wrapped up in you

six.

song for the chapter: I Want It by Viv and the Revival

—

It's been 3 days since what Christian has officially dubbed as 'the library incident'. She tries texting him the day after, but he didn't reply to any messages or pick up any calls. Summer tries to visit the house 2 days after, but after he told his brothers about the library incident, they've been very helpful in coming up with alibis and dodging her stepping foot into the house. He's mad, and he's tired of people telling him he's living his life wrong, and he just doesn't need it. It's the third day, and she makes no attempts.

"Hey, so a bunch of us are going to the bar tonight. Wanna come?" Jason asks, poking his head into Christian's room, where he was loading up a bong. He looks up with a smile on his face and nods.

"Yeah, I'm in." he says enthusiastically.

"Great, uh..." Jason says awkwardly before entering and closing the door behind him, making his way to sit next to Christian on the bed. "So I know you say you're fine in front of the other guys, but how are you really?" he asks. Christian shrugs. Always just shrugs.

"Sometimes I get sad. But I'm okay for the most part." he says. Well, he doesn't really know to be honest because he's usually sober for a total of 10 minutes daily for the last couple days. He's coping, and the photos of Summer are off his walls.

Jason looks at him and tries to read his features, but Christian is an emotionless brick and he's getting no signs of distress. Can't even see any evidence of sleepless nights or tear tracks.

"You know you can still get back with her, right? It's just a fight, you guys aren't over." Jason says gently and Christian shakes his head quickly.

"No, it's over." he says firmly, voice monotone with no emotion in it.

"Uh... are you sure? Does she know?" he asks, and Christian shrugs again. "So... 3 years down the drain? Just like that?" he asks, concern lacing each word tightly. Christian nods stiffly once with a tight smile.

"Just like that."

And that's the title of the song that was playing when they first met, and he doesn't even remember. Because even in his words, they are Christian and Summer.

***

The bar is full when they arrive, college students ready to get absolutely smashed and make bad decisions they can only ever make now. Christian finds a table by the wall as his brothers go get drinks at the bar, rowdy and loud.

He stands behind the table alone, staring at his phone wallpaper. He hadn't changed it yet, so it was still very much Christian and Summer. It was a selfie of them in black and white during one of their fancier dates for their 3rd anniversary. Black and white. He remembers when his world was black and white; he was sure of everyone in his life and had categorised them to who he loved and who didn't accept him. But now everything was morphing into shades of grey and he doesn't like it.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a girl in a tight dress approach him with a sultry smile and red lipstick. Red, red, red. Summer's lips didn't need lipstick to be red. He locks his phone and pockets it quickly, looking up at the girl with a cocky smirk.

"Hey, heard you're back on the market." she says with a wink. He ignores the subtle pain he feels.

"You heard correctly." he says with a nod. "Why? You looking to buy?" he asks cheekily, and she throws her head back in laughter, even if it wasn't all that funny.

"Only if it's you, baby." she says.

It takes 5 minutes, and Christian and her are pushing each other in the bar's now locked toilet, ripping clothes off of each other. It's fast paced, and gritty, and meaningless, but damn, he's happy right now.