If I wasn’t so present in the moment, I might have brushed off the look on Victoria’s face. Where I expected anger, I only saw pride.
I swung open the door to her office, letting myself out for the last time. I threw my things into a box and waltzed out of the office with my head held high.
It didn’t matter if you felt like throwing up the whole time, if you’d ever stood up for yourself in the workplace, you were a badass.
Noah
I had been enjoying a quiet morning off, just me and my LEGOs, when a pounding sound started from outside.
When I opened the door, Macey stood there, shoulders tight, arms crossed like she was holding herself together. Her eyes, usually full of fire and mischief, were shadowed with something heavier.
Something was wrong.
I stepped aside without a word, and she walked in. She didn’tpace, didn’t fidget. Just stood in the middle of my living room like she wasn’t sure what to do next.
I shut the door, watching her. “Scribbles?”
She exhaled, slow and shaky. That was all it took for me to cross the space between us. I didn’t touch her, but I was close enough that she could if she wanted.
“What happened?” I asked.
She hesitated, then lifted her chin like she was trying to will herself into holding it together. “I just got fired.”
I ricocheted a step backward. “What?”
That didn’t make any sense. Macey was the best employee there. While I didn’t think Victoria was supporting her growth, she had also confirmed she wasn’t anonymously trashing Macey online.
“Yeah,” she sniffed. The crack in her voice nearly undid me. “I thought I had more time.”
Before I could think, I pulled her into my chest, stroking a hand up and down her back. She was tense, every muscle drawn tight. “What do you mean?”
“Victoria pulled me into her office and told me she found my blog.” Macey let out a bitter laugh that rumbled against my shirt. “Calculator Cal must have shown it to her. I mean, it’s my fault for thinking I could juggle both, but it still sucks.”
Shit.
The words slammed into me like a brick to the chest. Yesterday, I showed Victoria Macey’s Instagram, which I had forgotten was connected to her blog. This was my fault.
I thought I was helping, standing up for Macey, putting an end to the rumors. But all I did was put a spotlight on her—on her blog. On the very thing she wasn’t ready to share.
My stomach twisted. Macey thought Calculator Cal had ratted her out. She had no idea I’d set this in motion.
I swallowed hard, guilt clawing up my throat.
I rested my chin against her hair. “It’s not your fault. You have every right to be upset.”
She exhaled, her breath shaky against my chest. She felt so small like this, so exhausted. “I don’t know what I did to Calculator Cal to make him show my blog to Victoria.”
I had to tell her the truth.
There was no way around it. Not if I wanted to be the kind of person she could trust. Not if I wanted to move forward with her without this gnawing at me, eating me alive.
I had fucked up. Now I had to own it.
“Macey,” I said quietly.
She pulled back just enough to look at me, her brows drawn tight.
“I don’t think it was Calculator Cal who told Victoria about your blog.”
