Not Another Player

14.Before It's On

High And Dry // Radiohead

Zack opens the door to the penthouse suite, holding it wide for us to enter. Brianna's across the room sitting on the couch. Zack wastes no time passing us to cross the room and sit by her side. His arm automatically wraps around her, pulling her close to cuddle. I feel bad barging in on them but— on second thought, no I don't. Not when the shit's about to hit the fan.

"Sorry," I say. "Char needed a secure spot. This is the best I could come up with."

"It's fine," Char says. "They already know everything."

I halt my forward motion wondering if 'everything' includes the situation she has with me. Whatever that is, cause now I'm not so sure. I look around the room into the faces staring back at me, waiting.

"Anyone care to enlighten me?" It takes everything in me to hold back the anxiety. Words like 'what the actual fuck' are swirling in my head but thank God I'm able to keep myself from saying them. My anger won't help anything right now.

"What's going on?" Zack asks.

Brianna speaks next, her words cryptic. "Does this have anything to do with...the last tour?"

"Damnit, someone explain this." I close my eyes and drop my head, my hands resting on my waist as I hold myself together. Between Curt actually showing up and finding out that Char is married to him, I'm hanging on by a thread.

"I already told you," Char whispers.

"No. You said you're married to Curt. That does not explain why he's here or anything about the lawsuit bullshit."

Char groans, pacing away from me as Zack shoots to his feet.

"Curt is here?" he asks before pulling his phone out of his back pocket and swiping it. Clearly, he's making a call as he brings the phone to his ear and walks to the opposite side of the room.

"Jake, can we talk about this alone?" Char glances to where Brianna's now standing next to the couch, her wide eyes darting between Char and where Zack is pacing as he speaks to someone on the phone.

"Thought they knew everything." I can't help the distrust that's evident in my tone. I take a deep breath, hoping to calm down and listen to her. That is, if she'll ever finally tell me anything.

"It's okay," Brianna says, hand clutched in the middle of her chest. "Tell him."

Char walks to Brianna, taking her free hand before gesturing for me to join them on the couch. I choose to remain standing. I might be next in line to pace the hotel carpet into submission depending on how deep this confession goes.

"Start from the beginning. How did you and Curt hook up?"

Char winces at my phrasing but I don't know how else to say it. How did you fall in love? How did he sweep you off your feet? How did you keep this a secret from me the entire time I've been picturing peeling you out of your dress and running my hands up and down your body? The body of a married woman...a woman not married to me?

I'm not a cheater. Char has accused me of burning through one girl after another, but I've never cheated on anyone. I've never been the other man. As far as I know.

Shit, maybe I have been the other guy. I never was overly discriminating. A willing partner was the goal. I never asked more questions than that. Fuck. I'm a bigger asshole than I realized. I run my fingers through my hair, completely disappointed in myself. In how low I let myself go without even thinking through what I might have participated in.

"God, I'm so sorry I've dragged you into this," she says. The remorse in her voice does nothing to ease my own guilt.

"Listen, I'm not a cheater. I may have acted like an idiot in the past, but I've never been one to steal another guy's girl."