not that she had anything to hide.


    "Yeah. He''s good. Thanks." She watched as he messed around with his pedals on the floor, stepping on one and then another. She figured he must be reprogramming them or something. She rarely yed an electric guitar, and when she did, she didn''t use the pedals. "Are you seeing anyone, Zach?" It seemed like a legitimate question. She''d never asked him before, and she felt like she should have since they''d been ying together for a while now, and they were in the same band, after all.


    "Not at the moment. Please don''t say you have a friend you wanna hook me up with either. That never works out for me."


    Breeughed. "No, I just realized I''d never asked. I think Cat has a boyfriend and Dominic is married. I know Chase is seeing someone and Griffin has sworn off all rtionships for all time, but I''ve never heard you talk about it at all." He shrugged. "Thest girl I was dating was a little bit psycho, to put it mildly. I try not to think about her or dating, if I can help it."


    "How can one be a little bit psycho?" Bree wanted to know.


    Zach chuckled. "You''re right. She''s a lot bit psycho."


    Before Bree could ask why he said that, Jordan was back with the ylist. Bree felt sorry for Zach that he''d been dating a crazy woman, but she was d he''d at least gotten out of it. It spoke volumes to Bree that she couldn''t evene up with one potential name of a girl she could maybe hook him up with when he was ready. Only Christy really came to mind, and she didn''t live nearby. Not that Zach was looking to date anyway.


    "All right--this look good to everyone?" Jordan asked, holding up a list as he read the songs off.


    Bree liked the order. He''d put a few songs back to back that she typically avoided ying in that order because they had simr messages, but she was definitely willing to let the expert''s list speak for itself. "Let''s get at it, then," Jordan said with his trademark enthusiasm.


    Cat handed Bree her coffee, and she took a long pull off of it before she stepped over to her microphone. It was weird not having a guitar in her hands, but she trusted her band and liked focusing on the vocals. Dominic counted them down


    with his drumsticks, and the band started ying the first song on the list, "Blue Skies." Bree closed her eyes and let the music carry her away as her song came to life in ways it never would have without these amazing musicians. She was so proud to call them her band.

 Office Space

    The office space was exactly what Trent had been looking for. It was newly renovated, close to Bree''s apartment and the apartmentplex he''d been thinking of renting a home in, and not too far from Bree''s studio where she practiced and recorded her music. It seemed like a really good deal, if he was going to go through with this.


    "Itespletely furnished," the realtor told him. She was a tall, thin woman who was probably old enough to be his mother but still insisted on looking at him in a way that made him slightly ufortable. "Best of all is the view from therge office in the back, here, which I assume will be your office."


    She was right about that. The view was spectacr. All of the best parts of downtown Nashville sprang to life in front of his eyes. It would be a shame to make this his office, though, since he wouldn''t be there every day. Perhaps he''d let whomever he hired as his second, the person who''d be running things most of the time if he was out touring with Bree, have this lovely space, and he''d take a different office.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Do you have any questions?" Whitney, the realtor, asked, dropping her eyes in a suggestive way again. He didn''t get why she continued to look at him that way when he clearly wasn''t interested.


    "No, I don''t think so. I''ve read over the brochure. I''ve just got a few more ces to look at." He gave her a reassuring smile, but what he said wasn''t true. It wasn''t that he wanted to look at other ces; he just needed to make sure this was the right path for him.


    "Why don''t you take a few minutes to look around. I''ve got a call to make. I''ll meet you out in the hallway when you''re done." She smiled at him, and Trent nodded, happy to have some time in the space by himself to think.


    Once she was gone, he snapped a few pictures with his phone, trying to envision what it would be like with a bunch bustling ounts here. The office was big enough for a staff of twenty to thirty. He didn''t know that he''d ever need a staff that big for what he wanted to do, but it was nice to have the capacity if he needed it. There were four private offices, including therge one she''d shown him.


    It all looked like it would work out very well--if he decided to do it. Taking a deep breath, he took out his phone and looked at a few pictures of himself and Bree. Everything was going well. If having Zach in her band was a distraction, she hadn''t mentioned it. As far as he could tell, it wasn''t a problem.


    His only hang up was how fast everything was moving. Was he really ready to start a second firm in a town away from his home because he''d finally gotten together with the girl he''d loved since high school? It sounded like something out of a movie, and he knew those sorts of rtionships rarely worked out in real life.


    But he thought this one would. He thought they could make it work, no matter what. With a deep breath, Trent realized his mind was already made up. He headed out to find Whitney and let her know what he intended to do.

 Night on the Town

    It was a rare Friday night that Bree didn''t have a show, so Trent took advantage of her night off by taking her out to a fancy French restaurant. He intended to let her know what he''d decided to do. Hopefully, it would be a night to remember. She''d been so busy since the wedding and the deration of their love for one another that he hadn''t gotten a chance to take her out on a proper date, so this was a night he wanted to make special for her.


    Dressed in an elegant ck cocktail dress, with her strawberry-blonde hair piled on top of her head, Bree was a vision of beauty. He couldn''t take his eyes off of her as she sat across from him in the restaurant, soft romantic music ying while they waited for their entrees at a candlelit table. He''d asked for a table with some privacy so that they could spend some time focusing on one another, and he loved the seating they''d gotten. It was near a window, and outside, horses pulled carriages by as other couples sat with their arms intertwined, riding through the historic district looking at beautiful old homes.


    "I just love the buildings down here," Bree said, gazing out the window as another horse clip clopped by. "I''d love to live in a big old house one day. One with lots of character and charm, mature trees, and a huge back yard for the kids to y in."


    Trent smiled at her. "The kids? I didn''t know you had any."


    Bree giggled. "Well, no, not yet. But I''d like to have some one day. What about you? We haven''t talked about that since high school when we were both so angry at our parents we decided they didn''t deserve grandkids." Laughing, he remembered that conversation. "Was that the night we both got in trouble for being out five minutes past our curfews?"


    "Yes! And only because Hank wanted to use those firecrackers to blow that ant mound up."


    Trentughed louder as Bree joined in. He had vivid memories of Hank covered in ants, screaming and running into his neighbor''s pond to try to wash off the thousands of little bugs that had crawled all over him after their home was destroyed.


    "How could we miss out on that?" he asked.


    Bree shook her head. "It was totally worth beingte." She sighed, still smiling. "Anyway, I do want kids one day, after I''m done touring and have a few more albums under my belt. What about you? Do you want kids?"


    "I did," Trent shrugged. "I mean, I guess I still do. Monica didn''t want any, so it made me think I wouldn''t ever have the chance. I haven''t really thought about it since she and I broke up. But yes, I do want to have kids, Bree." She smiled at him. "Cool. Do you want them soon, or would you be willing to wait a while?"


    Under normal circumstances, he would''ve thought the conversation was getting ahead of them. They hadn''t been dating that long, after all, and she seemed to be talking about forever. But since they''d both wanted to be with each other for years, he didn''t mind talking to her about it. "I can wait a while. I have some business ns, too. That''s one of the things I was hoping to talk to you about tonight."


    "Oh?" Bree asked, her smile brightening. "Did you find a ce?"


    "I did. I signed the paperwork to lease a space this morning. It''s a nice ce, not too far from your studio. I also found an apartment."


    "Wow, Trent! You''ve been busy. Congrattions!" She reached for his hand, and he gave it to her. "I have to say, though, I''m sorry you''re moving out. I know this was just a temporary arrangement, and I never expected us to live together so soon, but it''s still going to be sad to see you go."


    He could tell by her expression that she meant it, and he felt the same way. "Well, that''s something else I wanted to talk to you about. The apartment I''ve rented has two bedrooms. I was wondering how you might feel about moving in with me. Since we haven''t been dating that long, I thought maybe you''d be morefortable with your own space, but we''d still be close enough to see each other every day that you''re in town without having to arrange it." Both of Bree''s eyebrows shot up as she considered his proposal. He expected her to immediately go for it, but he couldn''t read her face, and then the waiter was there with their food before she had a chance to answer. They both started eating, and Trent decided to give her some time to think about it. Once they were both almost done, she said, "Gosh, Trent, there are so many good points to moving in with you. I''d love to get to see you as much as possible. I do have my lease to consider. And I''m not sure what my parents would think...."


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    "I know it''s a big step, Bree. If you''re notfortable, I understand. But I''m happy to pay to get you out of your lease, and I hope your parents will understand that it doesn''t make too much sense to pay for two apartments when you won''t be using yours that much anyway, once you start touring."


    "That is a good point," she said, finishing her dinner. "Can I see it?"


    "Absolutely. I''ll take you there tomorrow, if you don''t mind waiting. Tonight, I have something else in mind. Do you want dessert?"


    "I''m stuffed," Bree said, patting her stomach.


    "Then let me pay the bill, and we''ll be on our way." He couldn''t help but smile at her. He knew she''d love what he had nned, and her smile told him she was intrigued but content to wait to see what it was.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    The waiter brought the bill, and Trent hastily paid it before taking his girl by the hand and leading her out to a beautiful Nashville night.

 So In Love

    The breeze stirred her hair as Bree stood on the sidewalk outside of the fancy French restaurant Trent had treated her to, holding his hand and wondering what he had in store for her.


    Then, she realized what they were doing. Arge dappled horse, attached to an borately decorated carriage in a dark brown with scrolled carvings and a red velvet interior sat waiting for them, the driver, a smiling woman with short brown hair dressed in an official looking uniform, weing them over.


    "You had this waiting for us?" Bree asked, going to the horse instead of the carriage.


    "Yes, well, I thought you''d love this horse, so I asked Mariel to wait for us."


    The horse''s nose was so soft. He nuzzled against her as she stroked his handsome face. "You''re so pretty!" Bree cooed, as he whinnied. She could''ve stayed there and petted the horse all night, but she was also looking forward to snuggling with her man in the carriage as they took a tour of historic downtown Nashville.


    With Trent''s arm around her and theforting clip-clop of the horse''s hooves reverberating against the asphalt, Bree leaned her head on his shoulder and rxed for the first time in a long time. She felt sofortable with his arms around her, and even though she''d been under a lot of stress with the new band and the new songs recently, she was so happy to be with Trent.


    The houses they went by were beautiful. So many of them hadrge porches, many with columns or balcony spaces. Beautifulrge trees graced the yards, and there were so many flowers and even some fountains. She loved this part of the town she had grown so fond of.


    Trent smelled wonderful. The scent of his spicy cologne wafted in the air with each breeze. "You''re so beautiful," he whispered in her ear. Bree couldn''t help but lean in and press her lips to his. He kissed her back, deepening it to a new level, and she forgot that anyone else in the world existed, let alone that there was a driver in front of them and cars passing them on the street. She lost all track of time, all track of the houses they were riding past, all track of everything but him. Eventually, Trent pulled away. Looking into her eyes, he rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "I love you, Bree. I''m so d you never gave up on me. I think about the huge mistake I almost made, how I almost ended up married to someone I didn''t love who didn''t really love me, and I''m so thankful you saved me before I lost myself in a rtionship I could''ve never recovered from. If you don''t want to move in with me yet, I understand. It is a lot--really quickly. But I know I love you. When I go to sleep at night, I want you there. When I wake up in the morning, I want to see your face. You''re everything to me, Bree. You always have been. So take your time and think about it, but just know, even if it''s not now, when you''re ready for me, I''ll be waiting for you."


    Bree felt tears in her eyes. It was almost like her dream proposal, except he was just asking her to move into his apartment. There was no ring or anything like that. It was still a touching confession, and she knew exactly what she had to say. "Of course, I want that, too," she said. "Yes, I''ll move in with you."


    With a wide smile on his face, Trent leaned down and kissed her again, and they may as well have been on a secluded beach or another. He was her whole world.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.

 Get it Together

    "All right, let''s run through thatst song again," Jordan was saying at practice the next day after Bree''s romantic carriage ride through the streets of historic downtown Nashville. She had been wearing a big smile on her face all day and didn''t even care that Jordan wasn''t happy with the way they were ying "Only Till Sunday."


    Trent was back at her ce now, overseeing the people packing up her stuff. They''d decided that morning she may as well go ahead and move in with him. She''d seen pictures of the new ce, but she hadn''t been there yet. She''d go look at it after rehearsal, but she wasn''t worried about it. If Trent liked it, she knew she would, too.


    They yed through the song again, and this time, the bass solo that hadn''t been on point thest time was much better, and Cat was all over the piano part as well, whereas she''d messed it up a little earlier. Jordan told them it was a nice job, and then he gave them a ten minute break.


    In desperate need of coffee, Bree headed out the door toward the coffeemaker. Expecting everyone to be headed that way, she hurried a bit more than normal. She was happy, but she was also tired and needed some more caffeine. After refilling her cup, she stepped aside, closed her eyes, and took a gulp of the warm liquid, letting it seep down her throat and coat her soul in delicious caffeinated heaven. She let out a little moan of satisfaction.


    A chuckle interrupted her relishing, and she turned to see Zach also filling his cup butughing at her while he did it. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What''s so funny?"


    "Nothing. I just don''t think I''ve ever seen someone enjoy a drink of coffee quite that much."


    Bree shrugged. "It''s like liquid ecstasy, man."


    Hisughing increased as he took a step over to her. She took another drink, relishing it. Bree was surprised no one else hade for coffee. Recently, being around Zach had be morefortable for her, especially since she''d been so focused on Trent thest few days. But now that the two of them were alone in the hallway, and he was standing so close to her, she suddenly remembered just how attractive he was. A whiff of his aftershave caught her off guard, and she had to hold her coffee to her nose to focus on the rich aroma, rather than the woodsy scent of the sexy man next to her.


    "Are you ready to go out on the road?" he asked nonchntly, which made her think she definitely wasn''t having the same distracting effect on him. That was a good thing. Thest thing she needed was a guy as hot as Zach flirting with her when she was already in a rtionship with a man she adored.


    "I am. I''ve been dreaming about it my whole life. It''ll be challenging, I''m sure, but I''m looking forward to it."


    He nodded and smiled. "It is challenging, but it can also be a lot of fun."


    "You went on tour with yourst band?"


    "Yeah, I did. That was a totally different vibe, though. We had some real jerks in that group, and there was a lot of spouting off between guys who wanted to prove they were cooler than one another."


    "That doesn''t sound like fun at all," Bree noted.


    "No, it really wasn''t. But it was nice to be on a different stage every night, to see all those different fans from all over the country. That part was really fun."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    She nodded. She was looking forward to that. Bree took another sip of her coffee, thinking they should head back to the studio soon.


    "What does your boyfriend think about you going out on the road?" he asked.


    "He''s very supportive," she said quickly. "He''s going to go with me as much as he can."


    "Really? That''s interesting. What does he do?"


    "He''s an ountant. He owns his own firm in Kentucky, and he''s opening another one here."


    Zach nodded. "Impressive. Country shows don''t sound like his scene, but it''s cool he wants to be with you. Have you been dating long?"


    "No. We''ve been friends since high school, but we just started dating a few weeks ago."


    "Sounds like he''s very dedicated to you." Zach smiled at her, and Bree returned the gesture, but there was something about the way that he said it that made Bree wonder if he meant it or if he was secretly saying he thought they were moving too fast or their rtionship wouldn''tst.


    "The band''s sounding great," Bree said, changing the subject to something she was morefortable talking to him about. "We should probably head back."


    If you''re loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for theplete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you!


    Zach fell into step beside her, and Bree instantly regretted not topping off her coffee before she left, but she''d live. "I agree. The band is sounding ster. By the time we hit our first live show, we''re going to be smoking." She smiled at the words he chose, and he raised an eyebrow. "I agree."


    "Are you making fun of me, Bree?"


    "No! Not at all. I just sort of envisioned literal smokeing off of your guitar or something"


    "That could happen," he insisted.


    "I hope not! That sounds dangerous." Bree couldn''t help butugh at his expression, he looked so serious.


    They reached the studio and Cat looked up at them, an eyebrow arched. "What are you two all giggly about?"


    Suddenly, Bree felt bad, like she''d been having too much fun with a hot guy who wasn''t her boyfriend. "Oh, nothing. Just talking about whether or not Zach can catch his guitar on fire."


    "Not fire--just smoking, as in smoking hot."


    Something about the way he was looking at her when he said that had all hints of humor leaving Bree''s countenance. She gave him a small smile but was relieved when Jordan called for them to get back together so she could have something else to focus on. Because Zach was bing more dangerous by the moment.

 The Other Woman

    Thank goodness the new office space was furnished. Trent was d he got to check one more thing off of his list. He had been inmunication with his firm in Kentucky to see if anyone from there wanted to relocate to Nashville, and a few of his proven associates were on board to transfer, which was exciting. It would leave him slightly short handed in his other office, but the manager of that office, Katherine, was fully qualified to hire recements.


    Trent had spoken to his most trusted advisors to make sure they were on board with him opening a second location, and everyone had thought it was a great idea. Business was great back home in Louisville, but now more clients could use their services in adjoining states, and it was exciting to know they''d have a chance to spread their wings a little and acquire new ounts as well.


    Between moving into a new apartment, getting all of his belongings from his house in Kentucky, and signing all of the paperwork for the new building, he''d been very busy. He was lucky to have people back at his office in Louisville who could help him set up interviews. That afternoon, after he''d finished unpacking a few more boxes in the apartment, he headed to the office to meet some potential new hires. He really needed someone who could run the business while he was out on the road with Bree.


    He also needed a secretary--perhaps that was the most important role he needed to fill. It was difficult to sit at his desk and do some work but then go check to see if anyone was there for an interview at the front of the office, so he''d ended up setting up a work space at the receptionist''s desk, which he would''ve preferred not to have to do.


    Trent was just sending an important email to a client when the door opened and a woman with dark hair poked her head in. He finished writing the sentence he was typing and then turned to look at her.


    "Hi," she said. "I''m looking for Walker ounting Services. Am I in the right ce?"


    "You are," Trent said with a smile, standing to greet her. "Sorry--we haven''t got the signage in yet."


    "No, it''s okay. I just wanted to make sure." She stepped over as he came around the desk to greet her. "I''m Celia Devoe."


    "Trent Walker. Nice to meet you." He shook her hand and then gestured to a chair across the desk from where he''d been sitting. "Please, have a seat."


    "Thank you." She sat down and then opened her portfolio. "This is a nice office space," she said, pulling out a paper and cing it on the table.


    Trent slid her resume over closer so he could see it. He''d printed one off earlier from the files his receptionist back in Louisville had sent him, but it was always nice to make sure he had the most updated information.


    Celia was impressive on paper. She had her master''s degree in ounting and had been working at a major firm for about seven years. It was a family firm, though, and Trent was under the impression the owner had just given his son a sizable promotion he likely didn''t deserve. If Trent had to guess, he''d assume Celia was the one who should''ve gotten that raise, but since she hadn''t, now she was here.


    "So, tell me a little about yourself," he said. He always started off interviews that way, just to loosen the person up and get them to rx a little.


    "Well, I love numbers, obviously, or I wouldn''t be an ountant. In my free time, which I don''t really have a lot of, I like hiking. Nature is very calming to me, so I spend as much time outside as possible. I''m also a sports fanatic. If the Titans are ying, you better not call me." Sheughed, and Trent found himself chuckling along. She looked athletic--not that he was noticing. He wasn''t. Not on purpose. She was wearing a nice white shirt and ck cks, very professional, but it was apparent she had muscle tone in her upper arms. Even without him meaning to look.


    It was evident she was alreadyfortable without him having to get her to chat about anything else, so he began asking her the normal ounting questions he asked a potential new hire. Within minutes, they were having a conversation about the industry rather than a question and answer session. Celia clearly knew her stuff. She was highly aplished and had run a department for several years. Trent was impressed with every aspect of her professional life. A check of the time told him he''d already kept her for over half an hour, and he had someone elseing in soon. "Well, Ms. Devoe, I think you''ve answered all of my questions. Do you have anything you''d like to ask me?" He''d already exined to her how he was expanding hispany and why, from a professional standpoint. He never discussed his personal life during an interview.


    "I think you''ve answered all of my questions," she said with a shrug. "Normally, I have a slew of questions I''d want to know before I took a new position, but I''m excited about what you''re doing here. I love the idea of helping you build a Nashville team, and I''m sure I can be an asset in helping you acquire new clients. I guess my only question would be, when can I start?" She chuckled, making it evident she was joking and didn''t expect an answer.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    So it caught both of them off guard when Trent found himself saying, "How about Monday?"


    Celia''s eyebrows shot up over her light green eyes. "Are you serious?"


    "I am." he nodded. He hadn''t spoken to anyone else half as qualified as she was. "I suppose you''ll want two weeks to let your existing employer know, though."


    "Yes, I believe that would be the professional thing to do. But in two weeks... I''m all yours."


    Trent ignored the connotation that could''ve had--he knew she didn''t mean anything other than professionally. Still, he had a lot inmon with Celia, and she was a lovely woman. Thank goodness he was in love with Bree, or he might be tempted at work. But he wouldn''t be here that much, so it wasn''t worth the worry. "Sounds great," Trent said. "I''ll be in touch soon with the details."


    He stood, shook her hand, and then walked her to the door, confident he was making the best decision for the firm. If Bree could ignore Zach at work, he could certainly do the same with Celia. Who knows--if they were both single, maybe he could set the two of them up on a date.


    He sat back down at his desk, d he''d filled that position. Now, he needed a receptionist. Perhaps an older woman with gray hair, bad teeth, and a hump....

 Wildest Dreams

    Never had she imagined what it would be like to pull into a concert venue in a chartered bus. Bree and the rest of the band was sitting in luxury--well, as secondhand busses went, but it was still nice--their own team of roadies having loaded the equipment before they left the studio. They were on their way to y their first gig together, and even though it was just across town, it was still an awesome experience for her.


    Trent was with her, which was great. She was d she got to experience this with him. He looked more than a little ufortable as the rest of the group talked about guitar riffs, bridges, and fades, but that was okay. She didn''t understand most of what he was talking about when he was going on about ounting either. He''d told her all about this woman he''d hired to run things at the new office when he wasn''t there, and how she''d had so much knowledge about different ounting... things. Bree had smiled and nodded.


    They chatted about the set list that Jordan had put together, and everyone was in agreement that they needed toe out and nail some of the older songs so they could get into the new ones and have the crowd already in it. "This''ll be thergest venue I''ve ever yed," Bree admitted. The auditorium they were going to seated five thousand. That was huge to her.


    "Really?" Zach asked, racing his eyebrows. "You''re in for a treat then, little mama."


    He''d taken to calling her that the other day after he''d used her of mothering everyone. He said he meant it as apliment, but she wasn''t sure how she felt about it. "What''s thergest venue you''ve ever yed at?" she asked him. "We opened for Charlotte Nights at the Viking Bowlst year," he said. "So... thirty thousand."


    "Good grief," Cat said before Bree couldment. "That''s a butt-ton of people."


    "Yeah, but how many people were actually there? A lot of peoplee inte and only see the headliner," Dominic pointed out.


    Zach flipped him the bird. "Most of them," he said. "We were making a name for ourselves at the time. It was right after ''Halo Lights'' hit the charts."


    "That was a pretty big hit," Chase noted. "That''s really awesome, Zach."


    "So this is like, nothing, to you?" Griffin asked, folding his arms.


    ¡°I didn''t say that. No, it''ll be a lot of fun. You guys are way cooler than myst band,"


    "You''re just sayin'' that," Bree said, smacking him lightly on the arm. She realized as soon as she''d done it that Trent might not appreciate her touching him, but she''d grown close to her bandmates in thest few weeks.


    If it bothered Trent, she couldn''t tell. He was listening attentively without saying anything. She scooted slightly closer to him as a reminder to him--and maybe to her--that she was in amitted rtionship--with him. "Yeah, you probably say that to all of your bands," Cat said, and they all chuckled.


    "Nope, only to you guys," Zach assured them.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    They continued to chat until the bus pulled into the parking lot, and Bree looked out the window to see the auditorium. A herd of butterflies began to fight in her stomach, but they were the good kind, the kind that reminded her she was alive. She''d get up there in front of those five thousand people and make sure when they left that night they''d had the time of their lives. And she''d have a hell of a good time doing it.

 Secrets

    Bree watched in awe as the roadies quickly brought in the band''s equipment and got it all set up as if they''d been setting up these particr instruments for years. She imagined they had a plethora of experience from other groups. They brought in guitars, the drum set, Cat''s keyboard, as well as dozens of cords and wires, pedals, and a ton of other pieces that had to be hooked up and adjusted before they''d be ready to take the stage.


    Not that much of the equipment was for Bree, though. She''d be using a microphone tonight, and that was it. In all of her years of singing on stage, Bree had never performed without her guitar, but she wouldn''t be using it during this gig. They''d talked about her potentially ying rhythm guitar it in the future so that Chase could y a different instrument on a song or two, but they hadn''t been rehearsing that way, so tonight she would just sing. Most of the rest of the band was backstage in the green room, chill out in before it was time for them to go on. Bree probably should''ve been there, too, but she''d started watching the crew set up the equipment and couldn''t pull herself away. ¡°You''re fascinated, aren''t you?" Trent asked.


    She had to assume he was talking about with the set up and not one of the men, but she looked at him for a moment before she said, "I''ve just never seen people work together so fluidly when they''ve never done it before," she said with a shrug.


    "I''m sure you and the band will do the same," Trent said with a shrug.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "But we''ve been practicing for weeks. These guys haven''t. A few of them might''ve worked together before, but they''ve never set up our equipment."


    "Maybe they''ve beening into the studio and practicing, tearing down your stuff and setting it back up."


    She knew he was joking so she smirked at him. "I doubt it," she said. "But that would exin why my mic stand is always in a different ce each morning." "Really?"


    "No." They bothughed, and Bree was d to joke around and get some of her jitters out.


    "You should pull yourself away and go hang with the band," Trent suggested, tugging lightly on her arm.


    "You''re right. I should. These guys will be a few more minutes." She turned away from the intricate dance happening on the stage and walked with him to the back. She heard Griffin''s deep chuckle and Cat''s throatyugh and was happy to know her band was getting along so well together.


    When she walked in, they sort of stoppedughing, and for a moment, Bree thought maybe they''d beenughing at her. Surely not. Zach looked agitated and wouldn''t meet her eyes. An air of ufortableness seeped over them, but she didn''t let on like she''d noticed.


    "Are they finished setting up?" Dominic asked.


    "Not quite," Bree said, wondering if she should sit down or make an excuse and walk out again. Why were they talking about her?


    "I''m gonna go hit the head before we get started," Griffin said. He squeezed past Bree and Trent to get out the door, not looking at either one of them.


    Bree stared at Trent, but he didn''t seem to notice anything was wrong. She was growing a little frustrated but could hardly say anything about the odd behavior in front of her bandmates. With a sigh, she sat down on a sofa near the door, and Trent settled next to her. Chase started telling a story, and everyone tuned in to that. Bree felt as if her perfect night was ruined before she even stepped foot on the stage. Something was going on with her band, and she didn''t like it.

 Confession

    About twenty minutester, a stagehand came to get them. "We''ll be ready in five," he said, catching eyes with a few of them, including Bree, like he wasn''t sure who he was supposed to be checking in with. "Perfect, thanks," she said. He nodded, and he walked out. She didn''t feel perfect, though, not after she''d walked in on her band apparently making fun of her. She''d had no idea they thought anything about her was humorous and was under the impression they were all getting along great until she''d heard themughing and then watched them abruptly stop as she entered the room. Now, she was about to go up on stage with a bunch of people who seemed to think she was a joke.


    "I guess that''s my cue to go," Trent said.


    "Are you going to go watch the show?" Chase asked him. It seemed like an obvious question, but Bree figured he was asking if Trent was going to go out to the auditorium and watch the show with the audience, as opposed to watching from the wings backstage, which would also be an option for him.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Yep, that''s where I''m headed. I''ll see you guyster." Trent kissed Bree on the cheek and then left. She wished he had someone to sit with, but they''d talked about that, and he said he was fine to watch the show by himself. He''d also promised not to get involved if there were any hecklers tonight.


    "Well, we should probably head up there, too," Cat said, standing and smoothing her short ck skirt. She looked more like a rocker than a cowgirl at the moment, with stockings that came up to her mid-thighs, inches below her hem, and a tight white shirt unbuttoned so far her bra was visible. But she looked cute, and Bree was a firm believer that one should dress however they feltfortable on stage. She was wearing cowgirl boots, a floral print dress and a jean jacket. The others headed for the stage, but Bree held back for a moment. She wanted to get her head clear and on straight before she went out there. It would be hard to keep her hurt feelings to herself if she didn''t find a way to deal with them quickly. She walked slowly behind the others, taking deep breaths.


    Zach seemed to notice something was bothering her. He waited for her to catch up. "Are you okay, Bree?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine." She managed to find a smile, but he wasn''t buying it.


    "Look, I know what you''re thinking. They weren''t making fun of you, I promise."


    She raised an eyebrow. "How do you know I thought they were?"


    He smirked at her. "I can read your expressions well enough by now."


    She wasn''t sure how true that was, but she didn''t have time to argue. "So what were theyughing at?"


    He let out a deep sigh, as if he didn''t want to tell her. Running a hand through his hair, he turned away from her. "They were teasing me."


    Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You? About what?"


    Zach wouldn''t look at her. "It''s nothing, Bree. It''s really not. They just think it''s funny to pretend that I... have a crush on you, that''s all."


    If her eyes had been wide before, they had to be bulging now. "What?" she asked. "Why in the world would they say that?"


    He shrugged. "I don''t know. They just think it''s cute or something."


    The rest of the band had stopped ahead of them. Bree almost stopped, too, she was walking so slowly now. "Well, that''s just... silly. Obviously, you don''t. I mean, I have a boyfriend. You know that. It''s just... dumb."


    "Right? Thank you. Yes, it really is dumb of them. But anyway, that''s what they wereughing about. Not you. I just thought you should know. I didn''t want you going out there and having a bad night because of it. Not that you could ever give a bad performance anyway, but still...."


    She couldn''t help but smile at him. "Thanks, Zach. I appreciate it. And don''t worry about it. I totally know that''s ridiculous."


    He looked relieved. "Awesome. Okay. Let''s kill it out there." He held up his fist, and she bumped it, and then he hurried off ahead of her.


    Bree wasn''t sure what to think about any of that. Why did the rest of her band think that Zach had a crush on her? How long had this been going on? Was there any truth to it? Surely not. It just didn''t make any sense that someone as hot as Zach would have a crush on her--not that Trent wasn''t equally as hot. But he was already her boyfriend, and the rest of the band was trying to assume Zach could have a crush on someone who was in a rtionship. That was just... immature. None of it mattered now. It was time for them to go out on stage and y together for the first time. She felt much better about the band as a whole right now. Letting the information Zach had just given her distract her wasn''t an option. It was show time, and Bree was ready to sing her heart out.

 First Show

    "Hello, Nashville!" Bree shouted, clutching the microphone. The crowd roared, and she couldn''t help but smile. Bright lights in her eyes didn''t prevent her from seeing how packed the auditorium was. The adrenaline began to course through her veins as the band started to y, and while she missed her guitar, she knew this was going to be a night she''d never forget.


    The music started to move her as she sang the opening verse of the first song. Performing live with her band was a high no drug could give her. The crowd was jumping up and down, some of them singing along, as they recognized one of her more familiar songs, "Shout Out to You," even though it had been totally retooled now that the entire band was ying it and not just her on guitar.


    She pulled the microphone from the stand and walked along the edge of the stage, even going over to stand back to back with Griffin during his bass solo, and then wandering over to Cat. She came back to the middle of the stage when they reached the chorus, put her mic back into the stand and belted her heart out.


    By the time the first song was over, Bree knew this was going to be a night she was never going to forget.


    The crowd apuded so loudly, Bree could hardly hear Dominic''s sticks hitting each other, but she definitely heard the thump of the basse in and then Zach''s guitar began to y. Bree lost herself in the second song, having more fun on stage than she''d ever had in her life. She had no idea why she hadn''t put a band together years before.


    The rest of the set went the same way. Two hours flew by so quickly, Bree couldn''t believe they were about to y thest song before they left the stage. She expected a call for an encore, and they had saved "Meant to Marry Me" for that, but for now, she focused on "Crying Games," one of her new songs. The crowd really seemed to love it, pping their hands and dancing, bobbing their heads to the beat. When it was over, Bree shouted, "Thank you, Nashville! Drive safe! Have a good night!" and the band all put down their instruments and trailed off of the stage.


    She''d never waited for an encore before. One of the stagehands was standing nearby. He peeked out between the curtains and looked out at the crowd. "Standing O," he said.


    "Really?" Bree couldn''t believe it. She hugged and high-fived her band, so happy she''d chosen these people to experience this with.


    "Ready to go back out?" Griffin asked her.


    "Hell, yeah," Bree replied. "Can we y the whole list again?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    The othersughed. "Not tonight," Dominic said. "I''m tired."


    Bree patted him on the back, and then she let the others go back out so they could put their guitar straps on and get their gear together. The crowd cheered for them, but when she walked out a few secondster, they went crazy. Stepping up to the microphone, Bree realized she had no idea where Trent was even sitting. She hadn''t seen him all night. A wave of reluctance hit her in the heart for a second, but she couldn''t let it bother her at the moment. "Trent, this is for you," she said, not looking anywhere in particr.


    As soon as Zach started the first notes of "Meant to Marry Me" the audience went wild cheering and shouting. Bree stepped up to the microphone and sang it like she never had before. Thousands of voices sang along with her. She felt like she was floating in the clouds, she was so happy to hear so many fans singing her song.


    When thest chords reverberated around her, she really didn''t want to walk away. But she had to. She told everyone good night and followed her bandmates off of the stage. The crowd continued to p and chant her name for a few minutes, but they hadn''t expected to be asked for a second encore, so she wasn''t ready for that.


    "I wish we could go back out," she said as the band moved toward the room they''d congregated in earlier.


    "We''re not ready for that tonight," Chase reminded her. "But we can be next time." He put his arm around her, and Bree felt slightly better from thefort of her friend, even though she really wished she could go y the entire show again. Trent walked in a few minutester, and she wrapped her arms around him as he enveloped her. "That was amazing," he said, kissing the top of her head. To everyone, he said, "You guys did a great job!"


    "Thank you," the rest of the band said, a few of them patting him on the shoulder as they headed out the door.


    Bree didn''t want to leave, but she knew she had to. She grabbed her purse, and with a deep sigh, she headed out toward the bus, Trent''s hand in hers. With any luck, the rest of their shows would be just as thrilling as this one had been.

 Cant Stay

    The high from the first show stayed with Bree for the next few days as they practiced and got ready for their next show. With several booked at venues nearby, Bree was certain the band would be ready when they took the show on the road in about a month.


    The rest of the band had more experience with live shows than she did, and they teased her a little bit about being so excited, but she didn''t care. Every day at practice, she walked in with a huge smile, and itsted throughout the hours they practiced together and got better at their music. Even when she went home, she was still smiling.


    Coffee was no longer a requirement to make her feel energized, but she drank it anyway. During a break, she headed to the machine to refill her cup, humming one of her songs under her breath as she went.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Bree removed the lid and refilled her cup. Zach''s voice behind her almost made her jump. Luckily, she kept hold of herself well enough not to ssh the hot coffee onto her hand. "You sure have been in a good mood since our show the other night," he noted.


    "Oh, uh, yeah. Well, I''ve only been in the audience for something like that before." She poured some creamer in and put her lid back on.


    She hadn''t said anything to him about what he''d told her the other night, that the rest of the band had been teasing him for having a crush on her. She''d done her best to ignore it and hadn''t even mentioned it to Trent. Now, alone with him again for the first time since he''d mentioned it, she felt self-conscious and wasn''t sure if she should say anything to him--not about that, certainly not about that--but about anything at all. Should she just hurry away before he brought it up? Being rude wasn''t part of her makeup, but he was looking at her like he wanted to say something, and she was pretty sure it was just going to make the situation more ufortable.


    "By the way, Bree, about the other night...."


    And there it was.... "Oh, Zach. You don''t have to worry about that. I know how people can be. A group cantch onto something and then run with it, and there''s nothing you can do to escape it." "Yeah, that''s often the case. Except... it''s true."


    Her mouth fell open. She might''ve dropped her cup of coffee and spilled it all over her shoes if it wasn''t so precious to her.


    Bree didn''t know what to say, so she said nothing at all. Zach continued. "I''m sorry if that makes you ufortable. I don''t want it to. You probably know by now, I''m a pretty quiet guy. I like to keep to myself. I haven''t dated in a while, not since I broke up with myst girlfriend, and I didn''t really think I was even looking for anyone. Then you came along."


    "I... uh... I''m ttered, Zach. You''re a great guy. It''s just... Trent and I--"


    "I know. I''ve heard the song." He smirked and dropped his eyes to the floor. "I know the two of you are meant to be together, or at least, you''ve always thought you were supposed to be. I just... I find being around you more and more difficult. So I thought I should let you know... I''m considering leaving the band."


    "What?" Now, Bree really couldn''t believe what she was hearing. "But... we need you. We won''t be the same without you."


    "You can get Kell. He''s still looking for a band."


    "No, Kell''s not you. He''s good, but... you''re you. I don''t want you to quit, Zach."


    "Bree... I can''t stay. I can''t keep being around you, knowing we can never be together."


    "Why not? I did it with Trent for years." She was half-joking, but she was also looking for an alternative to him leaving.


    He scoffed. "Bree, you always knew you''d end up with him, though, didn''t you? At least you hoped you would. I have no hope of that with you. I''m not trying to break the two of you up."


    She took a step forward and put her hand on his arm. "Listen, Zach...." He was staring at her hand, and she realized he probably didn''t like that--or he liked it too much. She dropped it. "Let''s see if we can work around it, okay? I''ll do whatever I can to be repulsive." Heughed, and she couldn''t help but giggle, too. "Do you need me to start picking my nose between songs? Passing gas? I could borrow some clothes from my eighty-year-old neighbor."


    "No, no, and no," he said, still smiling, but his eyes were sad. "I''ll do my best to ignore my feelings for now, Bree. I just... wanted you to know. I see how happy this band makes you, and I love it, but I don''t know how much longer I can be a part of it. I''m so sorry."


    "Don''t be sorry. I''m sorry. I''ve never had this problem before. Normally, attractive guys don''t even notice I exist." He raised his eyebrows, and she realized she''d just called him attractive. Well, he was. Obviously. "Anyway, I appreciate your honesty, but I really can''t imagine what the band would be like without you, so please... reconsider, okay?"


    He nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "Okay. I''ll think about it."


    "Thanks. And in the meantime...." Bree rubbed her hand underneath her armpit and then smelled her fingers. "Here''s an image you won''t be able to get out of your mind."


    "You... are disgusting." Zachughed, clearly joking, and then Bree tried to rub her hand in his face. He grabbed her by the wrist, and they bothughed as she fought to gross him out even more.


    "Hey! You guys wannae back to the studio or what?" Dominic shouted, standing at the end of the hallway with his arms folded.


    Bree could only imagine what they looked like to the drummer. She immediately let go of Zach, and he did the same. "Yes--sorry."


    "Sorry!" Zach echoed.


    Dominic walked away, and Bree and Zach burst intoughter again.


    She was in trouble. Big, big trouble.

 Talk it Over

    Sitting on the sofater that night, Bree did her best to listen to Trent tell her about his day. She really was interested in how it had gone. He''d spent the day interviewing candidates for his receptionist job. Since he''d been kind enough to go with her to auditions for her band, the least she could do was listen to him now. But try as she might to pay attention to what Trent was saying, her mind kept wandering.


    Zach was considering quitting the band. How could he do that? It was so hard to imagine anyone quitting because he had a crush on her, especially someone like Zach. He was unbelievably good looking and could date any woman he wanted- -well, any woman but her, anyway, because she was taken--but any single woman would be happy to go out with someone like Zach. So why was he hung up on her?


    "Bree? Are you okay? Something seems to be bothering you," Trent said, leaning forward to rest his hand on her leg.


    "Oh, yeah. I''m fine." She forced a smile. "So... are you going to go with Joni then?" she asked, hoping that''s who he''d still been leaning toward.


    "It''s Jodi," he corrected, tipping his head to the side to study her. "Bree, why are you so distracted? Did something happen at practice? I''m sorry, I didn''t really ask you."


    "That''s not true. You asked me how my day was."


    "And you said fine, but that doesn''t really tell me anything, and I didn''t really wait for you to tell me more. Did something happen?"


    He was so observant, it was hard to pull anything over on him. She shrugged. "One of my bandmates told me something today that was unsettling, and I''m just trying to process it." She hoped he wouldn''t ask too many questions about the details, even though she knew him well enough to expect that he would.


    "Oh, no. Is everything okay?" he asked.


    "It''s fine for now." She shrugged, trying to stay nonchnt. "Anyway, did you end up choosing someone for the secretarial position?"


    "No, not yet. I have a few more interviews tomorrow. But let''s talk about your band. What''s going on?"


    Bree hadn''t mentioned Zach''s confession from the other night, so she could hardly bring it up now. She also didn''t want to outright lie to Trent, though. "It''s nothing. One of them is thinking this might not be the right band, though." "Really? But you guys have been ying so well together. Who is it?"


    She didn''t want to say. But she couldn''t not say either because he would think that was weird, too. "It''s Zach," she blurted.


    Trent raised an eyebrow. Bree tried to study his face to read his reaction but didn''t get anywhere. "Why does he think he might not want to be in the band anymore?"


    "He really didn''t say." That was a lie, and she hated herself for it. But if she told Trent that Zach had told her a few days ago that he had a crush on her, wouldn''t he be mad that she hadn''t told him before? "What does the rest of the band think?"


    "He only told me. He doesn''t want everyone to know yet."


    "He gets along with everyone, doesn''t he?" Trent asked.


    "Sure. I think so. For the most part anyway."


    "Do you think he has an offer from another band? Maybe he doesn''t want to y country music anymore."


    Bree ran a hand through her hair. She didn''t like all of this spection, but she also couldn''te clean to Trent all at once without making him upset. "I don''t know," she said. "Maybe."


    "Well, you might be able to get Kell if he does decide to quit."


    "That''s true. We might. But... I''d rather he didn''t quit. Zach is really good at what he does."


    "And the girls love him."


    There was an undertone to the statement Bree thought might be getting at something else. "Why do you say that?"


    "Are you kidding? The audience was going crazy over him the other night."


    "They were?"


    "Sure. Every girl in the auditorium was going nuts about the ''hot guitar yer.""


    It shouldn''t have surprised Bree to hear him say that, but she didn''t like it. Even if it sounded dumb to think of Zach as "her" guitar yer, "Well, that''s not why I want him in the band anyway." "Still... it doesn''t hurt."


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    Now, she was starting to get irritated. "Are you saying you think my band needs some sort of gimmick to get people to like us?"


    "No, Bree. Not at all. Your band is great. I was just saying, every little bit helps. You''re the one who didn''t want Kell."


    "Because he''s not as good a guitar yer as Zach, not because of what he looks like. It has nothing to do with what either one of them looks like." "Okay--geez, Bree. You''re a little defensive, aren''t you?"


    "No, I''m not!"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Fine--let''s not talk about it anymore, then, okay. I''m sorry I upset you."


    "You didn''t upset me," Bree said, but she knew her voice wasn''t convincing. Trent took a deep breath and asked, "What do you want for dinner?"


    Realizing he was trying to change the subject, Bree replied, "How about chicken?"

 Confiding in Celia

    The next day, Trent sat in his new office, trying to get a handle on the situation with Bree. Between interviews, he found himself going back over the conversation he''d had with her the night before. While they hadn''t argued anymore about it, he hadn''t liked the way she''d reacted to his questions about Zach. She''d seemed super defensive.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He knew nothing was going on between them. He trusted Bree. The fact that Monica had cheated on him did make him leery, but he also knew now that there had been a ton of signs that Monica was cheating that he''d ignored. She''d be out when she said she was staying home. She''d snuck off at parties. She''d drank way too much.... Bree wasn''t like that at all.


    So why was she so quick to defend Zach at every turn? It wasn''t as if Trent was even saying anything bad about him. He''d said the guy was good looking and brought in the chicks....


    Trent was tempted to try to talk to Bree about it again, but he didn''t want to make her mad. He''d just see how it yed out. Part of him wanted Zach to quit the band just so he wouldn''t have to think about the guy anymore. He seemed nice enough and was certainly talented, but he wouldn''t have to worry about Bree developing feelings for the musician--or vice versa--if he wasn''t around.


    "I have a file I''d like for you to look at." Celia''s voice caught him off guard. He hadn''t even heard here into the office. In fairness, the door was ajar so she hadn''t knocked. Still, he wasn''t paying attention to his work, clearly, if she was able toe in without him noticing.


    Trent took the file. "Thanks, Celia," he said, remembering that this was a big ount she was going after.


    "Everything okay?" Celia asked, standing next to his desk.


    "Yeah, fine."


    "Are you sure about that? You look a little distracted."


    "Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." He nced down the spreadsheet, looking at the numbers. "Everything looks good. I say, go for it." Closing the folder, he handed it back to her.


    "Thanks." She took the folder but rested her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should take the rest of the day off, Trent. You''re working so hard."


    "Oh, no, it''s not this," he said, trying not to let his eyes swivel to her hand. It was an innocent enough touch, but he wasn''t sure what to think of it. She pulled her hand away even without him staring it down. "What is it? Everything okay with Bree?"


    "Yeah," he said quickly. "She''s just having an issue with one of her bandmates." He shouldn''t be talking to Celia about this, but she was easy to talk to, and it just came out.


    "Are they not getting along?"


    "It''s not that. He wants to quit, and she doesn''t want him to."


    "Why does he want to quit?" she asked.


    Shaking his head, Trent said, "She didn''t say. She said she didn''t know, but... I think she does."


    "That''s... odd," Celia said, folding her arms. "Why wouldn''t she tell you?"


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    "I don''t know," he admitted. "It''s all a little strange."


    Her head rocked back and forth. "Well, maybe it just has to do with the band, and she doesn''t want to discuss it with someone who''s not actually in the band."


    "Yeah maybe. It''s just... she usually talks to me about everything."


    Celia gave him a sympathetic smile. "Well, I hope it turns out okay. You''ve put a lot into opening this business. It would be a shame if you and Bree aren''t getting along and you decide to pack up."


    He thought perhaps she was joking, but it wasn''t funny. "Don''t worry, Celia. I''m not going anywhere."


    She nodded and headed toward the door, but herment got him thinking about his earlier worries. Had they moved too fast? Should he have waited to move Bree in with him? As much as he didn''t want to admit it, Trent wasn''t sure.

 Side Piece?

    The countryside flying by outside the bus window had Bree mesmerized as she thought about how far away from Nashville they were traveling for the weekend. Zelda had booked two shows in St. Louis, one on Friday night and one on Saturday, which meant Bree would be spending her first night in a hotel while traveling with the band. She was so excited, she couldn''t doze off like some of the other bandmates. Even though they didn''t have a show that night, just the idea of traveling to a new town with these guys, preparing to y for tworge crowds, had created a giddy excitement inside of her that continued to bubble to the surface throughout the drive.


    Trent wasn''t with her. He''d decided to stay in Nashville that night and fly to St. Louis the next day since he''d already had meetings scheduled with some important clients by the time Zelda was able to book the shows. She missed him already, but it was also nice to have just her band on the bus as they headed out on this new adventure together.


    Zach hadn''t quit--not yet anyway. He hadn''t said anything about it in thest two weeks, and she was hopeful he''d gotten over his reservations. She nced across the aisle at where he was sitting, staring out the window, the way she had been for most of the trip.


    She''d been afraid the situation between them might be odd after his revtion, but it hadn''t been. If anything, they''d be better friends. She''d warmed up to him, and the two of them joked around a lot. She still thought he was unbelievably hot, but she didn''t have those nervous butterflies around him now like she had in the past.


    Cat came and plopped down in the seat next to her. "How''s it going?" the other girl asked, a grin on her face. "You look excited."


    "I am excited," Bree admitted. "I can''t wait for the shows. This arena seats ten thousand people. That''s twice as many as the biggest show we''ve ever yed before."Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Cat smiled. She was clearly happy but not as crazy excited about it as Bree was. She looked around to see if anyone was paying any attention to them. All of the other guys were asleep, and Zach was still staring out the window. Lowering her voice, Cat asked, "So... did he talk to you?" and nudged her head in Zach''s direction.


    Raising both eyebrows, Bree asked, "About what?"


    A sinister grin spread across Cat''s face. "You know. Feelings and junk." She giggled, and Bree joined in, just because it seemed like the polite thing to do.


    "A little," she said with a shrug, trying to keep it nonchnt. "Why?"


    "I don''t know. I was just wondering. Do you think he''ll take that other offer?"


    Now, she had Bree''s attention. "What other offer?"


    "Oh, he didn''t tell you?" Cat''s face was a mix between a child who''d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar and someone who''d done something naughty and wanted to get caught, like she knew that Bree probably didn''t know what she was talking about before she''d opened her mouth. "The Gunslingers asked him if he wanted to join their band."


    Bree felt her blood begin to boil at the audacity of another band trying to move in on her territory. "They did what?"


    "Sorry--I figured he would''ve told you before he told me."


