Page 65 of Reeling in Love

I search for my phone, which had slid under the covers of the bed, and see it’s Carla. Possibly to console me. But I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. I disconnect the call.

A message pops up soon after from her.

“Call me back instead of going inside your turtle shell. You need to know something.”

I dial the number, knowing fully well that it’s probably a prank to get me to speak to her or Mom.

“What is it? I’m okay if that’s what you’re worried about,” I say as soon as she picks up.

“I’m so sorry, Nora. Really very, very sorry.”

“What? Why? You’ve not done anything. Wait…” I pause. Could it be? No. Not possible. I plop down on the bed. “Why are you sorry, Carla? What have you done?”

“Not me. But Kevin. The b*st*rd. I’m not trusting anyone again. Such a mess he’s caused.” Carla is sobbing. “I’m so sorry.”

I can’t believe what she’s saying. What it probably implies. Shit!

“Calm down Carla. Tell me again. Slowly and from the beginning. What happened? What did Kevin do?”

I hear Mom mumbling something, then Carla blowing her nose and drinking some water through her sniffs.

“It was Kevin who did it. Last weekend, when you were here, he recorded our conversation at home. I swear I didn’t know about it. But it was him.”

I bury my head in my hands. So the leak was because of me! Not Gabs. Shit!

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, because the dolt confessed to it an hour ago.”

“But why? And how?”

“He’s been having money problems which is why he moved in here with us. So when she offered him money for some dirt on you or Gabriel, the f*cker sold us out.”

“How does he even know TruthSeekerBob?”

“He doesn’t, or so he says. I don’t know who gave him money, and he didn’t say. Maybe he, too, doesn’t know.”

“Where is he?” I say, trying to keep my voice calm. I need to stay focused.

“I threw him out of the house. Don’t know where he is now.” She breaks into a major sobbing spree. Mom takes the phone from her.

“What’ll you do now, honey? Is there anything we can do to help you sort this out?”

“I don’t know yet, Mom. But thanks for letting me know. Let me think about it. Meanwhile, if you can find out who gave Kevin the money, it’ll be great. Try to find out as much as possible from him.”

“You got it, Nora. Don’t worry. It’ll all end up fine. Love you.”

“Thanks, Mom. Take care of Carla. I know it’s not her fault.”

I hang up and crash on the bed in a daze. But this is no time for self-pity. I need to act fast. Things on social media get out of hand pretty quickly. The boon and the bane of an ever-connected society.

I replay the conversation with Carla in my head. Didn’t she say ‘she’ offered him money? So Kevin must have let slip that it was a woman. Who could it be? Sophia? Must be. I remember she had told me during the dinner that she knows TruthSeekerBob.

I open my phone and check out Sophia’s profile. True enough. Some of her posts have been liked and shared by TruthSeekerBob. Their comments indicate a level of familiarity. I won’t let her get away with this. Acting all high and mighty, but stooping to such low levels!

I have her number from the card she gave me last weekend, so I call her right away.

“Hi, Sophia. Nora here. I need to talk to you,” I say as soon as she picks up.

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