AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It only took a few minutes before Zig and Kate were alone in the office, Zig looking drawn and exhausted. He’d unzipped his gray puffer coat, and she could see underneath it, he was wearing sweatpants and an old sweatshirt.
He dragged his hand through his hair. “Sorry, Kate. I don’t mean to bother you here, but it was the only way I could think of to see you.”
She gave him a puzzled look. “How did you know I was here?”
“Tom. He told me when I went to ask him where you were at the workshop. I tried the house, but there was no answer.”
Of course. It would have been Tom. “Why are you here, Zig?”
“I had to come, first of all, to apologize for everything.” He gave a ragged sigh. “For Tracy. Her behavior. The way—” He broke off, a gesture filling in the remaining words.
“It wasn’t your fault, Zig. You didn’t know she’d do all that.”
“No, no. I should have. I mean I knew she was really into Prometheus Bound. I just didn’t think anything of it. I mean, I never thought she would put together that Ethan…” He let the sentence drift off. “Well, that he was who he was. And I never imagined that she would connect the two voices.” His face contorted with emotion.
She put her hand on his arm. “Zig. It was her doing. Not yours. You didn’t post the pictures. Or tell everyone on social media. She did. She’s the one who was responsible.”
Zig shook his head. “It’s nice of you to say that, but I played a part, I know. And now I’m just gutted that Ethan and you had to suffer like this.”
“No, no. My decision about Ethan isn’t your fault at all. And Tracy, well she just made it happen quicker.”
Zig shook his head. “Don’t say that. He’s a wreck over what happened. You and Ethan, well, you’re meant to be together. When he told me you were back in Somerton in October, I thought, finally it can happen."
She gave him a puzzled look. “I don’t understand.”
He gave her a surprised look. “It’s always been you for Ethan. Since college. Sharing classes, all of it. From the first moment he saw you at the showcase, it’s been all about you. I mean ‘Navigation’ was written for you. Really, they all were.”
“What?” Kate looked at him, speechless for a moment, a roaring sound filling her ears. “No.”
“Yes. And then he heard your music. It just blew him away.”
“That can’t be right.” She fought the roaring, the sudden pain that rose up, unwanted. “I mean, he never said anything.”
Zig snorted. “You were with someone else. From here. Some guy name Mark?”
“Mark? No.” She fought to make sense of his words. “He was Missy’s boyfriend.”
Zig looked stunned. “But your bandmate told Ethan that Mark was your boyfriend.”
“When was this?”
Zig shrugged. “At one of your concerts. Ethan used to go to them. Slip in the back. And one time your bandmate came up to him on a break and told him to back off. That you had a boyfriend, and he wouldn’t appreciate Ethan sniffing around.”
Kate shook her head, disbelief, anger and pain mixing into a one great wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. She fought to shove it away. “No,” she said in a whisper. “She couldn’t have.”
Zig nodded. “She did. Knocked Ethan a bit, because you’d never indicated you’d had a boyfriend in college. But then you weren’t on campus often. He did mention he saw you a few times at soccer games and practice, but after a while he didn’t make anything of it.”
Kate gave a small shake of her head. “Of course not.” She put her head in her hands. “Oh, Zig, this is all too much, really.” She blinked, trying to breathe. Seconds passed, she took a deep inhale, and forced out the words she knew she had to say. “Zig, when it all comes down to it, I’m not sure it changes anything.”
Zig looked stricken. “Don’t say that. Just hold tight, give yourself time to absorb it all. Let this commotion die down. Because it will. Ethan’s already had the media handlers issue a statement denying everything.”
She gave him a surprised look. “But there’s no guarantee that will do anything but fuel interest.”
“Maybe,” said Zig. “But that interest will move on. Christmas and New Year’s Eve. They’ll all be concerned with their own personal lives.”
Kate gave a bitter laugh. “Oh, Zig, I can tell you that’s not how it works.”
Zig took her hand and squeezed it. “Please, Kate. Just let it be for now. Don’t make any final decisions.”