    She shook her head. "No, he said he might want to look at other options, but he hadn''t mentioned he had another offer." The idea of him leaving made her furious, but she realized she didn''t own Zach. "If he wants to go, there''s not much I can do to stop him." Bree hated to admit it, but it was true.


    "Unless...." Cat stopped talking, but her face said she wanted Bree to figure out what she was thinking


    Bree had no idea, though. "Unless... what?"


    "Unless... you, you know, reciprocate his feelings." Cat looked at Zach and then at Bree, shrugging and making her eyes wide.


    Hardly able to believe her ears, Bree asked, "Are you kidding? I have a boyfriend, Cat. One that I love. A lot."


    "Okay, I''m sure you do. But so what? You''re a famous singer now, Bree. There''s nothing wrong with having a little side piece."


    "Are you serious?" Bree asked, still staring at her like she was a crazy person. "Yes, there is. There''s a lot wrong with it, Cat. I''m not famous, by the way, but even if I was, there wouldn''t be anything okay about that, that''s for sure." "Well, if he quits, our band''s not going to be the same. Kell isn''t as good as him, and you know it. Besides, I heard Kell''s going to start ying with Sizzler. Then what will we do?"


    "I don''t know," Bree admitted. "But we''ll figure it out. Hopefully, Zach will stay. Besides, I don''t think he feels that way anymore. I think it was just a little crush... but it''s over now."


    "You think?" Cat scoffed, leaning back in her seat with her arms folded. "I don''t. He just mentioned it to me yesterday. So...."


    Bree stared at her for a moment. "Mentioned going to y with another band?''


    "Yeah. Because he''s infatuated with you."


    It was hard for Bree to believe Zach would say that to anyone, especially Cat. It wasn''t as if the two of them were friends. But the keyboardist''s suggestion certainly wasn''t an option. She''d just have to hope Zach decided to stay of his own ord. Because having a little side piece certainly wasn''t a possibility, and she wasn''t breaking up with Trent.

 Maybe You Should Be Worried

    The phone wouldn''t stop ringing. Most of the time, Trent weed that sound because it usually meant more businessing in. But today, it was beginning to jar his brain. Rather than happy clients calling, it was mostly people who were supposed toe in and get equipment and other important infrastructure set up so that his people could better do their jobs.


    Celia was handling most of it. Trent had wanted to give her the best office for all of her hard work, but she''d fought him on it and said she''d feel bad having thergest office with the best view on days when he was in the office. He''d insisted, but she refused to be properly appreciated. Instead she was in the room next door, coordinating everything while he tried to concentrate on getting all of the positions filled. She was doing a great job, but the walls were thinner than he liked, and every time her phone rang, he checked his.


    He was worried about Bree.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    It was stupid for him to even feel that way, but that nervous sensation in his stomach was there nevertheless, and every time his phone rang--or Celia''s rang and he thought it was his--anxiety washed over him.


    Exactly what he was afraid of, he couldn''t quite put his finger on. Anytime someone was taking a road trip there was the worry of vehicle trouble or a wreck, but that really wasn''t what he had on his mind. It was Zach.


    Over thest few weeks, he''d deduced that she was worried about Zach quitting. While Trent understood Bree was concerned about keeping her band together, he had to wonder if it wasn''t something else as well. The two of them seemed awfully close on stage. Sure, Bree treated her other bandmates the same way, leaning against them during a solo or giving them a flirtatious smile. She even looked at Cat in an overly friendly manner from time to time, but Trent couldn''t help but feel his blood pressure rise when she got too close to Zach.


    He knew Bree wouldn''t cheat on him, and he didn''t think there was anything going on between them other than a little harmless flirting on stage. But it still hurt to think about them together. And now, she''d be staying in a hotel room just down the hall from his for the next few nights. Trent wouldn''t be there until tomorrow.


    Celia walked through his open door, talking before Trent even looked up. She started to exin when the people she''d hired to run the drop points for the Wi-Fi would be there, but about halfway through her statement, she stopped. "What''s wrong?" she asked, her forehead crinkling.


    "Huh? Uh... nothing."


    "Bullshit," Celia said, standing in front of his desk. "I haven''t known you long. But I know that look."


    Running a hand through his hair, he tried to decide how much to tell her. "It''s nothing. It''s just... Bree''s on the road with her band. I''m just worried about her, that''s all."


    "Worried about what? Does she have a lousy driver or something?"


    He smirked at her. "No. I just don''t like being away from her."


    Celia''s eyes burned a hole through him for a moment before she asked, "Does this have anything to do with that hot guitar yer?"


    Now it was Trent''s turn to stare at her. "What do you mean?"


    "Oh,e on. A quick Google search of Bree''s band turns up a picture of all of them. Her guitarist is smoking hot. Even a dude who''s one hundred percent straight can easily admit that."


    "I may have noticed the girls staring at him... some."


    "So... are you worried about him?"


    "What? No. Why would you think that?"


    Celia shrugged. "Because I would be. If it was my girlfriend. On the road with some sexy guitar yer."


    "Well... I''m not worried about Bree. She would never cheat on me."


    "Have you ever been cheated on before?"


    It seemed like an oddly personal question. Trent nodded, but that wasn''t enough for her. She continued to look at him. "My ex-fianc¨¦ cheated on me with my best friend."


    "Oh, God, Trent. I''m sorry. That sucks."


    "Yeah. But... it ended up being a good thing. It''s the reason that Bree and I were able to get together."


    "And you''re not even the least bit worried that Bree will think that she''d rather be with a hot guitar yer who''ll be there every time she turns her head than a boring ountant? I mean I don''t think you''re boring, but she might." "I don''t think she thinks I''m boring," he countered. "She knew what I was when we got together. She''s neverined."


    "Does she listen when youe home and talk about numbers?"


    "Sure." Trent shrugged, but then, he had noticed a few times recently Bree''s mind seemed to be elsewhere.


    "Okay. Hopefully, you have nothing to worry about. But... if it were me...." She didn''t say more, only headed back toward the door.


    Whatever it was she''de in to tell him must''ve not been important anymore, and he wasn''t going to call her back to find out.


    Trent wasn''t worried about Bree cheating on him with Zach. But he was a little worried that she might break up with him to be with Zach, especially now that Celia had reminded him that Zach really was more cut out for Bree than he was. With a sigh, he turned back to his work, trying to concentrate and forget about Bree for a while, but that was nearly impossible, and every time Celia''s phone rang, he jumped and looked at his.

 Mistake

    Later that night, Bree sat on the edge of the bed in her hotel room, thinking about the excitement of the day, preparing to go to sleep. She and her bandmates had had a great time at dinner. St. Louis was known for its Italian food, so they''d gone to an area known as The Hill to eat the famous toasted ravioli at Mama''s. It was so good, Bree had eaten until her stomach was about to burst. She''d probably had one ss too much of wine as well.


    It wasn''t particrlyte. Some of the others had stayed behind to enjoy some of the clubs in the area, but she''d wanted toe back to the room. The others had tried to talk her into staying since they didn''t have to be at the venue until the next evening. But there was a lot to see and do in St. Louis, and she hoped to be able to get up early to do some of those things with her any of her friends who weren''t too tired or hungover. And Trent, once he arrived. She had no idea when she might be back to this historic city.


    Once her stomach settled a bit, she put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth, thinking she''d call Trent before she went to sleep. A knock on her door had Bree jumping. She certainly was not expecting anyone to be at her. She nced at the clock and saw it wasn''t even ten o''clock yet, so maybe it wasn''t aste as it seemed, but it was still odd.


    Taking a deep breath, she looked through the peephole. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that it was Zach. What in the world was he doing there?


    Bree took a step back from the barrier and debated what she should do. She was wearing pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt, nothing revealing. Still, she felt like he shouldn''t see her in this, so she grabbed one of the white hotel robes and put it on, wondering what it was that had brought him here this time of night.


    Unhooking the lock on the door, she pulled it open. "Hi." It came out more like a question than a statement. "What''s up?"


    "Hey. I''m sorry to bother you when you''re clearly getting ready for bed, but I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute. If you''re notfortable with meing in, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go down to the lobby or something, but since you''re in your pajamas... maybe I shoulde back some other time." Clearly, whatever it was he was there to discuss had him uneasy. He was having trouble meeting her eyes and had his hand resting on the back of his neck as he spoke.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Seeing that something was bothering him, Bree softened. "No, it''s okay," she said, gesturing for him toe in. Walking over to a seating area, she took a spot on the far end of the sofa, leaving the rest for him. "What''s going on?" Zach walked in and looked around for a second before he came over to the couch and sat down far away from her. Bree wondered why he was so adamant about keeping his distance, but she was d for it. It wasn''t that she didn''t trust him, or that she didn''t trust herself, but she appreciated the fact he was keeping the lines clear.


    "Nice room," Zach said, ncing around. The ufortableness radiated off of him. He still wouldn''t look directly at her.


    "Thanks. Is yours not as nice?"


    He shrugged. "It is. Just... didn''t know what else to say."


    She smiled at him. It was clear he was nervous. "What did you want to talk about?"


    "I, uh, got an offer from another band. And I''m thinking about taking it."


    "I heard," she said, nodding her head. She grabbed one of the pillows off of the couch and hugged it in front of her, absently running her fingertip through the ck fringe around the edge. "The Gunslingers?" "Yeah. Who told you?" He looked genuinely surprised that she was aware.


    "Cat," she said with a shrug. She didn''t want him to get mad at their bandmate for telling her, but she also didn''t see the point in lying. "I really hope you don''t, Zach."


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    "I know. I really don''t want to. I just don''t know what else to do, Bree." He let out a sigh and ran his hands down his face. "This is a lot harder than I would''ve ever thought it would be."


    She cleared her throat and thought about her response carefully before she allowed herself to speak. "I''m sorry, Zach. I didn''t mean for you to ever be in this position. I don''t want you to be ufortable, but I also can''t imagine this band without you in it. You''re supposed to be here. You''re one of us."


    He scoffed. "I''m d you feel that way, Bree, but my staying or leaving has nothing to do with the band itself. It has to do with you, and you know it. It''s getting harder, not easier. I love that we''ve been able to joke around and tease each other recently. I have a lot of fun with you. And then I go home and think about how you''re with someone else, and it''s like a stab in the heart over and over again. I think, if I put some space between us, then maybe it''ll be easier." "I''ll ignore you, then," she offered, shrugging. "I''ll pretend I hate you."


    He chuckled, a rich rumble. "I don''t think that''ll work either, Bree."


    "We can try. Shut up you idiot, I hate your guts! Get out of my room!" "Yeah... I don''t buy it. You don''t have a mean bone in your body." "That''s not true. I can be mean."


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    "No, I really don''t think you can."


    Bree took the pillow she''d been holding and swung it at him. He easily caught her arm and pulled her over, trying to take it from her. Both of them startedughing, and before she knew it, he was leaning over her, his hands wrapped tightly around both of her forearms.


    It suddenly wasn''t funny anymore.


    Zach was impossibly attractive. His eyes were gorgeous; his lips were perfect, and she bit down on her bottom one as she thought about how soft and warm his mouth must be.


    But she couldn''t kiss him. She had a boyfriend. One she loved. She should''ve never put herself in this situation. No, she needed to move away.


    Zach wasn''t thinking as clearly as she was, and before she could even consider backing away, those lips were on hers, and they were every bit as soft and warm and delicious as she''d imagined.


    Trent''s face came immediately to mind, and Bree pushed back away from Zach, struggling against his strong grip.


    As soon as he realized what he''d done, he let her go immediately. "Oh, God! Bree! I''m so sorry. I never meant to...." Without finishing the sentence, he got up and hurried out the door, leaving her sitting there on the couch with her mouth hanging open.


    "What did we just do?"

 Always Tell the Truth

    It was going to be ate night. At least, that''s what Trent assumed when he''d headed home from work that evening with hisptop and a list of things he wanted to get done before he flew out to St. Louis the next afternoon. He hadn''t gotten much of anything aplished at the office, but by the time he was home and had eaten dinner, he''d finally been able to focus on his work and had gotten a lot of his list knocked out by the time his cell phone rang a little past ten. A smile came to his face when he saw that it was Bree. He was expecting her to call before she went to bed. He hadn''t realized howte it was, but he was eager to speak to her. "Hey, babe," he said, as soon as the phone was at his ear. Immediately, he realized she was crying. Trent felt rm building up inside of him as all of the horrible things he''d feared might happen cycled through his mind. "Bree, baby, what''s wrong?" he said, sitting bolt upright on the couch. "Trent, I''m so sorry. Something''s happened. I didn''t mean for it to. It wasn''t my fault. God, I''m so sorry. I wish it had never happened...."


    "Bree, calm down. I can''t understand you when you''re crying. Take a deep breath. Are you hurt? Are you okay?" He''d understood a lot of what she said, but when she was sobbing and gasping for air, parts of it were jumbled. "Yes, I''m fine physically."


    He breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn''t in pain, but then, he wondered what might be making her so upset. "What happened?"


    "Zach came by to talk to me about potentially leaving the band."


    Trent''s stomach tightened up as he thought about where this was leading. The idea that Bree could cheat on him--the way that Monica had--was unheard of. He couldn''t imagine that ever happening. But where else could this conversation be going? She wouldn''t be this upset at the idea of him leaving the band, would she?


    "We were just sitting on the couch talking, and the next thing I know... he kissed me."


    Sucking in a deep breath, Trent held it for a second and then let it go so he could ask, "And?"


    She was quiet for a moment. "And... he said he was sorry, and he left."


    Trent wasn''t sure what to think. Of course, he was mortified that someone else would kiss his girlfriend, but she was awfully upset. He''d assumed there had to be more. To rify, he asked, "He kissed you--and then apologized--and left?" "Yes. I''m so sorry. I didn''t kiss him back. I pulled away. I mean, as soon as I realized what was happening. I never meant for it to happen, Trent. I don''t think I did anything to encourage him. We were just talking. I hit him with a pillow because he said I couldn''t be mean, and I was just ying, pretending I was being mean, and then he pulled me over and kissed me."


    Fury began to build up inside of Trent, but not at Bree--at Zach. It took some big balls to kiss another man''s girlfriend. Still, he couldn''t let her think he was mad at her. She''d done the right thing in telling him immediately. It sounded like it hadn''t been her fault at all, and she''d stopped it as soon as it started. "Bree, it''s okay," he said, trying to stay calm for her sake. "I''m d you called me."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "It''s not okay, though, Trent. I should''ve never let him in my room."


    "Bree, you had no reason to think that you couldn''t trust him."


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    "True, but I still feel awful that this happened, Trent. You trusted me, and I let you down."


    "You didn''t let me down, babe. You said you didn''t kiss him back. He left as soon as you pushed him off. You called me immediately. In retrospect, you probably shouldn''t have had him in your room, but he''s a coworker who was there under the guise of discussing a work problem. I can understand that, baby. Obviously, I don''t like that this happened, but I''m not mad at you. I wanna punch Zach in the face...."


    "I wouldn''t rmend that, Trent. He''s a pretty big dude." At least she wasn''t crying anymore.


    "All the more reason why I should put him in his ce for touching you."


    She swallowed so hard, he heard it through the phone. "I don''t want you to get in a fight over this. I just want to pretend it didn''t happen."


    "But it did happen, and I can''t just forget it because he needs to make sure nothing like this never happens again."


    "I understand that, baby. I just don''t want you to get hurt."


    "Because he''s a big dude?" "Yes."


    Trent snickered. "I may not be as big as him, but I''m angry as hell, and that''s worth something. I''ll try talking to him before I break his nose, but if that isn''t satisfying enough, he may have to pay through with blood." He realized how vicious he sounded, but the anger inside of him was welling up. His free hand was clenched in a tight fist.


    "I love you, Trent. So much. And I''m so sorry about all of this."


    "I love you, too. Stop apologizing. You didn''t do anything wrong."


    "Okay. I can''t wait to see you." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.


    "I can''t wait to see you either. I''ll talk to you in the morning, okay?" Hopefully, she''d be able to get some sleep now that she knew he wasn''t upset at her.


    "Okay."


    Bree hung up, and Trent set his phone aside, seething. He wished he had Zach''s phone number so he could call him right now and tell him off, but he knew the only thing that could possibly satisfy the rage he was feeling was to actually punch the guy in the face. Even if he ended up getting his ass handed to him, it would be worth it to draw first blood.

 Life is a Zoo

    After a restless night, Bree climbed out of bed and got ready to go out with the band. She hadn''t slept well because she kept thinking about what had happened with Zach. How would she be able to face him again? Trying to put it out of her mind, she went about taking a shower and getting dressed, but no matter how hard she tried, she kept going over the scene fromst night in her mind.


    When she met the others downstairs, Cat announced, "Zach sent me a text earlier and said he''s decided to stay in today. He''s not feeling well, and he wants to make sure he doesn''t get sick before the show tonight." "That''s too bad. What''s wrong with him?" Griffin asked.


    Cat had her phone in her hand and scrolled through some texts before finding the right one and scanning it. "He says he''s getting a sore throat."


    "Thank goodness he doesn''t sing," Dominic joked. No one else really seemed to think was funny.


    "I hope he feels better by the time we have to go to the venue," Bree noted, but she was pretty sure Zach wasn''t actually sick at all. She felt the muscles in her stomach tighten, and she started to feel a little unwell herself.


    The remaining band members caught an Uber and headed to the zoo. The guys didn''t particrly want to go there, but Cat had insisted it would be fun, so they headed to Forest Park to see the animals. The consensus was that most of them wanted to see the famous Gateway Arch, too, but Bree had talked them into waiting until Saturday for that because she wanted Trent to be able to go with them.


    They were standing near the gori enclosure when Cat tugged on her arm. The others were far enough away that they couldn''t hear. "So?" the keyboardist asked. "What happened?"


    "What are you talking about?" Bree asked. The situation with Zach hadn''t slipped her mind exactly, but she wasn''t sure if Cat was talking about that or something else.


    "You know. When Zach came overst night. Something must''ve happened. I seriously doubt he''s suddenly sick."


    "No, uh, nothing happened," she shrugged, wondering how Cat knew he''de to see her. She''d still been out clubbing at the time. Had Zach told her? Bree didn''t bother to ask. Instead, she just assumed he must have and said, "He just came to tell me he was thinking about quitting, about joining another band, that''s all."


    "Really?" she arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Bree, and she felt like Cat was looking into her mind to see that she wasn''t beingpletely honest. "It just seems odd to me that he didn''t want toe with us today."


    Bree didn''t know what to say. It wasn''t Cat''s business, that was for sure. "I don''t know," she said. "Maybe he doesn''t want to hang out with us if he''s going to join another band."


    "I can''t believe you''d even consider letting him walk away." Cat shook her head and folded her arms. "We need him."


    "I can''t make him stay. Believe me, I want him to. I told him that." Again, that wasn''t the whole truth. Bree wasn''t sure if she wanted him to stay in the band or not after what had happened the night before. She definitely wouldn''t feel asfortable with him now as she had before he''d kissed her.


    "Well, I think it''s a mistake, especially when it''s clear that you like him."


    "I don''t like him. Not like that."


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    "You''re not being honest with me--or yourself." Cat shook her head one more time and walked away with a huff.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Bree stared out at the goris for a few moments, trying to gain control of her emotions. She could feel tears stinging her eyes, and she didn''t want the others to see her cry. Cat could be so mean sometimes. She''d just started noticing in thest few weeks. It seemed the more attention the band got, the more the keyboardist showed her true colors. Bree didn''t like it.


    Bree wasn''t even sure why she wanted to cry. The emotions she felt tumbling through her were a mixture of sadness, embarrassment, and the shame she''d felt the night before when she had to call Trent to tell him what had happened. She''d been so sure he''d be upset at her, that she''d let him down.


    "Are you okay?" Chase asked,ing up beside her. "I know that the goris are majestic creatures, but I''m not sure I''ve ever seen anyone cry over them before."


    Hisment made her chuckle, and Bree felt better for the moment. "I''m fine. Just... a bit of a misunderstanding."


    "Yeah? Cat stirring up trouble?"


    "No, nothing like that," though she wasn''t sure her statement was true. Thest thing she needed was someone in the band who liked to stir things up. Cat seemed to be doing a little more of that than necessary. "Well, we''re all pissed that Zach wants to quit, but no one mes you."


    She stared at him for a moment. "You know about that?"


    "Sure. Everyone does. He tried to say it was because he liked the music The Gunslingers y better than our stuff, but we all know it''s because he has a crush on you, and it''s unreciprocated."


    "Thest thing I want is to break the band up," Bree assured him. "But I can''t jeopardize my rtionship with Trent either."


    "We all understand that," Chase said with a solid nod.


    "Not all of you," Bree said under her breath. The moment it came out, she wished she hadn''t.


    "Oh, so Cat thinks you should try to get Zach to stay through, what? Breaking up with Trent?"


    "I don''t want to talk about it," Bree said with a shrug. "It doesn''t matter."


    "Does she think you should try to date them both? Wicked." He must''ve decided that he''d figured it out because he was shaking his head in disapproval. "Well, the rest of us don''t feel that way, Bree. Maybe... we need to look for a new keyboard yer."


    Bree bit her tongue. She wasn''t about to agree with him out loud, not right now, anyway. But she was beginning to think the same thing. It was a pity that her dream band had onlysted a month or so, but if she had to make some changes to keep ying music, then that''s exactly what she''d do.

 Apologize

    The temptation to drop everything and catch an early morning flight to St. Louis was present the second Trent opened his eyes the next morning, but he fought the urge. He had some things he needed to get done, and even though he wanted to hunt Zach down and punch him in the face, he remembered how upset Bree had been when Trent had interfered thest time.


    So he went to work for a few hours, as he''d nned. He was going to get some work done and then leave around lunchtime to go to the airport, catch a quick flight to St. Louis, and be at the hotel well before Bree had to leave for her show. It was about ten o''clock when his phone rang. It was a number he didn''t recognize, but he answered it anyway. "Trent? Hi, this is Zach Scott."


    He was quiet for a second. He hadn''t been expecting that at all. He wondered how Zach had even got his phone number. He didn''t ask, though. Anger surged through him as he contemted exactly what he should say to the man who''d dared to kiss his girlfriend the night before. "Yeah?" was all he could manage to get out without reaching through the phone and releasing his fury on the asshole''s jaw.


    "I wanted to reach out to you and apologize. Knowing Bree, I''m sure you know what happenedst night, what I did, and I wanted to tell you I''m sorry. I didn''t mean for it to happen. It was wrong and stupid of me. I don''t me you if you want beat the shit out of me."


    Trent had to give him some credit. The vast majority of guys would''ve never considered reaching out to apologize for something like this. In fact, they would''ve either not been able to admit that they were wrong or would try to hide it. "Well, Zach, you''re right on one count. I do want to teach you a lesson you won''t forget."


    "I can''t me you there at all," Zach said. "If it''ll make you feel better, next time you see me, I''ll let you take your best shot."


    "I''d probably break my hand," Trent muttered. "I guess I just don''t understand why you would even put Bree in a situation like that, man. You know how you feel about her, but you go to her hotel room in the middle of the night to talk to her? That was a dumb move."


    "I agree. That wasn''t my intention when I went there. I was going to ask her toe outside to talk to me, like in the lounge. But she was already wearing her pajamas--with a robe over them. So... I decided to just tell her really quickly. It didn''t quite work out the way I had it nned in my mind. But you''re right. I shouldn''t have gone in. I''ve never done anything like that before. I usually have better control over myself. That''s not an excuse. Just an exnation."


    "So what''s your n now? Bree had mentioned you were thinking about leaving the band. I know she didn''t want you to before. Maybe she does now. Maybe she doesn''t."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "I think I''d better." He sounded upset about it, like he really didn''t want to quit. "They''re all out at the zoo right now, and I stayed at the hotel. I just don''t want to make her ufortable."


    Trent didn''t know what to say about that. He definitely didn''t want the hunky guitarist around his girlfriend, especially now that he''d proven he couldn''t control himself, but he also wanted Bree to be happy, and if she honestly didn''t think anyone else could take his ce, maybe he should stay.


    Rather than put in his two cents, he said, "Well, I hope whatever happens it doesn''t interfere with Bree''s sess. She deserves to have the band she''s always wanted."


    "I agree," he said. "I don''t think it''ll be too hard for her to rece me, though. Not as hard as she thinks."


    "That I don''t know," Trent admitted.


    "I guess it''ll work its way out. One way or another. Anyway, I did want to apologize. I know that doesn''t make it any better, but I felt like it was the right thing to do."


    "I appreciate it," Trent said easily enough. "I still want to punch you in the face. I won''t--not this time anyway. If anything like this ever happens again, it''ll be a different story. But... I do appreciate you calling."


    They said goodbye, and Trent hung up, not sure what to make of any of it. At least Zach had reached out to him first so he wouldn''t have to worry about how to deal with it all the way to St. Louis, but clearly this wasn''t over yet. As long as Bree was in an ufortable position, Trent would be, too. And as long as Zach was around Bree, that would be the situation for all of them.

 Making Up

    Having gotten a text from Trent that he was at the hotel, Bree rushed back from the outing with the rest of her band, catching a ride from the grounds of the Gateway Arch, which she hadn''t wanted to see without Trent anyway. She practically ran through the hotel doors to the elevator, wishing the little lights would drop faster and the lift would arrive so she could make it up to her room and see him atst.


    It hadn''t even been that long since she''d left home, but with everything that had gone on with Zach--and Cat--she wanted to throw herself into Trent''s arms and kiss him. Her lips felt odd having not touched his more recently than someone else''s.


    She''d left him a key card at the front desk so that he could go straight into the room. By the time she got to the door, she was out of breath. Rather than digging her own key card out of her pocket, she knocked.


    He opened it immediately, and she flung herself into his chest. After a moment of surprise, Trent wrapped his arms around her. "Hello, gorgeous."


    "Hi, baby," Bree said before she found his lips. The door swung closed behind her, and she began backing him to the bed, not able to control herself. It seemed like it had been months since she''d seen him, not hours, and she wanted to make sure he fully understood how much she loved him and how much he meant to her.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    Trent didn''t hesitate at all to reciprocate as they began to peel each other''s clothing off and fall into the bed together. Bree lost all track of time as she made love to the man who''d stolen her heart. Being with him was just as special now as it had been the first time, maybe more so since their rtionship had grown, and she needed the reassurance that nothing--and no one-- was ever going toe between them.


    Later, lying on his chest, running her fingers through the soft hair there she relished the feel of his arm around her. "I''m so d you''re here," she said in a drowsy voice.


    "I could tell," Trent replied, kissing the top of her head. "How was your trip to the zoo?"


    "It was good. We saw a lot of cool animals. We had lunch, and then we headed over to the arch, even though I didn''t want to go. I wanted to wait to see that with you." "That''s okay. We can go back if you want, or go somewhere else."


    "I left before we went up inside," she said, looking up at him. "I''d like to go do that with you tomorrow, if you want."


    "Sure." He brushed the hair away from her eyes. "So... Zach called me today."


    Surprised, Bree leaned up, staring at him for a moment before she settled onto her propped palm. "He did? How did he even get your number?"


    "I don''t know," Trent said with a shrug. "I was wondering if maybe you knew."


    She tried to think. "We did fill out an emergency contact form to give to the bus driver. Maybe he got it from him."


    "Maybe. Anyway, I was pretty surprised to get his call."


    "What did he want?" She felt goosebumps erupting on her arms as she contemted what he might say. She hoped it had been a friendly call and nothing hostile.


    Trent cleared his throat. "He called to apologize," he told her. "Zach said he was sorry about what happened and wanted to reach out to me before I got here to confront him about it." Bree was stunned. It took a big man to do something like that. She knew Zach was a good guy--most of the time, anyway--but she hadn''t expected that. "Well, what did you say?"


    "I said I wanted to punch him in the face," Trent admitted. "But I appreciated the phone call."


    "Are you going to punch him?" she asked.


    Trent shook his head. "Probably not this time. If he ever does it again, I will."


    "I don''t think you have to worry about that. He didn''te with us today. I have a feeling this weekend will be it for Zach in our band. He said he was too sick toe to the zoo, but I think he just wants to distance himself from us." "I''m so sorry, Bree," Trent said, brushing her hair back. She could tell he meant it. "I know how much you like ying music with him."


    "I really do. It''s too bad things didn''t go differently. I wish he would''ve met some other girl and fallen in love with her so that he could stay in the band and not have to worry about me."


    "What about Cat?" Trent asked.


    Bree scoffed. "Cat has done nothing but stir up trouble. Chase and I were talking about the possibility of recing her. She tried to convince me it was okay to have a ''side piece.""


    "Say what now?" That got his attention. Trent''s eyes widened. "She said that to you?"


    "Yes, yes she did. More than once."


    He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I''m not a fan of hers anymore. Not that I necessarily was to begin with."


    "Yeah. So... I don''t know. I guess my perfect band is crumbling before my eyes."


    Pulling her close, Trent kissed her forehead, and Bree sucked in a deep breath, hoping eventually, she''d get back to that feeling she''d had on the first night they''d yed together, which wasn''t too long ago but seemed like a hundred years in the past. She''d have to figure something out soon or else all of this hard work would be for nothing and their touring ns would fall apart before they even got off of the ground.

 Solution

    Getting on the bus to ride to the theater with the band was ufortable for Trent, to say the least. Not only did he and Zach have toe face to face and not punch each other, Cat was there, too. Bree''s revtion that Cat was stirring things up, trying to encourage Bree to see Zach on the side, made him want to shake the woman. He was raised to keep his angry hands off of female, though. Lucky for her. Everything she did on the short ride to the venue was annoying--the way she folded her arms, the way she smiled, the way sheughed. He tried to ignore the woman, but it was difficult, and he found himself glowering at her more than he did Zach.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    They arrived at the theater, and Trent expected some stagehand toe out to show them inside, but what they got was quite the opposite.


    A tall blonde woman in a jean skirt and cowboy boots stood outside with a clipboard in her hands. Even though Trent waspletelymitted to Bree, he had to admit this woman was gorgeous. "Howdy, y''all," she said. "I''m Shawna Cray, and I''m here to make sure y''all have everything you need. We''re so happy to have you here."


    Trent looked at the faces of the other men and could see each of them taking her in. But he didn''t miss the expression on Zach''s face. He appeared to be every bit the smitten kitten when it came to Miss Shawna.


    Trying to hide a smile, Trent waited until everyone else was off the bus before he and Bree exited, hand in hand.


    "There she is! The star of our show. It is so nice to meet you in person, Miss Matthews," Shawna said with a sweet smile.


    "Thank you so much," Bree said. She was obviously ttered and slightly embarrassed at thepliment.


    ¡°If y''all will follow me, I''ll show you backstage." Shawna led the way, and the band fell into ce behind her while the road hands began to unload their equipment and get things set up.


    As they walked toward the back door of the theater, Trent pulled Bree a little bit away from the others. "Did you see that?"


    "See what? Her? Yeah, she''s gorgeous. I don''t think you''re supposed to point that out to me, though."


    He thought she was only half joking. "No, Zach. He seems to like her. Maybe Shawna could be the girl who catches his attention and gets him to forget about you. Maybe you can encourage him to ask her out, and then he''ll stay in the band." Her eyebrows perked up at the suggestion. "Do you think that could work? She lives so far away from us."


    "I don''t know, but it''s worth a shot. Hell, maybe she ys the keyboard. Two birds with one stone!"


    "Now what are the chances of that?" Bree asked, one hand on her hip. They were almost to the door, so both of them slowed down slightly to finish their conversation before they were inside with everyone else.


    "Not good, but when ites to fate, who needs chances? If it''s meant to be, it''ll happen, right?" Trent argued.


    She definitely couldn''t argue with that. He was standing there holding her hand, wasn''t he?

 Is She the One?

    Shawna was a beautiful girl, and she was super nice, too. Bree watched the way she interacted with all of her bandmates, particrly the guys, and while she was polite to all of them, it seemed like she paid especially close attention to Zach. Bree tried not to watch them too closely because she didn''t want it to be obvious that she was going to try to see if Zach might be interested in the other girl, but it made her heart beat harder in her chest to see him flirting with her, even if it was all innocent and sweet.


    "If y''all wanna hang out here for a while, I''ll be back in a bit," Shawna said, leaving them in afortable green room while she went to do whatever else she had to do. The band members found seats in thefy, plush couches and chairs, a few of them grabbingplimentary bottles of water or a snack off the well-appointed table in the middle of the room.


    "Well," Cat said, "ain''t she cute." She made her usual ent much thicker than usual.


    "She''s adorable." Bree wasn''t trying to be sarcastic, the way she assumed Cat was.


    "I would''ve used the word hot," Chase said with a shrug. "But I think she only has eyes for Zach anyway." He gave the guitarist a yful shove in the arm, and Zach bounced to the side a bit, shaking his head. "Whatever man," Zach said, but he was beginning to blush.


    "She did!" Griffin agreed. "The hot cowgirl thinks you''re sexy, man. Better jump on that before shees to her senses."


    "She does not. She was just being nice," Zach insisted. He nced in Bree''s direction, and she couldn''t help but smile at him. It was clear he thought Shawna was cute, too.


    She wished she could think of a reason to get up and go find Shawna so she could speak to her in private, but there was a bathroom in the green room with them, and she couldn''te up with any other reason to get up.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Trent could, though. "I''m going to go see how difficult it is to get to the front row from here. You did save me a seat there, didn''t you?" he said to Bree, teasing her.


    "I may have asked them to save a seat for a VIP," she replied, smiling back at him.


    "Come with me?" Trent was already up, offering her his hand.


    She hopped up off of thefortable couch she''d been reclining on and went with him, thankful he was wise enough toe up with a solution to get them out of the room. Now, if they could just find Shawna.


    Locating the woman wasn''t that difficult either. She was standing over by the stage, talking to the crew as they brought in the equipment. "What are we going to do?" Bree asked, tugging on Trent''s arm. "We can''t just go up to her and ask if she likes Zach."


    "Why not? That''s how we used to do it in high school."


    She giggled. "This isn''t high school, silly."


    "With Cat around, it seems like it is," he muttered.


    By then, Shawna had spotted them and was heading over anyway, her brow crinkled in concern. "Is everything okay, Ms. Matthews? Did you need something?"


    "Everything is fine," Bree assured her with a smile. She nced back toward the green room, making sure no one had followed them and was listening. "We just... uh...." Try as she might, Bree couldn''t figure out how to say what she was thinking.


    "So Zach''s hot, right?" Trent asked, making Bree sputter and then startughing. It sounded so funnying out of his mouth.


    Shawna was so confused, Bree felt sorry for her. "Uhm, Zach? The guitar yer? Yeah, I guess so...."


    "Cool. You know, he''s not seeing anyone right now, but you''re just his type." Trent had a smirk on his face that Shawna likely found confusing as she tried to puzzle through his meaning.


    Letting out a sigh, Bree said, "Shawna, would you like to hang out with us all tomorrow? Before the show?"


    "Oh? You want me toe hang out with you because you think that your guitar yer is interested in me?"


    Bree and Trent both answered at the same time. She said, "No," while he said, "Yes." Bree poked him in the ribs with her elbow.


    "No, that''s not the only reason," Bree insisted. "You just seem like a fun person, that''s all."


    A sheepish smile came across Shawna''s face as she realized Bree''s answer should''ve also been yes. "Well, I don''t have anything nned for tomorrow, but... are you sure?"


    "Positive," Bree said, already pulling her phone out of the pocket of her jean jacket. "Can I have your number?"


    "Sure." Shawna gave it to her, and Bree typed it into her phone.


    "Awesome. I''ll text you in the morning." She patted Shawna on the arm, and then the two of them headed off to do what they''d actually set out to do. It became fairly apparent that it wouldn''t be hard for Trent to get to his seat. They paused over by the stairs, and she asked, "Do you think she''ll actuallye?"


    "I think so,¡± he replied. "But you and I aren''t nning on going with them tomorrow, right? Do you even know what they had nned?"


    "No idea,¡± she admitted. With a shrug, she said, "We''ll figure it out."


    Laughing, Trent spun her around a few times in a sort of triumphant dance that they''d potentially found a solution to her problem, and then they headed back to the green room.


    Bree''s smile melted away when she opened the door and heard the argument going on between Cat and Zach. She let out a groan--something had to give!

 Set Up

    It wasn''t like Zach to raise his voice at all, so when Bree walked into the green room to see him so flustered, she could only imagine what Cat had said or done to make him that angry. "What''s going on?" Bree asked. "Nothing," Cat said, getting up and storming out of the room, ring over her shoulder at Zach as she went.


    Bree obviously didn''t believe that. "Are you okay, Zach?" she asked, taking the seat Cat had upied a moment ago on a couch against the wall. Their other bandmates were talking about something else now, and she figured that was because they were all ufortable. Trent sat down in a chair, his phone in his hand, and she assumed he was pretending to be busy doing something rather than listening to her, though she couldn''t me him if he was eavesdropping. "I''m fine," Zach said. "She just doesn''t know how to stay out of other people''s business."


    Knowing that to be true, Bree put her hand on his knee. "I''m sorry." She shook her head, tempted to tell him that there were other band members who were thinking about getting rid of the keyboardist. She decided against it, hoping it would just blow over. She wanted to have someone else on hand to take Cat''s ce before she just fired her, and she could see no gooding of talking about her behind her back. "Hey, what are your ns tomorrow?" Zach raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"


    "Nothing!" Bree insisted, trying to make her face as innocent as possible.


    "Bree--I know that look. What did you do?"


    A small grin pulled up the corners of her mouth. "Nothing--I just thought... Shawna seems nice. And pretty....


    "Bree--" he eximed, shaking his head.


    "What? She likes you."


    "Do I even want to know how you know that?" He folded his arms and continued to shake his head at her, but Bree could see amusement in his eyes as well.


    "Look, I saw the way you two were talking to each other, and I figured you''de up with a million excuses why you shouldn''t ask her out, so I invited her to go out with us tomorrow." "With us? Aren''t you and Trent going to be visiting the arch?"


    ''Yeah, well... I didn''t tell her that. I figured she wouldn''t be there to see me anyway. Or... the two of you coulde with us and leave the rest of the band to whatever they''re nning." "Or I could just take her to the zoo myself since I didn''t go today."


    "Exactly!" She figured he wasn''t serious, but she wanted to encourage that sort of thinking.


    Zach rolled his eyes. "And she''s agreed toe with us?"Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yep. I''ve got her number." She wagged her eyebrows at him. When his face turned pink, she couldn''t help but smile. Her n seemed to be working.


    "You''re awful, Bree. Talk about not knowing how to keep out of other people''s business."


    Thestment stung a little, but they both knew this was different. She was helping the situation, not hurting it like Cat. "I''m the best," Bree insisted, winking at him. "Whattaya say?"


    "I say... hopefully I''ll get a chance to talk to her some more this evening, and I''ll let you know."


    She grinned and poked him in the arm with her elbow. "But you do like her, right?"


    "I don''t know her!" he argued.


    "But you think she''s purty?"


    His face reddened even more. "Yeah, I think she''s purty."


    Bree giggled and patted him on the shoulder, having heard everything she needed to. "Great. Now, I guess I better go find Cat...." She didn''t want to, but they needed her, at least for now, until they could find someone to take her ce....

 Cat Fight

    Cat wasing out of the bathroom down the hall when Bree stepped out into the hallway. She was on the phone with someone, talking in a quick, hushed tone. It seemed odd to Bree, but she couldn''t make out what she was saying. When Cat saw her, the woman''s eyes bulged for a second, and she quickly hung up, shoving her phone in her pocket.


    Deciding to ignore the odd urrence, Bree asked, "Are you all right?" She did her best to make her voice sound concerned instead of angry. It was hard for her to feel sorry for the girl who constantly seemed to be stirring up trouble. "I''m fine. I''m just tired of putting up with all of this bullshit," she said folding her arms across her chest and shaking her head.


    "What bullshit?" Bree asked, not sure what she was referring to.


    "You don''t see it because no one acts the same when you''re around, but the guys in the band are all a bunch of douches."All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Bree raised an eyebrow at her, not sure how that could be possible. For the most part, they all seemed like perfect gentlemen to her. "What happened?"


    "The second you walked out the door, they started talking about how hot that Shawna chick is. I told them they were a bunch of pigs, talking about her like she was a b of meat. Zach tried to defend what they''d been saying. He said that''s not what they were doing, that I was overreacting. I told him to shut the hell up, and then we got into an argument about how he thinks I always try to run the show when you''re not around. He''s so full of shit. Now, I do hope he leaves the band. The sooner the better."


    Bree didn''t see the point in trying to exin to Cat that she''d rather have Zach in the band than the keyboardist, especially not when they were about to go out on stage and she needed Cat to have her head on straight. "I''m sorry that happened, Cat, but we all just need to calm down now, let things go, and get ready to go out on stage."


    "Yeah, that''s easy for you to say because you''re not the one they''re constantly harping on." She rolled her eyes.


    "You''re right, they don''t do that to me. And I haven''t seen them do it to you, so it''s hard for me to address it, but I can say something if you want me to."


    "Why? So they can all deny it and pretend like I''m just trying to cause drama? No thanks."


    "All right. I won''t say anything then, but if you change your mind, let me know." Bree put her hands on Cat''s arms. "Are you going to be all right to y?"


    "Yeah. I''ll... power through." She shrugged and pulled away from Bree, and she let her go.


    "Thanks, Cat. I appreciate you doing what''s best for the band." She smiled and Cat nodded. Bree turned to go back into the green room to wait for Shawna toe and get them to report to the stage.


    Cat came, too, but she went and sat down in a chair in the corner of the room, her arms still folded. She wouldn''t even look at any of the guys. Bree figured it was better to leave her alone than have her start arguing again.


    The guys were over it, talking about something else. She sat down next to Zach, but her eyes were on Trent. He gave her a reassuring smile, and she concentrated on letting the frustration she was feeling toward Cat go so she''d be ready for the show. Nothing else mattered at the moment.

 Miracle

    Despite all of the drama that went on before the show started, once Bree got out on stage, everything else faded away. She was even able to let her frustration at Cat go so that the two women could sing together in harmony and even stand shoulder to shoulder while they sang some of the moreplex songs, the smiles on their faces not quite as faux, thanks to the music, as they otherwise might''ve been.


    The band sounded great, and the crowd was definitely enjoying the show. Bree could feel the energy from the audience pulsating throughout her body as she jumped up and down on stage, singing with all of her heart. By the time the concert was over, she felt like she was just getting started, and she didn''t want to go.


    They walked backstage, and Bree couldn''t help but grin at everyone as they waited for the encore. "You guys, that was awesome!" she said, randomly giving high-fives to anyone who would stick their hand out. "We sounded so good." "God, I''ll just be happy when this is over," Cat muttered. Her arms were folded again.


    "What?" Bree couldn''t believe her ears. "What do you mean? Weren''t you having a good time?"


    "No, I wasn''t having a good time," she spat. "It''s called acting. You guys are a bunch of jerks, and just being out on stage with you doesn''t mean that I''ve forgotten that." She red at the rest of their bandmates.


    Bree''s smile vanished. "Oookay..." she said, not sure what else to do. "Well, if you don''t want to y on thest song, I guess you can head back to the green room."


    "Oh, I''ll y. It''s my job to y, so I will, but I don''t want these assholes thinking I haven''t forgotten all the disgusting things they were saying about that other woman before we started."


    "We said she was hot, that she had a nice body, and she was smokin''. That''s it," Griffin said with a shrug that told Bree he didn''t think it was that bad.


    "You objectified her!" Cat retaliated. "You do that to every woman you see!"


    "Not to you," Chase muttered under his breath, causing Griffin and Dominic tough.


    Cat didn''t think it was funny. She growled at them.


    "Okay, guys, stop," Bree said, not really ming Chase for being rude under the circumstances. Cat seemed angry at nothing. "Let''s just finish the show on a high note, and we can meet in the morning to talk things over, okay?" "Fine," everyone agreed, but then Cat added, "not that it will make any difference."


    Bree couldn''t believe how disagreeable the woman was being. She''d never seen her like this before. She''d thought she was so sweet when she''d first met her, but now, she was being a real witch.


    The stagehands signaled for them to go back out for the encore. Bree let everything she was feeling about her bandmates go and stered a fake smile on her face. She hated the fact that the high she''d been feeling only a few moments ago was gone now, but she definitely wanted the audience to leave with good memories of a great show.


    Theyunched into thest song, which was "Meant to Marry Me" as usual. As they yed through it, most of the crowd sang along. Bree kept her energy up and the smile on her face. When they were done, she shouted, "Good night, St. Louis!" and waved before heading off stage.


    Unfortunately, this time, she didn''t have the enthusiastic smile like she did before. Cat had ruined that. Trent was waiting for her though. She headed over to him, and he enveloped her in a big hug. "You guys sounded awesome," Trent said. "Thank you." She''d wait until they got back to the hotel room to tell him what had actually happened. For now, she just hoped they could all get along on the ride back to the hotel without anyone shouting at anyone else. Shawna came over to lead them to the green room to get anything they''d left, telling them what a great show it would be. She said when they were ready, she would walk them out to the bus.


    The band grabbed their bags and other items they''d left and walked outside, not much more than a few words between any of them. Bree hated how the mood had changed. There had to be a way to fix it. "Thanks for all of your help tonight," Bree said to Shawna at the bus door.


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    "You''re so wee," Shawna replied with a wide smile. "I just love listening to y''all. I''ve always wished I could be in a band like yours, but so far, nothin''s panned out for me."


    "Really?" Bree asked, gooseflesh standing up on her arms. "Do you y any instruments?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yeah. I pick at the guitar and can y the fiddle a little." Bree nodded, thinking that was all she was going to say, but then she added, "I been yin'' piano since I was four, though. That''s my real passion." "You y piano?" Bree asked the woman, her eyes widening in surprise.


    "That''s right," Shawna assured her. "I love it. My dad taught me, and he yed in all sorts of bands before he retired a few years ago. He used to y here. That''s how I got this job. I keep hopin'' one of these days I''ll find a band that could use my skills, but so far, I''m just havin'' fun visitin'' with all the musicians whoe in. Anyway, I''ll let y''all head back to the hotel. We''ll see you tomorrow."


    "Yeah, I''ll see you tomorrow," Bree agreed, knowing she still needed to make sure to text Shawna about their ns. She definitely wanted the girl to go with them, wherever they were going. And she just might be able to solve a huge problem she was having and make Shawna''s dreamse true all at the same time.

 Up and Away

    Standing on the grounds and looking up at the Gateway Arch with Trent''s hand in hers was much different than it had been the day before when Bree had been there with her bandmates. She''d been angry at Cat and frustrated at Zach. Now, she was still upset at Cat, but Zach was with her, and she was pretty happy with him.


    Especially since he and Shawna seemed to be hitting it off so nicely. The girl they''d met the night before at the club had been a little hesitant toe along with just the three of them, but Bree had managed to talk her into it, and now, after having gotten to know one another over ate breakfast, here they were, getting ready to go up into thendmark.


    "Have you been up there before?" Zach asked Shawna.


    She shook her head. "I''ve only lived here a few months. Pretty much everyone who lives in St. Louis has been up so many times, they don''t want to go again, so I didn''t really have anyone to visit with."


    "Well, now you do," Bree said, patting her on the shoulder. She was really enjoying talking to Shawna. She''d told them all about the little town in Georgia she''d grown up in, how her dad had taught her how to y piano, as well as the other instruments she''d listed off the night before. She said piano had always been her favorite.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Zach had caught Bree''s eyes at the mention of Shawna''s passion, and Bree had smiled in return, trying to let him know they were on the same wavelength. It would just be tricky going about making the switch. Unless Cat quit of her own ord, then, it wouldn''t be a problem bringing on whomever they liked.


    The trip up inside of the arch was a lot different than Bree expected it to be. They rode a little cart that was sort of like a miniature elevator. The windows were tiny slits, and she swore she could feel the entire building swaying in the wind. Once they reached the top, there was anding, and they all got out to explore, though there wasn''t much to see. They could look out the windows again, and since it was a clear day, the view of the St. Louis skyline was pretty amazing. Other than that, it wasn''t as thrilling in real life as Bree had thought it would be when she was imagining it in her mind. Still, it was worth the time and something she''d never forget.


    Eventually, they boarded the elevator and went back down. Bree was d to be back on solid ground. "Have you been to the museum?" Shawna asked. "They have some interesting animatronics from Missouri state history."


    Since none of them had done that either, they decided to go, and Bree thought it was interesting. It was sort of like the Hall of Presidents at Disney World, only with historical figures that were important to St. Louis and the surrounding area. After they had lunch at a local restaurant, Shawna suggested they get ice cream and go for a walk down by the river. That sounded romantic to Bree, and she was quick to agree. Soon enough, she found herself walking hand in hand with Trent as she licked a strawberry ice cream cone. Looking at Zach and Shawna walking next to each other several feet away her, having their own private conversation brought a smile to her lips.


    A steamboat paddled by on the river, and she and Trent stopped to watch, his arm around her. "Do you feel like you''ve stepped back in time?¡± he whispered in her ear.


    "No, not exactly. But it is cool."


    Heughed and kissed her cheek. Bree nuzzled against him, happy to have his arms around her. She heard a loud chuckle from a bench a few feet away and nced over to see Zach and Shawna sitting next to each other,ughing like they''d known each other their entire lives.


    "Good call on that one, babe," she said to Trent. "Now, if we can just get Cat to see that she doesn''t belong in the band and hire Shawna, we''ll be all set."


