Page 109 of Last First Date

“I will be there in five minutes,” she said and hung up.

Janie was true to her word. Within five minutes, there was a knock at my door. Opening it, I found her standing there. Her eyes were full of concern as she took in my disheveled appearance.

“Tell me what happened,” she said and led me back to the couch, wrapping a comforting arm around me as I let the tears flow freely.

Still sobbing uncontrollably, I managed to choke out the words, explaining the cruel sequence of events that had unfolded. I told her about Benjamin’s reveal in front of the entire office, Knox’s desperate attempt to explain, and the shame I felt as everyone stared at me, their judgment as palpable as a physical blow.

Janie remained quiet throughout my account, her features hardening with every word, her grip tightening. When I was done, she gave me a long look before speaking.

“Waverly.” Her voice was softer than earlier but there was an underlying steel in it. “You need to confront Knox. He does not get to do that. If he did that, he is a piece of shit. You deserve the chance to yell at him. Hell, I want to yell at him. That is the most fucked-up thing I’ve heard. It’s so bad.”

She raked a hand through her hair. “But you also deserve answers,” she added, her eyes meeting mine. “You need closure, Waverly. As much as I hate to say it, you need to hear his side. You can’t take that man’s words at face value. You said that guy Benjamin was a snake. Maybe he’s lying. Maybe he has beef with Knox, and this is how he’s getting back at him.”

“That’s a lot of maybes,” I said. “Everyone in the office knows Knox and I hooked up. They’re going to think it’s something dirty and cheap. It’s not like that. At least it wasn’t like that for me. I thought he liked me. I thought we had something special. I’m going to look like the office slut.”

“No, you’re not,” she insisted, gripping my shoulders and forcing me to meet her gaze. “This isn’t your fault, Waverly. It’s Knox’s. Or Benjamin’s. Or both of them together, who knows? The point is you can’t let them ruin your dignity and self-worth.”

“But how can I go back to work like this?” I asked, desperation creeping into my voice.

She sighed, a sign of her frustration as she shook her head. “First, you need to talk to Knox,” she said firmly. “Then we’ll figure out what to do about work. Maybe you can take a few days off. Clear your head, give the office gossip some time to die down. And remember what I always say, Waverly. People may talk but their words don’t define you. You define you.”

She was right. I had to confront Knox. I had to find out the truth. If he had played me, then I deserved at least an explanation, or better yet, an apology.

“I’ll talk to him, but not right now,” I said. “I’m too pissed. All of this notoriety just makes it worse. I want to hide at home. Part of me wishes New York never happened. All of it.”

“That’s a natural reaction,” Janie said, stroking my hair soothingly. “But don’t let yourself fall into the trap of regret. New York was an experience, and you grew from it. Yes, it hurts now, but you will come out stronger on the other side.”

I nodded but remained silent. How could I envision coming out stronger when I was buried deep inside this despair?

“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” I said. “I ran out of there so fast, I didn’t even think. I almost drove to my mom’s.”

She burst into laughter. “That’s desperate.”

“I know,” I said, smiling.

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked. “I have a class, but I can try to get someone to cover for me.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m fine. Go to work. It was just a minor meltdown. I’ll be okay.”

“I’m really sorry,” she said. “You’re going to be okay. I’m sorry you’re going through this, but I also have hope it’s going to work out.”

“Thank you.”

I walked her to the door and waved goodbye. Then I went back to my room to change into comfy clothes. I knew I had to talk to Knox eventually, but I didn’t have the strength to do it just yet. I wanted to be strong when I faced him. I didn’t want to show him any weakness. He couldn’t know how badly he hurt me.

46

KNOX

Istood with my back pressed against the cool wall of my office, watching as Benjamin was dragged out by security. He continued his tirade.

“Poor Waverly is getting strung along by this guy,” Benjamin spat. “Waverly, you’re nothing but a bet. We made a bet to see who could get you into bed first. I guess Knox won.”

I felt my world drop out from under my feet.

My blood ran cold, my heart hammered in my chest.

“Enough,” I barked at Benjamin, my thoughts clouded with guilt and anger. But the damage was done. Waverly had heard everything. Seeing the pain and humiliation on her face killed me. I never wanted to cause her pain.