Betrayed by Love

by Hogan, Hailey

  “I take it you probably don’t want to see this either.” Garth pulled the daily newspaper from behind his back.

  She took it from him and looked at the front cover. There she was all glammed up in the right hand corner with a crazy looking photo of Cheryl that they must have taken at the police station the night before right next to her. The caption read – Alleged Crazy Fan Now Caught. She threw the paper at Garth. “Some heads should roll for this. Don’t you have connections on the force?”

  Garth responded, “Yes, but there’s no telling who leaked this information.”

  She pouted, “Somebody needs to do something. I try to lead a drama-free life, but no, people just won’t let me.”

  Garth started laughing. “Drama and free shouldn’t even be in the same sentence when describing you.”

  “Oh you can take that negative attitude and leave for all I care.”

  Garth frowned. “Oh you just used me. Now that we got the fan, you want me to go.”

  Eva felt like he did have a point. She didn’t mean to come off as a user. “Sorry. All of this has been too much. I’ll cook us breakfast, while you tell me what happened at the station last night. Seems like everybody else knows more than I do and it’s all happening to me.”

  “She admitted to the clippings because she was curious to why her man seemed to be infatuated with you. In fact, the way she made it sound, Trevor could be the culprit. The detective pulled him to the side and asked him a few questions as if he was the guilty party too.”

  “Wow,” was all Eva could say.

  “It pissed him off, but he’ll be alright.” Garth massaged Eva’s shoulders.

  “Did Ms. Thing say anything else?” Eva asked, as she moved her head from side to side.

  “Oh she called you every name but a child of God but other than that, nothing that we didn’t already know.”

  “Well I’m just relieved she’s locked up. Maybe I can have peace around here.” Eva moaned. Garth was making it difficult for Eva to concentrate on cooking.

  “Her attorney had arrived when I left. More than likely they will be letting her go.”

  Eva couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You have the letters and the letterhead. Weren’t her fingerprints on it?”

  “Actually, they weren’t. So until we can get more evidence on her, she’ll be out probably by the end of the day; if not sooner.”

  “I should have cold cocked her when I had the chance.”

  “Oh when she sees her photo in the paper, I’m sure she’s going to feel like you did.”

  Eva laughed. “She did look a hot mess didn’t she? Looks like I had perfect timing then. Teach her to mess with me.”

  “I love a feisty woman.” Garth’s smile was intoxicating.

  “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet mister.”

  Garth wrapped his arms around her while she stirred the eggs in the skillet. “If you don’t stop, I’m going to burn up your eggs.” Eva said, gently pushing him away.

  “So where is Trevor? Did he ride from the station with you?”

  “Yes. I dropped him off at home before swinging by here. If you don’t mind, I could use a long hot shower.”

  “And some sleep,” Eva said, as she noticed the bags under his eyes.

  “Let me eat first and then I’ll shower and take a nap. Hopefully, in your arms,” Garth said.

  Eva finished cooking and served Garth his food. She could spoil him all day and night. She wanted him to know that too. Instead of saying it, she would show him. In between bites, Garth said, I can get used to your breakfast.”

  “There’s dessert too if you want it,” Eva said, feeling a little feisty.

  “Do you care to join me in the shower?” Garth asked.

  “I’ll think about it,” Eva responded.

  Eva placed the dirty dishes in the dishwasher while Garth left to shower. She heard the shower when she entered the bathroom. She stood and watched Garth for a few minutes before removing her clothes. He looked surprised when she opened up the shower door.

  “I couldn’t resist,” Eva said, as Garth helped her into the shower.

  Garth picked up Eva’s sponge and poured shower gel on it. He rubbed it over her body. Eva closed her eyes as the feel of the water and Garth’s circular motions relaxed her tense muscles. She returned the favor by scrubbing his body. Eva could not resist kissing Garth on his chest. She could care less about the soap suds. Garth released some moans as Eva’s lips kissed his chest. She saw his manhood rise. Before long, Garth had her pinned up to the wall. She couldn’t help but gasp as he gently entered her.

  Their bodies rocked in unison as the water cascaded over their bodies. “I love you Eva,” Garth said, as their bodies climaxed.

  They were about to make love again on the bed when the buzzer sounded, alerting them to a visitor. Neither Eva or Garth wanted to move. Eva got up first. She looked at the surveillance screen. “A reporter. Why she came by I don’t know. They should know I’m not letting them in.”

  The reporter shouted. “Eva we just need your side of the story and then we’ll go.”

  “I can’t believe it. That looks like Sandy Blair. I thought she moved away after she tried to run over Parris.”

  Garth asked, “Who is Sandy Blair?”

  “She had a fixation with Parris and Casper’s relationship. She ended up getting in a horrible accident. Nobody thought she would survive it, but she did. The whole ordeal was a big mess. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it. It was all on the news.”

  “I don’t listen to gossip.”

  Eva rolled her eyes. “Well, anyway, Sandy is the last person I want to talk to.

  Garth got up and answered for her. “Ms. Ward is not talking to the press right now.”

  Eva’s house phone rang. She answered, although the number didn’t come across on the caller ID. “Ms. Ward, would you like to give your statement…,” a male voice asked from the other end. Eva slammed the phone down.

