Page 108 of Last First Date

“Ah, look, it’s my planners,” he said with a smile. “Just so everyone understands what is happening here, Waverly isn’t who you think she is. The only reason she was taken off of my account was because Knox and I made a bet to see which one of us could get her into bed first.”

Time seemed to freeze. The weight of those words pressed down on me like an unbearable burden. Shock and humiliation intertwined, leaving me paralyzed. The office had come to a standstill. Whispers darted through the room, and curious glances fixed upon me.

The truth spilled into the open, a revelation I hadn’t seen coming. Knox was standing in the doorway of his office staring at Benjamin in abject horror. I shot a furious glance at Knox, demanding an explanation that could somehow redeem this mortifying situation.

My face burned red, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. Although I had always known Benjamin was the kind to use any and every form of manipulation to his advantage, I had never imagined that Knox would stoop so low. But just as quickly as the rage welled up inside me, it was replaced with doubt. Was it really true? Could he have participated in something so vile? All eyes swiveled from Benjamin to Knox as Benjamin started spewing more filth.

“Knox told me he won, that he had her first.” Benjamin’s voice echoed in the silent office. “So, in a way, he’s the reason I’ve been making her life difficult. Doesn’t feel so good to be a pawn in someone else’s game, does it?”

I looked at Knox again. His eyes were wide with shock and his face as white as a sheet. For a moment, our eyes locked, and I could see a desperate plea for understanding in his gaze. But understanding what?

“Benjamin, that’s enough,” Knox warned, his voice tighter than I’d ever heard it. “Get him out of here!”

Knox looked shell-shocked. I was definitely shocked. My mind was spinning as my heart shattered into a million pieces. The elevator dinged and Benjamin was pushed inside. Even as the doors slid closed, Benjamin shouted out one last venomous comment. “I’ll make sure to tell everyone about you, Knox!”

The doors slid closed with an ominous thud. I was left standing in the middle of the office as everyone stared at me with a mixture of pity, shock, and morbid curiosity. The truth was out and there would be no going back now.

“Is it true?” Marcy asked, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You and Knox?”

My throat closed, suffocating me. My mouth opened but no words came out. Instead, tears welled up in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. I looked at Marcy with humiliation coloring my cheeks. “I didn’t know,” I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper.

Knox stepped forward, his face pale, lines of horror etching a map across his forehead. I put up my hand to stop him from talking. I could not listen to him. I didn’t want to hear anything he said.

The room was deathly silent as everyone held their breath, waiting for me to respond. There was no point in denying that we slept together. My reaction and his pretty much confirmed Benjamin’s accusation.

“Waverly,” Knox started.

But before he could utter a word, the embarrassment clawed at my dignity, and I couldn’t bear to stay. With a swift determination, I packed my belongings. The awkward hush of the office amplified my discomfort. The weight of the judgmental stares bore down on me. I could only imagine what they were thinking.

It was more than I could bear. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and without sparing a word to Knox, I stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, I fought back another onslaught of tears. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions. The revelation of the bet was a betrayal. It was a cruel game that had played out at my expense.

The descent in the elevator mirrored my heart dropping to my feet. Tears were streaming down my face. The humiliation was unbearable. I didn’t know how I was ever going to show my face in the office again. I stepped into the lobby and felt like everyone was looking at me. Soon, everyone was going to know the overnight runway model slept with her boss for some bet.

The drive home was a blur. By the time I walked through the door, the reality of it all came crashing down. The job that I loved was ruined. I could never show my face in that office again.

No one was going to respect me. They wouldn’t understand that I thought Knox actually liked me. That I had genuine feelings for him. They were only going to see me as a fool.

The apartment was eerily quiet, reminding me of the silence that had permeated the office as Benjamin spewed his disgusting words. I dropped my purse on the floor and let out a shaky breath, my legs threatening to give out under me.

My phone started vibrating. I glanced at the screen and saw Knox’s name. My heart clenched at the sight. It took everything in me not to respond. I wanted to scream at him and ask him why. Why would he do something so cruel? I had never done anything to him.

I curled up on my couch, hugging one of the pillows against me. Benjamin’s words kept playing on a loop in my head. Knox’s desperate pleading eyes flashed in front of me, his voice echoing through my mind, trying to get words out before I left. But I didn’t let him. I didn’t want to hear his side. What difference would it make?

I sat there in silence, my heart aching with betrayal. I had thought Knox was different. But in the end, he was just like every other crappy guy.

My phone vibrated again. I ignored his call but called Janie. I knew she wouldn’t be at work.

“Janie,” was all I managed to stutter into the phone before my sobs overwhelmed me. There was a moment of silence. Then her voice, sweet and soothing, broke through my pain.

“Waverly, honey, what’s happened?” she asked. I could hear the concern in her words.

She was one of two people who knew about my feelings for Knox. She was also the one that warned me to stay away from him. This would be her chance to say she told me so, even if she would never do that.

“Knox is an asshole,” I blurted out.

“Where are you?”

“Home.”