Matt's POV

So this is what it felt like to know you've screwed up the most important thing in your life? Well, I guess it didn't hurt as bad as I thought, though that may be the patron I was drinking like water talking. I sighed as I ran my stubby fingers around the rim of the bottle I had talked the bar maid into letting me keep. God, this fucking suck! How could I screw everything up this badly? I slammed my fist down on the bar as I took what seemed like my fiftieth shot. The blond dude behind the bar turned and gave me a dirty look as I held my hands up in apology.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose, replaying my stupid mistake over and over again. God, I was a fucking idiot!

"Eh, fuck you short shit!" I laughed, turning and wadding my way out of the water. That little shit Johnny tripped me in our noodle war and sent me flying down the water slide. He flipped me off and I caught the invisible gesture and put it in my pocket.

As I shook my head and chuckled, I made my way back over to the table and grabbed my towel. It was refreshing to have this break in the middle of the tour, even though it wasn't scheduled. Leaning back in my chair, I pulled my towel over my head and picked up my phone. My eyes scrolled threw my messages and clicked on the one from Eli.

Hey stud, mind if I come over tonight? I'll make it worth your while ;)
Elinor Reaghan* DCP

I sighed and ran my hands over my dripping wet face, knowing that I had to decline her offer. I had to decline Eli's offer to give me some of the best sex of my life and satisfy me in ways no one ever had. Was I fucking crazy? Yeah, I was...about Val.

I smiled at the thought of waking up to Val's beautiful brown eyes and smile that could light up a room. She had been with me from the very beginning and knew everything about me. Val was the one and I knew it now.

"Hey, Shads, Johnny's talking shit," Zacky said, walking up to me dripping wet. "I think we should dump his wet ass in the snow!"

"Down with gnome!" Jimmy chanted, fists pumping wildly in the air as he chased after other guests. My phone buzzed as I laughed at their reactions. "Gnome-sickle! Gnome-sickle! Gnome-sickle!"

"Stop being a fucking chick and get off your phone! Let's go, he's fleeing!"

"Yeah, coming!" I called, quickly typed out:

Hey sexy, I can't make it tonight but thanks for the offer. Don't get me wrong, u rocked my world last night but I've got something special I need to told on to. You will always have a special place in my heart.
M. Shadows

Little did I know that the text I received was from Val telling me she was headed out with the girls. So I short, the message I composed for Eli got sent to Val by mistake when she texted me. Damn, this new phone and it's changing message tabs! Val was never supposed to see that massage! I was ending something before it started for Pete sake!

Looked down at my phone and relived the nightmare all over again.

Who the fuck 'rocked your world last night'?!
Xoxo Val

Shit, babe...that message wasn't for you. It's not what u think.
M. Shadows

NO SHIT MATT!!! YOU BETTER START EXPLAINING!!!
Xoxo Val

Can't I call you later? It would b much easier to talk over the phone...
M. Shadow

So basically ur screwing some slut behind my back, got it. Go. To. Hell!
Xoxo Val

Babe please, it's not really like that!
M. Shadows

Not really like that?!?! Fuck you. We R done!
Xoxo. Val

Please don't do this...
M. Shadows

U made ur bed, so go lay in it. Go fuck 'sexy'! Oh wait...u already did! F U!
Xoxo Val

"Shads?" A slurred voiced called from behind me, carelessly grabbing my shoulders for support. I blinked back my watered vision to see Gates trying to keep his balance. He sniffed and wiped his nose, getting rid of the little train of white power in the process. "What are you doing here drinking by yourself?"

I scoffed and threw my hands up in the air, turning to take another large swig from the patron bottle. "I was going to ask you the same question." I wiped my mouth and tried to focus my attention on Gates. Fuck, why does he keep swaying?

"Apparently I'm the biggest dick on the plant and screwed everything!" He laughed.