    "That might not be so easy," Trent reminded her.


    "I know," Bree said with a sigh. "But... we''ve been lucky so far. Maybe it will continue." She gave him a smile and turned her attention back to the melting ice cream in her hand. If only problems were so quick to melt away.

 Quitters Never Win

    The moment she sat down on the bus, it was clear to Bree that the others had not had such a good day. Cat had her arms folded and that disgusted look on her face, while the remaining guys who were supposed to have spent the day with her seemed fed up and annoyed.


    It would''ve been easier to let it go, but Bree had to ask what their day had been like since she was hoping Cat would call it quits before too much longer. So, she sat down next to Cat and asked, "Did you guys have fun today?" "No, we did not have fun," she said, ring at Bree. "I can''t believe you bailed on me again."


    "What do you mean? I told you yesterday I wasn''t going with you today. I wanted to go up into the arch."


    "You could''ve done that with us yesterday."


    "But I wanted to see it with Trent. What was wrong today?"


    Cat shook her head and pressed her fingers to her forehead. "Nothing. I don''t want to talk about it. I ended up leaving before lunch."


    "Really? Wow. That doesn''t seem like much time at all."


    "No, it wasn''t. They''re all assholes. I can''t stand them."


    "So... how are you going to y in a band with them tonight?" Bree asked.


    Cat shrugged. "What choice do I have? I''ll tell you what, Bree, as soon as Zach quits, I seriously think we should consider recing everyone else, too."


    "Are you being serious right now?" Bree asked. "You think I need to rece everyone else in the band?"


    "Yes! Rece them with females. That way, we''re sure to all get along."


    "Cat, no offense, but it''s not as if you and I have been getting along thest few days."


    ¡°What are you talking about? Yes, we have. Any problems we''ve had have stemmed from them." She said that loud enough to get eyes from a few of their bandmates turning in her direction.


    "Cat... I am not recing the entire band. I''m sorry, but I can''t get rid of everyone else because you don''t want to get along with them."


    "Don''t want to get along with them? Bree, I''ve done everything I can to try to get along with them. They''re a bunch of chauvinist pigs!"


    "Are you talking about us?" Griffin asked from a few seats away.


    "Nobody is talking to you!" Cat shouted back.


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    "Calm down, Cat," Bree said. "It''s fine, Griff."


    "No, no it''s not!" Cat spat back. "I was just telling Bree how awful you three were today and how I had to leave before lunch because I couldn''t put up with your bullshit anymore!" "Well, maybe if you weren''t high as a kite before breakfast," Chase said.


    "What''s that?" Bree had heard what he said, but he had no idea what he was talking about. Was Cat doing drugs? Was that why her behavior and personality were so erratic? Had she been on the phone with her dealer when she''de out of the bathroom the night before?


    Cat red across the bus at Chase. "Nothing. He''s just being a douche--again."


    "Cat, have you been doing drugs?" Bree was beginning to put a bunch of pieces to the puzzle together.


    "No, Bree. Oh, just a little pot. Bute on, we all do that."


    "We don''t all do that."


    "It wasn''t pot, Bree. She was smoking meth this morning. She does it all the time," Dominic said.


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    "Bullshit!" Cat spat. "Bree, do I look like a meth head to you?"


    "I don''t know," Bree said. "I don''t think I''ve ever known a meth head before."


    "Well, I still have all of my teeth!"


    "For now," Griffin muttered.


    Cat spun on him and started yelling curse words at him, but Bree wasn''t listening. She''d already locked eyes with Trent and knew what she needed to do. "Cat, we can''t have someone who openly does drugs of any kind in the band. I know that''s par for the course for a lot of musicians, but not in my band. I''m sorry, but we''re going to have to let you go."


    "You can''t be serious!" Cat eximed. "Bree, are you sure you want to do this, right before we take the stage? What makes you think you even have the authority to do that?"


    "I definitely have the authority." Bree folded her arms with conviction. "We''ll be fine. I''ve yed all of these songs with just my guitar before and made it work."


    Cat was so angry her eyes were slits. "You''re going to be sorry you made this decision."


    They pulled into the parking lot, and Bree saw Shawna stepping out of the same door as the night before,ing to greet them. "Maybe," Bree said, "but... I doubt it."

 Cats Out of the Band

    The bus had barely stopped when Cat got up from her seat, stalked to the door, and got out, walking several steps away and pulling her phone out of her pocket. Bree assumed she was calling a ride back to the hotel, or maybe she''d take a rideshare all the way back Nashville. Bree didn''t care. She''d even pay for it, as long as she was able to get the negative influence out of her band, and out of her life. Cat''s erratic behavior made sense now. She''d been doing drugs this whole time! Bree felt dumb for not realizing it, but she didn''t know anyone else who did drugs and didn''t know the signs.


    Following Cat out the door, Bree noted the confused expression on Shawna''s face. "Is everything okay?" the girl asked.


    "No, not even a little bit," Bree replied with a sigh. The rest of the band got off of the bus, all of them looking morose. "Shawna, how would you like to y with us tonight?"


    Shawna''s eyes widened. "Are you serious?" she asked, looking over Bree''s shoulder to Zach, who was standing a few steps behind Bree.


    "Yes, I''m serious," Bree assured her. "It''se to my attention that Cat has been partaking in some illegal activities I don''t want my band members participating in, so she''s been asked to leave the band."


    The woman stared at her for a long time, her mouth agape. "Oh, uh... well, I''d love to y with you. I''m just not sure if...."


    "If what?" Zach asked, stepping forward with an encouraging smile. "You know all of the songs don''t you?"


    "Well, yeah...." Shawna shrugged, a glimpse of a smile starting to appear on her pretty face. "But... are you sure?"


    "Positive," Bree said with a sharp nod. "We would love for you to y with us."


    Before Shawna had a chance to answer, a car came speeding into the parking lot and pulled up next to Cat. She flipped them all the bird and then got in the vehicle, which Bree assumed was a rideshare car she''d paid to drive extra fast, and then they sped away.


    Shawna watched the car leave the parking lot and then said, "I don''t want to leave y''all hangin''. I''ll have to ask my boss."


    "Yes, of course, but Shawna, if this works out, we''d love to have you full-time." Bree heard some of her bandmates'' shocked gasps at thatment, but she had a feeling none of them would object once she talked it over with them. Again, the girl was at a loss for words. She stared at Bree for a moment and then said, "That would be amazing. I can''t even.... I''ll ask."


    A grin spread across Bree''s face at her reaction, and as Shawna came back down to earth and started to lead them across the parking lot, back to the green room, she had to hope this meant all of her recent problems would be solved. Once Shawna had deposited them into the green room and left to go speak to whomever she needed to in order to get permission to y with them, Chase came over and said, "Hey, Bree... what are you doing?"


    "It''s perfect, isn''t it? We need a keyboard yer. Shawna ys keyboard. It''s a godsend."


    "It seems like maybe you knew that already, though," Griffin noted.


    Bree shrugged. "Maybe. But what difference does it make? Cat is the one who has been stirring up trouble for thest few weeks, and now she''s gone, and Shawna is so nice." "Didn''t you think Cat was nice when you first hired her?" Dominic asked.


    "Yes, but I know Shawna is nice. I''ve spent some time with her. She''s great, isn''t she Zach?"


    Zach looked up as if he was surprised to hear his name. "Oh, uh, yeah. She''s awesome. She''ll be great to have in the band."


    "Are you doing all of this just because Zach went out with her today?" Chase asked, folding his arms.


    Bree let her mouth fall open. "What? No! Why would that matter?"


    "Because you want him to stay in the band," Griffin said with a grin on his face.


    "Don''t you want him to stay in the band?" she countered, cing her hands on her hips.


    "Of course I do," Griffin said.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Then... I don''t see the problem." Bree had a twinkle in her eye as she smiled at the boys. What could they say to argue with her?


    A few secondster, the door opened, and Shawna popped in. Bree couldn''t read her expression, but she prayed it was good news, and the girl would be ying with them that night.

 Light Up the Dark

    Holding her breath, Bree waited for Shawna to tell them what her boss had said. Would she be able to y keyboards with them in the band that night?


    "He said... I could," she said with a big smile.


    "That''s great news!" Bree eximed, hugging the woman, even though she really didn''t know her that well. "Let''s get you up to speed. Is there a keyboard somewhere we can use to practice?" "Yeah, there''s one in the closet. Can some of you guys help me?"


    "Sure." Zach was the first one to jump in to help, and Griffin volunteered, too. A few minutester, they had a keyboard set up in the green room, and Bree and Zach were going over chord progressions with Shawna. She caught on very quickly to the newer songs, and she did already know all of the older ones. By the time another stagehand came to tell them it was time to take the stage, Shawna was ready to go. She wouldn''t be able to y any of the solos Cat usually added in, but she knew enough to get by.


    But she was nervous. Her hands were shaking as she headed toward the door. She wiped them on her skirt. "You''ll be fine," Bree assured her. "Just stick to the chords, and don''t worry about anything else. You''ve got this." "I sure hope so," Shawna said, under her breath.


    "I know so," Bree assured her, putting her arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze.


    Trent gave Bree a hug and kissed her quickly. "Have fun," he said. "I''ll be on the front row--as usual."


    "Thanks," she said, crossing her fingers and holding them up to show him she was hoping all went well. She had a feeling that it would.


    Shawna walked on stage just ahead of Bree, who was always thest one on, and the band started ying. When Bree took the microphone in her hand and broke into the first song, the crowd roared. She turned to look over her shoulder at Shawna and saw that the nerves she''d been showing earlier seemed to have melted away.


    Bree''s smile was genuine as she got into the beat of each song. Gone were the worries of thest few weeks--that Zach might leave, that Cat might start trouble--and she was certain the band sounded better than it ever had before. Halfway through the show, Bree went over to Shawna and said, "You''re doing great!"


    "Yeah?" she asked, giving Bree a broad smile. "Are you sure?"


    "Yes! Keep it up. You''re amazing!"


    That made Shawna smile even more, and when they started the next song, she went from just ying the chords to really getting into it and ying more riffs and melodies. Bree loved it and encouraged her with a smile from the microphone. Shawna grinned back at her, and Bree truly felt like they''d just found the perfect addition to their band.


    At the end of the show, before they went out for the encore, everyone gathered around Shawna and congratted her, hugging her and telling her how awesome she was. Bree was thrilled that the rest of the band seemed to like her as much as Bree did. Zach was beaming, and when Shawna looked at him, it was clear she liked him as much as he liked her.


    "All right, let''s send this show into history with the best encore performance ever!" Bree said, leading them back onto stage.


    Just as the guitarists picked up their instruments, Dominic grabbed his sticks, and Shawna poised her fingers above the keys, there was a weird draining sound as all the lights went off, and the entire arena was left in ck. "What the hell?" Griffin said somewhere behind her.


    "I don''t know, but we need to assume the worst, that this is some sort of attack, and be cautious," Zach said,ing over to Bree and herding her toward Shawna as if he intended to shield the women with his body. Phones turned into shlights, and Bree saw Trent standing right in front of the stage, along with security. She had no idea what to think, but the fact that she could see him made her feel more at ease.


    A few momentster, a stagehand came out. "Someone cut all the electricity to the entire building! It''s crazy! The electricpany said it''ll take a few hours to get things back up and running. It looks like y''all have been sabotaged." One name came to mind. Bree shook her head. "Cat!" she murmured. At least she''d beente tounch her attack, and only one song had been affected.


    "What are we going to do? Just walk off without giving them an encore?" Chase asked.


    "No, we can ''t do that. Grab your acoustic guitar. Dom, can you y a soft beat without drowning us out?"


    "Sure, Bree," the drummer replied.


    "Got a fiddle?" she asked Shawna.


    "Yeah, and an upright bass." She signaled for the stagehand toe back, and he did. A few secondster, he exited quickly, and then came back with the two instruments Shawna had requested, someone else helping him carry them. Zach had an acoustic guitar as well.


    As soon as everyone was ready, Bree gave the signal, and they broke into an acoustic version of "Meant to Marry Me." The crowd, which had started to whisper, wondering what was going on, quieted at the sound of the familiar song, and many of them started to sing along with Bree.


    By the time they yed thest chord of the song, she had tears rolling down her cheeks. It was a beautiful rendition of her most famous song, and she was so d her band was able to put it together at thest second. It really spoke to their talent as musicians.


    "Thank you, St. Louis!" Bree shouted. "Have a good night! Be careful going home!" At least there were emergency lights along the aisles so that people could see to get out. She wondered if anyone even knew what the problem had been or if they thought it was all part of the show.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    As they walked out, Bree kept a smile on her face, but inside, she was already thinking she needed to have a little chat--with a Cat.

 Cops

    Bree wanted to confront Cat, to see if she''d admit to cutting the electricity to the club. But as soon as she walked out into the parking lot, she could tell that wasn''t going to happen.


    Reflection from the lights of a police car radiated off of every surface, including the bus, filling their fields of vision with red and blue. "I didn''t do anything!" she heard a familiar voice screaming, but the fact that Cat was in handcuffs and being escorted to the back seat of the police car made Bree think otherwise. Especially since she already had a good idea that it was Cat who had done the damage to the club.


    "That''s the owner," Shawna, who had been in the process of walking them out, said from behind Bree. "His name is Walt Folk. He doesn''t look very happy."


    A middle-aged man with his arms crossed stood shaking his head, talking to another police officer. Bree wondered if they had caught Cat red-handed or if she''d been in the process of getting away when they''d apprehended her. Either way, there was no way she was going to get out of this.


    She''d have to call Zelda as soon as she got a chance and ask her what she thought she should do. Ultimately, the recordingbel would be the ones to hire Shawna to rece Cat, but she had a good idea everything would go as she''d expected before she''d told Cat she didn''t want her ying with them right before the show even began, especially now. If Cat''s behavior was any sign of her mental state, she was probably on drugs right now.


    "Thank you for all of your help tonight," Bree said to Shawna, giving her a hug as they stood outside of the bus. Cat was in the backseat of the car now, so they could no longer hear her screaming, but a nce in her direction showed she was still acting erratically.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "You''re so wee. Thank you for asking me," Shawna said, hugging her back.


    "I''ll give you a call in the next few days, after I speak to our manager and the recordbel," Bree told her.


    "Sounds good. Thanks so much!" Shawna waved as Bree took Trent''s hand and headed up the steps to the bus. The rest of her bandmates were either already on or followed them, save Zach. He stayed behind and spoke to Shawna for a few seconds, both of them smiling at each other, and before he left, he hugged her, giving her a peck on the cheek.


    When Zach came in and sat down, Bree couldn''t help but smile at him, even though she didn''t say anything. It was hard to read his expression in the dark bus, which was only illuminated by the revolving blue and red lights.


    The bus pulled out of the parking lot. Bree settled against Trent, thinking it had been a great night, despite the obstacles they''d had to ovee. It was bing more and more clear that Cat wasn''t stable, whether because of her drug use or otherwise, and Bree felt like she''d made the right decision in letting the keyboardist go. She just wished she''d seen this side of her before she''d given her a spot in the band. She could''ve saved them all a lot of drama. About twenty minutes after they left the club, Bree slid over by Zach and asked, "So... are you still thinking about quitting the band?"


    "Are you still thinking about hiring Shawna to take Cat''s ce?" he asked, a huge grin on his handsome face.


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    "I would love to hire Shawna to take Cat''s ce," Bree replied, smiling back at him.


    "Then, no, I''m not going anywhere."


    "Good," Bree said, patting him on the leg. "I can''t tell you how happy that makes me."


    "She''s pretty special," Zach said with a wistful sigh.


    "I agree." Shawna seemed like the real deal--talented, sweet, and not at all erratic like Cat.


    "I think we need to be careful of Cat, though. She seems like she might not be done with her unpredictable behavior."


    "What do you mean?" Bree asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "I don''t know, but I wouldn''t put anything past her."


    "I think she''ll be in jail for the rest of the night," Bree noted. "Especially if she has drugs in her system."


    "True. But if she doesn''t, and she makes bail.... I''m just saying, be careful."


    Bree didn''t like the sound of that, but she was also pretty sure that Cat wouldn''t be released that night, even if she wasn''t on drugs. Maybe they all did need to be worried about Cat once they got back home, but she was confident she wouldn''t be getting out that night. Cat didn''t even know where Bree lived. Since she wasn''t on the lease, it would be hard for her to track. She refused to let the other woman worry her anymore. She''d already taken enough of a toll on Bree''s emotions.


    Bree moved back over by Trent. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "Are you okay?" he asked, next to her ear.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," she said, forcing a smile. Something about Zach''s warning stayed with her, even though she wanted to push it away. If Cat really was dangerous, she wouldn''t hesitate toe after Bree. Hopefully, she''d spend the night in jail and then get some help for her problems without doing any of her former bandmates anymore harm.

 Firemen

    The band decided to stop at a restaurant and get ate-dinner/early-breakfast on their way back to the hotel. Bree devoured a huge stack of pancakes. She was so hungry from all the drama, she could''ve eaten even more. The bandmatesughed and enjoyed each other''spany for the first time in as long as she could remember. She hadn''t noticed before how much drama surrounded Cat whenever she was with them, but now that she was out of the picture, everyone else seemed to breathe easier. It was like an invisible weight had been lifted from their shoulders.


    By the time they got back to the hotel, it was past two o''clock in the morning. Bree and Trent took a shower together, and then copsed side by side in bed, intertwined in each other''s arms. The smile on Bree''s face was genuine. She felt as if she was on the top of the world. Everything wasing together again, and she couldn''t wait to see what her band could do with Shawna ying alongside them instead of Cat.


    She''d been asleep for an hour or so when the strong stench of smoke awoke her, followed closely by the ring noise of a smoke rm.


    Bree opened her eyes, confused as to where she was and what all of the noise was about. Trent was awake, too. "Bree! Throw on some clothes!" he shouted, getting dressed himself. "The hotel is on fire."


    She could hardly believe what she was hearing, but her body reacted without her mind fully registering, throwing on shorts and a T-shirt that were near her bed. She slid her feet into some shoes as well. After only a few seconds, it seemed like the room was filling with smoke.


    Trent went over to the window. It was the kind that wouldn''t open. "Son of a bitch," he said. "We''re going to have to go out the door, Bree."


    The re of sirens from the streets outside let Bree know that help was on the way, but her eyes were stinging, and her lungs were burning. She didn''t think they''d have time to wait for the emergency vehicles and firefighters to arrive. The fire had to be nearby.


    Trent ran into the bathroom and wet some towels. He handed one to Bree. "Put this over your face. I''m going to see how hot the door is." He wrapped another wet towel around his hand and ced it on the door handle. Trent pulled his hand back immediately. "It''s zing hot," he said. "The fire seems to be right outside our door."


    "What do we do?" Bree asked, before she started coughing.


    "Bree!" she heard her name from the hallway, along with what sounded like a fire extinguisher.


    "It''s Zach," she said to Trent.


    "Hurry! I can''t keep it back long!" Zach shouted.


    "We have to go now," Trent told her.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Bree nodded, her eyes filled with tears, either from the smoke or fear--or both. Trent reached for the door handle again, pulling it open, and Bree looked out into a wall of mes, Zach standing there, shooting foam into the area around their door. Behind him, the hall was mostly clear, but they''d have to get through a wall of mes first.


    Before she realized what was happening, Trent picked her up and ran through the fire. Bree screamed, afraid they''d both ignite. The fire licked at her bare skin, her legs, arms, and hands feeling as if they were already aze. Zach emptied the extinguisher as they crossed out of the curtain of fire, and then hurried down the hallway to the stairs. Bree wanted Trent to put her down, but she knew he was operating on adrenaline now. They burst through the stairs that ultimately led down to the ground level, joining in with the crowd of people in their bathrobes and pajamas. Already, the pain from her burns was so intense, she had no idea how Trent was continuing to move if he had been burned half as badly. Smoke began to pour in through the door where they''d entered the stairwell as the fire threatened to chase them down the stairs. Trent and Zach kept running, longing for fresh air and relief from their burns. All Bree could do was pray they all made it out alive.

 Paramedics

    By the time they reached the parking lot, Trent''s legs were burning. Not from carrying Bree. She was light as a feather, but he had walked through the fire to get her out of the room, and he was pretty sure he''d sustained some damage because of it. He couldn''t slow down until he was sure she was out and safe, though.


    As soon as he saw an ambnce, he rushed over to it. The paramedics immediately moved to help Bree. Trent didn''t know if she was burned, too, but he had a feeling she must be. Everything started happening so quickly. She wasid on a gurney as the EMTs started to check her over, and he was rushed over to the back of an ambnce. An oxygen mask was fixed to his face.


    "Where does it hurt?" one of the ambnce workers asked.


    "Mostly my legs," Trent replied, not taking his eyes off of Bree. He could see that she had an oxygen mask on as well, and it looked like they were bandaging her hand. The idea of something happening to her fingers scared the hell out of him. She''d never y the guitar again! "Is she okay?" he asked the paramedic.


    "I''m not sure,¡± the man said. "But right now, I''m worried about you. You have second degree burns on your legs. We need to take you in and treat these."


    "Second degree?" Trent knew his legs were burned and they hurt, but he had no idea it was that serious.


    They wheeled Bree over toward the ambnce he was sitting on as more pulled up. There were several others treating patients with smoke inhtion. Zach had some burns, too, from the looks of it, but as far as Trent could tell, it didn''t look like anyone else had been burned.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "We need you to get into the ambnce. Can you do that under your own power?" another EMT asked him.


    Since they were loading Bree up already, Trent nodded. "Yes, I can do that."


    "Good. We''ll take you to the hospital and have you checked out. Hopefully, both of you only have minimal injuries, and you can be released within a few hours."


    Trent also hoped that was the case. He had so many questions. Why would someone set a fire right outside of their hotel room? Had it been Cat? Surely, she was still in jail for tampering with the electricity at the club. Was it possible she got out, and she had done this?


    He couldn''t think about that as he looked over at Bree and saw that she was struggling. The paramedics were working on her, and he heard one of them say, "This should help with the pain," as she put something into an IV they must''ve hooked up when Bree was still outside of the ambnce.


    "Are you okay, Bree?" he asked, wishing he could reach over and touch her.


    Her eyes were slitted, her nose wrinkled, and she looked as if she was fighting back tears. When she turned her head to look at him, he winced. She tried to hide it, but her eyes couldn''t lie to him. She was in agony. "I''m okay. Just burned my hand somehow."


    He''d thought her hands had been tight around him, or around the wet washcloth. How had that happened?


    "We''re going to go ahead and start an IV before the ambnce starts to move," one of the paramedics who had been bandaging his legs told him. "It might make you a little tired. Hopefully, you won''t be in pain much longer. "Okay," Trent said, but he knew there was nothing they could do about the pain he was feeling, the pain he felt in his heart at seeing Bree in such a state. If someone did this on purpose, that person would have hell to pay. Someone closed the ambnce doors, and Trent felt the vehicle start to move forward. He closed his eyes, doing his best to listen to the paramedics as they discussed how both of them were doing, but he knew the medicine was taking effect because he was so tired. He never would''ve imagined when he''d gone to bed a few hours ago, Bree in his arms, that he''d be waking up to something like this.


    Opening his eyes, he looked over at her one more time. She appeared to be asleep. He prayed she was, that she was resting, and that when she woke up in the hospital, everything would be okay. The idea that she might never y the guitar again hurt him almost as much as the idea that somewhere out there was someone so evil they would purposely endanger the lives of hundreds of people sleeping in a hotel. That kind of evil needed to be locked up and the key tossed away where it could never be found again.

 Doctors

    Confusion washed over Bree as she opened her eyes and couldn''t remember where she was. She heard a beeping and looked around. The gauze on her hand reminded her of what had happened. She was in the hospital. The hotel had caught on fire, or had been set on fire, and she and the others had had to run for their lives. She prayed no one had been hurt or, God forbid, killed.


    A few moments after she awoke, the door opened and a nurse walked in. The middle-aged woman dressed in green scrubs wore a soothing smile that implied she had just the sort of bedside manner one would look for in a nurse. "There she is. I was wondering when you mighte around. How you feelin'' Miss Bree?"


    The woman''s demeanor made Bree feel better immediately. "Okay," she said, her throat dry. "Where''s Trent?"


    The nurse, whose name tag read Raneisha, helped Bree to get a sip of water from a cup on a table near her bed. "He''s in the process of being discharged, honey. He should be in in a few minutes, once he''s done with all the paperwork. We''ll need to keep you a bit longer, let Dr. Holloway look at your hand again. He may want to send in a specialist."


    "A specialist?" Bree asked. She took another sip of the water through a straw, the cold drink feeling good against her rough throat.


    "Yes, honey. You''ve got some pretty bad burns on your fingers, and they think they may need to do a skin graft. I''ll let him exin it to you, though."


    Bree raised both eyebrows. She had no idea it had been that bad. She vaguely remembered sticking her hand out as they went through the doorway, and that it had hurt something awful, but she didn''t realize it was so bad. "Can I get you anything else? How''s your pain?"


    "I''m fine, thank you," Bree said. She felt a little nauseated, but she didn''t know if that was because of the injury or the news she''d just gotten.


    "Okay, sugar. I''ll go let the doctor know that you''re awake, and then he''lle in and check on you. Okay?"


    "All right. Thank you," Bree said. As Raneisha walked out the door, Bree couldn''t focus on anything. She had tears in her eyes as she thought about what it might be like to have to have surgery on her hand. It was her left hand, too, the one she used to finger all of the chords on her guitar. Granted, she hadn''t been ying the guitar much thest few months, but she still couldn''t imagine her life without being able to y.


    She was so upset, she didn''t hear the door open until Trent''s voice sounded. "Hi, baby. How are you?"


    Looking up, she saw his face, and the tears were unstoppable. "Trent...."


    "Oh, baby. It''s okay." He came over to and wrapped his arms around her. "It''ll be all right."


    "Will it, though? What if they can''t fix my hand? What if it''s so badly burned I can never y again?"


    "They''ll fix it, Bree. I know they will. And... I know you. You''ll never give up."


    That much was true--if it was possible for her to learn to y again, she definitely would. Bree swiped at her tears. "I''m sorry...."


    "Don''t be sorry," he said, brushing her hair back. "You have every right to be upset."


    "Still... it could''ve been so much worse. Do you know if anyone was killed?"


    "No one died," he assured her. "No one else was injured, except for some smoke inhtion, and Zach had a few minor burns, but he was treated on the scene and released. The band is all out in the waiting room." "That''s nice of them," she said, finally getting her tears under control.


    "They''re all worried about you. So''s the crew. As soon as they let you go, we''ll head home, okay? There wasn''t much left of our stuff from the hotel."


    Bree shook her head. She hadn''t taken anything too important, but she hated to hear that.


    The doctor knocked on the door and pushed his way in. "Hi there, Miss Matthews. I''m Dr. Holloway. I''m here to look at your hand."


    "Hi, Dr. Holloway," Bree said.


    "Do you want me to wait outside?" Trent asked the doctor.


    "No, it''s fine for you to stay, if it''s all right with Miss Bree."


    "Of course," she said, forcing a smile at Trent. He still moved aside, and she noticed he had a few bandages on his legs.


    Dr. Holloway unwrapped her hand, and studied, turning it over gently. Bree decided to look, even though she was scared to. Three of her fingers were in horrible shape. Most of the skin was burned on all but her thumb and pinky. She had to look away. Whatever medicine they were giving her must be awfully powerful because it didn''t really hurt at the moment.


    He shook his head. "I can get a second opinion from one of our specialists, but I think it''s safe to say, you need a skin graft, Miss Matthews. My understanding is that you don''t live here, though, is that right?"


    "No, I live in Nashville."


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    "My suggestion would be that you are transferred there for the procedure. That way, you can recover closer to home."


    "Can''t I just ride back on my bus with my band?"


    "You could do that, but you''ll need to go straight to the hospital. I can give you some medicine to keep you out of pain for a few hours, but I can''t guarantee it willst too long. If you go by ambnce, we can treat you the whole way. Do you have insurance?"


    Bree nodded, she did. "Yes, but I think I''d rather go with my band."


    "Very well then. I''ll go ahead and discharge you and call my friend Dr. Rook in Nashville. She''s a specialist. If anyone can help you, it''s Dr. Rook."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Thank you, Doctor," Bree said, and he rewrapped her hand before he made some notes on her chart and then left.


    Bree tried not to cry as she looked at Trent. "Sounds pretty serious."


    "It does. But it''ll be all right," he said, kissing her on the head.


    Bree wanted to believe him, but it was hard. With tears in her eyes, she rested her head on Trent''s shoulder, praying she''d y the guitar again.

 Surgery

    The medication Dr. Holloway gave her helped a lot with the pain, but by the time Bree got home to Nashville, her fingers were beginning to throb again. The bus took them back to the recording studio. Trent had to help her down the steps as the pain was starting to make her light headed.


    Zelda and several others were there to greet them "How are you dear?" her manager asked, not touching her, buting close. "Are you okay?"


    "I am," she said, "but I think I need to get to the hospital."


    "Yes, of course. We just wanted to make sure you know we love you and are here to support you."


    "I appreciate that so much," Bree said with tears in her eyes as Trent steered her through the small crowd toward his truck so he could take her to the hospital. She knew that he would get her to Dr. Rook as soon as he could so that the pain could be alleviated, and she could have the surgery Dr. Holloway had rmended.


    Trent picked her up and put her in his truck, which she didn''t think waspletely necessary, but it was a testimony to how much he loved her. He buckled her seat belt and then came around to get behind the wheel.


    As happy as she was to be back in Nashville, Bree closed her eyes instead of looking at the city as it flew by out the window, something she normally loved to do.


    She must''ve dozed off because, before she knew it, Trent was pulling into the parking lot of the hospital they''d been told to go to. He helped her out of the truck, and they went inside, asking for Dr. Rook at the front desk. "You must be Bree?" the nurse asked with a sweet smile. "We''ve been expecting you. Right this way."


    She escorted Bree to a private room. ''If you''ll put on this gown, I''ll let Dr. Rook know you''ve arrived, and she''ll be right in."


    "Thank you," Bree said, waiting for the nurse to leave and close the door behind her before she started to change. She was d Trent was there to help her. With her burnt hand, it was harder than she would''ve ever expected to get out of the T-shirt and shorts the band had bought her while she was in the hospital in St. Louis. They''d wanted her to have something that didn''t smell like smoke and wasn''t pajamas.


    With Trent''s help, she got into the gown and onto the bed about the time there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Bree called.


    Dr. Rook was a petite woman with dark ck hair. When she spoke, Bree could tell her ent was Korean, "Miss Matthews. It''s nice to meet you. How are you feeling?"


    "It''s nice to meet you, too," Bree said. "I''ve been better."


    "I bet, I bet. Is it hurting right now?"


    "Yes," Bree said definitively as the doctorid her hand on a raised table next to the bed and unwrapped it.


    The face Dr. Rook made when she looked at her fingers wasn''t reassuring. "Oh, yes. You definitely need surgery, dear. This doesn''t look good at all." She turned Bree''s fingers over a few times, being gentle, as she examined the burns. "We will need to get this taken care of before an infection sets in."


    "Okay," Bree said, epting her fate. "How long will it take?"


    "Not too long. You''ll be out the whole time, of course. I think less than two hours. It''s a delicate surgery in this case because it is your fingers. But I can do it. We''ll take some skin from your thigh, remove the burned skin, and then rece it with the new skin."


    "And will I have to spend the night in the hospital?"Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    "Normally, I would send you home, but considering the traumatic events you''ve been through recently, I will keep you overnight. When was thest time you ate or drank anything?"


    Dr. Holloway had warned her not to eat anything before she got to the hospital. "I haven''t eaten sincetest night. I had a few sips of water on the way here."


    "That''ll be fine. All right. I''ll go check on the avability of an operating room, and we should be able to get started soon, okay?"


    "Great. Thank you so much, Doctor."


    Dr. Rook smiled at her, nodded at Trent, and then left. Bree rested her head back and took a deep breath. She''d never had surgery before, and she was scared. "It''ll be fine," Trent assured her. "Remember when I had my tonsils out? Like that."


    Sheughed. She did remember when he''d had his tonsils removed. They''d been in junior high at the time, and he had gotten to eat ice cream for two weeks. She thought his surgery was a lot faster than this, though, more like twenty minutes. Still, she felt reassured. "I know it''ll be okay, I''m just nervous."


    "I''ll call your parents and let them know what''s going on." She''d already talked to them once. They had wanted to make the drive from Kentucky immediately, but she''d insisted they stay home. Trent brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.


    Smoke from her hair made her cough, and she wished she would''ve been able to take a shower before she came to the hospital, but that had been out of the question. "Thanks. I love you."


    "I love you, too, and I''ll be waiting when you''re out of surgery."


    He''d barely finished the sentence before the nurses were back to prepare her for surgery. Bree took a deep breath and told Trent goodbye. This was something he couldn''t hold her hand through, but it still made her feel more calm to know that he''d be there when she opened her eyes--when it was all over.

 Waiting Room

    Trent sat in the waiting room with his hands folded and his elbows on his knees. A nurse hade out a few minutes ago to tell him that the skin graft was going well, that they''d removed the skin from Bree''s thigh and they were getting ready to start working on her hand. He was d to hear everything was going as nned, but the entire situation made him nervous. He wished it was him in there instead of her.


    Even though he''d been the one to run through the mes, the burns on his legs were not that serious. The doctor had given him some cream to apply a few times a day and to keep it covered for about a week. He thought he''d make a full recovery, though there might be some superficial scars.


    Bree, on the other hand, was in surgery. How had this happened?


    He actually knew the answer to that question. He knew Cat had started the fire. She had to be the one behind it. No one else was that angry at Bree. He knew that Zach had talked to the police and told them that he thought that Cat was behind it, and they were looking into it. They''d found out she''d been able to post bond pretty quickly and was actually out at the time the fire was set--and it was definitely set. The fire department was calling it arson. He hoped Cat would be charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and get locked up for so long she''d never see the light of day again. Clearly, she had something very wrong with her.


    His phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw that it was Bree''s mom again, wanting an update. He couldn''t help but smile because it had only been about ten minutes since he''d sent thest text. He appreciated how much Bree''s parents loved her. Answering, he assured her, "Everything is still going well."


    "Oh, Trent I still think we should head that way," Judy said.


    "I know, but she really wants you to wait," he reminded the worried mother. As soon as she''s out of surgery, I''ll let you know." Reluctantly, Judy agreed and disconnected the call. He had a feeling she''d be calling back in ten minutes or less.


    d to have the small waiting area to himself, Trent put the phone back in his pocket and ran his hands through his hair. He still smelled smoke every time he did that. He couldn''t wait to get home and take a shower, to sleep in his own bed, with Bree. Hopefully, she wouldn''t have any trouble sleeping since she''d been awoken so abruptly thest time. He imagined the doctors would give her plenty of pain medication.


    Bree was so important to him. He couldn''t fathom his life without her. In fact, this situation made him think perhaps it was time he took things to the next level. Granted, he''d just been engaged to Monica a few months ago and had been within minutes of marrying her. But this was different. He knew without a doubt Bree was the one for him. Perhaps now was the time to start thinking about picking out a ring--and actually proposing, something he''d never done before since Monica had basically just decided they were going to get married.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As he was contemting rather or not it was too soon to move forward, a nurse came out. "The surgery is over, Mr. Walker. They''ll take Bree to recovery, and you''ll be allowed to see her soon. She''s doing well. I''lle back and get you as soon as she''s awake."


    "Thank you," Trent said, feeling relief wash over him. Even though he''d known Bree was in good hands, it was wonderful to hear that she was okay. He sent a text to her parents to let them know the news and then sat back, taking a few deep breaths. He couldn''t wait to see Bree.

 Recovery

    Bree woke up groggy again, but this time, she knew exactly where she should be. A nurse was there to help her take a few sips of water. Her hand was still fairly numb, but she had some pain in her thigh. "I can give you something for that," the nurse assured her.


    A few minutester, the nurse returned with some medication for her. Bree rested her head back, hoping it started working before the pain got any worse. At least her hand wasn''t throbbing. "The doctor will be in to speak to you soon, but she won''t mind if I go ahead and let your boyfriend in, assuming you''d like to see him."


    "Yes, please," she said, a smile taking over. "Thank you."


    "Sure thing. I''ll be right back with Mr. Walker." The nurse patted her shoulder, and Bree began to rx. It seemed like the surgery must''ve gone just fine if they were letting Trent in already.


    When he walked in, she sat up, her smile widening. "Hey, beautiful," he said, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "How are you?"


    "I''m okay. A little tired,¡± she admitted. "How are you?''


    "I''m just fine. d you''re doing well. These are for you." He set the flowers across herp, and she breathed in the beautiful floral scents. "How does your hand feel?"


    "I can''t feel it yet at all," she said, hoping that was normal. He took a seat next to her bed on the side where he could hold her good hand. "But other than that, it''s okay. She gave me some pain medicine for my leg." "Is that hurting?"


    "A little," she nodded. It was more like an ufortable sensation at the moment. "The nurse said the doctor will be in soon."


    Trent smiled and said, "Well, I''m sure she''ll have nothing but good news to say. It looks like you came through the surgery with flying colors. And it only took a little over two hours, so that''s great."


    Bree nodded, though she wasn''t sure if that was good or not. "Sorry you had to sit there for so long."


    He shrugged like it was no big deal, but she knew, if the situation was reversed, she would''ve been going crazy the whole time.


    There was a brisk knock on the door, and then Dr. Rook walked in, smiling. "Bree, you''re awake. How is your hand?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Numb," she admitted.


    Dr. Rook''s head rocked back and forth. "That''s to be expected for a few more minutes. As the medications wear off, you should start to regain feeling, though. Let''s take a look."


    Gently, the doctor began to move Bree''s fingers around and asked her to do the same. Bree didn''t have any trouble moving her fingers, though they were stiff. It was odd not being able to feel everything she was doing, but she was getting some sensation of warmth back.


    After several minutes of examining her work, without unwrapping Bree''s fingers, Dr. Rook said, "It looks good to me, dear. We''ll keep you overnight to make sure there are noplications. The nurses will be in to change the bandages in a few hours, and I wille in tomorrow to check it over once more before we send you home. I think, with some good physical therapy and lots of practice, you will be able to regain at least ny percent of the movement in your fingers." "Ny percent?" Bree asked, her eyebrows arching as her mouth hung open. "But... I have to be able to y the guitar."


    Dr. Rook''s smile was sympathetic. "Hopefully, that will happen, but it will take some hard work and determination on your part. A lot of damage has been done to the nerves in the end of your fingers. Even with the new skin, there''s no guarantee of a full recovery. I am certain, though, as long as you have the will to do it, Bree, you will find a way." The doctor patted her reassuringly on the arm and then headed for the door.


    Bree didn''t tell her thank you or goodbye or anything, she was still too stunned to process what she''d just heard. She turned to Trent. "Ny percent?"


    "That''s good, Bree. I''m sure you can y the guitar with ny percent of your dexterity."


    He didn''t look that sure, and she didn''t feel it. She wanted to cry. How could this have happened to her? At least she could still sing. Still... ying guitar was part of who she was. She couldn''t imagine continuing with her career without being able to y. Trent''s phone rang, and he acted as if he would ignore it, but when Bree signaled for him to answer it, he pulled it out of his pocket. His forehead crinkled. "It''s Zach," he said.


    That seemed odd to her. Was Zach just calling to check on her? It was possible, but she got a chill that made her think it was something more.


    "Hello?" Trent said. "Yeah, she''s awake now. She''s doing pretty well. No, I haven''t heard anything. Why?"


    Bree watched as Trent''s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Her blood ran cold. What had Zach called to tell them? Did it have to do with Cat? She prayed Zach was saying Cat had been arrested again, but from the look on Trent''s face, she didn''t think that was the case.

 Wheres the Culprit

    "The police have footage of Cating in a side door, using her hotel issued key card, and she''s carrying what looks like an elerant in her hand," Zach was saying. Trent could hardly believe his ears. While he had been under the impression that it was possible Cat might have been responsible for this, hearing someone say there was proof of it was horrific. How would Bree handle hearing that someone she''d thought had been her friend had tried to kill her?


    "That''s... disturbing," he said, watching Bree''s eyes widen as she attempted to guess what he might be talking about. "But they haven''t found her yet?"


    "No. They are still looking for her. They think she might''ve caught a bus out of town, or maybe even hitchhiked. They have no record of her using rideshare, like they had when they arrested her for cutting the electricity off at the club. They were able to show that she took an Uber to do that."


    "What''s going on?" Bree asked him.


    Trent brought the phone away from his mouth. "Police have video of Cating into the hotel with an elerant," he said. Her eyes bulged, as her face morphed into a horrified expression.


    He patted her arm, but he had no idea how tofort her at the moment. Back in the phone, Trent said, "I''m shocked, Zach. Thanks for letting us know."


    "Sure. By the way, you can tell Bree, if you want to, that Zelda was asking me about who filled in for Catst night, and I told her all about Shawna. She wants to meet her. She said she heard from several people that Shawna had done a great job. It sounds to me like there''s a good chance we might have Shawna in the band permanently."


    "That will make her happy," Trent said, d he''d have some good news to tell his girlfriend. She looked like she was about to cry after what he''d just told her about Cat.


    "I''ll let you know if I hear anything else. Do you guys need anything?"


    "Thanks, man. I think we''re fine. The doctor wants to keep Bree overnight, so we''ll be staying in the hospital. At least I know she''ll be safe tonight for certain."


    "Yes, that''s a relief. If you need anything at all, give me a call."


    "I appreciate it." He told him goodbye and hung up, d Zach was willing to help out. It seemed like his role had changed rather quickly from antagonist to friend, but Trent wasn''tining.


    As Trent put his phone back into his pocket, Bree started asking questions about what Zach had to say. Trent repeated everything Zach had told him about Cat, which wasn''t much. When he was done, Bree didn''t look satisfied. "I''m sorry, babe.


    I wish I had more answers for you. But... Zach did say Zelda wants to meet with Shawna. She''s gotten good feedback about her, so there''s a good chance they''ll hire her."


    That brought a smile to Bree''s face. "That is good news," she said. "If we can get Shawna in the band, and Cat locked up for a few decades, life will be much better."


    Trent couldn''t help but grin at her. "I agree. But you need to get some rest. I sent your parents a text earlier that your surgery was over and everything went well, but I need to call them."Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "You''re so sweet. Thank you for taking care of that for me. I would love to speak to them, but I feel really tired all of a sudden."


    He could tell by looking into her eyes that she was tired. "I don''t mind at all. I''ll step outside in the hall to call them, okay? Why don''t you try to get some rest?" He stood and kissed her on the forehead. Bree closed her eyes and rested her head back, and Trent headed out the door, thinking she''d be just fine on her own for a few minutes.

 Sleep

    Sleep was a wee visitor as Bree rested her head back on the pillow, her eyes closed. The medicine was making her tired, so she decided to take a little rest while Trent was out calling her parents. He would be gone for a little while, so it only made sense that she should take the opportunity to get a little bit of sleep while he wasn''t in the room anymore.


    Reality and a dream state were starting to mingle. She thought she was back on the beach for a moment, Trent''s hand in hers as they stared at the waves, the bright blue overhead as the birds called to one another. She recalled how light her heart had felt as they decided they were going to be together forever. It had been one of the very best moments of her life.


    She thought she heard the door to the hospital room open, but she wasn''t sure, and then she heard the pounding of the ocean surf and the birds squawking overhead, and the sun on her face seemed more real than anything having to do with aching fingers and skin grafts.


    The sound of footsteps brought her eyes open for a second. She hoped it was Trent, back to sit with her, but she saw it was a nurse. The woman was next to her bed, maybe putting something into her IV. Bree''s eyelids were so heavy, she didn''t puzzle over it, though it did seem odd that the woman was dressed differently than the other nurses who had worked on her. While they had been wearing scrubs, their faces uncovered, this woman had an outfit on that looked more like a costume than something an actual nurse would wear, and she was wearing a surgical mask.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Too tired to worry about it, Bree turned her head and concentrated on the ocean again, hoping she''d soon be back on the beach with Trent.


    A warmth radiated up her arm. Was that the medicine the nurse had put into her IV? She didn''t remember the doctor saying anything about her needing more IV medicine. She wasn''t even sure why she needed an IV anymore. The warmth morphed into a burning sensation, and as Bree began to register perhaps something wasn''t right, she thought she heard the sharp whisper of "Take that, bitch."


    Footsteps headed toward the door as Bree did her best to open her eyes, but something was definitely wrong now. Was that even a real nurse? She fought to get a glimpse of the woman, but the drowsiness and the burning inside of her arm were overwhelming. She couldn''t get her eyes to cooperate at all. Fighting to open her mouth, she managed to say, "Trent!" but her cry might not have even be loud enough for him to hear if he was still in the room, which he wasn''t. Bree was certainly in trouble now, and there was nothing she could do to help herself. Like the pull of the moon on the ocean''s tides, she felt herself being dragged further and further away. Try as she might, she just couldn''t fight the urge to fall asleep....

 Fix Her

    Trent had only stepped away from Bree''s room for a few moments--probably not even two minutes. He''d only told her parents she was awake and doing fine and would be calling them after she took a little nap. But as he went back into her room, he had the strange feeling something wasn''t right.


    He nced down the hall, and someone caught his attention. A nurse, almost at the end of the hallway, dressed unlike any of the other nurses, with a familiar cadence to her walk, had his eyebrows arching.


    He pushed through the door. "Bree, are you awake?"


    She didn''t say anything, so he assumed she had fallen back to sleep, but the look on her face was concerning. She looked... pained. "Bree? Are you okay?"


    Trent looked at the machines and noticed a few of them were unhooked. Something was wrong--very wrong.


    Just then, the nurse from before came into the room. "What''s going on? Who unplugged her monitors?"


    "I don''t know," Trent said, stepping out of the way. "I went out into the hall to call her parents, and came back in to see.... Is she okay?"


    The nurse looked at Bree''s face. "Bree? Bree?" she called, shaking her. "No, something''s wrong." She pushed a button that Trent assumed called for help and then reconnected the monitors. It was clear that someone had done something to Bree. On the monitor, the beeping indicated her heart was racing.


    A flood of doctors and nurses came running into the room. Trent didn''t recognize any of them. He stepped back, letting the experts do their jobs, trying to stay as far out of the way as possible, while still keeping apprised of what was happening.


    They were shouting for different tools and medicines as the beeping on the monitor continued to speed up so that it was impossible to tell that there were any pauses between beats. The tone sounded like one continuous beep. "I''m going to have to ask you to step out into the hall, sir."


    It was the nurse from earlier. She had her hands on Trent''s arms.


    "What? No, I can''t. I have to stay with Bree."


    "Sir, I know it''s hard, but please, the doctors can work better without you in the room. It''s for the best."


    "I...." There was nothing more he could say. He did as she asked, but halfway out the door, he spun back to face her. "What''s happening? I don''t understand?"


    "I''m not sure," she said, but her eyes conveyed something more.


    "Did it have something to do with that nurse I saw in the hallway? The one that was dressed like she was wearing a Halloween costume?"


    The nurse''s eyebrows knit together. "What nurse is that?"


    "I don''t know. I don''t even know if she was in the room or not, but when I was walking back in, I saw her down there." He pointed in the direction where he''d spotted the women that didn''t seem to fit in, the one that walked a little too familiar....


    "I can go back and check the monitor. There''s a possibility we''ve got someone on tape. Do you think there''s someone who might want to hurt Bree?"


    "Yes! The same person who caught the hotel on firest night to kill her!" He didn''t mean to scream at the nurse, but if Cat had been in her room, who knows what might''ve happened to Bree.


    The nurse rushed off, and he saw her pick up a phone hanging on the wall. The next thing he knew, there was an announcement that the building was temporarily on lockdown. He looked through the window in the door to see the doctors working on Bree. Dr. Rook came rushing into the room, barely looking at Trent as she flew by. Once in the room, she did whatever the other doctor needed. She wasn''t a cardiac doctor, obviously, and whatever was wrong with Bree, it was her heart that was most concerning.


    In the distance, Trent heard sirens. That wouldn''t be too surprising at a hospital. But those weren''t ambnce sirens. Those were police cars.


    Tuning all of the chaos out, Trent focused on the window in front of him and prayed that Bree would be okay. What would he do without her? Tears began to stream down his face as he prayed they''d fix her.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 OR

    A nurse came out of the hospital room first, but Trent could tell she didn''t have anything to say that would make him feel better about the situation. She simply took him by the shoulders and walked him a little bit away from the door. "They''re moving her to the OR," the nurse said. "The doctors are still working on her, but they''re afraid they may have to open her up in order to see what damage is being done to her heart."


    Trent felt tears rolling down his cheeks as he ran a hand through his hair and tried to keep himself under control. "Open her up? Oh, God! Why?" he asked as the doors came flying open and they carted Bree off down the hall, the doctors shouting to each other as they moved her, along with a bunch of equipment Bree was hooked up to.


    The nurse followed them with her eyes for a moment before she said, "We think someone came into her room and drugged her. We''re not sure, but that''s what we assume must have happened. We don''t know what she might''ve been given, but once we figure that out, it will make it easier to treat her."


