Fall From Grace(50)

“I think I can speak for everybody here, you’re taking Alex’s place,” Ethan announced.  “Where the hell did you learn to play like that?”

I could barely take my eyes from Shane’s.  He looked like he was in so much pain and I didn’t want to be the cause of that.  He seemed so broken.  I shrugged in answer to Ethan’s question, “I took a few lessons.”

Tucker stumbled up to Ethan and looked around to the rest of the guys.  “Wait a second; does this mean I don’t get to play?  That pretty much sucks, Grace.”

An hour had passed and we all hung out in the studio, playing music and laughing at Tucker’s drunken tantrums.  I wanted desperately to talk to Shane, but I was too nervous that he’d already thrown away what simple friendship we had started to have.  As everyone started to clean up their stuff, Shane walked to the door of the studio, grabbing his jacket on the way.

“Hey, dude.  You’re splitting?” Ethan asked.  “Where you off to? Shouldn’t we celebrate or something?”

“I have plans,” he said and glanced at me.  He wrenched the door open so hard that it hit the wall.  Then he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

I had no idea how in the last 24 hours, I had gone from being someone you would jump in front of a knife for, to not being able to stay in the same room with.

Ethan hooked his huge arm in mine.  “I say we take this gorgeous little thing out and celebrate!”

We ended up in Boozer’s, which was quiet until Tucker got there.  We ordered food and sodas (yes, we actually ordered pitchers of soda) and Tucker entertained us with his drunken outbursts.

In his total state of foolish inebriation, he invited everyone for a mid-week mini ski vacation in his parent’s “resort house” calling them to make the plans, waking them up.  Continuing his wild behavior, he called ahead the “resort house” to make sure they would order the same champagne that I liked at Masa.  His reasoning was so he could try to “sweep me off my feet.”  Everyone howled with laughter when I told him the only way I’d go was if he didn’t, or he could just send the champagne right to my apartment so I could drink it alone.

I was enjoying myself until Shane walked into the bar at midnight with a beautiful dark-haired girl.  He sat her at the bar and ordered some drinks, never acknowledging us at our table.

I watched him trail his fingers along her arm.  Giggling, she leaned closer to him and kissed him.  My mouth went dry and the only thing on our table was a pitcher of soda.  Watching Shane kissing that girl made me want something stronger and I hated myself for it.

His strong hands ran up her thighs and she squirmed in delight.  I had to turn away from them. Dragging my eyes from the scene, I found myself face to face with Ethan, who was watching me curiously.

Ethan looked over to Shane and back to me.  “Hey, you okay?”

“Yes, I’m awesome,” I said.  I knew Shane was what he was, so why did I feel like I was drowning?  Why would I care if Shane were kissing someone else?  I definitely didn’t want him kissing me.

Ethan smiled at me politely.  “Does that bother you?”  He motioned toward Shane who was now pawing at the poor girl’s breasts through her shirt.  “Shane and that girl?”

I smiled weakly.  “I just think that Shane is better than that, but he doesn’t want people to see that, does he?”

Ethan laughed.  “Grace, you are adorable.  That is Shane.  Don’t be like every other girl he’s bagged, and fall for him, thinking you’ll be the one that’ll change him.  It’s not going to happen.”