by Nella Tyler
I suddenly looked at the editor. “I hope you don't expect me to cover the story because I won't.”
“I'm sorry, Emmi, but you do have to cover the story. You don't have a choice and for the record, you don't get a say in the articles you write. I'm the editor and right now you are the sports writer. I understand you have some conflict here, but you are a professional, after all, and you are the one that chose to date Bennett.”
“You can't be serious? Why can't you get someone else to write it? I don't care if you even have Rebecca write it, just not me.”
Rebecca's eyebrows rose. She looked hopefully at the editor.
“Rebecca is being punished and her punishment stays. You will write the story, Emmi, and it better be unbiased.”
“I think that's very unfair. You are putting me in a very difficult situation.”
“No, Emmi, you did that all on your own. I have a paper to run here and I need the best writer on this story and that happens to be you. It's nothing personal.”
“It's not personal? You have to be kidding me.”
I wasn't sure if I was being attacked because I was in a relationship with Bennett or if she was just warning me, but I didn't like it either way. I was being put in a situation I really didn't like. I wasn't going to bother clarifying the situation, I obviously didn't have a say in the matter. I couldn't have been more upset, but this was my job. I might as well get used to having to do difficult projects. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this one, especially since Bennett hadn't even talked to me about it, but I would have to do my best.
“Fine, I'll do it.” I turned on my heel and walked out of the meeting without another word.
Chapter Twelve
That night, I had a full pot of coffee brewing. I hated the fact that I was writing the story and I wanted it over with as soon as possible. The entire time I was writing it, I felt sick to my stomach. I was drinking coffee by the cup, trying to stay focused on the project, and it wasn't helping the fact that I felt ill. But I needed it at that moment.
I started off the project by doing some research. I wanted to see what the league and Bennett's coach were saying about the situation and whether Bennett had given a quote at that time. Everything I read was so negative and it made me feel that much more terrible for Bennett and what he was going through. I couldn't imagine going through the same thing, and I wondered what my dad would say about the whole thing. He surely would have heard about the incident and I wondered if I should call him for his opinion.
I wanted to get as much information in the story as I possibly could before I had to call Bennett. I hated bothering him, and I was sure he was going to be equally unimpressed that I was writing the story. I had still not heard from him, which I thought was pretty weird, all things considered. I would have to talk to him about the story and I wasn't sure how that conversation was going to go. I hoped it wasn't going to jeopardize the growing relationship that had been going so well just that afternoon.
I worked on the article tirelessly for hours, trying to tweak things as best I could. I hoped I could finish it without ever having to contact Bennett, but I just didn't have enough information. I also had to continuously correct paragraphs as I found I was being biased. How could I not be? I couldn't imagine that the story was true, but yet here we were. I had to remain neutral and found that very difficult to do.
In the end, I knew I had to call him. It was only fair. I wasn't sure how he would react to hearing about my article, knowing that I had written about his situation without even discussing it with him first. That would probably be worse for him than finding out I knew and was being forced to write about it.
I needed to get Bennett's side of the story, that was the only fair thing to do and I hoped that he would appreciate my effort.
I made the call and listened to the phone ring. I wondered if he was screening his calls and whether he just was not going to talk to me. It made my heart sting painfully at the thought of him ignoring my calls. Just when I was about to hang up, he answered.
“Bennett, hi.”
“Emmi, hi, how are you? I guess I should have called you.”
“You guess?” I chuckled. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Did you hear the news?”
“Yes I did. Embarrassingly enough I had to hear it from my editor and the entire staff at the paper. Everyone was super surprised that I didn't already know. Weird, right?”
“I guess I should have stayed around and explained things to you.”
“You say guess a lot. Yes, Bennett, I would think that would have been obvious. I thought we had a great time and you bolted after a very unusual conversation. Instead of clueing me in, I had to find out from someone else. We really aren't off to a very good start here.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line. I wasn't even sure if he was even still there. The fact that he wasn't saying anything to me wasn't helping my annoyance level.
“Anyways, if you want some even better news, I am being forced to write the story about it.”
“What? No way. What the hell?”
“My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately, I don't have a choice in the matter, big surprise there. For some reason, they think it's okay to have me write something so personal and damaging to you. I'm calling, Bennett, because I need to get your side of the story.”
“This is ridiculous.” His voice was angry and a little gruff. He didn't sound like the same man I had spent time with in my bed.
“This isn't my fault, Bennett. I don't want to write about it. But story or not, were you never planning on calling me and telling me? Don't you think that is a little rude, to say the least.”
“Yeah, I get that, Emmi, but I have had a lot on my plate since that call. Telling you wasn't first on my priority list.”
Shocked I said, “Noted.”
There was another silence on the other end and I hoped that he was realizing that he wasn't winning any points with me at that point. His behavior needed to change immediately because I wasn't the enemy and he didn't need to talk angrily with me. I wasn't the one who did anything to him.
