“I know. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll be at your game tomorrow though.”
He smiles, mollified by my promise, and takes my hand. “Are you okay?”
Staring down into the worried face of this little boy is almost more than I can take. I’m racked with guilt. Maybe I told him too much, was too honest. Our future lies squarely on my shoulders, and how I make it work shouldn’t be a concern of his.
“I’m good. Very good. Everything will be fine. In fact, it’ll be better than it was before.”
His skepticism is clear, but I smile, and he smiles back.
“Aria, a word please.”
I jump, not realizing Gardenia is standing nearby. Rowen and Ryder are with her.
“Why don’t you boys wait for us in the café. Grab a Coke or something. I’ll be in to pay for it in a moment.” Gardenia ushers them to the door of the café several feet away. I resist the urge to bolt, which I would do if Noah weren’t here.
I wait for Gardenia to return, feeling like a sheep being led to slaughter. Why does she want to talk to me? To gloat? No, that’s not her style. She’s a kind person. Possibly to offer sympathy, which is worse than gloating, because I hate being pitied.
Gardenia rounds on me, and I back up a few steps. Her resolute expression is hard to decipher.
“You were fired for doing the right thing?”
“I guess you could put it that way.”
“This is partially my fault for making you change your tone.”
“No. It’s not. I was no longer comfortable with the demands of the job.”
Gardenia studies me closely. “What’re you going to do now?”
“I’m exploring several avenues.”
“In other words, you don’t have a fucking clue.” She says this with a slight, teasing smile.
I burst out laughing. “That’s about right. Reputable sports journalist jobs are hard to come by, especially if I’m staying in Portland.”
“And you are?”
“I don’t want to uproot Noah. He’s been through too much. He’s finally adjusting and doing better.” Much to my dismay, I choke on a sob. Gardenia reaches out and pats my arm. I’m mortified. She shouldn’t be comforting the enemy.
Jakob Bang chooses that moment to walk down the hall. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”
He glances in my direction and grimaces.
Gardenia glances in my direction. “If there’s anything I can do?—”
“We need to go.” Jakob eyes me with distrust. A week of good articles doesn’t override the last two years. None of the guys like me. I’ve broken their trust one too many times, and I’ve been dishonest and selfish. Right now, I hate myself.
I follow them into the café and manage a smile in Noah’s direction.
“We need to go, Noah.”
“Do we have to?” he whines.
“Yes, we do. But I’ll make your favorite dinner.”
“You will? Hot dogs?”
“Yes, hot dogs.” The kid isn’t exactly into gourmet dining, which is fine with me since I’m not the world’s greatest cook.
