Page 50 of Between the Paragraphs

I’m sitting at my desk trying to focus on work, but my mind keeps drifting back to Mason. He hasn’t responded to any of my calls or messages for two days. What in the heck is going on? A growing sense of unease is filing me, knotting my stomach up. I hate that I feel this way, hate how much he’s grown to mean to me. I’m in love with the man. I’m not sure when it happened, or how, but it’s snuck up on me, and I don’t like not being able to communicate with him.

I’ve told myself I won’t message him again. I’m sure he’s busy. This doesn’t keep me from checking my phone every five minutes though. I’m doing what I despise other women doing. I can’t seem to help myself though. It also makes me feel even worse about my blackout weekend. It really sucks when you can’t get ahold of the person you love without any explanation of why.

I hear heels clicking on the floor, and look up to see Nikki walking into my office. She shuts the door behind her. I’m shocked to see her cheeks pale while she holds her phone. She moves closer.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, instantly concerned.

“Maria, have you read this?” she asks, her voice trembling.

“Read what?” I ask. If someone has come after her, I will hurt them.

She hands me her phone. “There’s no way you look this calm if you’ve read this,” she warns.

I look at her phone and see the article I wrote. I look back at her.

“Of course I’ve read this. I wrote it,” I tell her, confused.

“I don’t think you wrote this,” she says. I shake my head.

“What in the world are you talking about?” I turned in the article three days ago. It was perfection, showing the brothers clear love for each other, hinting at possible collaborations, and showing what a loving family they have as well as incredibly successful careers, without sharing anything that they wouldn’t want me to.

“Read it,” she demands. She sits back and waits.

I roll my eyes, but then begin reading the article. After the first few paragraphs my blood runs cold. I hold my breath as I continue reading. This isn’t the article I wrote. There is barely any of my words at all in this entire thing. I read it until the end while Nikki stays silent. I then read it again to make sure I just read what I think I read.

This article is a tell-all filled with false information on Mason, his brother, and even his team. It contains personal details and private conversations I’ve shared with Mason but absolutely have shared with no one else. I gasp as my breath finally releases. My heart stays lodged in my throat. Is this why he isn’t talking to me? Does he think I wrote this, that I’ve betrayed him?

“I don’t know what happened?” I gasp. “This isn’t my article.”

“I know it’s not. How did this information get out? How did they switch the article?” she demands. “Have you talked to Mason?”

“He won’t answer his phone,” I tell her. “He has to be furious thinking I’ve betrayed him.” I’m fighting tears.

“This is bad, Mar,” she says.

“I know,” I say. “But I just need to explain to him this wasn’t me.”

“It’s your name on the top of the article,” she reminds me.

“I don’t understand,” I say again. “This is nothing like what I wrote. I have the original article I turned in,” I tell her. “The editors have twisted it all.”

“How did they get this information?” she asks again.

“I don’t see how they could’ve gotten access to our conversations,” I say.

“Is your place bugged?” she asks.

I look at her with horror. “There’s no possible way,” I say. But again, how could they have gotten access?

“Did they hack your phone?”

“That can’t be easy to do,” I tell her.

“Not for someone who knows what they’re doing,” she says.

“I need to talk to Mason,” I tell her.

“He’s got to be thinking this is you. It might be smart to figure this out first,” she suggests. “If I read this article I’d feel utterly betrayed.”

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