My Only Regret (Twisted Fate Book 1) (19 page)

“Hey, there you are. Where have you been all afternoon?” she asked, innocently.

“What do you mean? I’ve been in my room. Jesse thought I should stay there. Have you been here all day?”

“Well, yeah, they had an interview and a photo shoot. I’m sorry, I just thought that you would have been with him. He disappeared for awhile, and I thought you were backstage hiding and continuing your honeymoon.” I could tell by her voice that she was sorry she had mentioned it.

I considered pressing the issue, but instead smiled politely and shrugged it off. “I’m sure I would have just been in the way. It’s probably not a good idea for people to see us together and get the wrong idea.”

“The wrong idea? What do you mean? For crying out loud you are his wife now, you most certainly should be by his side. Don’t ever forget that.” She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a warm hug. “Now, let’s go find our rockstars.” I followed her down a corridor to a security checkpoint where we were given our backstage passes. Once we made it past security she went off to find Tyler and I told her that I wanted to walk around and get a feel for the space. I walked for at least twenty minutes and ended up in front of the green room where the band was set up. I went inside and found David and Sam sipping a beer and relaxing on a large leather sofa. Nate was over in the corner talking with their agent. I didn’t see Jesse, so I joined Sam.

“Hey guys, are you ready for tonight? I’m really looking forward to seeing a live performance. This will be my first you know?” I smiled at David and he nodded his head while avoiding looking me in the eye. Puzzled by his peculiar behavior, I started nervously chewing my bottom lip. “Have you guys seen Jesse? I told him I would meet him before the show,” I lied.

Sam shrugged and replied, “No, I haven’t seen him in the last half hour. He’s probably going over a lighting check with the stage director. Just hang out here with us until the show. I can show you the best place to park your behind while watching backstage.”

“Thanks Sam, but I think I’ll keep looking for him, I kind of miss him,” I winked. Sam jumped up quickly and tried to convince me to stick around. Something about the way they were acting put me on high alert. I had read about performers being approached by fans before and after a show. Could they be covering for him? Was he off with some random girl? Was that who called him earlier, and did that explain why he had acted strangely before leaving?
 

All of these thoughts raced through my mind as I shoved past Sam and headed back into the hallway. I walked another twenty feet before I heard the guys coming up behind me. I turned around and saw everyone except Jesse. I stepped back into the shadows and caught a flash of him exiting one of the rooms located just behind the stage. He fell into step with the guys and turned his head in my direction, one quick glance was all it took for me to see the red lipstick smeared on his right cheek. He continued walking my way and when he finally saw me he offered a small smile before turning his back to me, bounding up the stairs. I heard him shout into the microphone as the crowd screamed and called out his name. I glanced back at the door that he had exited and my heart sank as I watched a woman slip out and look nervously around before heading in the opposite direction. I immediately slipped into denial. Surely he hadn’t done anything with that woman. Maybe I had just imagined the lipstick. I had to give him the benefit of the doubt. It had always been my nature to jump to conclusions, and right now I needed to dig deep and find my happy place. Until I could speak with him face-to-face, I had to trust him. Without trust our marriage wouldn’t survive. If I couldn’t trust him, there was no way I could pretend, I would have to walk away.
 

I stood off to the side, watching as the man I loved put on the performance of a lifetime. He sang all of the songs I knew so well, and I found myself singing along quietly from my spot in the corner. I was mesmerized by his stage presence, and soon it was easy to forget what had happened before the show. He was a natural performer who worked the crowd into a mad frenzy. I smiled as I watched Tyler rocking the guitar, and couldn’t help but laugh at Sam pounding away on his drums. Jesse made his way over to David and they sang a few lines together. He was totally at ease on stage and I was in awe of him all over again. How could I not be in love with this man? This man knew me. He knew my body. He knew how to make me laugh. He knew how to pleasure me. He knew everything about me. This man loved me. Surely he wouldn’t hurt me.
 

