Page 68 of Hey Girl
For once in my life,I’m lying still and it’s not because I’ve passed out from caffeine withdrawal. I’m alone in the dark with Madonna my only company as the soothing poppy notes of Crazy for You swirl around the hotel room.
I can’t stop thinking about Rebecca. At first it was just a fascination; a curiosity. But then talking to her a few times, it was like I… got to know her. Weird. And now, I’m overcome with some kind of feeling. It’s a strange, foreign feeling that I’ve never had before. It’s not the adrenalizing feeling I usually seek although I do get a sense of exhilaration from it. It’s just kind of subtle and muted. It feels good and comforting but at the same time, scary as fuck. It’s an unknown feeling that I don’t know what the fuck to do with. I’m so confused!
I squeeze tighter to the only thing that’s bringing me comfort right now and start tearfully singing along with the lyrics, and allowing myself to just feel my feelings when the door slams open and the lights flick on.
“Chris?” Josh calls as he strides into the room with Jack and Matt trailing behind him. “What the fuck? Are you alright, man?”
“Uh…,” is the only response I can formulate to this ambush, as I look between them all from my reclined position on the bed.
“We’ve been worried sick man,” Jack adds, coming around beside Josh. “You weren’t at the afterparty, and none of the security team had taken you to any other clubs.”
“Yeah, can you imagine how flipped out we were when we found out you were alone in your room?” Josh questions. “Are you sick? What’s wrong?”
“And what the fuck?!” Matt chimes in, looking me up and down before advancing on me and ripping the stuffed unicorn out of my grasp. “Where did you find this? I bought this for Luna!”
Honestly, I think I’m more in the need of unicorn cuddles than his nine-year-old niece, but fine…
I mean,how do you guys even do it?” I ask philosophically as I dig into the pint of Ben and Jerrys I have clutched to my chest. “Love is the worst thing that can happen to a man,” I wail around another bite. “You all are insane masochists,” I accuse, panning my spoon around the room until it lands on Josh. “Oh except you, Josh. You’re the smart one not falling for a woman who unwittingly puts a spell on you that makes you want to rip yourown heart out of your chest, hand it to her and watch as she throws it on the floor and tap dances on it!”
“It’s like he’s going through the five stages of grief, but in totally random-ass order,” Josh shakes his head.
I feel my face crumple in an effort to fight off a sob as I continue my tirade. “Even if she is the best human you’ve ever met.”
Shaking my head, I compose myself and blink back tears glistening in my gorgeous green eyes as my tone turns to snide. “Especially you, Matt,” I snarl spitefully, shoving another bite of comfort in my mouth. “Melanie put your heart through a meat grinder, and you went back for more!
Now I’m being an asshole. I think they call that the anger stage. Because in all honesty, Melanie is the most selfless person on the planet and she had reasons that none of us could fathom at the time.
“That’s it,” Matt says with finality, his ever present papa bear, domineering tone, determined to penetrate my forcefield.
The Mint Chocolate Cookie is ripped from my grasp.
No!
“Get up!” He growls like a crazed crocodile and it actually frightens me a little as I allow myself to be plucked by the scruff of the neck and yanked out of the indent I’ve successfully left in the couch.
Next thing I know I’m being frog-marched over to the opposite end of the suite and into the immaculate bathroom.
Oooh, this place has a jetted tub? How have I not put on some Enya and lit some candles and had a good manly cry while soaking in lavender scented -
“Look!” Matt snarls again, zapping me out of another sad, pitiful trance.
My eyeballs take a moment to get in sync with each other but I finally glance up to the large mirror positioned over the massive vanity. “Is this the man Rebecca fell in love with?” He barks like a drill sergeant and I jump a little as I regard my reflection.
Okay, so I’ve got a few… days growth on my face. But I could make that work. I haven’t tried the lumbersexual look yet. Of course, I could sell it better if there weren’t random drops of green, mint-flavored goo clinging to the scruff… and smeared at the corner of my mouth… and more drops of it on my Love is Like A Rollercoaster…When it’s over you Throw Up T-shirt.
Okay, and my eyes are a little bloodshot.
“Your hair,” Matt grinds out, his voice still ominously low, “looks like you put your dick in an electrical socket.”
“Hey, it’s only sticking up in three directions, thank you,” I cough at him before he gives me a shake and makes me look at the mirror again.
“IS THIS the man Rebecca fell in love with?!” he bellows again.
“SIR, NO SIR!” I shout back. Where the fuck did that come from? I was raised by hippies.
It’s just… he’s right. I look nothing like the version of myself that pestered and charmed my way into Rebeccas life.
“For the last fucking time,” Matts voice seems to calm, albeit minorly. “She didn’t end things, she just needs time. And if that time doesn’t help, it still doesn’t change the fact that she. Fucking. Loves you. That’s something to be pretty damn ecstatic about.”