“Zoey, I’d like you to meet Ronni.” They approached me with big, cheesy grins.
“Um, hi.” My voice didn’t sound like my own.
She embraced me like we were long-lost sisters. “It’s so great to finally meet the famous Zoey!”
I couldn’t take it. Tears filled my eyes. I pulled away from the beautiful actress, the emotions of the past twenty-four hours came rushing to the forefront. All day I’d stoically endured the hustle and bustle around me, knowing that I couldn’t add anything to the crisis control unfolding around me. Being embraced by the woman who I’d seen canoodling with my boyfriend in hundreds of photos did me in.
“Excuse me.” I started to cry and got up to run into the bedroom.
“For fuck’s sake, you’re crying again?” Sienna’s annoyed snarl followed me.
Predictably, Ty followed close behind me and enveloped me in his strong arms when I shut the door. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t let me go. He curved his entire body around me while my deep cries filled the room.
“It will be okay,” Ty said over and over, his hand splayed across the back of my head. “I’ve got you.”
“Wwwhy isss ssshhee heeeree?” I stuttered into his black Henley shirt.
“She’s going to give an interview to refute the bullshit.” Ty held me tightly. “That’s why I was talking to the lawyers.”
“Grreeaaat,” I sobbed. “More good news.”
“Oh, butterfly.” Ty cupped my face as his eyes sought mine. “It is good news. I’m sorry. I didn’t get a lot of warning that she was here, but you’ll like her. I promise.”
“Yeah, it’s so great to have more people I don’t know share in my humiliation.” I pulled away from him.
“Zoey.” Ty looked pained.
“I just want to go home.” I crossed my arms and blubbered. “I don’t want to be here. I can’t handle this, it’s too much.”
“Oh, babe—” Ty caught my hand, holding it tightly so I couldn’t pull away. “We’re working on it. I promise it will blow over.”
“You know what? I don’t want to be around anyone right now.” I slumped down on the bed. “I’m not sure I can face anyone ever again.”
Ty looked devastated. “Being with me is why we’re going through this.”
“No, that psycho publicist is why I’m going through this,” I snarled. “Do you understand that because of her my credibility is probably fucked forever?”
“Zoey, no. It’s not.” Ty tried to comfort me helplessly.
I picked up my tablet where the latest story was pulled up and read it out loud.
“After speaking with multiple sources close to the matter, it’s clear that Zoey Pearson is a bossy and controlling opportunist who has haunted Tyson Rainier for nearly a decade. She chewed him up and spit him out, leaving him a shattered man. Some of our generation’s most prolific songs were written by Ty about Zoey, and just when Ty had gotten over her and found a love worthy of his affection, she reappeared. Not content to let Ty be happy with Ronni Miller, Zoey wormed her way back into his life first with a position at his new foundation, and now back into his bed. All of the LTZ guys hate her guts.”
“Zoey, can’t you see it’s just bullshit? Please trust me. People will move on after a day or two. Katherine, Sienna, Andrew, Jace, and the lawyers are getting everything pulled down and retracted.” Ty grabbed my hand and tried to be reassuring. “We’re working on a real follow-up story.”
“You really trust them?”
“I do.” Ty squeezed my hand tightly. “They’ve never let me down.”
All of my rage boiled over, and I couldn’t play nice anymore. “Never let you down? Are you serious? Pardon me for distrusting the very people who preyed on your vulnerability and used you for years to line their pockets.”
“Fuck, Zoey. What do you want me to say?” Ty roared, stricken by my words.
“Nothing, of course. I’m beginning to think you liked being the victim. That’s how you’ve justified everything. Mean, psycho Zoey left you and boo hoo, Ty got hurt and was sad for sooooo long,” I yelled, unable to stop. “Has your publicity team considered how this affected me all those years, ever? I stayed away because I was asked to by someone who I thought had your best interest in mind. But, if you wanted me so much, after Carter told you what he did, why didn’t you make the effort to find me. Or at least fucking correct the record years ago?”
“Babe—”
“No! Seriously, if Carter hadn’t arranged for you to run into me at the law firm, would we be here today?” My voice cracked. “I don’t think so. No, I know so.”
“Butterfly.” Ty’s face was aghast. He knew I was right. Suddenly, I didn’t feel very safe. I didn’t feel very protected.
“Leave me alone, Ty.” I sobbed and when I realized he still had hold of my hand, I wrenched it away. “We’ve danced around this, but if you think for one goddamn minute that I don’t know that Sienna is out there planting these stories so she can fix them—don’t say one more word about protecting me. Fuck you. Fuck her. I’m not going to let her do this to me.”
My emotions were all over the place. Mad, of course. Heartbroken. Scared beyond belief to lose Ty. Scared to stay with him. Embarrassed. Defiant. Resolved. Devastated.
Yep, devastated. That summed it up.
“My mom and dad, and my law school classmates, my former coworkers at the firm? All of them have probably read—God.” The tears flowed again at the sheer shame of it all. “I’m always going to be the evil bitch who broke your heart. The world already fucking hated me because of the songs. I’ve
