Page 29 of Rumor Has It

Wren Eames (10:53 PM): It’s really not your fault, Rebecca. Well, this time at least

Wren Eames (10:53 PM): But thank you. For apologizing. Not many people do. It genuinely means a lot.

Katie leaned over Becky’s shoulder, nosily reading the messages. There was nothing scandalous to see, so Becky didn’t stop her. “Does she really call you Rebecca?” Katie asked, suddenly.

Becky snorted out a laugh. “Yeah. She always has.”

“Do you want to be called Rebecca?” Katie asked then with a frown.

“No.” Becky rolled her eyes. “That’s probably my fault, too. When she introduced herself all those years ago, she asked if I was Rebecca. I think I gay panicked a little too hard and never corrected her. It’s actually more annoying to me when she calls me Becky now.”

“You’re such a lesbian,” Katie teased.

Becky woke up on the couch in a pile of blankets to the sound of her phone buzzing on the coffee table. Katie was already banging around the kitchen. From the smell of it, she was pretty far into cooking breakfast. Becky felt like she had an ice cream hangover.

Her phone buzzed again. Whoever had been trying to call her, they were trying again. “Fuck,” she yelled when she saw her father’s name on her screen.

Katie was there in a flash, abandoning the breakfast. “Good morning to you, too?” She asked, taking a seat next to Becky on the couch.

Becky pointed at her phone, afraid to pick it up.

“Oh. Shit,” Katie agreed. “Are you going to answer it?”

“He’s called at least twice.” Becky still didn’t move to pick up the phone.

Katie did that part for her. “Want me to put it on speaker?”

Becky pulled her blankets around her tighter and nodded as Katie answered the phone and hit the speaker button. Becky cleared her throat. “Hey, Dad. Good morning.”

“Is it?” Richard Rothschild was mad. Full blown, fuming mad. The whole apartment froze under the tone of those two words.

Becky flinched. “I’m not really sure, to be honest. I’ve only just woken up.”

“Have you seen it?” His voice was demanding and absolutely not up for her stall tactics.

Katie wrapped her arms around Becky as Becky took the phone from her friend. There was no point in playing dumb with her father. They knew each other too well. “Yes, Dad. I saw it. Katie brought it home last night actually. It was too late to call you then or I would have.” At least that was the truth.

“Well?” Her father asked, clearly not placated by her answer.

“Is Momma around?” Becky asked. She really didn’t want to have to come out to her parents more than once.

“I’m here, Becky.” Her mother’s voice sounded distant. Where her father sounded livid, her mother sounded disconnected. Becky honestly didn’t know which one was worse.

Becky took a deep breath. “I’m not in a relationship with Wren Eames. Wren’s ex had just come out online and had shared some photos of Wren that she shouldn’t have. I think the media was just trying to create drama.” She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Clearly, it worked.”

“So, you’re not gay then?” Her mother asked.

And ouch, that hurt. She knew it was going to, but none of her catastrophizing the night before had prepared her for the actual sting of it. “I am a lesbian. I’m just not currently involved with Wren.” She held her head high as she said it, but she could feel silent tears roll down her cheeks.

“Becky, this has got to be a joke.” Her father had no sense of humor. It almost made sense how he could think this might be an attempt at it.

“I assure you, Dad, I’m not laughing.” Becky wiped her tears away with the collar of her shirt, ducking into it like a turtle.

“You’re a lesbian?” Her mother asked, sounding completely unlike herself.

“Yes,” Becky confirmed, not wanting to expound upon that at all.

“This cannot be happening right now,” her father nearly yelled.