Page 78 of Sixty Days Of Summer

I grab my towel, and step out of the room, closing the door gently behind me. Alex waves goodbye to his dad, and we make our way toward the elevator.

When we reach the pool area, I spot Theo lounging in one of the chairs. His hair is still damp, and he’s sprawled out, looking completely at ease. The moment Alex sees him, he bolts forward, a huge grin on his face.

Theo’s expression transforms in an instant. A warmth spreads across his face, making it impossible to miss. He rises from the chair and strides over to Alex, his smile widening as he kneels down to greet the kid. It’s a simple yet profound moment, and it hits me just how much our lives have changed over the past year.

Alex has changed everything for us. He’s brought a new kind of joy and connection, especially between Theo and himself. I can see it clearly now—how their bond has grown, how Theo’s face softens whenever Alex is around. It’s a different Theo from the guy I knew before.

“Hey, buddy!” Theo says, scooping Alex up into his arms. Alex giggles as he’s lifted off his feet, his little arms wrapping around Theo’s neck.

If Theo's here, then Scarlet has to be nearby. I scan the area, searching for any sign of her. There's no escaping it now—it's time to face the music with her.

“Are you finally coming for a swim, old man?” Theo shoots me that grin, the one that used to drive me crazy back in the day. But now, for some reason, I actually welcome it.

I lift my gaze and spot Scarlet standing there, looking fucking incredible in a red bikini. Her tattoos are on full display. Our eyes lock, and I'm momentarily speechless, completely captivated by the ink on her sexy body. It’s impossible to focus on anything else—I don’t even realize Theo and Alex have already moved back to the chairs.

I know I need to talk to her. There’s a shitload of stuff I need to say, but right now doesn’t seem like the best time. Not with her looking like that, her body all hot and distracting. And definitely not with my damn dick practically begging for attention, especially not in front of Theo and Alex. But my feet move on their own, as if my body’s taken control. I make my wayto the side of the pool where she’s standing, drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

She drops her head, focusing on something around her feet, and I can’t help but let my gaze wander down those long, fucking legs. I see the nerves flickering in her posture, and damn, I’m right there with her. I’ve played to eighty thousand people, but right now, I’m a fucking mess of nerves. Nervous because it’s her, nervous because I have this gnawing feeling that whatever we had is slowly slipping away.

“Hey,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady, but it comes out a bit hoarse.

When she looks up, her eyes lock with mine, creating a moment where everything around us seems to vanish. It’s just us. It feels like we’re the only ones that exist.

After a long moment, she looks away.

“Scar,” I say, my voice rough and almost hesitant. “We need to talk.”

She meets my gaze, and I see the heat in her eyes—a mix of frustration and something else I can’t quite pinpoint. “You don’t need to say anything, Ace. Your actions spoke for you.”

She steps aside when Alex and Theo approach, and I watch her crouch down to chat with Alex, her focus entirely on him. As she gets lost in conversation, I feel Theo’s gaze on me. The second I look at him, I realize the bastard knows exactly what went down between us—how she told me she loved me and I fucking ran.

Chapter 28

Scarlet

Since I expressed my love to Ace, I can feel a shift in the air around us. Everything between us is so fucking awkward now, like we’re both walking on eggshells. Even though Ace hung around by the pool for a while, trying to act normal, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief when he finally headed back to his room. If it weren’t for Theo keeping Alex entertained with his endless goofy games, I’m sure even Alex would have picked up on the tension between us.

Despite how unbearable it feels, I don’t regret telling Ace how I feel, because it’s the truth. I love him—love him in a wayI’ve never loved anyone before. But the one thing I know for sure now is that Ace can never love me the way I need him to.

I can’t keep letting myself get caught in the same cycle, where every ounce of reason disappears the moment he touches me or gives me that look—the one that makes me feel like I’m the only thing in his world. For the sake of my own sanity, I need to break free from this. It’s time to move on. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.

In the green room, I pass the time scrolling through my phone, pretending to be absorbed in it, as we wait for Walter’s band to finish their set. My brother’s text from earlier—wishing me luck, telling me to kill it tonight—feels like a lifeline, something grounding in the midst of all this. Theo and Alex are off in their own world, laughing about something I can’t make out, while Poppy and Xander sit close, wrapped up in each other. It leaves Ace and me in this uncomfortable silence, an invisible line drawn between us. I can feel his gaze on me, relentless, like I’m the only thing that matters right now, even with everyone else around.

I don’t even need to look up to know that Ace is heading my way. My nerves go haywire, my heart pounding faster with every step he takes toward me. He sits down on the couch next to me, and it takes everything I’ve got not to turn and look at him. I force myself to keep my distance, even though every damn part of me wants to close the space between us.

"Scar," he says, his voice low and smooth.

I hate the way my body betrays me, a shiver running through me at just the sound of my name, even though I wish it didn’t affect me like this.

I pause my scrolling, my fingers hovering over the screen as I slowly lift my gaze to meet his. A strained smile tugs at my lips.

"Are we good?" he asks, and there’s something in his voice—just a flicker of uncertainty. He’s uneasy, clearly struggling to find the right words.

"Yeah, Ace," I say, pushing myself to sound sincere as I force a genuine smile. "We’re good."

Our eyes meet, and for a split second, it feels like he’s about to say something—something that might finally cut through all the tension hanging between us. But instead, he hesitates, his gaze wavering as though he’s lost, searching for the right words but coming up empty. His jaw tightens, and I catch the way he swallows, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through his usual confidence. He runs his hands over his jeans, almost like he’s grounding himself, trying to find his footing before he looks back at me, the silence stretching just a little too long.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to it then,” he mutters, nodding toward my phone. He stands up, lingering for a split second, and then heads back the way he came, leaving me sitting there, torn between wanting to call him back and letting him go.

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