Side Show: Lust & Chrome duet

by Gigi Birtie

  Mona grabs us two cups since the guys are still in the garage and we head outside to mingle.

  Right away I see a few people from our class there. I give them a nod wondering how they got invited to my house, but I could careless in the long run.

  “Mona, you know you and Riv can crash here.” I don't want them driving home drunk when we have so many rooms empty

  “Yeah babe, I know.” Mona unleashes her brilliant smile on me. “I was planning on taking my room.”

  She always stays in the room across from mine when Riv is with her, but if not we usually just crash in my room, since I have a huge king size bed. Hell; sometimes Mona, Tala, and myself have all passed out in my bed.

  I relax now knowing I don't have to worry about my best friend and I chug my beer. I'm feeling a bit thirsty tonight, so I'm already pumping out my second beer from the keg.

  Just as I turn to go back to Mona I run into Asher, but he instantly steadies me, so I don't spill or fall over.

  “Whoa,” his voice is horse, “babe don't get wasted we still need to talk, and I kinda need you to remember our conversation tomorrow.”

  I nod and smile while getting up on my tip toes to plant a kiss on his bearded chin.

  “Do you want to talk now? That way I don't get too loose.”

  “Yeah let's talk now.”

  He grabs my hand and leads me to my bedroom. I see Mona as we pass by and give her a wink and she just rolls her eyes. She probably thinks we're just going to the room for a quickie.

  When we enter my room, Asher picks me up and plants a kiss on my lips as he gently lays me on my bed.

  I run my hand through his hair as I stare at his lips wanting to kiss him more.

  “Sloane, we have a bit of a problem.”

  My heart quickens. I can only hope it's not bad, but how could it be since he's holding me the way he is.

  “What's the problem Asher?” My voice is shakier than I expected.

  Asher burns a trail of kisses down my neck and lingers by my ear.

  “We don't see each other nearly enough, and I find myself missing you more than I want to admit.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief. This is a problem I can deal with and a concern I have as well.

  “I feel the same way Asher, but our schedules have been so hectic, plus how are we going to make more time for each other when we don't have extra hours in the day.”

  Asher brings his face to mine while his fingers tuck a stray hair of mine behind my ear.

  “I can make more time for you if you're willing to do the same for me.”

  How can I say no to that? I know once I start school at Cal we’ll see each other more, but the time is now, if this is going to work.

  “I can make more time for you. I've only been busier because you have been occupied with training and I haven't wanted to distract you from that.” I look up meeting his eyes and all I see is shock and disbelief.

  “You're telling me you've been distant, because you didn't want to distract me?”

  He sits up and I instantly feel the loss of his warm body from mine. Asher sits against my headboard, looking off deep in thought.

  “I haven't mind that you've been doing your own thing, it's given me a chance to discover new things about myself. I've been able to learn how to ride my motorcycle, as well as go around and photograph things I find interesting.” I feel guilty as soon as I word vomit that I really haven't missed him as much as I say I have. The look on his face tells me that he took it as such too.

  “So, you really haven't missed me as you say you have.”

  Asher runs his hand through his hair and lowers his head.

  “Maybe this is wrong then, maybe we need to separate for a while, until you're ready to not be as selfish with your time.” Asher says.

  My jaw drops. What just happened here. How did we go from wanting to spend more time together to breaking up?

  I get up from my bed and stand at the end.

  “What's happening here?” The tears start to well up in my eyes. “Are you breaking up with me?” My body starts to shiver as I suddenly feel cold.

  Asher gets up from my bed as well straightens his clothes.

  “Yeah, I think we should take a break.”

  “I don't want a break up. Why are you even saying this?” I demand.

  “I'm saying this, because you're discovering yourself and you're still in high school, we both haven't been making time for one another. It's hardly fair to either of us.”

  I can't believe this. I can't fucking believe this!

  “I don't want this Asher I want you.” I cry out.

  My tears fall to my cheek as I can't hold onto them anymore. I enjoyed our laid-back relationship, I didn't realize I was hurting him by not making more of an effort.

  “I've gotta go. I didn't think this was going to happen, and I need some time.” He looks me up and down and my tears won't stop. “I'll call you.”

  “Yeah, right.” I cry and throw a fit by going to my bathroom and locking the door shutting Asher out.

  I hear Asher open and close my bedroom door as I slide down to the floor wrapping my arms around my legs and just cry.

  “I don't want us to end.” I barely whisper out.

  I don't know how long I sat there crying, but by the time I got up and looked in the mirror my eyes were red and swollen while mascara streaked my cheeks. I don't feel shattered only confused and lost. There is no way I'm letting Asher give me space.

  No way.

  Chapter 33

  Asher

  I can't believe after waiting so long for Slone, that I just broke up with her and left her crying alone in her room. I don't think it's even possible to feel like a bigger shit than I already do.

