Love Me Back (19 page)

“You can talk to me about anything Gabe.” 

“I know Maddy, just not yet ok.  I promise I will tell you what is going on.  Trust me when I say now isn’t the time.”  He grabs my hands pulling me closer to him.

“Ok Gabe but don’t keep it all bottled up, you know that doesn’t help.”  I know Gabe would tell me if it was something to do with us.  One thing I can always count on Gabe for is truthfulness.

“Now come here.”  He leans forward over the middle armrest, which I am cursing right now for being between us.  Putting both his hands on my cheeks he thoroughly kisses me making me melt into him.

“I have a feeling that kiss wasn’t just for pleasure.”  I raise my eyebrow at him.

He starts laughing.  “Just want to remind you what is waiting for you back here.”  He gives me a chaste kiss and lets me go.

“Talk to you tonight.”  I say shutting the door.  I watch Gabe drive out and want to be with him in that truck.  He is still chuckling to himself as he waves goodbye driving away.

Chapter 15 – Spring Break Freshman Year

Cancun’s white beaches and clear blue water is just what I need from my hopeless life.   As I lay by the pool sipping my orange juice I can’t help but wonder where my life is going.  Don’t get me wrong, school is going fine, great even but my personal life is forever in shambles.  Since Christmas break I have spoken to Gabe twice which were coincidences running into each other on campus which he tried to avoid.  He never calls or stops by anymore.

It infuriates me that he is listening to his brother to stay away from me.   I miss Gabe’s laugh, his smile.  I miss the way he would grab my hand to lead me through a crowded bar or party.  I miss the way he would walk me to class even if he was going to be late for his own.   I missed the way he knew my favorite food at every restaurant we went to and the way I took my coffee.  I miss him calling me Madgirl since no one else calls me that.  I just miss Gabe. 

Trent is another story, since Christmas he has been calling and texting me consistently.  I have been ignoring his apology filled messages.  He wrote me off last semester and I am planning on writing him off for the rest of my life.  Mackenna told me that he had called Bryan apologizing to him and of course Bryan accepted it.    They had rekindled their friendship and one weekend Bryan took the train down to Thrayer University to visit him.  Mackenna refused to go with him on grounds of supporting her best friend and I loved her for it.  I am thankful every day to have her by my side.

Turning around from my back to front I pick up my trashy romance novel.  I swore I would not be doing any academic reading this trip.  Actually, no reading that would entail my brain to think at all.  So when I saw the shirtless man sucking a half dressed woman on the cover I grabbed it from the shelf at the airport store.  Mackenna laughed making fun of me but then picked up the one next to it where the man and woman were even more naked.

The sun heating my skin feels good and I am thankful again for my olive skin tone I inherited from my dad’s side.  Two days in the sun and my skin has turned from clammy yellow to golden brown.  Hearing whistling and hollering I don’t have to look up to see whose coming my way.

“What is it like 85 degrees already?  I feel bad for those suckers back home.  It’s probably snowing.”  Mackenna throws her towel and bag on the lounge chair next to me oblivious to the few boys up at this hour.

“I see you finally woke up.”  I put my orange juice back down on the table between us.

“I don’t know why you insist on waking up so early.  We are on vacation Maddy.”  She takes off her cover up situating her swimsuit.

“Holy hell Kenna, what are you wearing?”  My eyes are bulging out of my head and I notice the boys mouths around us open gasping at her too small and practically non-existent bikini.

“It’s my new bikini.  I know it’s a little much but hey who knows how long I will have this body for.”  She twirls in a circle and more guys hoot over to her but she ignores it sitting down next to me.

“A little more fabric wouldn’t have killed you.”  I roll my eyes in disbelief.  If I am being honest I am jealous of her.  Not her body although she has an amazing body but of her self-confidence.  She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her in that bikini. I wish I had an ounce of assurance that Mackenna has.

“Oh Maddy.  That’s a cute suit.” She brings her sunglasses down a bit laying her brown eyes across my body.

“Thank you.  I know it isn’t the playboy edition but I like it.”  I sneer back to her and then we both start laughing.

