In Five Years

Chapter 13

Maddie

Tre's nails are digging into my wrist as he pulls me away from the table. We stop in the hallway by the bathrooms where there's nobody around, and I finally am able to yank my wrist away.

"Ow!" I yell. "Why are you pulling me like that, Tre?"

"What the fuck do you mean why?" He replies. The look in his eyes in horrifying. I've never seen this side of him before. "You're the one that convinced me to go on this stupid fucking date with your ex. You told me it wouldn't be awkward, and yet I just had to sit there and watch as you wanted to go back and forth with his girlfriend."

"She was attacking me the entire night!" I shout back. "What did you expect me to do? Sit there and take it? She needed to get a taste of her own medicine for once."

"You were acting like a jealous little bitch!" He seethes, and my jaw drops open in shock. "If Cameron is who you want then by all means go and get him, but the last thing I'm going to do is be used to make your ex want you back."

Why the hell is he being like this? This is literally our second date. He's acting like we've been in a relationship for years.

"And while we're at it?" He chuckles angrily and rakes his eyes up and down my body. "Why did you dress like that tonight?"

"Like what?" I ask.

"What do you mean like what? Like a whore, Maddie. Are you needing his attention that badly? You thought it'd be okay to-"

It all happens so quickly. I'm not even able to process what he just said as Cameron shoves him up against the wall. I don't know where he came from. My eyes are blurry from the tears. I have never been spoken to like that.

If he thought I looked too provocative then why didn't he say something before we left? But even if he did say something, that wouldn't make it okay, right? I can wear whatever I please.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Cameron has him pinned against the wall, his forearm against his throat.

"Cameron, it's fine." I'm full-on crying now, pulling at his sweater in attempt to get him off of Tre.

"It's fine?" Cameron looks at me in disbelief. He's angry as hell. "This isn't fine, Maddie. You're really going to be okay with him talking to you like that?"

"How about you mind your own fucking business?" Tre is hardly able to say from the pressure on his throat. It only makes Cameron lean in harder.

"If I ever get word from her that you're talking to her like that again then I promise you it's going to be a lot worse for you than it already is. What a piece of shit."

He releases him from his grasp, and Tre fixes the collar of his shirt. I can't stop my tears. My hands are shaking, and I'm finding it harder and harder to breathe. I think I might be having a panic attack.

"Whatever." Tre mutters, and as he stares at me it's like he's finally having sympathy. Like he finally realizes what he's said to me tonight. "Fuck, I'm sorry Maddie." He tries to move closer but Cameron steps in front of me.

"Cam, it's fine," I plead, and he begrudgingly steps to the side, making no effort to take his eyes off of Tre though.

"I just got angry." Tre sighs, shaking his head in disbelief. "I didn't mean what I said. I was just jealous, and after we slept together I really don't want to lose you, Maddie. I really like you."

Cam clears his throat and closes his eyes out of frustration. I can tell he wants to say something, but thankfully he's holding it back.

"I just think I need some time to process everything," I tell him. "It's been...a lot, tonight."