Page 11 of The Truths We Find

“There’s nothing else to say.”

She looks like she wants to explode, breathing through every thought running through her head.

“I have questions. Not about us. Well, I do. But first, how the hell are you here? And in news? How the hell are you running a newsroom already?”

“That’s a story for another time.” I force a smile.

“Gavin!”

Fortunately, we’re interrupted by our food arriving, and the smell of garlic and cheese distracts Dani from the third degree.

As we eat, I manage to keep the conversation about work. I ask about the newsroom environment and who’s who. Finally, I ask a question that’s been nagging me all day.

“What happened to the Sacramento job?”

“How did you find out about that?”

“Mr. White mentioned that he hired you to be a writer right out of college. A red flag went off in my head because I know you moved from Pittsburgh to Sacramento to produce your own show out there. So, what happened? I know you. There’s no way in hell you would’ve given up a producer spot in the twentieth largest market to be a writer in the twenty-eighth.”

Dani takes a deep breath. “You’re right,” she whispers. “I didn’t give it up. I was fired. On my first day.”

“What?” My eyebrows shoot up. “How is that possible?”

Dani straightens in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with what she’s about to say.

“I started that job literally two days after we broke up. I was a mess. Actually, a mess doesn’t even begin to cover it. I was a train wreck. I couldn’t hide it. I was crying every fifteen minutes, the show I put together was a disaster, and I may or may not have lashed out at the anchors when they had questions about the layout. Needless to say, I was called in to the general manager’s office at the end of the day and told it wasn’t going to work out.

“Luckily, my resume was still on Mr. White’s desk from when I sent out all my applications during school. He called a few days later asking if I was still in the market for a job. I didn’t even mention the Sacramento gig to him. It’s not even on my resume. I saw KSSD as a second chance and got my shit together. Wasn’t going to let some guy ruin everything I worked for. Been here ever since.”

I just stare at her. I want to say something, but don’t know what.

“I… I…” I stutter.

“Yes?” She stares blankly.

“I’m so sorry, Dani.” I drop my head. “I had no idea that was going to happen. Any of it.”

“It’s in the past.” She waves her hand like it’s no big deal.

But this is a huge deal. I had no idea she took the breakup so badly it nearly blew up her career. After we broke up, she blocked me on all her social media accounts, so it’s not like I could keep up with what she was doing. The very thing she worked her entire life for. Based her entire personality on. When we were together, one of the things that drew me to her was her passion for this industry. To hear I almost ruined that for her sends a knife through my gut. I almost want to double back and tell her the truth. Then maybe she would know that all this heartbreak was for a reason.

But I can’t.

I shake off the feeling and put back on the mask of an asshole I’ve worn for the last ten years.

“We should get back,” I say casually.

“Um, yeah. I need to check on everyone’s shows.”

I leave cash on the table to pay and walk us back to the station, fighting every urge to grab her and pull her into a hug, never letting go.

Chapter 5

Dani

“Five… four… three… two… one… and we’re out. Great show, everybody,” the broadcast director says into his headset.

Applause breaks out in the technical booth, and only then do I realize I’ve been holding my breath. I usually watch the show from my desk, half monitoring, half anticipating whatever might go wrong. But today was different. This was too important. Maybe the most important newscast of my career to experience from a distance. I needed to be in here, surrounded by the monitors and equipment, feeling every second as it happened.