by Komal Kant
What was she doing here?
The truck pulled to a stop in the front yard and Delilah hopped out of the passenger seat, her steps slow and graceful as she approached us. showing off her long, tan legs in denim shorts.
Michelle wasn’t far behind, her features grim.
Without turning around, I could feel the aura around my brother expand to a glowing brightness. The energy Delilah brought out of him was unrivaled to anything I’d ever seen before.
“Blair.” Delilah was breathless as she spoke, trepidation in her eyes. “I, I hope you’re not mad about what happened yesterday. I didn’t mean for you to find out like that.” Her eyes shot past me to where Drew stood. “But when I told Drew, he was determined to tell you immediately.”
That was one way to greet someone.
With churning thoughts, I gave her a soft smile. “No, I’m glad you told him.”
Relief sank into Delilah’s face. “Oh, thank God. I barely slept wondering how angry you must be at me.”
I shook my head. “I’m really not. Just deflated.”
Michelle was staring hard at me, like she was gauging every micro-expression that darted across my face. “He was scared to tell you the truth, Blair. He hasn’t let someone get close to him the way he let you.”
I couldn’t stare into Michelle’s face, so I looked down at the ground instead. She had no idea why Wade had kept the truth from me. It had more to do with his past than she realized.
“I don’t know about that,” I mumbled stupidly.
“Well, I do,” Michelle said firmly. “You should’ve seen him, holed up on that hill, letting his soul disintegrate like the scrap he surrounds himself with. Not talking to no one, barely talking to me, content to live in his misery and push everyone away.”
That had been the truth the day I had met him until an unexplainable connection had bonded us.
Delilah stepped closer, blind belief written on her face—belief in me that I didn’t deserve. “Blair, the second you stepped into town, you lit that spark back up in him.”
This couldn’t continue. They couldn’t keeping believing that I was some miraculous woman who’d impacted Wade’s life in a positive way.
Because I hadn’t. I had only brought him misery and pain.
“I’m the one that took it away in the first place.” Raising my head, I met Michelle and Delilah’s confused faces.
“What do you mean?” Michelle asked, her eyes shooting from me to Drew to my mom.
“Blair, you don’t have to,” Mom said from beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“No, it’s okay, I want to.” With a steadying breath, I looked Michelle dead in the eyes. “I’m the reporter who broke the story about Penelope Walker’s affair all those years ago. It was me. Selfish me.”
Silence shrouded us. We were five different people standing on a solitary hill at the center of a revelation that had the power to tear all of us apart.
Delilah’s entire body shook at my words. “No, I don’t believe it.” She looked to Drew for his denial, but he remained silent. “How could you do that?”
“Because I was a thirsty, greedy, selfish human being.” My voice broke at my truth. “But I’m not that person anymore.”
Michelle was rigid. Her face showed no emotion. Clearly, Wade had taken after his mom when it came to masking his feelings.
“Wade knows who you really are?” she finally asked, no emotion in her voice either.
Somehow, I managed to nod. “He’s known since the beginning. I was the one who had no idea who he was.”
A strange look passed across Delilah’s face. She shared this look with her mother before studying me again. “So, you’re saying that even after my brother knew that you were the reporter who’d exposed Penelope’s affair, he still fell for you?”
“Uh, yeah,” I replied, shifting awkwardly, confused about why neither of them were ripping my hair out Jerry Springer style.
It looked like Michelle was about to say something, but before she could, her phone rang, breaking her train of thought. “Hold on.”
Pulling her phone out, she stared at the screen with knitted brows before answering. “Hello? What? Wait, Harris, slow down, what are you saying? Who is?”
Hearing the fear in Michelle’s voice, shook me. This was a woman who never quavered. If something was worrying her, it had to be big. It had to be Wade.
A shiver passed through my body.
“Okay, you need to call Edgars. I’m on my way.” She hung up and pointed at me. “You need to come with me now, Blair.”
My insides sank.
This was definitely about Wade.
NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS did I ever think that a pack of paparazzo would be camped outside Wade Welsecky’s flimsy shack.
It was like something out of a C-grade horror film: The Counting Cameras, The Haunted Lens, The Plague of the Photogs.
Yet, that was what met us when Michelle peeled into Wade’s front yard, brakes screeching.
The way Michelle had hightailed it to Wade’s, I thought we might die on the way. She was pushing fifty miles, careening and swerving around bends, like she was a stuntwoman for The Fast and the Furious.
With clenched teeth, I’d clutched my seatbelt like I was clutching onto my life, too afraid of Michelle to tell her to slow down.
When I glanced over at Drew, he had that same look of terror on his face, but that also could have been because he was either scared about the amount of carbon emissions being released by Michelle’s diesel truck or because he’d basically traveled around on a bicycle for a year of his life.
“What’s going on?” Delilah leaned forward in her seat as Michelle pulled up next to a silver SUV. “Who are all these people?”
I didn’t need an explanation. I knew this kind of crowd well. It was a crowd of rabid reporters—the exact crowd Wade expected me to be a part of.
