CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
A zoomed-in picture of Trey and me as we walk out of the RDA building holding hands is placed to the right of the headline. I immediately move down on the couch to read more of the article but don’t touch it. The secondary bi-line makes me hitch my breath. "Ex-girlfriend speaks out about the abuse suffered at the hands of Trey Good, Raven Digital Arts CEO.”
“Oh no, Simone. This isn’t good.”
My first reaction is to say “no shit,” but I bite my tongue. There are too many emotions for me to sort through first without anything I say sounding bitchy. We sit silently all reading the article at our own pace.
The picture isn’t the worst of it. Not by far. The story Mari shared with the Sunday edition of the local paper is so much worse. She starts with the cheating allegations, quoted as saying, “She can’t handle the numerous affairs any longer,” and while she doesn’t use my name, the piece goes on to mention the company secretary as his latest victim.
By the third paragraph they’ve moved on from his most recent torrid love affair with me to Mari’s newest claim that Trey’s a drug addict. She rounds it out with a story about Trey doing lines of coke in the bathroom of a party last year.
Marissa leans forward even more and I worry she might fall off the couch. “You have to read this shit.”
Annoyed at the interruption I wave her off. “I am.”
My stomach sinks with each new accusation Mari hurls at Trey. The two-page article paints Trey as a villain from some 1940s black and white horror movie standing in the corner as he cackles over his misdeeds. By the time we all reach the last few paragraphs, she’s made her most damning claim — embezzlement. From wild parties to all-inclusive vacations, even his bright red Miata, Apple is said to be purchased all on the company’s dime. There’s even a chart with his projected yearly income and the amount doesn’t come close to the estimates Mari claims Trey spends on drugs and parties.
I finish reading and lean back against the couch, worried my earlier meal might not stay in my stomach much longer. I’ve never seen anything from Trey to support her claims, well besides the vacation, but he admitted Finn paid for it. Of course, maybe Finn doesn’t know he paid for Trey's expensive vacation?
What am I thinking? There’s no way Trey’s a drug user or an embezzler or even cheater — even if I’m a little less confident on the last one. The rest of it though is definitely not Trey. Even in his overbearing and demanding moments, that isn’t Trey. RDA is his life and Finn a brother, he wouldn’t take money from either one.
“She really stuck it all in there, huh?” Marissa leans back on the couch matching my position.
My head nods up and down in agreement. Mari wasn’t bluffing when she threatened Trey Wednesday night. My head falls into my hands and I rub my temples to help stop the sudden headache as I work through everything in the article.
“That is such bullshit.” Aspen’s apparently finished reading. When I don’t respond because I don’t know how, she keeps going.
“I hope you don’t believe any of that crap, Simone. Trey and I may have had a rough introduction, but he’s none of this." She stabs the paper with a finger causing the pages to rustle.
Aspen sticking up for Trey makes me smile. “I know,” I say behind partially open fingers. “This is Mari’s well-crafted revenge.” Trey did comment on her cunning business ability to me once.
I snatch up my black leather purse and dig around to find my phone. Trey was the last person I called, so I’m quick to pull his number up and call him. Seven rings later his voice mail picks up.
Across the space Aspen has the same idea as she pulls her phone to her ear. Her scowl grows with each passing second until she stabs her phone and throws it on the couch beside her.
“Finn’s not answering and he always answers.”
We both know it isn’t a good sign, but neither of us confirm it with words. Trey and Finn have definitely read the article if they’re both unavailable.
Marissa suddenly stands. “Come on, ladies. Let’s go.”
“You’ll drive us?” Aspen asks.
Marissa gives her the “please, you have to ask?” look. “Of course, but get a move on it.”
I jump up behind her as Aspen and Amanda hurry to put on their coats. Trey wanted to protect Finn’s privacy so his friend doesn’t get swept up in crap like this, but now it seems he’s pulled the entire company into the gossip nets with him.
**
Marissa drops us off at the curb of the building and Aspen and I turn back to wave as she and Amanda pull off with a, “Good luck.”
“Marissa sure can drive like a mad woman when time is of the essence, huh?” I ask.
Against the hurried reason for our crazy car ride, Aspen laughs. “She’s got nothing on Jake when he’s running late. Trust me. He'd have jumped a few curbs.”
Aspen opens the door to the back employee entrance and we stand in front of the elevator. “You think he’s in the apartments?”
“You check Finn’s place. I’ll check mine. If he’s not in the building, we’ll walk to his house.”
