Page 56 of Sixty Days Of Summer

“Theo, stop,” Scarlet says, her voice firm as she keeps the phone pressed to her ear. I can hear Nate’s angry voice cutting through the line, but it’s all muffled and I can’t make out a damn thing he’s saying.

“No, Scar,” Theo growls. “Not until I knock some sense into this fucker.”

She switches the phone from voice to screen, and my stomach sinks as I see the fury etched across Nate’s face. Shit, Xander was right. There’s no way Nate is going to forgive me for this, and I can’t shake the feeling that Theo won’t be far behind in his judgment. Once they discover this isn’t just a one-time fling, the fallout is going to be catastrophic.

“You guys need to listen to me now, and not say a word,” Scarlet says, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“No way, Scar,” Nate snaps. “This fucker had no right to get involved with you like this.”

“Oh my god, will you two just stop?” Scarlet says, her voice sharp. But even as she speaks, Theo continues to glare at me with fire in his eyes, as if he’s ready to rip me apart. I know that if Scarlet weren’t standing between us, the asshole would’ve unleashed his fury on me already. “I can make my own decisions. I’ve told you both that a million times, but you never seem to listen.”

“No, you don’t get it, Scar,” Theo spits out, his frustration boiling over. “This fucker uses chicks, and I’m not gonna let him use you.”

His words cut deep into my core. Theo’s right. They’ve both witnessed the wild days, the endless groupies, the relentless partying before we hit it big. They know my fucking slogan—the more groupies at once, the better. So, I completely understand why they’d think I’m just using her for a quick fuck. But it’s not like that at all. There’s something between Scarlet and me—something I can’t even begin to put into words, something I don’t fully understand myself. And the worst part is, I’m lost on how to explain any of this shit.

I step around Scarlet, bracing myself for Theo’s next blow. “It’s not like that, man,” I say, struggling to keep my voice steady.

“What?” Theo laughs, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You’re telling me I haven’t just walked in on you fucking her?”

“Theo,” Scarlet snaps, but he’s too fired up to even react. The anger blazing in his eyes and the way he’s breathing like a bull ready to charge makes it clear he’s not interested in any excuses I might have.

“How long, Ace?” Nate says, his tone cold and piercing. “How long have you been fucking my sister?”

I swallow hard, trying to push the lump in my throat down. This is it. Time to come clean. “Look…” I start, but the words catch in my throat. I need to figure out what this thing with Scarlet is before I can explain it to them. I’m not about to spill my guts to these guys who know me as the asshole who dives into pussy to avoid dealing with my own crap.

“Can I ask… how did you guys find out?” Scarlet’s voice comes from behind me.

“It’s all over the fucking headlines,” Nate snaps through the phone, his voice sharp with anger. “If I was right there right now, I’d kick your fucking ass, Ace.” Hearing his voice crack stings like hell. Beneath all that rage, I can sense the deep betrayal I’ve caused, and it hits me hard.

“What’s all over the headlines?” I ask, genuinely dumbfounded by whatever the hell they’re talking about. Every time I’ve been with Scarlet, we’ve been alone—there’s been no one around to see a damn thing.

Theo digs out his phone, tapping away like he’s on some kind of mission. Scarlet and I watch, both of us wondering where the hell this is headed. He then turns the phone to us, and my stomach drops when he shows us a grainy photo. It’s blurry, but I recognize it immediately. It’s us—me and Scarlet, kissing. The image looks like it’s straight out of a surveillance camera, and I know exactly when it was taken. It was right after I bailed on that interview, when I was spiraling and kissed her.

I look up at Theo, the words stuck in my throat, because it’s all laid bare before us. No one could misinterpret it; with the media buzzing around us, there’s no doubt that the entire world thinks we’re together. The gravity of that truth presses down on me, constricting my chest.

“Fuck,” I mutter, running my hands through my hair, desperately trying to figure out what the hell to say.

“Yeah, fuck is right,” Nate snaps through the phone.

“Look, Nate,” I start, but the words falter. I’m grasping for something—anything—to calm him down, but I don’t even know what the fuck I’m aiming for here. I’ve never had to justify why I’ve fucked someone before. I’ve always just done my thing, no explanations needed. But now? Now, I’m lost as shit, tangled up in my own emotions and the fallout of this mess, with no clue what the fuck to do next.

“It doesn’t matter,” Scarlet cuts in. “I don’t owe you guys any explanations. This isn’t fucking high school anymore, so back off. We’re adults.”

Theo doesn’t say a word; he just keeps his eyes locked on me, anger still blazing in them. “We’re not letting this go,” he says.

“I know that, and I wouldn’t expect anything different,” I reply, knowing how protective the two of them are.

“Oh my god, will you guys just leave it alone? I’m not a teenager anymore. Get over measuring your dicks for fuck sake,” Scarlet snaps, clearly frustrated.

“Scarlet, just go,” I say, bracing myself for the inevitable fallout. I know I’m about to take my punishment for breaking the bro code, but right now, I need her to get out of the line of fire.

“What?” Scarlet replies, stepping in front of me defiantly. I shift my eyes down to her, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on us. She’s not backing down, and I can see the resolve in her stance, but I need to protect her from this storm. “I’m not leaving you to face this alone.”

“Just go,” I say, and I can see the hurt flash in her eyes before it quickly morphs into anger.

“For fuck sake, I’ll leave so you all can have your little pissing contest,” she snaps, her voice sharp as a knife. She glares at me, then at Theo, her frustration palpable. With a huff, she hangs up on Nate and storms out, slamming the door behind her.

Theo’s glare finally breaks when his phone rings. He yanks it out of his pocket and answers the call, his eyes still locked on me.

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