Pas de Trois

Chapter 21: "You might like it."

"I don't know what's going on between you two, but I won't have it ruin this," Danny's mom fixed her steely glare on both of them. "If I hear even the slightest negative remark this entire trip we won't have internet ever again."

"Yes, Mama," Danny nodded. "I'll behave. As long as he does."

"I'll be good," Slade wasn't sure if he was the "he" Danny was referring to or if that was Ivan but either way, he didn't want to get in trouble.

It wasn't that he and Danny were fighting, but things definitely hadn't been the same since the day Slade realized he and Matt were back together. Or whatever the fuck you wanted to call it. Slade tried to be nice about it, just like he'd promised, but Danny seemed so different - and it had only been two weeks. It made no sense.

"Are you ready?" Carol asked.

"Yes, and we already went to the bathroom so don't ask if we want to try just in case," Danny teased.

"I haven't done that since you were little," Carol laughed.

The front door opened and Danny's smile vanished. Slade turned to see Ivan letting himself in as if he had his own key. Slade held his breath. Danny would be furious.

But Danny didn't even look at Slade. He just took out his phone and started texting instead of giving Slade the usual "can you believe that?" look. Slade tried to ignore how much he hated that by looking at Carol. She was so happy.

"I've just checked with the pilot, he said we have perfect flying weather if we leave soon enough," Ivan said. "It's just over an hour's flight."

"I'm so excited to get on this plane," Danny suddenly snapped into his normal self. "I've already told Dax and Brent like a hundred times how happy I am they're letting us use their plane."

"I hope you included at least one thank you," Carol laughed.

"Two hundred, at least," Danny insisted. "Can we go?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Ivan looked really happy as he turned to Carol. "Where are your bags?"

"I left them in my room, just like you made me promise," she smiled. "You know my boys are happy you're taking over that job."

"We never minded," Danny insisted.

"I knew I wouldn't last long if I didn't do it," Ivan winked at Slade and Danny. "The car's waiting out front."

"Let me get my stuff," Slade realized he was the only one who didn't have his stuff together. He'd packed but it was all sitting in his room.

Also sitting in Slade's room was his phone, plugged in where he'd forgotten it when it died after an intense round of Candy Crush. He grabbed it, charger and all, and picked up his bags. When he checked his phone he not only had a few texts from Chloe but one from Danny too.

Danny: he lets himself in now wtf????????????

Slade grinned. Maybe he hadn't lost his best friend after all.

The flight to Lake Saranac was just as short as Ivan promised, which was good because by the time they landed Slade was starving. He hoped they'd get to have dinner at a reasonable time because there were only healthy snacks on the Masters' plane and none of them helped his hunger at all.

"Here we are," Ivan said as they pulled up to the front gate. It was made from what looked like wooden logs with the name of the resort spelled out over the arch. When they got closer the gate opened automatically.

"It's so pretty," Carol gasped when they drove out of the trees and could see the actual resort.

They drove past a few smaller buildings before pulling up to the main lodge. It looked like a log cabin but was much cleaner than Slade imagined a log cabin would be. The sun was just starting to set and everything was bathed in warm light.