Only Hurts The One I Love

3.

"Take me now, baby, here as I am"

Patti Smith - Because The Night

3.

"Spill it already!" Cheered Matt as Alex poured them the third tea of the day. He was just back from San Sabastian this morning. Clearly, the sunshine there treated him well and Matt was chuffed with his vacation, so much so that he couldn't even wait till tomorrow to bug Alex to death.

Alex shoved the cup into his waiting hand, giving his friend a questioning brow. "Don't know what you're on about, Matthew."

Matt raised his cup to Alex's face. Before he could say anything, Alex's phone decided to buzz at the exact moment. Of course, it was a text from Miles. Miles went back home on Monday. Since then, Alex had pretty much been attached to his phone. He smiled at the short message.

-This place sucks. Only got movies that you or me grandma would like x

-Bugger off.

When Alex finished typing his reply, he found Matt squinting with his mouth twitched, half closed. "Hah! Got ya! You've been secretly seeing someone, you arse!"

Alex almost chocked on his tea. He threw himself on the sofa as well, lips curling up in amusement. To be fair, Matt wasn't too off-target, but it still sounded funny hearing him say that. "Guess again."

His attitude had Matt frown in surprise. "Eh," Matt blinked, sitting up straight. "Who are you talking to then?"

"Miles Kane." Alex shrugged. The name rolled off his tongue easily. Their night-time "lectures" didn't seem to interfere their daytime friendship all that much. Alex wasn't sure if that was a bad thing or not. "You remember we were talking about playing with the other band? He's the guitarist."

Matt nodded. "Right, so this was about music..." He almost looked disappointed for some reason. "It's just that you seem really happy."

Suddenly, Alex realized where this was heading. It had been nearly a year since they touched on Alex's messed up relationship issueagain and he almost forgot sometimes Matt could push a bit too far. "I'm in a good mood." Alex grumbled, trying to avoid the rest of the talk by heading back to the kitchen.

However, Matt's words followed him. "I'll stop mithering you, Al!" He could hear Matt getting up and walking to his room. "No need to get a monk on."

Too late.When Alex returned to his own bedroom, he couldn't help but stare at the few marks on the wall, left by an old photo frame. Sometimes Alex still wondered where she was right now, what she's up to. But that was none of his business, hadn't been for a while.

Alex lied down on his unmade bed. The ceiling looked too white and empty. He wasn't petty about the breakup anymore, but he got phantom agony bursting in his chest if he's not careful enough. It had just occurred to Alex that the past week had been good for him. He almost forgot how disconnected and lonely he used to feel in this room.

His phone buzzed again.

It took Alex a lot of courage to ignore the unsettling feeling in his stomach. But once he casted a glance at the screen, his mind was successfully guided to elsewhere.

+

The tour started on a Wednesday in Glasgow. The two bands assembled a day earlier just to hang out. They were quite a gang walking down the street. Miles and Alex were tugged at the tail, their shoulders touching constantly as Miles had been bouncy since they met at the guest house.

"Ey up," Alex laughed when Miles almost hit a light pole, putting his hand on Miles' shoulder to wheel him to the other side of the pavement. "You'll break something very soon if you keep walking like that."