You're Gone and I've Gotta Stay High

Chapter 19

I missed Alex a lot more than I thought I would. And I thought it was going to be terrible. I sat on my couch with reruns of Doctor Who on while I single handedly took out a large pizza from Papa John's. I knew that the guys were on their way to North Carolina and it'd be a while before I hear from them.

I couldn't help but want to smoke. I was used to turning to it when I was upset and needed to see Alex. But I disposed of the rest of it when Alex was here. Damn.

Well maybe I could call Mark.

Mark was the guy who told me to smoke in the first place. And the guy who got it for me. I had just made it to the city and was working my first day at On Point when I met him. He was a writer at the time and showed me around.

Since then, he's been promoted to Editor in Chief and I don't see much of him. That's probably a good thing considering he wanted to date me.

He asked me out at the end of my first day and at the time, wanting to move on, I accepted. He took me to dinner and it was nice until I ended up crying on him. But instead of being a jerk, he offered me something to take the edge off. He told me it was totally harmless and it was. The really unhealthy part about my habit was doing it to see Alex.

Sadly, I didn't have the option any more. I wasn't depressed by any means but that didn't mean I couldn't be in need.

I shook my head as the thought of calling Mark came to me again. I promised Alex I wouldn't. But what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

No.

What if he lived by that? I'd be devastated. I decided I just needed a drink.

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I sipped on my beer nonchalantly as I watched some people dance. The bar wasn't very crowded considering it was a Tuesday night. Even I shouldn't be here. I should be at home waiting for Alex to call and getting ready to go back to work tomorrow.

But dumb luck worked in my favor when as I was walking out of the bar, and I ran into Mark.

"Val! Hi! How have you been?"

I smiled widely and grabbed his arm, moving to the side and out of the doorway.

"Hi Mark! I've been good. And you? Congrats by the way on the promotion Mr. Editor in Chief."

Mark smiled and tried to look humble. His blue eyes glistened and he tried to soothe out his perfectly trimmed brown hair. Mark looked like he should be playing a business man in an HBO series. He was gorgeous in a way more obvious way than Alex. And totally not my type.

"Well congrats to you too for making the cover!"

I froze. "What?"

Marks eyebrows came up and he rubbed a hand over his clean shaven face. "Don't you know? Your story about that band made the cover? Sierra loved it. Said you talked about them like old friends. And hey wasn't your ex a lead singer?"

I stifled a laugh and looked back to the counter in the bar. "About that... let's have a drink." Mark, who never really said no to a drink from a pretty girl, agreed immediately.

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Mark was laughing hysterically as I recalled the story of the Madison Square Garden show and what's happened since. I even told him about sleeping with Alex but kept the gory details to myself. He didn't need to know about any of that.