Page 33 of Rhett & Moses
His certainty, his unwavering support, steadied me. I took a deep breath, feeling something resolve inside me.
“I’m not retracting anything,” I said, the decision crystallizing as I spoke. “If my father wants to disown me, so be it. I’m done living my life to protect people who don’t deserve protection.”
Pride shone in Rhett’s eyes. “What do you want to do about the reporters outside?”
I considered my options. Part of me wanted to hide away, to let the story blow over without further comment from me. But the larger part, the part that had finally found its voice after decades of silence, refused to retreat into the shadows.
“I’ll make a statement,” I decided. “Simple, direct, no accusations beyond what we already know to be true. And then I’m done. This story isn’t my whole life, and I won’t let it become that.”
Rhett nodded, helping me to my feet. “I’ll be right beside you.”
“I know,” I said, and meant it.
Bronwyn helped us draft a brief statement, her PR instincts proving invaluable. When we were satisfied with the wording, I took a moment to compose myself before heading out to face the small crowd of reporters still waiting outside.
Standing on the wooden steps of Timbers & Tallboys, with Rhett’s solid presence beside me, I read from the prepared statement:
“Twenty years ago, I confessed to vandalizing the Paul Bunyan statue to protect myself and others from threats made by Soren Hayes. Yesterday, I chose to tell the truth about what really happened that night. I did not vandalize the statue. I did, however, witness Soren Hayes shouting at a mystery person who quickly ran from the scene in front of the destroyed statue whilst in a state of anger. He then used blackmail to coerce my silence and my false confession.
“I have no interest in pursuing legal action for events that occurred so long ago. My only goal was to ensure that the truth was finally known. Now that the truth is out, I consider this matter closed and will be making no further statements. Thank you.”
Questions immediately erupted from the gathered reporters, but I shook my head, turning to go back inside. As the door closed behind us, cutting off the clamor of voices, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
“Well done,” Bronwyn said, giving my shoulder a rare squeeze of affection. “Now, do you want to call your father, or should we start drinking immediately?”
Despite everything, I laughed. “Maybe both. But I think I need some air first. Rhett, walk with me?”
He nodded, and we slipped out the back entrance, avoiding the reporters out front. The day had warmed considerably, the late morning sun casting dappled shadows through the trees that lined the back alley.
We walked in comfortable silence for a while, eventually finding ourselves at the small park near the center of town. An old wooden bench overlooking a duck pond offered a moment of peace, and we sat close together, my thigh pressed against his in a way that felt both new and familiar.
“What are you thinking?” Rhett asked after a while.
I considered the question, trying to sort through the tangle of emotions within me. “I’m thinking that I spent twenty years afraid of exactly this, the public scrutiny, my parents’ disappointment, the upheaval of everything comfortable and known. And now that it’s happening, it’s both worse and better than I imagined.”
“Worse how?”
“My parents,” I admitted, the pain still fresh. “I knew they’d be upset, but part of me hoped... I don’t know. That they might finally see me, understand me. That the truth might matter more than appearances.”
Rhett’s arm slipped around my shoulders, a gesture of comfort I leaned into without hesitation. “And better?”
“You,” I said simply. “I never imagined having you by my side through all of this. And Bronwyn, Vanessa, I’ve spent so long convinced I was alone, that no one would stand with me if they knew the whole truth. Being proven wrong about that... it means everything.”
He pressed a kiss to my temple; public display of affection be damned. “You’re not alone, Moses. Not anymore.”
We sat in silence for a while longer, watching the ducks glide across the pond’s surface, the world continuing its rhythms despite the personal earthquakes we were navigating.
Finally, I straightened, coming to a decision. “I need to call my father. Might as well get it over with.”
“Do you want privacy?” Rhett offered.
I shook my head. “Stay. Please.”
With steady hands, I dialed the number I still knew by heart despite how rarely I used it these days. My father answered on the second ring, his voice formal and composed as always.
“Moses. I see you received your mother’s letter.”
“I did,” I confirmed, keeping my own voice neutral. “I’m not retracting my statement, Father. It’s the truth, and I won’t deny it to protect Soren Hayes or anyone else.”
