The men escorted me from the building, thankfully leading me out of a side door; not to preserve my dignity but to keep any scandal in their hotel down to a minimum. Head bowed, I walked to my car in a trance, trying to ignore the horde of reporters that surrounded it.
The questions they called out went in one ear then out the other. I yanked open the door and climbed into the car. Somehow, I made it out of the parking lot without hitting anyone. In a daze, I pulled back onto the highway. I hit Mari’s number, not surprised when it went directly to voicemail. The ache in my chest grew with every mile I drove away from Mari.
I hit Ryan’s number. “Dude, what the fuck?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t see the video until I got there. I tried to see Mari, but she wouldn’t answer the door.”
“Can’t say I blame her. What the hell was wrong with you in high school?” I winced at the judgment in his tone.
“I’m not that big an asshole. Sam’s the asshole. The rest of the video is missing.” I glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was following me.
“What’s missing? ’Cause, I gotta tell you, it looks pretty damn bad.”
“After I told Mari not to be scared, I walked over and dragged Sam down another hall. I didn’t pay attention to where she went. Sam swung at me and I beat the shit out of him. The last I knew, he’d been kicked out of school and arrested for hazing freshman members of the football team. I don’t know what happened to him after that.”
“Oh, shit. You need to tell her.”
“I’d love to tell her . . . if she’d listen.”
There was a rustling on the other end of the line. “Where are you?”
“On my way home.”
“I wouldn’t do that. There are reporters parked all along the street, waiting for you.”
“Goddamn it.” I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, my knuckles still smarting. “Okay, I’m gonna find a hotel somewhere and try to figure out what to do next.”
“Call me when you get there. We’ll figure out something.”
“I don’t want to drag you into this.” I shook my head even though I knew he couldn’t see it.
“Dude, I’m not gonna leave you hanging. We’ve been friends for years. We’ll come up with something.”
“Thanks, man.”
I disconnected the call and when I was sure no cars were following me, I took the first exit in search of a motel. Some place that wouldn’t worry about the gossip blogs and their bullshit.
I found a place a little bit from the highway. Thankfully, the guy at the counter was older than my grandfather and most likely wouldn’t pay attention to anything that happened today. He gave me the key and I made sure to park my car in the back of the building to keep it from being seen from the road. I took my bag up to the room and flopped on the bed.
I needed a plan. Somehow, someway to prove to Mari that the guy in that video wasn’t me.
But how?
CHAPTER 29
Mari
The pounding had continued for another ten minutes before it stopped. The entire time I had my head buried against Sawyer’s chest.
“Is he gone?” I asked, my voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.
“He’s gone. Monty called security to drag him out of here.”
I sat up, swiping at the tears on my face. “I still can’t believe I didn’t know it was him that day. I had my eyes closed, not wanting to see the sneers on their faces, but I never even considered . . .”
Sawyer tried to bring me down to his chest again, but I fought against it. “I’m fine,” I snapped.
“No, you’re not. And you don’t have to be. Any one of us would be a mess after everything that’s happened.”
I walked away from Sawyer, noticing for the first time that Heath had a pack of ice held against his knuckles. He looked up at me sheepishly. “I’m sorry, Mari, I convinced you to talk to him. I swear I had no idea.”
“It’s not your fault. Cole made his own choices.”
My phone went off. I picked it up off the table to see Cole’s name flashing at the top of the screen. I turned the whole thing off, not in the mood to talk to anyone, let alone him. Jackson threw his phone onto the bed. “As long as Heath’s hand is okay, they still want us to play tonight. They think hiding will only make it worse.”
“Of course we’re playing tonight,” I said. “Why wouldn’t we?”
Sawyer walked up and, placing his hands on my shoulders, turned me to face him. “You realize that the media will be everywhere?”
“And that’s exactly why we need to be out there tonight. The PR department is right. If I hide it makes me look weak. Going out there and singing my heart out proves that I’m stronger than they thought. That I will never let a man drag me down.”
“Are you sure about this?” Monty asked.
I turned to Heath. “Is your hand okay?”
He watched me for a moment before tilting his head. “I’ll be able to play tonight.”
“Then it’s settled. If you guys don’t mind, I could use a little time alone to get ready.” I couldn’t believe I’d managed to summon up that much assertion. I didn’t really need to get ready. No. Really, I just wanted to sit in the shower and cry, then lie on the bed with ice on my eyes to keep the swelling down.
Sawyer on the other hand ignored what I wanted. “I’m not leaving you.”
I took his hand in mine. “You’re my best friend and you know I love you, but right now I need for you to give me a few minutes. I promise I’ll be okay.”
I saw the war in his eyes; torn between giving me what I wanted and doing what he felt was best. Eventually he gave in, but not until he made me promise to call his room if I need anything.
I stripped out of my clothes and climbed into the shower, the water still cold, and as I slid down the wall of the shower, my ass hitting the cool porcelain of the floor, I didn’t bother trying to hold back the tears. I needed to let them out if I was going to perform later. I sat and cried for so long, the water went from cold to hot and back to cold again. My fingers were so wrinkled I could have been mistaken for a grandmother.
