THE SUNLIGHT STREAMED through the curtains of my bedroom window.

I blinked away the harshness of the sun, as I burrowed further into my pillow before I stretched my body out, content, and happy after the actions of last night. I let out a sigh as I reached my hand out to the other side of the bed.

My hand patted the other side but came up empty. I lifted my head to see the other side empty, the covers rumpled and no sign of East.

I looked around the room to find no sign of clothes anywhere and before I could even have the thought he may have gone for coffee or breakfast, my eyes landed on a folded-up piece of paper on the pillow.

My hands shook as I picked it up. I sat up and tucked the duvet around me to cover myself as I opened it.

Red,

I'm sorry.

I lied when I said I leave for the tour in a week. In fact, I leave today. I didn't want to say goodbye to you because I don't think I could.

I know you will probably hate me for this and you should.

I meant what I said when I said you were never just my best friend.

I hope one day you can forgive me.

Easton.

Snapping out of my flashback as someone bumps into me, I roll my eyes as they keep on walking, and I sigh before carrying on looking through the books and magazines in the airport store. Our flight to Australia is a long one, and I know I need to stop up on materials as best as I can since the air between Easton and me at the moment is strained.

While I was mad that he kissed me without telling me, it was more so the fact that I wanted to keep as much of a distance between us as I could, and he broke that. It brought back memories of our night together but also our time before any of that happened where we were friends.

The emotions were too much.

I scoff as I pull out a magazine, seeing the picture of Easton and me kissing on the beach on the front page. Turning it around so the back is facing where people are walking past so they can't see it, I take my books and head to the cashier.

Once they've been paid for, I make my way through the airport back to where Easton is sitting at our gate, not having moved since I left twenty minutes ago. Sitting down in my seat next to him, I place my bag with my carry on things.

"Find anything good?" he asks, his voice deep yet soft as he leans down in his seat with a baseball cap covering his face.

"Some books and I drew devil horns on your face on a magazine we're on," I tell him with a smirk on my face and I feel him look at me from under his cap.

"Liar," he points out.

I grumble. "I would have if I had a pen."

"Remind me to keep all pens away from you," he mutters, and I watch as he closes his eyes, resting his head back against the seat slightly.

"What's with the cap?" I ask curiously, raising my eyebrow.

"Let's just say there's been a few airport experiences with fans before," he tells me, adjusting the cap.

"I thought that stuff doesn't bother you? You always seem happy to sign things," I ask him.

"It doesn't. Meeting fans in airports can just get a bit too much. I almost missed my flight once because of it," he explains to me and I nod in understanding.

He clears his throat before reaching down to look in my bag to see what I bought, turning the books over in his hands to look at them, and he raises his eyebrow at me, seeing how many I bought.

"I like to read, sue me," I say shrugging and he shakes his head.

"There are easier ways to ignore me," he says, placing them all back.

"I'm not ignoring you," I lie, crossing my arms.

He sighs. "I know you're still mad at me. I've said I'm sorry, Red, I don't know what else you want me to do."

"I know," I whisper, looking everywhere but him. "It just brought a lot of stuff up that I don't want to revisit. At the end of the day, this is professional between us."

Something flashes across his face, but he hides it by turning his head. His jaw is tight as he responds, "professional, right."

We sit in silence, both of us left to our own devices, a book in my hand and Easton tapping away on his phone as we wait for boarding to start. Eventually we are called for first class and we gather all our stuff to get onto the plane to what will be a long flight.

✺✺✺

After an excruciating long flight, we land in Victoria, Australia where the first leg of the Australian surf competitions will be held. Even though I slept a lot on the plane, tiredness is hitting me hard, but the key to jet lag is staying awake to match up with the local time.

Soon enough we are picked up from the airport and are driven towards the Airbnb we will be sharing with some of the other surfers for the next two weeks.

"Honey, I'm home," Easton calls as he opens up the door rolling our suitcases through.

The people, Easton's friends, who we are sharing the place with, are all gathered in the main family room already. There is Chet and his girlfriend Ruby, another surfer Cole and his friend Dylan, and finally one of the female surfers, Hallie and her girlfriend Fiona.

"Go away, we don't want you," Ruby jokes before winking at me. "Gabi can stay, though."

"I see how it is," Easton says, placing his hand to his heart. "If you've given us the crappiest room, I'll hate you all."

"You shouldn't have arrived last, then." Cole shrugs before pointing to which room is ours.

