Trent
“Ask who what now?” Kade says, stepping further into the room.
I settle onto the couch beside Mom and Cora, letting my legs carry me for the first time in weeks. My eyes immediately find Aubrey across the room—her expression somewhere between panic and disbelief, flicking rapidly between me, Mom, and Cora.
“Oh sweetheart, you got the all-clear to ditch the crutches?” Mom asks, her voice warm.
“Yup,” I say, a small smirk tugging at my lips. “Left the crutches and boot at the doctor’s office. Can slowly get back to full weight-bearing now.”
“That’s wonderful news,” Mom chimes, her smile brightening the room.
“Yeah, great news—Trent can walk,” Kade says sarcastically. “But seriously… who are you asking what about?”
“Well,” Mom says brightly, nudging my shoulder with a grin, “we were wondering if you’d go with Aubrey to Pinecrest in a couple of weeks’ time?”
“Pinecrest?” I echo, eyebrows pinching together as I glance between her and Aubrey. “Why are you going to Pinecrest? That’s hours away.”
Aubrey opens her mouth to respond, but Mom cuts her off before she can get a word in.
“She’s delivering a wedding cake, aren’t you, sweetheart?” Mom says, answering for her. Then, barely pausing, she barrels on. “And Cora and I just thought—it’s a long drive to do on your own, and since, well, you’ve got nothing going on right now, maybe you could tag along. Keep her company.”
My eyes lift to Aubrey’s, and I see the panic written across her face. Mom’s not wrong—just because I’m off the crutches doesn’t mean I’m back at work yet. Being stuck at home has been driving me crazy.
Aubrey bolts upright on the couch, eyes narrowing. “It’s fine. Really. I don’t need company,” she says, words spilling out too fast to sound convincing. Then she turns to me, fixing me with a sharp glare. “Please. Just ignore them.”
Kade raises an eyebrow. “Can’t Justin go with you? You two are dating, right?”
“She’s not dating Justin anymore,” Cora cuts in before anyone can stop her. “That ended months ago.”
The words hit harder than I expect. I keep my face blank, but it takes everything in me not to react, but Cora’s words replay in my head.
They ended months ago?
“Mom!” Aubrey snaps, whipping around to glare at her.
Cora just shrugs like she’s said nothing unusual.
Kade crosses the room and sinks onto the arm of Liv’s chair, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Well, if that’s the case,” he says with a shrug, “it’s not a bad idea to have someone go with you, Strawb.”
Aubrey snaps her head toward him and glares. “Thank you for the opinion I didn’t ask for,” she says through gritted teeth, “but I’m more than capable of driving to Pinecrest on my own.”
I’m going to be completely honest—this is perfect.
My mom and her unintentional meddling may have actually done me a favor for once.
Twelve hours of uninterrupted time alone with Aubrey. No quick escapes, no purposely trying to avoid me. Just the two of us, stuck in a car. She’ll have no choice but to hear me out.
I can already feel the grin creeping onto my face before I can stop it.
“I’m happy to go with you,” I say casually, fighting to keep my tone even.
Aubrey’s head snaps toward me like she’s been slapped. Her eyes are wide, blazing with rage. “You really don’t have to,” she says sharply, her voice low and tight with frustration.
I lean back against the couch, smug satisfaction settling over me like a warm blanket.
“I want to,” I say, letting the grin fully take over. “A road trip sounds great right about now.”
“That’s settled then,” Mom announces, lifting her wine glass with a smile. “Thank you, Aubrey. It’ll do him some good to do something different.”
Aubrey nods, but I catch the faintest sag of her shoulders—the smallest slip that no one else would notice. But I see it and it makes me smile.
She can’t show too much disappointment; that would only invite questions she’s not ready to answer. So, she hides it well.
A couple of weeks from now, there’s no escaping it. The two of us will be on that road trip together, whether she likes it or not.
And I fully intend to beg for her forgiveness. Even if I have to do it for the full six hours there—and the full six hours back.
“Did you have to say yes to coming with me?” Aubrey snaps, her voice sudden and sharp.
I flinch slightly, caught off guard, and shift my weight carefully from one leg to the other in the narrow hallway outside the bathroom. “Waiting for me outside the bathroom now, are you?” I smirk, trying to keep my tone light despite the awkwardness.
She doesn’t smile. “Tell them you can’t go with me.”
I lean back against the doorframe, exhaling.
“Firstly, what reason would I even give them for backing out of this road trip with you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
“And secondly—why would I? I’ve been trying to talk to you for a while, and you’ve been actively avoiding me.
So maybe this is the only way I’m going to get your attention. ”
“I’m not avoiding you,” Aubrey mutters, folding her arms. “I just have nothing to say to you.”
“No?” I lift a brow, “Nothing you want to say? Nothing you want to get off your chest?” I let the silence stretch until the air between us goes taut. “Like why you didn’t tell me you and Justin broke up?”
“You’re so annoying,” she practically growls, her arms crossing tighter over her chest.
I fight the urge to smirk—because, honestly, angry Aubrey is fucking hot.
“What is it that’s actually annoying you, Bree?” I ask, keeping my voice low, measured.
She glares at me like she wants to set me on fire. “You. You are annoying me.”
Before I can respond, the sound of footsteps echoes down the hallway. I turn my head and find Liv standing there, wide-eyed.
“Shit—sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything,” she mutters, hesitating.
“Oh, you didn’t. We’re done here,” Aubrey snaps, shooting me one last glare before striding down the hallway and past Liv without another word.
I exhale slowly, leaning myself against the wall, closing my eyes.
As much as going on this road trip with Aubrey sounds good—hell, it might even help us clear the air—I know it’s going to take a lot to get her to open up about everything she’s been feeling, to even try putting all of this behind us.
When I open my eyes again, Liv is still there. She’s leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed, studying me with a look that’s more suspicion than curiosity.
“Something on your mind, Liv?” I ask.
“I’m just trying to figure out what your game is with all this,” she says bluntly.
I blink at her, caught a little off guard. She’s usually shy, quieter than this. “What makes you think this is a game?”
“I know about you two,” she says flatly.
“And what exactly is it that you know?” I ask carefully.
“I know that she was in love with you,” Liv continues, her gaze unwavering. “And I know you couldn’t give her what she wanted. So, I’m trying to understand why you’d be doing this now—unless…”
“Unless what, Liv?” My voice comes out tighter than I mean it to.
Her expression softens—just a little. “Unless you’re in love with her.”
I don’t answer. Not because I don’t want to scream it from the rooftops, but because when I do, it needs to be Aubrey who hears it first. She deserves that.
I wasn’t ready before.
I didn’t understand what it meant to have the only woman who ever really mattered slip through my fingers. I didn’t know how much it would destroy me to watch her with someone else.
But now I do.
And I intend to make damn sure that never happens again.
Liv watches me quietly, then gives a small, knowing smile. She sees it—all of it—written all over my face.
“Please don’t hurt her,” she says softly. “You already did that once. If you’re not one hundred percent sure she’s what you want… then let her go.” She pauses, her gaze steady. “There’s too much at stake. The collateral damage would be worse this time.”
I meet her eyes, no hesitation in my voice this time. “I have no intention of hurting her, Liv. I just want to try and make things right.”
Liv nods slowly, a quiet understanding in her expression. And honestly, I appreciate it more than I can say—that she’s standing up for Aubrey, that she’s not afraid to call me out.
I know exactly what kind of position this puts her in.
Defending her best friend.
Lying to her boyfriend—my best friend.
It’s messy. It’s complicated.
But the fact that she’s here, saying what needs to be said… it tells me just how much she cares about Aubrey.
And it reminds me why I need to get this right.