Old Friends (Janet and Toni Fanfic)

Chapter 38

Janet

When I arrived at my hotel, the entire lobby was completely cleared out except for the staff. It wasn't late at all, but I figured maybe people were either out or in bed already.

I saw him sitting at the bar on his phone, a shot glass of whiskey in front of him.

  "Wissam," I called. He turned his head toward my voice, then said something to the bartender. I sat next to him.

  "You exhausted yet?" He asked, looking forward.

  "Are you kidding? This is only day one, it hasn't even started yet."

  "I know. Just testing you."

The bartender brought out a glass of white wine; Pinot Grigio. My favorite.

  "Thank you," I said to him, then raising my glass to Wissam. "Thank you."

  "Well, I don't wanna keep you here long, but I think you owe it to me to answer some of my questions."

  "Like what?" I asked reluctantly.

  "Like how long." He looked down at his empty glass, sliding it over to the bartender and signaling a refill.

  "2 months," I said grimly. "After my last show in Los Angeles, she came backstage... and I don't know, I guess it was all downhill from there."

He nodded slowly. "The afternoon when I first came home, you...you were with her, weren't you?"

I cleared my throat. "Yes, I was."

  "You told me it was just lotion," Wissam muttered to himself, bouncing his knee in a growing frustration. He chuckled halfheartedly. "You're a good liar, I will give that to you."

  "Listen, I didn't come here for you to chastise me. I said I was sorry, okay? What was I supposed to do?"

  "Maybe you could have told me the truth, but I guess that was not an option."

  "Would you have confessed to that right then and there if you were in my shoes? Because I really don't think so."

  "Look, I'm not trying  to rub this in your face, Janet. I'm just trying to figure out where exactly I went wrong."

  "Okay, Wissam..." I sighed. "You're making this so hard on me. I wanna say there was nothing you could have done to keep this from happening, although I really don't know. I just know that she was there, and you weren't, and-I think it's really complicated. I can't explain it."
 
  "Okay, okay." He rubbed his forehead.

  "I'm sorry-"

  "Do you still love me?" He asked, looking me straight in my eyes. I looked down at my drink. "Janet, look at me."

I shook my head, feeling a lump forming in my throat.

  "I don't wanna talk about this here," I managed.

  "Well, we can talk about it somewhere else. I'll be out of your life forever and we can put this all to bed if you answer it."

I put my head in my hands and sniffled. It's not like I didn't love him. I just didn't know what to think or what to say.

  "I still love you, Janet," he said gently. It made me want to cry harder. "But I'm glad you're happy now."

  "I have to go," I croaked. "I can't stay here."

  "Let me walk you to your room, okay? Come on." He threw some cash on the counter.

  "You don't have to." I grabbed a napkin and blotted my eyes.