More Than Friends - Maddie Poppe and Caleb Hutchinson Series (Book 1)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Maddie's POV

It makes it so hard to have to be on American Idol, seeing two people you CAN NOT stand, every time. Well, I haven't seen Hayley, but I have seen Gabby often at rehearsals.

Whenever I see her, she looks at me with, I guess, maybe a sad expression? I'm not sure why. I thought that we were friends, but she showed me why I can't trust her. I don't even know where her and Cade stand, now that Cade found out what happened.

This week we are rehearsing for the finale. What? How did I even here? Caleb is in the finale with me, but so is Gabby. It's so awkward. I'm still mad at her but of course I'm even more mad at Hayley. Hayley is the one that tried to take Caleb. Gabby was only like a sidekick.

"Here, babe," I hear Caleb's voice.

I look up from the couch I'm sitting on backstage, and see him holding a bottle of water out to me. I smile, "thank you."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath and close my eyes. I feel Caleb staring at me, "You okay?"

I shrug and open my eyes, "I guess," I say nervously.

"Maddie, you're going to-" Caleb stops when we hear the door open.

We both look over and see Gabby come in. She stops and looks awkwardly at us for a second, "Uh, hi."

I raise my eyebrows before standing up and going into a different room. Caleb follows me.

"What am I going to do?" I sigh.

"Just avoid her. And also, stop getting in your head. You're going to do amazing this weekend," he gives me a kiss on my head.

I smile at him, and we hear the door open and close again. We look over and see Gabby has followed us.

"Okay, y'all," she starts, running a hand through her hair, then she looks at me, "Maddie, I am so so sorry for what happened. I don't know what I was thinking. I was just so stupid, but I didn't have a ch- nevermind," she looks at the floor and then looks at Caleb, "and Caleb, I don't know what I was thinking with your part, either. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that I am really, truly sorry. You guys are together, and not only Hayley, but I should have respected that, too. And I didn't. But I-," she shakes her head a little, "I just hope one day you both can find it in your hearts to forgive me."

"Gabby," I step forward and look at her, "I believe that deep down you are a good person. It's just that I can't trust you."

She nods and looks at the floor, "Yeah, I get it."

She then gives a small sad smile before opening the door and going out to rehearsal. I turn around and look at Caleb.

"Do you believe her?" I ask.

I go over and sit on the couch while he shrugs, "I don't know. At least she admitted that she was wrong and apologized."

"Yeah," I look at the floor.

"Just focus on rehearsals, babe," he says.

"I just hate this tension between her and I," I admit.

"I know. Hey, you know Cade forgave her?" He says.

My eyes widen, "Really?"

He nods just as his phone dings. He unlocks his phone and goes to the message. He squints trying to look at his screen. He shakes his head, "Maddie, I can't see this. Could you read it to me?"

"Okay," I say, taking his phone, "It's from Cade."

"What does it say?"

I take a moment before reading it out loud, "It says.. 'Hey, is Gabby there yet? Did she tell you the whole story?'"

Caleb looks confused, "Whole story?"

I text back for Caleb, 'Yeah, she's here. She didn't say anything except for an apology and stuff.'

Eventually, Caleb's phone rings and it's Cade. I hand him his phone back and he answers, putting it on speaker.

"Hey, dude. You're on speaker, by the way," Caleb answers, "Just Maddie and I, here."

"Okay," Cade says.

He explains to us that Gabby and Hayley were pretty close, and that when Hayley started getting into Caleb, she forced Gabby to help her or else.

"Or else what?" I ask.

"She was gonna post this... okay, you know what. I'm not gonna say it. But it definitely wouldn't have helped her career," Cade answers.

I look at Caleb with wide eyes and he looks at me with the same expression.

"But how do we know that? How can we trust her now?" Caleb asks.

"It's true," we hear Gabby's voice.

I look up at her and furrow my eyebrows, "Gabby?"

"I'll talk to y'all later," Cade says before hanging up.

Gabby comes in further with her eyes a little watery, "I have proof," she sits with us on the couch and takes her phone out. She pulls up her text messages with Hayley and lets us read them. Everything she told Cade was true.

"Oh my gosh, Gabby," I put both hands over my mouth.

She nods with her mouth in a straight line. I look up at Caleb and he is looking at the floor with a shocked expression on his face.

"I'm really sorry, y'all. But I kinda didn't really have a choice," she says.

I give her a small hug and she hugs back. Caleb does the same.

"But if she sees you hanging out with us, won't she assume something? Like, maybe you told us or something?" I ask.

"Well," Gabby starts as she shifts a little and crosses her arms. Her eyes go from the floor to me, "I guess you guys didn't hear."

"Hear what?" Caleb asks, sitting up a little.

She looks back and forth at the both of us, "This morning... Hayley died in a car accident."