  When she said she wasn't to put out by us not seeing each other more and that she was using her time to work and explore herself I felt that she needed time to be able to do just that. Plus, I was starting to feel like the chick in this relationship by asking to see her more. My fragile male ego was bruised, and I lashed out in the worst way. Sloane’s beautiful blue eyes will haunt me for the rest of my life. The pain she showed wrenched my gut making me puke as soon as I got outside her house.

  I had a crush on her since we were kids at camp. I never in all my life thought I'd run into her again. Especially when I went back to that lame ass camp for two years after meeting her, just hoping I would have a second chance. I only had that one picture of us the first week we were there. It meant more to me than anything I owned. During that week she was always wanting to play with us boys and though none of the guys wanted her around, I did so I always found myself spending time with her. We had talked and played all day every day and our connection was crazy from the start, but my sister Betty June became sick, and I had to go home without having a chance to say goodbye, it left me always wondering what happened to Sloane. I always thought it was crazy to know at such a young age that she was someone special to me.

  It took six years for me to finally find her again. I was just leaving Reese’s dorm when I saw her. It was like every cliché you hear about when time stands still, it was in that moment I knew it was her. She has these eyes that are unlike any blue you'll ever see. If anyone was in their right mind they would want to get lost in those gleaming deep turquoise eyes. Of course, her eyes were framed with a beautiful face, her skin is so smooth and flawless, with the fullest pink lips that you'd ever want to kiss and silky wavy hair of light brown to blonde on the tips. Once you get past her beautiful face and check out her body it's also just as perfect. She's not your typical thin girl. No, this girl has a body of a woman, curves in all the right places. Her tits are definitely more than a handful and her ass is a perfect peach.

  Fuck.

  What did I do?

  I need that woman to breath, she is my lifeline and everything I work hard for is, for her. That's why I've been training harder putting in all that extra effort. I want to give her the world and I just fucking walked awa
y from her.

  Stupid.

  Shit.

  It took me so long to land her, waiting out Dane was the worst. Why she had to meet him and Reese letting them go out was unimaginable. That and I couldn't go up to her and explain, hey you were my crush that one year when we were kids. I'd like to explore being together since I've wondered all these years what happened to you.

  Can you say creepy.

  I had to play it cool for months though I'm glad it wasn't years. I knew Dane was going to fuck up soon with Moxie, it was just me hoping Sloane was in the right place, so she could see for her very own eyes. That's when I come in to make it all better.

  It's not as if I manipulated the situation or stalked her. I just helped myself in getting what I wanted and that was getting together at the right time.

  Did I mention while I was secretly watching over Sloane while she dated Dane I too had a girlfriend? She came off as this sweet hippie chick but she's seriously mentally unstable. I know once Sloane comes to Cal they'll meet, and Tenley will come unglued. She hasn't left me alone since the split.

  As of right now I need to get some sleep since we have mandatory practice in the morning, but first I have to text Sloane and make things right.

  I'm sorry babe can we meet up tomorrow? I take everything I said back!

  I waited for her to text me back, but she never did. I would have to run by her house after practice and grovel my way back into her arms.

  Once morning comes I'm exhausted but up and already on the field for drills.

  Right when I finished my first sprint I get pushed from behind. Not hard, but enough to get my attention. I turn and see it's Reese and he doesn't look all that happy to see me.

  “What the fuck did you say to my sister to where she was crying all night, and decides to get on a plane this morning to go visit our mother?”

  My jaw drops.

  She left. This is very bad, very very bad. I know Sloane doesn't talk much about her parents, as they're wrapped up in their own worlds to truly care about her and Reese, but I never thought she would run from me to go be with her mom.

  “What, she left?”

  “That's what I just said. She never visits our mom, so I know it's bad so what the fuck did you say to her.”

  Reese is visibly pissed off his hands are clenched into fists ready to punch me the fuck out.

  I raise my hands in a surrender and take a step back.

  “Look, I fucked up Reese. I just said we should take a break, and things kind of spiraled out of control. I texted her last night wanting to talk this out, but she obviously isn't having any of it. I made a mistake and I want to clear this mess up.”

  Reese looks at me knowing I'm telling the truth but just shakes his head.

  “Why did you want a break?”

  “To be honest I was being a bitch because, I want more time with her and she just didn't seem that phased by it which made me overreact. I'm seriously the girl in this relationship.”

  I run my hand over my face after my pitiful confession.

  Reese has a blank stare that has me shuffling from one foot to another, then he throws his head back, and lets out the deepest laugh I've ever heard come from him.

  “It's not that funny.” I say, feeling a bit irritated now that I even told him, but I really didn't want him to kick my ass either for making his sister cry. He is bigger than me, not by much, but he could easily do some damage. Also, after seeing what he does daily in practice to Dane, I don’t want to piss him off at all.

  Dane gets his ass handed to him and just takes it.

  “Oh, it is that funny you two are made for each other.” He laughs again so I punch him in the arm.

  “Hey man, alright.”

  “Alright,” he throws his hands up and stifles his laughter. “Well this is an easy fix, but damn you're kinda fucked now that she's left the state and smashed the hell out of her phone.”

