14 Days

Brian had passed out, his arm snugly around Evie’s middle to hold her close. Delicately, she lifted his tattooed hand from her belly and cautiously inched out of his hold, trying not to disturb his slumber as she got out of bed. The sunlight was streaming through the windows, a reminder that they hadn’t closed the curtains after last night's activities, and Evie padded over to pull the drapes across and shadow the room in darkness. A look at the clock on the nightstand showed that it was only 7:30am, far too early to be awake, but thanks to yesterday’s nap on the couch, Evie was already full of energy. She moved over to the armchair in the corner of the room, grabbing Brian’s tee from yesterday and slipping it on. A quick visual search of the room revealed her panties over to near the ensuite. She collected those, quickly pulling them on before her attention returned to the bed once again. With her departure, Brian had shifted on to his back, one arm resting on his chest, the other on the bed where she had been laying. Evie smiled softly at the endearing image, the man who had shaken her to her core looking so peaceful and serene as he slept, the polar opposite of the emotions just looking at him stirred up within her. She tiptoed over to the side of the bed, and leaning over carefully, pecked him on the cheek quickly. He let out a small, happy sigh before he snuggled himself further in the pillows. Evie’s heart warmed at the subconscious gesture, and she knew she was in too deep.

After a small stumble over Brian’s discarded jeans, Evie made her way out of the bedroom and down the staircase towards the kitchen. She searched the cupboards for a glass before filling it at the sink, staring vacantly towards the ocean. She was a little regretful that she had missed the sunrise, imagining that it would have been just as beautiful as sunset the night before. She could definitely imagine herself sitting outside on the patio, a cup of coffee in one hand, a cigarette in the other, curled up next to Brian, a blanket over their legs to keep away the chill while they waited for the morning to break.

She let herself indulge in the thought, the warmth from earlier returning and starting to burn her from within. Is this what she had been missing out on? She placed the now empty glass in the sink, turning and heading towards her luggage that was still sitting in the foyer. She delved within, pulling out the first pair of pants her hands came across, a fresh pair of underwear and a bra. With her items in hand, she ducked into the powder room, changing into her outfit, but keeping the stolen shirt on. She sniffed at the collar, inhaling the masculine, smokey scent that screamed ‘Brian’. She went to the vanity, quickly washing her face with warm water to help freshen herself up. Evie stared at her reflection, the look on her face so vastly different from the last time she had been standing in this spot. Where she had once looked and felt so emotionally ragged, a look of contentment and calm had taken over, though her hair was much more tangled than from her nap on the couch. A smile ghosted over her features at the memory of why she was so physically disheveled and now it was her time to sigh in contentment.

Evie looked over herself and her outfit once more, feeling confident and cute in her black skinny jeans and borrowed shirt. Though the shirt was clearly a few sizes too big, faded and well worn, the soft cotton comforted her in a way that she hadn’t felt before. If she had known that by giving in to the more reckless, romanticised part of her would make her this content, she would have given in days ago. She would have eagerly let herself get carried away with whatever was between herself and Brian and let herself indulge in happiness for once. Last night had shown her that whatever she was feeling, Brian clearly reciprocated, and their conversations on the patio had shown her a different side of the cocky lead guitarist. Beneath his ‘Synyster Gates’ facade, he was actually an intelligent, caring guy, something she had only seen glimpses of during her time on this tour. Her heart sank as she realised just how little time she had on this tour. In only three days she would be leaving Avenged and the crew, and one of those days Evie was on a flight alone to Ohio. She was due to fly out first thing tomorrow so she could meet up with Halestorm at the festival for their set, Avenged following and due to play the day after.

She glanced down at her shirt, the fabric now seeming to give her nothing but regret and confusion. What was she doing? How had she let herself get so swept up with Brian and the way he made her feel? She was leaving in three days, and the likelihood of her running into him ever again were so slim she wanted to cry. They were two people on two separate tours, so it was highly unlikely to be playing the same venue or festival in the same year, let alone at the same time ever again. She had been kidding herself. There was no way that anything that had grown between her and Brian would have a chance to see itself through. They weren’t even from the same state, so it’s not like they could get together and try again once they were home, or just accidentally run into each other in the grocery store. This ‘relationship’ had an expiry date, and it was in three days.

