Page 67 of Paint Our Song

“And after?” Chase asks.

“I don’t know. Sleeping.”

Chase makes a face. “I just woke up. Miles, what are we doingafter?”

“Uh,” Miles says. He’d much rather retreat to his house, but they did come all the way here from the city. “We can head downtown? There are nice shops.”

“Okay, so we take showers, then we drive downtown!”

The trek back to the inn is much more subdued, which likely has to do with everyone being exhausted, and they’re sweaty all over again when they get back to the inn. Miles is spent, but it doesn’t seem like Chase is going to let him back out, especially when he doesn’t head toward the elevator like they do, and Chase immediately notices.

“Where are you going?” Chase asks. “We’re heading out right after we shower.

“I live across the street. I’ll head back here right after.”

“Why don’t you shower in one of our rooms?” Gil asks. “You brought a change of clothes, didn’t you?”

“Well… yeah.” He does have some in his bag. “It’ll be quicker for me to go home, though.”

“How would it be quicker? You’d be going back and forth,” Chase says. “Cal, can Miles shower in your room?”

“Uh.” Calvin’s attention snaps up. “What?”

“Can Miles shower in your room?”

“Uh.”

“It’s fine, I’ll be right back!” Miles says.

Calvin snaps out of it. “I—yeah, Miles, you can use my shower.”

His voice is so quiet and hesitant. There’s tension here that Miles can see, and maybe Gil, too, because he seems perceptive about mostthings, but Chase doesn’t seem to notice at all.

Well. Okay, then. Miles gets in the elevator with them, and he’s quiet the whole ride up, and also as they walk toward their rooms. Chase and Gil retreat to their own rooms, and Calvin fumbles slightly with his key-card as he opens his own door.

“I can run home,” Miles says. “Chase won’t even notice.”

“It’s fine.”

Miles swallows and follows him in. Calvin’s room looks like every other room in the inn with its king-sized bed, closets, and the desk by the corner. Natural light streams in from the open curtains. Miles wants to remind Calvin to remember to keep his balcony locked because it’s ajar, and he’s not so sure how unhinged his fans can be.

He likes how this room has some unique traces of Calvin, such as the guitar leaning on the wall.

“You can go first,” Calvin says, eyes drifting to the floor. He drops his bag.

Miles doesn’t move. He stands there, awkwardly. “Forget last night.”

Startled, Calvin asks. “What?”

“You’re right. It was a mistake. Let’s both forget it and act like it didn’t happen.”

“Is that what you want?”

Fuck, no.Miles shrugs a shoulder, not giving him an actual answer. He shifts between his feet and attempts to settle his nerves. “You, um… you should shower first. It’s your room.”

“Do you actually want to forget it?” Calvin asks, softly.

“No,” he admits. “But I’m not going to ruin our friendship overthat.”