Page 113 of Next to Everything We Wanted

Maybe I’d finish the letter one day, but for now, it was the last thing I wanted on my mind.

CHAPTER 27

Gavin

My hospital situation had freaked my parents out to the max. I told them I’d visit during the weekend, but Mom was too worried about my concussion to let me drive by myself. I asked Phoenix and Forrest if one of them could come with me, and it turned into what was now a summer vacation with all my bandmates. My parents owned a few rental homes in Oasis Shores, and a four-bedroom house was available for them to stay in.

Yeah, I’d wanted to go on vacation with my bandmates, but not underthesecircumstances.

When I rang the doorbell after Phoenix dropped me off, Asher opened the door. Last time, he hadn’t smiled or hugged me. Now, he nearly trampled me as he crushed my spine with a hug.

“Whoa.” I tried to regain my balance. “Have you been lifting weights with Dad?”

“No, I’ve been swimming.” He pulled out of the hug, his vivid blue eyes meeting mine. They looked much different than before, carrying more emotion. “Mom and Dad were worried about you.”

“Yeah, they almost made my phone explode.” I followed him inside, taking in the smell of sea-scented candles. “I’m sorry I worried everyone.”

Asher squeezed my hand. “I’m happy we didn’t have to plan your funeral. I wouldn’t know which one of your stuffed animals to bury with you.”

I gave him a sad smile, my chest aching. “Phoenix or Forrest would have to bring Roosevelt.”

He didn’t let go of my hand, looking up at me with glistening eyes. “I’m sorry I called you a jerk on Memorial Day.”

I sighed. “It’s okay.”

He shook his head. “It hurt your feelings.”

“It’s fine now.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

I held back a grunt, not wanting to start a fight. “I just have a hard time talking about my feelings.”

He nodded and gave me another hug.

“Gavin!” Mom’s arms wrapped around us, squeezing the three of us together. “Oh, I was so worried about you!” When we broke out of the hug, I noticed her own blue eyes glistened with tears. For a moment, she looked a lot like Asher. “I’m so sorry about what happened. Let me get you something to eat.”

“Thank you.” I sat on the couch, trying to process everything. I’d needed to escape Nevada—again—but sitting here made me feel like a failure. I was the happiest I’d been for a long time, and it was all washed away by a stupid magazine.

I had to build myself up all over again.

Without the girl I’d wanted.

“Why doesn’t our rental house have a pool?” Celeste floated around in our pool, gold-framed sunglasses shielding her eyes from the blazing sun. “And why don’t we go on vacation more often?”

“Because you guys are too nuts to vacation with,” I said as I sat on my donut floaty, my feet dipping in the warm water. “Someone always ends up lost or doing something stupid.”

“Isn’t doing stupid stuff a regular occurrence?” Ellis asked as he finished his ice cream cone, sitting on his own donut floaty. “I mean, Forrest is with us.”

Forrest crossed his arms from where he sat on his floaty. “Look who’s talking, Mr. I-always-forget-to-put-on-sunscreen-and-end-up-with-the-ugliest-sunburns-ever.”

Ellis waved a hand. “I’ve improved my tanning skills.”

“You haven’t,” Phoenix, who sat on the edge of the pool, said. “You’re supposed to gettan, not red. No wonder you haven’t had any weekend hookups lately.”

“At least I’m not twenty and have only been kissed once.”

“Am I supposed to be ashamed?”