Evie let herself out of the powder room in desperate need for some air. She walked through the kitchen, finding her phone still sitting on the kitchen bench top from where she had abandoned it last night. Without glancing at the screen, she shoved it in her pocket before opening the back door and escaping into the brisk morning air. Because Brian lived so close to the ocean, the wind was stronger and colder than she had originally anticipated for California, but her Pennsylvanian blood was more than used to the temperature. She stalked over to the patio setting, picking up the packet of cigarettes and pulling one out, quickly lighting it before placing all excess items back on the table. Staring back out at the ocean, Evie couldn’t help but further berate herself. There was a reason she wasn’t in a relationship, and there was a reason she was always so happy to follow and trail in her brothers wake. She didn’t do stability very well. She had never been one to lust after the 9-5 job, to want that perfect white picket fence, the 2.5 kids and to put down roots somewhere.

She was happiest when she was travelling, seeing new things and experiencing new places. She loved the chaos of being crammed in the van with her friends and family, getting to live her life alongside them as they made their dreams a reality. She loved being able to help them actualise those dreams and she had never felt more accomplished than after a perfect gig. While there was always noise and excitement on the road, she also knew exactly how to take full advantage of the moments of silence and solitude when they presented themselves. She loved to stare at the night sky after every show, taking a beat to center herself and realise just how much more living and exploring she had left to go. She loved hearing the thrum of the vans engine beneath her as she watched the scenery pass by while everyone else was passed out. She eagerly took in every rest stop, every overnight stay and every opportunity to explore a town, and she needed that excitement to be happy.

She couldn’t let her mind get carried away with any more scenarios of her and Brian out here together, being a couple or being anything more than colleagues. There was no way she was ready to give up her lifestyle and her adventures in the hope that this might be something that lasts. There was no way she would expect it of him to give everything up to be with her, and she hoped he would never ask it of her. There was no point ruining either of their lives for something that might just fizzle out, especially now they had given in to the sexual tension between them.

Evie stayed staring out at the ocean until she smoked the cigarette to the filter, throwing it in the ashtray once it extinguished itself. She fished out her phone from her pocket and looked through the notifications. A text from her brother, one from Lzzy, and one from Larry. She opened the message from Larry, reading over the entire thing twice as nothing stayed in her brain on the first read through.

From: Larry J, 8:56pm 15/04
I apologise for my delay and for calling so late. Your room is booked at the L.A. Grand Hotel for tonight and tomorrow night after the show. Call 323 792 9494 for a cab. Your flight to Ohio is at 6:35am the next day - Larry Jacobson

An alarm bell rang as soon as the information sunk in, and Evie was soon opening up her call log. There it was, one call from Larry J last night at 8:54pm, call rejected. That’s why she had no notification of a missed call - the call had actually been hung up. Evie’s mind span. There was clearly only one other person that could have seen the call come through, and he was currently still asleep after their night together. Why would he hang up on Larry? What did that mean? Why didn’t he tell her that Larry had called? Would she had left if she had known? Why didn’t Brian give her that choice?

As if on autopilot, Evie called the cab company and ordered a car to pick her up. She made her way back in the house, picked up her backpack and duffel bag and unlocked the front door. She moved to the curb, her eyes never resting, just continuously shifting from right to left to look out for the car.

She felt like she had emotional whiplash, starting her day by waking up and feeling more content and calm than she could remember, to this sudden chaos and doubt storm that started brewing the second she let herself feel too much. She almost laughed at the irony of her reaction, having to remind herself that only minutes ago she was reinforcing her need of independence and how she could never settle down, yet here she was, upset at the idea that there would be nothing more between herself and Brian. There would be no weekend barbeques they hosted with the band and crew, no late night star gazing, no cuddles on the couch, no morning sunrises together. No roots. Isn’t that what she always needed?

