Page 33 of Snared

“Barely,” Charlie muttered, causing a round of awkward chuckles throughout the room.

Fuck. I hated that we were all anxious.

“So what’s the plan? Annulment and a press statement saying it was joke and you’re not really married?” Bash asked.

“Uh, not exactly…” Charlie glanced at me.

“So.” I decided to rip the Band-Aid right off. “We’ve decided to stay married.”

Everyone started talking at once in response.

“Are you crazy?”

“Certifiable.”

“No, Charlie. Really?”

“What. The. Actual. Fuck.” Jax’s words carried over everything.

“Okay, okay. Calm down,” Charlie interrupted. “The two of us talked and agreed that this is the best choice. Look, I don’t want to be married to Josh at all, you know that, but the story is out there and you’ve already seen the comments, the backlash. So, yeah, we’re going to stay married until the end of the tour. Let the gossip die down, get divorced when we’re no longer a story.”

Bash’s eyes narrowed. “That’s insane.”

“Really, Charlie? Ignore the comments. They can all fuck right off,” Cassie said.

“I can’t, Cassie. You know that. Everyone, let’s be real here. I’m a female drummer in a very male-dominated industry. The comments have been coming since I joined the band. They’ll get worse if we announce I got drunk and married my fucking manager. The optics on that read that I did this for attention or some shit. I’ve worked hard to get here and I’m not a gimmick or a joke. This is the only option that proves that.”

I wanted to reach out when her voice broke. She was always so strong and confident, but hearing the quiver in her tone made me want to take her hand. I wasn’t completely heartless. But Cassie tugged her back into her arms before I could do anything.

“Fuck all of them, Charlie. You’re the best drummer for this band. You’re amazing and anyone who can’t see that is an absolute idiot. I get where you’re coming from, but is this what you want? Because if it isn’t, wewillfigure out what to do. Your choice is what matters here, more than anyone else’s.” Cassie glared at me.

Charlie let out a pained laugh. “Is being married to Josh what I want? Definitely not. But if we act like a boring, so-in-love couple? No scandal. If every person in this room treats us like you saw this coming, like us getting married isn’t a total shock, the rumors and assumptions will die down. And then I can do my job, bang on my kit, and play with my favorite band. The end justifies the means, as crazy as it all sounds.”

My gut tightened. Hearing her defeated tone fucking sucked, and guilt hit me square in the chest. I knew I hadn’t been in possession of my full faculties the night we got married, but it was my job to protect every member in the band at all times, and I’d failed.

“And we totally support whatever decision you make, but staying married, even for the length of the tour? Come on, you gotta see how ridiculous that is,” Tristan said.

“But is it? If we go out there and say it was a drunken mistake, the media will say I’m trying to create drama, working to get my name out in front of the rest of you. Let it run its course and we’re no longer the scandal of the moment. We finish the tour and put out some new music, then Josh and I get divorced and no one will remember our Vegas blunder.”

“That sounds exactly like something that would come out of Josh’s mouth,” Bash said.

“Because it is. Yes, it was my idea, but let’s face it, this is the most logical option for something completely illogical. We’ll play the part and then when the tour ends, we’ll quietly end the marriage. Only the band will know the truth,” I said. After everything with Jamie overdosing, the band basically breaking up, Bash’s constant bender, then finding out Jamie had a kid; the last few years had been insane. I did not want to add to that. I’d done enough already.

“And Evie. I can’t keep this from her. Plus, Cassie knows, Evie’s gotta know too,” Tristan said.

“Yeah, but that’s because Cassie’s here,” I said.

Bash leaned up against the wall next to the door. “If you think I would’ve kept this from her, you don’t understand a healthy relationship.”

I waved my hands around. “Of course I don’t understand a healthy relationship. Look where we are, Bash.”

“So true,” Jax said, perched on the arm of the chair.

“Oh, like you’re one to talk,” Bash said to Jax.

“Enough.” Charlie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Can we be done with this? We need to get back on the bus. To the rest of the world, Josh and I are married and in love. And of course you can tell Evie the truth, Tris,” Charlie said.

“All right, you heard Mrs. CH. Man, he’s already rubbing off on you,” Jax teased.

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