As they finished the title song off their last album the crowd was as pumped as the performers. The intro for the next song began, but rather than singing the words, Jesse began talking into the microphone, his voice sounding a bit scratchy and sexy from singing for two hours.
 

“Is everybody having a good time tonight?” More shouting erupted from the crowd. “I’ve got a little announcement to make. You see, I’ve recently met someone, and we got married last night, in fact she is with me here tonight.” My stomach clenches out of fear for what I know is coming next. “I would love it if you would please join me in welcoming to the stage, the love of my life, Rhyann Montgomery. Come on out here baby.” The next thing I know Charlie is helping me up the stairs as my legs begin to shake uncontrollably. Jesse walks across the stage and takes me by the hand before walking me to center stage.
 

“Isn’t she beautiful boys?” I hear loud screams and catcalls, and I can’t hold back a nervous giggle. Jesse lets out a devilish laugh before speaking again. “Put those thoughts out of your head fellas, she’s all mine,” and with that he turns and wraps me up in a full-on panty-melting kiss that would make even the coldest of women burst into flames. “Crazy about you baby,” he professes before breaking into the lyrics of Runaway Train.
 

The love that I’m feeling s’got me going insane.
 

My heart’s beating faster than a runaway train.
 

Was lost to the bitterness, and blinded by shame.
 

Your touch was my healing I’ll forever be changed.
 

Destroying the heartache, erasing the pain.
 

I’m jumping the tracks to board this runaway train.
 

Take me now, take me as I am.

Made a vow, I'm sticking to our plan.

I’m frozen in place beside him as he sings the poetic words to me and I can’t help but fall deeper in love with him. He has just announced to five thousand people that I am his wife, and that he loves me, making it officially public. And in that simple gesture, it becomes real.
 

After the serenade was over, I returned to my spot behind the curtain to watch the remainder of the concert. Before long the two-hour set was over and they were about to exit the stage when pandemonium set in. People rushed the stage and I watched helplessly as Jesse and the band were rushed off the opposite side of the stage by hotel security and Charlie. I moved quickly to try and find someone from the crew that I recognized so that I could be directed to Jesse.
 

Fans were screaming wildly and somehow one of them managed to make her way backstage, when she saw me her face twisted into a nasty snarl as she made her toward me. I turned, intending to make my escape, but was attacked from behind.

“You bitch! He’s in love with me!” she screeched and pulled wildly at my hair. Her hand came around the side of my face and I felt the sting of her palm as it smacked my cheek. I twisted away, trying to remove her hand from my hair, and we tumbled to the floor. I wasn’t afraid of a fight, but this girl was out of her mind with jealousy. I didn’t know who she was, or if she even knew Jesse, but I also didn’t want to stick around to find out. I kicked away from her, scrambling to put some distance between us, but she was determined to keep me down. My leg extended one last time and I felt my boot make contact with her head. I climbed on top of her and held her hands down, and tried to pull myself together
 

“I don’t know what he sees in you anyhow you ug--” Her last words were cut off when my fist came in contact with her jaw. The next thing I knew, I was being pulled back.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“Whoa, calm down sweetheart, it’s just me,” he said, pulling me close. My body shook uncontrollably with rage. “Shh, it’s okay baby. Come on,” he said, dragging me towards a nearby room. Once inside, he placed his hands on my shoulders and I peeked up at him, embarrassed by my outburst. “Are you okay?”

I drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly, “I’m sorry, she just made me so mad.” My fists remained balled at my sides.

“What are you sorry for?” he asked, stroking my hair. “You didn’t do anything wrong baby.” I simply nodded before laying my cheek against his chest, letting the sound of his heartbeat settle my nerves. We stood there for a few moments before he spoke again. “All better?”

“Yeah, I think so,” I made a feeble attempt at a smile, pulling back to look him in the eye. I felt I owed him an explanation. “She provoked me. She screamed and pulled my hair and then smacked me in the face. I don’t normally go around punching people.”

