Page 44 of Thirst Trap
When I got in my car and raced out of Nashville, I just knew I had to see her. But now that I’m here? All I know is that I’m prepared to do whatever she wants. I’ll beg. I’ll grovel. I’ll delete the app, video, and anything else that is in relation to Officer Sexy.
I’ll do it for her. Because I love this girl with everything in me.
I hurry off the elevator, and in five quick strides, I’m knocking on her door.
Please answer… please answer…
“Whitley? Whitley, please. Please, let me in.”
I knock again, surely waking up her neighbors, but I don’t give a fuck. I know she’s here. And I’m not leaving until she lets me in.
“Whitley! Please! I—”
My words are cut off as the door slowly opens, and just at the sight of her, my heart breaks.
She’s in a robe that looks like it has seen better days. Her hair is in a jumbled knot on top of her head. Her eyes are bloodshot, and I know I caused those tears.
“What are you doing here, Jake?”
“We need to talk.”
“We don’t need to do anything,” she says, taking a step forward, blocking my entrance. “You made the decision to become a social media magnet for women. You made the decision to take your shirt off and dance for strangers. You made the decision to do it tonight. And you made the decision to kiss that woman. So as far as I see it,Idon’t need to talk about anything.”
She’s right. This is all on me.
“You’re right. This is on me. But if you’ll let me in, I’ll explain everything. But please, let me explain.”
I don’t think I breathe for the ten seconds it takes for her to slowly step back, allowing me entrance into her apartment.
“I tried to call you,” I say, though I don’t know why. Probably because the silence is killing me.
“I dropped it in the tub. Side effect of seeing your boyfriend kiss another woman on social media.”
That takes me by surprise. “I thought you didn’t have the app?”
She shrugs, sitting down on the couch. “I downloaded it tonight. You see a whole lot of everything on that. Though I didn’t expect to see you dancing and kissing other women.”
I take a seat next to her, though I make sure to keep a few feet between us. Which kills me just as much as knowing how badly I hurt her tonight.
“Whitley, I will admit. I did dance tonight. It-it happened kind of all of a sudden and next thing you know… well, that doesn’t matter. It was stupid and I know it was. I didn’t have a good feeling when it happened, and I should have gone with that. But I didn’t. As for her, I didn’t even know she was behind me. She shocked the hell out of me when she kissed me. I-I didn’t know what to do.”
“But you didn’t do anything,” she says, tears threatening as she tries to keep her composure. “You just stood there. You let another woman kiss you. After you.” Her words trail off, and I can see the emotion written across her face. “You PROMISED me that this exact thing wouldn’t happen.”
“I know I did.” Unable to resist holding her hand right now. I reach for it, bringing it between both of mine. I let out a sigh of relief when she doesn’t fight me away. “And I will never be able to apologize enough for that. But I hope this helps.”
I reach for my back pocket and pull out my phone, opening the app that started all of this trouble.
“Jake, I don’t want to see it. I’ve already watched it more times than I care to.”
I shake my head, finding the video I filmed and posted somewhere around the Tennessee-Alabama border.
“Please, watch this,” I say, handing her my phone. “Watch this. If you still hate me and want me to leave. Then I will. But please, just watch.”
She takes the phone out of my hand, and I sit back, listening to my words.
I want to address something that happened tonight in Nashville. I also want to say that this will be my last video I post to this app.
She looks at me, and I nod, signaling for her to keep watching.
Tonight, I was in Nashville with a friend when I was recognized. That in itself is fine. I enjoyed meeting followers. I didn’t mind taking photos or talking to the people I met. Then, on a dare that I now regret taking, I was asked to dance the way many of you know me to do on this app. Though I thought I shouldn’t, I did. At that moment, a follower, who I had never met, felt that she had the right to put her hands on me and kiss me without my consent. And worse, that kiss didn’t just anger me, but I know for a fact that it hurt my girlfriend. And not just a girlfriend who might be out of my life after a few months, the woman who I one day hope to marry.
I can see the tears pooling again in her eyes. I can only hope they are tears of forgiveness and not goodbye.
Yes, I have a girlfriend. I don’t post about her on here because I like to keep parts of my life private and away from social media. But this girl, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me. She knows me for me, not the man who dances and takes his shirt off on here. I love her. I only hope she loves me back.
Because right now, I’m not sure. I don’t know if I’d forgive me if I saw the video that was taken of me tonight. But my girl has the biggest heart I’ve ever known. I can only hope she has it in that heart to give me a second chance. I don’t care that the video painted me in a bad light. All I care about is that it hurt the woman I love, and I can’t let that happen.
So, my friends, this is it. This app has been fun, but if it’s going to hurt the ones I love, then it’s not for me. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your support. But now I have to go get my girl.