Eventually, I pulled myself up off the floor, my heart in tatters. I dressed for our performance on autopilot; did my hair and makeup, warmed up my vocal cords. It was the same when I stepped out on stage. I could see the crowd cheering, see the delight on their faces, but I didn’t get the same rush that I usually did, and even my own voice sounded like I was under water. In front of thousands of people, I went through the motions. We didn’t have a bad show, but the enthusiasm that had been there from day one was gone and I didn’t know if I could find it again.
If the guys noticed the difference, they didn’t say anything. After the show I smiled for the cameras, signed autographs, gave a few short interviews, but it was all fake. I wore my mask and I wore it well. All I kept thinking to myself as I played the part of Mari from Jaded Ivory was, two shows to go until I can go home and wallow in self-pity.
The days passed in a blur of practices, singing, and traveling. The guys would try and get me to go out for a drink to take my mind off things, but I always declined. I wouldn’t be very good company. I preferred to hang out in my hotel room. Netflix and ice cream became my best friends.
What hurt the most was the fact I’d actually thought Cole and I had something real. That maybe I could spend the rest of my life with that man. To think of all the times he’d praised me or helped me see a problem in a new light caused my chest to ache. With Cole, it was the first time I’d let someone besides Sawyer in.
That would be the last time I ever made a mistake like that.
CHAPTER 30
Cole
The emails from both colleges, rescinding their offers, came the very next morning, one after the other. Both emails read along the same lines; while they loved my coaching style and knowledge of the game, they couldn’t risk tarnishing their school’s reputation.
And that wasn’t the
only thing weighing on my mind. As a result of Sam’s blatant lies, I’d most likely lose my job at the high school. All night I tossed and turned, trying to come up with a plan of action, but without having the rest of the video to play to the masses I was pretty much screwed.
Ryan tried reaching out a few times, but I ignored his calls, more than happy to throw myself a pity party. In one day, because of some spiteful asshole, I’d lost the love of my life and my career.
My phone rang with my mom’s number and I ignored that, too. My chest ached, my heart no longer a part of it. Really, I couldn’t give two shits about the job, but the small glimpse I’d gotten of Mari’s tear-streaked face . . .
It made my gut clench.
Forcing myself from the bed, I walked into the bathroom. Dried blood coated the area below my chin and heavy, dark circles rimmed both my eyes, and not the kind from lack of sleep. I touched my nose, pain reverberating through my head with the slightest bit of pressure. I was pretty sure it was broken. Bracing myself, I held both sides and pushed. My eyes burned as I bit back a curse. Not much a hospital could do for it, anyway.
The shower took forever to get lukewarm. During the entire time I was waiting, I heard my phone register message after message. After cleaning the blood from my face and pulling on new clothes, I felt more prepared to face the fallout. What I hadn’t expected was a text from Jake, a guy who’d played on the football team with me in high school.
Cole. Long time. When you get a chance, call me. I want to help.
I weighed my options. Jake was more like me during high school. We’d both done stupid shit, but we never went too far. Then again, we hadn’t stood up when we should have, either. I pictured the way Mari looked yesterday. Fuck it. Things couldn’t get any worse. I dialed the number.
“Hello?”
“Jake? It’s Cole.”
“Cole. I’m really glad you called. Fuck, I owe you an apology for all the shit you have to deal with now. It’s my fault, but I hope this can make up for it.”
I lay back on the bed, careful not to drop down too hard and rattle my nose. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m the one who shot that video.”
I sat bolt upright. “You fucking asshole. You gave that shit to the media.”
“No. Fuck no. I was thrilled to hear about you and Mari. She deserves something good after all we put her through.”
“Yeah, well that shit went out the window. How did the video get to the media then?”
“Best guess, Sam. I sent it to him after I recorded it. He threatened me, said he’d take me down with you for beating the fuck out of him. I think he realized after seeing it he was up shit’s creek without a paddle and would have lost more than he would have gained had he turned you in.”
Blood roared through my ears, my heart thundered in my chest. The video was the evidence I needed. “Do you have the whole video?”
“I do. It won’t let me send it over the phone, though. The file’s too big. I just need your email. It’s the only way I know how to fix the mistake I made by recording it in the first place.”
I gave him my email. “Thank you, Jake.”
“Good luck getting Mari back. If you do speak to her, tell her I’m sorry for all of the problems I caused.”
I hung up with Jake and started making calls. With the whole video in hand it was time to fight back.
Which turned out not to be as easy as I’d thought it would be.
The tabloids enjoyed the juicy story they had. They weren’t interested in making a bad guy look good. Thankfully I was able to get Michael from Hayward to watch the video. He promptly offered me the job again, apologizing profusely for believing the gossip sites. He told me they’d work with me on getting the real video released.
