Page 131 of Hoax and Kisses
“Do you know what it’s about?” his dad asks.
His eyes dart to me. “Not sure.”
I swallow. The tightness in my chest hasn’t gone away since the email landed in my inbox, but now it’s spread to every part of my body. It takes everything I have to push my feet forward.
When we get in, the place is packed, familiar faces greeting us with warm smiles and friendly waves as we find seats.
Rob walks to the podium, his features unreadable. Behind him, a white screen I haven’t seen before has been set up.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” he starts, voice grave. “I had a very interesting call this afternoon, to say the least.” He finds me in the crowd, his expression cold and harsh. That’s when I know that this is the end for me. “And since this was a decision we made together as a community, I believe it’s your right to know.” His knuckles are white where he grips the podium. “The hotel project Ms. Delacroix presented was nothing but smoke and mirrors. The representative from Imperial Excellence I spoke to this afternoon confirmed that this”—he picks up a little clicker, and my father’s mega complexproposal appears on the screen behind him—“is what we can expect a year from now.”
The gasps across the room are loud and sharp, suffocating the air with a tension so thick it wraps around my throat. In every direction, people turn to me, their faces confused, betrayed. Sad.
“You’re okay,” Matt whispers. His words are meant to be soothing, though his own body is a wall of nerves. He laces his fingers with mine, and I focus on the warmth of his skin.
“What does this mean?” Patty, who’s in the front row, breaks the agitated hum of the crowd.
“It means that Ms. Delacroix has led us on with her lodge project.”
I shoot up. “I didnot. My father took over without my knowledge.”
“That’s not what your colleague said when we spoke,” Rob accuses. “It was his understanding that you knew all along.”
“These arelies,” I yell, my face hot. “I only received the proposal a few hours ago. Probably at the same time you did. Before that, I wasn’t aware of any resort project.”
“And we’re supposed to believe you now? You betrayed us,” Ruth shouts from the other end of the room.
Others pipe up, demanding answers and hurling accusations, each comment as harsh as the last. I slump in my seat, head down, my breath coming in small puffs of air.
“The bastard set you up,” Matt seethes through his teeth, his hand gripping mine. “I’m gonna fucking…”
He continues to spew his anger, but I tune out all the noise. This is a repeat of my first town hall, only ten times worse. These are my people.
People I’ve grown to love and care for.
And they’re all looking at me like they really believe I played a sick, twisted puppet game with them. Rosie, a storm raging inher eyes. Carl, shaking his head in disappointment. Cooper, his arms crossed, his stare cold.
“She’s a liar,” Patty shrieks. “She used us.”
The crowd erupts like a wildfire, pointing their fingers at me, throwing their hands up in desperation.
The world blurs, moving in slow motion. Their faces twisted with rage, their mouths deformed by their fury, their scowls marring their features as they shout and demand I explain myself.
But I can’t. I can’t breathe. I can’t move. I’m being pushed underwater, my father’s hand the one holding my head down.
And then a high-pitched voice rises above all the others. “Zoey is not like that! She’s kind! She’s my friend!”
Daphne.
No, no, no, no, no.
My heart shatters at my feet as her voice climbs a few octaves, flooded with hurt and confusion. “Stop being mean to her! Stop it!”
Deb tries to settle her, to reel her back into her seat, but her efforts are in vain. Instead, she gets more worked up. Her plea turns ferocious as she screams her last words over and over again.
“Can somebody make her stop?” Patty asks loudly.
Matt is on his feet in an instant, his finger pointed at her. “Fuck you,Patty.”
