The Sweetest Summer

Chapter Forty-Eight - Goodbye to You

"What are you...wait is that...are you wearing some other guy's jacket?! Is that why it took you so long to answer?! Because you were preoccupied FUCKING SOME OTHER DUDE?!"

My eyes went wide, selling out my own guilt, and Connor's cinnamon scent felt scandalous around my shoulders.

"Eli." My voice was tight. "You need to calm down."

"Why do I need to calm down?" His own voice was high as he tried to reason with himself. "It's because I was wrong, wasn't I? Shit, you probably just borrowed the jacket from your dad to wear home because it gets cold at night on the beach..."

I stared at the screen, slack jawed, as I tried to figure out the first way to deal with this. Should I deny it? Should I apologize? Should I just hang up? Before I could chose an option Connor chose for me.

"Hey, is everything okay?" His voice was low as he peaked his head through the slider, but it still startled me enough to swing my head, and my phone, in his direction. Shit. Eli's eyes went wide. He took a deep breath, ready to dive in, and I saw it as my best opportunity to hang up.

"Yeah, everything's fine." I lied, but my phone told the true story. Beeps and rings and requests to video chat came through one after the other, until the plastic felt warm in my hand.

"Are you sure?" Connor raised a blonde eyebrow at me.

Eli:

CALL. ME. RIGHT. THE. FUCK. NOW.

Eli:

Avery, please baby. Call me. Don't fuck him. If you love me, please don't fuck him.

I sighed reading the last one. "Actually Connor, I think you should probably just go. He won't leave me alone until I call him back..." I shrugged out of Connor's coat and handed it back to him.

"Let me guess, the him in question is Elijah West?"

"How'd you know?" I leaned against my door frame kicking myself for letting him go. He really was so good with his hands...

"Please, you guys have been obsessed with each other forever. It used to bug the shit out of me. Seriously, did you know no girl has ever dissed me as badly as you did that night you left with him? It kind of fucked me up for months, but eventually I learned you can't force someone to feel the same way you do." Trust me, I understood that. My phone dinged again in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Connor."

"Yeah, me too." He hung his head as he rubbed his large hands together in the cool Pacific breeze. "I thought tonight may be the start of something, but I guess I was wrong. Again." He leaned forward slowly and kissed me once on the cheek, his lips lingering a beat too long. "No hard feelings though. Take care of yourself, Adams."

"You too, Dr. Williams." I watched him walk up my steps and disappear into the night, my phone still burping out notifications in my hand.

I waited until the salty breeze was too much to bear, and only then did I come back inside. I closed the door and leaned against it for a few moments, stealing myself for the conversation I needed to have next.

Eli and I had to discuss the elephants in the room. Mine being tall, and blonde, and pre-med, and his being petite and brunette and a well loved thespian. My phone rang again, but I ignored it, walking to the kitchen for a fresh glass of water and to collect my thoughts.

As much as I loved Eli, I couldn't deny the double standard that sat before me. He was practically dating someone else and I wasn't allowed to have my freedom for one night with someone I was attracted to?!