Chapter 49
Day of reckoning.
Chelsea turned to see what had stunned Carter, and her smile faded. I thought she would look triumphant or even gloat. Instead, her eyes bulged and softened as if sorry for me. She just pissed me off more. I don’t need the other woman to feel sorry for me, as if I were the biggest fool. I promised myself I wouldn’t yell or scream in this lobby as I lifted my Birkin bag higher on my shoulder and sauntered to where they remained.
“Looks like I could use a strong drink.” I eased on the leather stool on the other side of Carter, whose guilt enflamed his face as he studied the glass before him. “Let me have straight whiskey, whatever is the most expensive on his dime.”
The bartender smiled. “Mr. St. Patrick loves to buy drinks for the entire bar.”
“Does he?” I glared at my husband, who finally took a sip of his drink. “Didn’t realize you frequent hotel bars since you’re not a big drinker? Then again, I didn't realize you were a cheater and a liar.”
“I have a suite upstairs. Maybe we should talk up there,” Chelsea suggested from his other side.
“No, thank you. I don’t want to be in a suite where you’ve fucked my husband,” I hissed.
Chelsea, glamorous as ever with her bone-straight weave and tight black dress, stood up and bent near my ear. “I’m not fucking your husband. Come upstairs with me. I’m assumingyou came here to confront me, then let’s do it out of the eyes of the public.”
“Thought you loved the public in your business?” I surveyed the area. “You two didn’t seem to care that you were flirting at a hotel bar in the city where he’s a fucking star.”
"We were only talking." Carter took my hand, grabbed the drink the bartender had placed discreetly before me, and said, “Add it to my tab. I’ll pay it later.” He gripped my hand tighter when I tried to snatch it back and begged quietly, “Please, don't make a scene. Let’s go to her suite.”
He pulled me behind him as he strode to the elevator. Chelsea trailed behind me, texting someone. Once inside, Carter and I were in the back, and Chelsea was in the front, pretending to be focused on her phone. The three of us on the elevator had to be the most awkward moment I’d ever experienced. A butcher knife wouldn’t be able to cut the tension. I wanted to be Solange going upside Jay Z's head for her sister. If I didn't have children with cell phones who would see their mother beating up their father, I would. Instead, I took the glass out of his hand and gulped the strong drink down, the cool liquor burning my throat. I passed the empty glass back to him.
“Oh, he couldn’t swing for the penthouse suite,” I sniped when the doors opened on the eleventh floor.
“I see you’ve picked up some fight in you over the years,” Chelsea chuckled. “I like it.”
"Like I give a good damn what you like," I hurled back, and she snapped her head around and hurried down the hall.
Carter still held my hand, though he’d been quiet. Probably trying to figure out how to spin this story. Once we entered her classy and opulent suite, she opened the blinds to let in light. She gestured for us to sit on the comfortable-looking gray sofa. Before we sat, I pulled my free hand back. My slap reverberated through the room, and his head jerked left. I quickly slapped himagain before he recovered from the first one. Chelsea squealed and hopped back from me.
With my stinging hand, I tugged my shirt down as I settled on the sofa, crossed my legs, and patted the space beside me for him to sit. Stunned and silent, he rubbed his face as he did my bidding. Now, I could focus.
“Oh, he so deserves those licks.” Chelsea’s grin spread even wider before quickly holding her hand up. "I'm not fucking him, I swear."
"Then what the fuck?" I asked, and when Carter started to speak, I hissed, "You had plenty of opportunity to open your mouth. So. Shut. The. Fuck. Up." I threw him such a withering frown that he closed his mouth and moved back on the sofa.
She pulled a chair from the small table by the window and sat near me. “For the record, I’ve begged Carter to be honest with you for years. We were just talking downstairs about the best way to tell you everything without making you leave him. I told him the lies and disappearances ain't helping his cause.”
I quirked a brow. “And let's not forget the cheating for years when I thought it was for months. I really don’t understand why, if he wanted to be with you all these years, he didn’t just do it.” We talked like Carter wasn't there, almost like we used to when we were best friends. When no one existed but she and I gossiping.
Chelsea smiled slightly. “Because he loves you, and he’s never wanted to be with me. We used to hook up in college and have since become friends. We're not having an affair.”
I looked at Carter. “If that is all she means to you, then why all the lies and secrecy?"
Carter quirked both brows. "Oh, I'm allowed to talk now?"
"Please, punch him dead in the mouth this time," Chelsea taunted, amused.
"Don't give her any ideas. If I weren't so dark, you would see her handprint." Carter rubbed his face. "I'm not cheating with her. Like she said, she's my friend."
"Then, tell me everything now. Obviously, you can’t run anymore. I came here to see Chelsea, believing you were where you said you would be. Yet, you’re here too. Enough evading and man up. If I leave, I leave you. All of this makes me like you less and less. I still want to respect you even if I can’t stay married to you.” I finished in a huff.
Chelsea cleared her throat. “Before he starts, can I tell you what was in that letter? He told me you ripped up. I want to say it in front of him so we can clear the air, okay?”
Carter slunk down slightly, and I nodded.
“The letter was my apology because you were my best friend. I treated you horribly, and I deserved your hate because I did betray you. You were the only woman who trusted me and didn’t seem jealous of me. You accepted me for me, and I shitted on that because Carmello and Carter hurt me. Carmello decided he no longer wanted to be married, and so I decided to cheat. Carter would flirt heavily with me every time we saw each other on campus, and one day, I took him up on his offer. We had chemistry, and neither of us was looking for a relationship, so we hooked up often. I got caught up, and he didn’t, though he pretended he did. Told me to break up with Carmello if I wanted to be with him. When I did, he took it as a joke. Surprised that I would do that or that I’d caught feelings for him. He didn’t know I had gone as far as to get a condo beside his. All this was going on before you admitted you liked Carter. Even when you did, I didn’t see it going far. You weren’t his type. You were too nice for him.”
