The Publicity Stunt - Ryden

Chapter 15: *insert witty title here*

He's here. He's standing in my doorway looking at me. And I'm sitting here with hair so greasy it's sticking to my face. My bed is surrounded by empty bottles of booze and I know I must smell bad.

Fuck. He wasn't supposed to see me like this. I'm still in my fucking suit shirt for fucks sake. Only now, it's stained with alcohol. He's looking at all of it, eyes darting all over the room. I look at his eyes and notice dark bags under them. He hasn't been sleeping.

"You look like shit." Is the first thing i say. He looks up at me with raised brows and let's out a soft laugh.

"You're one to talk." He replies with a small smile. I don't want him to smile. I want him to be as miserable as me. I don't even think I can smile. I run my fingers through my hair gently, groaning as I feel it stick to my fingers.

"I thought I said I didn't want to see you again." I say softly, frowning gently as I speak. I can't act happy. I can't pretend to be okay with him.

"Well you don't get to decide that. Fuck... You don't get to be the one who ends this." Brendon replies, moving to sit on the edge of my bed. "Fuck, Ryan. You've got to take a shower." He says, scrunching up his nose like he hates the way i smell. "This is ridi--"

"Go home Brendon. I don't want you here. I don't want to see you. I don't want to be around you."

"Never stopped me before." He smirks, and I roll my eyes. He's right. I never wanted to see Brendon before he broke my heart, but he still showed his face. Now was no different. "Everyone keeps asking me where you went. I told them you went to visit your family."

"I don't have a family so that's a fucking horrible lie."

He stops talking instantly. He presses his lips together and stays quiet as I look over my vodka bottle, running my thumb over the lid. "My mother is gone... Who knows where she went. Left when I was three. My dad drank himself to death when I was eighteen. Year before I met you. My band is the closest thing to family I have and I refuse to be around them right now. Can't have them see me like this...." And it's more than I want to tell him, but I love the fucker, and I feel safe telling him anything. Even if he did break my heart. I shake my head gently and move the bottle towards my mouth but Brendon grabs it and stops it before it can hit my lips.

"Why are you like this Ryan? I don't get it. It's like out of nowhere you went from this happy guy to a depressed drunk." I want to punch him. Why am I like this!? He actually has the audacity to ask me that?

"You're an idiot." I say bluntly. He looks up at me and I stare him down. Fuck him. "Fuck you Brendon." Shit. Was that out loud? "Why are you even here? I thought you would be happy to get rid of me."

"I..." He takes in a shaky breath and scratches the back of his neck gently. "I'm here to give you tough love." He stood up and walked closer to me, making me want to run away from him. Why was he getting closer to me?

His hands were on my hips before I knew it. He lifts me up over his shoulder and I squirm in his grasp, groaning loudly to show my distaste. When we get to the bathroom he sits me down in the shower and turns it on.

The cold water gives me chills. I'm still wearing my shirt and it's getting drenched with water. Brendon stands out of the water and slowly tugs his black tank top over his head. His abs contract as he pulls it off and tosses it to the floor. He pulls off his jeans next and my breath quickly catches in my throat. He's just as perfect as I remember him.

He leaves his briefs on and steps into the shower, falling to his knees to help me out of my once white shirt. He tugs down my boxers and I groan when the now hot water touches my exposed skin. It feels good to be washed clean of the stench of alcohol.

I look up at Brendon and blink away drops of water that are falling from my hair. I don't even care that my hair is hanging in my face, but Brendon does. He pushes it back gently and moves to grab some shampoo from the side of my shower. "I'm not standing up." I say with a groan, feeling completely worthless in Brendon's presence.

"That's okay. I can do all the work." He smiles gently at me and works the shampoo into my hair, massaging my scalp as he works up a lather on top of my head. "I missed you..." He whispers, and I almost don't hear it over the sound of the shower, but it's there. He said I miss you.

"I missed you too..." I admit. Honestly, I was lost without him, but why in the hell would I tell him that?