    Trent nodded, letting her know he''d understood what she''d said, even if he still couldn''tprehend it. "If they catch the person who did this, maybe she can tell them what she did. Or maybe she''ll still have evidence one her person." "That is certainly a possibility," the nurse said, her expression conveying that she might not be as hopeful as Trent was. "It appears as if her condition is stabilizing at the moment, but she isn''t out of the woods yet. If you''d like to follow me, I''ll take you to the waiting area near the OR."


    "Okay," Trent said, his feet moving even though he was still too shocked to truly think about where he was going. A few moments ago, he was reassuring her parents that Bree was fine and would go home tomorrow. Now, she was headed to the operating room in case they needed to cut her chest open and operate on her heart. How did this happen?


    They walked past the doors that said OR. Trent was thankful he couldn''t hear the doctors shouting to one another anymore, though part of him did want to know what was going on in there. For a second, his mind slipped to a dark ce, and


    he imagined what it would be like for Dr. Rook toe and tell him Bree hadn''t made it. He had to push those thoughts aside. The idea of losing her was something he just couldn''t fathom.


    "Here''s the waiting room," the nurse said, gesturing to a ce with five or six chairs near a window at the end of the hall. "If you''ll have a seat, we''ll let you know what''s happening as soon as we have an update."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Thank you," Trent said, but he couldn''t sit down. The nurse hurried off toward the operating room, and Trent let his eyes focus out the window.


    What he saw was almost as stunning as the scene he''d seen unfolding in the hospital room when the doctors had firste in.


    The police were interrogating a woman dressed in a nurses costume at the end of the parking lot. There was a car sitting there, a man inside. He looked bbergasted, like he had no idea he was helping a would-be murderer escape the scene of the crime. Even though she was wearing a wig, and despite the distance, Trent was certain he knew who he was looking at. It was definitely Cat.


    "Tell them what you did, Cat!" he said, grinding his teeth together in a silent prayer that she would cooperate. "Tell them what you did!" They needed to know what that bitch had put in Bree''s IV.


    Trent''s phone vibrated in his pocket making him realize he''d have to call Bree''s parents back. Should he do that now, or wait for an update? The nurse had sounded hopeful, but if something should happen to her... something irreversible... didn''t he owe it to them to tell them in time for them to get there? Would they even have a chance to get there in time?


    His eyes stayed glued to the scene outside as Cat was cuffed and slid into the backseat of a patrol car. An officer or a security guard of some sort was headed back toward the building at a fast pace. Trent hoped he was hurrying because he knew what the chemical was that Cat had given to Bree. Maybe Cat had finally done the right thing and tried to undo this. Even if it was just to save her own butt from murder charges, he didn''t care. He just wanted the doctors to have all of the information they needed in order to fix Bree.


    The police car drove away, and after a quick discussion with one of the officers, the man in what he could only assume was Cat''s rideshare car drove off, too. The scene in the parking lot dissipated, and Trent had no reason to keep standing there.


    He sunk into a chair, his head in his hands. This day had started off unbelievable, and it just kept getting worse. It was time for some good news. Bree had to be okay--she just had to be.

 News

    Minutes seemed like hours as Trent sat in the waiting room, praying that Bree would be all right, that he''d get an update soon, that her parents, who were on their way now, would arrive safe and sound. He''d had to tell them what had happened, even though it was difficult to articte. It would take them hours to make the drive. With any luck, Bree would be just fine by the time they arrived.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    It had only been about an hour since he''d moved to the waiting room, but it felt like days. The same nurse who had brought him here was headed toward him. Trent stood, wringing his hands as he tried to read her expression. She smiled as she approached, resting her hand on his arm. "She''s going to be okay. The doctors reached her in time. They were able to identify the chemical that had been injected and confirmed that with security who took a woman into custody who had a vial on her containing one of the drugs they suspected might be responsible for Bree''s reaction. Since they''ve been able to identify what was happening in her body, they were able to stop it and are working to correct the damage now."


    That sounded like good news, but Trent wasn''t sure it was all as positive as she was making it sound. "What damage?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.


    The nurse took a deep breath. "The chemical caused some reactions within her bloodstream, and part of it did reach her heart. One chamber of her heart sustained a bit of damage, but they didn''t have to open her up. They''ve administered a drug that should take the strain off of her heart and allow it to heal. She''s resting now, and the doctors want to keep her that way for a day or two so that she doesn''t have any unnecessary stress on her organs. She''ll be transferred to ICU as soon as they''re done stabilizing her, which should be a matter of moments. The police are in contact with the doctors, and they will be sure to post an officer outside of the door at all times. They''re certain they have the right woman in custody, but they want to take extra precautions in case she was working with someone else."


    Trent tried to take all of that in. While he didn''t think there would be any more of a threat to Bree as long as they kept Cat in custody this time, he wasn''t at all opposed to them cing security outside of her door. "When will I be able to see her?"


    With a small smile that told him she felt sorry for him, she said, "You can see her as soon as they get her moved to ICU, but she will be unconscious for at least the next two days as the doctors keep her in aa so that they can be sure that her heart is repairedpletely."


    He understood that. He just wanted to see her. "All right. Thank you."


    "Certainly. Is there anything I can get you in the meantime?"


    "No, I''m okay. Her parents are on their way here."


    "Good. She''ll be happy to see them when she wakes up. Is there anyone else I can call?"


    Trent shook his head. He''d make any phone calls that needed to be made, as soon as he had a chance to see Bree. "No, thanks."


    "All right. I''ll be back to get you once she''s moved to her new room." She patted his arm again, and Trent stumbled back to his chair before melting into it.


    This all seemed like a horrible nightmare, and it just kept getting worse. As if the fire wasn''t bad enough, then the surgery on her hand, and now.... Cat needed to be locked up for a very long time.


    At least they''d taken her into custody. With any luck, she would spend the rest of her life in prison. If Trent ever saw her again, he might just kill the bitch himself.


    The approach of footsteps had him looking up again, hoping it was the nurse. But it wasn''t. It was two police officers. He was certain they''d want to ask him questions about what he saw and whether or not it could''ve been Cat. He was sure now that it was, and he''d do whatever it took to get her thrown in the mmer forever.

 Still Beating

    The world was fuzzy, and everything seemed out of ce. Bree opened her eyes slowly, the beeps and whizzing sounds of machines letting her know she was still in the hospital, but she couldn''t remember why.


    She tried to move her hand and part of it came back to her. She remembered the fire, the surgery, and waking up worried about her hand. Nothing after that made much sense.


    "Bree, honey, are you awake?"


    She wasn''t expecting to hear her mother''s voice, but that''s exactly who was talking to her. Where was Trent? "Mom, what''s going on?"


    "Oh, thank God," her mother said. "We''ve been so worried."


    "You really gave us a scare, Bree," her dad said.


    Opening her eyes a little more, the room came into focus. "Why am I hooked up to all of these machines?"


    "You were poisoned, Bree," her mom, Judy, said, her fingers wrapped around Bree''s wrist, but she couldn''t really feel them. "Someone snuck into your room and gave you a deadlypound of medicines that almost killed you." Bree''s eyes opened wide in disbelief. "What? How did that happen?" She tried to remember someone being in her room, other than Trent, Dr. Rook, and the nurse, but nothing came to mind. She knew she was in a different room now, and the way her body ached, she could believe they''d had to do something fairly drastic.


    "Trent had stepped away to make a phone call, and this woman broke into your room, dressed as a nurse. She put the chemical in your IV." Her dad, Paul, looked worried. He was standing behind her mom''s chair, his hands deep in his pockets. "Who was it?" Bree asked, though she had an idea what the answer would be. Was it possible that Cat had managed to get all the way from St. Louis to Nashville after starting the hotel fire without getting caught, break into what should''ve been a secure area, get her hands on the drugs her parents spoke of, and try to kill her--again?


    Her parents exchanged nces, and Bree knew then, they had to be looking at each other that way because it was someone Bree knew, someone she''d trusted. "Was it Cat?" she asked quietly.


    Turning back around in her chair, Judy squeezed Bree''s arm. "Yes, dear. It was. They''ve got her in custody now, though. That''s where Trent''s at--he went down to positively identify her. He''d seen her in the hallway, from a distance, after the damage had already been done. So they wanted to get him toe down and make sure that the woman he saw was the same one they arrested.


    Bree let out a sigh. "Do you know what''s wrong with me?"


    "Not as much as it could''ve been. If Trent hadn''te back in as soon as he did, they might not have been able to resuscitate you at all. I''m sure the doctor will want toe in as soon as they know you''re awake, but the drug was supposed to cause you to go into cardiac arrest. We think, instead, it just made your heart weak. But over thest few days, it''s gotten stronger, so they were able to take you out of thea."


    "Few days?" Bree repeated, sitting up slightly before she got a head rush and had toy back on her pillow. "What do you mean?"


    Her dad sighed. "Sorry, honey. I guess we didn''t think about the fact that you wouldn''t know that. You''ve been in a medically induceda for thest two days. It''s Tuesday."


    "Tuesday?" She looked up at the ceiling. She''d lost two days of her life, thanks to Cat. She thought about all of the other things she could''ve lost. Even though she wished Trent was there with her, she was d that he''d gone down to help make sure Cat got locked up for a really long time.


    "Trent had been putting off going to the police station since Sunday evening when they first arrested her, but they wouldn''t be able to hold Cat much longer without his cooperation, so he left a few minutes ago, despite the fact that he wanted to be here when you opened your eyes." Her mom gave her a reassuring smile.


    "I understand," she said. The door opened, and a nurse came in, one Bree didn''t recognize. It made her nervous.


    "Don''t worry. There are police stationed outside of your door, and only doctors, nurses, and guests on the list are allowed to enter," her dad exined.


    That made Bree feel better. She looked at the nurse. "Not that you''re in any danger now that that woman has been arrested," Judy added.


    "How are you feeling, Ms. Matthews?" the nurse, whose name tag read Theodora, asked.


    "Tired," Bree admitted. "Everything is a little fuzzy."


    "That''s the medicine we''ve given to you so that you could sleep. I''ll let Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Rook know you''re awake. Dr. Nguyen has been treating you since your cardiac episode, but Dr. Rook has been by to check on you several times. She''s been very concerned."


    If you''re loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for theplete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you!


    That brought a small smile to her face. It was nice to know that Dr. Rook was so thoughtful. "Thank you," Bree said.


    "I''ll let them know you''re awake. Are you hungry? You can have some chicken broth or Jell-O."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "I''m not hungry right now," Bree said. Her stomach felt queasy. She just wanted to go home andy in bed with Trent''s arms wrapped around her.


    "Okay, well if you change your mind, just push the call button, and I''ll be in. Your vitals look good." Nurse Theodora patted Bree on the leg before she turned to head back out the door.


    Bree looked at her parents. "She''s been very attentive," Judy said.


    "Good. Will one of you text Trent and let him know I''m awake?" she asked.


    "I''ll do you one better," Paul said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "I''ll give him a call."


    Bree smiled as her dad stepped outside. He was old school when it came to things like that. Calling worked, too. She felt safe with her parents there, but she wanted to see Trent--needed to see him. That was the only way she''d know for sure her heart was still beating.

 Line Up

    Trent had put off going to the police station for a few days while he was waiting for Bree toe out of hera. When the officer he''d been in contact with, a sympathetic man a few years older than him named Det. Jessie Duke, had called him earlier that morning and said they needed him to identify the woman he''d seen in the hallway so that they''d have more evidence to keep her locked up for the time being, he''d had no choice.


    Now, he was sitting in a chair next to Det. Duke''s desk, waiting for him toe back and get him for the lineup. He checked the time on the clock behind him, again, and then his phone to see if he''d missed any calls or texts from her parents. There was nothing at the moment, so he stuck his phone back into his pocket and ran his hands down his face, realizing he hadn''t shaved that day when his fingers dragged against bristles.


    He''d only been there for a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. Swiveling in his chair, he looked around for Det. Duke but couldn''t see the man anywhere. His eyes blurred slightly. It had been several nights since he''d gotten any semnce of a good night''s rest. From the fire to the hospital, there was just no getting any rest these days, and he didn''t think he''d go to sleep again until after he knew for sure Bree was going to be okay.


    A few minutester, he spotted Det. Dukeing across the room. "Sorry for the wait," he said. "We''ve got the lineup set, though, if you''re ready."


    "Sure," Trent said, pushing up out of his chair and following the detective across the office space toward a hallway at the back of the room. Duke used his badge to ess the location. They walked down the hall, past a few doors, and then the officer paused, stroking his jaw.


    "In a second, we''ll go in. They won''t be able to see you because we''ll be behind a window that looks like a mirror to the suspects. You can take your time, look at all of them, and then, let us know if any of the women in the lineup look like the woman you saw fleeing the hospital."


    "Okay," Trent said. "But what if I recognize one of them because she used to be in Bree''s band?"


    "If it turns out that that is the woman we also caught fleeing the hospital, then there''s a good chance she''s the one that is responsible for what happened to Bree, especially if she is also the one who was arrested a few days ago for setting a hotel on fire and cutting the power to a nightclub."


    Trent nodded, happy with the exnation. He just wanted to make sure that the officer was straight he didn''t get a clear look at Cat when she was fleeing the scene at the hospital. She''d had her back to him, and all he''d seen was her hair and her costume. But he was certain, when he looked through the window, he''d see Cat standing there because he already knew she''d been arrested on these charges.


    Det. Duke patted him on the shoulder in a reassuring manner and then used his badge to open the door. Trent walked in. There was a wide window in front of him. An officer seated at a table behind the window pressed a button on a microphone. "Lead them in, please," he said and then let the button go.


    A few secondster, another door on the right side of the room Trent was staring at through the window opened, and a line of women walked through. Some of them appeared nervous. Others looked bored. He only spent a second looking at the other faces because, as the women fell into line, he saw Cat''s face and knew for sure that he didn''t need to look at anyone else.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The fact that she was here meant that she''d done it. Her hair looked the same now as it had when he''d seen her back hurrying down the hallway away from Bree''s room, and even though all six of the women before him were wearing the same orange jumpsuits, so there was no nurse''s costume to give her away, he knew it was her.


    Trent folded his arms, staring at Cat through the ss, wishing she could feel his eyes prating into her skull, wishing she could feel the hate rolling off of him.


    Looking into her eyes, he could see that she was frightened, that she probably hadn''t realized the enormity of what she was doing until it was toote. Either that or the woman was just crazy and hadn''t stopped to think about what she was doing. At all.


    Once the women were all in line, the officer behind the microphone told them to all turn to the right and then to the left, which they did. Trent didn''t need any of that, though. He knew for certain. "Number three," he said, folding his arms. With his heavy hand on Trent''s shoulder, Det. Duke asked, "Are you sure?"


    "Yes. I''m sure."


    The detective nodded. "Thanks, Ralph," he said to the officer by the microphone, pping him on the shoulders as he led Trent out of the small room and then back down the hallway.


    Over his shoulder, Det. Duke said, "I just need you toe and sign a few docs really quickly, and then you''ll be on your way."


    "Okay," Trent said, d it had been so easy and that it was over.


    Det. Duke opened the door that led back to the area where his desk was housed, and Trent followed as he threaded his way between other desks.


    Once they reached Det. Duke''s space, he gestured for Trent to resume his seat from earlier. Trent sank into the chair. As the detective pulled out some paperwork and started to fill it out, Trent realized his phone was ringing.


    He hastily pulled it out of his pocket. He saw that it was Bree''s dad, Paul. Without a word to the detective to excuse himself, he answered it. "Hello?"


    "Hey, Trent. It''s Paul. Bree''s awake. She''s feeling okay. Just asking about you."


    A long sigh came out of his mouth as he let the reality sink in. She was awake, and she was all right. "Good. Good. I''m almost done here, and then I''ll be back at the hospital. She''s okay?"


    "Yeah. I think she''s still a little woozy from the medication, but she''s fine."


    "All right. Thanks for letting me know."


    "Sure."


    Trent hung up and returned his attention to the detective.


    "So d she''s doing all right," Det. Duke said with a sympathetic smile. "Now, if you''ll just sign these documents that say you identified suspect number three as the woman you saw in the hospital, you''ll be on your way."


    Trent scanned the documents he was signing quickly to make sure everything was in order and then signed and printed his name on the appropriate lines. "Anything else?" he asked.


    "Nope. That''ll do it for now. You may be called upon to answer some questions if this goes to trial, but I''m sure you already know that."


    Of course Trent knew he may have to testify. He was looking forward to it. He was looking forward to putting Cat in prison for the rest of her life.


    He kept all of that to himself, though. With a nod, Trent stood, as did the detective. He extended his hand, and Trent shook it. Then, he hurried out the door of the police station, ready to get back to the hospital to see that Bree was okay with his own eyes.

 Together

    Bree''s eyes were glued on the door as she impatiently waited for Trent''s arrival. Since she''d woken up, they''d transferred her out of the ICU and given her arger, private room, which she was thankful for because the intensive care units were so small and scary. She wasn''t sure how long she''d have to stay in the hospital, but if she was going to be there, she wanted it to be with her family in such a way that they would befortable. This new room had a couch and a few cozy chairs, as well as a wide window she could see out of from her bed. It was a hundred times better than her ICU room, but until Trent got there, none of that would matter.


    After her dad had called him, they''d made the room switch, and now, Bree sat there wondering how long it might take for Trent to get back to the hospital from the police station. Would he be able to find the new room? Would he get lost? Eventually, she heard familiar footsteps in the hallway. He came in, flowers in hand, and she felt better than she had in days.


    Trent rushed over, but he was cautious. "Hi. How are you?" He took her in, his eyes running over her with care, as if he could break her by looking at her too harshly.


    "I''m okay," she said, finding a weak smile. "I''m better now that you''re here."


    He held her gaze, not moving for several seconds, like a teen on a first date, not sure how to act. Then, he thrust the flowers forward. "I brought these for you."


    "They''re beautiful. Thank you." She wondered what had happened to the first bouquet he''d given her after her first surgery and imagined it was probably trampled in the doctors'' haste to fix her.


    "I''ll find a vase," Bree''s mother offered, standing and walking over from the couch to take the flowers from Trent.


    "I''m gonna go make a phone call," her dad said. Judy had the flowers, headed to ask the nurses for a vase, leaving the couple alone for a few minutes.


    "How is your head?" Trent asked,ing a little closer now that they were alone.


    Scooting over on the bed, Bree gestured for him to sit next to her hip. She wanted his arms around her, but since that wouldn''t be safe with all of the wires still connected to her, she didn''t try to talk him into that. "It''s okay. I feel a little fuzzy," she admitted. "Everything is a little blurry."


    "I''m sure that will pass as the medication wears off. I think the police will want to talk to you soon."


    "Yes, the officers that are watching over the door said they''d give me a few hours, though."


    "Good." He ran a hand through his hair and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Sitting next to her, his hip resting against her upper thigh, she could breathe him in for the first time in a long time. How she wished all of this was over, and they could just go back to life before Cat lost her mind and tried to kill her--twice. He took her hand, careful of all of the hoses and whatnot. "I''m so proud of you, Bree."


    The statement caught her off guard. She raised an eyebrow. "You are?"


    "Yes, immensely."


    She couldn''t help but smile. "Why is that?"


    "Because... you made it through something unbelievably difficult--three times. You made it out of the fire, through surgery, and then through this unbelievable attempt to murder you. It''s remarkable how strong you''ve been, Bree. God, I love you so much."


    He had tears in his eyes as he spoke, and his words made Bree''s heart melt. "Thank you, baby. I love you, too. I don''t remember much of anything that happened after you left to call my parents, but I know that I was thinking about you the whole time. I couldn''t let her kill me--because I had to get back to you."


    Trent lifted her hand and kissed it softly. "We''re going to make it through this, too, Bree. As long as you and I are together, we can make it through anything."


    Bree reached over and wiped his tears away, trying to get ahold of herself as well. Thest thing she wanted was to cause her head to hurt more. "And to think... I thought Monica was going to be the only crazy bitch we had to worry about," she joked.


    Trentughed, which helped him rein in his tears a bit. "No kidding. If there''s a crazier bitch out there than Cat, I don''t want to know."


    "Me neither," Bree agreed. With any luck, all of the craziness was behind them now, and she could concentrate on healing. "I love you," she said again, leaning forward as far as she could in hopes of reaching his lips.


    "I love you, too, Bree." Meeting her the rest of the way, Trent found her mouth with his, and even though Bree had been through hell thest few days, she knew Trent was right. Nothing could ever stop them as long as the two of them were together.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Always Be Mine

    Sitting in the bed in her very own apartment, Bree looked out the window at the bright blue sky, thankful to be home. After four days in the hospital, having tests run and undergoing all kinds of other evasive exams to make sure she was all right, Bree hade home a few hours ago and immediately fallen asleep. Now, awake and ready to get on with her life, she could hear the sound of her parents'' voices filtering through the door. asionally, she''d hear Trent''s voice as well, which made her smile. Her parents had insisted on making sure she got home okay. It seemed as if they were also insisting on making sure she woke up okay.


    Not that she wasining--she really wasn''t. They''d been so wonderful to stay and spend time with her thest few days. Trent had been there practically the entire time as well, though he''d been called back to the police station a couple of times to give more details to the detectives and answer a few other questions. She''d tried to get him to go back to work, but he refused, saying he wouldn''t be able to concentrate on work with her in the hospital anyway.


    Bree took a sip of water from the ss next to her on the nightstand. She had no idea what they were talking about, but she loved the fact that her parents got along with Trent so well. Her parents had known Trent most of his life. It had been her mother''s questioning back in school that had made Bree wonder if perhaps she had deeper feelings for Trent than she had realized. Of course, she hadn''t been able to admit it to anyone back then, not even herself, let alone her mother, but when her mom found out that she was dating Trent, she''d cried and said she knew it was meant to be.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Now, despite all of the problems they''d been forced to ovee, there wasn''t a doubt in Bree''s mind that she was right. Despite the fact that he''d been about to marry someone else when she finally got up the courage to tell him how she felt, the fact that she''d been tested by another handsome suitor, the fact that she''d been almost killed and would have to struggle to regain her ability to y guitar again, she knew that this was a love worth fighting for.


    As if he could hear her thoughts, Bree noticed Trent''s footsteps outside in the hallway. He quietly pushed the door open and smiled when he saw her sitting up, awake. "How are you?" he asked, his voice soft.


    "I''m okay.¡± She smiled back at him, d she wasn''t having to lie about the way she was feeling. The medication she''d had in the hospital that had made her mind feel fuzzy had worn off a few days ago. As long as she had the pain medication for her hand, she was fine. In a day or two, she hoped to be able to stop taking that, too, and then she could start physical therapy. She''d have to go back to the doctor in a month, three months, six months, and yearly from now on so that they could check her heart, but so far, it didn''t seem as if there had been any permanent damage from Cat''stest stunt.


    "Good," Trent said,ing into the room and making his way over to the bed. He sat down so that his hip was up against hers. She reached for his hand with her good one, and he gently took her fingers between his. "Your parents are ready to head back home, once they tell you goodbye. I think they finally trust that you''re okay."


    A chuckle slipped through her lips. She couldn''t me them for being too concerned to leave. She would''ve been the same way if it was her child who''d been hurt and nearly killed. "And when are you going to trust that I''m okay enough to go back to work?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.


    "Probably never," he admitted. "I''m certainly not going to leave you alone. I''ve already set up some interviews for tomorrow for security, as well as someone to spend time with you while I''m out, once I start working again."


    "Seriously?" She wasn''t sure if she should be ttered that he was so thoughtful or angry that he seemed to think she needed a babysitter. "Will I get a say in all of this?"


    "Of course." Trent shrugged. "I know you don''t need someone to take care of you, but I thought it would be nice to have someone take care of the apartment anyway so you can focus your energy on getting your strength back and regaining the movement in your hand. Let someone else worry about theundry, the dishes, and the cooking."


    Bree did like the sound of that. She had never cared much for doing those sorts of domestic duties anyway. "Will my agreeing to this n allow you to get back to work?"


    "Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.


    "Not at all. I just... want a little less fuss about me."


    Trent reached over and guided a lock of hair back behind her ear. "I''m always going to fuss about you, babe. You''re my world."


    She reached up and took his hand, pressing her lips against his knuckles before she lowered their interlocked hands to herp. "I love you so much, Trent. We''ve had so much to ovee, but I know we can do anything, as long as we stay together."


    "I love you so much, Bree," Trent said, leaning forward so that the distance between them was only an inch or so. "We''ve definitely had our share of obstacles, but you can be sure, no matter whates next, I''ll always be right here next to you, holding your hand."


    For a moment, Bree let her mind wander to what it would be like to go through a trial, to have to testify against Cat, to go through therapy to fix her hand, all of the struggles ahead of her. Not to mention she may lose fans if she wasn''t able to get back on the road soon. Facing all of that alone would be overwhelming, but knowing that Trent meant every word he''d said gave her the strength she knew it would take to triumph over the adversities.

 Engaged

    Bree tipped her face toward his, and he closed the space between them, his warm lips soft and secure as he gently ran his thumb along her cheek. Trent sat up, abruptly ending the kiss. "Hold that thought...." he said, shooting up off of the bed like he''d forgotten he was boiling water in the kitchen. Bree watched as he went around the end of the bed, over to his side, and opened the drawer in his nightstand. He reached in and grabbed something small enough that she couldn''t see it in his hand. Curiosity got the better of her, and as he made his way back, she had to ask, "What do you have?"


    "You know..." he began, sitting back down next to her, but not facing her. He turned his head to look at her. "For weeks, I''ve been second guessing myself, wondering if it''s too soon, if it''s silly of me to even be contemting this. But after everything that''s gone on, Bree, I know the timing is right. Maybe I could find a better location, something more romantic." He shook his head. "But none of that matters. In the end, the only thing that matters to me is that I want to be with you forever. There''s no doubt in my mind that you got it right when you wrote that song. You and I are meant to be married, Bree. So...."


    It was then she knew for sure what he was doing. Trent slid off of the bed onto the floor, one knee up, and she saw a sparkling object in his hand as he thrust it in her direction. "Bree... would you care to make it official? Will you do me the honor of promising to make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?"


    Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she struggled to breathe and answer the question. Her head bobbed up and down before she got the words out. "Yes, Trent. Of course. I love you so much."


    "I love you, too. I know I can''t put it on your left hand right now, so how about your right?"


    She thrust her unwrapped hand in his direction, and Trent slipped the ring on before leaning forward and kissing her again.


    His lips were warm and soft. Bree''s head began to whirl as he deepened the kiss, letting her know just how much he meant every word he''d said. He was still gentle, careful with her. Bree lost herself in his kiss, wishing it could be more but knowing she wasn''t physically ready for anything else just yet. Soon enough, they''d be able to express their love to each other againpletely.


    Bree realized this was the perfect way to end what had otherwise been a disastrous event. Knowing Trent would be with her forever was a powerful way to put the past behind her and step into the future. He pulled back, smiled at her, and then kissed her softly again.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    A knock on the door interrupted them. "You kids all right in there?" her mom''s voice called.


    Leaning back, Trent sighed. "I told them I''d be right back. I forgot." His face turned slightly red as they both imagined what her parents were thinking.


    Breeughed. "That''s okay--I want them to see the ring."


    Trent got up and went to open the door. "Sorry. Yes, we''re fine. Come in. Bree wants to show you something."


    Her mother''s eyes widened as she crossed to the bed. Bree lifted her hand and said, "I know it''s the wrong hand, but...."


    "Oh, my gosh!" Judy eximed, covering her mouth with both hands. Her father was behind her and couldn''t see over Judy''s shoulder, but once her mom started squealing, he figured it out pretty quickly, too. "Let me see!" Paul jostled Trent good naturedly as he chuckled with pride.


    Her mom sat down next to her and looked at the ring. "Isn''t it beautiful?" Bree asked. Her dad congratted Trent and weed him to the family. Paul didn''t look as surprised as Bree had expected, so she had to wonder if maybe Trent had talked to her dad ahead of time.


    "It''s gorgeous. Oh, honey, I''m so happy for you!" Her mom wrapped her arms around her, and then her dad came over and hugged her, too.


    "You got yourself a good one, sweetheart," he said, kissing her on the forehead.


    Bree looked over her dad''s shoulder and saw Trent standing at the foot of the bed, his hands in his pockets. "Yes, I did," she agreed.


    "Well as much as we''d love to stay here and help you get started nning the wedding, I suppose now is as good a time as ever for us to leave you be and get on the road home." There were tears in her mom''s eyes as she spoke, a mixture of happiness over the uing nuptials and sadness at leaving, Bree assumed.


    She couldn''t help but tear up as she told her parents goodbye. She waved goodbye as Trent walked them to the door.


    Once she was alone, Bree stared at her ring, wishing she could put it on the other hand, the one it was supposed to go on, but tried not to let that get her down. In a few minutes, Trent was back, a big smile on his face, and she assumed that was because they were alone again. As much as he liked her parents, she knew he preferred it to be just the two of them. In many ways, so did she.


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    He kicked off his shoes and went around to the other side of the bed, flopping backward onto his pillow before moving closer to her. Gently, he picked up her hand and looked at the ring. "Do you like it?"


    "I love it. It''s perfect. How did you know my ring size?"


    "I borrowed another one of your rings and took it with me to the jeweler," he said with a sly smile.


    "When did you even go?"


    "A few weeks ago."


    Bree''s eyes widened. She''d had no idea he was considering proposing. That was before everything had happened with Cat. "Well, you did a great job picking it out and surprising me."


    "Thanks." The smile on his face let her know he was proud of himself.


    He turned toward her, and Bree couldn''t help but smile. "Are you all right?"


    "I''m wonderful. I just... can''t believe you''re engaged--to me."


    "I can''t believe it either," she said. Looking at her hand, she said, "But I think I could get used to it."


    "Yeah? Good--because this is one marriage I''m nning to see through."


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    That made herugh out loud. "Great. Because I''m holding you to it."


    "I''m pretty sure I got all the crazy out in my first wedding," he said, but Bree wasn''t so sure.


    "Bite your tongue. You''ll curse us," she said


    "Seriously? What else could possibly go wrong?"


    "I don''t know, but I don''t want to tempt fate."


    "You''re right. I''m sorry," Trent conceded. "It''s just... I meant it when I said I know we can ovee anything as long as we''re together. That''s all."


    Bree nodded. "I believe that, too. But... I''d prefer it if ''anything'' meant the difficulties of deciding what to have for dinner or whether or not to buy a new couch--not more fires, near-death experiences, or God forbid, anything worse." Holding back augh, Trent said, "I agree. Now, why don''t we put all of those obstacles--past, present, future--behind--and admire your ring." He held her hand up and gazed at it, smiling.


    ¡°I''d rather admire the man that gave it to me," Bree said. That got his attention. He turned to face her, and Bree pressed her lips to his, so d to finally bepletely alone with him again after so much time with family, doctors, nurses, and friends around.


    "Well, then," Trent said,ing up for air, "I guess I can get onboard with that."


    He kissed her, and Bree let her mind return to that first kiss, outside of the cabin, when they were both in college. She''d thought that day would be the start of something wonderful, and even though they''d taken a few twists and turns, and a detour or two, they were together now, and she couldn''t be any happier than she was in that moment, knowing one day she''d be his wife--no matter what.

 Call From the Past

    The strings felt odd in her hand. The familiar feel of them, like an extension of herself as her fingers glided along them, was gone, reced with numbness, a constant dull ache, and the asional sharp pain that radiated from a few inches below her elbow all the way to the tips of her fingers. Determined to get her fingers in the right position to y a C chord, one of the easiest, Bree Matthews gritted her teeth and tried again. This time, her first finger screamed at her while her second finger may as well have been detached from her body. It just wasn''t working.


    Frustrated, Bree let out a sigh and set her guitar down on the floor next to her, its neck resting against her leg. She wanted to scream, to throw something, to m the guitar against the coffee table as if she were a rock star in a hotel room. Why had this happened to her?


    It had been two months since the hotel fire that had burned her hand, the subsequent surgery that had caused further nerve damage, and the attempt to take her life from one of her former bandmates. Since then, she''d been spending a lot of time at home resting, along with attending physical therapy sessions for her hand three times a week. All of the concerts on her band''s tour had been rescheduled, so she wouldn''t be back on stage for quite some time. While she no longer yed guitar while performing, she still longed to be able to y again. For years, it had just been her and her guitar beneath the stage lights, the instrument and her voice blending together to make the beautiful music that had eventually led to a huge contract signing, a new band, and all of her dreamsing true.


    But this was the stuff of nightmares.


    The woman who had done all of this to her, Cat Hadley, was still in jail because the judge had set her bond so high, she couldn''t afford to get out. The district attorney called Bree fairly often with updates on where they were with the trial. George Ross was apetent attorney, and he was confident they had enough evidence against Cat to put her away for a very long time, not only for Bree''s attempted murder but also for purposely catching a hotel building on fire. Cat faced multiple charges of attempted murder, one for each of the people who had been staying in the hotel the night she''d purposely started a fire outside of Bree''s door. If it hadn''t been for Bree''s fianc¨¦, Trent Walker, and her lead guitarist, Zach Scott, Bree might''ve died before the firefighters were able to reach her.


    Running her good hand through her strawberry blonde hair, Bree leaned back on the couch and stared at the nk TV screen. Frustration was starting to get the better of her, and she didn''t like it. Trent had been great through all of this. For the first month, he''d stayed with her almost nonstop, even when she insisted he should go to work. He said he was confident in the abilities of his staff to do what needed to be done, even though his new ounting firm was in its infancy. Lately, though, when Bree had told him he should go into the office, that she was fine, he had believed her and gone in. While she was d he was able to get some work done, sitting at home alone most of the day gave her plenty of time to think, and thinking was dangerous at the moment.


    Bree looked down at the scars on her hand. She had a special cream she rubbed into the crinkled skin three times a day, and her doctor was confident most of the scaring would fade with time, but the limb seemed like a foreign object to her, like someone had removed the lower part of her arm and reced with a robotic apparatus that only functioned part of the time and often hurt like hell.


    The urge to turn the TV on and lose herself in some silly show was overwhelming. She didn''t have therapy that afternoon, and she''d already done all of her vocal practices for the day. Keeping herself busy and her mind off of the trial and the state of her hand seemed like a full-time job, but not one she would''ve ever signed up for. Just when her career seemed to be taking off, everything that could go wrong had gone wrong.


    Not everything. Bree looked down at the sparkly diamond ring on her hand. Originally, Trent had slipped it on her right hand, but since the swelling had gone down and her hand was beginning to heal, at least on the outside, she was able to wear her engagement ring on her left hand. She was so thankful that she and Trent had finally gotten together before everything fell apart because she didn''t think she would''ve been able to make it through all of this without him. Just when she was thinking she might call him and see how he was doing, her phone rang. Scooping it up off of the couch by her knee, she checked to see who it was, thinking it might be Trent. Could he read her mind?


    It wasn''t him, though. Bree''s eyes widened when she read her former college roommate''s name on her phone, Lilly Edge. Her forehead wrinkled as she wondered what in the world Lilly might be calling about. They hadn''t spoken to each other since the wedding--when Lilly''s sister, Monica, was supposed to marry Trent, and Bree had told Trent she loved him, causing him to call it off. Lilly had contacted her through a social media messaging app to tell her she was sorry about Bree''s hand and everything else that had happened to her, and Bree had been polite when she''d responded, but the situation was awkward. She still liked Lilly, but she could only imagine Monica wouldn''t want her sister to have anything to do with the woman who''d broken up her wedding. In fairness, Monica''s cheating on Trent with their mutual friend, Hank, might''ve had something to do with that.


    Thinking it must be something important, Bree answered. "Hello?"


    "Hi, Bree. How are you?"


    Bree thought back to their friendship and how chipper Lilly almost always sounded whenever they spoke to one another. Her voice sounded anything but that now. "I''m okay," Bree said, not wanting to go into all of her problems. "How are you?"


    "Not so bad," she said, though that didn''t seem to be the case judging by her tone. "Spending a lot of time at work."


    Lilly worked in the main offices of a major retailer in the human resources department. Bree wasn''t exactly sure what she did, but she knew she had graduated with a degree in business. Not sure what to say, she asked, "Is everything going well there?"


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    "Yeah, yeah, fine. Just busy. How''s your hand? Are you feeling better?"


    Bree could hear the hesitation in her friend''s voice, as if she wasn''t sure whether or not she should ask the question. "It''s getting better, thanks," she said, not wanting to go into all of the details. "It''ll take some time to heal."


    "I''m sure you''ll be ying the guitar just like you used to in no time." Lilly''s voice sounded a little more enthusiastic as she tried to brighten Bree''s spirits.


    It didn''t work, but she appreciated the effort. "Thank you. I sure hope so." She hoped Lilly would just tell her why she''d phoned and cut the chit-chat because she knew the call wasn''t to ask about her hand.


    ¡°Listen, Bree, I wanted to give you a head''s up about something. I heard that you and Trent are engaged. That''s great. I''m really happy for you. But my sister.... Well, she''s not so happy. She''s been a piece of work ever since the wedding was called off. Anyway, she recently signed with a different modeling agency. Have you heard of Urs LaMode?"


    "No, I don''t think I have." Bree didn''t know much about the modeling industry.


    "It''s an up anding agency, specializing in natural and organic products."


    "Okay...." Bree wondered what Lilly was getting at. She certainly wasn''t going to wish Monica good luck with her new endeavor.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


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    "And... they''re headquartered in Nashville."


    Bree''s mouth dropped open for a moment as she finally realized why Lilly had called her. "Monica is moving here?"


    "Yes. In fact, she already has. She''s been working there for a few weeks and already has an apartment. I just wanted to tell you. I know Nashville is a huge city, and theoretically, there''s no reason to think that you and Trent will ever run into her. But this is Monica we''re talking about, and if she can find a way to disrupt your lives, to get back at you, she will. She''s been fuming for months now, plotting her revenge. With everything else you''ve been through, I know you don''t need this, too. Hopefully, she''ll get so busy with work she''ll just let it go. But just in case...."


    Bree wasn''t sure what to say. Thest thing she needed was Monica butting her way back into their lives. She couldn''t possibly think she could get Trent back, could she? Even if that wasn''t her angle, though, Bree would have to be careful. She''d had enough of unstable people recently. "Well, thanks for letting me know, Lilly," she said. "I''ll tell Trent. It would be great if she just leaves us alone, but it''s good to be warned that there''s a possibility she might show up." "Right," Lilly said, sounding slightly calmer, as if she was d to have gotten that weight off of her shoulders. "Okay, well I need to go. I just wanted to tell you. Just in case."


    "I appreciate it. Bye, Lilly."


    The other girl said goodbye, and then Bree hung up her phone, taking a deep breath, her eyes refocusing on that nk TV. With all the other crazy things happening in her life, thest thing she needed was to have to deal with Monica again. But at least she knew. She couldn''t imagine how startling it would be to run into her on the street, at the store, or in a restaurant. No, Bree was definitely better off knowing the threat was out there than stumbling around in the dark. She wanted to call Trent to tell him, but it didn''t seem like the sort of news she should give him while he was trying to work. Instead, she decided to tell himter, when he got home.


    Lilly''sments came back to her, and Bree eyed the guitar. Everyone else seemed so confident she''d be able to get her hand to work again. Bree wasn''t so sure--but she wasn''t about to give up. With newfound determination, she picked up her guitar and ced her fingers back into position to y a C chord, refusing to give up until she got it right.

 Running Into Trouble

    Having a spectacr view of Nashville was distracting at times, especially when Trent Walker had so much on his mind. He had a stack of client folders in front of him that he needed to approve, but instead of working, his eyes kept wandering to the skyline as he thought of Bree and hoped she was doing better today.


    She hadn''t seemed to be doing well at alltely. He knew she was struggling with getting her hand to cooperate, and it was like a knife in his chest every time he saw her cry. He desperately wished he could take her pain away, could fix everything for her, could go back in time and stop Cat from ever hurting her to begin with.


    But he couldn''t do that. So he just sat at his desk feeling helpless, staring at the city, not doing his work.


    His office door was open, but Celia Devoe knocked on it anyway, probably just to jar him out of his own head. "You okay?" she asked, taking a few steps into his office. She had her hair up in a bun today, and her red lipstick matched her suit. Somehow, she still looked approachable, even in such a bold color.


    "I''m fine," he lied, swiveling back around. "Just... checking to see if any birds need an ountant."


    She chuckled politely. "You know, you don''t have to be here. We can handle the office just fine. If you''d feel better at home with Bree, go home. I can clear those ounts. I do it when you''re not here."


    "I know you can," he said, meaning it. She had done everything perfectly when he''d been gone, and he absolutely trusted her to continue to do what needed to be done. "I just wanted to give her some time alone. I don''t think she appreciates me watching her--fail."


    Celia made a pouty face, like she felt sorry for Bree. Or maybe him. Or both of them. She sat down on the corner of his desk, facing the window, but turning to look at him. "I''m so sorry. That has to be frustrating for both of you. Is her hand getting any better?"


    He shrugged, noting how close her thigh was to him at this moment and wondering if she was aware her skirt had gotten considerably shorter when she sat. "I think she has, but she doesn''t seem to think so." "What does the therapist say?"


    Was she leaning in now? Trent scooched back a smidge, not sure. "The therapist says she''sing along, and she shouldn''t give up. I don''t think she will give up, but she''s frustrated."


    "I''m so sorry." Celia reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "If you ever want to go grab a drink and chat, let me know." She squeezed him and then popped off of the desk, as if she knew what she was doing was questionable but didn''t want to be used of anything. Heading back toward the door, she paused and suggested, "Why don''t you go grab some lunch? Get out of here for a little bit--clear your head."


    Trent checked the time. It was past his normal lunchtime. His stomach rumbled as if to say it agreed. Not wanting her to decide toe along with him, he said, "Maybe in a few," and picked up a file. Celia left, and Trent stopped pretending to read the information in the file. What had just happened?


    There''d been a few times since he''d hired Celia when he thought maybe she was flirting with him, but this had been the most tant episode. Or maybe she was just trying to be nice, and he was jumping to conclusions. He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts aside and decided her idea was a good one. Lunch would give him a chance to get away from the office. Maybe when he came back, he''d be better able to focus.


    Making sure he had his wallet, he slipped his phone into his pocket and put hisputer into sleep mode. Then, he headed out, telling his secretary he''d be back in about an hour.


    The street he''d been absently staring at all morning was even busier at ground level. It was almost 2:00, so it wasn''t as busy as it would''ve been closer to noon when most people were getting lunch, but it was still bustling with people, cars driving by, honking at one another, and the hum of the city in the background.


    He decided to head to a sandwich shop a few blocks over. That would be quick, and he didn''t really feel like a sit down restaurant. His mind wandered back to Bree. What had she eaten for lunch? Was she practicing guitar now? So lost in his thoughts was he that he almost didn''t recognize the woman who was staring at him from just outside the sandwich shop door.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Trent stopped walking, fighting the urge to let his mouth drop open. He blinked a few times, hoping she''d go away, or morph into someone who just looked simr. But she was walking now, fast, and he was certain. It was her. She came to a halt in front of him, her arms crossed and that look on her face he knew oh too well, the one that meant she wasn''t happy to see him--wasn''t happy at all.


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    "Hello, Monica," Trent said, shaking his head.


    "Trent Walker," she said, leaning back to take him in. "I thought Nashville was big enough that I''d never have to see you again. Guess I was wrong."


    Ignoring the dig, Trent regained hisposure long enough to ask, "What are you doing here?"


    With that same smug look on her face, as if he''d been the bad guy in the rtionship, she said, "I live here now. I started working for a local agency. Believe me, I wish it hadn''t included living in the same town as you, but it was an opportunity I couldn''t pass up."


    Trent was having a hard time believing his ears. She''d always dreamt of going off to the big city to pursue her dreams of bing a supermodel. She''d had him convinced he''d have to move to New York City or Paris so that she could be an internationally renowned model. Now, she was in Nashville? He wasn''t even aware that there was a modeling scene in Nashville. "Well, congrattions. I guess." He didn''t know what else to say and really didn''t want to say anything at all. Monica Edge was thest person on earth he ever wanted to see. The fact that she was standing in front of him now was yet another kick in the gut he didn''t need.


    "Thank you," she said, her expression not changing to show any gratitude at all. "And I hear you''ve got quite the new firm established here already. Good for you."


    He shrugged, not sure if established was the right word yet. "It''sing together." Trent nced around, seeing all the people bustling by and wishing he could engage one of them in an attempt to get him out of this conversation. But he knew none of them. At the moment he was still above throwing himself at the mercy of strangers. Maybe she''d move on soon.


    "How''s Bree?" she asked, her tone softening only slightly. "I heard she burned her hand, and some maniac tried to kill her?"


    Running a hand through his hair, he studied his shoes for a moment. Going over what had happened with Bree was getting tiresome. Thest person he wanted to discuss it with was the woman standing in front of him. Besides, it had been in all of the papers. She had to have read it. "Yes, all of that happened. She''s recovering."


    "That''s really too bad," Monica said, a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Just when she was starting to increase her poprity."


    "Well, she''ll be starting her tour again soon. Record sales haven''t slowed."


    "Oh, good. I''m d she was able to take advantage of the sympathy of others."


    The blow was a low one. Trent knew what she was doing, trying to drag him into an argument. He was above that and didn''t have time to engage with her anyway. Yet, how could he let her insult the woman he loved that way? "That''s not what happened. People just heard about her music because of the news and are buying it because they enjoy it."


    Monica pursed her lips, looking for a counterargument, but Trent was ready to go. He took a few steps toward the sandwich shop, angling around her. "Well, maybe the situation will turn around," she said. "Although, in my experience, people usually get what they deserve."


    "If that''s the case, Bree will have a long and prosperous career, Monica. If you''re implying she did something wrong in telling me that you were cheating on me, then you better reconsider your words." He hadn''t intended to get into that particr argument with her, but clearly, she wanted to go there.


    She stared at him, wide eyed, stunned, as if she couldn''tprehend he would dare to allege the way their rtionship had ended was her fault at all. "I guess I just don''t appreciate it when people meddle in other people''s rtionships." A sigh escaped his lips, and he was suddenly sucked back in time to exactly how he''d felt when he was dating her. She had a way of manipting every conversation, twisting his words, doing whatever she could to seem to be the innocent party. "Monica, good luck with your modeling. I have a lot to do. Maybe I''ll see you around. Or maybe we''ll both get lucky, and we''ll never see each other again."


    "Fine, Trent. Be that way. Same to you." She shook her head and headed on her way, stepping quickly, but as she passed him, he swore he saw that hint of a devious smile on her lips again, and he couldn''t help but wonder if he hadn''t fallen right into her hands--again. Had she been waiting for him here? Surely not. He didn''t even know he wasing here until he left his office. It had to have been a coincidence.


    Deciding he''d already wasted too much time on Monica, he headed into the sandwich shop. Telling Bree about this would only upset her, so he decided not to mention it to her at all. If she knew Monica had moved to Nashville, it could set her recovery back, and that was thest thing Trent wanted--that and to ever see Monica again.

 Progress

    Her fingers were sore from practicing so long, the strings cutting into the tender flesh of her fingertips, but that didn''t prevent Bree from making dinner. Most of the time since the fire, they ordered out, or Trent would make something when he got home, but since she''d done so well practicing earlier, her spirits had lifted. It wasn''t anything fancy, but her mother had taught her to make a mean eggnt parmesan. She''d just popped it in the oven to bake when she heard Trent''s keys in the lock.


    Setting the timer, Bree went off to greet him, a smile on her face. "Hey, babe!" she called, anticipation of showing himter how well she''d done with her chords bubbling up inside of her.


    It was clear Trent wasn''t in a good mood when he''d firste in. He had a scowl on his face, and his energy was low. But when he turned to look at her, dropping his briefcase by the door, a grin pulled up the corners of his mouth. "Hi. You''re in a good mood."


    "I am in a good mood," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck. He settled his hands on her hips, looking into her eyes. "I made a lot of progress today."


    His smile brightened. "That''s amazing. I''m so d to hear it. Will you show meter? After dinner?" He looked up, his eyes training toward the kitchen. "Are you cooking?"


    "I am. Eggnt parmesan. I hope you like it."Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    "It smells great.¡± His eyes were back on her now, and as he tipped his head, she went up on her toes to meet his lips. His kiss was warm and inviting. His lips lingered; she parted her lips, and Trent pulled her even closer, his hand sliding up to the back of her head as he deepened the kiss.


    As easy as it was to get caught up in the moment, she wanted to know why he''de in with such a morose look on his face. Bree pulled back, took a moment to catch her breath, and then slid her hands down his arms to intece her fingers with his. Pulling him over to the couch, she asked, "How was your day?"


    His mood darkened immediately. Shaking his head, Trent said, "I''d rather not talk about it."


    "Oh, no. Did something happen? Did you lose an ount?"


    "No, nothing like that." He pulled at his tie and brushed his fingers through his hair. "It''s nothing. I''d rather not think about it and concentrate on the gains you made today. Do you have time to show me now?"


    Bree nced into the kitchen at the timer. "I was going to make some pasta to go with the eggnt, but I suppose I could take a minute to show you a little."


    "Awesome." Trent settled back against the couch, and Bree picked up her guitar.


    A wave of anxiety overcame her as that doubt from earlier came back. What if she couldn''t do it, now that someone was waiting to hear her y? Pushing it to the back of her mind, Bree positioned her fingers and began to y.


