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“But I didn’t do it,” I say again. “He’s shut me out before giving me a chance to talk to him. What does this say about him? What does it say about us?” I’m starting to get a little mad. I didn’t do this, but he’s quick to think I did. Is our relationship truly that fragile?

“You’ve got to make him listen,” she says.

“I can’t make him listen if he doesn’t want to. I’ll try to get it fixed, but if he cares so little about me that he’s willing to believe the worst in me, do I want to fix anything?”

“Mar, you guys are made for each other,” she tells me.

“I thought so too.” I let out a sigh as a tear falls down my cheek. “I’m in love with him, Nik, but if he doesn’t love me back, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

She comes up to me and pulls me in for a hug. I cry with her for a few moments. I need to talk to my boss, but this is more important. Maybe if he looks me in the face, if he realizes this wasn’t me, his anger will end, and he’ll know this wasn’t me.

Nikki offers to go with me to his house, but I need to do this on my own. She walks me to my car, and I make my way to his place with a heavy heart. How can things go from so beautiful and perfect to an utter nightmare in a matter of hours?

I arrive at his place, then hesitate before going to his door. My heart’s thundering when I finally get brave enough to step out of my car and walk forward. I knock then wait for what feels like an eternity for him to answer. When it does open the man standing before me isn’t the person I’ve fallen in love with. He’s a stranger staring at me with cold eyes and firm lips.

“What are you doing here?” he asks. I’ve only heard this tone of voice once before, and that was with his ex when he was clearly telling her she wasn’t welcome. I remember thinking then I’d never want that expression and voice aimed my way. Here it is. It feels worse than I could’ve ever imagined.

“We need to talk,” I tell him. “You have to give me a chance to explain. I didn’t write that article. Someone twisted everything I had to say.” The words rush from me as I pray he’ll listen.

He shakes his head as he lets out a humorless laugh. “I’m impressed with you, Maria. You got me to once again let my walls down, then utterly betrayed not only me, but my brother and team as well. You’ve done what no other person has ever been able to do before.”

“It wasn’t me, Mason,” I say again, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“I trusted you. Clearly it was the wrong thing to do. I’m used to being sold out. I didn’t expect it from you, though. But you’re the one who pushed and pushed for this interview. I ignored the rumors about your company. I thought my brother was a completely separate deal from me. I clearly was wrong. We have nothing else to talk about. I want you to leave.”

I try one last time. “Are we so fragile that you won’t even give me a chance?” I gasp.

He again shakes his head. “Women have used tears before, Maria. They used to work, but I’ve grown smarter now.” I see just a tad of the Mason I love in his eyes before he hardens his expression again. This is done. He no longer trusts me. I have nothing else to say. He takes a step back, and then the door shuts firmly in my face.

I stand here for a full minute, a wave of hopelessness washing through me. Slowly, I turn and make my way back to my car. I move down the street out of view of his house before I pull over and let the tears fall. I’m not sure how long I sob in my vehicle before I’m finally composed enough to drive back home.

I have no idea how it all went so wrong, but this isn’t something that will easily be fixed. I think I’m going to have to accept that it’s over with Mason. As far as work is concerned, I can fix that. It’s not going to happen today, but I’ll fix it. Nobody will use my name in this way . . . nobody. Anger takes over my sadness and I head home to make a plan. When all else fails in life I can always count on work. I can always count on fixing what can be fixed.

Chapter Twenty-two

Maria

I didn’t sleep well the night before. Once I was home I researched all I could into my publishing house. I wasn’t able to confirm or deny the rumors that have been flowing. This frustrates me. If unethical practices are going on, they’re doing a hell of a job at keeping it hidden. I also can’t find anything to prove that article isn’t mine.

The entire world around me feels surreal, like I’ve woken up in a nightmare that just won’t end. It isn’t Freddy coming after me, but every eighties monster ever created, and they all have weapons, and I’m the girl in the film who’s just tripped.

All I can do is figure out how this all happened. I won’t get answers from home. I get dressed, taking extra time to make sure I look my most professional and put together. I feel as if I’m going into a battle . . . and I must be the victor. I’ve been betrayed, though, and I need to figure out how it happened. I love my job far too much to allow this.

I arrive at the office and barely greet people as they look at me with wide eyes. They know me, know I’d never betray any of my authors. They also know how I feel about Mason. I’m sure they’re as shocked by the article as I am.

“Good luck, Maria,” someone whispers as I move straight to Robert’s door. I nod at her but don’t make eye contact. I can’t at this point. I have to remain focused. I get to Robert’s door which is cracked. I don’t knock, something I’ve never done before, but simply walking through the office has reignited my anger.

I push open the door, then stand there in shock when I see Sabrina, Mason’s ex, leaning close to Robert as they whisper with each other. They both stop at my entrance, their grins still in place as they see me. My stomach drops to my toes.

They both look at me as I send a bewildered look their way. Robert composes himself quickly. “Maria, I wasn’t expecting you here today,” he says.

I square my shoulders and give him a stern look. “We need to speak now.”

He raises an eyebrow. I’ve never used this tone of voice with him before. He looks amused and before he says anything I know it’s him who’s betrayed me. How could I have been so blind for this long? I understand how Mason’s feeling right now, because I feel utterly broken. I’ve put my heart and soul into this job with this company.

“What’s on your mind?” he asks.

“The article is on my mind. The article that twisted everything I wrote, that betrayed both Mason, his family, and his team. You’re the one who pushed for me to interview Mason. I had no idea why you wanted me to do it when he hasn’t confirmed he even wants to publish, and then everything I wrote was twisted. I want to know how that pack of lies was published with my name on it.”

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