Nate could practically see Daniel’s smirk and rolled his eyes. “Thanks a lot, man.”
“That’s why I pay you the big bucks—damage control.”
Nate sighed. “Speaking of, I have to call the studio about this. Lily said someone there sent the photos to her, and I want to know who it was.”
“Did you get a name from her?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Nate cleared his throat before answering. “Well, we got into a fight, and I told her I wanted to take a break. From the two of us.”
Daniel’s exasperated sigh came across the phone lines loud and clear. “You broke up with her?”
“Yeah, I guess I did,” Nate said.
“I get where you’re coming from, believe me, but . . . you’re an idiot.”
Nate felt the same anger he’d felt the day before. “How can you say that? She could have given us some warning. She should have called the moment the studio contacted her.”
“Look, Nate, I’m not saying that I’m fine with this. I’m pretty pissed off about it, actually. It sucks that someone I consider a friend is involved in this mess, and of course I wish those photos hadn’t been posted. But Lily didn’t take them.”
Nate frowned. “No, but—”
“I’m not going to argue with you here, man. You need to take some time to cool off. And then you need to think long and hard about whether or not you’re willing to lose her over this.”
“Fine,” Nate agreed, only to avoid argument. “In the meantime, I’ll keep issuing the no comments.”
“Good. And let me know what you find out when you call the studio.”
The next few days blurred together.
Nate tried to focus on going through the motions—work, eat, sleep, repeat. He acted as though nothing happened, and those who didn’t know him probably saw very little change. They didn’t notice that his normally straight tie sat just a little crooked, or that his hair seemed more uncooperative than usual. He rarely looked anyone in the eyes, which suited him fine because he didn’t want anyone commenting on the dark circles under them.
Lily fared no better. Makeup did little to camouflage her red, swollen eyes in the days after Nate left her. She ran through everything black in her closet, dressing to match her mood. She even tied her hair back with a black elastic at the nape of her neck. She didn’t care that the combination made her skin appear paler than normal.
At the office, Olivia had noticed that something was different that very first morning.
“Everything okay?” she had asked.
Lily had simply shaken her head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she mumbled.
She’d retreated to her office, ignoring Olivia’s attempted apology, and closed the door. She hoped her coworkers would simply leave her alone. All she wanted was to do her work and go home, back to the comfort of her bed.
A few days later, she attended a screening of an upcoming horror movie and wrote a couple of pieces about the film. The subject matter did little to distract her. With her phone set on silent, she checked it frequently, hoping to hear something—anything—from Nate. She tried not to be disappointed each time her notifications remained empty.
After she finished her last story, she did a quick check of her e-mail. One new message sat in her in-box, and her stomach immediately filled with knots. With a heavy sigh, she opened it.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: photos
Lily,
I’m not even going to pretend I’m okay with what happened with the photos. It pisses me off that your site not only published leaked pictures, but also led the charge, so to speak.
All right. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s move on.
Nate said you told him you didn’t post the pictures yourself. I want you to know that I believe you. I’m frustrated, but I’ll tell you the same thing I told Nate—you’ve never given me a reason not to trust you. I’m doing my best to remember that, since whoever put the photos on your site clearly doesn’t realize how things like that affect my life.
So tell me what happened. Nate mentioned that you fought and he said you two should take a break? I told him that he’s an idiot (yes, that’s a direct quote) because as mad as I am about those photos going out, it’s not worth the two of you breaking up. I guess he feels like you’ve betrayed his trust—for reasons that aren’t your fault—and can’t see beyond that right now.
Give him time, though. I don’t like this any more than he does, but I’m absolutely certain it won’t be the last time something like this happens, and you two need to find a way to work around it.
DB
Lily reread Daniel’s e-mail three times. She never expected Daniel, of all people, to reach out to her. She assumed he would take Nate’s side. By the time she hit the reply button, something akin to hope had bloomed in her heart. It was very faint—a pinpoint of light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel—but it was there.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: photos
Daniel,
Thank you. For believing me. For sticking up for me with Nate. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you never wanted to speak to me again after talking to him.
And I cannot apologize enough. I’m truly, profoundly sorry this happened the way it did. I didn’t want the photos of the two of you to be published. The studio sent them—you probably know that they sometimes purchase set photos taken by paps to control the flow of information—and gave us the exclusive until the next day.
I talked it over with the other senior writer at my office, and we agreed to wait until the next morning. When I got to work, I suggested posting the photos with the exception of the shots of you and Sam. But it was too late; they were already up on the site. I don’t know who published them, but I do know that the New York staff received the photos as well. My guess is that someone working late there put them on the site.
