“Do you actually think they’d do that?” Her voice is gentle, and her arms are still thrown around me in comfort.
“I wish I didn’t. I wish there was a different explanation. But every way I look at it I come to the same conclusion. She’ll make sure I pay for this.”
“She?”
“Veronika.”
Dakota mutters something under her breath I don’t catch before she lets me go, starts to gather all the magazines, and drops them in the nearest trash can. When she’s back in front me, she helps me to my feet before she grips my shoulders.
“Let’s go to the hotel room, settle in, and we can try to figure this out. Okay?”
Just as we pivot to leave, my phone rings. Hanna’s name flashes across my screen. Even though parts of me don’t want to know what is going on, I know I need to figure out who leaked the story, and why, for my own sanity. “Hi, Hanna.”
“Oh, my god, Mon. I swear, I didn’t go to the tabloid,” is the first thing I hear through the speaker. Confusion starts to spread, pushing out some of the nothingness.
I don’t like not knowing what is going on, especially when it concerns my own life. “What?”
“I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t do this to you, I swear. Not after what you told me about your mom and what she’d do. Did you read them?”
“The articles? I skimmed them. What the hell is going on, Hanna?” The confusion I felt not a minute ago is morphing into frustration. Why is no one able to just be honest with me?
“They got a hold of the police report I filed. The one I made after the accident while you were still unconscious. The one I thought your mother had buried. That’s what they’re citing. I swear I wouldn’t—”
“I believe you.” And I do. She isn’t a good liar; and I can hear the sincerity in her voice. “I can see them digging up that report. I just don’t understand why anyone would be interested in this now.”
“Well…” As she trails off, I can hear something in her voice, like she’s holding back something else. I don’t have to prod her before she drops another bomb at my feet. “That guy your mom is dating is apparently some dude from a rich French family. He proposed last week. It’s been all over social media. I take it you didn’t know?”
“Fuck me,” I groan. I watch Dakota’s frown increase at my tone of voice. She knows things got worse. “Big news. The tabloids must be all over that.”
And it would be big news. I never met her latest boy toy, Phillipe; I’ve gotten used to her parade of men. Hell, she’s been married four times after divorcing my father. Constantly on the hunt for someone better, richer, more handsome, more famous. I gave up learning their names a long time ago.
Usually, they’re gone as fast as they appear.
“Exactly. The media loves him, but with your mother’s history and yours… She’s the perfect fodder for the masses.”
“Son of a bitch.” I can’t believe I missed all of this while I was hiding out in Montana, rebuilding what I believed was a new life. “I’m so sorry you and Adam are dragged into my drama again.”
“Hon, don’t you worry about that. I’m more worried about you. Are you okay?”
“I—” The standard utterance of ‘I’m fine’ gets stuck in my throat, unable to say it as I’m as far from fine as you can imagine. “No, I’m not. But I will be eventually, I guess.”
“Hon—” Hanna starts, but I interrupt her, knowing I can’t handle the sympathy she’s about to give me.
“It’s all right, Han. I just need to find out who did this.” Even though part of me wants the feeling of nothingness back, I can’t ignore the fire burning inside of me to find out the truth. “Veronika isn’t the type to leave loose ends. Someone must have tipped them off that there’s more to this story. After all, the original one of me driving is as juicy as this one. They wouldn’t dig further if it wasn’t for someone telling them to.”
“You’re probably right.”
We’re silent for a moment, both of us processing what has been said, while I look at Dakota. I don’t have trouble reading her expression of sympathy, heartbreak, and indignation on my behalf.
I know whatever I’m about to do, she’ll have my back no matter what.
“I have to go. I’ll come see you and Adam as soon as I’m back in Seattle after the finals.”
“I thought you’re going back to Montana?” The surprise in her voice is evident. Just hearing the words though, the reminder of what I feel deep in my bones I’m about to lose, has me flinching.
Maybe I’m too pessimistic, but one thing life with my mother has taught me is trusting my gut. It prepared me for the inevitable losses, the betrayals, the lies, the manipulations.
Instead of voicing any of this, I say, “I’m not sure.” And I’m not, because my gut is telling me there is more to this story. Something isn’t right. I’ll make sure to figure out what exactly happened and who told my story to the tabloids.
After hanging up with Hanna, I walk out of the barn with my stomach twisting, Dakota following silently behind me. The confusion of what happened is still clouding my thoughts. I go back and forth trying
