“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.
“Everything will work out Maddy, just wait and see.”
“Maddy, Maddy.” Ian screeches stopping in his tracks when he sees my mom and I. “Oh sorry.” He turns around to back up out of the room.
“Its fine Ian, what?” I sit up next to my mom.
“They have the fight on there now.” He bites his bottom lip showing me there is more to the story. “You are no longer the scorned lover.” He walks back into the kitchen.
I walk into the kitchen grabbing the phone out of Ian’s hands and he huffs at me but I put my hand up at him. Scrolling down the article I see a picture of me between Gabe and Trent hands on both their chests. The title reads Trent Basso’s ex-girlfriend tries to stop boyfriend from hitting him. The article says Trent ran into me and my new boyfriend, whose identity is unknown, at a bar and my new boyfriend tried to start a fight with him. It goes on to say Trent is pressing charges against the unknown male and I am devastated, my picture leaning against the wall crying is embedded there.
“The truth will come out, Maddy.” Trent uses my words back to me, smiling up to me with his head on my shoulder.
I shove his head with my palm off my shoulder. “They’re making Gabe into the bad guy.” I sulk.
“He is.” Trent whispers and I give him a dirty look.
“What are they going to come up with now?” I ask giving Ian his phone taking my coffee to the table.
“It will be fine Maddy. No one believes it anyway.” Trent sarcastically uses my words against me again and I am starting to become irritated. He doesn’t care at all how Gabe is being portrayed.
“Trent…please just be quiet.” I glare at him.
“Let’s just have some breakfast. Mitch and I made you guys a feast.” My mom brings over plates of food to the table.
“What a great idea Barb.” Mitch chimes in.
“You should call him Trent.” I instruct him.
“No way, why?” he looks at me in disgust.
“To give him a heads up. He knew that doorman, I’m sure his name will be released soon.” I bite into a piece of bacon.
“Too late. Update.” Ian announces. “Brothers fight over same girl” Ian discloses the headline. “Trent Basso and older brother Gabe are in love with the same woman, the soccer star’s ex-girlfriend Madeline Jennings.” He starts to read the article.
I stand up going upstairs to get my phone. If Trent isn’t going to tell Gabe I will.
“Let it go Maddy.” Trent yells up towards me.
“Trent.” Mitch’s voice firm like his father.
I sit on my bed grabbing my phone from my purse, I have five texts, two from Ian last night and three from Kenna this morning insisting I call her immediately. I am grateful that my phone is under Ian’s name so the press won’t find me. After my breakup with Trent last year I was bombarded with so many calls I cancelled my number.
Have you been online? - Me
No, but already heard. –Gabe
I’m sorry. – Me
It’s not your fault – Gabe