At this point, though, does it even matter who clicked the “Publish” button? Nate feels betrayed.
Yes, he did say that he wanted to take a break from the two of us, and I’m being respectful and giving him the space he requested. I haven’t heard from him, and I haven’t tried to contact him. Is he all right?
I love him, Daniel, and I don’t want to lose him over this. I just don’t know if that’s up to me.
Lily
PS: Getting to know you has given me a lot of reason to reevaluate our policies here. Typically, we don’t question whether or not to post information when it comes from an official source. But perhaps we should.
His reply waited for her the next morning.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: photos
Lily,
Thank you for your apologies and explanation. I appreciate you taking my privacy into account. As I said to Nate, this wasn’t the first time, and we all know it won’t be the last. It’s something that will always be there. We just have to find a way to not let it affect us personally. I’ve had much more practice at that than you and Nate. Don’t worry, I’m happy to give you both pointers whenever you ask.
He’s as okay as I imagine you are. He’s hurting but functioning. Be patient, and I think things will work out between the two of you.
In the meantime, take care of yourself.
DB
The corners of Lily’s lips twitched at the thought of Daniel playing couple’s counselor. It was the first pseudo-smile to grace her face in days.
Maybe things will be okay, she thought, allowing herself a small measure of optimism.
Dwelling on things wouldn’t help, so she threw herself into work. Remembering Nate’s words about controlling her staff, she spent more time with Jonathan and Kathryn. It started as a way to distract herself, but Lily found that the extra effort made her a better boss and tur
ned her staff into better writers. They spent time discussing angles on stories, developing questions for interviews, and talking about what should and should not be published.
Lily used her own recent experiences as a cautionary tale. She told Jonathan and Kathryn about her decision to not publish the photos and about how upset Daniel’s publicist was when someone posted them anyway. The three of them spent quite a bit of time talking through the pros and cons list that remained in Lily’s mind.
Jonathan questioned her decision first. “But you and Olivia were both right—they weren’t doing anything wrong in the photo, and it had easy deniability.”
Lily nodded in agreement. “You’re correct. But, for me, it became a question of should we be publishing that kind of photo. And I don’t think we should. I think it’s time we take a stand. It might not make a difference, but maybe we’ll give other sites a reason to think twice.”
She grinned at her staff across the conference table. “And at the very least, we become the favorite site for celebrities and publicists.”
Burying herself in work helped Lily get through those first two weeks without Nate. She still hadn’t heard from him and respected his request for space. At the end of the second week, the negative thoughts began to nag at her again.
What if I run into him?
What if he keeps his distance?
What if it’s really over?
That last question kept Lily up at night.
She didn’t want it to be over between them, but she still felt the sting of Nate’s accusations. His lack of trust and faith in her hurt the most. She couldn’t understand—after all they meant to each other—how he could just . . . let go like that. He still occupied her mind and her heart.
Lily couldn’t have been happier when Colette and Maggie flew to Los Angeles to visit her for their version of a Spring Break. They had perfect timing. A couple of days after Nate broke up with Lily, the three of them had analyzed the situation over a best friends’ conference call. The girls had instantly taken Lily’s side and called Nate an impressive list of creative not-so-kind names. Lily had defended him and predictably took on the blame for the requested break in their relationship. The call ended with Maggie and Colette promising to visit soon.
After a long day at work for Lily and a long day of cross-country flying for Maggie and Colette, the trio opted for a casual dinner and drinks at Umami Burger. It didn’t take long for Lily to bombard her friends with the thoughts that raced through her mind.
“He said he needed time, and I understand that. But how much time do I give him? It’s been two weeks!” She couldn’t keep the exasperation out of her tone.
Colette tried her best to stifle a laugh as Lily took a pull from her bottle of imported beer. “Oh, Lil. You’re right, it’s been two weeks. And you’ve said yourself that the photos would make him very busy. He probably hasn’t had time to even think about things at this point.”
Maggie shook her head as she swallowed a bite of her burger. “I think Lil has a point here. What does he need time for? She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know she didn’t,” Colette said. “And I know Nate’s overreacting, but he’s looking at this like some sort of betrayal—”
“That’s a bunch of bullshit.” Maggie’s gaze moved from Colette to Lily. “Sweetie, from a clinical perspective, this guy obviously has trust issues coupled with trouble controlling his anger. He jumped to the wrong conclusion and is convinced he’s right. You’re not going be able to change his mind right now.”
A slight panic reflected in Lily’s blue eyes. She took another sip of her beer before setting it down, her gaze remaining on the table.
“But what if he doesn’t want me anymore?” It was the thing she feared most.