The one thing about our friendship is we rarely fight.  I can probably count on one hand any fight that lasted longer than an hour.  The fights that do last longer are always about Trent in one way or the other. 

By midafternoon more college aged kids are coming out of their rooms exploring the pool and beach.  Mackenna wants to take a walk so I grab my sunglasses and wrap my sheer cover-up around my waist and we make our way down the beach.  Of course Mackenna doesn’t cover up herself and I swear she put on baby oil her skin is so shiny.  She looks like she is filming a movie with her dark big sunglasses and her dark hair flowing in the breeze.  It is intimating to be walking next to her.

We go down closer to the water so the waves can come up and over our feet while we walk. The cool water instantly cools me brushing along the top of my toes.  The beach is filled with guys throwing Frisbees, parasailing and some are just hanging out checking out the girls.  With Mackenna by my side we aren’t alone for more than five minutes without guys coming up asking us to sit down and relax with them.   Mackenna ignores them and since I have enough boy problems with the Basso brothers I am not interested in them either.  I politely tell them maybe later.  Some are more persistent than others but all eventually fall back to other girls around that seem more interested.

It isn’t until I notice money blowing by me on the sand that I stop in my tracks.  I bend down to pick up the assortment of dollar bills in front of me wondering where they are coming from.  Looking around I see a guy in a pair of green board shorts a couple steps away frantically picking up the money and I contemplate if it is his or he is just reaping the rewards of someone else’s misfortune.

Standing there holding the money in my hand, Mackenna sighs impatiently at me as the guy approaches us with his hand out.

“Thank you for picking those up for me.”  He motions with his hand towards mine.

“How do I know these are yours?”  I hold it up away before he can take it out of my hand.

“Excuse me?”  He sets his head back in disbelief.

“The money could be someone else’s.”  I scrunch my shoulders up.

“Who the hell cares Maddy, just give him the money.”  Mackenna rolls her eyes.

The tall dark haired guy looks Mackenna up and down with pleasure on his face but quickly turns back to me since I am the keeper of his money.

“Prove it.”  I ignore Kenna focusing on the amber eyes in front of me.

“How exactly do you think I could prove it?”  He puts his hands through his brown hair getting his bangs out of his eyes.

“Um…” I contemplate that before Mackenna grabs the money out of my hand giving it to jock boy in front of me.

“Here you go.”  She hooks her arm in mine leading me forward.  “Problem solved.”

“Kenna!”  I exclaim trying to stop her from leading me away.

“No Maddy, I am sure it is his money and if its not that’s between him and the person.  Let’s go.”  She pulls my arm a little closer to her and down the beach.

I glance at jock boy over my shoulder and see him staring at us walking away.  Most likely he is checking out Mackenna in her playboy centerfold bikini.  He winks when he catches me staring at him and I quickly turn around towards the beach ahead. 

That night after an exhausting afternoon of shopping with Mackenna we are getting ready to go out to a club Kenna has heard people talking about.  I am a little wary after hearing the rumors about Cancun’s city and how dangerous it can be and since we don’t have Bryan or any other guys with us I think this is a terrible idea but Mackenna won’t take no for an answer.  She even buys me a new dress to wear which I think is a worse idea.  The purple dress is entirely too short and shows off way too much of my skin.

“You look smokin’ Maddy.”  Kenna says when I come out of the bathroom wearing her purchase.

“Mackenna.”  I breathe.  If I think my dress is too revealing Mackenna’s is lingerie.  It is a stunning red that stops well above her knees and comes off one shoulder leaving it bare.  She straightens her long dark hair so it rest right at the middle of her back.  I pull my dress down a little feeling self-conscious about my outfit.  It is hard to walk around with such an exotic stunning best friend.

“Stop it Mad.”  She hisses my way grabbing her clutch.

“Stop what?” 

“Stop trying to cover yourself up or pull your dress down.  You look hot.  The guys will be drooling.”  She hooks her arm through mine.

“I have had my fill of boys this year.  I am good until next year.”  I confess.

“Oh some innocent flirting won’t hurt you.”  Before I notice we were on the other side of the door in the hallway.

