With her back to Jason, Bree hugged a pillow and tried to stop her tears. It was past 2:00 in the morning, and she was exhausted. Not only was she tired from a long day of school, driving, and one two many drinks, she’d spent the last few hours arguing with Jason.

It hadn’t been pretty on the porch. She’d tried to play it off, as if it meant nothing that she had her head on Trent’s shoulder, that his arm was around her, but Jason would have none of it.

Trent had told him the same, that they were just friends, and Bree was just telling him how great a guy Jason was, but he didn’t believe that either.

So they’d spent two hours arguing. Jason had been so mad, he’d broken a vase in the dining room. Christy had tried to clean it up for them and cut her finger--which got blood all over the carpet. The whole thing was a mess.

They’d finally taken the argument upstairs, after she’d convinced Trent that he didn’t need to stand up for her, that it wasn’t about him anymore, that Jason was just a d*ck.

By the time he’d finally told her to go to hell, Bree was so tired of shouting and crying, her throat was restricted, and her eyes ached.

She wasn’t even sure why she was still in the same room with him. She should go downstairs and sleep on the couch or something. But she’d paid for the room, so she wanted to sleep in it at least one night before she left. That’s exactly what she intended to do, too. She definitely wasn’t staying here with him.

Jason was good looking, and when they’d first started dating, he’d done nice things for her. But even in the few months that they’d been steady, he’d started treating her differently. It wasn’t until Trent told her what he’d said that she realized she’d been putting up with his crap because she didn’t want to be alone. It seemed so stupid now. She was a strong, independent woman. She didn’t have to have a man to be whole.

Of course, part of it had also been this trip. She didn’t want to show up here solo. For all she knew, only couples were coming. If Isaac and his girlfriend hadn’t broken up, that’s all that would’ve been there. So she would’ve felt like a loser being the only one on her own.

Now, she desperately wished she could go back and change things. If Jason hadn’t come with her, maybe it would be Trent sleeping in the bed with her.

That wasn’t a good idea either, though. She knew that. A quick hook up with Trent would be the sort of thing that would ruin her. She’d have to start singing country music to have an outlet for all of the heartache she’d feel after a one-night stand with him. An almost kiss had nearly derailed her entire life.

If there was a chance it could be more than a hook up, that would be different. But she didn’t see that happening. He had said he was focused on school right now. Besides, it didn’t matter. She was dealing with hypotheticals again. Hypotheticals that would never happen.

As Jason began to snore, Bree took the pillow she’d been holding onto for dear life and put it over her ears. In the morning, she’d get up, pack her stuff, and go. He could walk back to Louisville for all she cared.

She definitely wasn’t going out with him anymore. With a year and a half of school left, she’d just focus on getting her degree in music education, keep playing her gigs, and learn as much as she possibly could. Yep, Bree Matthews was done with men for the foreseeable future.

So when she closed her eyes and she saw those brilliant blue eyes and that dazzling smile, she had to push thoughts of Trent aside, too. If she thought about him hard enough, she could still smell the scent of his cologne. It had been too long since she’d seen him. But it needed to be even longer before she saw him again. He’d messed with her head before; she couldn’t let him do it again.

Bree could see the stars out the window. They twinkled and glowed, tiny pin pricks of light in a sea of dark blue. From now on, whenever she looked at them, she’d think of Trent. “T and B for life,” she whispered. Bree squeezed her eyes shut and tried to go to sleep, praying that she could have one last dream of Trent and then forget about him again--at least until after they were both done with school and could see what might have happened if that almost kiss had been a real one.