Page 20 of Confused AF
Utilizing Chloe’s legion of fans, they had asked viewers to search their camera rolls for videos and photos of Otto’s table. Particularly, they had wanted footage taken the previous evening, and they had encouraged people to send them anything that looked even mildly suspicious.
They hadn’t offered any kind of incentive or reward, just the chance to be part of the investigation. And the community had risen to the occasion.
Against my better judgment, we had returned to the convention center after our meeting with Chloe. While I would have preferred to shield him from the undeserved scrutinyhe would undoubtedly face, Otto had refused to hide, and I respected that choice.
Even if I didn’t fully agree with it.
It hadn’t been as bad as I’d anticipated, though. Apparently, enough people had seen the livestream to create a thread of doubt about Otto’s guilt. So, while I wouldn’t say his return had been met with a warm welcome, there had at least been a lack of open hostility.
Upon entering the building, we made a detour to the deli for a late lunch, then carried the sandwiches back to Otto’s table. While we ate, we scrolled through the hundreds of images that had already started flooding into the comment section of Chloe’s post.
It had taken only an hour to receive the damning evidence we needed, and interestingly enough, it had come from another influencer.
At first glance, it hadn’t appeared helpful, or even all that interesting, and I had actually dismissed it as a ploy designed to take advantage of the situation. Otto, however, had seen something I hadn’t.
“Wait. Go back.” Seated beside me at the table, he grabbed the tablet from my hand. After enlarging the video and focusing it on the background behind the female speaker, he restarted the clip. “That’s us.”
Yes, but it was also so much more. It had been cut to start playing at the exact moment everything between us had changed.
Muting the volume, I watched as Otto turned to face me in the video, his lips moving in silent question before stopping abruptly as they collided with mine.
In the moment, it had felt like an eternity as I’d fought for control, torn between the right choice and the easy one. As I watch now, however, I could see that no more than a coupleof seconds passed between the accidental kiss and when I had dragged Otto away from the table.
“You look angry,” he commented with a chuckle. “People probably thought you were kidnapping me.”
“If I had been kidnapping you, I would have been a lot more subtle about it.” I shrugged and pressed a kiss to his temple. “I was just focused.”
Laughing again, he leaned into my side. “More like impatient.”
“And you weren’t?”
“I never said that.” The words still hung between us when he suddenly stiffened. “Oh, my god. Look.”
We had barely disappeared offscreen when a familiar figure approached Otto’s table. The petite blonde seemed to be watching us leave, and in doing so, had her face turned to the camera, providing a clear view of her identity.
Kassidy Bassiago.
She waited for a moment, probably to make sure we wouldn’t return, then slipped behind the table to rummage through the open boxes. Her eyes darted around the room as she unpacked a handful of different items and spread them out in front of her.
I couldn’t fully make out what happened after that, but it looked suspicious as hell. One by one, she opened the various products before reaching into her pocket for…something. Whatever she had retrieved, she kept it hidden in her palm as she waved her hand across the table.
When she finished, she returned the mysterious substance to her pocket and carefully repacked everything she had taken out of the case. With one last glance at the crowd, she pasted on a bright smile, straightened her spine, and strode away, clearly confident that she had just gotten away with her crime.
Being right never really got old. In fact, it felt pretty damn vindicating. Otto didn’t need to hear that, though.
“Are you okay?” I asked instead.
He rested his head against my shoulder and sighed. “On the bright side, at least I don’t have to throw awayeverything.”
“Otto.”
“I know.” He sighed again and burrowed closer. “I guess we should tell Chloe.”
“I’ll send the video to her assistant,” I promised. “What do you want to do about Kassidy?”
I voted for public shame and exile, but something told me my forgiving mate wouldn’t agree.
He turned his head and nuzzled into my shoulder with a quiet groan. “I don’t know what to do. Obviously, I want to clear my name, but…”