  The phone kept ringing back to back. Eva turned the ringer off. “The calls won’t stop coming.. I’m surprised it took them this long. Every time I get my number changed, they figure out what it is. That’s why I don’t even bother changing it now.”

  “Must be tough being you.” Garth sat on the bed next to Eva.

  “It can be, but I wouldn’t trade my life for anyone else’s. All of this just comes with the territory.” Eva meant what she said. Life right now was frustrating, but overall she wouldn’t trade her life for another.

  “Your attitude has definitely changed. I remember when we were in college you would punch a photographer out if he tried to snap you.” Garth picked up her foot and began to massage it.

  “After being labeled the bad girl of modeling one too many times, I decided to turn a new leaf,” Eva said. “Yes, right there,” as she leaned her head back and moaned.

  “Now you’re just cut-throat behind the screens.”

  “And you know it,” Eva said, winking her eye.

  ~ 34 ~

  “I’m sick and tired of this phone,” Jackie said, the following day, as she sat on Eva’s couch.

  “You and me both,” Eva added.

  “Why don’t you let me call the phone company and get the number disconnected?” Jackie asked.

  “Not an option. I’ve had my number changed numerous times and I refuse to do so again.”

  “You can be so stubborn,” Jackie commented.

  Eva held up her hand. “I think someone is crossing the line.”

  Jackie retreated. She knew how far to go with Eva. “I’ll just keep telling everyone who calls—no comment.”

  “Thank you dear. Oh can you call Garth and ask him to bring me my favorite dish from Silvia’s?” Eva asked, but was really making a demand.

  “He said, he’ll be here soon,” Jackie responded, a few minutes later.

  Eva let Jackie handle her phone calls. She spent the evening lounging with Garth. She did her best to ignore the gossip blog
s and entertainment news on television but it was to no avail. She was the talk of the town.

  “Look at it like this, every body is talking about Eva,” Garth said, trying to cheer her up.

  “But not the way I want them to. Especially now that they know Trevor is the man in question.”

  “It was bound to get out,” Garth said.

  “I’m surprised you haven’t heard from him,” Eva commented.

  “He’s been screening his calls from what Caroline tells me,” Garth said.

  “Enough talk about Tre. I’m just glad to have you here with me,” Eva assured him.

  Garth’s arm got tighter around her. “There’s no other place I want to be.”

  Eva gave Jackie the remainder of the week off. She allowed all of her house phone calls to go to voice mail and Jackie would check them remotely; calling Eva on her cell phone; only if it was an emergency.

  ***

  The following Monday, Eva practically got mobbed as she tried to make her way inside the studio. “When do these people ever sleep?” she asked, as Garth tried to block her from the media as much as he could as they sped into the studio doors.

  “I’m so glad I’m not a celebrity,” Garth commented.

  They ran into John in the hallway. “The phone lines have been jammed,” John said.

  Jackie added, “I’ve been offered thousands if I give them the inside scoop.”

  Eva looked at her. “I hope you told them what they could do with their money.”

  John said, “The way you talk to her sometimes, I wouldn’t be surprised if she did leak some stuff.”

  Jackie cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but I’m standing right here.”

  Eva stood with her arms crossed. “Well. I’m waiting on your answer.”

  “No okay.” Jackie looked Eva directly in the face.

  John addressed Garth. “You have to ignore them. They have this love hate relationship going on.”

  “I got to experience it last week,” Garth said, as he watched their exchange.

  Everyone followed Eva into her office. Eva went into survival mode. “Okay, here’s the plan. Garth work with Bach to make sure no press gets access into the studio audience.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Garth responded.

  She turned and looked at Jackie. “Call a press conference for five o’clock today. Tell them I’ll make a statement then and not before.”

  Eva looked at John. “John, doggone it. I don’t have anything for you to do.”

  They all chuckled. “I’ll get our PR person on writing your press release.”

  “Send them to my office. I already know what I want to say, so I just need them to make sure I word it correctly.”

  The rest of the morning went by quickly as everyone went about their tasks. The studio audience cheered for Eva as she came out on stage. Eva normally went over her questions before going out on stage with her guests but with everything going on, she didn’t have time. John had to remind Eva in her earpiece several times when to ask questions. This was not one of her best shows but no one had noticed but her and John it seemed. Fortunately, the topic of the day kept the guests talking, thus making Eva’s job easier.

  John said in the earpiece, “Wrap it up.”

  Eva ended the show with her normal monologue. Instead of mingling with the studio audience and signing autographs like she normally did, she sped from the stage and headed to her office with Jackie fast on her heels.

  Jackie said, “I’ve made sure all the key folks have been notified. It should be a packed house outside at five.”

  “Thanks for setting that up. When things calm down around here, expect a week vacation to Hawaii on me,” Eva said, as she thumbed through her text messages on her iPhone.

  “Wow. Eva. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Thank you would suffice,” Eva said, without looking up.

  “Thank you. Hawaii, here I come,” Jackie sang, as she left Eva’s office.

  Eva smiled. It brought her joy to make other people happy. Her life was in turmoil but it didn’t mean everybody else’s needed to be.

