Page 78 of King of Hearts

“Can you get us an Uber. All these people keepfucking staring at me.” My voice rose with the last few words forcing people to pretend they weren’t actively watching my demise.

“Absolutely.” She reassured, opening her phone and tapping away. “Three minutes, babe.”

I didn’t respond, instead leaning down to pick up the various items which had surrounded me for the last few years, as I did everything I could to hold my imminent breakdown at bay.

“I hate to be critical when you’re on your deathbed, but your clothes smell like they’ve been sitting in a basket wet for three days.”

“Hey.” I protested before sniffing my shoulder, my mouth widening in outrage. “Oh my god! When did I become someone so reliant on a man that I didn’t notice I smelt like arse.” I groaned as Marlee giggled.

“Love makes us crazy, I guess.” She smiled, but it looked pained and I filed that away for a conversation when I could concentrate more. My brain was a cloudy mess and it was taking all my energy just to get through each hour without running to Andy’s apartment to beg him to listen.

When I did finally read the article Darren published under my name, I was disgusted. After my long overdue confrontation with my now ex-boss, I’d called Andy.

Eight times.

I’d followed that up with three unanswered text messages and five emails. By the next day I was upset with him too, for being so fickle that he didn’t even give me the opportunity to explain. He had treated me no different to any other reporter who had written awful words about him as if the last few months meant nothing.

But I was also angry at myself.

Initially, I couldn’t even dream that he wouldn’t give me the opportunity to explain. I’d naively thought about how proud he would be when he discovered I not only quit the instant I read the venomous filth, but I also emailed our Head Office in Melbourne to voice my contempt at an organisation which would not only publish but encourage such blatant defamation. Further to that, I was almost certain Darren hacked my emails because there were things he would not – could not – have known. All of which I forwarded to the CEO. I thought Andy would have given me the benefit of the doubt, time to explain the obvious undermining which he would know could not have come from me. Alas, he didn’t. So, I guess love really did make you an idiot.

A startling drug scandal within the renowned Sydney Hearts FootballTeam…

Hearts’ captain Andrew Gloss states his younger brother wasthe supplier of the narcotics…

At local hotspot, Nexus, Glosscomplicit as he “knew and should have stopped them” …

Raisingquestions into Gloss’ captaincy and the culture within the sportingclub itself…

Perhaps his talents are not only from hardwork but hard drugs….

Snippets of the words printed with me listed as the author flashed through my mind, floating around like bubbles in a dream, fragile and transient, yet there none the same. A painful reminder of how easily whatever Andy and I had was corrupted and destroyed.

“The last few months evidently meant nothing to him.” I said as we walked towards the waiting Uber, both sitting in the back.

Marlee didn’t need to respond, I knew she agreed with me and told me so as we snuggled in my single bed last night. She rubbed my back as I threw up anytime I tried to eat and handed me tissues when my anger moved to sadness and finally resolve. What I thought was the beginning of something special and strong with Andy, was fragile as it crumbled like a delicate sandcastle washed away by the relentless tide created with every word Darren falsely published.

I glanced at Marlee when she tapped me and pointed to my vibrating phone in my lap. An unknown number displayed on the screen and I watched it ring for a few seconds before she leant over, swiped the call and answered for me. Even the most basic of tasks took far too much energy now.

“Sorry, may I ask who is speaking?” Marlee asked as I watched the buildings pass through the window. I didn’t have it in me to speak to anyone. Not Dad or Queeny, who I knew were worried sick about me, nor a telemarketer or someone who had the wrong number. Even worse, I had started getting calls from other media networks looking for a comment on what was being dubbed, ‘The broken Heart of theseason’ –gag.

Marlee tapped me on the thigh again drawing my attention and I rolled my head to see her look of uncertainty.

“Who is it?” I questioned, knowing if it were Andy she would have told him to stick his call up his arse and hung up already like only a best friend would.

“It’s –” She paused, muting the phone before continuing, her voice a little stunned, “It’s the CEO of Urban Pulse.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Arna

“Bitch, do you need a serviette or a trough?” Marlee bantered as I shoved a handful of buttered popcorn and some red liquorice into my mouth simultaneously. If more people got on board with this flavour explosion, it would make my life better because the looks of disgust I was accustomed to were annoying.

Doing my best to talk around the food, popcorn flew out of my mouth and onto the laptop which sat between us on my bed.

“Sorry,” I said. “I’m in a state of mourning and currently I’m in the ‘eating my feelings’ stage.”

She reached over to lift the bowl of plain chips resting against my leg before laying against my headboard.

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