    It was rough, that was for certain, not at all polished like it used to be before. But her fingers were doing what she asked them to do, for the most part, and the song was recognizable.


    Trent pped and cheered. "That''s amazing, Bree! You''ve made huge progress, just since I heard you yst week."


    She set the guitar down, the stinging in her fingers well worth it to hear that sort of praise. "Thank you," she said, pink filling her cheeks. "I''ve got a long way to go, but I''m super happy to have gotten this far."


    "Definitely. You''ll be ying just like you used to in no time at all." Trent stood, stooping to kiss her on the top of the head as he pulled at his tie and headed for the bedroom. She couldn''t help but continue to smile at thepliment. He definitely knew how to brighten her mood.


    Setting her guitar back down, Bree went into the kitchen to make the pasta, her smile slipping away as she thought about what he''d said about his day. Why had his mood darkened when she''d asked? If it wasn''t an ount--what else was it that could take his smile away so quickly? Perhaps it was a personnel problem. She''d never worked in an office before, but she had friends that did. It seemed like someone was always arguing with someone else....


    Trent came out of the bedroom dressed in a T-shirt and jeans about the time the oven chimed that dinner was done. He looked just as handsome as ever, even in casual wear, she couldn''t help but smile at him. Returning the grin, he pulled two tes out of the cab, and they both went about fixing their tes, deciding to eat outside on the deck since it was such a nice day.


    Bree didn''t utilize this area nearly as much as she should. It was a small space, just big enough for a table and two chairs, but it overlooked the green-space in the back of theplex, which was filled with flowers this time of year. The sky was a brilliant blue, a light breeze stirred her hair, and Bree breathed deeply, letting nature calm her spirit.


    The eggnt was better than she''d hoped. They both ate in silence for several minutes until Bree remembered that phone call and pondered when she should tell him what Lilly had warned her about. He had such a contented expression on his face, she hated to spoil it.


    But as soon as they were both done eating, Bree pushed her te aside and reached for his hand. "There''s something I need to tell you."


    "Oh, no," Trent said, raising an eyebrow, even though he was smiling at her. "That doesn''t sound good."


    She shrugged. It wasn''t--though she could certainly think of worse news one might have to give, considering everything they''d been through already in their short rtionship. "Lilly called me today."


    His eyes erged only slightly, which surprised her. She thought he would be more rmed than that at the mere mention of her former roommate''s name. "What did she have to say?"


    She adjusted her hand, taking a moment to concentrate on the strength of his grip, how safe she felt when he was with her. "She said Monica has moved to Nashville. That she took a modeling job here." "Oh."


    It was all he said. Bree stared at him a moment, noting that he dropped his eyes for a second, his head shaking slightly. "Did you already know that?"


    Trent opened his mouth, closed it, shrugged, adjusted in his chair, and said, "Yeah, I found that out today."


    "What do you mean?" Bree pulled her hand back but only so she could push herself up to the edge of her chair. "Did she call you?"


    "No. Even better. I ran into her on my walk to get some lunch."


    "You saw her?" Every fiber of Bree''s being was screaming in rm. "Why didn''t you tell me?"


    Again, he shrugged. "I was going to. I just... didn''t get to it yet. And I didn''t want to upset you, not on a day when you were doing so well with your progress. Besides, she was hostile the entire time. It wasn''t at all as if she were happy to see me."


    "What did she say?" The idea that her fianc¨¦ was talking to his ex made her skin crawl. Monica had no right to even speak to him!


    "Not much. Only that she wished she hadn''t bumped into me, that she had heard about your injuries. She wasn''t overly sympathetic, as you can imagine. That''s really about it."


    She believed him, though she had a feeling he was holding back the ugliest bits. "Well, Lilly was of the opinion that she only took this job because you live here, that it was all part of her devious scheme to attempt to get you back. Apparently, she''s been miserable since the wedding was called off."


    Trent stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Eventually, he said, "Huh. Well, I didn''t get that impression when I saw her. Not at all. I think Lilly might be jumping to conclusions."


    "I don''t know. Lilly knows her sister pretty well." Bree wished she hadn''t eaten so much. The eggnt and pasta was sitting in her stomach like arge rock now.


    Trent reached for her hand again, and she gave it to him. "I wouldn''t worry about it, Bree. Monica''s all bark and no bite. She likes to talk a big game, but in the end, she''s never done anything to physically hurt anyone. As long as we stay away from her, we''ll be fine. Besides, you know I''d never leave you for her--or anyone--right?"


    "I know." Bree forced a smile, still notpletely settled with the idea that Monica had managed to run into him today. Trent got up, pulling her into his arms, and kissed her deeply enough to remind her that he belonged to her--not Monica or anyone else.

 A Major Award

    Concentrating at work was easier now that Trent was assured that Bree''s hand was on the mend. He sat in his office, thinking about how well she''d been doing. Hearing her y the guitar again was music to his ears, even if it wasn''t quite the way that it used to be. She made more mistakes. The music wasn''t always smooth. But it was still wonderful to hear her getting better all the time, and after a few weeks of practice, she''d decided today was the day she was going to get the band back together.


    It was a bit of a distraction waiting for her to call to let him know how practice had gone, but he knew she wouldn''t be done for another few hours, which let him focus on his work. It seemed the firm was acquiring new customers left and right, and since he tried to approve every ount himself, that was enough to keep him busy most days. Celia was capable of vetting all of them as well, but she had her own ounts to manage, as well as overseeing most of the other workers, so he didn''t want to bother her with this when he was in the office and could do it himself.


    Sometimes, he missed ounting--just running the numbers. He''d considered taking on a few of his own ounts just so he could do that again, but he knew that Bree would be wanting to go on the road again soon, and he wanted to be there with her if he could. After what had happened on herst road trip, it didn''t matter to him how many security personnel the recordbel had hired. He wanted to make sure Bree was safe himself. Which meant, for now, he''d have to leave the actual ounting to the others.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    He was just finishing a review of a major ount when Celia approached his open door. "Hey! Did you hear the good news?" A wide smile lit her face as she walked inside carrying what looked like a memo or announcement of some sort. "What news?" he asked, leaning back in his chair and waiting for his eyes to fully adjust. He''d been staring at hisputer screen so long, he had to rub them to get them to stop zing over.


    "The NNEOTY awards are out!" She sat down on the edge of his desk, the way she had been doing recently, so that her bare leg was right next to him.


    Trent scooted his chair away from her. "The what?"


    "The New Nashville Entrepreneur of the Year awards. It''s a pretty big deal. Look."


    She handed the announcement over to him, and Trent read through it quickly, seeing the name of his firm, Walker ounting and Finance, at the top. "So... we won an award?" He''d had no idea they were even nominated for an award. "Yeah! Isn''t it great? There''s a g next Saturday night where they''ll present you with the award. You make a little speech. It''s a huge deal here in Nashville. Something like this can really take the firm to the next level. Isn''t that awesome? And, you''ll have the opportunity to rub elbows with the Nashville elite--we''re talking the upper echelon of high society--all of which have a lot of money and might be interested in our services!"


    "Wow, Celia. That''s great." Trent understood now why she was so excited. It did sound like a great opportunity, even if he''d never heard of it before. "Do they have an old entrepreneur award, too?"


    She smirked and gave him a yful push in the shoulder. "No. That''s just the Nashville Business of the Year awards, silly. Onlypanies that have started doing business in thest calendar year are eligible for the NNEOTYs."


    She was pronouncing it like it was a word instead of initials, which was one of the reasons he was so confused when she''d first made her announcement. "Well, I am very honored we have won an En-knee-oty award," he confirmed. "When is this g?"


    "Next Saturday, April 15th. You can bring a guest. It''s at the Briar Inn, you know, that fabulous five star hotel up town?"


    He had heard of it. "Yes, I''m slightly familiar."


    "Better tell Bree to get a ball gown if she doesn''t already have one. They''ll expect you to be dressed to the nines." She stood, and he thought she looked slightly jealous that she wouldn''t be attending. It was too bad. She''d done so much to get thepany where it was now. He wished she could go instead of him, but he had a feeling that would be frowned upon by themunity. "I''m sure your actual invitation will be here in a day or two." Celia headed to the door and stopped in the doorway. "Do you have a tux?"


    Trent stifled augh. If she only knew.... "Yeah, I have a tux." He thought about the fact that he had loaned the jacket to some kids at the beach after the wedding, and how when he''d gotten it back, it was less than perfect. Maybe it was time to get a new one....


    "Cool. I bet you look great in a tux." She smiled in a way that made his eyes widen and then disappeared, leaving him to question what that was supposed to mean.


    Trent nced over the announcement again, looking to see what other business had won in the smaller categories. His eyesnded on a modeling agency and he couldn''t help but wonder if that was the one Monica worked for. Hopefully not. But then, if the founder was only allowed one guest, what were the chances Monica would be there anyway?


    He added the event to his calendar and made a mental note to tell Bree about it when she called to tell him about band practice. Then, Trent refocused on his work. If he was going to continue to be at the top of industry, he needed to get busy.

 The Studio

    Being back in the studio was amazing, and Bree was so happy to have a chance to spend time with her bandmates again. Most of them had been calling or texting her every few days to see how she was doing, but being with them in person again, seeing their faces,ughing and telling jokes, was just the medicine she needed.


    "So how''s the healing going?" Zach Scott, the lead guitar yer, asked when they were on a short break between songs. "Are you able to y anything yet?"


    "Uh...." Bree sucked in some air and took a swig of coffee while she pondered how to answer that question. "I''m still working on it." While she was proud of the progress she''d made recently, she wasn''t ready to y for an actual musician yet, especially not someone as talented as Zach. She thought back to the first time she''d heard him y and how he''d skillfully navigated theplicated solo of "Eruption." She already felt like a small child tinkering around on a borrowed instrument when she yed in front of him before she''d burnt her hand. Now, she''d sound ridiculous.


    Not that Zach would ever make fun of her. If it wasn''t for him, she wouldn''t be standing there. He was the one who''d brought the fire extinguisher to her hotel room and helped Trent get her out of the fire before she burned to death. "Cool. I can''t wait to hear you y again. I''m sure you''ll be there in no time." He patted her gently on the shoulder, and she thanked him. At one point, she might''ve questioned his purpose in touching her so intimately, but now that he was dating their new keyboardist, a sweet girl they''d met at a show in St. Louis named Shawna Cray, Bree was no longer concerned about the fact that Zach had admitted to having feelings for her not long before the fire. Now, it was perfectly clear whenever the pair was together that he waspletely smitten with Shawna.


    The blonde walked back into the room, and Zach''s face lit up. She looked at him wide eyed for a second and then smiled. "What?" Shawna asked, as if he needed a reason to be so happy to see her.


    "Nothing. Just d you''re back." He went over to her and kissed her chastely on the lips, and Bree found herself beaming at how cute they were.


    "Get a room!" their drummer, Dominic Dunn, shouted, walking past them, a full coffee cup in his hand. He had a smirk on his face, so it was obvious he was just teasing. He walked to his drum kit and made a few adjustments. After a few minutes, thest two members of the band, Chase Simpson, the rhythm guitar yer, and Griffin Bray, who yed bass, were back from the break, and they agreed to move on to the next song, one of several Bree had written for Trent called, "Lead Me Home." They had yet to record that one, but she knew it would be a big hit when they finally released it. She turned to her microphone and prepared toe in as Zach yed the melody and the rest of the band supported him. Closing her eyes, she thought of Trent, remembering how not so long ago, she thought they''d never be together. Now, she knew nothing in the world would ever tear them apart.


    "Take my hand, take me slow,


    Lead me down the lonely road.


    It''s not so far, we can go.


    Your love will always lead me home."


    She could see his face in her mind''s eye, that perfect grin, his dazzling blue eyes. How had she gotten so lucky that the perfect guy wanted to be with her? She''d been in love with him since high school, and now, even with her eyes closed, she was aware of the dazzling ring on her finger, the one he''d put there.


    "Take me there, let''s not roam.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Lead me down the country roads.


    It''s the only ce I want to go.


    Your love will always lead me home."


    Bree sang the song''s refrain one more time, lost in the music and thoughts of the man she loved more than anything in the world, warmth radiating throughout her body as she relished their love, certain that nothing and no one would evere between them.


    At the end of the song, their producer, Alvin Cook, came over the microphone from the attached studio. "Fabulous, you guys! Just fabulous!"


    The sound of his booming voice startled Bree as she wasing out of her own secret reverie, singing to Trent in her mind. She smiled, though, d to see him. He didn''t normallye to their practice sessions, but it was nice to hear him say they sounded good. "Thanks, Alvin."


    He opened the door that led to the small recording area they''d been using to practice. The tech in the booth wasn''t nearly as new as the other recording booths, so this one had be a practice area recently. Bree loved the acoustics in the tight space originally built to record and was d when Alvin had said they could practice here, way back when the band had first gotten together, before the ident.


    She tuned into what he had to say, letting her thoughts of what had gone wrong fade away. "I''ve got some great news," he eximed, his long hair billowing over his shoulders as he moved quickly into the room. He was in his mid-forties but could still keep up with the kids he worked with. "We''ve got some tour dates!"


    "What? That''s awesome!" Chase eximed for all of them. They were all ready to get back on the road.


    Bree felt a twitch of nervous excitement in her gut. She was ready, too, even though this was their first practice since she''d been in the hospital. She wouldn''t have to y the guitar--all she''d have to do was sing. She reminded herself of that as Alvin continued with his news.


    "I hope you guys are ready because I''ve booked you one of Nashville''s biggest venues for next Saturday, April 15th. You guys will be at The Rusty Wagon Wheel, with Back Roads opening for you. It should be a great show. Then, the week after that...."


    Alvin continued to rattle off tour dates, but Bree wasn''t listening anymore. Back Roads was going to be opening for them? Next Saturday? She swallowed hard and sat down on the stool Zach had brought her earlier in case she got tired during rehearsal.


    "Are you okay, Bree?" Shawna asked, her hands feeling chilly on Bree''s bare arms as she came up behind her and whispered in her ear.


    "Yeah, fine," Bree assured her, patting her hand. "Just tired."


    Shawna smiled at her and gave her a little squeeze. Bree tried to tune back into Alvin who hadn''t noticed her spell and was continuing to talk about everything the studio had nned for them. It was all great news, except for that first tour date. The Rusty Wagon Wheel was an amazing venue. It would easily hold a couple of thousand people, and if they could sell that out, it would be a great way to prove to everyone that Bree and her band were back. There was only one problem.


    Back Roads. That was Sam Fowler''s band, Bree''s ex-boyfriend. She hadn''t seen him since college, only a few times around campus after she''d caught him screwing her roommate, Melissa. The idea of having to look him in the face and not be tantly rude seemed impossible. At one point, she''d thought perhaps she could love him, marry him, start a musical career with him. That had been back during the time when she''dpletely lost track of Trent and had given up on her dream of marrying him.


    Bree took a few deep breaths and reminded herself it would be fine. Trent would be there with her, after all, so when she faced Sam again for the first time after all of these years, her fianc¨¦''s hand would be in hers. She could do anything as long as Trent was there beside her.


    "You okay, Bree?" Alvin asked, finally realizing his lead singer had almost fainted on him.


    "Yep. I''m fine." She nodded at him, confident that she would be all right. The rest of the band was so excited, walking around, giving each other high-fives, their smiles beaming as brightly as the spotlights Bree was used to singing under on stage. She could do this. They could do this.


    "All right then. I''ll let you guys get back to practicing. It''s sounding amazing--keep it up!" Alvin made a sign with his hands that meant rock''n''roll, even though they were a country band, and then headed out of the practice area, through the recording booth, and out into the hallway.


    "Well, you heard the man. Let''s get to it," Zach suggested.


    Bree got to her feet, looking at the ylist in front of her to see what was next. When she saw that it was "Meant to Marry Me," the song she''d written for Trent the night Sam had cheated on her, she felt confident in saying, "We''ve got this."

 Distracted

    Concentrating usually wasn''t an issue for Bree, particrly at band practice, one of her favorite ces in the world to be, but the next day, after she''d given Trent her good news, found out his, and realized life isn''t perfect, she was having issues keeping tuned in. While she hadn''t let it actually affect her performance while she was singing, in between songs, her mind wandered back to the conversation she''d had with Trent, and she wasn''t hearing a damn word her bandmates had to say.


    "Let''s take a coffee break." That, she heard, as Zach said it loudly, right next to her. Bree watched as the rest of the band scattered, including his girlfriend, Shawna, but she could tell by the way Zach was looking at her, his hands on his hips, that he had something he wanted to say to her.


    He waited until everyone else was out of the small practice space before he asked, "Everything okay, Bree?"


    She raised an eyebrow, picking up her almost empty coffee mug and wishing she could avoid his question by going to get a refill. But that would be rude, and this was the man who''d saved her life, along with Trent. "Yeah, everything''s fine. Why do you ask?" She took a swallow of mildly cold coffee and choked it down.


    He shrugged. "I don''t know. You just seem a little... distracted today. That''s all."


    "Oh, well... yeah. I guess so." She wondered if everyone else had noticed, too. The fact that they''d all left so quickly the moment Zach had mentioned a break made her think they had. Perhaps they''d even been exchanging worried nces behind her back.


    "You wanna talk about it?" He folded his arms, softening his expression, not that he''d been harsh to begin with. Zach was always nice, despite his muscr frame and his tattooed exterior.


    "It''s nothing really. It''s just... Trent can''te to our first show." She shrugged, trying to y it off.


    "Oh. I''m sorry to hear that." She could tell that he wanted to ask her why but was trying to decide whether or not that would be rude.


    So she volunteered the information. "Yeah. He has some award ceremony that night. It''s a pretty big deal. The New Nashville Entrepreneur of the Year awards." "Impressive. Sounds like a big deal."


    "It is." She smiled, proud of Trent and his hard work, even if it meant he''d have to miss the concert. "So, I guess I''m just a little out of sorts, thinking about what it will be like to take the stage again, for the first time in a long time, without him there."


    Zach nodded. "It''ll be all right, Bree. I know that it means a lot to you to have him there, but we''ll be okay. The rest of us will be there to support you." He gestured widely with his arms, reminding her that she was standing in the middle of her band''s equipment, the instruments representing people who would always be there for her.


    "I know you will be." Bree smiled, d to have the reminder that she wouldn''t be in this alone, even without Trent at the show. "There''s just one thing, Zach." Bree blew out a deep breath, trying to decide how to word her revtion. "My ex- boyfriend ys guitar for Back Roads."


    Zach didn''t blink, only nodded. "Sam."


    "Yeah. You knew that?"


    "Of course I knew that, Bree. I had a crush on you for a while, remember? I know who all of your ex-boyfriends are." Zach looked slightly sheepish, as if he knew he probably shouldn''t admit that aloud. "So what if Sam''s there? You''re engaged now. If anything, he''ll feel like a total heel for ever letting you go."


    "I broke up with him."


    "I know that." He snickered. "I meant... ever messing up in a way that made you let him go."


    Bree nodded, her mind wandering back to that night she''d caught Sam in bed with her college roommate, Melissa. "I don''t want to see him at all."


    "So don''t. You''re the big star here, Bree. If you don''t have time to meet with the opening band, just don''t see them. We''ll make sure that you don''t have to see him if you don''t want to. Shawna might not be in the backstage hospitality business any more, but I''m sure she can politely ensure that Sam knows he''s not toe anywhere near you, if that''s what you want."


    Bree nodded. That was what she wanted--wasn''t it? Did she even want to see him? Probably not. "Thanks, Zach." She blew out a long, hot breath, relieved that Zach had noticed her mood and asked her what was happening. "Sure thing, Bree. We''re all so d you''re back. We''ll do whatever we can to make sure that you are asfortable as possible." He opened his arms, and she stepped into them, theforting hug of a friend helping relieve her anxiety. When Shawna stepped back in, she didn''t sound at all concerned that her boyfriend was hugging Bree. "Oh, good. You''re feeling better, Bree?" she asked in her sweet voice.


    Bree looked up, stepping away from Zach. "I am. Thanks." The only thing that could''ve made her feel any better was coffee, and when Shawna offered her one of the two cups she was carrying, she couldn''t help but smile as she took it, thanking her.


    "Hey, where''s mine?" Zach asked, nudging Shawna yfully in the arm.


    "I only have two hands, and Bree''s more important than you." She winked at him, and Zach leaned down to kiss her before heading off to get his own coffee.


    Bree took a sip of hers. It was perfect--just the right amount of creamer. Shawna truly was a blessing. Not only was she kind and thoughtful, Bree wouldn''t have to worry about her keyboardist going crazy and trying to kill her ever again. The rest of the band came back, and Bree set her cup aside, ready to get busy with rehearsal again, her mindpletely focused on getting every song exactly perfect for the big show.


    ***


    "Have you sent your tux out to be pressed?" Celia asked, a big grin on her face as she came into Trent''s office, a stack of files in her hand.


    Looking up from hisputer, Trent took a moment to register what she was asking exactly. He''d been so focused on the ount he was reviewing, he''d momentarily forgotten all about the uing awards ceremony, the one Celia had told him about the day before. "Oh, no, not yet," he said. "I probably need to get a new one anyway."


    "Why is that?" Celia asked, sitting down in a chair across from his desk and cing the files in his inbox.


    At least she wasn''t sitting on the corner of his desk like she normally did. "It''s a long story," Trent muttered, not really wanting to get into it.


    "Well, I''d say I have time, but I wouldn''t want my boss to think I''m not working as hard as I should be." Sheughed, and he joined in, politely.


    "I don''t think there''s any chance of that happening," he assured her. "In fact, if it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t be getting this award at all." Trent took on a serious tone, realizing just how hard Celia had worked. "I appreciate it."


    A tinge of pink colored her cheeks. "It''s no problem. I enjoy working here, working for you." The blush deepened. Trent tried not to raise his eyebrows as he wondered if there was more to that statement than either of them should note at the moment. "The invitation is right here." She pulled it out from between a few of the files, cing it on top. "It says you can bring one guest. I''m sure you and Bree will have a magnificent time."


    "Oh, yeah. I''m sure we would. Except... Bree can''t go." Trent picked up the invitation and looked it over, confirming that the event would be held on April 15, the same date as Bree''s concert. The time wasn''t conducive to him making both events either.


    "She can''t go?" Celia repeated, a look of shock on her face. "Why not?"


    Setting the invitation aside, Trent shrugged. "It''s her first show back on the road. She didn''t have any control over it--and she certainly can''t miss that."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Well, no, I guess not." Celia shook her head in understanding. "That''s really too bad. I''m so sorry she''s going to miss it. But then... I''m sure you won''t have any trouble finding a date." Celia''s eyes bulged slightly. "I mean--not a date. I didn''t mean a date date. I meant... someone to go with you. Not that it would be a date. Because you have a girlfriend."


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    "Fianc¨¦e," he corrected, hiding a smirk at her awkwardness. Celia was usually so put together, it was amusing to see her flustered now.


    "Exactly," she said, gesturing wildly with her arms. "So... yeah. I''m sure you''ll find someone to go with you."


    "Celia," Trent began, still trying not tough at her, "would you like to go with me?"


    "Me? Go with you?" Her eyes widened as she leaned back in her chair.


    "Sure. After all, if it wasn''t for you, we wouldn''t even be getting this award."


    "Oh, I don''t know about that."


    "I do. You''ve done so much work this year, especially when I was out with Bree. If it hadn''t been for you, we''d be struggling to keep our heads afloat, instead of making record gains. If anyone deserves to be there, it''s you." "Wow, Trent, I appreciate that," Celia said, her smile sincere. "One of the reasons I love working here is because I feel so appreciated. It''s a far cry from myst position, I''ll tell you that much."


    He was well aware that Celia hadn''t been appreciated by herst firm and tried to go out of his way to make sure she knew how much he valued having her in hispany. "You''re great at what you do, Celia. It would be an honor to have you apany me to ept the award on behalf of the entire corporation."


    "In that case... it''s a date," Celia said, a broad smile on her face for only a few seconds before she realized what she''d said. "I mean--not a date date." She shook her head, looking down at the floor, her short hair dancing around her ears as she tried to clear her head.


    "I know what you meant," Trent assured her, standing up and offering her his hand. "I know you''re aware that Bree and I are very happy together."


    Celia shook his hand, meeting his eyes. "Yes, I know," she confirmed. Trent thought he saw something behind her smile, something he could only describe as pain--or possibly annoyance. "I am happy to ept the invitation." "Good." He let go of her hand, and Celia headed to the door, pausing in the doorway to look back over her shoulder and sh him a smile before she disappeared down the hall.


    Trent sat back down, taking a deep breath and letting it go. Hopefully, this didn''te back to bite him. If Celia was starting to develop feelings for him beyond the professional rtionship they already had, he didn''t want to think about it. He''d cross that bridge when he came to it. With any luck, that was a worry he could just put out of his mind because he''d hate to lose Celia as an employee, but he certainly couldn''t deal with another crazy woman trying to keep him away from Bree. He''d had enough of that tost him two lifetimes.

 Different

    Picking out an outfit to wear for her big show was harder than Bree would''ve thought. Even after hiring a personal stylist to take her shopping a week or so before the show, she still wasn''t sure what to wear. It made sense to her now why so many famous people had a team of people that dressed them, did their makeup, and always had them looking on point. Standing in front of her full-length mirror in the bedroom, Bree wasn''t sure if she looked edgy in the new outfit she''d put on or just out-of-sorts.


    "That''s a different outfit," Trent remarked,ing into the room and looking her over before he headed to the closet to start getting ready for his own event.


    Bree looked back over what she was wearing for the hundredth time. Skinny jeans with ck boots that came up to her knees--not cowboy boots as she would normally wear--a bright purple blouse and a jean jacket. While she was used to wearing a jean jacket and boots on stage, these two pieces were not quite in herfort zone. Not to mention, she usually wore a floral print dress in earth tones, nothing as revealing as the tight jeans.


    She let out a small groan and asked, "Does it look bad?" Pulling down on the bottom of her jacket she turned a few more times. The personal stylist had suggested she make here back in something a little different, to symbolize she had grown and evolved in her time away from music. Bree wasn''t sure she trusted the woman''s judgment now.


    "No, you look great," Trent assured her, carrying the garment bag containing his new tuxedo out of the closet andying it on the bed. "It''s just different, that''s all." "Different can be good," Bree reminded him as she twisted around to check out her backside again.


    "It can be. Are youfortable?"


    "No," Bree said immediately, making him chuckle. "But I''ll live."


    Trent came over and wrapped his arms around her, and Bree rxed into him. He kissed the top of her head. "You always look beautiful, Bree."


    Leaning against his chest, her armsyered over his, she looked into his blue eyes, and a wave of sadness washed over her. "I''m so sorry I''m going to miss your event."


    "I know. I''m so sorry I''m going to miss yours." He held her tighter. "It''ll be all right, though. You''re going to be amazing. Christy''sing to town just to watch, right?"


    Bree nodded, brightening slightly at the mention of her high school friend. "Yes. I''m looking forward to seeing her. Of course, she''s not even getting here until right before the show starts." Christy hadn''t quite outgrown her partying ways like the rest of Bree''s friends had after college.


    "She said she''d record it for me, though, so I won''t miss out, even though I can''t be there."


    "She will--as long as she stays sober and doesn''t end up leaving with some guy."


    Trent snickered. "True. That might happen." He spun Bree around so that she was looking into his eyes for real and not just his reflection. "I love you, Bree. You''re going to have so much fun, once you get on that stage, you''ll forget I''m not even there. Just pretend I am."


    She couldn''t help but giggle. "Yeah, I''ll just pick some random dude in the audience and pretend he''s you."


    With a shrug, Trent said, "As bright as the lights are, you might not be able to tell the difference."


    "Do you think he''ll notice if I wink at him between songs the way I usually wink at you?"


    His expression grew more serious. "This pretending better not go too far now, woman. You''re my girl, after all."


    Laughing, she reached up on her toes to kiss him, the high heel on the boot making it so she didn''t have to stretch nearly as far as usual. His lips were warm and inviting, and she had to remind herself that she was supposed to meet the rest of her band in less than half an hour so that she didn''t get carried away. "Don''t worry, Trent. No one could ever take your ce."


    He smiled at her and brushed a lock of long, strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder. "And no one could ever take yours either. You look gorgeous, Bree. Stop worrying about your outfit. You could wear a potato sack and still look more beautiful than any other woman on the."


    Even though they were engaged, he still knew how to bring a blush to her cheeks with hispliments. In the back of her mind, she secretly hoped that statement included Celia, but she''d convinced herself she didn''t need to worry about Trent''s coworker a long time ago--even if she was stunning, sessful, and knew how to talk about ounting stuff Bree didn''t even understand. "Thanks, Trent. Now put on that tux so I can remind myself why I''m the luckiest woman in the world."


    A crooked grin lit his face as he stepped away. "You know, I''m used to you requesting I get undressed--not dressed."


    With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, Bree replied. "You''ve gotta get undressed to get dressed, baby."


    Trent chuckled as he pulled his shirt off over his head, revealing the perfect abs and pecs Bree wrapped her arms around every night. She had to take a deep breath and a step back to keep fromunching herself at him. They definitely didn''t have time for that. Folding her hands behind her back, she concentrated on self-control and enjoying the show, knowing she could have exactly what she wanted as soon as they both returned from their events. Watching Trent slide his jeans down over his hips would definitely give her something to look forward to.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Rusty Wagon

    The bus ride to The Rusty Wagon Wheel took about an hour, but it wasn''t the anxious, drawn-out event Bree had anticipated. Instead, her bandmates were full of jokes and wise cracks, which kept Bree so entertained, she had a hard time thinking about where she was going and who she was about to see. It also helped that Shawna dered how much she loved her outfit the moment she saw her. Bree was more rxed than she had been all day when the bus pulled into the parking lot, circling around back so they could get out and go through a back entryway, undetected by the crowds congregated out front.


    Bree took a deep breath, d to see that the truck with their equipment was already there, and the roadies were nearly done unloading everything. Since Back Roads would open, there wouldn''t be room on the stage for everything, and some of therger pieces, like the drums and keyboards, would have to be switched out between the two sets, but they''d get as much ready to go before either band took the stage as they could. "You ready for this?" Zach asked, cing his hand on her shoulder.


    "I think so," Bree replied. "I''ll just head to the green room and hang out there while Back Roads ys." If she could avoid Sam altogether, that would be easier than having to face him. It seemed like a good strategy considering Trent wasn''t there to hold her hand through it.


    "Okay," Zach said, giving her a supportive smile.


    "We''re right here if you need us," Shawna reminded her.


    Bree nodded and headed out of the bus.


    A representative from the club met them in the parking lot. "Hi. I''m Rob. Wee to The Rusty Wagon Wheel. We''re so d to have you. If you''ll follow me, I''ll take you to your room."


    Since this had been Shawna''s job at the club where she''d met Bree and the rest of the band, Bree let her go first. Zach had her hand, and the two of them looked excited to finally have a chance to y music together on stage again as they walked in through the back door. Bree stayed behind them, the rest of the band following them as some roadies brought in equipment through another entryway to her right. Everything was just as it should be--anticipation for the show began to rece the anxiety she''d been feeling at the idea of seeing Sam. With any luck, she wouldn''t see him at all.


    Voices carried out the open door backstage which Rob seemed to be leading them to. He paused in the hallway. "This is our green room. You should be plentyfortable in there while the opening band ys their set. They''re up in about ten minutes." He checked his watch and gestured for Bree''s band to go in.


    Confused, Shawna paused. "Is... the other band in this room, too?"


    "Yeah. We only have one green room," Rob said with a shrug. "But it''s plenty big enough for all of you."


    "Is it the size of Texas?" Zach asked, and Bree choked back augh getting his point. It would have to be the size of the Lone Star state for there to be enough room for her and Sam in the same room. "Uh... no. Is there a problem?" Rob asked. His face was pale beneath the red, shaggy beard that covered most of it.


    "No, it''s fine," Bree said, stepping between them. She wasn''t going to be an inconvenience to both her bandmates and the other group over something that had happened over five years ago. "It''s no problem."


    Rob breathed a sigh of relief and gestured for them to go on in. Zach caught her eyes, and Bree nodded, so he went in, alongside Shawna, and Bree followed because she had no choice.


    The room wasrge, that much was true, and there was plenty of seating. Sofas and chairs lined the walls. In the center of the room was a table full of drinks and snacks, and Back Roads was congregated around it, the seven of them talking and carrying on as if they, too, were feeling the excitement of the uing show.


    "If you need anything at all, just let me know. I''m going to go check to see how long we have until the stage is set," Rob said. "But I''ll be right back."


    "Thank you," Bree managed, but she couldn''t turn her head to look at Rob. Instead, she found herself staring at a familiar face. He looked different. Five years would do that to a person. But it was him. Her ex-boyfriend. Sam.


    His eyes were fixed on her as well. Bree fought her mouth, trying to get her lips to move, to say something, anything. But she couldn''t. She could only stare at him, a thousand questions coursing through her mind, but not a single statement or greeting amongst them.


    He looked like he''d put on weight--in a good way. His shoulders were broader. It was hard to say how defined he might be since he was wearing a id shirt and jeans, but he looked good, better than he had when they''d dated. His hair was different, too, longer on top, and he hadn''t shaved. His beard was well trimmed, as was the mustache above his thin lips, but he certainly looked different like this. He looked good.


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    "But not as good as Trent," she reminded herself. Besides, Sam had cheated on her, slept with her roommate, and that was unforgivable. Even if Bree hadn''t been wearing an engagement ring, there was no way in hell she''d ever give Sam Fowler a second chance.


    She could be civil to him, though. Realizing the entire room full of people were staring at her, waiting for her to say something, she finally managed to free her tongue. "Hey, Sam," she said, her face softening into a slight smile. Then, before he could say more than a muttered, "hi" in return, she turned her attention to the rest of the band. "Hello, everyone."


    "Hi there, Bree," the lead singer for Back Roads, a guy Bree had never met but knew through the industry, said. Offering her his hand, he said, "I''m Jim Campbell."


    "I know. It''s nice to meet you." His grip was strong for a tall,nky dude. Despite his build, he had a handsome face that drove the girls wild. His bright green eyes were warm and inviting.


    Jim introduced the rest of his band to Bree, and she did the same, all of them shaking hands before conversations broke out around them. Bree wished she could jump into a discussion about music with someone else, but she found herself standing across the table from Sam, awkwardly attempting to look anywhere but into his face, praying Rob woulde back soon and take them away to the stage.


    "How''s it going?" Sam asked. Out of the corner of her eye, Bree could see him nce at her but then look away quickly.


    "Good. Things are going pretty great, actually, thanks. Yourst record did well. Or so I heard."


    "Yep. Yeah, it sold quite a few copies." Sam''s head rocked back and forth, and Bree found herself nodding along with him, not sure what else to say. She''d hoped he''d say something else about music. Instead, he stopped talking. Not sure what else to say, the two of them stood there nodding for several seconds, and she imagined anyone who was paying them any mind at all probably thought they looked ridiculous. Thankfully, Rob was back. "All right, Back Roads. Two minutes to stage, please. Two minutes."


    "Well, that''s not a lot of warning," Jim said with a chuckle.


    If you''re loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for theplete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "Sorry." Rob muttered, ncing up from the clipboard he was carrying.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "No, it''s okay. I need to hit the head real quick, though. It was nice meeting y''all. Take care."


    "Break a leg," Chase called, getting a bunch ofughs. Bree waved goodbye as the other band filed out the door, d to have the reprieve but regretting every awkward second she''d spent in Sam''s presence. Why had she acted like such a nervous little girl? She shouldn''t have paid him any attention at all.


    "That went well," Shawna said, resting her hand on Bree''s shoulder.


    "It did?" Bree asked, turning to look at her with wide eyes.


    "Hey, you didn''t yell at him, throw anything at him, or punch him in the nose. That''s something," Zach added, folding his arms across his massive chest.


    "I guess so." Bree shrugged, picking up a bottle of water from the table and taking a few steps before slumping onto one of the sofas. They''d have over an hour between Back Roads ying and the roadies switching out their equipment before they actually took the stage. Normally, she''d want to go out and hear the opening band y, standing backstage so she could listen. But not tonight.


    The rest of the band found seats, most of them with snacks and drinks in hand. The conversation shifted to sports, which Bree was thankful for. She didn''t want to talk about Sam anymore. She didn''t even want to think about him. Instead, she let her mind wander to Trent. What was he doing now? Had he arrived at the awards ceremony? Whatever he was up to, he had to be having a better night than she was.


    Bree took a deep breath and pulled out her phone. Her friend Christy was supposed toe watch the show that night, and she was excited to see her. She knew Christy was likely to bete, but she sent her a text to let her know that she coulde backstage if she got there before the show started.


    "Awesome," Christy shot back. "I should be there in a few."


    Knowing "a few" to Christy might mean hours, Bree replied, "Cool," and set her phone in herp, not holding her breath that Christy would be there before the show started, but at least looking for her friend would be a distraction, and that''s what she needed at the moment because seeing Sam had stirred up emotions in Bree she hadn''t felt in a long time. The kind she didn''t want to ever experience again, like the feeling that she just wasn''t good enough. She''d have to shake it before she went on stage. Thest thing she needed to be thinking when she went back on stage for the first time in months was that she was anything less than amazing.


    A nce around the room reminded her that she''d assembled a brilliant team of musicians. She could do this. They could do this. Bree did her best to slow her breathing and remember that she was here because she''d earned her way to this point, and nothing--no one--was going to stop her now.

 Unpleasant

    The limo slowed for a traffic light, and Trent wished he could see out the tinted window better. He thought they were almost to the location of the awards ceremony, a theater in the main part of downtown Nashville, but it was hard to tell with his limited vantage point.


    Next to him, Celia was chattering nervously. She hadn''t stopped talking since she''d gotten into the car, almost a half hour ago. She looked stunning in a long red and silver gown with her hair pulled up in a clip on the back of her head. He hadn''t thought her short hair was long enough for an updo, but clearly it was, and she looked even more elegant than usual. But the fact that she wouldn''t stop talking was beginning to wear on him. Trent was nervous enough about having to stand up in front of a room full of his peers and give a speech; her inability to quiet herself wasn''t giving him even a moment to attempt to take some deep breaths and calm down.


    "I''m sorry I keep rambling on," Celia finally said, causing his head to turn in her direction for the first time in several miles. "I do that when I''m anxious or excited."


    "It''s okay,¡± Trent lied. He hoped that meant she''d rein it in, but the reprieve onlysted a few seconds before she was off to the races again, telling him a story about a different award herpany had been up for the year before and how she hadn''t been invited to attend the event.


    Trent had heard that story before, but he nodded politely and inserted the appropriate, "Uh huhs," and "you don''t says," whenever they fit, his eyes still glued to the darkened window for the most part. Eventually, he realized where they were and didn''t know if he should be d that the ride was nearly over, and he could get out soon, freeing himself from Celia''s storytelling, or terrified about what woulde next.


    It wouldn''t matter how he reacted to the situation; it was unfolding just the same. The limo pulled to a stop, and a valet opened the door for him. He got out and then offered his hand to Celia. She took it and then looped her arm through his. The contact made Trent more than a little ufortable, but it was to be expected that he would escort his date into the theater, even if they weren''t a couple.


    It wasn''t exactly a Hollywood moment. There were no snapping photographers outside, no one shouting his name. While he was d that was the case, he did realize he would likely be in a simr situation in a year or two, though it would be Bree''s name everyone would be shouting. She was sure to be a big-time singer in the near future. Then, he would proudly escort her to award ceremonies where she''d finally get the credit she deserved. For now, he was d to make his way into the theater without anyone shouting or snapping pictures.


    Once inside, the situation changed. There were photographers for the city in the foyer, and since hispany was receiving the biggest award of the night, it seemed everyone''s attention was immediately on him. He was greeted by a representative from the awardmittee and ushered inside of the ballroom where hundreds of guests were congregated.


    Trent took a look around, hearing Celia gasp at how lovely the decor was. Round tables were set up near the stage, the centerpieces consisted ofrge red flowers and some sort of golden spires Trent wouldn''t have had a name for if his life depended upon it. The rest of the room was decorated in red and gold as well, including tworge pieces on either side of the stage that mimicked the table centerpieces, though they were much more borate with many more flowers andrge, shimmery gold pieces intertwined among them.


    Most of the guests were mingling in the back third of the room, away from the tables, champagne flutes in hand. Everyone was dressed to the nines in evening gowns and suits. Trent recognized several other Nashville entrepreneurs, men and women he''d read about in magazines or met at luncheons. He hadn''t joined any of the high society clubs since he hadn''t been in town long and had spent most of the time he was there taking care of Bree, but he was still familiar with the vast majority of the city''s upper echelon of wealth and power. Many of them were in the room now.


    "My goodness!" Celia said, leaning toward his ear. "There''s Grant Houston. And Maria Cantelli!" She had one hand over her mouth so no one could see who she was whispering about. "And look--Anthony Meriwether!"


    Trent knew who all of those people were and why it was such a thrill for Celia to see them in person, but he wasn''t quite as starstruck as she was. As people noticed them and came over to greet them, Trent began to rx a bit. It helped when Celia unwound her arm from his, and he could shove his hands down into his pockets. He took deep breaths and reminded himself it would all be over soon.


    And then he saw a familiar face across the room and every ounce of oxygen was expelled from his lungs. "What the...." Trent muttered, catching himself and stopping the sentence before anyone heard.


    Celia had caught it, but she was the only one. Her eyebrows knit together as she studied him. "Is everything okay?"


    Shaking his head, Trent tried not to curse. "Yes. Fine. Just... someone I was hoping to never see again is here."


    Celia''s eyes flew over the crowd as she tried to puzzle it all together. "Who?" she finally asked, lost.


    Taking a flute of champagne from a passing tray, Trent downed it, only realizing after it was gone that it would''ve been more polite to get thedy a drink as well. Now, his mind was really messing with him. He needed to get some air before hepletely lost control of himself.


    "Trent, what is the matter?" Celia asked, her fake smile full of concern. "What is it?"


    His eyes went back across the room to the face he hadn''t wanted to see. She was looking at him now, though, that evil smile pulling her lips apart. She''d done this on purpose. She probably wasn''t even supposed to be here and only found a way to meddle her way in when she found out he''d be receiving an award. "My ex-fianc¨¦e is here," he whispered to Celia, pulling his eyes away from Monica''s beautiful, horrid face.


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    "Oh." Celia''s eyes went up again, searching, but she still had no idea who Trent was talking about, and he wasn''t about to point her out. "I''m sorry. Where?"


    "It doesn''t matter," Trent said, the shock subsiding as he finally regained control of himself. "She doesn''t matter."


    "Okay," Celia said, but he could tell she didn''t believe him. Clearly, Monica still had an effect on him or else he would be able to fully fill his lungs right now. "Do you want another drink?"


    Realizing his ss was empty, Trent said, "Absolutely," and took Celia''s arm, leading her to the closest drink tray. It was going to be a long night, and he had a feeling he''d be knocking back more drinks than he had in a long time. Especially if Monica found a way toe and talk to him. Interacting with her was thest thing on earth he wanted to do.


    A waiter with a tray was making his way through what was quickly bing a congested room. Trent let go of Celia''s arm to pluck each of them a drink off of the tray. She''d just raised the ss to her lips when she made a squealing noise and started wildly gesturing across the room. "That''s my friend Hannah--from my old firm!" she dered, pulling on his arm with her free hand. "You have to meet her!"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Since the redhead was on the opposite side of the room from where he''d seen Monica standing, Trent agreed that it was a good idea. By the time they reached her, Hannah was also squealing, and the two women hugged each other as if they hadn''t seen each other in years, talking a million miles a minute as they attempted to catch up. Trent was slightly amused; he couldn''t remember ever seeing Celia act so much like a high schooler, but it was kind of nice to see her break away from the no-nonsense persona she carried with her in the office.


    Listening to the conversation, he learned that Hannah was there with her boyfriend, Frank, who was epting an award for his new dental practice. He didn''t have much to say, which immediately made Trent like the guy. At the moment, he could handle awkwardly standing next to Celia without the demands of conversation so long as it meant he didn''t have to think about the fact that Monica was there. He was still trying to figure out how she''de to be at the ceremony when the MC called for their attention.

 Attention

    "Good evening,dies and gentlemen. We''ll begin the ceremony in approximately five minutes, so now would be a good time to begin making your way to your assigned tables." The MC was a robust man with gray hair, dressed in an expensive suit, with the sort of voice one would expect to hear in a movie trailer.


    "I guess that means we should take our seats," Celia said, waving goodbye to her friend.


    "I guess so." Trent nced around the room, seeing that Monica was still on the other side. He hoped it would stay that way, but as he and Celia began to look for their seats, he realized Monica was getting closer and closer to them. When he finally saw his name on a table in the middle of the room, near the stage, he gasped in horror when he realized that Monica and her date were also seated there. Cursing under his breath, Trent put on a brave face and pulled out Celia''s chair for her. Monica would be seated directly across from him, once she realized that was her table, too.


    "Oh. Great," Monica said, stopping behind the chair situated in front of her name te. "We''re at the same table."


    "What''s that, darling?" The man she was with, a man who appeared old enough to be her father, leaned in closely so that he could hear her. He was dressed in an expensive Armani suit and looked quite distinguished, though Trent didn''t recognize him.


    "Nothing, George. Here we are," Monica said, pulling out her own chair. George realized his faux pas and gestured for her to let him, but by then Monica had already slunk into the seat, smoothing her red, sparkly evening gown as she sat. George pushed her chair in and then took the seat next to her, four other people filling in the rest of the table. Trent knew none of them but imagined at least half the people at that table were receiving awards simr to the one he was getting that evening.


    The other couples who were sitting with them seemed to know one another well enough to make small talk while they waited for everyone else to be seated. Dinner was served, but Trent had no appetite for the expensive seafood set before him. Monica didn''t seem to either. She picked at her linguini with m sauce and the other dishes they were brought, only taking a few small bites. At least she didn''t attempt to talk to him. As far as the others at the table knew, they were strangers. He wanted to keep it that way.


    It wasn''t until the awards ceremony was underway that Trent realized the man Monica was with was a photographer, George Ralsten. He had seen his work in several magazines and newspapers, including the spread about this event in the local newspaper a few days before. He had to assume Monica had met him at the modeling agency. While they didn''t seem to be a couple, George was paying quite a bit of attention to Monica, and it was clear he was enamored with the beautiful, younger woman.


    It wouldn''t surprise Trent at all if Monica was only there because George had money. She was a leach, after all, and would take advantage of any man who looked at her sideways if it meant it would better her career or put more pretty dresses in her closet.


    Trent knew that wasn''t all true. Monica had fallen in love with him before he was rich. Just because she had cheated on him with his best friend, it wasn''t fair to assume she was also a gold digger. But he did know how much her career meant to her and assumed she''d do whatever she could to make a name for herself in the modeling world. If that meant sleeping with a famous photographer, then he wouldn''t put it past her.


    George received his award before Trent. The MC introducedst year''s winner of Nashville''s Photographer of the Year, and a small woman with bright red hair came out and spoke a few words about George before the older man went up on stage to receive his award. He spoke briefly, thanking everyone for the honor, recognized his date, "The beautiful and talented Monica Edge," and then went backstage to be the subject of a few photographs, leaving Monica by herself. When the MC announced they''d take a small intermission before presenting the rest of the awards, Trent felt his heart sink in his chest. With George away, it would leave Monica with nothing better to do than start a conversation with him. He prayed she''d continue to pretend they didn''t know each other, but it didn''t take long at all before she was looking right at him.


    "I''m surprised your fianc¨¦e isn''t here," she said, looking from Trent to Celia and then back again. "Did the two of you have a falling out?"


    Her tone was a forced form of pleasant that no one other than Trent would''ve been able to pick up on. To everyone else, it would''ve seemed like a casual, though prying, question. "No, we didn''t break up," Trent replied, trying to infuse his voice with cheer, though he knew it also sounded as fake as Monica''s eyshes. "She had a show tonight."


    "Oh. That''s odd." Monica shrugged and took a sip of her wine.


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    "What''s that?" Trent asked, though he regretted it the second it was out of his mouth. He knew better. He should''ve just let thement go.


    "It''s nothing. I just... well, you seem to appreciate a woman who puts you before her career, so I''m shocked you''re willing to put up with that."


    Trent wasn''t sure what to say. The audacity Monica was showing in bringing up their personal history in front of a table full of people, most of which were strangers to both of them, was unbelievable. The fact that what she was saying wasn''t true at all made a ball of rage well up inside of him. He''d been willing to move halfway across the country, or even to France, if that''s what it took for her to get her modeling career off the ground. If she wanted to air dirtyundry, he had plenty of embarrassing usations he could make against her as well. The only difference was, his would be true.


    Before Trent could work out the best way to respond, Celia asked, "Wait a minute--do the two of you know each other?"


    "I guess you could say that," Monica said, her eyes narrowed. "I thought we knew each other."


    "Oh, I see," Celia said, her head nodding. "This is that poor girl you mentioned to me earlier," she said, leaning in close to Trent, as if she were attempting to whisper, even though she wasn''t. "The one who made so many unfortunate decisions and ended up ruining her life. What a pity. She''s so pretty."