Drew and I hurried out of the truck after Delilah and Michelle. As we stormed up to the cabin, another truck pulled up—Cole’s.
Cole and Ray jumped out, their faces stricken with shock.
“What the hell is going on here?” Ray demanded. “Why’re all these damn cameras clickin’ away?”
“Reporters,” Drew replied in a soft tone, casting me a sideways gaze.
“What?” Delilah was shrieking, sheer panic on her face. “How could that happen? No one knows he’s here!”
“We need to get to him,” Michelle said, her face pale.
The six of us banded together as we marched the remainder of the way to the house. The reporters had caught onto our arrival and had shifted in our direction as we approached.
There was about twenty or so of them, each with a camera person and a photographer in tow, shoving their microphones in our faces as we pushed past.
Are you the family of Harlen Walker?
Has Penelope come to see him?
Is it true he’s partying every night?
“Get outta the damn way, you vermin!” Michelle snapped, her face growing red as each question was flung at us.
Once we’d elbowed our way to the front, I finally noticed Edgars police car, parked directly in front of the front door like a shield. Edgars and Harris were stationed in front of him, telling the paparazzi to back off.
“What’s going on, Harris?” Michelle demanded, ignoring the cameras being shoved in our faces.
Relief sank into their faces when they caught sight of us.
“I was workin’ in the shop and before I knew it, all these cars had pulled up in front of the house. Wade wouldn’t let me in. He even locked the door that connects to the garage. He’s been drinking, too.” It was the most panic I’d seen on Harris’ normally calm face since I’d met him.
The peacefulness of their small town had been disturbed by a barrage of reporters and paparazzi. Everyone was out of their depth. Everyone except me.
“I’ll put an end to this.” Michelle stormed up the front steps, passing a frazzled Ed,
who was doing his best to handle the crowd. “Open this goddamn door right now, Wade Harlen Welsecky!” Michelle yelled, pounding on the door with a fist. “Don’t make me drive Ed’s car through it.”
We waited in silence, the reporters teeming behind us eagerly.
Achilles’ heavy paws were beating on the other side of the door, his bark loud and terrifying.
Finally, there was a click, and the door opened a fraction.
My heart jumped.
Blue eyes bloodshot with red met us. Then they narrowed at me.
“You did this,” he spat, refusing to open the door any wider.
“I-I, what?” I spluttered in confusion.
“You told them.” His tone dropped with disgust as he motioned his head to the crowd of leeches behind us. “I know you did.”
Then it hit me. Wade thought I had told the media he was here. He thought I’d made a selfish move like I had done many years ago in a moment of weakness.
That weakness had haunted me to this day.
My insides balked at the distrust he had in me. It was incredible that a man I had come to know and have such strong feelings for, who I had shared my deepest secrets with, could think I was still capable of something so horrible.
“What are you talking about?” Delilah whipped her head in my direction, coming to the same conclusion that I had. “Blair didn’t do this.”
“You have no idea what she did,” Wade said in a dark tone.
“We know, Wade,” Michelle snapped with impatience. “Blair told us the truth, which is a helluva lot more than you cared to tell her.”
“What?” He stared between us all, stunned. “She told you how she ruined my life?”
“Yes, she did. Although, I daresay Penelope had a lot to do with that too. Now get outta the way before I have to knock you outta the way,” Michelle ordered in her no-nonsense tone. “And you better have a good explanation for that booze I smell on your breath.”
Wade immediately stood aside, and we all rushed in, trying our best to block the interior of the cabin from the media’s greedy eyes.
It didn’t look any different than it had since I’d left yesterday morning, but the tone was now gloomy and there was a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels lying on the floor.
“I don’t want her here.” Wade’s expression was glacial as he turned to me, a snarl on his lips. “Get the hell out, Blair.”
I felt like I was the lowest human being on the planet.
He still didn’t believe me.
“I didn’t do this.” My voice had shrunk, weakened by the hate blazing in the eyes of the man I had shared intimate days with.
Wade looked at me like I was a stranger. “Yeah, okay,” he scoffed. “I know how you people work. I bet at least one of them is your buddy. Well, you got what you wanted. Did your boss give you a raise?”
I was speechless. Every word out of his mouth cut deep.
“Tell him, Bee.” Drew suddenly spoke up, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Tell him what you do now. The truth.”
Alarm pulsed through me as I turned to meet Drew’s firm, hazel gaze. “I can’t.”
It was the one secret I’d hoped to hold onto while I was here. A secret that was very much my reality back in Chicago.
The mask of peace and love fell away from Drew’s face as he dug his elbow into my side. ”For fuck’s sake, Blair, stop being so proud. Tell him.”
Damn. I hadn’t heard my brother swear in years.
“What?” Wade stepped closer. “What have you been hiding?”
My skin started to swelter.
My throat was dry.
My pride was about to be trampled into the ground.
Dropping my gaze, I stared down at the hardwood floor. “When we first met, I lied to you about what I really did.”
“Which is what?” Wade demanded, a slur in his voice.
I took a deep breath. It was now or never. “I'm a journalist for an online pet lifestyle magazine.”
Wade stared at me.
