Tom walks back past Jake, putting his hand on his shoulder, he speaks briefly in his ear. I see Jake laugh, as Tom walks away.
Jake looks back out at the crowd. “Okay folks, sorry about that.” His beautiful voice echoes around the stadium. “We’re going for a song change, but one I think you guys will dig. We’re doing something a little different – it’s not one of ours. This song was out around the time that we were breaking into the music scene, and these were guys we admired – still do. It’s a personal favourite of mine.”
He takes another drag of cigarette.
“So all you ladies out there … no, actually guys too, how many of you have had your heart broken?”
Every hand in the whole place goes up.
“I’ve had my heart broken too, believe it or not, quite recently in fact,” he says.
Oh God.
“I’ll mend it for you, Jake!” cries a female voice from the audience.
Jake chuckles into the mike. “I might have to take you up on that, honey.”
“Say when and where, and I’ll be there baby!” yells the woman.
Then a collection of female voices all start screaming, vying for Jake’s attention.
My throat is starting to get tight. I’m nervous and on edge, to know where he’s going with this. I know he can be unpredictable at times, especially when he’s been drinking.
“Okay,” he lifts his hand quietening the crowd. “So tell me out of all those broken hearts, how many of them was because your guy or girl cheated on you?”
Holy shit.
Some of the hands go down.
“Bad shit, huh?” he says into the mike.
“Okay…” He takes another drag of his cigarette and drops it to the floor, putting it out with his boot. “How many of these hands up, have ever in their time, been … a cheater too?”
My heart drops through the floor. I can’t believe he’s doing this in front of eighty thousand people.
A huge majority of the hands go down. I bind my together in front of me.
I sneak a glance at Will, but he’s watching the show.
I can’t even look at Simone. I haven’t really had chance to talk to her about Jake. I gave her a brief overview while Will was in the toilet, but catching Jake in the bathroom attached to my bedroom, told her all she needed to know.
She’s not judging, and I love her for that, but she did say I need to make a decision. And she’s right, I do.
I’m just not fully sure on which decision to make.
“Okay, well this song is for all of you who have been cheated on,” Jake continues. “And also for the ones they cheated with. The ones of you who were used and abused, filled with a shit load of promises, then left hanging dry. This one is for you guys...”
Denny hits the cymbals twice, Smith kicks in with the guitar, and Jake leans into the mike and starts to sing.
My whole body freezes cold, as he lullaby’s the lyrics to The Killers, ‘Mr Brightside’.
Holy fuck.
So he’s not only just talked about adultery in front of eighty thousand people, he’s now singing about it.
Singing about a guy who believes his girlfriend is having an affair.
He’s trying to tell Will. He’s trying to get Will thinking.
And in this moment, I’m filled with absolute anger toward Jake.
Then, as if reading my thoughts, he tilts his head to the side, staring straight in my direction, I didn’t realise he even knew where I was sitting.
I thought I at least had some anonymity.
Apparently not.
Now I’m standing here, open wide to whatever he chooses to throw at me. And I can’t move, I’m paralysed, as he openly sings in my direction.
Anger burns through me, turning to rage and fear.
He’s no right to do this. It’s up to me to tell Will, in my own time. It’s just cruel playing shitty games like this.
I’m just praying on the fact that Will doesn’t get music like we do. He doesn’t read the messages in lyrics.
I want to look at Will, I need to know if he’s seeing this or I’m right, like I’m praying and he doesn’t.
But I can’t move because I’m trapped in Jake’s stare. Like a rabbit in the headlights of a very beautiful truck, careening its way toward me.
I’m so very afraid at the game he’s playing, and I get a distinct feeling this is just the start of tonight’s games.
And when Jake does finally release me from his gaze, singing back to his adoring fans, I steal a glance at Will, and find he’s just watching the stage, completely oblivious as to what has just transpired up there.
Then I feel Simone’s hand take hold of mine.
I turn my head to look at her. She gives me a sad smile, then rests her head against my shoulder, as the song finally comes to an end. Jake finishing my first torture of the night And I keep hold of her hand for the rest of the show.
After the show, I head straight to the after show party with Will and Simone. Ben had kindly offered to drive us, so we ride through the streets of Paris in his safe hands. He drops up off out front, with the offer to pick us up later, but I wave his kind gesture off and tell him to get back to the hotel and chill out for the night.