“Morning. Sorry.” I apologize to the kitchen staff as I nip through, holding my purse in front of me so I don’t bump into anyone carrying trays of cleared breakfast items from the restaurant.
I make it to the restaurant door and as I walk through, Maria is rushing over to me.
“Harley.”
I fling my arms around her, needing the reassurance of a friend more than ever.
She hugs me back tightly and the scent of frangipani flowers on her skin calms my stampeding heart. I take two slow breaths before I let her go.
“I saw the news about Dennis and Graham,” I sob.
Her eyes are full of concern. “I know. Griffin barely made it to bed last night before he was up again this morning. And Reed just announced the deputy mayor and all the assigned commissioners. It was filmed live. What’s going on?”
I take her offered arm and we walk through the restaurant toward the main lobby.
“I think that Dennis and Graham, and even Bea are the ones behind the messages I told you about,” I say in a low voice as we walk past two hotel guests and into an empty elevator.
“They’re the ones who have something that will hurt Reed?” She turns to me as the doors close, her eyes wide.
“Yes.” I nod, my eyes stinging as the familiar burning lump returns to my throat.
“They were working together this whole time?”
I dab underneath my eyes, tilting my head up to the roof of the elevator.
I have got to stop crying. I’m no use to anyone if all I can do is cry.
“It makes sense. Reed always suspected Dennis was corrupt. He left under such suspicious circumstances. And knowing that Graham is his son, and they were close… It raises a lot of questions about what they had planned for if Graham got elected.”
“Only he didn’t. Reed did.”
“Exactly.” I lean against the side of the elevator and allow my lungs to deflate as I sag against it. “And that ruined their plans. They had to find a way to get Reed on their side. That’s where I came in.” I place my hands over my face, welcoming the darkness.
Maria’s arm wraps around my shoulder and she holds me to her side. “You didn’t betray him, Harley. Whatever it is they have, you didn’t let them use you against him.”
“No. I left him instead. I left him to deal with it alone. I’m so stupid. I thought it would buy time. But I’ve ruined everything. They still have the power to hurt him. I did nothing, except show Reed he’s better off without me.”
“That’s not true.” She rubs her hand up and down the goosebumps which have formed on my arms.
“It is.” I sniff. “He came to Suze’s house last night. He came to say goodbye.”
Maria’s arm tightens around me. “He said that?”
“He said nothing lasts forever, and it was time for a fresh start.” I suck in a breath as the doors open and we walk out.
Maria’s step falters and she intakes a short gasp of air. “Oh my god, Bea was here this morning, at the press conference.”
“She was here?” I snap my eyes to Maria’s face, but she’s looking straight ahead, her brows pinched together as she steers me toward Griffin’s office, for which I’m grateful as I doubt I’m capable of finding my own nose with how scrambled my head is right now.
“I saw her talking to Reed. It didn’t look friendly.”
Bile shoots up from my stomach and I clasp my hand to my mouth, forcing it away before it can reach any higher. “No.”
I run my hand over my forehead, screwing my eyes up.
I have to speak to Reed. I have to. I need to make sure he’s not drowning in all this.
We get to Griffin’s office door, which is wide open, and Maria leads us inside, closing it behind us.