Colette’s expression softened. “He does. You two love each other and belong together.”
“He can’t avoid you forever, Lil,” Maggie added. “Your paths are bound to cross again at some point. The website will still cover Daniel’s films.”
“You have no idea how hard it would be to just be professional with him. I don’t know if I can do it.”
“If that’s what it takes to rebuild your trust in each other, then you can and you will,” Maggie commented.
Lily rolled her eyes and gave a slight grin. “Ever the voice of reason. You make a good point.”
Maggie gave Lily a pointed look that said, “Obviously.”
“Just be patient. I do believe he’ll come around,” Maggie said.
“I hope you’re right.”
“Of course we are, Lil,” Maggie declared. “But for now, here’s to girl time with best friends. Raise those bottles, ladies!”
The three women toasted their time together, promising to enjoy every minute. Their four days together centered Lily in a way she hadn’t expected. They spent quite a bit of time talking about Lily and Nate’s relationship status, and perhaps getting everything off her chest helped. As she took her best friends to LAX for their return flight to Nashville, she felt more focused. Her heart still ached, but her mind was clear. If Nate needed time, then she could wait.
At the terminal, Lily helped her friends get their luggage out of her trunk and turned to hug them both.
“Call us immediately if you need another pep talk. That’s what we’re here for,” Maggie said as she let Lily go.
Colette laughed as she squeezed Lily one more time. “Be strong,” she whispered with a wink.
Lily teared up at her friends’ encouragement. “You girls are the best. I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”
“You will be fine, Lily Richards,” Maggie said. “Now go make us proud!”
Lily grinned and waved as they turned toward the doors, their suitcases trailing behind them. For the first time, she started to believe she would be fine.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lily’s focus remained on work, which brought some measure of calm to her frazzled mind. Journalism came as naturally to her as breathing. When everything else around her seemed to be in a state of chaos and she felt as though she couldn’t do anything right, her chosen profession gave her a sense of balance. She knew how to do her job, and she knew how to do it well.
For the time being, she would draw comfort from that.
Maggie and Colette proved to be correct when they said Lily and Nate’s paths would cross professionally. Two weeks after they left, Lily sat at her desk writing a review when her e-mail pinged with a new message.
Her heart began to thud in her chest when she saw it had come from Nate’s business e-mail address.
From the subject line she could see it was just a press release, but that didn’t stop her from fretting about what it would say. She took a deep breath and closed the door to her office before opening the message.
She forced herself to read it slowly, resisting the urge to skim through it to see if he’d said anything personal.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Garrett Thomas cast in new role
Lily,
Please see the attached press release regarding Garrett Thomas’ new role. He has been cast as the lead in director Bradley Martin’s next movie.
A biography/filmography also has been attached for your convenience.
If you have questions about the film, please contact CameraOne Studios’ marketing department at 958-555-1091.
Regards,
Nate Brennan
Lily fought to keep her breath steady, but it was a struggle. She figured the first time they spoke would be veiled in over-the-top professionalism, so she shouldn’t be surprised. But she couldn’t deny that she had hoped for more. She stamped down her disappointment with a heavy, irritated sigh and typed out her reply.
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: PRESS RELEASE: Garrett Thomas cast in new role
Nate,
Thank you for sending this. We’ll post this to let our readers know as soon as possible.
Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do.
Best,
Lily Richards
She wanted to add more.
P.S.: Are you okay?
P.P.S.: I still love you.
P.P.P.S: I wish we could talk about this. Please?
Before her emotions got the better of her, she proofread and sent the message, reminding herself—for what seemed like the millionth time in the last month—that patience was a virtue.
Lily continued to mull over Nate’s e-mail for the next few days. The situation with the photos was not her fault—literally—and she couldn’t understand what had caused such a strong reaction. He’d asked for space, and she obliged—not wanting to make the situation any worse. She knew he was angry with her, but she was angry with him, too, for making her feel like she had to choose between her job and her loved ones.
She had long ago talked to Devon about who had posted the photos—along with her objections to posting them. It turned out that Lily’s first guess was right. A staffer in the New York office uploaded them with the approval of one of their senior writers.
But the knowledge didn’t make Lily feel any better.
The whole photo posting fiasco had exposed a larger problem with the website’s current setup. The West Coast office clearly didn’t know what material the East Coast had. And vice versa. Now, having heard from Nate and yet not having heard from him, the events that had led to their breakup became impossible to ignore. A few days after his e-mail, Lily took her concerns to Olivia, who agreed and helped her formulate a plan to prevent a similar situation from happening again. The first step, they decided, must be to create a file listing everything going live on the site by date.
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