Page 44 of Perfectly Wrong

Chapter eleven

It wasn’t me.

It wasn’t me.

It wasn’t me.

His words kept echoing in my head. I stared at the door, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, struggling to process what I’d just heard. My head throbbed, my stomach churned, but I was too stunned to even move. He’d blamed me. After everything that had happened, after chasing me, he had the nerve to say it wasn’t him who started this. It was my fault.

Fortunately, Jeremy didn’t believe him. “Sam, this is serious,” he insisted. “Not only can Elena get fired, but she will be fired. So, I’m going to ask you one last time—who initiated this?”

“I’ve told you, man, it wasn’t me.”

My boss exhaled, clearly exasperated. I wanted to react, to express the same frustration, but I felt hollow, like all the air had been sucked out of me. It wasn’t anger that filled me, just a heavy, crushing disappointment. A voice inside my head was screaming, You knew this would happen, and I couldn’t make it stop.

I don’t know how long I sat there, lost in thought. The sound of the office door slamming jolted me back to reality. Jeremy stormed into the meeting room, his face flushed, looking like he was ready to explode.

“You!” he roared, pointing at me. “You tell me the truth right now, because I can’t wait to kick that little shit out of this company! He’s not going to lie to my face, get you fired, and walk away like he’s untouchable!”

And I knew he was right. I should have told Jeremy that Sam had shown up at my place after following me from Whole Foods, or that he’d flown to Japan against my wishes. But I was so exhausted—exhausted from being angry, scared, and on edge—that I did the one thing Jeremy wasn’t expecting: I chose Sam.

“He’s right, Jer,” I said quietly. “It wasn’t him.”

My boss looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Elena, don’t start with this bullshit now. I know he’s guilty—he practically admitted it to me. Even his agent looked shocked. Do you think I’m buying his story?”

“It was my fault, and I’m ready to face whatever comes. Call whoever you need to. I’ll give them my statement, and I’ll sign my termination papers.”

“I’m not doing that!” Jeremy shouted. “You’re going to tell them the truth, and we’ll tear up his contract.”

All I wanted to do was leave, go home, and never come back. I could find a quiet job in Dorchester, live near my parents, and get a pet. Life would be simpler, with far fewer things to worry about. Maybe that’s what I needed. I’d refused to leave Toronto when everything fell apart with Noah, even though my parents begged me to move back. I thought staying here was my fate, that I couldn’t abandon my career. But right now, I wanted to disappear. And let’s be honest, as long as I stayed in the industry, I’d never truly get away from Sam. He’d sign with another label, and we’d keep crossing paths at award shows and events. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life hiding in bathrooms or watching him from backstage. Stepping away from music marketing didn’t sound so bad after all.

“That’s the truth, Jer,” I insisted. “There’s nothing more to say.”

He stormed out of the room, muttering things I couldn’t even make out. I knew he was furious, and I could only hope he and Sam wouldn’t cross paths anytime soon. If they did, I had no doubt my boss would wring his neck. Meanwhile, I sat there, staring blankly at the white walls, my phone vibrating relentlessly with Sam’s name flashing on the screen. I just wished he’d stop.

John was crouched in front of me, waiting for me to repeat the words he wanted me to say. But I just shook my head. He knew everything about how this had all started, but his word alone couldn’t be used against Sam. Only I could make the final call, and I refused to change my story.

He stood up and asked Jeremy to leave the room. I stayed put, sitting in the same chair, in the same position, like I was too sick to move. I just existed, hoping something miraculous would happen. And as desperate as it seemed, I wanted Sam to walk in and tell the truth. But he never did.

I lost track of time, only realizing how late it was when I noticed the sun setting. Darkness had already taken over inside me, so it didn’t feel much different. The guys came back, still caught up in their conversation.

“We’re not making any decisions today, Elena,” Jeremy said first. “Go home, get some rest. If you change your mind, come back tomorrow and tell us exactly what happened.”

“I already told you what happened,” I snapped, feeling my frustration boiling over. Why couldn’t they just accept my confession and end this?

“Bullshit.” He threw his hands up in the air. “You can repeat that nonsense a million times, and I still won’t believe it. I know you, Elena, and I can’t figure out why you’re defending that stupid kid!”

John’s expression was the angriest I’d ever seen. He reached out his hand, and I took it, getting to my feet and leaving the room with him.

“I’ll take you home,” he offered.

“No!” I stopped abruptly, and he turned to me. “Don’t take me home. He’ll show up, and I can’t deal with him right now. Not tonight.”

John raised his eyebrows. “Really?” he asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. “If you don’t want to talk to him, why are you defending that little shit?”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“Goddammit, Elena! You’re impossible.” He took a breath, trying to calm himself. “Fine, you’re coming to the hotel with me, and we’ll figure things out tomorrow. And pray I don’t run into him, because dead will be the nicest state he’ll be in!”

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