  “Knock Knock,” Garth said, from the entrance of the door.

  Eva looked up. “Come in. Thought you had abandoned me,” she said, as she rose out of her chair.

  Garth walked towards her. They met half way in the room. He swept Eva up in his arms as their lips connected. For the time they kissed, Eva forgot about all of her problems. Nothing or no one else in the world mattered. This new feeling was foreign to her, but she loved it. She loved Garth.

  “I’ve missed you,” Garth said, after releasing her.

  “I can tell,” Eva teased, as her hand grazed the front of his pants.

  Garth adjusted his pants to hide his excitement. Jackie walked in the room. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but here’s your lunch.”

  She handed Eva two bags. “Well, looks like y’all were busy, so I’ll check in with you later.” Jackie retreated out of the room and closed the door behind her.

  “That’s never happened to me before. Normally, I’m more in control,”

  Garth admitted.

  “Jackie didn’t notice anything,” Eva said, as she removed the sandwiches and pasta salad out of the bags.

  “Oh she noticed. Did you see that huge grin on her face.”

  “Garth, you’re just paranoid. Here, eat up,” Eva said, as she handed him a tuna sandwich.

  “Five o’clock is getting here quick,” Eva commented, as she and Garth sat at the table in her office eating tuna sandwiches.

  Garth took his napkin and wiped around the corners of her mouth. “You missed a spot.”

  Eva couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks for being here for me.”

  “I’ll always have your back.”

  After eating, Garth made phone calls while Eva rehearsed her speech. Jackie pranced in talking on her cell phone. “The crowd is forming outside already,” Jackie said.

  “Tell Bach, I’ll be out at exactly five o’clock. Inform the masses.”

  Mo stepped into her office. “I just came by to see if you needed a retouch of your make-up or hair.” He took his hand and slid it down her hair to make sure not a strand was out of place. “Perfect. I’ll be watching from in here.”

  “I just need a few minutes alone and then I’ll be out.”

  Everyone left except for Garth. He said, “Does that include me?”

  “Yes dear. I just need a little me time.”

  Garth looked a little disappointed, but Eva needed to go over her speech one last time by herself. After everyone had cleared out of her office, she shut the door. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She said a silent prayer before going over her speech one last time. Her iPhone’s alarm went off. She had just enough time to walk down the corridor to the waiting media. She wasn’t surprised to see Garth waiting for her outside her office door.

  “Can you be with me out there? Just in case I need someone to lean on,” Eva said, as they walked down the hallway.

  “Like I said earlier. I got your back.”

  Eva put on her dark shades and opened the door. Lights were flashing as soon as the door opened. The noise level increased as soon as they recognized it was her. Garth spoke out first. “Please hold it down. Ms. Ward is ready to speak now. Once she does, she may open it up for question and answering.”

  Eva placed the pre-prepared speech on top of the podium and scanned the audience. It was quiet as she stepped up to the microphone to speak. She said, “I know a lot of people have been speculating on what’s been going on with the threatening fan mail. I want to set a few things straight.”

  She looked from one reporter and camera to the next before continuing to speak. “I was advised not to talk in details about this ongoing investigation. I would like to thank GT Securities and the police department for working together and identifying the person who has taken it upon herself to harass me. Although I was not scared of their threats, I am relieved to know the
culprit has been identified.”

  Eva spent five more minutes talking to the audience before wrapping it up. She said, “Now I’ll answer two or three questions.”

  She pointed at the young female reporter dressed in her favorite color—red. “Did you ever suspect Cheryl Johnson before her arrest?”

  “No. I was surprised,” Eva answered quickly. She pointed at a tall reporter she recognized from the evening news.

  He said, “Is their any truth to Ms. Johnson’s reports that you were messing with her fiancé?”

  “Chase. That’s your name correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “Chase, Ms. Johnson has it twisted. Her fiancé and I used to be an item, but that ship passed a long time ago.”

  “So she’s delusional. That would explain her actions,” he added.

  “I’m sure she will get the help that she needs.”

  “When did you start feeling like the letters were a threat?” one reporter asked.

  “My team recognized the letters first and alerted me to the situation,” Eva responded.

  The same reporter asked, “Will you be releasing any of the letters to the public?”

  “No. There’s no need to.”

  Sandy Blair blurted out, “Cheryl Johnson said you attacked her at her home. Is that true?”

  “Sandy, I suggest you get your facts straight before asking questions. Next question please.”

  Eva pointed at a female reporter to the right of Sandy.

  She asked, “Are you and Trevor still seeing each other?”

  “You and Sandy must be friends,” Eva said.

  The crowd laughed. Eva went on to say, “Trevor and I have not been an item since we were in college.

  Eva could tell the questions would get out of hand so she said, “Ladies and gentleman that will be all the questions for today. God speed.”

  The reporters were disappointed and started shouting out questions. Garth placed his hand on the small of her back as they walked back into the studio. She turned to look at the audience one last time. That would be the shot seen across the newswire that night.

  Eva said, “You would think with the state of the economy folks would be more concerned about it than what’s going on in my personal life.”