How’s he going to handle this?”
Harley’s eyes shine at me as I drop my head, my chest heavy with emotion.
I never expected this.
“I don’t know. Maybe it will help him in the long run. We both know the not knowing was eating away at him. He was always looking over his shoulder, wondering who had deceived him.” I squeeze my eyes shut and rub my temples with my fingertips.
Two weeks.
If I could go back in time, this wouldn’t have happened yet. I wouldn’t have this sickening pull deep in my stomach, knowing what this might do to him.
Griffin.
My heart still squeezes in pain every time I think of him. I haven’t seen him again. He hasn’t tried to call me. He hasn’t asked Harley how I am.
He hasn’t cared.
He’s gotten on with his life like I never existed.
But I can never be so lucky to be gifted with the freedom of not having a broken heart. Because that’s what it is—broken. Some days it beats so hard in my chest when I see a pigeon or something blue. A commercial for a beach holiday did it yesterday. Another day’s make-up ruined from another fresh wave of crying.
That it even still beats is a miracle.
I open my eyes and lift the envelope from my lap, smoothing my hand over it. His name, which is written so clearly on the front swims in front of my eyes.
Despite knowing this is for the best, the idea of what opening this envelope might do to him had me lying awake all night. I contemplated not telling him, letting him believe it was me. Maybe it would be easier for everyone that way. But Harley wouldn’t hear of it.
“He’ll finally have the truth. It’s only Griffin that needs to be told now,” Harley says, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
Vogue has agreed to drop the charges against me and against The Songbird now that they know who the real blame lies with.
Everyone knows the truth now.
Except Griffin.
I look over at Will and Suze, who nod in support.
It’s taken all four of us two weeks of round-the-clock, head-wracking, document sifting work to get to this point. After I called Harley, the wheels were set in motion. She called Suze, and Will, and even Earl. I thought I had cried enough. But seeing how these people who haven’t known me long at all were so willing to give up their evenings, weekends, sleep, sanity, in order to help me—I swear I cried enough tears for Griffin to sail his boat in an ocean of them.
Maybe they were doing it for me.
Maybe they were doing it for him, too.
Either way, I’m eternally grateful, because five heads are better than one.
And now we know who stole the formulations from Griffin all those months ago.
And who set me up.
I almost wish I didn’t.
I’m not sure if it will help him.
Or break him.
Harley said he’s buried himself in work and looks the perfect billionaire businessman every day. But she sees the dullness in his eyes. She hears the monotone voice he uses.
She said he didn’t even react when Detective Field came to his office late yesterday with the news that they had new evidence and were releasing me from their enquiries.
He did nothing, except carry on with his day and ask her for the notes for his next meeting.
Nothing.
He really has pushed me so far out of his mind.
But he’s always on mine.
He’s never left.
Everything I’ve done this last two weeks has benefitted me, cleared my name.
But I already knew I was innocent.
This is for him.
My hands shake as I stand, envelope in hand.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Will asks.
Suze smiles at me as Harley wraps an arm around me.
I pull my shoulders back and nod. “I am. It’s what needs to be done.”
“Can’t you stay, though? We’re going to miss you so much!” Harley squeezes me tighter, her voice cracking.
I reach up and hold her hand in mine, the waver in my voice betraying me and laying my feelings out bare.
I’m going to miss them too. So much.
“I’ll come back and visit in the future.” I sniff, holding tightly to Harley’s hand. “But right now, it’s best this way. I need to be away from all reminders of him. I need to remember who I am. And heal.”
Tears run down her face as she holds me. Suze and Will join in and we all hold onto one another in silence.
There’s nothing left to say.
“Hey, Earl.”
He turns and watches me walk across the sidewalk carpet and up the steps to the main door.
“Maria!” He throws his arms wide, his cheeks glowing in the cool air as he pulls me into a hug. He draws back to look at me, holding my shoulders as his kind face looks over mine as though he is committing it to memory.
“Don’t.” I sniff with a small smile. “I’ve not stopped crying all morning, saying goodbye to everyone. And now that I’m saying goodbye to you, I’m about to start all over again.”
I wipe at my eyes as he rubs the top of my arms.
“You’ve never looked more beautiful to me.”
I giggle. “Softie. You’ll take care of them for me, won’t you?”
He nods, letting me go.
“Only the best seed. Now that they’re behaving themselves and we have an understanding over the carpet, we’ll do fine. You can call me the pigeon whisperer.”
I smile at him, straightening my bag on my shoulder.
“And I’ll keep an eye on him, too,” he says gently.
My chest squeezes. “Thank you,” I whisper.
His eyes drop to the large brown envelope poking out of the top of my bag.
“I’m taking it up to give to him now.”
