AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Call mom, May. We are calling it a night.” Liam said through his hands. Maybelle opened her mouth to argue but Liam stopped her, “This is not up for discussion, Maybelle. In fact, I’ll call mom. Go up to the road so she can see where to pick us up.”
Liam shot one last lingering look to Trey that was still drenched with betrayal and disappointment before he pulled his phone out and stalked away.
This was officially the worst night ever. Maybelle would need a serious venting session in her journal after this dreadful experience.
Trey didn’t move from where he stood behind her, he didn’t speak and for several moments neither did she until her joints finally began to thaw. Once she finally felt her body fully reclaim its mobility, she twisted to face him.
Trey was staring at her stone faced, he looked regretful, sad even. Seeing him reminded her of their almost kiss… What would that kiss have meant?
She now knew if she could have any superpower, it would be mind-reading so she wouldn’t be so damned confused by the man in front of her. Did Liam’s frustrated rant havemerit? Was she just another name to a list or did she mean something?
Maybelle shook her head with a mix of frustration and confusion and used the hair tie on her wrist to tie her curls back. Trey turned away from her to the water, he looked as tired as she felt but still so ridiculously beautiful.
Out of ideas for what to say or do Maybelle knew there was one thing she hadn’t said to the brave, young man before her that she still owed him, “Thank you, Trey.” Maybelle said dimly.
Trey slowly turned back to face her.
She braved on, “Thank you for looking out for me and making tonight very… memorable.”
Trey laughed quietly shaking his head, “Yeah,verymemorable.” His tone and eye roll insinuated that it would be memorable for all the wrong reasons. Maybelle almost agreed with him but hesitated. Tonight, really wasn’t the worst she had ever experienced, it was, in truth, a very exhilarating night. Which was a feeling Maybelle hadn’t been faced with in a long time.
Daniel may have been awkward, Clayton sucked, being alone was shit, The Liam situation was ass but Trey… Trey was perfect. He saved her from that dirtbag, held her, made her feel seen, beautiful, and valuable. She lived tonight, she made memories, good and bad ones. That alone felt almost worth it. So, she shook her head in response, “Tonight was memorable… unforgettable in the best way possible.”
Trey was taken aback with surprise then let out a hearty chuckle, “Well then, May, you might be the easiest girl ever to impress.” He beamed at her, and her tummy fluttered in reply.Gradually, his features shifted to a serious expression, then he moved closer.
“I meant it earlier today when I said that I plan to get to know all of you, Maybelle Mason. You’re not a high school finale.” He punctuated that with an irritated scoff.
“You’re so much more… you’re—you’re…” Trey paused, wetting his lips with the flick of his tongue, “You’re endgame for me.” He said it with so much finality and admission that her breath hitched.
What didendgamemean exactly?
She had no idea but how he said it, how he looked at her made her quake with excitement and anticipation to find out. Yeah, she didn’t quite understand him, and she didn’t get her first kiss tonight. But it would happen because what was happening between them wasn’t trapped to this day, this night. It was something they would figure out and explore for days to come. That is what “endgame” meant to her.
A promising future.
Maybelle smiled brightly at Trey. Now lacking the ability to properly communicate or function, she left him with her smile then trodded through sand to meet with her brother at the road where their mom soon parked.
Maybelle walked off that beach happy with hope dancing in her heart. She felt a change in her gut, a renewed elation for reality and what life had to offer her. Maybelle hadn’t felt like this since… Well, since everything.
She didn’t like to be a loner, she missed being a part of a team, a part of life. Regret began to broil in her chest, but she quickly quelled it, reminding herself that life had dealt her a hand that had made all of that impossible but that didn’t mean she had to keep to that path now. She was safe, free to choose what she wanted, and she wanted to go to college, make a couple friends, date, go to a party or two.
Maybelle wanted her life back and as she sat in the backseat of her mom’s car, listening to Liam’s quick snores andthe dull tone of the radio she promised herself that she would choose herself. She would choose to live, make memories and be happy.
As the car took a sharp corner Maybelle felt something small slip against her hand. Her journal, her prized possession. She forgot she had brought it with her to graduation so she could finish writing about that morning with Trey.
She didn’t hesitate before flipping to the next open page in the book, scavenging a pen from the floor and then scribing not only the events of tonight but her promises to herself.
Making them tangible and real.
8 Trey Turner
Trey lingered on the dark span of the beach, far enough away from the party but close enough to watch as Maybelle and Liam shuffled into their mom’s car and drove away. Once they were gone and the red of the taillights were far down the road, Trey exited the beach and climbed into his Jeep, having no desire to take part in the rest of the party.
He didn’t put the keys into the ignition immediately after sliding into his seat. Instead, Trey rested his head back on the head rest and dwelled in the calm silence thinking over the overwhelming events of the night.
After graduation, Trey and his mom had gone to dinner, ran home so she could get changed into her scrubs for work and then he volunteered to drop her off at the hospital for her shift. It had made him late for the party to give his hardworking nurse mother a ride to her late-night shift, but it was much needed time with his mom that he was more than happy to give her.
With it being just Trey and his mom, he would give her anything she asked for. Tonight, what she asked for and he obliged was more time to talk about plans for college and a ride to work.
