In Five Years

Chapter 5

Katie pouts. "But we haven't even been here that long. I'm having fun with everyone!"

Maya places her hand on my arm, and I can tell from the look she's giving me that she already knows something happened between us. Katie is just too drunk to notice.

"I'll bring her home," she says. "I'm not drinking tonight."

"Thanks," I tell her and fish the car keys out of my pocket, but Ethan reaches his hand out to stop me.

"Are you insane?" He asks. "Call an Uber, bro. You're drunk. Matter of fact, I'll do it. Come on."

He pulls me by my elbow outside, and when the cool air finally hits me I let out a sigh of relief. I'm drunk enough to stumble, and Ethan pulls me up by my shoulders. "Cam, are you good?"

I'm breathing heavily, and before I know it I'm blinking away tears. I'm not okay. It's been years since Maddie and I dated, yet my heart hurts all the same. I miss her. As much as I hate to admit it, I fucking miss her, and I miss kissing her, and holding her, and talking about life with her, and—

Oh god, I am very drunk.

I clear my throat and stare down at the pavement while he pulls up the Uber app on his phone. "I just need to go home."

"It should be here in about ten minutes," he says, and then he pats me on the back. "You need to talk to her, Cameron, before it's too late."

I nod because I know that I do. Tonight proved that. I can't stay with Katie if I'm having these feelings for Maddie, and until I know for certain that there's no chance for us then I won't be able to fully commit to Katie.

As much as I don't want to have this dreaded conversation between us, I need to. And soon.

***

The next morning

Maddie

The blinding sunlight wakes me up, and as I blink my eyes open I recognize a window I've never seen before. I'm trying to recollect my memory from last night, and slowly it dawns on me. I don't recognize where I'm at because I'm with Tre. I came home with him last night.

Sitting up quickly, I realize I'm on a couch. It's very comfortable, and I use my hands to feel my body. I'm in nothing but a t-shirt and panties, and this t-shirt certainly isn't mine.

Oh fuck.

The aroma of bacon and eggs makes my stomach grumble. I get up to see where it's coming from, passing through a dining room before I finally land my eyes on Tre. He's flipping an egg in a pan over the stove with no shirt on.

"Good morning." Tre smiles a dazzling full toothed grin at me, his voice all dark and husky from probably just waking up himself. He's a fine specimen of a man. I'll give him that. "I assume you want breakfast?"

I nod eagerly and take a seat at the island on one of the barstools. His apartment is extremely nice for working as a bartender. It's a loft with red brick walls for the most part, but it's upscale and modern. Stainless steel appliances and black and red furniture. It's more than nice.

"My dad," he answers without me having to ask the question. He must see people look at his place like this all the time. "He's the CEO of an oil company out in Texas."

Wow. I'm impressed.

"And you're here because...?"

"Because my dad is a CEO of an oil company out in Texas." He laughs again, and I get the impression that his dad must be a dick. "It's easier out here. Less pressure."