I knew he was under a lot of stress, but all I had wanted to do was help him. I was in a difficult position, but at the end of the day, I was still there for him and he was pushing me away. It wasn't right. Just because he was under stress didn't mean he could treat me poorly.
“Are you going to tell me what happened, Bennett? If not for the story, at least for me? That is, if you even care about us anymore.”
He sighed, “What's the point? I already feel like I'm dead in the water. This was my whole life and now I'm suspended. I can't even concentrate on life, I'm so depressed.”
“Bennett, please just tell me.”
“I didn't do it, Emmi,” he said sadly.
“I never said you did. In fact, I told my editor that I thought you cheating were impossible. I believe in you, but I need to know what happened.”
“The ball wasn't mine.”
“What do you mean?”
I have no idea how the ball ended up with tar on it, all I know is that I wasn't the one that did it. If someone put tar on that ball, it wasn't me.”
“Who could it has been? And why would they do that?”
“Seriously? I have no idea! But it wasn't me, okay!”
He was getting defensive, so I said, “Bennett, please, I believe you. I'm just asking questions.”
“Yeah...I get it. I have to go.”
I heard a click on the other end and Bennett was gone. It didn't seem to matter to him that I believed him. I had my quote, but not much else. I would have to finish the article with what he gave me and hope for the best.
I wasn't sure what he meant by the tar not being on his ball. Whose ball was he using and why? Who would put tar on a baseball to begin with? Was there a chance that someone was trying to frame Bennett? Did someone purposely put tar on the baseball to get Bennett suspended? If so, who would do such a thing?
Chapter Thirteen
The next week was brutal on my mind and spirit. Things just seemed to get progressively worse when it came to Bennett's allegations. When I had completed the article and submitted it, I instantly received a call from my editor asking me why I put in a quote from Bennett about his innocence. I laughed it off and told her that was part of the story and that it better be printed in full.
From there, things only got worse. For the entire week, I had been in a constant battle with my editor in regards to Bennett. She seemed to have suddenly developed blood lust for him. One minute she had been hoping we would work out our relationship and then the next she wanted all the blood and gore. She literally wanted me to rip out his guts with prose – I just couldn't do it.
All the while, Bennett was claiming his innocence for good reason. My heart bled for him and all that he was going through. Even though he claimed his innocence throughout, no one seemed to care about it. Just like my editor, they assumed the worst about him and already figured he was guilty of the allegations. It was heartbreaking to watch, especially as someone who was trying to defend him. They had watched Bennett rise up in his career in awe, trying to figure out how someone was so talented. Now they figured they had their answer for it and the city was furious.
I believed Bennett wholeheartedly, but he was right when he said no one cared about his innocence. They already had their minds made up about Bennett and it didn't matter what he said to defend himself, they weren't going to believe him. He was already guilty of the crime in their eyes and he would have to prove his innocence if he expected anyone to believe a word he said. I felt helpless in the situation, especially since I was trying to write about his side of things, as well, and all my editor wanted to focus on was the allegations alone. I couldn't have been more frustrated with everything that was going on.
Every time a new article was assigned to me, it was about Bennett and his allegations. I continued to quote him as I felt that was only fair journalism. I didn't want to just tell one side of the story, but still it didn't matter. The next story would be about the same thing, and I could only do so much for Bennett until he was able to prove himself right.
The problem was, the story and the allegations were tearing us apart. Even though we tried to remain normal throughout everything, it was next to impossible. After our last call, he had shown up at my apartment with flowers again and apologized. He stated that he shouldn't have treated me poorly even if he was under stress. I had obviously forgiven him and we went forward with our relationship. Unfortunately, it just wasn't that easy for us.
We had agreed to not discuss the case at all, that we would just enjoy each other’s company and not worry about it. Our time together was limited and we just wanted to focus on one another. It was impossible to do so, however, as the case was so prevalent in both of our minds that we ended up discussing it even when we didn't want to. It just kept coming up. It was impossible for Bennett to forget, to just let it go for one night, and I was right in the middle of it because I was writing about it,
It was a tragic mess, and I wasn't sure how to fix it. What was worse was that I was starting to worry that we weren't going to survive the scandal. Things were just so heated all the time and neither of us was handling it very well. I was helpless to fix things and the fact that I was writing about his scandal was not helping our relationship at all. It was becoming a wedge between us and I didn't know how to stop us from pushing each other away.
Chapter Fourteen
“Please tell me you have some words of wisdom because I feel like I'm going slowly insane.”
Connie smiled sadly. We were sitting across from each other at the burger joint, sharing some French fries. I felt incredibly saddened and a little depressed as I felt I was powerless to the fact that I was slowly losing Bennett. I had called Connie for some girl talk and moral support, but things were looking grim. In fact, I had not ordered a beer; instead I was drinking whiskey with a dash of coke.