"Oh is that all all?" I chuckled. "Well, join the club. I'm a dick too!" I patted the empty bar stool next to me, well, attempted to. My hand ended up missing the chair and knocking my knuckles in the wood. I didn't even feel it.

Brian reached over and grabbed my bottle as one of the bar tender made her way toward us. "You Shads? An asshole? Yeah, I'll believe they when I see it!" He laughed, taking a big chug. I watched with blurred vision as her grimaced and grabbed a lime. "Yuck...you're drinking patron? Can I have a bottle of Jack?" The bar maid rolled her eyes as Gates winked at her and put the bottle on the counter next to a glass.

"Well believe it, I fucked up royally," I said miserably into the top of the bottle before drowning my sorrows. I couldn't even taste the alcohol any more my tongue was so numb.

"Trouble in paradise?" Gates raised a crooked brow at me, watching me over top of his glass. His eyes were glazed and distant but his glare was intense. What kind of line did he take? I wanted some of that.
I snorted, rubbing my hands down my face. "Yeah...I fucking screwed up and Val dumped me."

"What happened?" I watched as he swirled the liquid in his cup, watching the brown goddess dance. If only life were that easy.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "I fucking slept with Eli and Val found out when I was trying to cut it off with El..." I took another long swig, feeling the dull throb of my emotions peaking through my drunken stupor. "I don't know why I did it...it just fucking happened. I ruined the best thing that ever happen to me."

"That's rough, Matt," he sighed, a frown replacing the smirk that usually resided on his lips. "I know how you feel..."

"How the hell do you know how I feel?" I suddenly raged, his words causing my violent drunken side to take over. "How do you know what it feels to have your heart fucking smashed cause you did something stupid when you were drunk?!" Before I realized what I was doing, I was standing and I was holding Brian by the back of his leather jacket. Who was this person?

"Because I fucked up too, alright!" Brain snapped, pulling out of my grasp and smoothing out his jacket. "I was fucking dating Kady and I broke it off because I'm a fucking coward! Now she won't even look at me!" His dark eyes were wild as he stared back at me. Suddenly he dropped to the floor with the bottle of Jack still in his hand. "I fucking blew it..." He laughed cynically as sat on the floor in the middle of the bar.

"Well that makes two of us..." I huffed, taking my seat again. I took another swig of patron only to find the bottom of the bottle. I would be dead in the morning but I wasn't about to think about that now. "So really, you and Parker's sister? Are you mad?"

Brian chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "She was fucking perfect."

"Yeah, so is Val..."

"So now what to we do?"

What do we do? I didn't have the faintest idea but I did know that I wasn't about to give up. I would have to make Val see that it was all one big mistake that would never happen. "I'm not running away, I've been fighting this so long with her. I'm going to have prove myself to her."

"How are you going to do that?" Suddenly my nostrils filled with smoke and I looked down to see Brian smoking a cigarette underneath the lip of the bar. How does he always get away with smoking in public places?

I shrugged my shoulders, almost losing my balance in the process. "I don't fucking know," I said as a smile pulled on my lips. The bar tender was sniffing the air trying to figure out where the cigarette smell was coming from. Yeah, good luck finding Gates down there buddy. He's a fucking smoking ninja. "Do something bold to show her I'm not giving up? I'll fucking declare my love to the world in the press if that's what it takes!" I was serious! I wasn't giving up in Val and I: hell, I wanted to marry the girl.

"You'd tell the press about your love life to make her happy?" I looked up me with smokey eyes and I could tell the wheels in his brain were moving.

"If that's what it takes, then yes!" I said firmly before grabbing the bottle of Jack away form Gates.

Suddenly Brian is standing inches from my face with a shit eating grin plastered on his face. "You are a fucking genius, Shads!" He insists before grabbing my cheeks in his hands and kissing me.

He quickly ran, well as fast as a drunk man could, from the resort bar, leaving me in shock. What the hell just happened?

That bastard just just left me with the tab!

Notes