Earl smiles. The warmth in it almost sets a fresh round of tears off. My friends have been amazing. They’ve all worked tirelessly to help clear my name. I have no idea how they came by some of the evidence they gathered.
And I didn’t ask.
I’m just so grateful that they did it all to help me.
To help him.
“You can do it. You’re strong,” Earl says, handing me a key card.
“Then why do I feel like I could shatter at any moment?” I choke out, swallowing back a sob as I take the card and smile sadly.
He puts his other hand over mine. “That’s the beauty of strength, my dear. It grows in the moments we think we have none. You’re wonderful, Maria. I wish you every happiness in your life. I know you will make it remarkable, whatever comes next.”
I nod at him, swallowing down the giant lump in my throat and fighting back tears.
“Bye, Earl. Thank you. For everything.”
He kisses the back of my hand and then tips his hat to me, his kind eyes crinkling as he holds the large gold door open.
I step inside and take a deep breath.
I walk straight to the elevators, not looking around, not marveling at the ornate lobby, the giant crystal chandelier above me, or just the atmosphere The Songbird has. It’s like nothing I have ever experienced before in my life.
It’s special. Magical.
I ignore all the things I loved when I first walked through those gold doors months ago.
It’s the only way I will do this. Blinkers on.
Memories are the most painful torture.
The elevator doors slide shut and I scan the key card. The button for Griffin’s office floor lights up. I press it and stand in the middle of the space, grateful that I’m alone so that I can compose myself.
I haven’t seen him since that day in his office.
Haven’t heard from him.
Nothing.
He hasn’t tried to contact me, and when I asked Harley, she looked heartbroken to admit he hasn’t even asked her about me.
Not once.
Even though he knows I have been staying with her in her apartment.
I guess that tells me all I need to know.
Griffin Parker might be the love of my life.
But I’m not his.
The elevator reaches the top and I step out into the familiar corridor.
It’s deserted.
Everyone has left for the day, just as Harley said they would have done at this time. Griffin will be here, in his office. Harley said he has a conference call overseas to make, so he would be the only one here.
It’s better this way.
I’m not even planning on seeing him. My heart can’t handle looking into his eyes again. Not when he looks at me like he doesn’t even know me.
I’m going to leave the envelope outside his door. He will see it when he leaves. And then he will know.
He can close the book.
Just like he has on us.
I reach the corner near his office door and the sound of voices makes me freeze in my tracks.
Griffin’s and another…
He’s talking to a woman.
They must be by the doorway to his office because their voices are clear, carrying down the hallway.
“I just needed you to know. It’s taken me all this time to get the courage to come and tell you. But with the baby due any day, I knew it was time. I couldn’t put off coming to see you any longer.”
I stand back against the wall, leaning as close as I can to the corner without them seeing me.
“I understand, Gwen.”
Gwen?
“I couldn’t be happier. This is incredible news, it really is. After everything that’s been going on recently—”
Griffin sucks in a breath.
Is he running a hand down over his tie, the way he does when he’s thinking?
“Well, after everything that’s been going on, this is…”
Their voices stop for a moment and there’s a rustling of clothes as though they’re embracing.
“I just had to come to you, Griffin. You had to know.” Her voice is heavy with emotion. “And now it’s time for a new start.”
“You’re going to be a great mom, Gwen.”
“And this baby is going to have an amazing father.”
“And a wonderful mother.” The smile in Griffin’s voice is obvious.
I swallow, fighting to keep my breathing quiet. He tells Gwen his meeting is about to start. And then there is the unmistakable sound of lips kissing skin.
My heart plummets to my feet.
A baby?
Footsteps come up the hallway and I step inside a meeting room, out of sight as Gwen walks past.
She’s beautiful.
Long auburn hair flows around her face.
Griffin liked my hair down and would hold it in his fist as he thrusted into me.
And run his fingers through it when he made love to me.
Did he do the same to her?
Does he do the same to her now?
Because they sure sounded close just now.
My eyes drop to her large bump, screaming at me like a beacon.
“But with the baby due any day.”
“You had to know.”
“The baby is going to have an amazing father.”
They broke up not long before I joined The Songbird.
They were dating.
Nine months ago.
I hold my breath as Gwen walks off toward the elevators, carrying a baby inside her.
A baby whose father is the love of my life.
My hands shake as I take the envelope out of my bag. I can’t stop them, despite taking slow breaths to try and calm myself.
Griffin’s door is closed. I walk over to it.
Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be.
Everything he needs to know is in this envelope. Everything that’s been holding him back from being able to trust anyone, let anyone in.
It’s all in there.
His ticket to a fresh start.
And judging by Gwen and what they were talking about, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
“That baby really will have the most amazing father,” I whisper as I lean the envelope against his door.
I stand back and look at it, brushing a tear off my cheek.
“The best.”