“I think you were within your right to do what you did. No need to apologize.” He took my chin in his hand and carefully inspected my reddened cheek. “I hope you know she was totally out of line, and wrong. When you're near me,” he touched his lips softly against mine, “you are all I see.” He gripped my face in his hands, his thumb stroking gently over my cheek, before crashing his mouth onto mine, devouring me as if he had been starved of my affections. Our mouths were pressed together, as our hands roamed over each other’s bodies, lost in the moment and totally forgetting where we were. We were brought back to reality by someone clearing their throat behind us.

“Excuse me Jesse, but everyone is waiting.” Spoke an unfamiliar female voice. I turned my head to see a woman standing in the doorway, waiting for Jesse to respond, the same woman I had seen leaving a room after Jesse. I was suddenly very curious to know who she was. Acting quickly, I thrust my hand toward her in greeting.

“Hello, I am Rhyann, and you are?” I smiled politely.

“Pamela Davis, Nate’s wife,” she said, gripping my hand daintily. I couldn’t help but notice the red lipstick covering her full lips. “Follow me.” I looked back at Jesse and he gave a lopsided grin, he knew what I had been up to and obviously enjoyed seeing it blow up in my face. He was lucky that I had calmed down from my earlier confrontation or else I may have throttled him for his smugness. Pamela led us to one of the rooms backstage and as I entered I heard voices calling out their congratulations. The room had been decorated with white lights and stars, assorted food items covered three long tables and on one lone table in the corner stood a beautifully decorated wedding cake. I pivoted around to find Jesse grinning from ear to ear at my reaction.

“Is this why you didn’t want me coming with you this afternoon?” I asked, unable to hide my rapidly growing grin. I have the best husband in the world.

“Guilty, I wanted you to be surprised,” he smirked, guiding me over to the table with the cake. “Besides, it gives my crew a chance to get to know you better.”
 

We reached the table and the small crowd began to gather around. Pamela carefully cut two slices of cake and it became obvious to me that we were expected to feed each other cake. I reached over, grabbing a small portion of the delicious looking treat, while Jesse did the same. I offered a bite to Jesse, taking great care not to drop any on his black shirt, hoping he would be equally respectful. He lifted a heavily frosted piece to my lips and I leaned forward slightly, ready to accept, and in one swift motion what should have landed on my waiting tongue ended up smeared over the lower half of my face. My first instinct was to stomp my foot and yell at him, but realizing that would only make me look more ridiculous I smiled sweetly before reaching an arm around his neck pulling him in for a kiss while using the other to pick up the remainder of cake on my plate. He broke apart from the sugary kiss, unsuspecting of my plot, and opened his mouth to speak just as I brought my left hand up with the hunk of cake. Just like that, we were both covered in creamy white frosting mixed with bits of cake crumbs. We looked ridiculous, yet happy. This sugar coated man standing before me makes me feel things that I haven’t felt before, he makes me laugh even when I feel like crying, he makes me feel beautiful even when I feel inferior, but most of all, he completes me.

After we cleaned up we spent the next few hours hanging out with Jesse’s, and now my, extended family. The evening was filled with good music and great food. I had been sitting in the corner talking with one of the roadies wives, she was going on and on about the struggles of raising a small child while pregnant with another. I listened intently for a while but soon found myself scanning the room for Jesse, silently willing him to come and rescue me. He wasn’t anywhere to be found.
 

I politely excused myself and made my way through the crowd, asking various people if they had seen him recently. I entered the adjoining hallway and headed toward the green room, hoping to find him there. My hand was on the door when I heard muffled voices on the other side, one of them was unmistakably Jesse’s but without seeing her face I wasn’t sure who the woman was.
 

Unfortunately, it didn’t take long to figure it out.

“I’ve missed you so much Jesse. I’m so sorry baby. I love you so much. Why the hell did you have to go and get married? Surely she can’t please you like I do.” Jesse mumbled something inaudible as I inched closer. “Just stay with me a few more minutes, she’ll never have to find out about us. We can still get together behind her back. You know you still want to be with me. You know I’m the only one that can satisfy you. In case you forgot, let me remind you.”
 

"Amber, stop." Jesse replied in a hushed voice.