“I don't know what else I can say here, Emmi. You are definitely in a very tough situation and your editor is kind of a huge bitch.”
I laughed. I didn't even want to get on the topic of how unimpressed I was with my editor. Sometimes I felt like she had gone off the rails with the story. She was so determined to get the inside scoop on the scandal first that she was forgetting the fact that a relationship was being ruined in the meantime.
“Yeah, I can agree on that one.”
“It sucks, Emmi. I understand. It really sucks. You are being forced to choose between your boyfriend and the career path you want. It's a shitty deal. Now because of that, Bennett is pulling away and I can also understand that, as well.”
I sighed. “How can you understand that, Connie? I'm doing the best that I can, and I care about him a great deal. I don't want him to pull away from me. I want us to survive this and stay together...possibly forever.”
“Well, unfortunately, this is a good indication that maybe he isn't the one. The guy you share your life with should be someone that you can brave any storm with and still survive in the end. Now I get that this is a different storm, one that puts you both in unusual circumstances, but I think the theory still holds true. You guys should be able to band together and get through this and you just aren't doing a very good job.”
I frowned. “I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better here, not worse.”
Connie chuckled. “I'm sorry, Emmi. I'm definitely not trying to make you feel worse. Like I said, this is a shitty deal and neither of you deserve to be in it.”
“What do I do? How can I save this?” I took a large gulp of my drink and waited.
“Go easy on the liquor, okay, girl? I don't want to have to hold your hair back tonight.”
I laughed.
“Look, Emmi, I know you care a lot about the guy and you really do seem good for each other, but you have to understand that Bennett is under a great deal of stress right now. His career and future is on the line.”
“I know.”
“That's great that you know he has a lot going on because you'll have to keep reminding yourself of that. The best thing that you can do at this point is to just continue to write your articles. That's your career path and that at least isn't going to change, so that's something you need to focus on. In the meantime, continue to be there for Bennett as best as you can. The guy is going to need you if he is willing to lean on you for support.”
“I hope he can, but he doesn't always do that.”
“Just be there for him when he needs you and step back, Emmi, when he doesn't. You're not going to be able to fix everything, and this is something he has to deal with. It may not end well for him and you need to prepare yourself for that possibility.
It was all very good advice, but I just wasn't sure if I could follow it. It was easier said than done, I guess. I just wasn't sure that I could put her advice into practice. I knew logically that I needed to step back and let Bennett handle his own problems, but it wasn't an easy thing for me. I wanted to take care of Bennett and be there for him every step of the way, but I also knew that he didn't want that, either.
I was really starting to fear for the future of my relationship with Bennett. I had grown to care for him a great deal and there was a chance we weren't going to survive.
Chapter Fifteen
The next night, Connie was over and we were drinking wine together and watching sappy romantic comedies. We were laughing and it was a good opportunity for me to forget about the heartache I was experiencing in my relationship with Bennett. I hadn't heard from him all day and the thought just about broke my heart. I needed to hear from him, but I knew if he needed me he would call and clearly he didn't. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but that night I was determined to have fun with my friend and not worry about it.
We had rented The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and we could not stop laughing. It was one of the best movies I had seen in awhile and we loved every moment of it. I swear it
was a great movie – it wasn't just the wine talking.
We were on our second bottle of wine when I asked Connie to pause the movie. I got up and headed to the kitchen to make some dip. We had got chips and I wanted to make some french onion dip to go with them. Connie was lying on my couch with her legs spread out; she couldn't have looked more comfortable. We were both in pjs and had not a care in the world.
I was finishing up with the dip when there was a knock on the door. I looked at the time and it was awfully late. Connie sat up on the couch and I asked, “You didn't order pizza, did you?”
She laughed. “No! Who could it be?”
I shrugged as I made my way to the door. I never got late night visitors, so it was just as much a mystery to me as it was to her. I peeked through the peephole to see who was out there. I was shocked to see Bennett standing out there.
“Holy shit, it's Bennett!”
“What?!” Connie hissed.
I unlocked the door quickly and pulled it open.
“Oh my God, Bennett, what are you doing here?”
He immediately enveloped me into his arms, and I gasped in surprise. I hugged him even tighter as tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn't believe he was there and I didn't know what made him come, but it was exactly what I needed. He was what I needed, right then and there.
He pulled away slightly and his lips met mine. Electricity filled the air just like it always did when we kissed. We hadn't kissed that passionately in a very long time and it was nice to feel that passion from him again. Our tongues met and we literally made out right there at the open door, not caring that Connie was probably watching us.
We finally pulled away and I laughed excitedly, so happy to see him. The darkness seemed to have lifted from him – he had a smile on his face and I had never seen anything more amazing.
Connie began clapping and we turned to her, laughing. “Good show, guys, well done. That was much better than the kissing in the movies.”