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I skim the article, my heart pounding in my chest. The article is full of speculation and anonymous quotes about me and Maya. Photos snapped during our recent trip are plastered all over the pages.
I throw the tabloid down, rubbing my temples. "Where did they get these photos?"
Grace shrugs. "Paparazzi. They've been tailing you for a long time, Hunter. You should have been more careful."
"So, what do we do?"
Grace sighs, pulling out her phone. "Damage control, Hunter. We need to release a statement denying the rumors. We'll say that you and Maya are just friends and colleagues."
I hesitate, swallowing hard. "And what about Maya? She doesn't need this kind of attention."
"We'll make sure she's protected," Grace assures me.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I nod, my mind racing. The last thing I want is for Maya to be dragged into this mess. I pick up the phone to call her, needing to hear her voice, needing to reassure her.
As Grace leaves my office, I can't help but think that things are about to get a lot more complicated.
I dial Maya's extension. "Maya," I say as soon as she answers, "I need you in my office. Now." My words are rushed. The urgency in my tone must have gotten through to her because she gets here within seconds.
I hand the tabloid to her, pointing to the headlines. "There are rumors... about us."
Her eyes go wide as she takes in the information, her knuckles going white as she grips the paper. "Oh my God," she cries her eyes darting from the photos to me. "What are we going to do, Hunter?"
Maya swallows hard, her eyes welling up with tears. "Hunter... what if Kaitlyn finds out about this? She's my best friend. She's going to hate me..." Her voice trails off. She wipes at her eyes, trying to brush away the tears.
I hate to see her like this. It's killing me.
"And my parents," she stammers on, a fresh wave of panic washing over her. "They're going to be so upset." Maya's eyes are pleading for reassurance. "They've always been so upset with me... I just always seem to get myself into drama. But this? I don't know if they can handle this."
She wipes her eyes again, her breath hitching as she tries to keep her composure.
"And... and there's something else, Hunter. My dad's been diagnosed with cancer." She chokes on the words, the weight of them heavy. Her tears spill over now, a river of fear and grief. "This... This could push my parents over the edge," she whispers, her face a portrait of fear, her eyes wide and vulnerable. "They're already dealing with so much. I... I don't know how to tell them about us, about the rumors. I don't know if they could handle it."
Her dad has Cancer?
"Why... why didn't you tell me, Maya?"
"I... I didn't want you to feel sorry for me, Hunter, or my family," she whispers. "You already have so much on your plate, I didn't want to add to that."
I rise from my seat, circling the desk to pull her into my arms. "I'll figure all of this out. I promise."
I will take care of all this for her. I'll make sure she won't have to face any more pain. I brush a stray tear from her cheek with my thumb.
"I mean it, Maya." I can feel her trembling beneath my touch. "I will handle all of this, okay? You don't need to worry about the rumors or the tabloids or anything else." I give her a small but reassuring smile.
"You just need to keep doing what you do best. Focus on your work, keep being the brilliant woman I know you are." My eyes don't leave hers. I pull her closer, wrapping her in my arms again, trying to shield her from the storm that's about to hit us.
"Everything's going to be okay, I promise," I whisper into her hair.
I feel her nod against my chest, a small sigh escaping her lips.
I take a step back from her and look her in the eyes with my hands on her shoulders. "Why don't you go home, Maya." My voice is firm. "Take the rest of the day off. I will send some dinner over to your place. Take a bath and relax, okay?"
Maya looks as though she might argue, but then she nods.
Once I hear the click of my office door closed, a switch flips inside me. Adrenaline courses through my veins and I'm on the phone in a second. I call several PR firms, lawyers, anyone who can help me put an end to this. The conversations are frustrating, filled with non-committal phrases like ‘maybe’ and ‘we'll see what we can do’. But I keep dialing. I need to fix this. For Maya, for Kaitlyn, for her parents, for me... I need to fucking fix this.