We head towards our room to place our things in and as soon as we step into the room and the door is closed behind us, the words fall out of my mouth as soon as we step into the bedroom Easton and I will be sharing. The only problem is, there is only one bed.

"Absolutely not."

Easton's head turns towards me as he finishes placing our stuff in the corner, his eyebrows furrowing, clearly unbothered by the situation.

"What's wrong?" he asks and my eyes widen.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing? There's only one bed," I say, gesturing to the large bed in the room.

He raises his eyebrow and crosses his arms. "What did you think there would be when I told you we would be sharing a room?"

"Two beds?" I question meekly, but even I know I'm stretching. "Okay, fine, but you better keep to your side. I'm building a pillow wall."

He chuckles. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

I look around the room to where Easton unpacks a little. "I think I'm going to go ring Thalia and take a walk. Anything to keep me awake a little longer. The fresh air will help."

He nods with a small smile. "Don't go too far. Your sense of direction is awful."

I send him a glare before heading out of the room, letting everyone know I am going on a walk before heading out onto the street, looking both ways before deciding to head to the left. Picking up my phone, I dial Thalia's number, placing it to my ear.

"If you're calling to see if I've burned down your coffee shop yet, the answer is no," Thalia says as soon as she answers the phone, and I can't help but laugh.

"I wasn't, but that's good to know," I tell her.

"And no, you can't ask how everything is, because it is fine and you don't need to worry. I'll only call you about the business if I've burned it down," she says, and I snort.

"That's reassuring," I say.

"How was the flight?" she asks, knowing we were heading to Australia.

"Long," I say, sighing. "I don't know how you did all the traveling. It's exhausting."

"It takes a while to get used to, hell, a lot of the time we are dealing with jet lag while surfing," she tells me and it proves my theory surfers are insane.

"Well, that's why I'm taking a walk to try to keep myself awake. That and the fact I couldn't stand to look at the one bed in the room Easton and I are sharing," I say.

"I'm sensing you're going to build a pillow wall between you both," she hums and I agree with her. "But I have a question for you. How come this morning I saw a magazine with a picture of you and Easton kissing?" Thalia asks.

"Because he thought it would be a good idea to kiss me without telling me in front of all the cameras," I tell her, rolling my eyes.

"I'm sure you decapitated him for that one," she says and I chuckle.

"That I did, but enough about me. How are you doing being stuck with Atlas all the time?" I ask.

"It's horrible. You owe me for leaving me with him," she says.

"You love it," I hear him shout in the background and I laugh.

"Well, I will see you soon. After all, you're coming to the California competition," I say and she agrees. "I should head back, anyway."

"Bye Gabs."

Hanging up the phone, I turn around to head back but stop when I see two roads pointing in different directions. How far did I walk?

"Well, shit."

✺✺✺

Drying my hair with the towel, I turn off the bathroom light before opening the door and heading back into the bedroom in my pajamas. After getting lost, I had caved and rang Easton to come and get me after giving him my location.

He had shook his head at me as he arrived and I told him not to say a word. We trudged back to the house and everyone warned me to not go off on my own as new places can be confusing.

A mug sits on the bedside table on my side of the bed and I look seeing a mug of hot cocoa with cinnamon on top. A small smile takes over my face, as I know only Easton could have made it, as it was my favorite thing as a child.

Placing the towel back into the bathroom, I climb into my side of the bed and take my mug of hot cocoa, taking a sip.

"Guess some things don't change," I hear and look up, seeing Easton leaning against the door with his arms crossed. He had clearly gotten changed when I was in the bathroom. Flannel pajama bottoms cover his legs but his abs are clearly on display with no top on.

"If this is you trying to get back into my good graces—it may be working," I say, mumbling the last part and he chuckles, shaking his head before closing the door behind him.

"I figured I'd cheer you up after you got lost," he says, climbing into bed next to me and he builds the pillow wall between us as he gives me a sheepish smile.

I cover my smile by drinking my cocoa. "I guess we can forgo the pillow wall so long as you keep to your own side."

He pauses for a moment before removing them and placing them at the end of the bed. We make small talk as I finish my drink and once I have, I lie down, pulling the covers over me. Facing away from Easton, I rest my hands under my head.

"Night Red."

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A U T H O R   N O T E

The fact he remembered her favorite drink from when they were kids 🥹

Who else thinks they will not wake up on their own sides of the bed?

Guess we will find out in Easton's POV next...