    Monica''s mouth dropped open, her face immediately turning red, not so much from embarrassment as from rage, Trent supposed. It was enough to make him forget he was angry at her for thements she''d made as he did his best to hide hisughter.


    "What?" Monica spat. "Well, I never!"


    "It''s all right. I don''t me you for being upset. Trent is engaged to a beautiful, sessful musician, and you''re obviously still struggling to get your life in order. It''s understandable that you wouldsh out irrationally at him. At least your date for tonight is sessful. Perhaps some of his winning ways will rub off on you, and you''ll get your life sorted out."


    Celia was on a roll, and it was all Trent could do to keep from bursting out inughter. The other people at the table sat ck jawed, their expressions shouting that they wished they weren''t witnessing the exchange, but there was no ce for any of them to go save the restroom, and since the ceremony was about to start again and none of them had received their awards yet, they couldn''t run off.


    Thankfully, Monica could. "I don''t know who your new little tart is, Trent, but she''s a bitch!" Monica said, pushing back from the table. She grabbed her handbag and stormed off in the direction of the lobby where the restrooms were located, just as the MC wasing back to the microphone to get the rest of the show underway.


    "That was awkward," Celia whispered, a devilish grin on her face.


    Trent shook his head slowly. "That was brilliant," he said, so d he''d brought Celia with him. If it had been Bree, Monica likely would''ve hurt her feelings and made her cry. Bree was so fragile right now, after all she''d been through, he wasn''t sure she could stand up for herself at the moment. But Celia had put Monica in her ce in a way few people could do. Once again, he was so proud of Celia, he couldn''t have even put it into words.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.

 Forever

    The butterflies in her stomach were the kind Bree relished, the kind that gave her fuel. The roadies were done switching out their equipment, and now, all she had to do was wait for her band to be introduced, and she''d finally be taking the stage again.


    "Are you ready?" Shawna whispered in her ear, a huge smile on her face.


    "So ready," Bree replied, smiling and squeezing her keyboardist''s hand. She''d gotten lucky earlier. As the bands crossed paths, Sam had said hello and nothing more to her, so she hadn''t had to attempt to chat with him. The rest of the two groups had exchangedpliments and words of encouragement when Back Roads hade off from their set. There''d been a round of congrattory statements, like, "nice set," and, "well done." Jim and the others had said, "Good luck," that sort of thing, and then the opening band had headed to the green room. Now, Bree could concentrate on going on stage and ying the best set of her life.


    She''d gotten a text from Christy earlier that she''d arrived, which was also exciting, even though she hadn''t made it backstage before the show. After the concert was over, Christy would meet her backstage. She was excited to catch up with her friend. She hadn''t seen her for so long. All of her excitement mingled together in Bree''s belly, making it difficult to stand still. Thank goodness she wouldn''t have to for much longer.


    The owner of the club himself, Merv Stonewall, took the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you a real treat tonight. We are so lucky that this young gal has decided to make her return to music after a few months of medical hiatus on this here very stage. Please put your hands together and help me wee Bree Matthews and her band!"


    The crowd went wild with apuse, sending a rush of adrenaline through Bree''s veins. Normally, she would be thest member of the band toe on stage, but she couldn''t wait any longer. She half-ran, half-skipped herself onto stage, waving as she made her way to the microphone. Tonight''s show was going to be the best ever, and she couldn''t wait to get the music started.


    "How are y''all tonight, Nashville!" she shouted as she pulled the microphone from its stand, pumping her free arm into the air and then waving. The crowd was sorge, she couldn''t even see them all. The bright lights illuminated the first few rows of cheering fans, but beyond that, it was a ck haze. Everyone was on their feet, though, the tables interspersed along the sides of the club holding drinks but their chairs useless at the moment. "Are y''all ready to hear some more music?"


    Each of her questions were answered with a resounding cheer, which got Bree''s heart beating even harder. "All right then! Let''s do this!" She turned to make sure all of her bandmates were ready. Seeing that everyone was in ce, she raised the microphone again, and banging on her leg for emphasis, she shouted, "One, two, one, two, three, four!" and the bandunched into the first song on the ylist.


    It was one of her more popr songs, one they''d released a few weeks ago in preparation for the tour, though not the most popr. That was still "Meant to Marry Me." This one, "Last Forever," was another song she''d written for Trent right after he''d asked her to marry him. As soon as the familiar melody hit the ears of the people in the crowd, another cheer went home. Bree couldn''t contain her smile. She wasn''t surprised at all that thousands of voices lifted along with hers as she began to sing.


    Bree closed her eyes, raising the microphone to her lips, and losing herself in the lyrics. When she reached the refrain, even more people joined in.


    "They might say never say never, but our love willst forever.


    No one, nothing, no how will tear us apart.


    Now that we''re finally together, I know our love willst forever.


    No one else will ever have my heart.


    Nothing can ever sever our love.


    We''re meant to be together, my love.


    You and I willst forever."


    By the time she reached the end of the song, Bree waspletely immersed in the music. The song changed, and she opened her eyes, moving right along with the rest of the band into the next song. The crowd cheered loudly as they recognized the new tune, and Bree encouraged them to p their hands to the fast-paced beat.


    The show went so well, Bree couldn''t remember ever having been nervous, she was so caught up in the emotions of the crowd, the music, the beat, everything that reminded her of why she loved this life so much. By the time they reached the end of the ylist, with only "Meant to Marry Me" left as an encore, she wasn''t ready to go. She was looking forward to visiting with Christy, but if she could stay on the stage and sing for another two hours, she would happily do so. At the end of the song, Bree thanked everyone foring, waved, and made her way off stage, listening to the cheers, pping, and shouts of "Encore!" Everyone in the band was so happy, they congratted each other, giving high-fives and hugs as they huddled off stage, waiting a few moments to go back on. Sometimes in the past, they had done two encores, but the crowd would know there''d only be one encore song tonight as soon as they started ying their most famous song.


    "That was awesome!" Zach said, pulling Bree close. "I think that was the best set we ever yed!"


    "I agree!" Bree said, hugging him back. She turned to the rest of the band. "You guys are so amazing! I couldn''t have a better band!"


    "That was the most fun I''ve ever had in my life!" Shawna eximed. This was only the second live show she''d ever done, since she''d just joined the band right before Bree''s incident.


    "Think they''ve waited long enough?" Dominic asked.


    "I know I have!" Bree was ready to get back out there. She could tell by the rest of the musicians'' faces that they were ready as well. This time, she let the rest of them go back out first and get set before she took a deep breath and followed them out. She wasn''t nervous--she was sad. After she sang this song, she''d be done for the night, and she wasn''t ready to end the show just yet. But... she did want to visit with Christy. And she wanted to get home and see how Trent''s night had gone.


    When she walked back over to the microphone, the crowd started cheering again, and when she took the microphone out of its stand and said, "This song''s called, ''Meant to Marry Me," the ce went wild. The band started ying, and Bree poured her heart into every word, concentrating on the man she loved so much and everything the song meant to her. When it was over, she thanked the crowd again. "Be safe driving home, folks!" she shouted, waving at everyone and then slowly walked off of the stage, still wishing she didn''t have to go.


    A sense of sadness and longing washed over her as she followed the others backstage. But then she saw Christy''s familiar face off in the distance, over by the side entrance to the backstage area. And Christy wasn''t alone. Bree could hardly believe her eyes! Not only was her dear friend from high school there--she''d brought another friend from all those years ago. "Christy!" Bree shouted, breaking through the crowd and running toward her. "Hank!"


    "Surprise!" her burly friend said, catching her in his arms. "Hope you don''t mind me tagging along."


    Bree wasn''t sure what to say. She was so happy to see Hank--but Trent might not have been. Of course, Trent wasn''t there. She hugged Hank tight. "Of course. It''s great to see you." As soon as he let her go, she hugged Christy. "Both of you." Hank looked relieved to see that she wasn''t upset at him. The funny thing was, she never had been. Perhaps she should''ve been angry that he''d been sleeping with Trent''s fianc¨¦e. Really, what kind of a best friend did that sort of thing? Maybe it was because Hank had told her he was in love with Monica before she even knew that Trent was dating her. Or maybe it was the fact that Hank had done her a favor in sleeping with Monica since that had ultimately been what had caused Trent and Monica to break up. Either way, she wasn''t angry with him at all and was so d to see him. She had a feeling Trent wouldn''t feel the same way, though.


    As if reading her mind, he asked, "Is Trent not here? We didn''t see him."


    "No, he had an award ceremony tonight," she said quickly, not wanting to think about how badly she wished he had been able toe. "Do you guys want to chat in the green room, or would you rather go somewhere else?" "The bar''s still open," Christy said, always looking for another drink. "Although, I guess you might get swamped by fans if you try to go out there."


    Bree turned and looked through a slit in the curtain that showed how many people were still hanging out in the bar. There were a lot of them. "Yeah, probably not the best idea." She turned back to look at her friends. "But we could go to a different bar, maybe not a country bar."


    "Sounds good to me. I''ve had enough country music for one night." Christy blew out a hot breath and then realized what she''d said. "I mean... your show was great. It was just... everything else."


    Bree bit back augh. She knew how Christy felt about her genre of choice. "Let me get my handbag and call an Uber."


    "I got it," Christy said, her phone already in her hand. "I am the queen of rideshare."


    Knowing that to be true, Bree headed back to the greenroom to get her bag and tell the rest of the band she''d be finding a different way home. She walked inside and almost ran into Sam as he wasing back out into the hallway. The sound that came out of her mouth was a cross between a sheep''s bleat and a scream of terror.


    "Sorry," Sam said as they danced around each other. "I... uh...." He didn''t sound like a frightenedmb, but he seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. "The show was great," he managed as she stepped around him. "Thanks," Bree said, d that Christy and Hank were standing right outside the open door. "So was yours."


    "Yeah. Uh... thanks." Sam ran a hand through his hair. He had that look on his face that told her he wanted to say more but not with other people around. Zach and Shawna were further inside of the green room, chatting with a few people from Sam''s band, so they wouldn''t have been alone even if Christy and Hank weren''t standing there, but Sam looked caught between what he thought he was supposed to do and what he wanted to do.


    Deciding there was no point in staring at him as he fought for words, Bree crossed to the ce where she''d stashed her things earlier and pulled her bag out. "I''m going out with some friends," she called to Zach, whose eyebrows immediately raised. She realized he might''ve somehow got the impression she meant Sam since he couldn''t see Christy and Hank from where he was standing. "Christy and Hank are waiting for me."


    She saw the muscles in Zach''s face rx. "Okay. Have fun. Be careful. Don''t miss your curfew," Zach joked.


    Breeughed, looping her bag over her shoulder. "See y''allter." She waved in a general direction, including the people from the other band in the gesture, and headed back to the door to see Sam still standing in her way.


    It was her turn to arch an eyebrow. "See you, Sam," she said, not meeting his eyes.


    "Yep. Yeah," he said, awkwardly. She walked past him, noting Christy and Hank both looked confused.


    "Bree?" Sam called behind her, still in the room, though the door was open.


    Silently wishing it would''ve mmed shut behind her, Bree turned. "Yes?"


    "Uh... it was nice to see you."


    "Yep," Bree said with a quick nod, not meaning it at all. Not even a little bit. She spun around on her heel and gave Christy a look that her friend would know anywhere. It was time to go.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "Car''s waiting," Christy said, shing a smile at Bree and then giving Sam a look over Bree''s head that would''ve made anyone think twice about following. "Ready?"


    "As I''ll ever be," Bree muttered. She slid her arm through Hank''s and headed toward the exit, wondering how such a good night could get so weird so quickly.

 Speech

    "The winner of the New Entrepreneur of the Year award is... Trent Walker of Walker ounting Services!"


    Apuse rang out across the room at the MCs words. Trent stood and buttoned his jacket, making his way the few steps to the podium, imagining the pping was as much for the fact that his award was thest one of the evening, and everyone would be able to get the hell out of there as soon as he finished speaking, as it was for him. He didn''t n to talk for long.


    A beautiful woman in an evening gown handed him the trophy. It was heftier than it looked, which took him by surprise. The figure was a man and a woman in business attire standing atop a pir, all done in gold, and the bottom card was inscribed with the name of the award, his name, his firm''s name, and the year. It really was an honor to receive it, even if he didn''t like this sort of an event and certainly didn''t like having to speak in front of crowds. "Thank you," Trent said to the woman, who smiled broadly and patted his arm, her fingers lingering a little longer than necessary on his bicep. He shook the MC''s offered hand and then turned to the podium. The lights obscured much of the crowd, but he knew they were there. Remembering what Bree had told him about singling out one person to talk to until he feltfortable shifting his gaze to someone else, he took a deep breath. He used a simr tactic when he was presenting in front ofrge groups, either at meetings to exin his services or when other ounting associations had asked him to speak, but this was different. This room was full of people from all walks of life, not just his fellow numbers people, and the idea that he could say something stupid and embarrass himself was an ever present threat in the forefront of his mind.


    When he looked out at the crowd, it was easy to spot Celia''s smiling face so near the stage. So, deciding it was just as well that he speak directly to her, at least to begin with, he pulled his index cards out of the inside pocket of his jacket and began to recite the speech he''d prepared.


    "Thank you all so very much for this honor," Trent began, clearing his throat. The microphone was slightly too short for him, but he didn''t dare attempt to adjust it for fear he''d break it. "In a room full of sessful, hardworking individuals and firms, being singled out for such an award is beyond words." He continued with the speech he''dbored over for hours since he''d found out he''d have to give one, taking his time to thank Celia by name and other individuals that worked for his firm. He thanked Bree, too, even though she wasn''t there. The apuse at the mention of her name let him know others in the room were aware of Bree Matthews, the famous singer who''d gone through so much. Finally, he sang the praises of the beautiful city who''d so quickly epted them as one of their own and said he understood why so many people loved Nashville. "While it may look like a big city on the map, Nashville is a small town at heart, the sort of ce that makes everyone feel wee. Thank you all very much," he said, raising the statue, so d to be done with the speech. He put the cards back into his pocket and nodded with gratitude one more time before following thedy in the gown off of the stage, breathing a sigh of relief that the hard part was over.


    At least, he hoped that was the hard part.


    Back stage, the official photographer of the event was finishing up, taking photographs of the winner who''d received her award right before Trent''s name was called. He heard the MC thank everyone foring and absently wondered if Celia would be allowed toe back here with him. He hoped she would. Otherwise, she might get bored. Or she might go find Monica and end up in a cat fight....


    The photographer was a woman who appeared to be a little older than him, with long dark hair. She looked bored as she asked the woman in front of him to shift her pose, but once she was done with the previous winner and turned her attention to him, her expression changed, and she perked up. "Well, hello there," she said. "Right this way, Mr. Walker."


    Trent raised an eyebrow and followed her instructions, wondering how she knew his name. Perhaps she had a list of winners or another guide she was following. Once he was standing where she''d directed him, she gave him some other instructions on how to hold the trophy. "That''s perfect," she said, looking through the lens of her camera where it sat on a tripod in front of her. "You''re a natural. Have you ever done any modeling?"


    Trying not tough, Trent waited until she''d snapped the photo to say, "Uh, no." The question was ironic. He''d been far too close to the modeling world once before, but he''d never been a part of it. He was ready to put that part of his life far, far behind him.


    "Well, you should consider it," she said, snapping a few more pictures. "With a face so photogenic and a physique like that, you would be very popr."


    Not knowing how to respond to that without sounding like a jerk, Trent focused on letting her take the pictures, wishing she''d hurry and finish so he could go. Eventually, she seemed satisfied that she''d gotten enough good shots. "All right, Mr. Walker. All done," she said, lowering her camera. "Can you hold on just a sec before you head out, though?"


    Raising an eyebrow, Trent said, "Sure," wondering what in the world she was up to.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The photographer stepped over to a small table where her camera bag and other equipment was sitting. She set the camera down and plucked something else out of her bag. "Here''s my card," she said, her fingertips brushing his as he automatically reached out to take it. "Call me if you ever need a photographer, or if you''re interested in doing any sort of modeling work. I have connections." She winked at him in a way that made him wish men wore engagement bands. "Thanks," Trent said, wishing he could have found a polite way to decline the card, but since there was no way he could do that now, he put it in the inside pocket of his jacket and stepped over to the director of the program who was waiting for him, alongside a few people who appeared to be reporters. He imagined they''d want to ask him a few questions about how he felt receiving the reward for local newspapers and online columns.

 Awful

    Trent nced around again. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he saw Celia standing in the corner of the room near the exit. She gave him a little wave, and he lifted the statue at her, which got a giggle out of her. In the future, given the choice, he would let her ept the award, and he would go with Bree. This entire event had been torturous, and he had a feeling it wasn''t over yet.


    Celia waited for him as the reporters peppered him with questions. It didn''t take more than five or ten minutes, but it seemed much longer than that when all he wanted to do was get out of there. Eventually, the reporters finished, the director thanked him for his time, and Trent was free atst.


    Keeping his haste in check, Trent made his way over to Celia. "Well... how was that?" she asked, the grin on her face letting him know she already knew the answer to that question.


    "Best half hour of my life." The sarcastic remark rolled off of his tongue.


    Snickering, Celia turned, slipping her arm through his. "For some reason, I don''t believe that."


    "I don''t know why," he said with a shrug. Unable to hide his ufortable state anymore, Trent said, "Let''s get out of here."


    "Ah... but I hear people are standing around in the lobby chatting and drinking cocktails. Don''t you wanna hang out with the cool kids for a while?"


    He could tell she was joking, but he was no longer in the mood to y along with it. "Not even a little bit," he said. She was right about people standing around chatting and drinking. As soon as they walked through the doors that led to the lobby, it became apparent most of the attendees were not ready to leave the event already. Considering he didn''t know very many of these people at all, and didn''t care to speak to the person he did know, Trent didn''t slow on his way to the door.


    Until Monica stepped in front of him.


    Her arms were folded beneath her chest, and he could tell she was purposely pushing her cleavage out, leaning forward to ent a chest she had always been overly proud of. Her lips were set in that pout that let him know she was about to tear into him, even though they were in public, and she no longer had a right to speak to him any way she wanted to--not that she ever had had that right, but that hadn''t stopped her in the past when she''d been angry. "Trent, may I have a word with you?" she barked, her voice low.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Scanning the room, he didn''t see her date. "Where''s... what''s his name?"


    Monica didn''t answer his question. "Listen, if you and I are going to live in the same city, and run in the same circles, chances are, we are going to run into one another from time to time. We have to find a way to keep it civil." He raised an eyebrow at her. She was trying to draw him into an argument, to make him raise his voice and look like the bad guy. He wasn''t going to fall for it, though. At least, he hoped he wouldn''t. Squeezing Celia''s arm slightly so that perhaps she''d get the idea that he didn''t want to cause a scene, he said, "Okay."


    "Okay?" Monica echoed, her voice louder and shriller than before. "That''s all you''re going to say?"


    Trent shrugged. "What else is there to say? I don''t want to argue with you, Monica."


    "Well, you did earlier. Or at least... your friend did." She eyed Celia harshly, making it apparent that, if she couldn''t draw Trent into an argument, she''d try his date.


    He felt Celia''s body stiffen next to him. A nce in her direction revealed narrow eyes. She reminded him of a cobra, coiling to strike. He couldn''t let that happen. "Celia understands the situation, Monica, and I assure you, she doesn''t want any trouble either." He hoped his associate didn''t mind him speaking for her, but something told him, if he gave her the opportunity to open her mouth, the venom that spewed out would quickly have every eye in the room on them. Monica wasn''t budging, not yet. Her eyes shifted from Trent''s face to Celia''s, as if she were waiting for an apology. That wasn''t going toe. Celia''s disposition made it very clear that she wasn''t feeling sorry for anything she''d said. "If you''ll excuse us, Monica, we need to be going."


    The model didn''t step aside, so Trent steered himself and Celia around her. He could tell she wanted to say something more but couldn''t find the words. cing Monica into a situation where she was rendered speechless was a rarity. Trent rushed toward the door in an attempt to take advantage of the situation.


    As soon as they were outside, he breathed in the fresh air, hurrying to call the car before Monica regained her bearings and followed after them. At least, if she did that, there wouldn''t be so many witnesses out here, only a handful of other couples waiting for their cars. He''d rather not encounter an angry Monica at all, but if he had to argue with her, at least outside it wouldn''t be quite as embarrassing.


    "The audacity of that woman," Celia said, letting go of Trent''s arm and cing her hands on her narrow hips. "Where does she get off?"


    "That''s Monica," Trent admitted. "When I first met her, I thought it was refreshing that she stood up for herself. Now, I realize she isn''t always in the right, and it''s beyond annoying, especially when her anger boils over in a crowded room." "Have you talked to Bree? Does she know she was here?"


    "No," Trent said, thankful that he saw the car pulling up. He reached for Celia''s arm, thinking he should be a gentleman and lead her to the vehicle. Rather than looping her arm through, she slipped her hand into his. It was an odd sensation, holding hands with someone other than Bree, and he didn''t like it, but he knew Celia was upset on his behalf, and he didn''t want to be rude. "It didn''t seem like the sort of news I should share with her while she''s performing." He imagined she was actually done now, but he didn''t know for sure. It wasn''t as if he''d had a chance to call her yet anyway.


    They slid into the limo, and the driver closed the door. Trent set the trophy down on the seat, tired of carrying it around, and Celia huffed before she clicked on her seatbelt and folded her arms. "She''ll be pissed, won''t she?" Celia asked. It took Trent a moment to realize she meant Bree--that his fianc¨¦e would be pissed to find out that his ex had attended the awards ceremony, and there''d been an interaction. "Yeah, probably." He didn''t want to think about it. In fact, he''d toyed with the idea of not telling her at all. But he knew he shouldn''t do that.


    "That woman is... awful!" Celia said, clearly still worked up about Monica''s attitude. "I don''t understand how someone as kind as you could ever be engaged to her to begin with."

 Need

    It was a thought he''d entertained many times over thest several months since he''d called off the wedding. "It''s...plicated." That was the best he could do.


    His response wasn''t good enough for Celia. "Well, unless she''s just be a horribly bitter woman since you left her ass, I can''t imagine she was ever good enough for you." "No, I don''t think that''s it," Trent began. "I mean... she''s not a horrible person. I know she seemed like it tonight."


    "Yeah, she did!" Celia spat. "Are you sure about that? Why did the two of you break up?"


    "It''s a long story," he replied dismissively.


    "Do you have something else to talk about while we''re in this limo together for the next twenty minutes?" she asked, shifting around so that she was looking at him.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "No, I guess not," he admitted. Trent took a deep breath. He''d spent much of thest several months trying to forget about Monica. Everything about his rtionship with the model left a sour taste in his mouth. Celia was his friend, though, and she''d gone to a lot of trouble to be there with him on a night that ended up being ufortable for her, too. "We met in college. I''d just broken up with another girl. Over Bree."


    "You knew Bree in college?" Celia asked.


    "I''ve known Bree since elementary school." He was under the impression everyone knew that, but he guessed it was a little silly to assume everyone kept up with the backstories of popr country songs. "Really?" Celia asked, slightly stunned. "I guess I didn''t realize."


    "Yeah. I had a crush on her in high school. But every time something almost happened, someone would ruin it." He had realized after the situation with Monica that most of those happenings revolved around Hank, but that wasn''t pertinent to the story now. He wanted to keep his recap as short as possible. "So... my girlfriend before Monica was jealous of Bree. We saw her on a visit back home. I broke up with her, and Monica asked me out. Before long, we were engaged."


    "You must''ve loved her to ask her to marry you."


    "I did love her," Trent agreed. He had loved Monica, but in a different way than the way he felt about Bree. He wasn''t about to go into all of that at the moment either. "But I didn''t ask her to marry me." That was alsoplicated. "We sort of just went ring shopping."


    "Seriously? That woman is... a manipting bitch!" Celia sounded personally wounded.


    Her anger toward someone she''d just met almost made himugh, but Trent stifled his chuckle. Why he thought anything was humorous at the moment, he couldn''t exin, but there was something about her fury that made him want tough. "Anyway, the day before the wedding, Bree told me that my best man had shown her some pictures of himself with Monica, pictures Bree swiped from him, so she could show me, too. When I confronted Monica, she said it had happened once a long time ago, but at the wedding, I realized she had her engagement ring on in the pictures, so it couldn''t have been that long ago. So... I walked out. And I went to Bree, and I knew immediately she had been right when she wrote the song. We were meant to be together."


    Celia listened to him spew the story in a quick, tense voice, her eyes widening several times, her mouth dropping open when she heard how he''d figured it all out and walked away. "Wow!" she finally said. "That took some balls." That was all she said, which left him confused. "What took some balls?"


    "All of it. Your best man slept with her? She slept with him? Bree stole the pictures and told you? And you left her at the altar? All of that. But then, the fact that Bree sang a song she wrote for you about marrying you at your wedding to someone else... well, that''s probably the ballsiest thing I''ve ever heard."


    Nodding, Trent said, "I have to agree with you there. She definitely knew what she had to do and followed through with it."


    Celia''s head rocked back and forth a few times as she turned back around, staring ahead nkly, though he could see her eyes moving as she thought through all he''d revealed. Eventually, she made a low humming noise and said, "What about him?"


    "What about who?" Trent asked, his mind already slipping to other things.


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    "The best man. What did you do to him?"


    "Nothing," Trent said with a shrug. "I didn''t do anything to him."


    "Why not? He slept with your fianc¨¦e."


    "I know, but Hank had been my best friend since fifth grade. I couldn''t do anything to him."


    "He sure the hell didn''t have a problem doing something to you," she pointed out. "You just let him get away with it?"


    "I wouldn''t say that." Trent shifted ufortably, ran a hand along his jaw. He was tired and just wanted to go home. They were almost to Celia''s neighborhood. "I haven''t really spoken to him since it happened, but he''s been suffering, too. He was in love with Monica before I even started dating her. If I had known, I never would''ve gone out with her to begin with. She wouldn''t date him seriously because he''s a personal trainer, and she didn''t think that was good enough for her. So... she just strung him along."


    "Sounds like you''re making excuses if you ask me," she muttered. "I would''ve punched him in the face. And he would''ve deserved it."


    Trent couldn''t disagree that Hank had deserved to be punched in the face, but that just wasn''t his way. He shrugged and looked out the window. "I think... losing both of us was probably bad enough for him."


    "So she broke up with him, too?"


    "Not at first but soon enough, yes."


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    "Huh," Celia said and went quiet again. The car was almost to her apartment building before she said anything else. "Well, Monica is a bitch. I''m d someone stopped you from marrying her. You deserve so much better." "Thank you." Trent reached over and put his hand on her arm, hoping she knew how much he meant the gratitude.


    Her face flushed slightly, and he pulled his hand away. Surely, she hadn''t misinterpreted the action, had she?


    "And if Bree ever does anything like that to you, I''ll cut her balls off."


    Trent''s eyebrows shot up as his mouth dropped open. He wasn''t sure if he shouldugh, defend Bree''s innocence, or thank Celia. There wasn''t much time for any of those things. The driver pulled up to her building and stopped the car, and a momentter, her door was open.


    Celia said, "Thanks so much for taking me, Trent. I had a good time, despite the bitch. Your speech was great."


    "Thank you, Celia," Trent said, smiling at her. "I''m d you were able toe."


    She leaned over and quickly pecked him on the cheek before darting out of the car.


    The move was innocent enough, but as soon as Celia was gone and the door was closed, Trent''s hand flew to his cheek, swiping at the ce where her warm lips had touched his flesh. He''d have to make sure there wasn''t any lipstick there so that Bree didn''t ask any questions. Not that he wouldn''t tell her the truth; she''d deserve that. But there was no reason for her to worry about Celia. None at all.


    As the driver got back in the car, Trent weighed the idea of going to meet Bree. Her show was likely done by now. She might be going out with Christy or the band. Maybe both. He should join them.


    But he wasn''t dressed for it. And he was tired. Instead, he let the car continue on its way to his apartment, hoping Bree had a great time, and she''d be home soon. He needed to see her, but he needed to have her to himself as well.

 Drinks With Friends

    "Be honest!" Christy demanded, tossing back her sixth or seventh shot of tequ. They''d only been at the bar for an hour or so, which meant Christy was making good time on hitting her quota, not that she ever hesitated to hit the drinks. "Is living with Trent everything you thought it would be?"


    "Uh... yeah," Bree replied, her hands nestled around her first bottle of beer. It was about gone, but she wasn''t anywhere near as intoxicated as Christy was. Hank was also taking his time, though he''d finished at least two beers and was on his third. "I love living with Trent."


    "Is he as perfect as you''d thought he would be? Or does he leave the seat up and his pants on the floor like the rest of his species?"


    A giggle escaped Bree''s lips as she pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle it and failed. "He''s not perfect, but he''s not bad, either. I have noints."


    "It''s too bad he couldn''te tonight," Christy continued, finishing her current drink and signaling a nearby waiter for another one.


    "He really wanted to be here." Bree looked down at her phone on the table. She was hoping he''d call her, but maybe the ceremony wasn''t over yet. "He just couldn''t miss epting such a big award in person." "That''s awesome," Hank said, finally joining the conversation. "Trent is an awesome dude, and he deserves to win an awesome award."


    His repetitive use of the same adjective would''ve been an indicator that he was drunk if the fact that he was slurring his words slightly and rocking briefly hadn''t already let her know he had drank too much before their arrival at this particr bar for his own good. But then... it was drunk Hank who''d given her ess to the pictures and video that she''d eventually passed on to Trent which had been what he''d eventually used to make up his mind not to marry Monica, so she didn''t mind.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "He''s worked so hard to start his new firm here in Nashville," Bree agreed. "He really does deserve it."


    "Do you worry, though, about her being in town?" Hank clearly couldn''t bring himself to even say the woman''s name.


    Bree didn''t need to hear it to know who he was talking about. She answered quickly. "No. Why should I? It''s not as if he would ever consider getting back together with her, even if something happened to me."


    "Yeah, I know that," Hank confirmed. "It''s just... she''s such a maniptive bitch. Who knows what she might try?"


    "I''m so d to hear you say that," Christy chimed in, her new drink in her hand now, courtesy of the waiter who was now hurrying off to bring Hank another beverage. Bree continued to sip hers, feeling that someone should keep their head on straight.


    "Oh, don''t get me wrong." Hank reached out a hand and put it on Christy''s shoulder, knocking them both off bnce. "I still love her. Hell, if she walked through that door right now, I''d do whatever I could to try to get her toe back to my hotel. But... she''s still a maniptive bitch."


    "Is that all you think of yourself?" Christy''s voice was loud now as she scolded him. Bree found herself turning to look over her shoulders. A few people at nearby tables turned their heads for a moment but then went back to their conversations. "Hank, we''ve been over this a million times. You deserve so much better than her!"


    "I know, I know!" he practically shouted back. "But... God, she''s so beautiful. And in bed--"


    "Lemme stop you right there!" Christy insisted, pushing against his chest. "Nobody needs to hear that. I already saw the damn pictures and the video."


    Hank did stop, but only to take another drink, shake his head, and look miserable. Bree was d that Christy had stopped him, though. Thest thing she needed to think about was Monica in bed. It bothered her to no end that the conniving bitch had been with Trent. She couldn''t let her mind go there. It wasn''t as if she was a virgin when she''d gotten together with Trent, and she didn''t expect him to be either, but Monica was a different story.....


    Christy started a conversation about a guy she''d met at work, and Bree was d to talk about something else, anything other than Monica. Her mind wandered a few times as her friend went on about how hot this guy was, and how they had to sneak around because it was against the rules at herpany for people who worked in the same department to hook up, but it was so worth it.


    Not until she''d been talking for about ten minutes did Bree realize Hank hadn''t been paying any attention at all. Perhaps he''d already heard this story on the way there, or maybe he simply didn''t care. But then... he let out a low moan, his eyes focused on his phone, and Bree felt every hair on her body stand up. "What is it, Hank?" she asked. Something about the look on his face made her think, whatever it was, it was really bad. "Where did you say Trent was tonight? What was the name of it?" he asked.


    A million awful reasons for the question shot through her mind. Had there been a bombing? A shooting? An earthquake? "The Nashville New Entrepreneur of the Year Awards," she said quickly. "Why?" Hank was shaking his head, but he didn''t answer. Bree felt her blood run cold and her stomach tighten. It had to be something awful. Trent hadn''t called because he was dead! "What is it?" she demanded. Without a verbal response, Hank held his phone out, extending it across the table. Bree took it, holding it up to her face, confused by what she was looking at, vaguely aware that Christy was demanding to be filled in. The pictures were of Monica in an evening gown. She looked lovely, as always. Smiling, posing, just like a model. The guy she was with was older but still good looking. It wasn''t until her eyes caught someone else in the background that she realized what it was Hank was trying to tell her. Across the ballroom where Monica was standing with another woman in an evening gown, she saw a familiar face. He wasn''t looking at the camera and probably didn''t even know the picture had been taken, but it was Trent. She saw Celia next to him, looking up at him with an expression in her eyes that worried Bree almost as much as the fact that Trent had been in the same room with Monica for thest several hours. It took her a moment to decide what to say. She handed Hank''s phone back. "Okay." She had to stay calm. Maybe she hadn''t even talked to him. Maybe he''d been able to keep his distance. "So Monica was also there. That doesn''t matter. She could be up for an award, too. Bitch of the Year or something."


    The joke made Christyugh and Hank snicker, though he wouldn''t release his pent up feelings for the model long enough to actuallyughugh. "Do you think he''ll tell you when you get home?" Hank wanted to know.


    Her immediate response was rude and fueled by alcohol. She wanted to tell him, "Of course he will. Trent doesn''t keep secrets from the people he cares about." But she didn''t say that because Hank was her friend, and he already knew he''d done wrong. There was no point in her trying to im Monica''s made-up award over it. Besides, there was a chance Trent wouldn''t say anything. She thought he would. But he might not. "Yeah, he''ll tell me. I''m not worried about Monica." She really wasn''t. Why should she be? The chances of Trent getting back together with Monica were about as likely as him dering he''d been named an astronaut and was being sent to Mars next month.


    "Who did he go to the event with?" Christy asked, her beer sloshing out of the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away, sloppily. "She''s pretty."


    "Oh, that''s Celia. She''s basically his right hand gal at work. She''s gorgeous. And so smart. I''ve only met her a couple of times, but she''s no nonsense, that''s for damn sure. If Monica said anything out of line, I''m sure Celia will set her straight." Bree had to take another sip after that. As much as everything she said was true, the idea that Trent might be better suited to Celia--an ountant who wasn''t afraid to speak her mind--had entered her thoughts before. Hank was staring at his phone again, but this time, the look on his face wasn''t the consternated re he''d been hurling at Monica''s image. "She is hot," he said. Bree had to assume he was talking about Celia, not his ex. "What''s her name again?"


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    "Cee-l-ya!" Bree sent that across the table with some sarcasm in it, her volume up as well.


    "Thanks." Hank narrowed his eyes at her. "She married?"


    "Would it matter?" Christy asked.


    "Damn!" Hank''s mouth fell open, and Bree couldn''t hold back herughter. Christy apologized, but Hank continued to look wounded.


    "No, she''s not married, but she does live here. In Nashville. And you don''t." Bree tipped her bottle in his direction and then took another sip, realizing she was getting a little drunk herself.


    "Yet," Hank said pointedly. "My career choice is very fluid. I can move anywhere in the country and find lots of out of shape people who want to pay me a ton of money to get their asses in shape."


    "Or pay you a lot of money so they can continue to sit on the couch and eat chips while you take all of their money," Christy chimed in.


    "That happens sometimes," Hank admitted. "Anyway, this Cee-l-ya chick is hot. Do you think that Trent hates me too much to introduce me to her?"


    "I don''t think Trent hates you at all, but I don''t know if he''ll introduce you to her or not." She didn''t even know if Trent would want to see Hank himself. "How long are you in town?"


    "Our reservations are through tomorrow, but they can be extended," Christy said, the first nicement she''d made toward Hank in a while.


    Bree smiled. Fixing Celia up with Hank might solve another little problem that had been niggling in the back of her mind. She fully trusted Trent, but she wasn''t sure she could trust Celia. If she had a boyfriend, maybe she''d be less likely to try anything with Trent. "I''ll see what I can do."


    Hank raised his beer bottle, and the girls raised their drinks as well in a toast to whatever maye next.

 Home

    Trent was asleep when Bree snuck into the bedroom. She could tell he had been exhausted when he''d gotten home because his suit was haphazardly tossed on the end of the bed and not hung on a hanger and ced in the "to be dry cleaned" section of his closet. She smiled and picked up his jacket, holding it up in hopes of catching a whiff of his cologne. It was there, but so was a faint scent of floral perfume. Assuming that had to be because Celia had been next to him all night long, Bree put the jacket down and tried not to be upset. Who knows whose cologne might be on her? She''d hugged every male member of her band that night--and some stage hands--and Hank. Deciding she was being silly, she headed into the bathroom to take a shower. Regardless of whose cologne may have collected on her, she definitely smelled of cigarette smoke and stale beer.


    Once she was finished, she wrapped her wet hair up and secured it with a specially designed towel that would keep her pillows from getting wet and help insure she woke up with beautiful soft waves, and slid into the bed next to Trent, wearing one of his old T-shirts. There''d be no messing around tonight. He was still out of it, but she did want to wrap her arms around him. They''d been through so much. She wished he was awake so she could kiss him goodnight. As much as she tried to avoid waking him, the moment her lips touched his, Trent moaned a little and then opened his eyes. "Sorry." Bree whispered.


    "No, it''s okay," he muttered. "How was your show?"


    "Good. Great, actually. How was the ceremony?"


    The sound he made this time was more of a groan than a moan. "I really don''t want to talk about it right now. Can I tell you in the morning?"


    "Sure," she said, slightly disappointed. She wanted to hear from him that everything was fine, despite Monica being there. The fact that he''de home and gone to sleep, rather than calling her and seeing where she was at so he could meet her there, told her things hadn''t been that great, though.


    "I''m d your show went well," he said, his voice still groggy with sleep.


    "Thanks." Bree scooted away from him, certain he wanted to go back to dreand. It wasn''t what she wanted. She was still awake enough that she would''ve loved to talk about their experiences and then made love and fallen asleep together, but that wasn''t always the way things went, and he was clearly exhausted. So... she scooted away from him and tried to calm herself down enough to drift off herself.


    It was hard. She kept thinking about the show. It had been so great. And then there was seeing Sam for the first time in so long. She wrinkled her nose, thinking of him. Catching up with Christy and Hank had been so much fun. But then seeing Monica there at the ceremony where Trent had been made her angry. She didn''t even know if he''d spoken to her, but Bree hated the fact that she''d gotten to see him ept his award when Bree hadn''t.


    Eventually, she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, sunlight was filtering through the blinds, and Trent was gone. She listened carefully, blinking her eyes against the bright sun and a slight headache, which didn''t seem fair when she hadn''t drank nearly as much as she''d wanted to. Hearing Trent in the kitchen, she threw back the nkets, nning to go talk to him, right after a quick pit stop in the bathroom.


    He was making breakfast. He had his back to her, dressed in a dark green T-shirt and striped pajama pants. She stood and took him in for a moment, admiring his muscr frame. He hadn''t shaved, and the stubble along his cheek and chin made him even hotter, if that was possible.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her, and turned his head in her direction. "Are you spying on me?" he asked with a chuckle, turning back to the pancakes he was making.


    "Just admiring the view," she replied, wishing she was wearing something sexier than his old T-shirt. Not that he was likely to deny her if she made a move. "Need some help?"


    "Nope. Just about done." He turned and smiled at her before taking the pancake out of the griddle and cing it on top of arge stack. He brought it over to the table where everything else was waiting. "You woke up right on time." His lips were warm when he leaned in to kiss her, and she could''ve forgone the pancakes and hauled him back to bed, if she didn''t know he would be disappointed that all his hard work had been for not.


    Instead, Bree took a seat and fixed herself a te, pouring extra syrup on top of her short stack, hoping the sugar would help wake her up. She''d need to take something for her headache, too, but that would have to wait. "How was the ceremony?" she asked between bites.


    Trent groaned and finished chewing. "It was... okay," he said shrugging. "It really was just one of those things you''re d is over."


    She nodded, understanding what he meant. Was he going to tell her about Monica? "Did Celia have a good time?"


    "Yeah, I think so. Except...." He made a face, his empty fork hanging in the air. "She seemed to enjoy herself most of the time."


    Bree had to wonder what it was about Celia he wasn''t telling her. There was something--clearly. She was just about to ask a follow up question when he asked her, "Did you see Sam?"


    It caught her off guard. It seemed so odd for him to be asking about her ex when he had yet to mention his. "Yeah. I saw him. We said hi. That was about it. I also saw... Hank." Now, it was Trent''s turn to be caught off guard. He stared at her for a moment. "Really? Where?"


    "Uh... at the concert."


    "I figured. I mean, did hee back stage?"


    "He did. He was with Christy. We all went out for drinks after the show and got caught up on things."


    "Huh." Trent still looked stunned, like he wasn''t sure what to make of that. "Well, I''m d you got to see him. I know the two of you have always been good friends."This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    She cleared her throat. "The two of you have always been good friends, too." Was she pushing too hard? Maybe she should let this go.


    "Yeah, of course we were. I just... I don''t think I''m ready to see him yet, Bree."


    It was an honest answer, one she''d have to respect. "Okay," she said quietly. "Well, if you ever change your mind, he does want to see you. And... he wants to meet Celia." Trent had been mid-chew. Her sentence caused him to inhale quickly and choke. He coughed a few times and then took a drink of his coffee before repeating, "Celia?" "Are you okay?" she asked, pretty sure he was, but thinking she should at least ask.


    "I''m fine. Just... surprised. How does he even know Celia?"


    "He doesn''t. He saw a picture of her. On social media. The two of you at the ceremony."


    His forehead crinkled. "I didn''t post any pictures. Whose ount was it?"


    Bree didn''t want to tell him. She wanted him to tell her about Monica. She decided to say, "I''m not sure," even though she was. "Anyway, she''s single, isn''t she?" "Yes, she''s single." That answer came quickly. "I''m not really sure Hank is her type, though."


    "What is her type?" Bree was curious as to how Trent knew what sort of guys Celia liked. Her forehead crinkled as she stabbed a bite of pancake a little too roughly.


    "I don''t know," Trent shrugged. "Someone a little more... loyal, maybe?"


    "I know Hank wasn''t loyal to you, not the way a best friend should be. But he was loyal to Monica. He''s loyal to girlfriends."


    Trent stared at her for a few moments, and Bree knew she''d irritated him. The idea that she should apologize or try to say something to make herstment less offensive came to mind, but she was irritated, too. He still hadn''t even mentioned Monica was therest night.


    "I just don''t think it''s a good idea."


    "Fine," Bree said, wondering if there was a way she could arrange for Hank to meet Celia anyway. It seemed stupid to want to go behind Trent''s back and do something he obviously didn''t want her to, but she felt like maybe Hank and Celia would be a good fit. Besides, Trent seemed awfully protective of his work associate. Not mentioning Monica was sort-of going behind her back, wasn''t it? Bree blew out a long breath and decided not to say anymore. She certainly wasn''t going to demand Trent tell her that he''d seen his ex-fianc¨¦e the night before. That was dumb. She needed to let it go. Maybe he thought he was protecting her by not mentioning that Monica was there.


    "What do you want to do today?" he asked her, his voice soft, almost apologetic.


    "I don''t know," Bree said, trying not to sound angry. "Christy and Hank are still in town. They asked if we wanted to go to lunch. I guess you don''t?"


    He looked away, his face sharpening as he considered what it would be like to see Hank again. After a long moment, he turned back to her. "Does it mean that much to you that I go?"


    She wanted to say yes--because it did. She wanted Trent and Hank to patch things up and go back to being friends again, but she knew she was asking an awful lot of him, and that didn''t seem fair. "It''s up to you." "Would you feel awkward going by yourself?"


    "No, of course not. I just... would like to spend the day with you if I can."


    He nodded and looked down at his te of half-eaten pancakes. It seemed pretty apparent he wouldn''t be eating any more. When he finally looked up at her, it was to ask, "What time?"


    "She didn''t say, but knowing Christy, I''d guess around one or two."


    "Give me some time to think about it?"


    "Yeah."


    Trent nodded in thanks and then pushed back from the table, taking his te to scrape it in the trash. Bree wasn''t all that hungry either, but she continued to put small bites in her mouth. He walked by and squeezed her shoulder on the way out of the room, and she felt sorry for pushing it. She should''ve just told Christy no. She should''ve never mentioned Celia. She should''ve never worried about Monica.


    But thatst one continued to bother her as she finished up her breakfast. Why hadn''t he mentioned she was there?

 Uncomfortable Lunch

    It was a little past 2:00 when Bree and Trent walked into the restaurant Christy had suggested. When Christy said she''d be there at 2:00, that meant no earlier than 2:15, so Bree wasn''t surprised at all that they still weren''t there now, and she wasn''t expecting them for a few more minutes. The waiter showed them to a boothrge enough to seat all four of them, and Bree and Trent sat together, leaving the other side for their friends--if that could even be used to describe Hank at the moment. He was still Bree''s friend, but apparently not Trent''s. Not that she med him.


    He''d agreed toe, though. That was something. She knew he was doing this for her, that he would''ve rather done just about anything in the world than put on a nice pair of jeans and a button-down shirt to go off to a semi-casual restaurant that served an array of American cuisine to meet a friend of Bree''s he never cared for that much and a friend of his who had stabbed him in the back so recently and so brutally the wound was still festering. She got it. She just... wished it wasn''t so.


    They both ordered drinks. Since Bree was driving, she decided to stick with tea, but Trent ordered a Jack Daniels, and again, there was no me to be found. She just hoped the booze wouldn''t free him up to say something Hank would find fault with and start an argument. Normally, Trent was able to keep his words civil, no matter how much he''d drank, but she had no idea what might happen when he finally had to face Hank.


    A few minutes after they''d received their drinks, Christy and Hank came in. She was so loud, Bree could hear here in the door, even though they were seated in the back of the restaurant. She didn''t turn around and stare, though. The hostess brought them over and dropped them off, giving Bree a look like someone might do to notify a parent that their child was getting out of hand, and then headed back to her station with a huff.


    "Well, hello there, darling!" Christy said, stooping to hug Bree. "Long time no see." She was speaking in an overly formal ent and sounded ridiculous. Bree had to hide augh so she didn''t respond, only hugged her back. Christy sped Trent''s hand. "If it isn''t the famous Trent Walker, receiver of golden statues and master of mathematics," she said, letting go of him and sliding into the booth so that she was sitting across from him. She was wearing an outfit that let Bree know she was intending to go outter that night and probably didn''t want to mess with going back to the hotel to change. A tight ck skirt that wasn''t too long, and a shy silver blouse with stilettos. She looked great, though it was a little odd for their current location.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Hank was slightly standoffish, which didn''t surprise Bree at all. He bent to give her a hug. "Nice to see you again, Bree," he said quietly.


    "You, too." She squeezed her friend tightly and then let him go. Hank sat down next to Christy, and Bree held her breath, not sure how Trent would handle this.


    "Hi, Trent," Hank said, the remorse for his actions obvious in the way he kept his face tipped down.


    "Hi, Hank." Trent forced a small smile onto his handsome face and then pulled his hand out from under the table, extending it across. It was difficult for him, but Bree couldn''t help but smile. Hank shook his hand, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. The tension was alleviated, at least a bit. When Trent put his hand back under the table, Bree took it in hers.


    Christy immediatelyunched into a story, which helped all of them to settle down. By the time the waitress came to take their order, they were allughing and having a good time. It was still obvious that the situation between Trent and Hank was strained, but at least they were speaking to each other. At least they were sitting at the same table, listening to Christy''s crazy stories, andughing in harmony with one another instead of fighting or refusing to acknowledge one another. The food came, and the friends continued to chat and catch up on what was happening in their lives--work, their family, avoiding the topic of rtionships as much as possible, though Christy didn''t mind talking about many of the men she''d been seeing. Whenever Christy asked about the uing trial, Bree tensed. She told them what she knew, as sinctly as possible. Cat Hadley was thest person on earth she wanted to talk about--except for maybe Monica Edge.


    "Do you think the touring will expand?" Christy asked with a bite of pasta poised on her fork, ready to go into her mouth.


    "I do," Bree said. "We''d hoped by now, we''d be doing a nationwide tour. With everything that happened, that wasn''t possible, but now that I''m better, I think it will be."


    "It would be so awesome to see you on the nationalte night TV shows," Hank said with a big smile.


    It had always been one of Bree''s dreams to do just that. Raising her hand, she crossed her fingers and said, "That''s the dream."


    "God, I hope that stupid bitch pleads guilty so you don''t have to go to trial," Christy tossed in between bites.


    That was also a dream for Bree. With all of the evidence against Cat, Bree was hoping she would just plead guilty and get it over with. Even if she didn''t get as severe of a punishment that way, Bree thought it would be worth it to avoid a long trial, especially if Cat got at least twenty years in prison. That seemed like enough punishment for her to have an opportunity to change her ways. Right now, the district attorney was seeking life in prison. That would be fine, too, but if Bree had to choose between life in prison for Cat and a long trial or twenty years and no trial, she''d choose option B for sure.


