Love Me Back (34 page)

“It will be.  Later baby.”  He brings us to the table and everyone starts clapping for him.  “Thank you everyone.”  He pulls my chair out for me and I smile widely at everyone.

He takes the seat between some red head and me.  I don’t recognize everyone; this must be the people he hangs out with when I don’t come.  “Everyone, this is Maddy.”  He puts his arm around me kissing my temple and three women give me dirty looks. 

I wave my hand saying hello to everyone. 

That is about the last of attention I get from Trent for the rest of the night.  He is Mr. Comedian entertaining the table like he is being paid.  The girls are fawning over him and the guys are high fiving him.  No wonder he loves this crowd they kiss his ass.  They laugh at every joke he tells even when it’s about them.  None of them make fun of him.  They compliment him every chance they get.  Telling him how awesome he is and what a great game he played and how Chicago is so lucky to have him and how New York is stupid for trading him. 

The scary part is Trent enjoys every part of it.  His laugh isn’t even genuine, it’s some transformed mixture of sounds I have never heard from him.  This is the new Trent and I can’t stand this obnoxious self-centered man.

During dessert is when I finally lose it.  The red head next to Trent, I think her name is Cammi.  She keeps touching his arm every time she laughs at one of his stupid jokes saying “Oh Tre”.  I swear I have seen her hand touch his leg more than once under the table and he never removes it. 

I am thankful when the check comes but of course it is handed to Trent.  No one at the table offers up any money.  Wasn’t this a congratulatory dinner for him?  These people are mooches, they don’t care about him.

Walking out to the foyer of the restaurant the red head comes up to Trent placing her arm through his.  “Tre, let’s go clubbing…to celebrate.”  She looks over at me rolling her eyes before snuggling up to him. 

Trent looks over at me and I shake my head no. 

“Sorry Cam, not tonight.”  He says to her shortening her name.  What is with this crowd?

“Oh come on Tre, you never pass up clubbing.”  She whines and a brunette comes up on the other side pushing between Trent and me.

I wonder if this scene would be different if I wasn’t here.

“I am sure Madeline” the brunette looks at me “right?”  She asks confirming it’s my name.  “Can make it home by herself.  You can even give her the limo and we can take cabs.”

I swear if Trent goes along with this I will strangle him right here in front of all his ‘fans’. 

Trent looks at me like he is trying to figure out if I will be ok with it but then says “No, No.  Maddy and I are going home.  Have a great evening ladies, gentlemen.”  He goes to walk away but both ladies kiss him on the cheek and everyone whines to him when we leave.   
Sorry mooches, I guess you have to buy your own drinks tonight.

The limo is already waiting for us when we exit the restaurant.  I don’t wait for Trent to finish shaking a few people’s hands before I jump in the limo.  You would swear he is a rock star the way he acts.    By the time Trent joins me I am fuming but I don’t want to start a fight in front of the driver so I wait until we get home.

I am quiet the whole way home and surprisingly Trent is as well.  Both of us stare out separate windows.  He opens the limo door before the driver can get there.  I walk by thanking the driver and greeting our doorman with a smile.

“Good evening Ms. Jennings, Mr. Basso.”  He says as we walk quietly to the elevators.

“Benny.”  Trent nods at him.

We are silent up the elevator, down the hallway and through the front door.  Once the door shuts I retreat into our bedroom slamming the door behind me.

“What the hell Maddy?  Are you going to tell me why you are so pissed off?”  Trent opens the door, standing in the doorway.

“What do you think?  Are you sleeping with just Cammi or both of them?  I ask.

“Are you crazy?  No, I’m not sleeping with them.”  He starts loosening his tie walking into the closet.

“Whatever.  You didn’t seem to mind her hand on your thigh.”  I spat while taking off my shoes.

“Gimme a break, what was I supposed to do?”

“Tell her to stop, simply remove it and place it back in her lap, take your pick
Tre
.”  I sneer Cammi’s nickname for him.

“Why don’t we talk about what this is really about?”

“What do you think this is about?”  I stand with my back to him and he unzips my dress.

“You don’t want to leave New York.”

“I don’t but that isn’t why I’m mad.  Are those the people you go out with when I don’t go?”

“Yeah some of them.”  He shrugs his shoulders.

