Ring, ring...
I grab my cell phone before it can ring out again, hoping that it’s Nova coming back here. I’ll immediately apologize and tell her that I’ll stop being so closed off and cold to her. I know that she only wants me to open up, to tell her what’s going on. And the only reason I’ve kept her away is that I don’t want to burden her with anything else.
What a mess.
But it isn’t Nova... it’s Dan.
“Hey, Dan...”
“They know, Zane.” The strain radiates through his voice. “They know about the girl.”
“What girl?” I rack my brain trying to work out what I’ve missed, but it’s full of fog.
“The charity girl, the one you’ve been... spending time with.”
“Nova? Who knows? What are you talking about?”
“It’s a new story in the local paper,” he continues. “It’s basically saying that you use your position of power to pick on vulnerable women to get them into your bed, that the charity helps you with this...”
“What?” I shriek out in shock. “How can that even be a thing? No one will believe that. I’ve worked with so many women and nothing like that has ever happened.”
“There’s pictures of you and Nova. It doesn’t matter how many times it didn’t happen because there’s one time it did. She’s on your doorstep, kissing you.”
My heart ices over. I can’t even remember that happening, it’s been such a long and confusing time. Although a short time really, considering the irreparable damage that it’s done to my life.
“K... kissing me?”
“Yes, so now your reputation is damaged even more. This is bad, Zane. Really bad.”
I groan in agony, not needing him to tell me that. I couldn’t be more aware if I tried. I’m fucked, and I don’t have any defense this time because there’s evidence. It won’t help my case with the other rumors as well, will it? My reputation is going to be destroyed.
“What am I going to do, Dan? This is such a mess.”
“Maybe you should get out of town for a while and lie low.”
“Surely, that would make me look guilty?”
“I think... at this stage, you look guilty anyway.”
“Yep, you’re probably right about that one. Fuck!”
“I tried to warn you, Zane, helping people never does you any favors. You shouldn’t bother helping anyone. It just comes back and bites you on the ass.”
His attitude really isn’t helpful, but what can I do about it? I can’t exactly disagree with him now, considering the mess that my life has become, just because I wanted to help.
“Maybe I can fix it if I stay though…”
“Well, if I were you I would just keep out of sight for a bit, just to stop getting hurt.”
I peek out of my window without moving the curtains too much, and there is a selection of reporters gathered outside my house. Not enough to be classed as a mob or anything but it’s a pain. A freaking nightmare because I’m stuck here, officially separated from Nova.
“Yeah, alright. I’ll keep my head down for a bit.”
“I’ll keep you up to date if I hear anything.”
“Thanks, Dan, I appreciate it a lot.”
I hang up the phone and peer out the window to see the reporters nudging one another and laughing as if destroying my life is some big joke. Anger burns and bubbles inside me, I want to go out there and really tell them what I think, but I’m sure that would only make things so much worse. Then, they will really have something to say about me.