The Player Next Door ✓

57 | Player Would Say

Chapter 57: Player Would Say

Luke, where are you? How long does it take to get a shirt?!

It's only been 10 seconds.

10 seconds of conversation with the girl who slept with my boyfriend.  Feels like 10 years.

The circus continued around us.  Magicians and acrobats, popcorn and cotton candy.  Chadwick's charity event was in full swing.

"Haven't seen you around.  You've been hiding from us," Kelly said to me, and only then did I notice the mascara stains on her cheek.

"Did someone else spill shaved ice over your face?" I asked.

OK, I could've been less blunt, but she did sleep with my boyfriend so...

"No," she snapped, and tried to wipe the mascara marks off her face, "You'll be happy to hear that he's cheated on me too now. I should've known, since we did it to you."

I felt a pang; not because of the insult, but more for the pain she was going through. I remember how I felt when it happened and I wouldn't wish that kind of thing on anybody. Except...

JK. No one. Really.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, while my eyes scanned the party for Luke.

Come on Luke, come baaaack.

"I'm not clueless like you, Millie. Call it a woman's intuition."

"I'm trying to help, so if you want to insult me, we can end this accidental reunion and plan to see each other never again."

She latched onto my wrist with manicured nails that were shaped like claws. "No! I'm sorry, I just saw him, that's why I'm like this. He was making out with her in the fun house. I didn't see who she was though. She was behind the mirrors and I tried chasing her but got lost in there."

Wow, that sounded like a Jordan Peele movie. Tears swelled up in her eyes again.

"No," I tried to tell the tears, "Please don't cry right now."

I saw Luke walking towards me with Chad beside him. Relief washed over me. Chad was holding a striped navy-blue shirt, and was chatting with Luke.

"FYI," she added, "I think he was seeing her while he was with you too."

...

Mic drop.

...

"Someone need a shirt?" Chad joked, swinging the striped shirt on his arm, "Didn't know we were hosting wet t-shirt competitions here."

He could work on his timing.

Kelly thanked him with a wide grin, acting like the conversation we had never happened. 

"You ok?" Luke asked me, resting his hand on my back gently, "You look shocked."

"I- I- uh- for- can't- only- for- yes," I paused and tried to reprocess the information. "I am shocked."

"Let's take a walk," he offered, "You can tell me what happened."

I nodded again, and let Luke handle the situation. He said a few words to Chad and Kelly before we made our exit. The circus theme was still well under way in Chad's garden, with excited guests either very tipsy now or on a sugar high. 

I was scarred by my conversation with Kelly I-smile-at-everything Mathers. Except that, this time, she hadn't been smiling.

We passed by the fun house and I unintentionally slowed down. My cheating ex-boyfriend cheated on his current girlfriend in here.... with a girl who he has been seeing since he was with me... oh my head hurts with this drama.