Hot rage shot through her veins and she thought about going back and giving both of them a piece of her mind when Jude walked away from Donna. She was driving herself crazy! She just needed somesleep.
“Hey, Zoey!” Cade called out as he caught up to her. “You going to the partylater?”
“Party? No, I’m tired. I think I just need a little air and then I’m heading back to the room,”shesaid.
“Alright, hopefully I’ll see you around soon. We shouldcatchup.”
For a moment, Zoey saw a glimpse of the old Cade and not the walking hard-on he became over the years. She couldn’t believe she snapped at him earlier. That wasn’t like her at all and she felt really bad about it. If anyone knew how rock stars were, it was her. Hell, as a club rat, she practically endorsed their bad behavior. So why was she being sosensitivenow?
“I’m sorry about before. You really don’t disgust me. I’m just…I don’t know,” she said as she rubbed her temple. “I think I just needsomeair.”
“Don’t worry about it, Zoey. I know what I am,” he said softly as he removed his sunglasses and his eyes met hers. “Do you want somecompany?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Are you crazy? You have a show to finish. I think they’ll notice if you’re not out there.” She grinned at him, feeling a little better and listening to the crowd chant ‘Silverlight.’
“I don’t care about any of that. I’ll walk out right now if you say that’s whatyouwant.”
Flustered, she searched his sky-blue eyes for the punchline, but there wasn’t one. He meant what he said, but he couldn’t. It wasn’t right. The most they ever were were friends. But if that was true, then why was she forcing herself to not ask him to leavewithher?
Behind Cade, she watched as Donna approached Jude again and rubbed his arm with her fingertips. Her stomach turned. She had to get out of there. Her head was spinning. Everything was just too muchatonce.
Without answering Cade, she turned and pushed the exit doors open and passed through them into the cool Vegas night air. Breathing in deep for a moment, she followed the walkway in a daze back to the hotel Silverlight wasstayingin.
Being that jealous, crazy girlfriend was the last person she wanted to be. She didn’t even recognize herself back there. As she headed to the elevator, she knew she couldn’t go up to the suite Jude got. She needed some time to get herself back. Just to relax and get some rest and not have to worry about Jude or anyone else showing up. Turning, she went to the glossy marblefrontdesk.
“Hi, I’d like a room for the night,” she said to the clerk dressed in the hotel uniform of a crimson vest with stripedshirt.
“Sure, not a problem. Let me see what I haveavailable.”
* * *
Zoey feltlike her old self when she woke the next morning. Checking her cell phone, she noticed several missed calls from Jude but only one voicemail. She hesitated beforeplayingit.
“Is this how it is, Zoey? It’s always what you want, isn’t it? It’s fine for you to get jealous, but I’ve had to deal with yourfriendshipwith Cade since the beginning. I see how it is. I’ve always loved you, and in the end you never gave me a chance. It's always been your way ornoway."
She recognized that as drunk Jude and knew it was her fault. Feeling bad for how she acted, she scolded herself for not saying something to him before she left or at least texting him later that night. Instead, she got a hotel room and never said anything to him. This was herfault.
Quickly getting dressed, she grabbed his room key and rode the elevator to the penthouse floor. She knocked on the door and waited, but there was no answer.He’s probably still asleep, she thought. Letting herself into the room, she held the door as it closed so it wouldn’t slam andwakehim.
The penthouse had a wall of windows that looked out at the city below, but the view was eclipsed by the mess in the room. Chairs were knocked over. Empty bottles littered the main room and plates of half-eaten food were piled on thecounter.
Following a trail of clothing into the bedroom, Zoey found Jude passed out on the floor shirtless and with his jeans unzipped. Beside him were two naked women. One of them wasDonna.
“Really, Jude?” she yelled as she kicked his leg. “Is this what Ideserve?”
Jude groaned and rubbed his face before slowly sitting up. “Zoey? Youcameback?”
“I never left, but I’m gone now,” she said as she stormed out of thebedroom.
“Wait, Zoey. This isn’t what you think!” he said as he looked around before chasingafterher.
She spun to look at him and saw Donna standing naked in the doorway, smiling like a cat that swallowed amouse.
“How is it not what I think? I’m tired of this, Jude. And with that fucking slut? God only knows what you’ll catch off that skank. I’m done with this, Jude. I’ve had enough. Drink all you want, do what you want. You won’t have me to worry about anymore,” Zoey said as she slammed the door shut behind her and ran down the hall towards the elevator as fast as shecould.
She knew Jude would follow her and she couldn't do it anymore. She couldn’t hear the excuses. She wanted so badly to believe him, but it was the same thing over and over, and she had had enough. It was time for her to think about herself and to listen to her head, not her heart. Her head told her enough times she was an idiot for staying as long as she did, and she knew it wasright.
Getting into the elevator, she hit a random button multiple times, wishing the door would close faster as Jude ran down the halltowardsher.
