Page 33 of Playing Pretend

The moment was broken when Macy’s phone rang, and she rushed in to answer it. Her voice became nothing more than background noise as Caleb continued to shoot daggers at me. The longer he glowered, the more conspicuous his allegation became. Something inside me squeezed, giving way to a dull ache beneath my sternum. Aaliyah strode towards us and when she stopped at Caleb’s side, he tore his gaze from mine as if he could barely stand the sight of me.

Her eyes, soft and regretful, met mine for a brief second.

“We found out who did it,” she told Caleb. “The story was sold by a Danielle Marquez. Ring any bells?”

Caleb was stunned speechless, as was I.

“It was just confirmed.” Macy put her phone down. “She admitted to everything, claiming that she sold the story to pay off her student debt.”

“That would explain why she disappeared,” I said. Three sets of eyes landed on me. “She wouldn’t have risked selling the story immediately, or we would have suspected her from the offset. It’s been a week since she left, that’s enough time for us to forget about her, and find someone new.”

Realization dawned, and Caleb’s face went lax. The urge to get away from him and distract myself with work was tangible, filling the small space between us.

“We wouldn’t have seen it coming.” He paused. “So what do we do, Mace? How do we fix it?” he asked Macy.

She sighed, and sat back down behind her desk, looking as exhausted as I felt. “Even if we got every publication to print a retraction, the photographs are out there, and there’s no way for us to deny anything. Danielle was smart enough not to fabricate a single fact, which puts you in a sticky situation.”

With a harsh exhalation, Caleb brushed both hands over his head. “So, what? We have a statement printed acknowledging that the story is true?”

“That’s your only option,” replied Macy. “I can have it sent out within the hour, and with a bit of luck it will minimize any further damage. I think the bigger concern is how you’re going to get this past the Board. They aren’t going to be pleased that you kept this from them for so long.”

“And what about Natalia?” Aaliyah interrupted. “This is sure to draw her back here.”

Caleb screwed his eyes closed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “One crisis at a time, Liy. If Natalia comes back, I will deal with her, but it’s not likely. She wanted nothing to do with Braelynn when she was born, she didn’t even stick around long enough to name our daughter, and I doubt this will matter to her.”

Caleb had never mentioned who Braelynn’s mother was, but now that her name had come up in conversation, it made her more real.

But I couldn’t think about that, or why the possibility of her coming back bothered me.

Between the three of them, they were able to come up with a plan of action, and seeing no further need for me to be there, I cleared my throat and excused myself. I reached for the door, when I felt a hand wrap around my arm.

“I need to talk to you,” Caleb whispered close to my ear. “I owe you an apology.”

I steeled my spine, and inhaled a fortifying breath before replying. “Don’t bother, Caleb.” I was too upset to care that I was being unprofessional. “I’m a little tired of your ‘I’m sorry’s’.”

I pushed through the door, and didn’t bother stopping at my desk. I needed a moment alone to gather my wits. My name had been cleared, for all it was worth, and yet I was still the one left a little worse for wear.

I’d just walked into the bathroom when the door opened again, and Aaliyah walked in.

“Caleb asked me to make sure you’re okay,” she said, looking down at her hands. “And I wanted to apologize.”

She looked up at me again, and her deflated expression matched mine.

“It’s a little late for that,” I replied, leaning with my hands on the cold marble countertop. “You assumed I was guilty before I even walked through the doors this morning.”

“You have to understand -”

“No,” I snapped, looking up, “You have to understand. I would never do anything to hurt Braelynn or Caleb, least of all something as inexcusable as selling their personal story to the media.”

“We didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Kadence.” Aaliyah had the decency to look ashamed, but I wasn’t about to provide her with any kind of comfort, not when I was nursing a wound of my own.

“Well, you did, and as much as I appreciate the apology, I want to be left alone. Please.”

With a sigh, Aaliyah nodded. “I understand, but I hope you know how truly sorry I am. I know Caleb is too.”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now, Aaliyah. Just give me some space.”

The door shut a few seconds later, and I locked myself in a cubicle. I knew running was my go-to reaction, and I’d promised myself I wouldn’t do it anymore, but I was struggling to accept that Caleb assumed, without thought, that I was the one who exposed Braelynn, like I would ever do such a thing. It didn’t bother me that Caleb had one more thing to apologize for, or that I had one more thing to forgive. What bothered me was that I wanted to forgive him, even when I thought he didn’t deserve it.