Page 76 of Sixty Days Of Summer

"Hey," he says, his tone cautious, like he’s not sure what to make of me just standing there. "What are you doing?"

"Not much," I reply, forcing a casualness into my voice, even though my insides are twisted in knots. "What about you?"

"Just heading down to grab a bite before going to pick up Poppy and Alex," he says, a grin spreading across his face at the mention of their names. He’s been buzzing with excitement about Poppy and Alex flying in.

I nod, struggling to summon some enthusiasm of my own.

“You heading down to grab something to eat?” he asks.

I hesitate for a moment, shooting a quick glance at Scarlet’s room, but then I decide to hell with it. Maybe spending some time with Xander will help clear the shitstorm swirling around in my head. "Yeah, sure. Let’s go."

As we make our way to the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, Xander keeps the conversation light, effortlessly chatting about random topics. “So, how’d things go with your sister last night?”

I let out a heavy sigh, the weight of our conversation washing over me again. “It was… intense. There’s just so much to unpack. We had years to catch up on, and it all came rushing back at once.”

Xander nods, his expression turning serious for a moment. “Did you manage to talk through everything?”

“Yeah,” I reply, running a hand through my hair. “She had a rough time in that house too. I don’t want her going through it alone. I’m thinking I’ll be there when she comes out and sets the record straight. We should face it together, you know?”

As we head into the restaurant on the second floor, I take in the chill atmosphere. There are only a few tables occupied. Toward the back, I spot Scarlet and Theo at a table for four, deep in conversation. Xander leads the way, my stomach twisting at the sight of her. I can’t help but wonder if Theo knows what I did last night.

As Xander settles into one of the empty chairs, I watch Theo and Scarlet look up. Scarlet's face lights up with that warm, radiant smile of hers. “Hey, Xander,” she greets him, her voice filled with warmth. Then her gaze shifts to me as I approach, and for a brief moment, I feel a wave of relief wash over me, hoping maybe she’s not pissed at me for last night.

“Hey, Ace,” she says, her voice steady, but there's an edge of something else there. Just as quickly, her eyes dart away, and she focuses on her breakfast, pushing the food around on her plate.

That small gesture hits me like a cold splash of reality. It’s clear things aren’t okay between us. Sure, she spoke to me, but that’s just Scarlet—always polite, even when everything is a mess. It serves as a stark reminder of how different we really are.

I slide into the seat next to Xander, trying to play it cool, but the tension in the air between Scarlet and me is thick and palpable. Theo sits there, silent, sipping his coffee while keepinga close eye on the two of us, as if he’s expecting the whole thing to blow up at any given moment.

Xander kicks off a light conversation about meeting up with Poppy and Alex, but I can barely focus on his words. My mind is fixated on Scarlet—on the way she won’t even glance in my direction. It’s gut-wrenching. I know I need to say something, do something to break this suffocating silence, but nothing feels right. Every word that comes to mind feels like it’ll only dig the hole deeper.

“So, uh... you sleep okay?” I finally manage to ask, my voice coming out weaker than I wanted it to. It’s a lame question, I know, but it’s all I’ve got in this moment.

Scarlet glances up, her expression unreadable, like I’m staring at a closed book. “Yeah,” she replies, her tone flat, devoid of any warmth. “You?”

"Yeah, I guess," I lie with a nod.

She goes back to pushing her food around on her plate, and the silence stretches out, thick and awkward. I can feel Theo’s eyes darting back and forth between the two of us as if he’s trying to figure out what the hell is going on. It’s awkward as fuck, and I can see him getting restless like he’s on the verge of asking what’s going on.

After a beat of awkward silence, Xander pushes his chair back and stands up. “I’m gonna hit the buffet,” he says, casting a quick glance my way.

I follow him, anything to break the stifling tension between Scarlet and me. We grab plates, and while Xander starts piling on food, I just stand there for a moment, staring at the spread of options in front of me.

“What’s going on?” he asks, glancing at me with that concerned look, a spoonful of eggs hovering over his plate.

I hesitate, struggling to find the right words. What the hell do I even tell him? I glance down at the food under the warmlights, feeling a knot tighten in my gut. There’s no way I can look Xander in the eye when I spill this. “She told me she loved me.”

“Fuck,” he says. “And I’m guessing you couldn’t say it back to her?”

I glance at him, shame washing over me. “No, I didn’t do anything except fucking bolt. I didn’t know what the hell to do.”

He goes back to piling food onto his plate. “I get it, man. It’s hard as hell to open up.” He looks back at me, like he knows exactly what I’m wrestling with. I can tell he wants to dig deeper, but I step away from him, cutting off any chance for him to press further.

I grab a few random things, not really caring what I end up with. Scrambled eggs, bacon, a couple slices of toast—whatever. By the time we make our way back, Theo and Scarlet have already left the table. The sight of the empty seats causes my stomach to twist with unease.

While waiting for Poppy and Alex, Xander and I are chilling in a quiet corner at the airport, a welcome escape from the bustling crowd. I can see the anticipation radiating from him. The way his eyes sparkle with excitement as he practically vibrates with energy. The way he constantly glances toward the arrival gate, reveals just how much they mean to him—these two are his whole world.

On the way here, I figured Xander would bring up the shit that happened with Scarlet, but to my surprise, he hasn’t said a damn word about it. Maybe he knows I’m not ready to unpack that mess yet, or maybe he’s just too caught up in his ownexcitement to care. Either way, it’s a relief not to have to dive into that shit right now.

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