    "I hope so, too," Bree said in response to Christy''s statement. A long trial would mean time away from her tour, a tour she desperately needed if she was going to get the national recognition Hank had mentioned. Seeing that Bree was ufortable, Christy asked, "How was the award ceremony, Trent? I bet you just loved getting up there on stage, having everyone stare at you." Sheughed, her sarcasm making him blush.


    "It was okay," he said with a shrug. "I didn''t particrly like that part. I''m d mypany got the recognition it deserves, though. A lot of people have worked really hard to get us where we are." "Especially you." Bree squeezed his hand under the table again, beaming at him with pride. He never took the credit he deserved.


    "As awkward as it was to have to give a speech, I bet it was even worse being in the same room with Monica that whole time," Christy said, her eyes on her pasta as she snorted and shook her head. "Talk about a stupid bitch." Bree''s hand tensed on top of Trent''s. She''d hoped Christy would have enough tact not to even bring up such a sore subject, but whether it was the wine she was guzzling or just herck of good manners, it hadn''t happened. "How did you know Monica was there?" Trent''s words were measured as he looked across the table at the top of Christy''s head.


    She looked up, her eyes shifting from Trent to Bree and then back again. "Oh, uh, we saw a picture. On her social media." Her eyes shifted to Hank.


    His eyes were wide, his face red. "Uh, yeah. We saw a picture she posted. That''s all."


    Slowly, Trent shifted his attention to Bree. "Did you know she was there?"


    Why she felt as if she were the one in trouble, Bree wasn''t sure. After all, he was the one who''d kept the information from her. She nodded, letting her head rock back and forth at a gentle pace.


    She saw Trent swallow, watched his Adam''s apple bob up and down. "It wasn''t pleasant either," he said.


    It was clear he wanted to change the subject. As much as Bree wanted to know exactly what that statement meant, whether he was just saying it wasn''t nice to be in the same room with her or if he''d actually spoken to her, she decided to let it go. They could talk about itter.


    "So... the weather has been nice recently," Hank said, taking a deep breath.


    Bree almostughed. It was clear that he was just trying to alleviate the tension and change the subject. "Yes, yes it has been," Bree admitted. "I hear they''re saying it might rain on Tuesday though."


    "Speaking of rain!" Christy chimed in. "I was in Seattle for work two weeks ago. Holy cow!"


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    The conversation continued around him, but Trent was clearly checked out of it. Bree did her best to carry on, d that she got to spend some time with her friends, but in the back of her mind, she knew she needed to get home so that she could find out exactly what had happened with Monica, even if she didn''t really want to know.


    It was clear to Christy and Hank that, despite their best efforts to keep the discussion nonchnt, Trent and Bree had other matters they needed to talk about. A few minutes after the revtion that Monica had been at the awards ceremony, Christy dered, "Well, this has been so much fun! But... I''m afraid Hank and I need to be heading out. There are a couple of stops I wanna make before we hit the clubs." "Oh, already?" Bree asked because it seemed like the polite thing to say, not that she wasn''t relieved to know she''d be able to talk to Trent in private in a few moments. "Yeah, I''m afraid so," Christy said. "But hey, good luck with your uing shows! I know they''ll be awesome. It won''t be too long before we''ll be seeing you on TV." "Thank you," Bree said, sad to know it might be months before she got to see her friends again.


    Christy gestured for the waiter to bring the check, but Trent waived her off. "I''ve got it. Really, it was just nice to see you guys."


    "That''s so sweet of you!" Christy said, never one to argue over the check.


    "Thanks, man," Hank said. They stood, and Bree and Trent did as well to hug them and tell them goodbye. It was clear the strain was still there between Hank and Trent, but it didn''t seem nearly as deep a chasm as it had been before. As Christy and Hank left the restaurant, the waiter brought the check. Trent had his card ready and handed it over without even looking at the bill. The waiter said he''d be right back, leaving them alone.


    Bree wanted to wait until they were out of the restaurant before they had the discussion that was brewing because she had a feeling there would be yelling. As much as she hated yelling at Trent, and as rarely as it happened, this was one of those times when she could feel her emotions getting away from her. So she took a deep breath and stared at the far wall of the restaurant until the waiter returned and Trent signed the bill. Then, she slid out of the booth and walked with him out the door, praying she could keep her cool and be reasonable. Whenever Monica was involved, it was a lot less likely to go that way, but she''d do her best.

 The Truth

    They made it home. The trip had been excruciating, neither of them saying anything at all to one another, not a single word. It was as if they each understood the other''s position; I know there''s going to be shouting, and that doesn''t mix well with driving. As soon as she walked in the door, Bree slipped her heels off of her tired feet and sat down on the couch.


    Trent hung his keys by the door and slumped into the chair next to her, his fingernails biting into the armrests. As Bree tried to decide how to phrase her first question, he said quietly, "I didn''t want to upset you."


    "I can respect that," she said, keeping her tone even as well. "But don''t you think I have a right to know?"


    "Normally, I would say of course you do," he said, not quite looking at her. "But considering all that you''ve been through recently, I didn''t think it was worth the risk of upsetting you. You haven''t been yourself recently, Bree. Not that anyone can me you."


    "I burned my hand, Trent. There''s nothing wrong with my brain!" Thest sentence got away from her as she tried to focus on the fact that he had done this in order to protect her, at least, that''s what she wanted to believe. Still, she wasn''t a fragile porcin doll that might shatter at any moment. He shouldn''t treat her as if that''s what she was.


    "I know that it was your hand that was burned, Bree. But you were also almost murdered. You''ve been through so much, Bree, there was no way I wanted to take a chance on putting your nerves through something else so potentially troublesome, especially when I''m quite certain that was the only reason Monica was there at all--just to mess with you."


    "Really? You think so?" She felt anger burning in her cheeks now as she imagined the snide model arranging to work her way into the event in hopes of messing with the happy couple. "You don''t think it was a coincidence?" "I don''t know," Trent admitted, seeming slightly more calm than he had before. "Maybe she really did want to go with the older photographer who brought her as his date. Maybe she thought it would be a chance to be seen. But she had to know I''d be there."


    Bree looked at him for a moment as he let out a defeated sigh and ran his hand through his caramel brown hair. She didn''t have anything else to say at the moment, so she kept herself quiet and hoped he''d continue.


    After a moment, he did. "She somehow happened to be sitting at the same table as Celia and I." Bree''s eyes erged. For the first time since she''d found out she wouldn''t be able to attend the ceremony, she was d she wasn''t there. Would she have been able to put up with such an arrangement? "She didn''t say a word for the longest time," he continued, "but then, for whatever reason, she got a little ugly. Celia put her in her ce pretty quickly, and Monica stormed out into the foyer to wait for her date to get back from his photo op. That''s it, really. She dide up to me when the ceremony was over and tell me she wanted to get along, but I think she was just trying to save face. Other people sitting at our table had to think she was a real piece of work."


    He made the statement as if it hadn''t been a big deal. Maybe it wasn''t. Or maybe she needed to speak to someone else. Bree wondered if Celia would tell the story the same way. Perhaps she needed to find a way to put herself into a position where she could have a chat with his coworker. "Well, I really wish you would''ve told me," she concluded, deciding there was no point in arguing about it now. "If you see her again, I want to know. All right?"


    "Yes," he said. "I''m sorry I didn''t tell you to begin with. I truly was hoping not to upset you. I do wish you would''ve mentioned to me that you already knew."


    Was he really going there? "So... you''re upset that I didn''t call you out in your subterfuge earlier?"


    "I''d hardly call this subterfuge!" He was annoyed again. "I told you, I did it for your own good."


    "And I was giving you a chance to tell me for your own good!" she shot back. "I don''t want to argue with you anymore, Trent. Especially not over her. Wouldn''t she be happy to know she has us yelling at each other?" She got up off of the couch and headed to the bedroom to grab her guitar and practice for a while, the best way to calm her nerves.


    Trent followed her into the bedroom, which was unnerving, but when he changed into running clothes and headed back out, she was d he was also going to do something that would make him feel better. She had no doubt they''d get past this, but it was still unsettling. Every couple argued. Every couple fought. But not every couple had an evil bitch who''d alreadye between them once ready to rear her ugly head at any moment and pop back into their lives the way that Monica had. Something told Bree there''d be no peace between them as long as that woman was living in the same town as them. As she picked up her guitar and began to y, she had to wonder if there was some way to make her go away-- forever.


    ***


    The sound of his shoes hitting the pavement created a cadence that allowed Trent to empty his mind of everything. Some people couldn''t run without listening to music. He preferred this--the sound of nothing but whatever was going on around him. Today, that was next to nothing, and he was able to lose his thoughts to some distant ce for a while.


    As soon as his run was over and the apartment building came back into view, he realized he couldn''t actually run from his problems, that he''d have to face them eventually. It was easy for him to try to me Bree for this, to me Monica, to even me Hank and Christy for looking at Monica''s pictures. But he was the one who''d decided not to tell his fianc¨¦e that he''d seen his ex at the awards ceremony. Granted, he thought he had a good reason for keeping it from her, but if she didn''t agree with him, it didn''t matter.


    At the moment, the only person getting what they wanted here was Monica. With a deep breath, he walked into the apartment to find Bree still ying the guitar. He paused in the hallway for a moment, listening. She sounded better than she had the other day. He knew she still had a long way to go to get back to where she''d been before, but she would get there, as long as she didn''t give up.


    She finished the song she''d been working on and nced over at him. "It sounds really good," he said,ing into the room.


    He could tell by her face that she''d been crying, and it killed him that he''d been the cause of that--again. He let out a sigh and sank down on the bed next to her. "I''m sorry, Bree. I should''ve told you. I just... didn''t want to hurt you. It turns out, that''s exactly what I ended up doing by keeping it to myself."


    "I''m sorry, too," she said.


    "For what?" he asked before she even had a chance to borate.


    "For getting so mad. I should''ve realized the only reason you didn''t tell me was because you didn''t want me to be upset."


    Trent shrugged, reached over, and tugged her chin toward him gently. "I don''t like arguing with you, Bree."


    "Me neither," she agreed.


    Slowly, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, savoring the warmth of her mouth, a hint of salt from her tears still present, likely mingling with perspiration from his run. He pulled away. "I love you."


    "I love you, too."


    Trent kissed her again, this time, reminding her of just how much he meant what he''d said. He couldn''t get enough of her, the way her mouth felt, the way her tongue danced perfectly with his, the feel of her in his arms. He could''ve kissed her forever.


    This time, Bree pulled back. "You should take a shower," she said with a crooked grin on her face. "You stink."


    Laughing, Trent asked, "Do I? Thanks a lot."


    She shrugged, as if she couldn''t help but speak the truth.


    "Wannae with me?"All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her mischievous look shifted to something more sultry as she said, "I guess it wouldn''t hurt me to take two showers in one day."


    "You have been known to get a little dirty," he teased.


    "Well, if that''s the case...." Bree grabbed hold of his joggers and pulled him toward her, opening her mouth wide and showing him just how dirty she could get. Trent swept her up in his arms, carrying her into the bathroom, her legs locking around his waist. If she wanted to y dirty, he''d be sure to spend as much time in the shower with her as possible, though he certainly liked it when Bree was a little dirty.

 Out of Nowhere

    A few weeks passed without another mention of Monica, the award ceremony, or even Hank, which Trent was thankful for. After he and Bree had made up, he decided to bepletely honest with her from now on, even if he thought he''d be doing her a favor by not telling her the whole truth. She had several tours booked for the next few months; even some of the bigger venues across the country wanted to book her. The stories Trent was reading online about Bree''s miraculous recovery seemed more than a little blown out of proportion, but it was helping fuel her poprity, and since Cat still hadn''t decided to just admit defeat and plead guilty, Bree had time to go to as many venues as possible. Even some of the more popr talk show hosts across the country wanted to book her.


    Trent wanted to go with her as much as possible. The award had trumped up a ton of new business for the firm, and he''d had to hire several new staff members. Celia was doing an incredible job of training them. She was more valuable than two or three other employees, so he''d given her a huge raise, and insisted she take the best office space, even though she''d already turned down the offer a dozen times. Trent was perfectly content in the small office with the lesser view if it meant Celia was happy. She would be running the ce in his absence, and with a longer series of tours booked in a few weeks, Trent would be gone quite a bit.


    He was sitting behind his desk, going through a stack of new ounts when he heard a bit of a ruckus outside of his office. Normally, he was able to tune just about anything out, but this time, the voice he heard squawking at the secretary sounded oddly familiar. He braced himself, hoping he just couldn''t trust his own ears, but when he heard the woman shout, "I insist you let me see him right now!" he knew he could no longer sit behind the desk and let the poor older woman, Brenda, or Mrs. Carson, as he usually called her, take the abuse.


    Trent popped up and headed to his open door. Sure enough, it was exactly who he''d feared it would be. His stomach turned over, and he drew in a deep breath. "Monica? What are you doing here?" he asked as he forced his feet to move in her direction.


    Her eyes widened in surprise at first as she looked up at him, and then a smile spread across her face. He knew that smile far too well; it was the one she beamed when she felt as if she''d gotten her way. "Trent, there you are," she said, headed toward him. "I just wanted to speak to you for a few moments. I was in the area, and decided to drop by. I didn''t realize you had a bodyguard working at your front desk."


    Trent nced in the direction of the middle aged woman whose brown hair had streaks of gray. She was wearing her "office sweater," a tattered pink garment she kept on the back of her chair just in case the air conditioning got a little chilly, and her fibromyalgia started to re up. He returned his gaze to the stunning model in front of him, who was wearing a tight red dress and heels, her makeup perfect, her dark hair cascading around her shoulders. He couldn''t imagine Monica actually thinking Mrs. Carson could manhandle her and thought the implication was beyond ridiculous. "What can I help you with, Monica?"


    She looked around the office, nervously. He imagined she was looking for someone who really could put her in her ce--Celia. Since her space was in the far corner of the office, it wasn''t likely she''d heard what was going on, nor was she likely to wander this far to the front. Still, Monica was checking her surroundings for predators, like a gazelle on the savanna. "Could we talk in your office for a few minutes? I won''t keep you long."


    Trent tried not to roll his eyes. She was thest person in the world he wanted to take into his office or to speak to, except for maybe Cat, but he found himself nodding and walking back the way he''de. The click of Monica''s heels reverberated off of the floor. She was using her long, confident strides, trying to keep up with him, reminding him that she was strong and powerful.


    Once inside of the office, the door left open, Trent motioned for her to have a seat across from his desk. It was sparsely decorated because he''d only moved in a few days ago. Only a picture of himself and Bree sat on his desk, nothing on the walls. A nt one of the women had brought in for him sat on top of his filing cab. She''d said it needed some life and promised to water it when he was away.


    "Wow. This isn''t what I was expecting," she murmured, sinking onto the edge of the chair and crossing her long legs, her skirt shrinking in the process.


    Trent ignored her remark and straightened the bottom of his tie as he sat down. "How can I help you, Monica?"


    She blew out a hot breath and crossed her arms over her leg. "Well, I''ve been thinking about what happened at the award ceremony a lot in the past few weeks. Honestly, I''ve been thinking a lot about what happened between us, Trent. I feel just terrible about all of it."


    He studied her face for a moment, wondering what her angle was. He''d known Monica for a long time, and it simply wasn''t like her to feel bad about anything she''d done, especially not something she''d clearly spent so much time justifying in her own mind. "What''s done is done, Monica," he finally said with a shrug. "I think it would be best if we just let it go. If we just forgot about it, stayed away from each other, tried not to be in the same ce at the same time. If we do find ourselves in a situation simr to the one we were in at the award''s ceremony, we can always just pretend we don''t know each other."


    "We could." Despite her statement sounding like an agreement, he knew it wouldn''t be that simple. Monica fidgeted with one diamond stud earring as she contemted what to say next. "It''s just... I wish I could make it up to you--to Bree. It really wasn''t fair, what I did to you, and she''s been through so much. Have you heard yet if that terrible woman, Cat what''s-her-name, is going to plead guilty?" Her eyes were wide, as if she were waiting for an answer, but before he could respond, she continued. "I mean, I was just reading all about it yesterday. I guess I didn''t realize just how terrible it all was, how close to dying Bree truly was. I can''t imagine anyone would do something so awful, but I feel just terrible for you and Bree. Is she doing all right?"


    Again, Trent found himself studying her expression. She did seem to appear sincere with her inquiry, as astonishing as that would be. Perhaps she''d been taking acting lessons. But then, she had fooled him into thinking she cared about him for the longest time when, in fact, she was cheating on him. "She''s fine now, Monica. Thanks for asking. We''re doing just fine."


    "Good, good. That''s so wonderful to hear. But listen, I have a proposition. You''ve probably never heard of Nashville Nights, have you?" Trent shook his head, wondering if he should nip this proposition in the bud or just let her talk. His gut told him he was wasting his time because whatever Monica was about to suggest, there was no way in hell he was actually going to think it was a good idea, but he decided to let her talk. If she didn''t get to say her piece now, she might try toe backter and give it another go. "I''m sure Bree has heard of it. Every year, the modeling industry and the country music industry get together and put on a fashion show sh concert. It''s sort of like that show that famous lingeriepany does, with the rock bands, around Christmas. The one that''s on TV."


    He knew what lingeriepany she was talking about and nodded as he said, "What about Nashville Nights, Monica?" He hadn''t heard of the Nashville version of the more popr, nationwide show, but if it involved country music, he had to assume Bree had.


    "Well, this year, George is the lead photographer for the show, so I have a bit of sway when ites to the bands. They are just finalizing the lineup for the show, which is in two months, end of June, and I would love to suggest Bree''s band for one of the spots. What do you think? Wouldn''t she love that? It would really get her some publicity. The show isn''t broadcast on one of the major televisionworks like that other show, but it''s always picked up by a cablework. Who doesn''t want to see a bunch of gorgeous models in their underwear, after all? So... will you ask her for me? Assuming you don''t want me to call her myself."


    Trent wasn''t sure what to say. If Monica was legitimately trying to be kind, it was a nice gesture. Trusting her, however, was another matter altogether. Remembering the conversation he''d had with Bree about honesty, he realized he''d have to tell her about Monicaing by, so he may as well tell her why. "I will run it by her and see what she has to say," Trent concluded, hoping that would satisfy her.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Its a Deal

    "Wonderful!" Monica pped her hands together, but she wasn''t getting up just yet, unfortunately. "That''s perfect. Here, let me give you my new phone number. That way, if she wants to do it, she can have her people call me. No need to worry her with having to call me herself. I''m sure she has an agent or something by now, she''s doing so well." She was already reaching for a sticky pad and pen on his desk before he evenmented. Monica scrawled her phone number down and handed it to him. "There you go. I''ll need to know by Friday, so be sure to talk to her about it right away, all right? And Trent... remember, keeping secrets from the people we love is never a good idea, so if you''re thinking to just cate me by saying you''ll tell her, but you don''t actually intend to do so, you might want to think twice."


    Her arched eyebrows and disapproving look made him want tounch out of his chair and give her a piece of his mind, but the fact that she was standing now and seemed to be heading toward the door made him bite his tongue. As long as she was leaving, he didn''t care what ridiculous warnings she gave him. "Goodbye, Monica."


    "Goodbye, Trent." She gave him a small wave and a cheerful smile before she scooted out the door, pulling her sunsses out of her handbag before she even left his office.


    Once the sound of her heels had disappeared out the door, Trent blew out a hot breath and then pulled a can of air freshener out of his desk. Thest thing he needed was to have Monica''s perfume lingering in his office. He''d scarcely gotten the room sprayed down when Celia showed up at his door. Her mouth hung open as she braced herself on either side of the doorway. "Was that... who I think it was?"


    "Yeah," Trent muttered, dropping the air freshener in his drawer and settling into his chair.


    "What the actual hell?" Celia asked as she came through the door, folding her arms and stopping a few feet behind the chairs.


    "Who knows? She said she was sorry about everything and wants Bree to y at some modeling event--Nashville Nights." He shrugged, not wanting to talk about it to Celia or anyone. He just wanted to get back to work. "Nashville Nights?" Celia echoed. "Wow--that would be amazing if Bree''s band could y that." A wave of realization washed over her, and she shook her head. "But wait--you don''t actually trust Monica, do you? Surely, this is some sort of trick."


    "I don''t know. Maybe. Probably." Trent shrugged, picking up an ink pen and tapping it on the desk as he thought. "I''ll tell Bree what she said. I doubt Bree will be willing to ept a favor from Monica, but I have to tell her." "Why?" Celia took a few steps closer. "You don''t have to tell her. In fact, I don''t think you should tell her at all. What''s the point? Just forget about it. If you see Monica again, and she asks, tell her Bree didn''t trust her, so she said no thanks." Shaking his head, Trent said, "It''s not that simple. I didn''t tell Bree that Monica was at the ceremony. She found out, and when she did, she wasn''t happy. I promised her I''d tell her anything else that happens."


    It was Celia''s turn to shake her head. "You may have promised that, Trent, but that doesn''t mean you have to actually do it. There are some things she is better off not knowing. This is one of them. If you tell her that Monica came by the office today, she''s going to get upset and ask a million questions. I wouldn''t even bother to let her know. You don''t have to tell her... everything that happens here." Celia was standing next to his desk now, her hand dropping onto the wood surface in a way that made him think they weren''t just talking about Monica anymore.


    Desperately wanting to end this conversation and get back to work, Trent said, "Thanks for your input, Celia. I''ll think it over." He wouldn''t, though. It was bad advice. He knew his fianc¨¦e well enough toprehend how upset she''d be if she did find out he was withholding information from her again, especially when it pertained to Monica.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She didn''t like that answer. It was clear from her offended expression. She lingered at his desk for a moment before she shrugged and pivoted on her ck heel. "Fine. Do what you want to, but I''m guessing I know women a lot better than you do, and I think it''s a bad idea to even tell her. Whatever happens. Don''t let her do it." She made the entire statement without turning around to face him and then disappeared down the hallway.


    Deciding he couldn''t trust either one of the women who''d just left his office, Trent snatched Monica''s number off of his desk, shoved it into his pocket, and then got back to work, making a mental reminder not to forget to tell Bree. If she found the number before he got a chance to tell her, that could be really, really bad.

 The Reason

    Bree sat down on her stool in the practice room and took a sip of her coffee, her eyes trained on the lyrics of the song they''d be going over next. It was a new one, something she''d written a few weeks ago and brought in for the rest of the band to coborate on. She was really liking the way it wasing along. Every time they yed the melody, they made a little more progress on getting the tune together. With some luck and determination, by the time they got ready to cut their new record, the song could be included. She thought it was going to be something special, along the lines of "Meant to Marry Me" and "Lead Me Home."


    "Are you all right, Bree?" Shawna asked,ing from around her keyboard to help Zach, her boyfriend, rearrange his guitar pedals.


    "Yeah, I''m fine," she said with a shrug, turning her head to look at the only other girl in the band. "Why do you ask?"


    "I don''t know," Shawna said with a friendly smile. "You just looked a little... lost in thought."


    "Oh, I was just thinking about how ''You Are the Reason'' ising along, that''s all."


    "I think it sounds great," Zach chimed in, checking the spacing with his pedals. "We should try ying it Saturday night at Grangers."


    Saturday night was their next gig. While she agreed the song wasing along, she wasn''t sure she was ready to y it live yet, especially in just three days. "You think?" she asked as Shawna stepped back behind her keyboard. They were waiting for Chase, the rhythm guitar yer, toe back from taking a call.


    "Sure. Why not?" Zach asked, satisfied that he had the proper set up. If they were in a bigger space, he wouldn''t have to make so many changes between songs. "It sounded really good yesterday."


    Bree didn''t quite remember it the same way. By the final time they''d gone over it, the song sounded good enough, but not perfect. They''d made several changes to the structure, and there were still some kinks to work out. "Let''s see how it goes today," Bree suggested with a smile that said she wasn''t totally against his idea, but she wasn''t ready to vote for it either. It might be her name as the headliner, but her band was a democracy. Everyone got a say.


    Chase came back, and the rest of the band got into position as he looped his guitar strap over his head. "Are we ready?" Bree asked, checking with each of the other members.


    She got nods from everyone, so she signaled for Dominic, the drummer, to count them down, and the band came together with the opening notes, just as expected.


    Zach was right; the song did sound good. Maybe they could perform it on Saturday. Bree came in with the first verse, feeling the song like it was one she''d sang a hundred times before. By the time she got to the chorus, her eyes were closed as she lost herself in the music.


    "You are the reason I''m alive.


    You are the reason I can breathe.


    You are the reason I survive.


    You are the reason I can be


    Here to face anything the world throws my way


    Your hand in mine, I''ll fight another day.


    Because you are the only reason that I need."


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    By the time they finished the song, Bree was beginning to agree with Zach. The song did sound good. It was one of the first songs they''d all contributed to as a band, which definitely made it better than the songs she''de up with on her own and even the arrangements she''d worked on with the musicians who helped her record her first album.


    "Wow--that was awesome!" Shawna said, her fingers lifting off of the keyboard to release the final chord.


    "It really was great," Griffin, the bass yer, agreed. "The solo was solid, Zach."


    "Thanks." Zach smiled meekly, not borating. He was very modest about his unbelievable talents on the guitar.


    "It''s too bad we weren''t invited to y at Nashville Nights," Shawna added with a sigh. "That song would be fire for models to walk down the runway to."


    "I thought they weren''t announcing the invited bands until tomorrow," Chase said, resting his hands on his guitar.


    "I thought it was today." Shawna pulled her phone out of her pocket. "Hmmm.¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    While she searched for whatever it was she was talking about, Bree asked, "What''s Nashville Nights?"


    "It''s this local modeling show that country bands y for," Griffin exined. "It''s sort of like that Christmas special that big women''s lingeriepany does on TV every year, only not quite as big."


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    "It''s being televised on the Nashville Network this year, though," Chase added. "It would be great publicity."


    "It says all but two of the slots have been epted." Shawna held her phone up as she read. "Looks like there''s a band yet to ept or decline and one more spot they haven''t filled yet. One of the modeling agencies has yet to extend their offer."


    "That''s weird. I wonder why not," Griffin muttered.


    "Who knows?" Shawna shrugged and ced her phone back in her pocket. "Anyway, it would be really cool. Maybe next year."


    "For sure," Dominic agreed from behind his drum set. "I''d kill to see those lovelydies parading around in their underwear." "What would your girl think of that?" Chase asked with a grin.


    "It''s all part of the job," Dominic said with a mischievous chuckle.


    "All right. Let''s move on to the next song," Bree said, wanting to change the subject from modeling. Modeling reminded her of Monica, and she didn''t want to think about her. While the rest of the band was right, it would be nice to have the sort of publicity they''d described, modeling shows were not likely to be her thing.


    It wasn''t difficult to get the others to shift their focus back to the music. Bree knew the words to the next song by heart, but she switched the pages on her music stand anyway just because and waited for her cue toe in, trying to get Monica''s image out of her mind, praying the music would carry her away like it usually did. If there was ever a time to lose focus on her thoughts, now was the time.

 Walk

    "How was your day?" Trent asked, his hand tightly wound around Bree''s as they walked along a quiet street in their neighborhood. It was a nice spring day, transitioning to summer, a little warm, but not too hot. After work, he''d gone home to find Bree in shorts and a T-shirt ready to go for a stroll and had changed into a simr outfit to take advantage of the opportunity to get some fresh air with the beautiful woman next to him.


    "It was good," Bree said, her voice wavering slightly which made him question whether or not she was telling him everything. He thought she probably would if he gave her a chance to keep talking. She usually did. "Some of the newer songs are really starting toe along. We might be ready to y them at the next show."


    "That''s great," Trent said with a genuine smile. "Anything else happen?" He still hadn''t told her about his office visitor. He would. As soon as she had a chance to tell him everything she wanted to.


    A light breeze stirred the trees and blew the loose strands of Bree''s strawberry blonde hair that framed her face. "No, not really. We were just talking about some big local country show I''d never heard of before. It''s like... just when I start to think we''re starting to make a name for ourselves, I find out there''s something else we''re missing out on, that''s all."


    Trent was quiet as he contemted her words. It had to be the same show that Monica had mentioned, didn''t it? What were the chances there would be tworge country shows of the stature Bree was implicating within such close proximity of each other? "You are making a lot of progress," he said. "This tour is going to be huge."


    "Yeah, I know. I think so," she said with a shrug. "These houses are so pretty. Do you think we''ll ever live in a house like this?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    His eyes flickered to therge, older homes they were walking by now. All of them had been newly renovated. Most were Arts and Craft bungalows with the asional Greek Revival or Victorian sprinkled in. They weren''t huge mansions like one might find in a different part of town, but they were certainly nice. "I think we might," he said. Visions of himself and Bree sitting on one of these wide porches, children ying in the yard, made him smile. Would that be their future? Not if he didn''t tell her the truth about Monica. "Listen, Bree. I need to tell you something."


    She turned her head, eyebrows arched. "What is it? Is everything okay?"


    "Everything''s fine. It''s just... Monica came by the office today."


    She stopped then, spinning to face him, letting go of his hand in her shock. "For what?"


    He let out a hot breath, hoping she didn''t get upset there in the middle of this quiet neighborhood. They were a couple of miles from their apartment. "Actually, she wanted to talk about a showing up, a country music show with models, I''m guessing it''s the same one you heard about today."


    "Nashville Nights?" Bree asked. Somehow, her eyes widened even more. "What did she want to talk about that for?"


    He reached for her hand, and she gave it to him. He kept walking toward the end of the block, but he knew it would be time to head back to the apartment as soon as he could turn that way, just in case Monica''s appearance set Bree off again. "She said her boyfriend, or photographer friend, whatever he is, George, gets to invite one of the bands, and she would like for it to be your band. She said, if you want to do it, she can make it happen."


    Bree was quiet as she walked alongside him. They reached the end of the block. Trent checked for traffic, despite not having seen a moving car for at least ten minutes, and then crossed the street to head back toward home. "Why would she do that?¡± Her voice was quiet, like she had no idea what she was supposed to think about the situation.


    He was in the same position. "I don''t know, Bree. But I don''t trust her. It sounds like this show is a big deal and that you and your band members would like to be a part of it, but I really don''t rmend it. Regardless of Monica''s purposes, I guarantee this is not an olive branch. If it is, it''s the kind with thorns."


    Trent turned to give her a pointed look. Bree nodded. She knew that. She had to understand that, at least, by now. There was absolutely nothing in the world trustworthy about Monica Edge.


    Yet, he could see behind her eyes that Bree was still considering it. The fact that she was even contemting epting Monica''s invitation made him uneasy. Surely, she had to understand this wouldn''te without consequences. He didn''t think Monica was crazy enough to actually try to physically harm Bree the way that Cat had, but he didn''t know for sure. There had to be something in this for Monica. She wasn''t the type to just help other people, especially not people she had reason to think had done her wrong.


    An older woman with a dog walked by on the other side of the street, which allowed him to change the subject to pets. Bree obliged, likely as d to not have to speak about Monica anymore as he was. But he knew this wasn''t over with yet. He just prayed Bree wouldn''t fall for Monica''s trickery because, if she did, she was bound to get hurt, one way or another.

 What Do You Think?

    Sitting across from Zach and Shawna in a booth at a diner close to where they practiced, Bree picked at her sandwich and asionally dipped a french fry into some ketchup and put it in her mouth, not really tasting any of it. She''d asked them to join her for ate lunch/early dinner so she could talk to them about what Trent had told her the day before, about how Monica and her friend George wanted them to y at Nashville Nights, but so far, all she''d done was listen to the happy couple talk about how they were moving in together next weekend.


    That was fine with Bree. As a matter of fact, the longer she sat there, the easier it was to convince herself not to say anything to them at all. It wasn''t like she didn''t already know what they were going to say, that Trent was right, and Monica was nothing but trouble. But then, they were musicians; surely they could see how great this could be for their band, wouldn''t they?


    After she''d finished her walk with Trent the night before, she''d done some research--covert research. He didn''t need to know what she was up to. It turned out, Nashville Nights had done a lot for several bands in the area. Eighty percent of the groups that had yed there in thest three years had gone on to book major nationwide tours, not the measly little arenas and venues Zelda had snagged for Bree and her band, but full stadium shows, big time gigs. If they could manage to pull off something like that, well, it would be a dreame true, something she could only imagine in her wildest dreams.


    "You look like you have something on your mind, Bree," Shawna said, wiping her hands on a napkin. The keyboardist been talking so much, she''d hardly touched her burger. "Is everything all right?"


    "Oh, yeah. Everything is great." They had to know she wanted to talk to them about something. Normally, they all grabbed a snack around lunchtime and then powered through practice, eating when they got home. It was hard to call a lunch break in the middle of practice. Once they really got the new songs down, they''d move to recording them, and the hours in the studio then wouldpound, so they may as well get used to it.


    "It was nice of you to ask us to lunch," Zach said, the small smile he gave her a hint that he knew there had to be more to it than just a suggestion that they hang out as friends. They spent most of their time together anyway, so she had to want something.


    Bree cleared her throat and took a sip of her sweet tea, wishing it was something stronger, but it was still early. "All right, you guys, here''s the deal," she said, not meeting either one of their gazes. She had thought about how to bring it up a million times, but nothing ever sounded right. So she may as well just blurt it out. "Monica wants to invite us to Nashville Nights. Trent doesn''t think it''s a good idea--because it''s Monica, and she''s shifty. But... of course, I''m thinking about it. She needs an answer ASAP. I just need your advice."


    There. It was all said. She looked up then, and met their eyes. Both of them were staring, mouths agape, eyebrows raised. Bree looked away.


    "Well..." Zach began, looking from Bree to Shawna and back again. Bree managed to at least nce in his direction a few times as he continued. "I think Trent has a point. And... considering we''ve already had an encounter with a crazy woman who wanted to kill you this year, maybe we try our best to avoid a simr situation?"


    His tone alone was enough to make her smirk. Ordinarily, there wouldn''t be anything funny about thement, but Zach had lived much of that hell with her. "I know," she said, finally looking him in the eye again. "But I can''t fathom a situation where Monica could actually try to hurt--or kill--anyone at a fashion show. Can you?"


    "If anyone could find a way it would be that crazy bitch." Zach didn''t know the woman himself, but he''d heard all of Bree''s stories.


    "Well, I don''t know," Shawna said, holding her lemonade in both hands as she took a sip and pondered the situation. "I agree that Monica is a nut job, from what I''ve heard, but I can''t imagine there would be anything she could do at such a big event. Surely, there will be security and bodyguards and people like that."


    "Yeah, sure. Those people will be concentrating on the spectators, though. They won''t be expecting the talent to go after one another," Zach pointed out. "Not that we couldn''t bring our own security people."


    "That''s an idea!" Shawna perked up, as if the possibility of them going through with the show just became real. "We could take some of our roadies. They''re all trained as security."


    Training the roadies to keep the band safe was an extra measure Zelda had put in after Cat''s crazy rampage. They always had a couple of actual security people with them as well, just in case the venue''s people weren''t as capable as one would hope. Those guys would be able to help out at the fashion show, she''d think. Why wouldn''t they be able to do it? Monica couldn''t possibly have something nned. That would just be stupid. There''d be so many potential witnesses. Trent was just being overly cautious.


    "I''m not sure I want to be indebted to Monica, though." Bree twisted a lock of her hair around her finger, considering what that would be like, owing Monica for her big break.


    "Another good point," Zach agreed. "Really, I''m guessing we almost got the nod this year. If we keep heading down the same path we''re on now, next time around, we''ll be a sure thing. I''d rather we aplished this on our own terms." "You do realize you''re saying you want to pass on a lingerie fashion show, right, love?" Shawna asked her boyfriend, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.


    With the sort of over-exaggerated grin on his face that made him look the picture of innocence, Zach said, "I don''t need to see anyone else in their underwear, baby. I''ve got you."


    Bree groaned, and Shawna shook her head at his ridiculousness. Then, turning back to Bree, she said, "I think we should ask the other band members. We should vote. I say we do it, but I''ll go with the majority, for sure."


    "Voting is a good idea. I''m just not certain the others understand exactly how crazy Monica can be. I haven''t told them as much as I''ve told you two. That''s why I wanted to meet with you."


    "We can fill them in first," Zach offered with a shrug. "But I can tell you right now, if we put this to a vote, I''m going to be the only one who votes no, even if you told them Cat was the one who arranged it. The other guys will want to do it, not just because of the models in lingerie, but because it''s such a good opportunity, they''ll think we''re crazy for not epting it."


    Bree had a feeling that would be the case. "I guess I can go ahead and vote no, too, then, since it won''t matter," she said, thinking it would be a good way to present the facts to Trent. It wasn''t just her decision, so she''d asked the band. After a vote, they''d decided to go for it. She and Zach had voted no, while the others all voted yes. At least, that''s how she expected it to go, too.


    "Trent won''t hear anything different from us," Shawna said in support of Bree''s n. She gave her friend a small smile. It wasn''t as if she was lying; it just seemed like it because she wouldn''t tell him that secretly, she wanted to do it, too. Even if Monica attempted to hold it over her head for the rest of her life, it was just too good an opportunity to pass up, and besides, Monica did owe her. She should be trying to fix things. With a deep breath, Bree pulled out her phone and sent a group text telling the other guys they''d be voting on something super important in the morning so not to bete to practice. She knew that would probably drive them crazy all night, but at least they could get it over first thing in the morning, in time to let Monica know their decision so she could book them--if that''s the way the others voted. She knew they would.


    A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, but she hid it. ying at Nashville Nights would be awesome--even if the woman she hated most in the world, even more than the one who had tried to kill her--would be there.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.

 Bad Idea

    "This is a horrible idea. The worst one ever. In the entire history of the world, I cannot imagine one idea worse than this one." Celia sat across from Trent in his office, her arms folded, her legs crossed, her face puckered.


    At the moment, he couldn''t even allow himself to snicker at her exaggeration. While he agreed that what he was about to do was a terrible idea, he could think of lots of other ideas that were worse, many of them involving wars that had killed thousands or millions of people. Or spread disease. Or polluted the environment. But she was right--of all of the decisions he''d been directly involved in, this one was pretty awful.


    "What do you want me to do?" he asked with a shrug. "Her band wants to ept the offer. It''s out of my hands."


    "You do realize that this is a trap, don''t you? I have only met Monica once, and that was enough for me to know there''s nothing benevolent about that monster. If she wants Bree at that show, there''s a reason for it, and it''s not so they can be best friends, hold hands, and eat ice cream cones together. She sees an opportunity here to either hurt or humiliate your fianc¨¦e, and Bree''s walking right into it, like the girl who goes down the stairs in a horror movie. You''re her friend who stays upstairs on the couch and whispers, ''Don''t do it, Bree!'' but then you don''t do a damn thing to get up to prevent her from actually going down there where the murder is."


    When she was done, Trent stared at his coworker for a few moments, surprised at her conviction. "Celia, I don''t think it''s quite that bad, but I am a little shocked that you do. Maybe it''s because your only interaction with Monica was so negative. I agree, she''s no angel, but I can''t imagine she would try to do anything to hurt or humiliate Bree in front of a huge crowd and a televised audience."


    "Really?" Celia uncrossed her legs and slid to the edge of the chair, using the armrests to propel herself. "Well, then maybe I don''t know what I''m talking about." She shrugged in an over-exaggerated fashion. "But... if you can get a second ticket to this shitshow, let me know because I wanna be there in the audience with you when it all goes down so that I can say, ''I told you so."" After a moment of reflection, she added, "And help you clean up the mess."


    That got a chuckle out of him. "Okay, Celia. I''ll see what I can do." Trent shook his head. "Why don''t you go work on the Hunt ount, and I''ll get this over with?"


    Celia held his gaze for a moment, one eyelid narrowed more than the other, ast warning. Not seeing any chance of wavering on Trent''s part, she reached over and grabbed therge file, the one that had been her original reason foring in to see him, off of his desk and carried it out of the room, making a big production out of closing the door.


    Again, heughed at her reaction, but shortly after the door clicked shut, his merriment failed. Now woulde the unpleasant part.


    Monica had written her number down, and he''d kept it, not because he wanted to call it but because he had a feeling Bree would want to take the offer, even though he knew it wasn''t a good idea--and deep down inside, so did she. Now, he pulled the number from his desk and used his office phone to call it so that she wouldn''t have his new cell phone number.


    It went to voicemail, so he left a quick message asking her to call him back at that number and hung up. Relief that he could put off talking to her for a bit washed over him, but it was short lived. When his phone rang a momentter, he was certain it was her before he even looked up from the spot on his desk where he''d been staring.


    "Hello?"


    "Trent? Hi! It''s Mon."


    He rolled his eyes. She was trying to be familiar and cute with him already. "Hi. Listen, I talked to Bree...."


    "What? No, ''how are you?'' or anything?" She giggled, like she was joking around, as if she had somehow re-earned the right to be yful with him because she''d invited his fianc¨¦e''s band to this show.


    Trent remembered he needed to stay civil--for Bree''s sake. "Sorry. I''m just in a hurry."


    "Oh? Swamped at work?"


    "Yes." It wasn''t really true. There was always work to be done, but Celia did so much of it, he didn''t even have to be there most days. "Anyway, she talked it over with her band, and if the offer still stands, they''d like to ept." "Really?" She drew the word out as if it had several sybles. "I was just about to let George know he needed to pick another band. I didn''t think they wanted it."Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


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    "Well, she wanted to put it to a vote. Sorry it took so long." And... Monica had managed to get him to apologize to her in less than two minutes. Again, he was shaking his head. "I have her manager''s information for you so you can pass it along to whoever needs to contact her."


    "Perfect. Can you text it to me?"


    "I can email it to you." He couldn''t text from hisndline, and she knew that. She wanted his cell phone number. She wasn''t getting it.


    "That will work, too. You know the address." She sighed, clearly indicating she had made a huge sacrifice to use his method ofmunication. "All right, well, I''m in the middle of a shoot, so I guess I should go. It was great talking to you, though."


    "Yep. Take care. Thanks again." He hung up before she couldment on the fact that he hadn''t actually said it was great talking to her, too. Because it wasn''t.


    Deciding it was best to get this over with right now so he didn''t have to think about Monica again for a few days, until it was time to see her in person again, an idea that made his stomach turn, Trent turned to hisputer and pulled up his old email ount, the one Monica would already have. Thest thing he wanted was to give her more ess to him. He typed up a message including Zelda''s contact information and sent it to Monica, not allowing himself to look at the other emails in his inbox. After he and Monica had split, he''d opened a new email ount and hadn''t been in this one for almost a year, but the subject lines of a few of his most recently read emails threatened to jump out at him. All of them were about the wedding.


    Trent closed his email, intending to focus back on his work immediately, but his mind was elsewhere. Thinking back to who he had been before, when those emails were sent and received, gave him reason to pause. His life was so different now. Back then, he would''ve done anything for Monica, whatever it took to make her happy. Now, even the idea of picking up his phone to call her was revolting. How had he gone from wanting to spend his entire life with someone to not even being able to stand the thought of her so quickly? He realized the reasons wereplex but most of them revolved around the fact that he''d never actually known who Monica was until after he''d broken off the wedding. The person he''d thought he was marrying cared just as much about him as he cared about her. The real Monica didn''t care about anyone but herself. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to cheat on him.


    And now his new fianc¨¦e, someone he had known well for the majority of his life, someone he loved and had no doubt loved him back with all of her heart, was trusting this vile person, assuming her intentions were good, or at least neutral. He wished he would''ve tried harder to change Bree''s mind, but what was done was done now. All he could do was try his best to protect Bree because whatever Monica had nned, he knew it woulde with all the fury and fire of a burning building, and the ramifications from thest inferno still hadn''t extinguished. He couldn''t even let himself imagine what it would be like with two zespounded on top of one another, but he wasn''t sure Bree could handle it. He couldn''t let Monica hurt her. He wouldn''t let Monica hurt her. Not if it was thest thing he ever did.

 Cheap Tricks

    "Okay--I love you, too." Bree disconnected the call from Trent and slid her cell phone into her pocket, trying not to let her giddiness explode out of her. As much as she wanted to jump up and down like a little kid who just found out she was on her way to Disney World, she needed to hold herself in check in front of her band--at least until she got the good news out of her mouth.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Well?" Shawna wanted to know, her hands sped in front of her where they hovered over the keyboard. "What did he say?"


    Bree drew in a deep breath and did her best to keep her voice even as she replied, "He said... he spoke to Monica... and... we got it!" By the time she got thest statement out, there was no holding back her cheer. Bree''s hands went up in the air, her volume and tempo both increasing. It only took a split second for the rest of the band to join in with her, jumping up and down, the guys fist pumping and giving each other high-fives. Only Zach managed to keep his excitement in check. He still pped the other hands that were held out to him, but it was clear he was still reluctant to rejoice over the band being epted for a gig that he wasn''t sure was in their best interest.


    "That''s awesome!" Griffin said. "Do we have the details yet?"


    "No, not yet. I''ll pass them along to you guys as soon as I know them," Bree said. Trent hadn''t wanted to talk too long on the phone. He''d made his position clear and his opinion known--this was a bad idea, and he just knew Monica would do something to either hurt or embarrass Bree. Since the Nashville Nights concert would take ce just before the bandunched its major tour, he was concerned this would end Bree''s chance at really making a dent on the national scene. She knew all of that, but Bree still couldn''t give up the chance to take part in such a major event.


    "Well, we only get to perform one song, right?" Dominic, the drummer, asked. "That''s right. So we better make it count," Bree said with a nod.


    "If that''s the case, I say we go with ''You Are the Reason,"" Shawna chimed in.


    Bree gave her a skeptical look. "That''s our newest song. Are you sure it''s ready for such a huge event? Why not go with something we''ve been ying longer, something we''re morefortable with?" She didn''t think "Meant to Marry Me? was right for the asion, but something like "Lead Me Home" or one of her other songs that was upbeat and catchy would work.


    Zach replied, agreeing with his girlfriend. "I think it''s ready to go. It''s the perfect opportunity to introduce a great new song to a wide audience, and with that downbeat, the models will be able to walk down the runway at a great pace." "Spoken like someone with some modeling experience," Chase teased, tapping Zach on the shoulder.


    The lead guitar yer narrowed his eyes. "Nope, just somemon sense."


    Bree knew they weren''t really arguing, but she decided to cut the conversation off before it got heated. "All right. If y''all think the new song is the way to go, then let''s do it. But we are going to have to spend the next few weeks practicing it every chance we get because it still needs a lot of work."


    "Let''s do it!" Dominic said on behalf of all of them.


    Bree did like the new song and agreed with what Zach had said about it working out well for the models. "All right then," she said as the rest of the band got into position. "Let''s take it from the top."


    Dominic counted them in with his drumsticks, and the band began to y. As Bree lost herself in the music, she prayed this was the right song choice. More importantly, she hoped that Trent was wrong and that Monica wasn''t up to no good. Bree knew she had a tendency to be gullible and assume the good in people who didn''t deserve it. If that''s what this was, and someone in her band got hurt, or she ended up ruining their chances of making it big because she''d fallen for one of Monica''s tricks, she''d never forgive herself.

 Event

    Meeting Monica at the event center where the Nashville Nights concert was to be held was intimidating, even though Bree had her bandmates with her. She had insisted Trent go to work; it was a Thursday afternoon, after all, just after lunch, and there was no reason for him to miss work to walk with her through the building where she''d be ying in a couple of nights, not when she had three capable men and Shawna with her to give her moral support.


    Trent had protested, saying he''d feel much morefortable if Bree allowed him to go along, that the rest of the band wasn''t aware of how Monica could be. It had almost led to an argument. Bree had insisted she wasn''t a child, and just because Cat had managed to get to her while she was in a vulnerable position, that didn''t mean that Monica could. She was neither asleep nor in the hospital after surgery at the moment, after all. Eventually, Trent had let it go, and now, Bree found herself entering an auditorium she''d never been in before with her band, looking for a woman she wished she''d never have to see again.


    The moment Zach pulled the door open for all of them to enter, the noise of chaos hit Bree''s ear. She paused in the doorway. Being a musician, her brain tried to make sense of all sources of sound, but it was impossible to straighten out the various vibrations into anything that made a melody. Hammers and other tools pounded and wailed, a woman''s voice called out, looking for, "Gliza!" whoever that was, furniture was being dragged across the floor, the shriek of hangers sliding on bars, and a sea of fabric ruffled along from one location to another, all of it blended together in a way that left her head spinning.


    "Are you all right?" Shawna asked, gripping her hand.


    "Oh, yeah. It''s just... so loud." Bree tried to shake it off, not allowing herself to consider the fact that Trent might''ve been right, and she might need him after all.


    "It takes a lot of work to make some people beautiful," Griffin muttered under his breath as he followed Dominic and Chase across the linoleum lobby floor that led to the backstage area. Monica had told them to use this door, that she''d be back there somewhere, but a cursory nce around the prep area where model stations were taking shape and other bands were unloading their instruments in preparation for their own performances didn''t reveal the beauty. "Can I help you?" An older woman with red hair and sses carrying a clipboard approached them. She had a severe expression on her face which indicated one too many brush ins with a surgeon''s scalpel.


    "Hi. We''re ying here Saturday night," Dominic began. "This is Bree Matthews, and we''re her band. We were told to ask for Monica Edge."


