Caleb heard the car and looked out the window to see Bethany and Adrian sitting in it. It was still weird to see them together, but it somehow was fitting. He didn't know Bethany that well but from what he remembered she was nice and had a great sense of humor. Dyson had talked about her a lot but the three of them rarely spent time together. Adrian looked happy with her. Just because Caleb couldn't be happy he wasn't going to ruin it for them.

He walked down the stairs, caught himself on the railing as he tripped at the bottom, and jogged to the door. He opened it only to watch them back away.

"Hey!" He called out and stepped onto the front porch.

"What the hell?" He groaned. Were they leaving him again? Had they forgotten that he was there? His eyes saw the bag and he had an idea of what was happening. "That little bitch."

"Caleb?" Dyson stood at the side of the house. "They said you weren't coming."

"You have got to be fucking kidding me?" Caleb threw his arms up in the air and stomped back to the house.

"Where did they go?" Dyson asked his bag because Caleb was already gone, the door slamming behind him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw that there was no signal. "I'm going to kill you, Bethany!"

"Leave!" Caleb yelled through the door.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Dyson yelled back. "Do you see a car anywhere?"

"Walk!" Caleb yelled back through the door.

"Like hell!" Dyson grabbed his bag and stomped up the stairs. "You can leave."

Caleb didn't respond. He couldn't. This was too much. He sank down to the floor and tucked his head against his knees.

"Unlock the damn door. It's freezing out here." Dyson jiggled the handle.

"Go away." Caleb pleaded in a whisper.

"Caleb, it's going to be okay." Dyson tried to hug Caleb but Caleb jumped back. Dyson looked hurt but Caleb didn't care. He couldn't imagine touching him. It was too hard. He wasn't ready.

"Caleb, we're safe. We'll be okay."

"Leave," Caleb said it like a whisper but it came out as harsh as a slap to the face. He was huddled in the corner of his room. His arms, bandaged, but the blood was seeping through.

"Let me help you." Dyson stayed crouched in front of him for what felt like forever. Caleb waited for him to try to hug him again, but instead, he just sighed. He stood up and left. Caleb had never felt so alone as he sank back into blackness.

"Don't worry," Dyson said from behind Caleb. "I let myself in."

"Why are you here?" Caleb asked without looking up.

"I imagine our friends are playing their own twisted version of the parent trap."

"Why now?" Caleb groaned. It had been three months.

"Probably because they're dating." Dyson rolled his eyes. "How? I still don't really understand."

"Really?" Caleb looked up. "You're the one who always wanted to set them up."

"No, that was you." Dyson laughed. "You're the one who planned the whole trip to Seattle where we left them and they would have to find their way back to the hotel."

"No way!" Caleb laughed. "That was you. Remember? You had a plan to steal their phones and wallets so they would be stuck, having to walk."

"It was definitely you." Dyson shook his head. "My plan was to lock them in the bathroom."

"Right. You thought they'd fight, make out, and then fall in love." Caleb laughed. "That was a terrible idea."

"Hey, it was cheaper than your idea."

"But we could have gone to Seattle."

"True." Dyson smiled thinking back to when they had been planning.

"I wish that we could hang out more," Caleb said as he laid stretched out, under their tree. Their shoes dancing in the wind.

"We hang out all the time," Dyson said even though he thought the very same thing. It had been harder once they got into high school. It had never been the easiest having friends who didn't get along but he honestly enjoyed that it was always just the two of them. When they were together no one else existed.

"Yes, but it's different now," Caleb mentioned as they looked up at the cloudy sky. "It's going to rain."

"Probably." Dyson felt a drop land on his forehead but he didn't move.

"I don't want to go," Caleb admitted as his pinky brushed against Dyson's. Neither of them mentioned the touch, but neither of them moved away either. Caleb slowly moved his pinky and Dyson's wrapped around it, keeping it there.

"It's just a little rain. It may ruin my hair, but it won't hurt us." Dyson said even though he knew that Caleb wasn't talking about the rain.

"To Adrian's," Caleb added.

"It's just a week and you go every year," Dyson said just as he wished that Caleb would stay. He also wished that Caleb would be honest about why he really didn't want to go. They had been dancing around their mutual attraction for so long that Dyson was starting to believe it was all in his head. Maybe it was. He glanced down at their fingers and he knew it was real.

"I know but some of the other guys from the team are coming up for a couple of days. I hate hanging out with them. They just don't get me." Caleb looked over at Dyson who was already looking at him. "They talk about nothing. They're idiots."

"I won't argue with that." Dyson chuckled.

"They just talk about sports and girls. I like playing sports but that's just one piece of who I am. I've been thinking about quitting the team." Caleb admitted.

"Don't. You love baseball and sure they suck, but I'll always be here to talk about everything else." Dyson smiled. "And we both know I'm a genius so we'll never run out of material."

"Thanks." Caleb sat up, pulling his hand away from Dyson's. "I guess you're right. It's just weird."

"I know. It's like we live in two different worlds that only line up when we're alone." Dyson said, explaining how they both felt.

"What do you think life would be like if we," Caleb paused and Dyson was left to imagine what he was going to ask because instead of continuing Caleb stood up and brushed himself off.