We get a cab right away once the bellhop imagines Mackenna naked under her dress not that he has to take off much fabric in his mind.  Once we get to the club one kiss on the cheek to the bouncer and a swing of her hips from Mackenna and we are in leaving the line of guys and girls behind us.

The club called The City is massive.  It has three floors and bars are in every corner.  Girls dressed in more clothes than Mackenna pass by selling shots in different colors.  Guys are grinding on the girls to the disco music. Even though we are in Mexico almost everyone here is in their early twenties and American.  The girls on the dance floor make Mackenna’s dress looks like a ball gown, making me feel a little more comfortable.

“Let’s go get a drink.”  Mackenna pulls me over to the bar that is at least four rows deep. 

“This is going to take forever, let’s grab a shot from one of those girls and dance.”  I point to one of the neon shot trays.

“Awesome idea” she tucks at my arm and I follow her.

We buy two shots a piece clicking the alcohol filled test tubes together cheering to our friendship.  Under normal circumstances I am not into dancing in public but the music is so loud and there are so many people on the dance floor it is the people who aren’t dancing that look out of place.  For some reason I push all my inhibitions to the side tonight.  I don’t want to think about school, my mom or the Basso brothers.  I don’t want to care what I look like or what people are thinking to consume my thoughts.  I just want to feel the music and dance.  Be carefree and fun with my best friend. 

I am doing a great job of doing just that until some guys come up grinding behind us.  I never understood why guys thought they could do that to girls.  Like because we are shaking our bodies to the music it is an invitation for them to rub their junk across our asses. Isn’t that some sort of sexual harassment?

Mackenna quickly shakes her finger back and forth telling the guy behind her no surprisingly me how polite she is being.  My cling on grabs my hips pulling me closer making me gasp.  Anger starts running through my veins and my hands ball into fists besides me.  I turn around putting my hands on his chest shoving him away from me.

“Get off me.”  I scream but he probably hears a whisper over the loud music.             

“What the fuck bitch?”  He comes towards me again.

“Did I ask you to grind your dick against my ass?”  I ask him not backing down.

“If you don’t want it you shouldn’t shake it like that.”  His words are slurring and I just want him gone.

“Whatever, just go away.”  I put my hand in his face.

“Bitch” he murmurs before finally walking away from me.

“Way to go Maddy!”  Mackenna comes over putting her arm around my neck.  She is clearly surprised and happy I stuck up for myself.  It is an unusual occurrence. “Let’s celebrate with a couple more shots.”  

I am downing my fourth shot picking green this time completing all the colors.  I am buzzed but the dancing has kept me sober enough that we won’t get in trouble.  Scanning the crowd I see all the young adults dancing with each other some closer than others.  It is nice to see some guys have the decency to not grind up to a girl unless asked. I am amazed at how many students venture down here for spring break.  We didn’t know anyone else coming down here from our school and I guess when you factor in how many colleges in the United States and then how many students it isn’t as many people as you think. 

“Maddy?  Right?”  I deep voice comes up next to me and I step back hesitant.  Mackenna is carrying on a conversation with the shot girl not paying attention and I don’t know who would know me here.  A familiar face besides me smiling.

“Hey are you trying to pick pocket people here.  I can imagine you would clean up pretty good.”  I smile at jock boy from this afternoon at the beach.

“Yeah, I have my whole team here tonight.”  He laughs showing a dimple in his left cheek.  It’s adorable.

“I better keep my money close to my chest then.”  I pat where my money is hidden between my boobs in my bra.  I don’t know if it is the shots making me flirt so blatantly or just being in a different country.  I haven’t been myself tonight but I am loving who I am. 

“Careful.  That’s the first place a thief might look.”  He stares down at my chest raising his eyebrows in humor.

“Well, I keep it well guarded.”  I smirk back to him.

“Let me buy you a drink.  I was fortunate to find some money on the beach.”  He motions over to a small bar a couple feet away that only sells beer and pre-mixed bottle drinks.

“You have to buy my friend one too.”  I point over to Mackenna still chatting the shot girl up about what I have no idea.

“Of course.”  He says.

“Mackenna!”  I scream over the music waving her over to me.  She says goodbye to the waitress who I am sure is happy to start making money again.