    The woman didn''t blink the entire time the drummer was speaking. Bree began to wonder if perhaps her stic surgeon had taken way too much off of her eyelids. "One moment," she said, pivoting on a four-inch heel. Just looking at her shoes made Bree''s feet hurt.


    Her shoes pinged off of the floor as she walked away, disappearing in the ocean of movement. Bree had never expected this much work to still be going on so near the date of the event, but then, she''d never been in a fashion show before and had no real way of knowing how it all worked.


    The band waited there for the moment the redhead had indicated--and several more. Bree checked the time and her messages. Nothing. She let out a sigh. Ten or fifteen minutes had passed. The woman with the clipboard hadn''te back, and there''d been no sign of Monica. She sent her a text. "We''re here--at the door. Are you around?" No immediate answer. Bree shoved her phone back in her pocket. "Maybe... we could look for her?" Griffin offered. "You know what she looks like, right?"


    Bree rolled her eyes. How could she not know what the woman whose wedding she was meant to y atst year looked like? "Yes, I know what she looks like." "Other bands are setting up and moving in their equipment," Chase pointed out.


    Bree didn''t have a good view of the stage, but when she strained her neck, she could see that he was right. "Okay. Let''s find her ourselves," Bree agreed. She hated wasting her band''s time and her own. The quicker they found Monica and could unload their equipment, the better. Normally, roadies would do that, but the show allegedly had strict guidelines on who was allowed inside, which was difficult to imagine considering how easy it had been for the five of them to walk right in.


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    The bandmates began to wander around backstage, even taking a peek out onto the stage where several technicians were in the process of installing what looked like pipes obscured by somerge, stic cutouts of smoke with sparks and mes shooting out the bottom on one half of the stage and ice cubes on the other.


    Seeing the symbols for fire gave Bree pause. "What''s the theme of this show?" she whispered, not even sure who was close enough to hear.


    "Fire and ice," Zach answered, just before his heavy hand came down on her shoulder.


    "Oh." It was all Bree could say. It must''ve been easy enough to find out that information online were one looking for it, and she had done some research on the show, but either it had escaped her, or she''d blocked it out. Until now. It was obvious the smoke and fire were as fake as could be, but it still brought back memories she didn''t care to be locked away in. And she had to wonder what the pipes were for. They weren''t touching the stic cutouts. Rather, they were far behind them and higher. Still, if they were meant to shoot out smoke and snowkes or something, Bree imagined, from the audience''s perspectives, they would look spot on.


    "Let''s go check backstage." Shawna pulled gently on Bree''s wrist, and her feet started moving again, her minding back to her. It was silly to be upset about something like that. She was certain the technicians were installing the set props in such a way that no one would get hurt, even if it was meant tounch live mes, which she doubted. Besides, the decorations were so far over her head, it wasn''t like they would be anywhere near her. Still, she prayed her band would be assigned to the ice side of the stage.


    Back behind the curtains that separated the main stage from the staging area, they did another thorough sweep, looking for Monica, who still hadn''t answered Bree''s text. Several stations were being set up back here,plete with outfits hanging on racks, makeup and other beauty supplies on counters in front of mirrors. "Hey! This one has our name on it!" Dominic shouted.


    They all stepped toward him to see what he meant. Sure enough, one of the makeup stations said, "Bree Matthews and Her Band" across the top. She thought for a moment that she truly should give them a proper name, but she assumed the recordbel would do that--eventually.


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    "Wow! Look at all of this stuff!" Shawna picked up a pallet of makeup that seemed to have every shade of eyeshadow imaginable, as well as dozens of blushers, and who knew what else. She also lifted a bottle of hair gel and put that back down and then a massive can of hairspray that reminded Bree of the Aqua Netmercials she''d seen on a YouTube video making fun of how girls did their hair in the eighties and nies.


    "That''lle in handy if Chase decides to finally go full Flock of Seagulls," Griffin teased.


    "I might just do that one day," the rhythm guitar yer threatened, getting augh out of everyone.


    Bree chuckled until a familiar voice caught her attention, and then she froze. She heard Monica over by the wall to her left, just about ten or fifteen feet away. She had just opened a door that looked like it led to a supply closet, and a man in what appeared to be a custodian''s uniform was walking out with her. Monica straightened her skirt, and said, "Thanks, Dane. I knew you wouldn''t let me down."


    "Anything for you," the middle-aged man said before hurrying off. Bree stared at the pair for a moment. It didn''t add up. Monica was just as beautiful as ever, and the custodian wasn''t good looking at all. Why in the world would she be secreted away in a supply closet with him, emerging to fix her clothing? It was so bizarre....


    She managed to avert her eyes before Monica looked up and saw her staring, but when Monica did look her way, she saw the group. "Oh, good! You''re here!" she said, the clicking of her heels as she approached dragging Bree''s head around again. Monica pulled her phone from a pocket in her skirt. "Damn. Sorry--I guess I missed your text. And lost track of time." She looked a bit sheepish, which the others might''ve taken as sincere since they didn''t know her like Bree did. Looking at the unfamiliar faces, she said, "I''m Monica."


    Bree introduced her to each of her bandmates in turn. Each of them shook her hand, smiling politely, and saying it was nice to meet her, even though none of them truly felt that way. That was just what polite people did when they met someone, even if they knew she was a witch and probably had only bad intentions....

 Intentions

    "I see you''ve found your station," Monica said, noting the counter and mirror that had their name on it.


    "Yeah, it''s really nice," Shawna said. "So many great products. Are these for us to use?"


    "Sure," Monica said with a shrug, fingering some of the expensive makeup. "We want everyone to look their best when they''re out there sharing the stage with us."


    Monica tapped the can of hairspray. "This stuff is the best," she said. "Your hair will never move if you use Bright Salon products. Seriously, even if you do your hair at home before you get here, you''re gonna want to coat it in this when you arrive. It looks natural, too. Not stiff."


    "Good to know...." Shawna smiled ufortably. It really did seem odd that Monica was pushing the hairspray to them, like she owned stock in thepany or something.


    "Well, let me walk you through the set," she said. "The show starts at seven, but we want everyone here by six, just to make sure you''re ready. Models will be here way earlier than that. It would be great if you could be here around five. Have you met Dereka Shields? The woman in charge of the show?"


    "Is she... a bit older and quite serious?" Dominic asked.


    Monica smirked at him. "Yes. She will be more at ease the earlier you get here. She is so busy. Pulled in a million directions, as you can imagine."


    Bree wanted to ask if that''s why Monica was off with the maintenance guy, making sure that he knew what he should be working on. She kept thement to herself and followed Monica as she walked them around the backstage area. None of it seemed relevant to them, other than the ce she had already shown them where they could get ready and the green room off to the side where there would be snacks and drinks avable that they could partake in until it was their turn to go out on stage.


    "You guys are toward the end of the show, second tost, I think, so you''ll be hanging out a while, but as you can see, the green room is pretty big with lots of seating. Or you can just stand around your area backstage and watch all of the excitement if you''d rather."


    They stood in the doorway and surveyed the area. It looked big enough for five or six bands. Bree didn''t have any idea how many there would be or if her band would prefer backstage as a ce to hang out before they went on, so she didn''t concern herself with it. When Monica led them toward the stage, Bree hung back a bit so she wouldn''t have to listen to the woman or smell her expensive perfume.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Once they were up front, Monica said, "You guys will set up right here. As you can see, the stage is split into two sides, fire and ice. You will be on the fire side."


    "What does that entail exactly?" Griffin asked. They all wanted to know. This part, Bree tuned in to.


    "Oh, just the decorations on each side of the stage, I guess," Monica said.


    "What are the pipes for?" Zach''s voice was louder than usual, and Bree was surprised to hear him speak up. It was rare for him to talk to people he didn''t know at all, so he must''ve had some sort of concerns about the pipes above their heads. "Just some sort of special effects. I think they will send smoke and fog out of them," Monica said.


    "Not actual fire and ice?" Chase chuckled when he asked the question, but Bree was d he did. She could imagine that would be bad--very, very bad.


    ¡°No!¡± Monica giggled and held a hand over her mouth. "That would be dangerous, wouldn''t it? No, we were told just smoke and fog, which is really the same thing. For our purposes."


    Bree didn''t quite understand what that meant, but she followed Monica around the rest of the stage, wishing they were on the ice side of the stage and not the fire. Even though she knew it sounded silly for her to be worried about being so close to fire again, as Monica led them away, her eyes lingered on therge fake mes workers were installing above the ce where she''d be performing.


    ncing up at the men calling to each other fromdders and risers, she realized that one of the men she saw working there, hanging some mes at the moment, was the same man Monica hade out of the closet with. So he truly was a maintenance worker. It all seemed odd to her, but the rest of the group was getting away, so Bree put it out of her mind and hurried to catch up, wondering if Trent had been right to be worried about this situation.

 Warning Signs

    The sound of voices from the television met Bree''s ear as she walked through the apartment door. She checked the time on her phone. It was only a little past 3:00. What was Trent doing home? She had to assume it was him watching the television because it sounded like the news channel, and if the housekeeper had turned it on, it would''ve been a soap opera or court show.


    Hanging her purse by the door, and cing her keys where she could find themter, she went into the adjoining room to investigate. Trent was sitting on the couch with hisptop open on hisp, his stocking feet on the coffee table, typing away. She almost didn''t want to disturb him.


    At the sound of her footsteps, he looked up. "Oh, hi. Back already?" He set his openptop on the couch and hopped up. Bree went to his open arms and melted into his embrace, lifting her face for a quick kiss before she replied. "Yeah, we got done with the tour a couple of hours ago and then got all of our equipment set up. We went over the song a couple of times to test out the acoustics and all of that." She let go of him, sitting down on the couch next to him. "Great. So everything went smoothly?" Trent didn''t pick hisptop back up, but he didn''t close it either.


    Nodding, Bree said. "It did. Monica showed us around." She didn''t want to mention that Monica waste, or why. "It was odd being around her, but it wasn''t as bad as I thought it might be." "That''s good. She was polite, at least, I hope?"


    "She was." Monica was thest thing Bree wanted to talk about, but she wasn''t sure what else to say. The theme of fire and ice was a topic she wanted to stay away from since she thought it might make Trent uneasy, the same way that it had her.


    While she struggled with something else to say, a report came on the television that caught her attention. She immediately recognized the bottle of hairspray she''d seen on the counter where they were supposed to get ready for the show. The news announcer was talking about the new product. Bree grabbed the remote off of the coffee table and quickly turned it up. Trent asked, "What are they talking about?" but she didn''t answer because she didn''t want to miss the report. "Bright Salon hairspray is being touted as one of the best products for keeping users'' hairstyles from moving, even in the wind with long wear, but is it safe? One woman says, ''No!''. Here is her story."


    The video cut to a woman in her mid-tote twenties with beautiful blonde hair on half of her head. The other side was covered with a bandage. Her name popped up on the screen, but Bree didn''t pay attention to that, only that the woman said, "I was at a friend''s house for a barbecue, and the next thing I know, my head was on fire. I guess I got too close to the me. This stuff is highly mmable! There should be a warning!"


    Bree felt her stomach twist into a knot. Was it a coincidence that the hairspray in their station was this same product that was being exposed as highly mmable when the show was themed fire and ice? She didn''t think so. She also didn''t think that it was a coincidence that she was on the fire side of the stage.


    "Is everything okay?" Trent asked, clearly confused as to why Bree wanted to hear the news story.


    Turning the volume back down, she said, "Oh, yeah. Everything''s fine." She didn''t want to tell him why she was concerned, not right now. She wanted to talk to Shawna about it. Worrying Trent at the moment seemed like a bad idea when there were other things she could do to prevent anyone from catching their head on fire at the show. The idea that Monica might be scheming to catch her on fire made Bree angry, especially since Monica was aware she had a history with mes, but if there was a way she could still y the show, get back at Monica, and not be a human torch, that sounded like the best option.


    "Do you have ties to that hairspray I''m not aware of?" Trent asked the question as if it was a joke, but Bree could tell he was confused--maybe a little concerned.


    "No, it''s just one of the products some of the models had on their stations backstage, that''s all. It''s really nothing." She managed a smile. "I just thought it was weird that the first I had ever heard of it was earlier today, and now here it is on the news. I bet they''ll pull it from the show since it''s clearly dangerous."


    His eyebrows were still arched. "I take it you''ll get ready for the show here--like you always do?"


    "Sure," Bree reassured him. She was just about to change the subject to something else entirely, starting with a kiss, when a new report came on that had her attention even more than the mmable hairspray.


    "used attempted murderer Cat Hadley was back in court today...."


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    Bree turned to look at the TV and felt Trent''s hande down on her back in aforting motion. "Are you sure you want to--"


    She cut him off with a finger. She normally didn''t listen to the news, only waited for thewyers to update her on what was happening, but the video of Cat, barely recognizable whenpared to the woman she''d chosen to be in her bandst year, with no makeup on, her eyes shadowed with dark circles, her hair stringy, standing there in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, had Bree transfixed.


    Trent stopped talking, but Bree could feel him, rigid beside her, not wanting her to hear whatever it was they were about to say. Had he heard already? She didn''t care. She wanted to know. Again, she found herself reaching for the remote to turn the volume up.


    "Hadley''s attorneys im that while she was involved in the attempted murder of musician Bree Matthewsst year, she did not act alone. They refuse to take a plea deal until new evidence is reviewed by the district attorney. As of today, Cat is scheduled to go on trial for her charges next month. She has also been used of attempting to burn down a hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, but those charges are pending, based on the oue of the attempted murder trial, which will take ce in Nashville, Tennessee."


    The reporter, an older gentleman with white hair, turned to look at his colleague, a younger woman with red hair so perfectly styled, Bree had to wonder if she''d been using Bright Salon. "Thank you, Steve. We''re all interested to hear the oue of that shocking story. Now, in weather...."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Bree stared at the television for a moment, not hearing the weather forecaster as he came on to talk about the possibility of rain. Trent picked up the remote and shut the TV off. "Are you all right, Bree?"


    "I''m fine," she said, shaking her head to clear it. "I just... it''s been a while since I had to think about any of that."


    "I know." Trent rubbed her back reassuringly.


    "If she goes to trial next month, I''ll have to testify. It''ll mess up our entire tour schedule."


    "Hopefully, she won''t go. Everyone knows she''s guilty...."


    "But if someone else was involved, like she''s saying, then maybe she won''t plead guilty, at least not until they investigate this evidence she wants them to look at." The idea of actually having to go to trial, of sitting up there on the stand and telling the judge, jury, and everyone else listening what had happened on both asions, when the hotel had been lit on fire and when that woman dressed as a nurse had snuck into her hospital room and tried to kill her, made Bree revert back to the mental state she''d been in months ago, right after it had happened. She felt her hands beginning to shake and tucked them beneath her legs, hoping Trent wouldn''t notice.


    "Bree, calm down," he said, pulling her close to his chest. "I think she will plead guilty. She''s just trying to buy some time." He kissed the top of her head, which did help her with the shaking, at least a little bit. "You''re strong enough to face her again, Bree, if you have to. It will all work out, and in a few months, you won''t ever have to think about Cat Hadley again."


    She wanted to believe him, to think that it would all be over soon, but even with the TV off, when Bree closed her eyes, she saw the sunken, sad face of Cat Hadley and realized this was far from over.


    Even when the trial waspleted and Cat was handed her sentence, she would never really go away. There would be parole hearings, news stories on the anniversaries of the events, and everywhere she went, people would think of her as a singer second, and the girl who''d almost been murdered twice first. It wasn''t fair, and she hated that she''d allowed someone so vicious into her life.


    At the end of it all, it still didn''t make sense to Bree. Why would Cat try so hard to kill her when they had been friends before? She realized some people were just innately evil, but Cat hadn''te across that way, not at first. Had Bree read her wrong, or was there really more to this story than Bree was aware of?


    Nestled against Trent''s chest, the scent of his cologne filling her lungs with every breath, she managed to put those thoughts aside. "Why are you home early?" she asked, just a whisper into his neck.


    "I wanted to see you," he said in just as quiet a tone.


    It brought a smile to her lips, and when his mouth came crashing down into hers, all of the worries from her day were washed away. Trent scooped her up into his arms, standing, and Bree wrapped her legs around his waist, deepening the kiss as he carried her off to bed. As long as they had each other, the rest of the world coulde and go. When she was with Trent, nothing else mattered.

 Show Time

    Anxiety bubbled up in Bree as she stood in the staging area, getting ready for the big show. All around her, models and bands were putting the finishing touches on their makeup and hair, the models getting into their first outfits so that they''d be fully prepared to grace the runway as soon as it was their turn to take the walk and show off the newest fashions to an invigorated audience.


    From what Bree could tell, this wasn''t actually one of those fashion shows where the clothing was practical and might be bought by the average housewife. No, it was mostly lingerie, and it was mostly, well, ridiculous, in her point of view. None of it was so revealing that it wouldn''t be appropriate for the cable television channel that was broadcasting the event live, but the essories in particr that went along with the bras and panties were a little silly in Bree''s view. One of the models across the room from her had a giant bird''s head poised on top of her own. Another had nts growing out of her shoulder des. Bree didn''t quite get it, but then, she was an artist of a different sort and didn''t proim to tell others how to express themselves.


    She did tell others what hairspray to avoid, though. Specifically, she told her bandmates about the news cast she''d seen, the one that had said Bright Salon was highly mmable. "Since we''ll be standing close to live mes, I would suggest we avoid anything that might easily catch on fire." Bree had decided to put her hair in a French braid so that she didn''t need much product at all. Shawna''s hair was loose and lovely, but she didn''t use a lot of products in her hair anyway. The guys. mostly used gel, not hairspray, so she thought they''d be all right.


    As she stood backstage observing the motion around her, she thought she was probably being ridiculous. Really, Monica might not be trustworthy, but she had to assume the rest of the people putting on the show were. Even though she''d seen that maintenance man with Monica working on the piping near where they''d be performing, there was no reason to assume the worst. No, Bree was quite certain she was being silly. Until Monica came over.


    She was dressed in a golden bra and red and gold panties with glittery chains connecting them and a cor. Bree didn''t understand the statement, but she looked fabulous. She sort of didn''t want Trent to see his ex-fianc¨¦e wearing her underwear again, but she''d known there''d be no getting him to stay home. He was probably already there, if they were letting the audience in. Celia would be with him, to keep himpany, and because she''d said she wanted to be there to remind him that she''d warned him that this was a bad idea. Bree had rolled her eyes at that, but she liked Celia and didn''t mind the fact that she wanted toe. Maybe she could shield Trent''s eyes when Monica walked out on the runway-- wearing that.


    "How is it going?" Monica asked with a cheerful smile. The guys in the band all looked a little ck-jawed, even Zach, whose girlfriend was right beside him. He quickly looked away.


    "It''s going," Bree said, finding a smile. "We''re all ready to take the stage as soon as we get word it''s our turn."


    "Great!" Monica''s expression didn''t quite match her words. "Did you use this great array of beauty products you''ve been gifted?" She picked up one of the makeup trays and looked it over. It was one that Bree had opened and used to dirty some of the brushes so it at least looked like they''d used what they were given.


    "Yep, sure did." Shawna nodded, but her smile was tight, probably because she didn''t like what Monica was doing to the men, namely Zach.


    "And the hairspray?" She reached for the can, but Chase snatched it up.


    "Yep. It''s practically gone, we used so much of it." He sprayed a little more, sending it well over his head.


    Monica arched an eyebrow. "Really? That big can?"


    "I really love me some hairspray." Chase sprayed more and then began to cough as he breathed in the fumes.


    "Well, okay then." Monica seemed to believe him, at least to some degree. Her eyes shifted back to Bree, but she wasn''t looking at her face. She was looking at her hair. "You could maybe use a little more, Bree." "Thanks." She didn''t reach for the can, though. "I already used quite a bit."


    Monica''s face shifted, a sly smile pulling up one corner of her mouth. "Good. But you can always use a little more." She reached for the can.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Bree looked at Chase, not sure what to do. He looked as if he didn''t want to hand it over, but then, how would he keep it from her without causing a scene or making Monica suspicious.


    Just as her hand was about to make contact with the can, a frazzled looking woman with curly orange hair came running over. "Miss Edge, you''re up next, and I need to get one moreyer of powder on your face before you go." Monica swirled around, her evil sideing out. "Oh, good grief, Candy! You are the most ipetent makeup artist I''ve ever worked with! Why can''t you ever get anything right the first time?"


    The other girl looked like she was on the brink of tears. "I''m so sorry, Miss Edge."


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    Shaking her head, Monica headed off with her. She took a few steps before she turned back around and smiled. "Be sure to spray a little more, Bree. You''ll need it."


    "I will!" Bree reached for the can and held it up for Monica to see. The model nodded and then turned and followed Candy back toward her staging area.


    "That bitch," Griffin said, shaking his head. "Why did she yell at that poor girl?"


    "Because she is a bitch," Bree reminded him. "Because she thinks she''s better than everyone."


    "Hmmm," Shawna said quietly, stepping up next to Bree, her finger on her chin. "I have an idea."


    "What''s that?" Bree asked, arching an eyebrow at her keyboardist.


    A sly smile spread across Shawna''s face. "I think... as soon as Monica goes out on stage for her first runway walk, we go pay a visit to Candy."


    Seeing where she was going with this, Bree grinned back at her. "That is a lovely idea, Shawna." They bothughed like a couple of witches. The guys seemed lost, but that was okay. Bree didn''t feel the need to fill them in. If they figured it out, good. If not, that was okay, too.


    The two girls watched for Monica to leave her station and go out to the runway and then headed over to Candy, hairspray in hand. She was working on another model at the station next to Monica''s, and that woman wasn''t being any nicer. It seemed like no one around here was very nice to the people responsible for making them look so lovely. As soon as Candy turned her back to the other model for a second, Bree pounced on her chance. "Excuse us, Candy," Bree said. "We don''t mean to interrupt."


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    "Hold on one second," she said with a timid smile. She turned back to the other model and finished powdering her nose before the woman shot off in a huff. Then, Candy was facing them. "How can I help you, Miss Matthews?" Bree was d she knew who she was. "Monica isn''t very nice, is she?"


    "That''s putting it mildly." The makeup artist rolled her eyes. "But I''m used to it."


    "Well, we have an idea that might put her in her ce," Shawna said. "For some reason, she seems to think Bree needs to use this particr can of hairspray on her hair. We have no idea why, but we think she''s up to no good." "Bright Salon?" Candy said, taking the can from Bree. "I can''t imagine Monica using something this strong."


    "And mmable," Bree noted. If she really thought there was any chance of Monica catching on fire, she wouldn''t be there. Chances were, Monica had tainted this can with something that would turn her hair gray or make it fall out. She didn''t actually think Monica would do anything to put her life at risk. Still... there was a chance. "Anyway, maybe you should put some of this in her hair when shees back."


    "Without her knowing, of course," Shawna added.


    The same smile Bree had worn since she had caught on to what Shawna was getting at spread across Candy''s face. "That--is a great idea. Thanks!" She took the can and ced it behind a bag on Monica''s staging area where she wouldn''t see it. With her back to the artist, she wouldn''t likely see what Candy was spraying on her hair. With any luck, whatever it was she was hoping would happen to Bree''s hair would happen to hers instead.


    Looping her arm through Shawna''s, Bree headed back to where the boys waited for them, a devious smile still on her face as she hoped Monica got what wasing to her.

 Audience

    Sitting in a chair, staring at a runway, brought back way too many ufortable memories for Trent. Had it really just been a little over a year since he''d spent at least one or two days a week sitting in just such a chair, waiting for Monica toe down the stage? It seemed so strange now. He tried not to fidget, but his leg was bouncing up and down so quickly, he was d he wasn''t outside because he might manage to start a fire with the right kindling--and like Bree, he''d had enough of fire for one lifetime.


    "Are you all right?" Celia asked, leaning over to whisper in his ear. "You''re making me nervous, and I just came here for the fashion."


    He raised an eyebrow at her. That wasn''t true at all. She was there because he didn''t think he could handle sitting in the crowd by himself, just waiting for Monica to do something crazy. As much as he wanted to believe she was above that, he was still suspicious. It just wasn''t like her not to take advantage of an opportunity to humiliate Bree. If that''s all it was, chances were her n would fall through, and Bree would walk away unscathed, with the lesson never to trust Monica again ingrained in her mind. But he had a feeling it was something more. The theme of the show hadn''t escaped him, even though it became evident Bree had been downying it and trying to keep his mind off of it. Fire and ice. It was written on the program, and the entire stage and runway, which was huge, made it clear that there would be effects.


    The runway wasn''t the simple up and back kind. Instead, it wrapped around in arge loop with tforms for bands set up on either side of it. The equipment was already set up for what appeared to be ten different bands. Three were clearly on the ice side, three on the fire side, and four in the center. He assumed spotlights would be used to keep the audience focused on the band ying and not the next one getting ready or thest one leaving the stage. He could also see tubes, though well hidden behind props, protruding from the ceiling, and he had to assume that''s where the fire and ice woulde from. Bree had mentioned that it was steam and fog, but he had to wonder if that was truly the case. If he saw mesing out of the pipes above where Bree''s band would be ying, he knew he''d freak out, and he couldn''t imagine her standing there singing with that happening. While it appeared that the mechanisms were hung high above the heads of even the tallest models on the highest heels, he would still be worried to see actual fire on the stage near Bree''s head.


    Celia''s hand on his leg brought Trent''s attention back to the present. "It''ll be fine," she said, giving his thigh a squeeze before she moved her hand and focused her eyes back on the stage.


    It seemed so odd that she would make such an inappropriate gesture. But then... how many times had she sat on the edge of his desk, far too close to him? She''d also seemed to confuse their trip to the award ceremony as a date. When this was over, he needed to address the situation and make sure that she knew they were friends who worked together and nothing more. Of course, she had to know that, but it was bing clear that she had feelings for him. He thought back to that night in the limo, when she''d kissed him on the cheek. Friends did that, didn''t they? Still, she was bing a little too familiar, and it needed to be set straight. Trent didn''t have eyes for anyone except for Bree. They''d been through so much together. There was no way he''d ever think about being with anyone other than her.


    Maybe he should''ve introduced Celia to Hank. He was interested in her, and even though Trent was still upset with his former best friend for sleeping with his then-fianc¨¦e, Hank was a decent guy--for the most part. And he had been with Monica first, though Trent hadn''t realized that until after they were nearly married. So... maybe he should give the guy another chance. Celia might like him....


    His thoughts were interrupted by the drop of a drumbeat and the thump of a bass. His eyes shifted to the stage where the rest of the lights had gone down while he was tuned out, and only a blue spotlight focused on the band on the far side of the stage. kes of snow began to rain down over the band and the runway as the first models began toe out from the back of the stage.


    So there was snow--which made him think that there would also be fire. Trent took a deep breath and tried to still himself, remembering what Bree had said thest time he''d interjected himself into a situation at her show, the first one he''d gone to, when she''d had a heckler saying rude things, and he''d tried to shut the guy down. She''d been right to think that was the wrong move then since the guy had gotten a bunch of his friends together to meet them outside. If Zach hadn''t showed up to help them, Trent and Bree could''ve gotten hurt badly. Now, as he stared up at the falling snow, assuming that the other side would have actual mes shooting down from the pipes and not just smoke, he had to assume Bree would not want him to interfere. As long as it appeared that she was okay, he wouldn''t budge. But the moment he thought she might be in danger, nothing was keeping him away from the stage. Not the security guards, not the three rows of people in front of him, not what had happened in the past--nothing.


    ***


    Standing backstage, it was impossible to see what was happening out there, but every once in a while, Bree heard what sounded like hot air being forced through the pipes and then the roar of the crowd. She had to imagine that was the fire side of the stage. A nervous energy balled up inside of her as she thought about what might happen. The pipes were so far over their heads, there was no way they could actually be near the mes, not unless there was a major instation problem.


    Or sabotage.


    As she stood watching the models fly back from their trips around the runway to get into their next outfits, she couldn''t imagine what that might be like, to have to change clothes in front of whoever might be looking, and then get right back out there. She thought it must be horribly stressful, though, and couldn''t imagine it would ever be the job for her. But then, she doubted many of the models would feel toofortable singing in front of thousands of people either. "Are you all right?" Zach asked at her elbow.


    "Oh, yeah. I''m fine," she said, turning to smile at him. "The other guys look like they''re having a good time."


    "Staring at the models changing clothes?" he asked, shaking his head.


    "Yep," she replied, her attention shifting to the other male members of her band who were watching as the girls came rushing back to get their new outfits on. They weren''t the only men who seemed to be more than a little entertained, though they really couldn''t see much. The models didn''t seem to notice as they were too concerned with getting themselves ready.


    "Well, I wanted to let you know, just in case you are concerned, I hid a fire extinguisher by the drum set." Zach folded his arm and nodded confidently.


    It brought a smile to her face. She knew, if anyone could use a fire extinguisher effectively, it was the man who''d done so in order to get her out of the hotel room she''d been trapped in that was aze. "Good," she said with a smile. "But I don''t think it''s going to be a concern. I think Monica is up to something, but I doubt she''s actually trying to catch you on fire."


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    Bree nodded, but she wasn''t sure she felt as confident as he did. She never would''ve thought anyone would try to catch her on fire to begin with, but even thinking about it made her hand ache.


    Across the room, she watched as Monica rushed over to her station, shouting at Candy as she approached, "Hurry up! I only have two minutes!"ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Candy looked frazzled as she helped Monica take off one outfit and put on the other, Monica griping and growling the whole time. Bree had to wonder what it was about this job Monica even liked if she was so angry backstage. Once she was dressed, Candy touched up her makeup and then Monica screeched, "Get to my hair!" She turned around to face the way she''d be leaving, still straightening her outfit.


    With a re, Candy reached back behind some of the other items on the table where the makeup and hair products were set up and grabbed the can of Bright Salon, dousing Monica''s hair in it. The model didn''t seem to notice. Candy put the spray can away, and Monica rushed off.


    Bree turned to look at Zach, wide eyed. "Did you see that?"


    "Yes, I did," Zach said, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Let''s just hope that she didn''t n anything too bad because if she did, and it backfires, she''s going to regret it."


    Bree agreed. She didn''t want anyone to get hurt, but sometimes, that was the only way mean girls learned their lesson.

 Fired Up

    "All right--Bree Matthews!" a stagehand shouted,ing over with a clipboard and a headset microphone in front of his face. "Are you ready?" "We are ready!" Bree said for all of them, bouncing on her heels.


    "Then, head to your spots." He signaled for them to approach their section of the stage. The band had been prepped on how this would work before the show. They headed to the ce where they''d set their equipment up earlier in the week, the guitarists tossing their straps over their heads, Dominic getting into ce behind the drum set, and Shawna behind the keyboard. Bree gave them all an encouraging smile and approached the microphone, waiting for the lights toe up on them. They''d hear the announcer say their name, and then they''d start ying.


    At the moment, she heard another band ying across the stage and realized it was Backroads. She hadn''t seen Sam, but she was d his band had gotten this opportunity. Now that she was with Trent, she didn''t have any room left in her heart for bad feelings for her ex.


    The other band yed thest notes of their song, and as the lighting shifted, the announcer said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your attention to the fiery Bree Matthews and her band!"


    With the introduction, Dominic started the drum solo that began their newest song, "You Are the Reason," and the rest of the band filled in. Bree had a few moments to observe the crowd before she''d have to step up to the microphone. It was difficult to see all of the people with the bright stage lights shining in her face, but she could see shapes and forms. She knew Trent was out there somewhere, cheering her on. The models walking down the stage were wearing red sleepwear as they sashayed by to her left. She saw a few that she didn''t recognize, spaced out about fifteen paces apart so each of them would have a chance to show their outfit off to the crowd. The audience either really loved these particr pieces, or their song was making an impression already.


    She stepped up to the mic and began to sing the heartfelt lyrics she''d painstakingly crafted in an attempt to give even more credence to the rtionship she shared with Trent. No longer was the world around her Bree''s biggest concern. Rather, the music and the man she was singing to became all consuming. When the mes above her head began to shoot out, it brought her back slightly. She looked up to see a lot of billowing smoke and the asional plume of red and orange mes shooting out of the pipes the maintenance men had been working on the first time she was out here during their walkthrough, but there was a good ten feet between the band and the end of the mes, so she wasn''t concerned.


    Bree hit the chorus and lost herself in the song again.


    "You are the reason I''m alive.


    You are the reason I can breathe.


    You are the reason I survive.


    You are the reason I can be


    Here to face anything the world throws my way


    Your hand in mine, I''ll fight another day.


    Because you are the only reason that I need."


    About the time Zach finished the bridge to the second verse, Bree became aware that it was suddenly warmer. Ever since the incident in the hotel, she''d been overly cautious about heat, so her attention was immediately pulled up to the pipe. Sure enough, something was different. As if a mechanism had been activated, the entire piece rocketed down from above them. No longer ten feet between herself and the mes, Bree backed away from the mic stand, missing her cue for the second verse. The band continued to y for a moment, but then, they, too, realized the mes were much closer than they had been.


    It wasn''t just the pipe over her head that was moving, though. Across the stage, the others that had been shooting mes, four of them, also dropped. The models scrambled out of the way, many of them heading quickly toward the other side of the stage where the ice and snow was still falling. Bree''s bandmates caught on to what was happening, and the song came to a screeching halt, just as arge plume of me shot out of the end of the pipe near where Bree had been standing.


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    She wasn''t there anymore, but even standing a good four feet behind where the mes were licking the air, she could feel the heat. She heard her name shouted from the crowd and recognized Trent''s voice. Zach had his arms around her and Shawna, scooting them backward toward safety.


    Screams filled her ears as Bree realized it wasn''t just this pipe that had gotten the st of fire. So had the others, and while most of the models had been able to make it away from the danger, one of them was rolling around on the stage in front of them, near the next closest pipe. Smoke and ash made it difficult to see her, and the smoke around Bree was intensifying as the mes continued to pour out of the wayward pipe.


    "Stay here!" Zach insisted as Chase and Griffin moved equipment out of the way so that they could all back further from the mes. Dodging around the mes, Zach ran toward the shrieking woman, the fire extinguisher he''d mentioned earlier in his hand. About the time he cleared the mes, they suddenly shut off, as if someone in the special effects department finally realized there was a problem.


    A momentter, the sounds of the fire extinguisher being deployed filled her ears. Bree could hardly see through the smoke, but she could sort of make out Zach''s shape and knew he was spraying the woman down. The model continued to scream in agony, though.


    Since the fire was out now, Bree ignored Zach''s order to stay where she was and ran to where he was standing. The mes had been extinguished but the poor woman stilly on the runway, her hands held up to her head.


    It was then that Bree recognized her. Even without most of her long, luscious locks of dark hair, it was clear that the woman lying on the floor was Monica.


    "Oh, no!" Bree shouted, looking up at the pipes above them. It seemed evident that it was only the one positioned above her and her band that was supposed to have moved, and somehow, Monica''s attempts to harm her had failed--and she''d ended up being the one to get hurt.


    A rush of people were headed their way, including the woman running the show and a man carrying a medical emergency bag. Monica had ahold of Zach as she continued to writhe in pain on the floor. From what Bree could tell, besides the missing hair, there wasn''t too much damage. She had some burns on her head and her hands, but her face looked okay, and that was something. Still, she knew firsthand how badly burns hurt, so she stepped aside. It took Zach a moment to un-attach himself from the supermodel who didn''t want to let go, but he worked himself free with the help of the man who identified himself as a paramedic.


    "Bree!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The sound of Trent''s voice had her turning to see him winding through people to reach her. Bree scooted through the crowd, finally reaching him and the sce of his arms. Trent hugged her to his chest. "Are you all right, Bree?" "I''m fine," she assured him. A wave of guilt washed over her as she looked up at him. "Monica wasn''t so lucky."


    "No, but knowing her, this was all her fault. It looked like the pipe above your head moved first, as if it was the only one that was supposed to descend, and then the others started toe down as well."


    Bree nodded, also assuming that was the case. "But... her hair wouldn''t have caught on fire if Shawna and I hadn''t switched out her hairspray with the can she wanted us to use."


    He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" He looked almost as if he was trying to hide augh and then shook his head. "How is that not just karma?"


    She shrugged. "I still feel bad."


    "Don''t, Bree. She was trying to catch you on fire--for the second time in your life--and it backfired, leaving her the one to deal with the pain and consequences. You shouldn''t feel guilty at all. If anything, you should feel... vindicated." He pulled her back to his chest, and Bree considered his words. She understood what he was saying, but she didn''t feel vindicated or happy at all. She only felt bad for Monica and wished it hadn''te to this. Perhaps now, with Monica getting some sort of payback and Cat behind bars, she could finally live her life without always looking over her shoulder.


    Or was there a chance this would just add fuel to the proverbial fire, and Monica would be more out to get her than ever before?


    Standing there in Trent''s arms, knowing she''d avoided catastrophe for herself and her bandmates, Bree felt lucky that she''d sniffed out the attack before it happened and taken the necessary precautions. When she was with Trent she feltpletely safe, like nothing in the world could ever harm her. Despite the bustle around them, as people were cleared out so that Monica could get the care she needed, Bree didn''t ever want to let Trent go.

 Cahoots

    Yet again, Bree found herself speaking to a police officer. This time, she wasn''t the one lying in a hospital bed, though. Instead, after they''d pieced together enough of the story to know that the maintenance man had been trying to make it so that only the pipe above Bree''s head would move down, spraying her with mes, Bree and her bandmates had been asked toe to the police station. The others were either sitting outside or being interviewed by other officers now. All she knew was the man sitting across from her, Detective Coop Wellington, didn''t look like the sort of person one kept information from.


    "We know Monica and this..." he looked at his notes, "Dustin Craig were working together in their attempt to lower the pipe toward your band. What we don''t understand is why she would do that when she had invited your band to y at the show and how it ended up backfiring on her. Hopefully, discussing the situation with you and your bandmates will give us some information."


    Bree took a deep breath and then unfolded the story for him, letting him know, in as brief of terms as possible without withholding any information she thought he might need, how she and Monica knew one another. She told him about the wedding and how Monica had seemed to just let it go, but then how she''d shown up in Nashville not long ago and eventually asked Bree''s band to y at the show. She also added that Monica knew Bree''s past experience with fire, and she imagined that''s why she''d chosen that particr means of harming her.


    Det. Wellington took in all of the information, jotting down notes, nodding, but rarely interrupting. When he did, it was to ask a question for rification. "Do you have any idea why it was her that caught on fire and not you?" Bree nodded. "I believe so. She kept trying to get us to use this hairspray. It''s called Bright Salon, and it has a history of being highly mmable. She''d brought a can over to our station and even tried to force me to spray it on my hair. I didn''t. She didn''t like that and started yelling at her assistant, the woman who was getting her ready. Well, when Monica hit the runway, Shawna, the keyboardist in my band, and I took the spray over to Candy, the woman who was getting Monica ready. We told her that Monica wanted us to use it. We saw Candy use it on Monica when her back was turned."


    Det. Wellington''s eyes widened. "So... you think it was this particr can of hairspray that caused her hair to catch on fire?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I do," Bree said. "Or the brand, anyway. I''m not sure if she''d done anything specific to that can or if it''s just that the brand itself is highly mmable."


    He wrote that down. Bree began to fidget. When she said it out loud, it sure seemed like she and Shawna had done something terrible. They''d spoken briefly before they were asked to go to the police station and agreed they''de clean. "Is there anything else you think I should know?"


    "Do you think Shawna and I will be in trouble? Or Candy? About the hairspray?"


    She wasn''t sure, but she thought the gruff, middle-aged man in front of her was hiding a smile. "No, not unless we find out that one of you did something to the can of hairspray. It wasn''t as if you knew the fire would be right above your heads--or Monica''s. Right?"


    "Right. I did see that man, the custodian, working on the pipes the day I was there. And I saw him with Monica leaving what looked like a broom closet. But... I didn''t know what was happening."


    "I''m sure you and your friend didn''t intend for this to happen, and honestly, returning someone''s hairspray is not a crime, Ms. Matthews."


    Bree wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but she also wanted to make sure that Monica wasn''t trying to twist this somehow so that she would be in trouble. Before she could say anything else, the phone rang. Det. Wellington held up his finger, motioning for her to excuse him for a moment, and then picked up the receiver.


    Bree tried not listen to Det. Wellington''s side of the conversation, but from the sounds of it, he wasn''t doing much except for agreeing with whomever was on the line. After a few minutes, he hung up, and she returned her attention to him. The consternated look on his face told her that something else was going on.


    "Is everything all right?" Bree asked him.


    The officer scratched his head. "Yeah... it''s just.... Well, I''m probably not at liberty to say any of this to you, but, when the police were looking through Miss Edge''s phone for emergency contact information, they found some pictures and messages that potentially tie her to... another crime."


    Bree''s eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn''t imagine that Monica would be involved in any other criminal behavior. She obviously had it out for Bree, but she didn''t seem like the kind of person who would rob a bank or kidnap someone. "What crime?" Bree wanted to know, despite his prefacing hisment that he shouldn''t be saying anything.


    She could tell he was contemting whether or not he should say more. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "They found messages between Monica and... Cat Hadley."


    Her mouth dropped open as she gawked at the officer. "What? Cat? Why?"


    He shook his head. "That, I don''t know. I''m sure it will alle out eventually. I just thought you should know... there might be more to this than a pipe malfunction and a bottle of hairspray."


    Sitting back in her chair, Bree let that set in. Had Monica been working with Cat all along? She remembered hearing reports of Cat saying that she hadn''t acted alone, that someone had put her up to it, someone she refused to reveal because that person was ckmailing her family. Could that person be Monica?


    It all made sense now. Why Cat had pushed Bree so hard to date Zach on the side. Why she''d be increasingly rude and belligerent. If she was doing Monica''s bidding, maybe in exchange for drug money or just cash payments, that would exin why someone she''d liked and trusted had tried to kill her. Monica certainly never saw Bree as a friend.


    The officer finished taking her statement and walked her out to the waiting room where Trent was sitting. He stood as Bree walked out, his forehead wrinkled as he considered her expression. With tears in her eyes, Bree rested her head against his chest, d for his strong arms around her. This nightmare had begun with Monica''s jealousy, and now it would end that way. If it was true, and she really was behind Cat''s attempts to kill her, Bree would make sure that Monica paid for what she''d done. She wouldn''t be needing that long ck hair in prison.

 Judgment

    The sound of the gavel echoed throughout the courtroom. No one said a word for what seemed like the longest few seconds Bree could ever remember. Then, the people around her came back to life, and she found air in her lungs again. "Are you okay?" Trent asked. He was always asking her that, checking on her, making sure she was all right. Bree nodded. She was all right. She was going to continue to be all right, too. It seemed like a nightmare that hadsted almost two years was finally over.


    Lots of people offered their quiet congrattions, despite the sound of Monica''s mother crying in the front of the courtroom as they took her daughter away for a long prison term. The judge had given her twenty years for attempted murder. Bree believed that was enough. By the time Monica got out, even if she only served the minimum, she would no longer be able to model. Her life was ruined, all because she hadn''t been willing to let Trent go.


    And it wasn''t even because she loved him so much she couldn''t imagine her life without him. During her testimony, she''d admitted she just wanted Bree to suffer, wanted her to pay for taking her man away. What she''d failed to realize then and now was that Trent had never been Monica''s man. He''d always been meant to be with Bree.


    They walked out of the courtroom, already seeing the mass of reporters on the other side of the ss door. Bree sucked in a deep breath and held it. She should have been used to cameras shing by now. In the nearly two years since Monica''s arrest and the end of the trial, she''d been busy touring, ying huge venues, even nationally syndicated talk shows andte night entertainment programs. She''d had three number one songs, and hertest album had gone tinum. Her Nashville country dreams had alle true.


    In just a few weeks, her lifelong dream woulde true, too. Now that the trial was over, she would finally be marrying the man of her dreams. They''d decided to wait until the drama had passed because Bree thought she would never be able to enjoy her wedding without knowing what would happen with Monica and Cat, who was also serving a long prison term for her role in the hotel fire and subsequent attempted murder on Bree. With all of that behind them, they''d be moving forward with the wedding, and Bree couldn''t wait to start her new life as Trent''s wife. This was how it was meant to be.


    "Congrattions," Celia whispered in her ear. Bree turned and gave her a quick hug. She and Trent''s right-hand-gal had be so close since Celia had started dating Hank. They''d met in the aftermath of the incident at the runway show and had been practically inseparable ever since. Bree hadn''t even known Hank and Christy were there until she''d run into them backstage,ing to see if she was okay. Celia had been there, too, by then, checking on her and Trent. It had been love at first sight.


    "Thank you," Bree said, releasing her and giving Hank a tight squeeze before she returned her attention to Trent. Everything between him and Hank was patched up now. It became apparent that Monica had messed with Trent''s best friend''s head over the years and influenced him to do some crazy things, but Hank was set straight now, and the two had never been closer.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Trent held Bree''s hand as she headed down the courthouse steps, the reporters shouting questions at her, trying to get her to stop and speak to them. She''d leave that to her own attorneys, though. Right now, all she wanted was to get home, to herrge house in a gatedmunity, and have some peace and quiet before the hustle and bustle of wedding activities began, and she''d be in a frenzy again.


    Unlike Monica, she did not have an activity nned for every single day the week before the wedding. They would get married right here in Nashville at a local church, with only close friends and family attending. Then, she and Trent would go away for their first real vacation together, to a tiny private ind she''d rented in the Philippines. There, the world would be put on hold as she and Trent focused on each other, and only each other.


    He opened the door to the SUV that was waiting for them, and she slid into the back seat, smiling at him. He raised an eyebrow, as if to say he had no idea why she was grinning at him, but he didn''t ask, only closed the door and came around to get in beside her.


    Once they were inside, the driver took off, and Trent reached for her hand. "Finally," he said, "we can put all of that behind us."


    Bree nodded, but the scars on her hand would always serve as a reminder of what had happened. She looked over at him and smiled. It was all worth it, though, because she had him.


    "You seem awfully happy," he said, a crooked grin on his face. "I can''t me you. It is nice to have some closure."


    "Yes, it is," she noted with a nod. "But it''s also nice to know we can move on with our lives now. And I am ready to marry you--finally."


    His smile brightened. "Finally? It''s only been... thirteen years since I realized I wanted you to be my wife."


    Bree thought back to how she''d felt about Trent since they first became friends, in elementary school. At what point had she realized she wanted to marry him? She couldn''t even say for sure, but she knew it had been a long, long time ago. Even when she''d been dating Jason, Sam, or any of the other guys she''d gone out with other than him, she''d always known in her heart that she loved Trent. Now, nothing would ever tear them apart.


    The SUV went through the gate to theirmunity and around a bend full ofrge, old trees. Their house came into view, up on a hill with acres of rolling, green hills around it. Therge white structure wasn''t as old as its style indicated. It looked like a ntation home out of Gone with the Wind. Bree had fallen in love with the house the moment she''d seen it and moved in almost immediately. They''d named it Walker Hills and nned to fill it with lots of tiny Walkers as soon as possible.


    The vehicle came to a stop, and Trent got out to escort her inside, like he always did. Bree took his arm and let him lead her home, knowing he was the reason she was able to make it through all of the hardships in her life. They were certainly meant to be, and nothing would ever change that.


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    Epilogue


    Two weekster....


    Bree sat on the beach, a drink in one hand, Trent''s fingers inteced with her other where ity in the sand. The ocean waves rolled in, wetting the sand near their toes, the sun baking down on their tan skin as it dried from their first dip in the ocean. There would be plenty more.


    "This.. is heaven," Trent said with a smile, gazing up at the sky through his dark sunsses.


    "You''re heaven," Bree said, knowing it sounded sappy and not even caring.


    He turned and grinned at her before leaning over and kissing her lips. He tasted like the cold drinks they''d been sipping on all day, and she couldn''t get enough of him.


    The wedding had gone off smoothly, despite Bree''s tendency to worry over everything. It had been a simple ceremony with only about fifty people in attendance. Shawna and Zach, who''d been married for almost a year, performed, "Meant to Marry Me." Bree had wept like a little girl, and Trent had had a tear or two in his eyes as well. Hank had done a much better job the second time around as best man and atoned himself for his initial shorings.


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    After a reception that hadsted longer than the wedding itself by hours, they''d hopped on a ne, and now, here they were in paradise. The only other people on the ind were the six caretakers who prepared their food, kept the house tidy, and filled their drinks. It was paradise, and Bree could''ve stayed there forever if she didn''t already miss her music. Something told her two weeks would pass by awfully quickly, but since she had an international tour scheduled for her return, she''d be just fine.


    "Want to take another dip in the ocean?" Trent asked.


    Bree was under the impression that meant he was ready for another round of something else, too. He hadn''t been able to keep his hands off of her when they were in the warm, turquoise water the first time, and she wouldn''t encourage him to keep them off of her this time either. Taking another sip of her drink she set it aside and said, "Race you!"


    Giggling, they ran toward the waves, arms tangled. Once they were shoulder high in the water, Bree wrapped her legs around Trent''s waist and pressed her lips to his, inviting him in in every way possible. He was hers, after all, and he would be forever.


    Trent kissed her, slowly and deeply, holding her close. Pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, Bree."


    "I love you, too." She found his lips again, thankful that they''d made it through the fire, and nothing would ever tear them apart.


    THE END


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