Day morphed into night, the black sky reflecting my mood perfectly. Somehow, Ryan managed to send the reporters out front of our house on a wild goose chase. I pulled my car into the train station near our place and walked a few blocks down to where Ryan waited to pick me up. Even with the lack of lightning, I left my baseball cap and sunglasses in place. I climbed into the back seat, exhaustion settling over me like a blanket.
“Thanks for coming to get me.” I tugged the baseball hat lower like it would somehow protect me from the shitstorm.
“Anything, man. I’m just glad it worked.”
I sighed. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure it would. But I’m glad it did. It’ll be nice to be in my own bed, not looking over my shoulder waiting for them to find me.”
“You do realize that they’ll figure out where you are soon enough?”
I slunk further down into the seat. “I know. At least at home I have everything I need.”
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Have you heard back from Hayward or Cambria?”
“I didn’t bother with Cambria since it was never my choice in the first place, but Hayward saw the video and offered me the job again.”
“Are you gonna take it?”
That was the question. “I’m not sure yet.”
On the one hand, if I took the job and somehow, someway I managed to get Mari back, we’d be living two hours apart. Then again, if she refused to even hear me out, being away from her might be for the best.
“What about the video?”
Even though I wasn’t in the mood to hash all of this out at the moment, I couldn’t be a dick about it after all Ryan had done for me over the last few days.
“The tabloids weren’t interested in the truth. Not surprising, but Hayward’s PR team is gonna try and use their influence to get the full video posted.”
“At least it’s a start.” Ryan pulled into the driveway and looked around. “I think you’re good. Let’s get inside before they come back.”
We raced to the door like thieves in the night. It was ridiculous having to sneak into my own home, but until the media lost interest, I was stuck with it.
The second the front door shut, I flopped down on the couch, dropping my duffle at my feet. I closed my eyes and let my muscles relax. There were things I needed to do like make some phone calls and check my email. I’d turned off all notifications on my phone after that first night. I didn’t need to see the social media sites blowing up about me, speculating what an asshole I was. How I used Mari for revenge over my lost career, which happened to be the last theory I saw. The only notifications I left on were for calls and texts. I didn’t want to miss if Mari tried to get a hold of me.
“Want something to eat? I can call for a pizza.”
Like that the silence was broken. “Yeah, pizza sounds good.”
Ryan turned toward the kitchen to grab a menu when I called his name. He looked back. “Yeah?”
“Thank you, for everything.”
He smiled, but I could still see the underlying pity in his eyes. “Anytime.”
He left the room and I knew it was time to face the rest of my reality. I grabbed my laptop from my bag and powered it up. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach at what I might find there. I sucked in a deep breath and opened the browser for my email. It loaded faster than I would have liked considering there were thousands of messages. Most of them from media sites looking for an interview, which I promptly deleted. Two emails stood out from the rest. One was from my school, scheduling a meeting to discuss my further role in the district. Who knew whether they planned to fire me or just remove my coaching privileges. Either way at least I had the evidence to take with me.
The other was from an unknown email address with the subject “You’re just as bad as them,” at the top. Nothing about the other email screamed spam, so I clicked on it hoping to figure out who it was from.
Mr. Wallace,
I trusted you. Thought you would actually stand up for the kids who were bullied. I never imagined you were one of the bullies. That you were still a bully. There is one thing I did learn through all of this and that’s to stand up for myself and my friends. Mari is my friend. She deserves better than you
. I won’t let you bully her anymore.
Kristen Davis
I wanted to be mad, to punch things reading that email. The trust I built with my students and players washed away. And while I was thrilled she was taking a stand for something, I wish I could have seen it from a different perspective and not directed toward me.
I debated the appropriate response to her email. Responding to Kristen’s email wouldn’t be the most professional thing to do. With my job most likely on the line, would it really matter in the end. Right or wrong, I had to do what was best for Kristen which was to show her that her trust wasn’t misplaced. She had a right to know that she didn’t have to fear believing in the teachers. That we were there to protect her and we’d do anything to make it happen.
Damn the consequences.
I hit reply, making sure to attach the full video Jake had sent me the other day.
Kristen,
I’m happy to see you stand up for yourself and Mari. The world needs more people like you. I’ve attached the full video which WAS NOT released. I’ll admit, I’m not proud of some of the things in that video, but not the way you think. I don’t want you to lose faith in the people who are there to protect you and this is the only way I can think for that to happen.
Mr. Wallace.
Besides checking in with my mom again, there wasn’t much more I could do for the night. I was out of ideas on ways to get her to listen. I’d sent the video to her email, hoping for a miracle. Then again, maybe this was the punishment I deserved for not standing up for her in the first place. I took my phone from my pocket, staring at it, willing it to ring, but nothing happened. I knew it wouldn’t get me anywhere but I couldn’t stop myself from calling Mari’s number again. And like every time before it went straight to voicemail.
“Mari, please watch the video I sent. Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself. You need to see the truth of it all. More than that, I want you to know that I miss you more than I ever thought possible. Please, please just watch it. It’s all there for you to see.”
Rock Me (Jaded Ivory Book 1) Page 24