“They’re moochers Trent.  They are using you for your money and connections.”  I strip out of the dress placing it on the bed, grabbing my pajamas from the drawer.  “You are different with them and I don’t like it.”

“What do you expect?  You never want to go out, all you want to do is lie around this apartment or hang out with Ian.  I needed to find friends and I like my group.  I have fun with them, remember what fun was Maddy?”  He is now in black slacks with a button down shirt and I notice he has changed to go back out.

“Are you going back out?”  I ask pulling my long hair in a ponytail.

“Yep.”  He says.

“Trent we need to talk about this.  You are just going to leave?”

“Yes, I don’t want to fight.  I have worked my ass off to get where I am and tonight I want to enjoy this.  I deserve it.”

“Don’t you want to work this out Trent?”  I ask knowing the answer already.  this is the way Trent says goodbye, he doesn’t.  He ignores it until it goes away.  He has done it to me my whole life.

“Jesus Maddy, what do you want from me?  I pay for this apartment, I buy the food, and I get you nice things.  All I get in return is grief from you.  It’s always something else I should be doing.”  He starts walking down the hallway.

“Trent.”  I call out but all I hear is the door slam shut.  “Good-bye.”  I say to myself.  I few tears fall from my face but there are no sobs or screaming out.  I can still breathe fine as I walk down the hallway to pack my suitcase.

A half hour later I have two suitcases packed.  I leave the black dress hanging on my side of the closet with the shoes under it. The necklace now lays on his nightstand.  I didn’t leave a note, he knows why I left and I am quite certain he won’t come looking for me.  The pictures of us stay in place on the dresser and walls and he can keep all the items I decorated our apartment with.  I want nothing from this place or Trent.

Ian is at the door now to help me out.   He is taking me in until I can find my own place.  I don’t cry as I lock the door and slide the key under for Trent to find when he comes home tonight.  I give Benny a hug good-bye at the elevator and he doesn’t ask me why I’m leaving.  Ian hails a cab down and I take one last look at my place with Trent, not one tear falls from my eyes as I climb into the cab. 

Ian cradles me in his arms but still no tears.  I am sad for what we have become but I should have left a long time before now.

A month later I am walking past a newspaper stand on my way to work.  My boss has actually given me more responsibility lately and I live with Ian.  It turns out his roommate wanted out but didn’t want to leave him in a lurch.  A newspaper reads,
Soccer dream gone, he’s Chicago’s now. 
There is a picture of Trent with Cammi by his side kissing his cheek crying.   I never heard from him after I left.  His mom tried to call me a few times but I never answered.  I am embarrassed that we failed, embarrassed that I killed her grandchild.

Kenna calls me every day.  She never tells me what the town is saying even though I know what they think.  I don’t care though, I know the truth.  The online gossip had a field day with our breakup showing Cammi instantly taking my place.  Saying Trent’s small town girlfriend just couldn’t compare to the city girls Trent was bedding.  I choose not to believe it, I know firsthand how they lie and convolute stories to boost sales.

I see my therapist twice a month and my life is continuing without Trent Basso.  I am making it on my own and I love it. 

Chapter 23 – Present Day

The next morning after a horrible night’s sleep I make my way downstairs smelling the bacon and eggs.  My mom and Mitch are in the kitchen laughing with each other.  I see Mitch playfully smack my mom’s butt and she turns around shocked and he wraps his arms around her taking her lips with his.  The genuine happiness on my mom’s face is evident and I am happy for her.  She obviously worked hard these last two years to stay sober and get her life straightened out.

Trent and Ian are still asleep in the family room so I go over and make sure Trent isn’t unconscious.  The bruise across his cheek is pretty bad and I think Lindsey might be upset with the pictures.  We will have to use some heavy make-up to cover that up. 

When I walk in the room I hear Trent’s snoring.  Breathing a sigh of relief I decide to go in the kitchen and help my mom and Mitch.  They are sitting down at the table eating.  Mitch is reading the paper telling my mom about a storyline and my mom is fiddling on her phone, resembling a couple together for years.

“Hey guys.”  I announce making my way to the coffee maker.

“Good Morning Maddy.”  Mitch’s deep cheerful voice says to me.

“Good Morning sweetheart.”  My mom adds placing her phone down on the table.  “How was last night?”  She’s not asking, she’s confirming.