Then he stared at Drew.
“I don’t understand,”
Drew heaved a sigh, elbowing me again. So much for being a pacifist. “For crying out loud, Bee, the man’s trailer-”
“Cabin,” Wade corrected.
“Cabin, whatever, is surrounded by a dozen paparazzi. Tell him the truth before those psychos break the door down.”
“I work for Pet Days online magazine.” My ears grew warm as I hurled the words at him.
Silence.
“You said you were a journalist,” Wade finally said, brows knitted.
“I am!” I countered, feeling slightly offended. “I cover pet current events.”
Wade’s entire demeanor changed. “Pet current events?” he asked with a smirk. “Do you report on dog elections and pigeon poop attacks?”
Jerk.
“No, I report on dog shows and animal events,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest in defense. “The site has a monthly circulation of eighty thousand.”
“But why do you work there?” There was a cloud of confusion on his face. He still didn’t get it. “You hit a goldmine when you broke the story about my ex cheating on me. You were probably employee of the decade.”
Heaving a sigh, I finally lifted my eyes to meet his bewildered expression. “I couldn’t stay in that world after what I did to you.”
“You’ve been working at an online pet magazine for three years?” Even though the reality of my profession had sunk in, Wade still seemed confused. “I don’t know what to think.”
The feeling was mutual.
“I hate to break up this touching moment, but there are a shit ton of paparazzi outside,” Cole interrupted. “Any ideas on what to do about that?”
“We need to get Wade out of here,” Edgars said immediately.
“To our house?” Ray suggested.
“No.” There was a forlorn look on Michelle’s face. “Somewhere they don’t expect him to go.” She gave her son a long, meaningful look.
Wade shook his head, backing away into his kitchen and turning his back on us. “I can’t do that. It’s too soon.”
“It’s been three years, honey. It’s time,” she said in a soothing voice. “You need to go back and do the one thing you truly love. Your heart ain’t here. It never was.”
Wade was silent as his gaze shifted to me.
“I, I need a minute.” Before any of us could respond, he turned abruptly and disappeared down the hallway that led to his room.
Michelle shot us all a firm look. “Figure out how to get him out of here without them knowing. I’ll change his mind.” She was gone in one fluid motion, leaving the seven of us to make sense of this mess.
“Got any ideas, Officer?” Delilah shot at Edgars, business as usual.
Edgars seemed at a loss. “My experience doesn’t really go beyond handling drunk idiots at your bar.”
“Weird how you’re often one of those drunk idiots.” Delilah rolled her eyes at him and turned to Harris. “Anything?”
Harris frowned. “We could sneak him out into the garage through the side door.”
“That’s not gonna do any good.” Cole said. “They’d just follow him.”
Side door.
Follow him.
An idea formed in my mind.
The rabid reporter in me may not have seen the light of day in a long time, but those instincts never died.
It was funny how life came full circle. I was now using the same skills that had originally ruined Wade-Harlen’s life to help him.
Perhaps there wasn't a God, maybe there wasn't even fate, but there were too many moments in life that were so deliberate that someone or something had to be guiding them.
This was one of those moments.
“Maybe we want them to follow him,” I said out loud.
“Huh?” Edgars asked, dumbfounded.
I turned to him, a smile creeping onto my face. “Call Emme. I need a few supplies.”
“DO YOU LOVE HER?”
My mom stood at the entrance to my room, Achilles by her side, loyal as always.
“I don’t even know what that word means.” I slumped into the corner chair and stared at my covered window in defeat. The noise from outside was fainter here, but I didn’t doubt the paparazzi were lurking outside all points of the house.
Mom walked in and sat on the edge of the bed close to me. Achilles, on the other hand, jumped on the bed with so much force, he almost bounced himself into the dresser.
“Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself, Wade. You know exactly what love is. It’s staring you right in the face.” Mom’s face slackened as she stared off into the distance. “I should’ve just told Cole to tell her how he feels.”
I did a double take. “Cole?”
“Yes, Cole. He’s been crushing over Blair since they were kids, and he’s been a hell of a lot better to her than you’ve been.” She sighed, facing me again. “But I can see that you love her and that she loves you. Ain’t nothin’ coming in the middle of a force like that.”
My mom’s words stunned me into silence.
Me? In love? With Blair? That stuck-up, uptight, Goochee-
Shit.
“I don’t know if I’m ready to tell her that,” I admitted, finally recognizing the feeling that pulsed through my veins whenever Blair was in the same room. “And I don’t know if she’s ready to hear it.”
“Time is an amazing thing, honey,” Mom said, her voice soft. “Maybe in time, the two of you will be ready for each other.”
“Maybe,” I trailed off, trying to wrestle with the knot of feelings in my chest.
“You have to go back to your home,” Mom continued, sadness lining her voice. “As much as I want you here, I know you were never meant to grow old in this town. There was always something different about you, something special.”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, dropping my head into my hands and swamping myself in darkness. “Two sides of me are constantly at war with each other. I want to be Harlen again, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.”
There were pieces of me that were broken and twisted beyond repair—like the pieces of scrap that had become my daily view.