  “She did what?” How am I supposed to reach her?

  As if Reese is reading my mind he answers me.

  “I'll give you our moms phone number, and maybe you can reach her that way, but it's a land line that our mom normally leaves the ringer off on, anyway you're kinda fucked.”

  Again with the kinda fucked.

  Shit I am fucked.

  “Well she graduates soon so she has to come back for that right?”

  “No man she has more than enough credits she'll actually be a sophomore when she starts in the fall and knowing her stubborn ass, she won't come back for graduation. Which means you probably won't see her till school starts in the fall.”

  “FUCK…. FUUUUUCK!” I yell, “How am I going to fix this?”

  “I don't know man, maybe talk with Mona she likes you two together.”

  That's all I need as my plan instantly fell into place sadly it will be a couple of months before I can make it happen, since I have spring training already starting, and can't break to go see her till June, when they give us two weeks off.

  “If you talk to her can you tell her what happened?” I ask sincerely.

  “I'll try but I already know she won't even call me. Once she shuts down it takes a long time for her to come back around. I suspect since you are wanting a break, so close to when that idiot Dane did to fuck her over, that might of been the straw that caused her freak out.”

  Reese picks up his towel and looks at me again with a mix of emotion. I can visibly see he still wants to kick my ass but smarts off instead

  “I knew I shouldn't have let her date, I should have kept her on the no one touch my sister plan, and she would still be here working hard for her education.”

  “I'm sorry man I really didn't want all this to happen.”

  “I know but it still sucks for her and now I'm gonna still have to kick your ass for making my sister cry.”

  Oh, shit and before I could say a word Reese tackles me to the ground knocking the wind out of me and punches me three time all to the face.

  He climbs off me but helps me up, all of our teammates had rushed over looking as confused as I feel.

  “Its all good guys I made his sister cry.” I admitted.

  Most of them laughed, while others say crude shit.

  “Did she cry when she saw how little your dick is?” Was one of my favorites.

  Douche.

  “Come on man, lets hit the showers. You have a lot of groveling to do with Sloane.”

  Reese was right. I have my work cut out for me, and not having a way to reach her is going to make this even harder.

  I will win her back though. This will all be cleared up and when it is, I'll never be stupid to call it quits like that ever again.

  This whole situation really puts my feelings for her into perspective. Love is nothing to take for granted.

  Ever.

  The End until part 2 comes out in the Lust and Chrome duet!! Which will be the early part of 2019! If not sooner!!

  Gigi xxx

  Acknowledgments

  Thank You!

  This is the part where I’d like to thank a few very special people!! First, I’d like to thank my husband who drives me to write, with him being a big pain in my ass most days. Ha-ha I love you Benny! You are my everything even when I’m mad at you!! Thanks for always letting me be me and keeping it real! To my miniature writing partner, my puppy Bowie Brexlee, you all have no idea how important she is to the process! She listens to all my ideas with no lip or sass.

  Many thanks to my friends but first a huge thanks to my best friend and sister Abby Lane, I love you to the moon and back, you are the only person that knows everything about me and has witnessed more than half of it! My other dear friends in life Lorena Fisher, Simone Nicole, Megan Monk, Soolin Withrow and Stephanie Goodson you all have been very supportive in one way or another in this new adventure! I appreciate you all more than I can ever express. I have been wanting to pursue this for a long time now and thanks to all of them, they helped give me that encouragement to go for it!
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  Alessandra Torre and everyone in her Inkers group! Alessandra I would be lost if it wasn’t for your beautiful soul in wanting to help others achieve their dreams and for that I will forever be grateful!

  Now for my business relationships, many thanks to Andrea Clark for editing my book, I can’t wait to work with you on the second installment!! Plus, a book after that and after that till infinity!! You have been absolutely wonderful to work with and I just adore you and your ways around some proper grammar!! My lack of using of a comma has been noted lol xxx

  I want to give a big thanks to Maria of Steamy Book Designs!! Not only did she bring my vision of the cover to life, which let me tell you I was scared she was going to end up wanting to kill me when we got to the font and with me being so picky! Sorry Maria, I absolutely love you and your talents!!! I promise I’ll be better for the second one and third and fourth and so on and so on!! Also, Maria formatted my book so you’re able to read it smoothly!! Maria literally does it all and knows how to put asses in the reader seat I’m so glad we found each other!

  My beta readers!! Without you ladies taking a chance on me the rest would not have happened and I wouldn’t have gone further without your guidance, words of advice and the fan girl moments that made my heart swell with awe!! I adore you Elaine Makri and Rebeka Duran!! I’m forever grateful to you both!! To my third beta who went M.I.A, next time…

  With a huge thanks to my readers and future readers I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you reading and hopefully enjoying my work! There are no words in how much you mean to me! Even the ones who end up not liking my book it’s okay if you don’t I’m just glad for you taking a chance on me and just hope you’re not too brutal in your review, but if you are then that is just how it has to be and I won’t be hurt just driven to get your positivity on the next one!