“BJ, tell me what happened… with Roxy?”
“Aww c’mon love you don’t want to hear that. It’s done, and Lex ain’t gonna go back.”
I remained silent, I wasn’t going to push him, stupid ‘guy code’, what happens in London stays in London bullshit.
“So tell me, have you brought Kate here?” I smirked.
“Blimey, Kate is a tough bird. She ain’t one to break down in tears and talk a donkey’s ear off about her relationships. No, Kate and I met through Lex. He won’t let me talk about it, but basically I shagged her a few times. Quite a gun in the sack, that one,” he chuffed.
“Kate would cut your balls off for saying that.”
We laughed together as we dug into the fountain; my god it truly made me forget all the shit that just went down. “Thank you, BJ, for bringing me here and allowing me to vent, but just so you know, my pants belong to your best friend so no getting in there.”
“Anytime, love, you know where to find me. And listen, send my regards to Emma.”
“Emma?” I asked.
“Yeah, Viagra’s one hell of a powerful motherfucker”.
I left the café still in shock that BJ shagged Emma. OMG I am so becoming a Brit with this slang, but seriously, what the fuck? I wanted to text Emma but I had even bigger things to deal with as I walked into the apartment and found Lex sitting on the couch, slumped over with a drink in his hand. His eyes were bloodshot as he turned and looked my way. We sat in silence as I tried to find the right words to say. We were both hurting and I wasn’t the innocent one here, either, after I shot my mouth off about Julian fucking me everywhere under the sun.
“We both have a past but I don’t like secrets. Tell me what happened.” My voice was calm, it was my court voice. The one I had used every time the opponent was on the stand trying to get away with some ridiculous alibi.
“What’s the point, Charlotte? It’s done.” His voice was croaky; had he been crying?
“Because if you don’t tell me then my imagination will run wild. However, my imagination is probably in for a rude awakening.”
He remained still, pouring himself some more liquor. “We fucked her, several times. Yes, what she said was right. Most of the time I was out of it, sometimes I was well aware of what I was doing.”
OUCH! Did I need to ask any more questions? Why the fuck were women built with this stupid need to know every vile detail of their partner’s past when they were well aware of the hurt and pain it caused when they heard the words.
“Once in college I got really drunk at a frat party and let a guy grope my boob while I was frenching his friend.”
Lex’s shoulders moved up and down; I was confused as to why until I realized he was trying to hold in his laughter. “True story. There, I gave you my almost threesome encounter.”
“Charlotte,” he whispered, the emerald green in his eyes clouded as he reached out and touched my wedding ring. “When Roxy sent me that text that she was in my bed, I thought I lost you.”
I ached for him. All of him. This wasn’t his fault I knew that he couldn’t control the past coming back to bite him on the ass. I was callous and the Julian stuff was uncalled for, but I did have one more question to ask him.
“You said you never did brunettes. She had the same hair color as mine,” I mumbled.
He looked at me confused “She was blond. I barely recognized her today.
Forgive him, Charlie, stop being a fucking cold-hearted bitch.
“You hurt me. With what you said about Julian.” I could barely hear his words.
“I’m sorry I said those things. Yes, they are the truth, but I said them because seeing her and the way she spoke to me about what you did to her left me absolutely gutted.” The truth was out and it was impossible to not notice that his body recoiled. I waited for a sign, for like ten minutes, and then slowly he placed his arm around me and pulled me into him. I found my nook, getting lost in the place I called home.
“We can do this, okay? I can’t promise the past won’t drag itself up but I promise never to doubt your love for me.”
“Ditto.”
Chapter 23
Lex
The moment that text appeared on my screen I knew that I had to haul some serious ass. My heart was thumping out of my chest, my breaths barely able to escape and I desperately tried to stop Charlotte from having to see any of this. I opened the text message again; it definitely was Roxy with dark brown hair, not her usual bleach blonde, handcuffed to my bed barely dressed with her legs spread open as she fingered herself.