"I beg to differ," I snap. "If that were true, where were you for the last six months?"
Mandy's sobs turn into laughter.
"With me," she gloats.
I look over at her as she's being held up by my security team.
"She needs medical attention," I state numbly.
"Don't worry about me, you clueless idiot!" she screams, lunging again toward me. "He's mine! Do you hear me? Mine!"
"Shut your mouth, Mandy," Jaxson bellows, jumping in front of me. "You're the saddest excuse for a human being. I regret the day I met you. Completely pathetic."
"Get her out of my sight," I tell my security team. "I'm sick of looking at her."
They begin to escort her, well, mostly drag her out, scratching and fighting the entire time.
"And as for you," I angle myself to address Jaxson. "I would say that you are the top contender for beinga completely pathetic human being. After all, you broughtthatinto our lives." I gesture toward Mandy.
"No! Jaxson," Mandy screams. "Tell her that it's me you love. We both know it is!"
Jaxson shakes his head and runs his hand over his face, clearly uncomfortable, considering his recent life choices and the consequences.
"Jaxson!" Her shrieks continue to follow her long after we can no longer see her. "You've been with me for months now, don't try to pretend you loveherrrrrr!"
"She does have a point," I glare at him. "Maybe it's time we had a conversation to clear the air."
"Yes, yes, please," he gasps out. "I've tried to call you nonstop, and you haven't been taking my calls or answering my texts. You left your phone at our house. I couldn't reach you."
"I guess you know how that feels. Being neglected. I certainly did," I calmly say. "You dropped a bomb on me, laid out some useless rules, and rode off into the sunset with Mandy, apparently. Since youraffairstarted way before you even mentioned an open marriage to me. Not that it mattered."
His face turns white. I guess he'd hoped I'd forget that part.
"For your information, I tried calling you. I hoped for months that you'd talk to me, tell me it was just a prank, or at least apologize and say it was a mistake."
"I tried to make it right. Did you see my press release and statement after…" he trails off.
"Yes, I know about that. I can't say I watched it," I reply coldly. "But I read the statement. What exactly do you want from me—kudos? Such a good boy, everything's forgiven? Should we kiss and make up now?"
I let out a short, humorless laugh.
"You get caught naked with Mandy and her bestie on the hotel balcony, and suddenly you remember I exist? You think I should be grateful for those crumbs—a few carefully chosen, curated words. I didn't hear from you for months before that. Truly impressive. Real classy."
"No, it's not like that, Melly," he grasps hopelessly. "I—I'd already dumped Mandy that morning. It was over before that even came out. Mandy set me up."
"If you had never started anything with her, and hadn't been with her the night before, there would've been no way to set you up."
"I am sorry, Melly," he continues with a flinch, yet ignoring my words. "I didn't know how to reach you, so I tried to contact you any way I could. I apologized at every post-game press release. I appeared on those two talk shows; did you watch them?"
"It's too late for apologies, Jaxson," I say quietly. "Since I was sixteen years old, you held my heart in your hands. You were my life. We did everything together. Until you started pulling back last Spring."
"It can't be too late, Melly," he says, blinking hard, a tear slipping past. "I never meant to lose you. I just wanted to have a little fun. We were so young, and I thought I needed to experience life a little."
"How'd that work out for you?"
Jaxson drops to his knees, his hands clasped together like prayer.
"Ah, Melly, please forgive my stupidity." The tears are coming faster now. "I was wrong. I don't know what I was thinking."
