Playing with Fire

Trust

Anna stood up pacing her living room replaying the information Maddy told her. "Maddy what do I do? That's terrible. I mean it's not his fault but I want him to tell me about it. It's only been like three months but I want him to tell me things."

Madelyn leaned back in her chair, watching her friend with a thoughtful expression. "Anna, the fact that he hasn't told you about it might mean that it's a sensitive topic for him. It's understandable that you want him to open up, but everyone has their own pace when it comes to sharing certain aspects of their lives."

"I get that, but I don't know. I just don't want him to feel like he needs to keep secrets." Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Maddy nodded in understanding. "Communication is key, Anna. Instead of pushing him to talk about it, maybe express how much you care about him and that you're there for him whenever he's ready to share. Let him know that you appreciate honesty in your relationship."

Anna stopped pacing, considering Maddy's advice. "You're right. I don't want to pressure him, but I also don't want there to be secrets between us."

"Exactly. A relationship is built on trust and understanding. If he sees that you're open and supportive, he might feel more comfortable sharing. Just let him know you're there for him when he's ready."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks, Maddy. You're the best." Anna nodded, a determined look on her face.

Maddy squeezed her shoulder gently. "I am. I always have been."

"Oh whatever." Anna rolled her eyes finally letting her nerves settle.

Trent<3: So, I was thinking, your birthday? It is in a few weeks. After hearing about what happened with Dawson, plus, I haven't met Maddy. We should so we could go bowling or something

"It's Trenton" Anna told Maddy while her mind went on a frenzy. "He knows. He knows we stalked him"

"No he doesn't. Maybe I shouldn't have told you. You are freaking out." Madelyn sat against the back of the couch crossing one leg over the other. "Just text him back otherwise he really will think you are hiding something"

Anna nodded aggressively, "Right, right. Got it."

Me: Just Maddy, Dawson, you, and me?

Trent<3: If that's what you want, yea.

Me: I would love that.

Trent<3: Can I come over tonight?

Me: Yeah, Maddy is over right now though, I will text you when she leaves.

"He is coming over later" Her voice was nervous. "What if I just ask him about it? Like 'hey my mom heard something about-'."

"No. Anna let him bring it up. His brother literally died it's not what you bring up in pillow talk." Anna knew she was right but Maddy knew she was bad at keeping secrets.

"Right, right"

As the evening continued, Anna couldn't shake off the weight of anticipation. With Maddy gone and Trent on his way, she found herself fidgeting with everything within reach, her mind racing with thoughts of how their conversation might unfold.

When the doorbell finally chimed, Anna's heart skipped a beat. She smoothed down her shirt, took a deep breath, and opened the door to find Trent standing there, a warm smile on his face.

"Hey," he said softly, his eyes searching hers for any sign of unease.

"Hi," Anna replied, her voice a little shaky despite her efforts to appear calm.

Trent stepped inside, glancing around the living room before turning back to her. "So, how's your evening been?"

Anna shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just hanging out with Maddy, you know."

Trent nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Listen, Anna, there's something I need to talk to you about."

'He knows' Anna thought to herself waiting for him to continue.

"We have been seeing each other for awhile and I really like you" He sat with her on the couch picking her legs up laying them over his lap. He massaged her feet over her otter covered socks.

"Ok? I really like you too?" Her nerves from the conversation earlier combined with this one starting boiling in the pit of her stomach.

"I was wondering if you would be interested in an upgrade of sorts. Like being my girlfriend sort of upgrade." He smile was sweet and as much as she would love to be in this moment forever, her mouth just started running.

"I know about Maddox." She slapped a hand over her mouth and the hands that were on her feet stopped moving.

His face was pale and his eyes began searching her face. "What? How did you-? Why do- Anna."

Anna stood off the couch before she started rambling "I'm sorry. I was talking to Maddy about how all I know about you is that you love your job and she said that she could look into it."

"You could have just asked me, Anna. You did a background check, what the hell?" She could tell he was angry. He had every right to be.

Anna bit her lip, regret washing over her. "I know, Trent. I should've just asked you, and I'm sorry. I got carried away, and Maddy mentioned it, and I was curious, and I messed up. I didn't mean to invade your privacy like that."

Trent ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. "Anna, relationships are built on trust, and this doesn't feel like trust. You can't just go digging into someone's past without their knowledge."

"I understand, and I messed up. I should've been more upfront with you. It's just... I care about you. I wanted to know if there was something you weren't telling me, since well you barely tell me anything" Anna admitted, her eyes pleading for understanding.

Trent sighed, his anger softening into a mixture of frustration and concern. "Anna, I get it, but Maddox's death is a tough topic for me. It's not that I didn't want to tell you; it's just hard to talk about. But invading my privacy like this... it hurts."

"I'm so sorry, Trenton. I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to understand," Anna said, her voice filled with genuine remorse.

Trent took a moment, looking into Anna's eyes. "We need to work on communication, Anna. If there's something bothering you, talk to me. I want us to be open with each other."

"I promise, Trent. I'll do better. And I'm really sorry," Anna said, her sincerity evident.

Trent nodded, the tension in the room easing slightly. "It's fine. It's my fault too. I should tell you things more."

"Do you want to talk about it?" She figured now was the time if any as she sat back on the couch giving him a bit of space.

"Might as well." He paused for a moment.