“Alright.”  I say slow wondering what she has already heard.

“Not from what I heard?”  She raises her eyebrows at me.

“From who?”  Ian must have woken up and then went back to sleep.

“It’s all over online Mad.”  She holds up her phone smiling and Mitch starts laughing.

“What is?”  I walk over to my mom grabbing her phone.  I read the article from one of the gossip columns and I laugh.  I am bent over cracking up with Mitch and my mom when Ian and Trent make their way into the room.

They are both rubbing their eyes and yawning stopping at the door looking at the three of us inquiringly. 

“What is so funny?”  Ian narrows his eyes to us. 

I glance at both of them but I can’t control myself long enough to fill them in so I hand my mom’s phone to Ian and soon he is joining in with us passing the phone to Trent.  He doesn’t laugh looking pissed off.

“What the f…” Trent starts talking before Mitch cuts him off.

“Trent.”  Mitch’s voice stern.  “Ladies.”  He motions his hand towards my mom and me.

“They have made up stories before but this…is ridiculous.”  He starts reading the story again.

“I absolutely love it.”  I jump up and down.   “Even if I am the scorned lover.”  I put my hand over my heart sighing like Scarlet O’Hara.

“It’s alright Trent, you can admit it.  Lots of athletes have come out of the closet recently.”  Ian places his hand on Trent’s shoulder and laughter fills the room from everyone except Trent.

“You telling me they can’t see the resemblance between Gabe and me?”  Trent shakes his head back and forth still reading the headline trending the top 10. 
Trent Basso’s high school sweetheart finds out he’s gay. 
There is a picture of me leaning against the wall crying while Gabe and Trent look down at me.  “Those idiots can’t tell we’re brothers?”

“He’s your lov-er.”  I extenuate the lover part.  Trent obviously does not appreciate my humor at this moment.  “Oh Trent, no one believes these things.”

“Yes they do Maddy.  After you left me, people honestly thought I was with that Cammi girl.   You should have seen how many people yelled things at me on the street.  Women would come up to me calling me a whore.  Older ladies stopped to tell me girls like her don’t want me for me just my fame and money.   That I should be concentrating on trying to get you to forgive me for cheating.  It was unbelievable.  The first few times I would argue back but they never believed me.”  He finally gives my mom her phone back walking over to the coffee pot.

“Now they will think you cheated on Maddy with Cameron, not Cammi.”  Ian spouts and the other three of us try to hide our giggles.

“Just let it out guys.”  Trent gives us permission to laugh and we all oblige. 

“The truth will come out.  I am surprised no picture of the fight.”  I admit.

“Fight?”  Mitch and my mom say in unison.  Ian and Trent both give me a look and I bite my lip in regret.

“Um...” I stumble.  Not like they can’t see Trent’s eye but they must not have paid attention yet.   So, I grab Trent’s shoulders turning him around and they both gasp tilting their heads to the side. 

“Gabe?”  Mitch asks.  We both shake our heads confirming his suspicions.

“Maddy, I need to speak to you.”  My mom doesn’t wait for me before she grabs my hand pulling me out of the room.  Ian raises his eyes up to me as I pass him wiggling his finger back and forth telling me I am in trouble.  I stick out my tongue in response.

Once we get to the living room my mom sits me down on the new couch.  “Maddy, I know you don’t want to hear this from me but you have to put an end to it.”

“Don’t worry mom, I plan on ending everything today.”  I confirm to her.

“Alright, because if they are physically fighting now it will only get worse.”  She is sympathetic to their brother relationship suffering.  “Now, who did you choose?”  She smiles over at me.

“No one.”  I confess and her eyes falter with a sad expression coming across her face.

“Why?”  She questions.  “I thought at Great Adventures…” she doesn’t finish since I interrupt her.

“Gabe told me last night he doesn’t want to be with me and I can’t blame him.”  I have to keep telling myself it’s for the best, he deserves better.

“And Trent?” 

“No, I love Trent and I always will but I just think…I can’t.”  I shake my head and my mom embraces me.

Her show of affection warms my body.  I have missed this my whole life and nothing can compare to be comforted by your mom.   I’m not crying but I need her to tell me everything will be alright and she does right on cue.