Page 87 of Hidden Gem
Staring at the green candles climbing higher on the screen, he wondered about the party trying to keep his resignation on the down low. Jason had his doubts; news like this always got out. If Luna knew about it, rumours were already spreading.
Before he could check the news sites, his phone rang, making his heart leap. Was it Marnie? She hadn’t responded to his message yesterday, and each hour that went by added to the sinking feeling in his gut.
Malcolm’s name glowed on the screen. Jason answered.
“Great deflection with that Marnie story! Did you plan that together? Boy, you’re clever. The press is eating it up.”
“What story?” Jason asked, opening the New Zealand Herald home page.
With the first headline, the room started spinning. Marnie. Her doe eyes stared at him from the top of the news site with the heading ‘Jason’s mystery woman’. She was on front page. Why? Who had blabbed about her? He’d kill that guy.
“I’ll call you back,” he told Malcolm, ending the call.
Trying to catch his breath, Jason clicked on the link. There was a video. He immediately recognised the freeze frame from the clip they’d filmed in the lighthouse. Had someone stolen Marnie’s phone and posted the footage online? Who would do something so diabolical? His finger shaking, he clicked on the ‘play’ button. Marnie appeared, smiling at the camera. She was in her own house. Someone else held the camera, trying to keep Marnie in frame as she gestured with her hands. She was speaking to him.
“Jason, for the longest time, I was so scared to go public. I was so scared of what people would think of me, that I wasn’t good enough for you, that I just wasn’t... good enough, full stop. This is me saying I don’t care anymore. I want you. I want us. Because you’re right. We’re good together and I... love you. There.” She blushed, turning away for a moment, then facing the camera again.
Jason recognised Tanya’s voice yelling, “Go on!” in the background. She must have been holding the camera.
“I’m not hiding anymore. I’m here. I can’t wait to see you. And now I’m going to play this video clip. Not because I want the world to see, but because if I don’t, nobody will believe me. And I need people to believe and share this, so that it gets to you, and you understand that I’m serious. Okay, here we go.”
The video from the lighthouse came on. Jason watched, rapt, hardly breathing. She looked so happy, relaxed, her eyes full of love and adoration. And he... apart from the dark circles under his eyes, he looked happy. He hadn’t seen himself like that in a long time. Those happy moments had come and gone, but they’d been real. What he wanted was right there, within his grasp.
Malcolm was right. The press was eating it up. Although full of guesswork and hearsay, the article painted a picture any PR person would have considered a win. They’d found out about his resignation, but the conclusions the reporter had drawn were lovely. Jason Hallett was stepping out of politics to live a ‘normal life’ with a woman he was in love with. Nothing about his fake degree or drug abuse. He’d mentally prepared for the dirty laundry, but Marnie had distracted everyone with her genuine, heartfelt cuteness. She was so nervous, yet adorable. It was love at first sight, for him and the rest of the country. How would she handle all the attention? The sudden desire to protect her overtook his whole being. He had to get to her.
Chapter 42
Marnie skipped downthe lakeside path, butterflies dancing in her stomach. Jason had asked her to meet him as soon as possible, typing his address to the message. As if she didn’t know where he lived. She’d replied with a quick ‘On my way’ and rushed out the door.
With the path around it finally resurfaced, the playground bustled with the Saturday afternoon crowd. Marnie had left the car at home, too shaky to drive. She’d hoped the walk around the lake would calm her nerves, but her anticipation increased on every step.
A chilly wind blew from the lake, and Marnie pulled her light cardigan over her aching breasts. Part of her missed the comfort of the bulky sweaters she’d used to wear, but she wanted to look her best. Tanya had helped her pick out the outfit– after all the hours she’d spent at the mall, she knew all the shops and quickly found something in Marnie’s size. They’d landed on a deep purple wrap dress with a flared hem, showing off more than a hint of cleavage. Marnie hadn’t seen her daughter so focused or smiling so much in years.
A couple of passers-by recognised her on the way, smiling and holding up their thumbs. ‘It’s Marnie!’ They’d said, asking if she was on her way to meet Jason. She’d nodded, heartbeat echoing somewhere behind her ears. Her fingers ached slightly, but with the glowing warmth in her chest, other sensations receded to the background. The pain would come and go, but she had something better, something so grand it couldn’t be destroyed by anything her body decided to do. Like heavy bleeding, which still hadn’t come, although she felt frequent twinges in her abdomen, reminding her of the possibility.
At last, she pushed open the creaky gate and stepped into Jason’s garden. Casting a quick glance at the fence where she’d cried not so long ago, she rushed up the steps and onto the deck. The house looked dark and quiet. She knocked on the glass door, but there was no response. Had she misunderstood his message?
