Pretty Broken Butterfly

I'm Safe, You're Not

I should be proud of how blase I deliver that news. He shouldn't be able to hear how difficult it was for me or how much it damn near destroyed me, watching her find pleasure under another man's hands.

So fucking hypocritical of me, I know.

I'm learning to accept my faults even if I don't like them.

Alex spits out a few harsh curses. "You've got to be fucking shitting me. Charlie never catches a break from this bitch."

The strike hits home exactly where it's meant to as I rub my chest. If it wasn't for me being so damn weak, Charlie wouldn't constantly be reminded of my infidelity. How can someone heal properly when the thing they're healing from is always right in their face? It's the whole reason she went into no contact with me to begin with.

"I'll take care of it, but I felt like you both had the right to know there is a video out here of you two," I tell him quietly. "I can only do something about the copy I have on my phone. Unfortunately, the only option we have to make sure this bitch doesn't spread this anymore is to go to the police."

"And that's something you can't do without one of us," Alek states.

"Which is why I'm coming to you, man. I already have a case against Rihanna, along with some other guys, for having sex with us unprotected while knowing she was infected. I own my fuck-up with her. What I did was stupid and the worst choice I've ever made. Believe it or not, Alek, I didn't set out to fuck her that night. Hell, if I had the chance to think for five fucking seconds with a clear mind, I truly don't think it'd have gotten that far."

"So, what happened then?"

I let out a huff of air before pulling in a long drink of water and wishing it was something a lot stronger. "A mixture of fucking everything and nothing at the same time. I won't go too much into this because there will be a day where Charlie will hopefully want to talk about this, but I can give you a quick rundown. Complacency, my insecurity, alcohol, noticing Charlie pulling away because I was being stupid with Rihanna, which scared me-it all just kind of collided in that pool house. So, when I followed Rihanna in there and then saw her leaned against the wall with her pussy out, I just froze and my mind blanked. It's like I became a zombie, and my brain went offline. When it finally kicked back on fully, I was buried balls deep inside a pussy that didn't belong to my woman. I knew it was happening, but I blocked it out because I couldn't admit to myself that I became the one thing I had always actively despised. You're not supposed to hurt the person you love like that, right?"

I blow out a breath, realizing I'd gotten off track from the reason I called him to begin with. Lionel and Brock have been the only ones I've been able to talk to about this, and I didn't realize how good or how much I needed someone else to listen.

"Anyway, there's never going to be an excuse for what I did. No matter what was going on, what I was feeling, red flags popped up constantly, especially that day. Things I've still not told Charlie about. Not that I think she'd want to hear it now. If she ever does, though, I'll be ready to do what I should have done then-communicate honestly."

The sounds of someone knocking on a door and then a man's deep voice in the background on Alek's side has me pausing the conversation. Alek must cover the microphone because when he replies, it's muffled.

There's a quiet snick as the door shuts behind the other person, and then Alek is back. "Sorry about that. We've got a late night meeting. You called right as we were taking a break."

"Fuck. Sorry. you two should talk and then let me know what you all want me to do with the video. For now, I have it locked in a secured folder along with all the other bullshit Rihanna has continuously messaged me with over the last six months that I think would help my case against her."