The Sweetest Summer

Chapter Sixty - Two - X Lovers Haunt You

Eli -

The next morning, I felt like I had the world's worst hangover, and it wasn't the shots of Jaeger, or the random blonde wrapped around me. It was the memory of her lips on his. His lips on hers. The way the two of them held each other, almost as if they were...in love.

"Good morning, handsome. Want me to take care of that?" The blonde asked, snaking her hand around my front to my morning wood. A reaction to a full bladder, and not anything else. Certainly not her. No offense, but I was surprised I even got a stiffy last night for us to mess around. The alcohol and the heartbreak had been enough of a boner killer, but apparently sex was my own form of self-defense.

"No, thanks. I'm good." I stood and walked to the bathroom of my hotel room, casting one glance back at her. "Do you need me to call you a car?" I was being a dick and I knew it, but I couldn't stand one more minute with this girl and her faceless, nameless, existence in my bed.

"No baby, I'm sure I can manage." She stood, pulling back on her tiny black dress like this wasn't her first rodeo. Thank God I'd had the wherewithal to wrap it up last night.

"Cool. I'm gonna shower." I walked into the bathroom, and our brief exchange was officially over. Thank God.

I scrubbed her off of me, until my skin was red, and my hands balled against the shower wall, and the water ran cold. Last night I had every intention of winning back Avery Eileen Adams, but instead here I stood, naked and alone while some other asshole made her happy. Maybe this was my penance in life for treating her how I did for so many years. For taking advantage of what I had until she was just...gone.

The thought hit me harder than the cold water and I sunk down, my knees hitting the cold tile and my heart hitting my spleen. I knew I'd promised myself to let her find her own happiness this next year, while I sorted my mountain of shit out, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy. It was going to be really fucking hard.

"Bro! Hurry the fuck up. The car's here." Sean's deep voice startled me through the bathroom door. Fucking studio making us split the hotel suite.

"Alright, asshole. I'll meet you down there." I called back, shutting off the water and towel dried my hair roughly, trying not to look at my miserable reflection.

Today Miami, tomorrow Toronto. Maybe that's why so many people in this industry were so damn lonely. We were always on the move. Smiling. Parading. Utterly dead inside.

***************

Avery -

"I think I'm dead." I announced into the fluffy duvet cover as I cracked one eye open and then the other.

"You can blame all the Grey Goose for that." Ethan teased. He stood shirtless next to the bed, towel drying his blonde hair and I felt slightly better at the sight of him. The colorful array of tattoos, the strong toned muscles of his chest, the way his chocolate eyes exuded warmth.

I rolled over onto my back and the room tilted a little. Fucking Cameron Betts and his pass the bottle game. At the time, it sounded like a good idea. This morning...not so much.

Ethan hopped up onto the bed and the shaking of the mattress made me contemplate murder. "Are you always such a morning person?!"

"Always." He fingered a strand of my golden hair on the white pillowcase. "Is that going to be a deal breaker?" I scrunched up my face like I was seriously considering it. "Assuming last night wasn't a drunken confession, and you still want to join me on tour..." Insecurity flashed in his eyes, and I rolled towards him.