Page 53 of Goodbye Note

“Let’s go to my bus. It should be more chill than this.”

“Considering half your band is here, it better be.” I pushed to my feet, and the bus swayed. “Fuck, I’m way too drunk for this.”

Arik grabbed my arm. “It’s not a long walk.”

I leaned into him as the ground shifted under my feet, eventually finding my sea legs. “I hate when you don’t realize how drunk you are until you stand up.”

Arik laughed. “I knew. You’ve been slurring your words for an hour.”

I glared at him playfully. “You could have warned me.”

“You were having a good time. Why would I?”

“So I’m not a mess!” I didn’t mean any of it. It wasn’t his job.

“I like when you’re happy, and if that comes with a mess, I’ll take it.” He stopped in front of his bus, not making a move to go in.

“Take it, huh?”

“I said what I said.” He nodded, a grin playing at the corners of his lips. He looked so fucking good standing in the moonlight. I never wanted this summer to end.

I gritted my teeth, biting back everything I wanted to say. None of it would come out right like this. I wished I had any indication he was bi. Any at fucking all so I could tell him I was a little in love with him.

“It’s Arik! Oh my god,” a couple of girls called.

“Can we get a picture?”

The moment came crashing to our feet, but Arik, being the guy he was, signed their shirts and stood for pictures that wouldn’t turn out on their disposable cameras.

“So what does your arm say?” one of them asked as we were trying to wrap it up.

“It’s a secret,” I said, trying to be playful without having to tell them.

“So does that mean you have a girlfriend?” she pressed.

“I don’t know what it means,” I said, side-eyeing Arik, not wanting to piss him off.

He was notably silent.

“So what you’re saying is you’re not committed?” The girl had a look in her eyes.

“Our bus is about to leave. Raincheck?” Arik cut in.

“You don’t have twenty minutes?” she asked. “You can have all three of us.”

The other two didn’t object.

“No,” Arik’s tone carried finality.

The girl looked between us, like she was trying to put together the pieces of our hesitation. Who turned down a threesome, after all? “Did you write it?”

“We can’t be late for our call time, or we get left behind. Sorry.” I cut it off because I didn’t want to deny he wrote it. I liked that he did.

“Christ’s sake. No means no,” Arik said once the door closed behind us. He didn’t stop in the front lounge, going to the back only to find it locked. “Fuck. I don’t want to deal with anyone else tonight.”

We lingered in the narrow hall, face to face. I wasn’t sure what to say.

“It’s okay. I have to get back soon anyway.”

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