Page 25 of Melody

“You don’t need to find money for a plane ticket. You’re already flying out with Donny and Callie. Just change the dates.”

“It’s more than the dates, Bree. I’d have to change the return plans. I think the tour ends in Paris.”

“That’s true. But you can still change it. I’ll help. All we need is a computer and your confirmation code.”

“And extra money. I can’t ask my parents for anything extra. They’re already strapped.”

I can’t offer to pay for any change fees. She’ll take that the wrong way. But I’m going to make sure she goes. I feel terrible that she’s felt left out of the awesome foursome. The four core members are all family, so we don’t always think about outsiders.

I’ll do better.

Perhaps she and I can become closer in Europe.

“Plus,” she continues, “I have to check with the university. I’m on scholarship. What if they’re not willing to extend it to the next semester?”

“Why wouldn’t they be?”

“Because, Brianna, sometimes money doesn’t grow on trees. Sometimes money is available for a specified time period, and that’s it.” She huffs, her shoulders stiff.

Uh-oh. I may have just blown it.

“I know that, Maddie.” I push my hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Sometimes I don’t think about money.”

“Youneverthink about money, Bree. None of the awesome foursome ever thinks about money. Right now, my family is in a bind. We lost most of our livelihood in that fire. Rory and Jesse are hoping to help out with the money they make from this tour.”

“Callie and Rory are engaged to my brother and my cousin. You guys don’t have to worry about money ever again.”

She scoffs. “Brianna Steel, you just don’t get it, and you never will.”

Damn.

How can I make this happen?

I rise, walk to the doorway of her bedroom, and then turn. “I see. Well, it would’ve been fun, Maddie. Maybe we could have gotten closer if we went to Europe together.”

Maddie claps her hands to the sides of her head. “For the love of God, Brianna, it’s not that I don’t want to go. There are just some things I have to look into. I’m notyou. I can’t just decide something and then snap my fingers.”

“I can’t decide by snapping my fingers either, Maddie. If you don’t go, I’m not going to get to go.”

She shakes her head. “I should’ve known. You just want to use me.”

Now I feel lower than a sewer rat. “That’s not true, and you know it. We’ve been friends forever.”

“Yeah. Friends.” Maddie crosses her arms and drops her gaze to her hardwood floor. “But not family.”

I take a few steps back toward Maddie’s bed. “We’regoingto be family. Callie’s marrying my brother. Rory’s marrying my cousin.”

And I’ll marry your brother someday.

“Yeah, right. That doesn’t make all the times you and the rest of the awesome foursome left me out of everything hurt any less.”

“I’ve already explained. None of usknewthat, Maddie. We would never hurt you intentionally.”

“I’d like to think you wouldn’t.”

I sit back down next to Maddie. “Listen. How can I make this up to you? Even if you don’t want to go to Europe, I want to make it up to you.”

“The past is in the past,” she says. “And you’re not going back to school. It’s probably up to the other three.”

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