Authors: Michelle Lynn

Love Me Back (40 page)

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret anytime I have had with Maddy.” He looks my way. “You have to understand that. I should have let you go a long time ago but that has nothing to do with how much our time together meant to me. Every minute of it.” I swear a tear rolls down his check but it’s dark and it might have been optimistic on my part, needing some physical confirmation that he did love me at one time. I shake my head agreeing to what he is saying.

“Until Maddy told me how much she loves you Gabe I honestly thought you two had some kind of physical attraction that would pass. Your words bore into me Maddy, I have pushed away your happiness in order to fulfill my own. I have to be the one to step aside and let two people I love have the happy ending they deserve. I’m sorry I interfered with you two.” He goes to stand up. “Thank you Gabe.” He sticks out his hand.

“For what?” Gabe chokes out since they are his first words this whole time.

“For taking care of her when I didn’t. For always making sure she was ok and safe. For giving her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it. For picking her up when she was down.” He releases a breath. “For being everything I wasn’t because she deserves the best.” They shake hands then embrace into a hug. I can hear them murmuring to each other but I can’t make it out.

Then Trent comes over to me wrapping his arms around my waist pulling me into a bear hug. “Take care of him” he kisses my cheek placing me down walking to the doors.

“Trent?” I ask.

“Uh huh?’ He turns around.

“Who did you talk to at the bar?” I ask.

“My mom.” He smiles over at me before walking through the door.

Chapter 27 – Present Day

Gabe is silent. I can’t read what he is thinking. Maybe he doesn’t love me, maybe he doesn’t want me. I nervously play with my fingers in my lap.

“Is it true?” He softly asks next to me.

“What?”

“Do you love me?”

“More than my next breath.” I admit.

“You made quite a scene earlier.” He smirks up to me from the side of his face informing me he heard me yelling at Trent before.

“You heard it?” I ask disbelieving.

“I came out to check on you. I felt bad for being such an ass.” Gabe picks up his head. “Of course, it was worth it getting to hear you admit you love me.”

“I do Gabe, so much.” I close the gap between us making our hips touch placing a hand on his leg. “Can we please give this a try?”

“A Try?” he asks putting his hand on mine. “We’ve already tried.” He shakes his head.

“Oh.” My shoulders slump and my hand drops.

“It’s time we seal the fate.” He puts his hand on my face bringing it to his.

He captures my bottom lip sucking it into his mouth before his tongue slowly enters mine searching. When his tongue finds mine, they unite and dance together. Oh he is such a great kisser. We must have kissed for five minutes before he releases me.

We stare at the fountain while Gabe wraps his arm around my shoulder holding me close. The silence between us is comfortable and relaxing.

“You should be lucky you don’t wear heels.” I say taking my sandals off rubbing my feet.

“Well, I never told you about my moonlighting days.” He laughs swinging me around grabbing my feet.

“Ahhh…you give the best foot massages.” I lean my head back relishing his hands.

“Only for you Madgirl.” He winks my way making my stomach drop.

“Hey, what were you wishing for?” I ask him remembering him throwing in coin after coin into the fountain.

“I was wishing you were mine.” He smiles over at me.

“Always. It’s always came back to you.” I lean over kissing him again.

Epilogue

Gabe convinced me to move to Florida. I guess the whole time he was trying to get me to move there wasn’t only personal reasons but professional too. Their company needed an interior designer to pick out color schemes involving paint colors, tiles and carpeting. He hired me at an absurdly high price that I told him we would negotiate later. I am sure Grady and Rich wouldn’t approve.

He flew with me back to New York to pack up my bags. To say Ian was upset was an understatement. I promised I would come and visit and he could come visit me but I was sad I wouldn’t see him every day. We drove down to Florida, in another monster except it was white this time. We took our time stopping along the way mostly because we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.

I moved into his two-bedroom condo on the ocean. It might seem fast but neither one of us wanted to be apart anymore. I love waking up to him every morning and kissing him goodnight every night. We go for long walks on the beach and have quiet dinners at home most days. Don’t get me wrong we have bar-b-ques with Grady, Rich and other friends Gabe has made down here but we prefer sports bars to clubs.

Jack and Lindsey are happily married living in Belcrest, I imagine I will receive news of being an aunt soon.

My mom and Mitch came down last month looking at properties. They want a house down here to be close to Gabe and me. Mitch had been one of Gabe’s biggest mentors and investors when he and his friends started the company. They eloped in Hawaii sending us all a picture of their rings announcing it. I was disappointed not being able to see the happiness I knew was strewed across my mom’s face that day but I was ecstatic for her nonetheless. We have come a long way. I talk to her at least three times a week, sometimes about nothing very important.

Mackenna, Bryan and baby Josey are coming down next week. We went up to see them when Josey was born but she is now three months. Pictures just don’t cut it, I need my baby fix. I’m staring at the latest picture Kenna sent me; it’s Josey lying down on top a pile of leaves with pumpkins around her when Gabe comes up behind me.

“What do you think?” He asks wrapping his arms around my waist kissing my shoulders.

“It’s a little artsy but I guess when your mom’s a photographer…”

“No, what do you think about having a baby?” He asks kissing my earlobe.

“Aren’t we missing the first step?” I smile up at him.

“Details.” He answers. “Come to bed. You never know it might take a while, we need to practice.” He grabs my hand pulling me to the bedroom.

And Trent….

Trent left the wedding that night after talking with Gabe and I and we didn’t hear from him again for a month. We both tried numerous times but he never answered our phone calls or texts. All of our news about him was coming from Doug or Gabe’s parents.

He called Gabe in July saying he needed some time away from it and it was just to raw to talk to either of us but he still meant what he said and knew he made the right decision. So, we both gave him space and let him be the one to reach out when he could. Now Gabe talks to Trent a couple times a week and I talk to him too but not as often.

Trent’s ankle is healed and doing better but he isn’t the star anymore. Chicago isn’t going to the Soccer National League cup this year but they did resign him for one more year that he was happy about. He pushes himself every day to make sure he ends up on top again striving for the spotlight once again. I have faith that he will get there again one day. As anyone knows soccer is Trent’s number one love in his life.

He isn’t dating anyone, at least not seriously. According to the online gossip that I try not to read but Ian sends to me constantly he is with a different woman every night. I know that isn’t entirely true but I am sure his bed is a little bit of a revolving door nowadays.

He is supposed to come down after the season is over along with Gabe’s parents, Doug and his family.

Sometimes it surprises me it all turned out. I am amazed I have Gabe next to me and still have a friendship with Trent.

As Gabe leads me into our Master Bedroom, I kiss my hand placing it on the picture frame hanging just inside. That MASH Mackenna did for me when we were eleven is a reminder to us that you never know what a game of chance can reveal your future.