The cab pulled up to the sidewalk, and Evie was quickly throwing her belongings in the back seat before sliding in after them. She told the driver where she was heading, and she could swear his eyes flashed dollar signs before he pulled away from the curb. The ride was quiet, the only thing breaking through the silence was the jazz radio the cabbie had playing in the background. Evie was grateful for the distraction, immersing herself in listening to the complex melodies to try and give her mind a reprieve from her ever-crashing trains of thought.

Evie payed the large bill, making sure to get a receipt for reimbursement from Warner Brothers because God knows they can afford it, and walked into the hotel lobby. The room was huge, elegant marble floors tiled the entrance and a long reception desk was placed beside the bank of elevators. It was fairly quiet, the two women manning the reception desk typing away at the computers in front of them. Evie walked over to the one on the right and received a practiced smile from the young woman.

“Good morning and welcome to L.A. Grand. Are you checking in today?” She asked Evie, her fingers still typing at the keyboard as she continued eye contact with Evie. She was impressed.
“Yes, I am. I have a reservation under Evelyn Smith,” Evie told the woman, managing not to cringe at her old fashioned first name. She was much happier to forever go by Evie, family name be damned.

“Sure thing, let me just look that up,” the receptionist said, still smiling.

Evie stood awkwardly at the desk, placing her duffel at her feet and letting her eyes wander the lobby. To her left, a couple stood in front of a wall of brochures, each pulling out papers and excitedly showing the other what it was advertising. They must have pulled out at least ten each, judging by the stack on the table beside them. The elevator doors dinged, opening to reveal a group of tourists chatting amongst themselves, eager to start their day of wandering the city. Following the group, a man in his mid-40’s stepped out of the lift, adjusting his tie as he walked through the space with a purposeful stride, collecting a paper from a stack on the edge of the reception desk as he flew past.

“Ok, Miss Smith, we have you down in a Vista suite, checking in, oops, yesterday, and checking out tomorrow. Is that correct?” The receptionist asked, getting Evie’s attention to return to her. “Yes, that’s right. Will my late check in be a problem?” She asked, fearful that she may have missed her window and they could have given her room away as she was a no show yesterday.

“No, Miss Smith. We were under strict instruction to keep the suite available to you, regardless of check in time,” she replied, reading the notes on the room booking. Evie was impressed with Larry’s forethought. He had apologised for contacting Evie so late, so must have realised her not making to LA last night was a real possibility if she was too tired from travelling. If only that was the reason she had arrived late.“Great, thanks,” Evie told her, unsure of what a proper response would be.

“Here is your room key, you are on level 12, room 7.” A room key was placed on the desk and slid over to Evie as she bent down to collect her duffle bag. “If there is anything you need, please call us at reception. We hope you have a wonderful stay with us at the LA Grand.”

And with that, Evie was dismissed. Grabbing the key, Evie walked to the elevators, elated that one opened for her straight away. Maybe it was a good thing that she arose so early. She punched in level 12 on the elevator board and was whisked up the hotel to her floor. As soon as she had her room open, she dumped her duffle and backpack at the door and made her way to the bed. She flopped into the white bedding with no sense of grace, burying her face in the comforter while her feet dangled over the edge. It was not even 9am and she was already done with today. She had already been through the emotional ringer and was ready to drown her shitty mood in anything alcoholic or intoxicating. Unfortunately, she still had a full day ahead, including tonight’s concert, and there was no way she was going to be anything but stone cold sober when she had to face Brian again. She could hardly trust herself as it was, let alone when her inhibitions abandoned her, so she was not willing to risk any chance of her giving in to him again.

Her phone chimed from her backpack at the door, the bells ringing through the quiet room regardless that they were smothered in fabric. Evie ignored it, not having the energy or mental capacity to talk to anyone, and instead closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.

Notes

This chapter was just awful to write. I played with it for nearly a week, then BAM, today I wrote the whole thing in one sitting after deleting the 3 pages that were just smut. Turns out, I needed to write character development instead :P Who knew?!
I hate my brain sometimes!

Lemme know what you think :D
It can't always be easy, can it?

xoxo
Sas