“What? Why?”
“She asked me about what’s going on with you. About what she’s hearing on the news. I guess some guy has been pestering her for information about you.”
“Fucking reporters,” I mumbled, and took another hefty swig of my drink. “I’m sorry, she shouldn’t be calling you.”
“It’s fine. I just didn’t know what to say to her. She started telling me about something that happened when you were younger.”
My eyes shot to Hazel. “What did she say?”
“She said that you and your stepdad have issues, that you used to exaggerate, and she’s worried about you.”
I scoffed. Worse, I felt violated. One of my best friends was thinking in the direction my mother wanted her to. Looking at me like I was some freak who couldn’t be trusted. The exact thing I’d been trying to avoid this whole time.
Or maybe my insecurities were getting the better of me and I was panicking for no reason. Either way, I didn’t want Hazel thinking the worst.
“Hazel, I didn’t exaggerate.”
The moment the words came out, a chill rushed over me. I’d never admitted this to anyone before. Never talked about it. But my mother apparently was talking to Hazel and I couldn’t handle Haz thinking the worst of me. Honestly, a part of me didn’t want to talk about it, because nothing good ever came from it. It just left me feeling emptier than before.
“I’m here for you, Paige. Whatever is going on or went on, you know I’m here, right?”
I nodded. Appreciating her support. But that could only go so far when one didn’t know the whole truth. And Hazel didn’t. Because I kept it from her. Just like I kept it from everyone else. I didn’t want her to hear the truth, then lose her.
It wasn’t just the past or the scandal. It was all of it. Spinning around me, and frankly, I didn’t want to explain. Didn’t want to defend. I knew what it felt like to challenge the beast and lose. I lost once against my stepdad and it still haunted me. I lost against Roman when he looked at me with question. And I was losing Amy because my presence was a detriment.
I couldn’t go against Bill Vorse or the goddamned governor’s cabinet. It wouldn’t matter. No one would believe me anyway. Stay silent, ride this out, then start fresh.
It was the plan.
My control over my world might be slipping, but I could still do everything within reach to secure my future and keep close the one friend I still got to see. And that meant keeping the truth far away.
“Will you tell me what’s going on with you? Things just don’t seem right.” Hazel’s big eyes looked at me. She was so kind. Innocent. I knew she wanted to help, but there was nothing she could do. And I wouldn’t pull her into the dark pit of my life.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything to change the subject when a knock came at the door.
I got up and opened it.
“Leo.” His name came out with a gasp.
“Sorry to interrupt your Friday night,” he said. He held up a bag of Chinese takeout. “I was just seeing if you were hungry.”
“You’re supposed to be out on a date.”
“Didn’t work out.”
“Did I do something wrong? The arrangements—”
“—were perfect. Just didn’t work out,” he repeated.
I wished he’d go into detail but obviously he wouldn’t. I was just about to ask him if the date tonight didn’t work out because his lunch with Vanessa had, but Hazel came up behind me.
“Hi,” Hazel said, peeking over my shoulder.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had company.”
“Hazel, you remember Leo.”
“Pleasure to see you again,” Leo said with his handsome smile.