CHAPT29

As he started into the bar he saw Jeff in the back and way too many fans for him to enter for a drink too. Nodding toward Jeff, Matt headed out of the hotel and went in search of a bar or a club or something to take his mind off of the night he had just experienced. He would have loved staying with Cassidy and just holding her, but he also could respect her enough to go when she asked him too. He could only imagine how she was feeling tonight.

Three blocks down Matt found a small corner dance club that was still going strong and he went in. He lost count of how many beers he drank while he was there at the bar, and then how many he consumed on the dance floor. He was feeling the alcohol and that was a cold hard fact for him. He had beautiful girls dancing with him and he was buying them drinks to thank them it seemed. In the back of his mind was a little voice telling him to leave, that when he was this drunk he usually got into trouble. He also never listened to that voice in the back of his head when he was this drunk so he stayed and danced and talked with the ladies.

An hour into being there he was in a dark corner toward the back of the club with a petite blonde pinned against the wall, kissing her and running his hands over her voluptuous body. He did not notice the bathroom door open or that someone was watching him intently as he asked the girl to go back to his hotel with him.

As the girl giggled and walked out of the dance club with Matt, John watched as they headed back toward the hotel from the sidewalk. Randy came up behind him and slapped his hand on his shoulder. "I know it's been a few hours since we saw Cassidy last man, but I don't think she's changed that much."

"Damn right she hasn't, and I don't know what in the hell that dude is thinking. All you have to do is look at Cassidy look at him to see how she feels about him, and there he goes, off to break her damn heart." John was angry, he considered Cassidy his friend, and almost looked at her as he would a little sister. He wanted to drag Matt back here and sober him up before he totally screwed up, but the fact was that Matt was an adult and had to make his own choices.

Cody and Ted came walking out of the club just then, followed by Beth, Cody's girlfriend. "Hey you two," Cody said, "why do you both look so pissed?"

"Because somebody is in for heartbreak and it's just wrong that a man can do that," Randy said taking out his cell phone to call his wife. The others heard him say as he walked away, "Hey baby, no everything is just fine. I just wanted to call and say I love you."

While Randy talked to Sam for a few minutes John filled the others in on what had happened, hating to feel like such a gossiping old lady. Cody looked at Beth and back at John. "Are you serious? Cassidy is three blocks away and now Matt's taking another girl back to the same hotel where his girlfriend is sleeping? He needs an ass kicking!"

John shook his head and noticed that Ted had taken off walking toward the hotel. "Hey Ted where are you going," John called.

"To the hotel," Ted called over his shoulder just as Randy hung up the phone and fell into step beside of him.

"I cannot believe after all the times that Matt's been done this way that he is doing it. Being drunk is no excuse either."

"No Randy, it's not," Ted said. "You know I talked to Cassidy before and after the show tonight. She was so worried about how this mess was going to affect her and Matt as a couple, whether she said it or not. She was insanely stressed over this and now he is going to add this on top of it for her. I guarantee you that not one of us will tell her either. So she likely won't find out and then what? He does it again and again until she does find out? It's insane man, completely insane."

Randy looked closely at Ted and saw real concern on his friends face. "It sucks, yes, and someone should tell her. In fact I will tomorrow if you think it will help. Hell I am all for her being hurt as little as possible in this." As they walked into the hotel lobby they saw Jeff standing there with a strange look on his face. "On second thought, I think I'll have a talk with Jeff. Catch you in the morning man." Randy waved to Ted as Ted headed to the elevators.

Just as John walked in he saw Randy talking to Jeff and knew exactly what he was discussing. Joining the two men John shook Jeff's hand. "What's up man?"

"Randy and I were just discussing the idiot who I call a brother. I saw him walking through here not long ago with some blond on his arm and I don't think Cassidy was anywhere near his mind. I wanted to knock his ass out right there but I knew I couldn't. Randy says Cassidy deserves to know and I think she does too. I just hate that she is going to be hurt." Jeff was beyond angry, especially considering what he had all too recently gone through with Beth.

John nodded in agreement and said, "Man if you need me call me."

Jeff nodded as he said, "I think I'm going to head up and check on her and make sure she is sleeping. I would really hate for her to go to his room right now." Slipping his hotel room key out of his pocket as well as her extra that she had forgotten to get from him he headed upstairs. At the door he knocked quietly and said, "Hey Cass, it's me Jeff. Are you awake still?"

I threw the door open and Jeff saw that I had been crying. I calmed his worries when I said, "I can't sleep. I just can't stop replaying tonight over and over in my head and it really brings back some bad memories."

Jeff stepped into the hotel room and hugged me tightly as the door closed behind us. "Talk to me Cassidy; tell me what's going on."

We walked to the bed and sat in the middle of it together. "Jeff I feel so stupid because I know that tonight was an act and that Matt loves you but it was so hateful. I mean what happened to hitting people with chairs? He came in here with me and we were about to, well, anyway, and I stopped him. I just couldn't do it. I told him I wanted to be alone and he was so sweet about it and he left. The truth is tonight I saw in his act, and ex boyfriend of mine."

I told Jeff about Brian and how our relationship had gone and he wrapped his arms around me. "Cass I am so sorry that you went through such a horrible relationship. I can imagine how tonight brought all those memories back to you. I am sorry for that, but the good thing is you don't have to stay in this story line."

"I know," I said. "I was just about to go to Matt's room and talk to him about it all when you knocked. He had left his spare key here in case I needed him tonight."

"That son of a bitch," Jeff muttered under his breath. "Cassidy, I don't think it's a good idea to go to his room right now. I have to tell you something and damn it right now is not the way I want to tell you."

I looked at him. "What is it? Is Matt alright?"

Jeff took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess, but you got to know first that Matt is a great guy who just makes really stupid ass decisions sometimes. I do not know how to say this to make it hurt less and honestly, I don't know that there is a way at all. Matt went out tonight when he left here and he got pretty damn wasted. He brought a female back with him, and I am so sorry."

I just stared at him for a minute, processing what he had said. "Are you sure Jeff? I can't believe he would do that. He told me he loved me as he was leaving, and he left his room key! I have to go see this, it's not that I don't believe you, but I think it will be easier to keep it from happening again if I see it myself."

Before he could stop me, I was out the door with Matt's key in my hand. All he could do was follow and be there for the fall out. Five doors down the hall he saw me standing at the door hesitating. As he caught up to me he said, "You don't have to do this. Other people saw him; they will tell you what happened."

"No, I have to do this for me," I said looking at Jeff with a strength he knew that I couldn't be feeling. I put the key card into the door and eased it open. Walking in Jeff knew the moment that I saw Matt. I stopped cold and tears silently began to run down my cheeks. Quietly, so quietly Jeff almost didn't hear I said, "I really thought that you were different, but you're not at all are you? Here's your key." Laying the key on the dresser I turned and walked out into the hallway.

Before leaving Jeff looked at Matt and said, "You probably threw away the best thing that ever happened to you, and this time you have no one to blame but yourself." Turning and leaving the room he heard Matt telling the other woman to get dressed and leave. In the hall he hugged me and led her back toward my room.

As was predictable Matt called and I refused to answer his calls. I turned my cell phone off and let Jeff hold me until I fell asleep, my cheeks still wet with tears.