"I have an idea!" Dyson jumped to his feet. "We should set up Bethany and Adrian. If they were dating then we could hang out all the time."

"How could we do that?" Caleb asked as the frown disappeared to be replaced with a smile.

"What do you think life would be like if we could forget this year?" Caleb asked as he tried with all his might to go back to that day. If he had just asked what he really had wanted to it would have turned out perfectly. They would have been happy and together. He wouldn't have lost his best friend.

"Some bad things happened but if we forgot the whole year, we'd lose the good too." Dyson sighed.

"But we wouldn't be stuck in a cabin an hour from home either." Caleb pointed out.

"True. Do you think they'll ever come back?" Dyson asked, looking at the door.

"I'm sure they will."

"How did they get you up here anyway?"

"I always come. Also, Adrian got his parents to agree to let him bring Bethany up here without them, but only if I came." Caleb shook his head and stood up. He walked towards the kitchen. "I was an unpaid babysitter."

"So if you saw them making out or something were you going to smack them?" Dyson asked as he followed Caleb. He took the orange soda that Caleb held out to him. "Thanks."

"That could work, but I was thinking I could just slide between them. Make it super awkward. Like, if they were holding hands I'd just put mine on top. I was kind of looking forward to it." Caleb almost smiled.

"That's great!" Dyson clapped.

Caleb ran his fingers through his hair. "So, how did they get you up here?"

"Bethany didn't give me a choice." Dyson motioned with the orange soda before continuing. "Also, my mom sort of kicked me out of the house."

"Sounds like something your mom would do." Caleb smiled.

"Yeah, I tried to use the fact that she's sick, but nope, she just forced me out." Dyson smiled and took a drink of his soda.

"She's sick?" Caleb looked truly concerned.

Before Dyson could respond they were interrupted by the door opening. Bethany was laughing and Adrian was talking. There was a rustling of bags and footsteps as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Sorry, we forgot that we actually needed groceries," Bethany said as Adrian put a handful of bags on the counter. "I'm glad to see that you haven't killed each other or anything."

"Beth!" Adrian cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Adrian sort of thought that we'd come back to only one of you. I'm glad he was wrong." She took the soda from Dyson without asking and took a drink.

"Who's up for a game of truth or dare?" Adrian asked as he started to put the groceries away.

"I think I just want to go lay down," Caleb said.

"Play this game and we'll leave you alone all day tomorrow." Bethany offered. "Please."

"Beth," Dyson gave her a look. "Just leave him alone. I don't want to play either."

"You love playing truth or dare." She pouted.

"No, you love playing it. I just humor you." He lied. It was the fact that he and Caleb had their own version of the game. They played truth when they were together. It was their thing and he couldn't just pretend everything was fine. They weren't friends anymore. Sure, they were acting civil, but they were on thin ice.

"Hey, if my girl wants to play then we will play." Adrian threw out.

"Your girl?" Bethany made doe eyes at him. "Really?"

"Get a room." Caleb groaned. "If I'm going to play there will be none of that and you will leave me alone for two days."

"Deal!" Bethany and Adrian answered as one.

"This is going to be interesting," Dyson said and Caleb nodded in agreement.

Adrian held Bethany's hand and led the way to the family room. After a glare from Caleb, they dropped hands and sat on the loveseat. Caleb took one of the recliners and Dyson took the other. The room was warm and smelled of campfire from the wood-burning stove. Caleb had always loved this room because of that. It was so relaxing.

"Who wants to go first?" Bethany asked as she bounced on the couch.

"Me!" Adrian called out. "Dyson and Caleb you guys need to turn your chairs so we can see you."

"Is that a dare?" Caleb asked.

"No, it's a demand for the game."

"Fine."

"Caleb," Adrian said once they were all facing each other. "Truth or dare?"

Caleb preferred the version he played with Dyson because he hated dares. He was not the kind of guy who enjoyed making a fool of himself in front of people. But, here, now, he was not going to risk choosing truth. He knew that Adrian and Bethany were clearly up to something with him and Dyson. He wasn't having any of that.

"Dare."

"Seriously?" Adrian asked and Dyson gave him a surprised look.

"Yes, now give me one, or I'm leaving." Caleb rolled his eyes.

"All right," Adrian thought for a second. "I dare you to do a striptease dance."

"No." Caleb declared. "Bethany, truth, or dare?"

"You can't just say no," Adrian argued.

"And yet I did." Caleb shrugged and motioned to Bethany. "Bethany?"

She looked at Adrian then seemed to decide that it would be better to just play along. "Truth."

"What was your first impression of Adrian?" He asked with a smug smile.

"I'm sorry babe, but I thought you were a douche, a hot one at least." She gave him a guilty smile.

"Not the first time he's heard that." Caleb laughed.

Adrian chuckled. "Yeah, I really don't get it though."

"It's because you are." Caleb teased.

"No. He's a sweetheart." Bethany cupped his chin in her hand. "Now, babe, truth, or dare?"

"Dare," Adrian said.

"I dare you to kiss me." Bethany winked at him.

"If the lady insists." He gave her a long, slow kiss and then looked over at Dyson. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Dyson answered.

"You always choose dare," Bethany complained just as Caleb thought the exact opposite.

"I dare you to go outside and run around the house barefoot."