Chapter 35 Caught In The Spotlight

• I thought of all the possible things the next morning could bring as I cried myself to sleep into the pillows last night, but nothing could’ve prepared me for what actually happens.
• I’m woken up by the buzzing of my phone, flashing the ridiculous nickname I gave to Meera. It’s only 7 am — Ric is still asleep — and I know Meera is a night owl and not someone who can drag herself out of bed before 10. So the moment I see her name on my phone, my heart is racing. I remember the interview I read yesterday — Mike’s words, twisted horribly, painting me as the villain of our story.
• “Hello?” I whisper into the phone, my voice already abandoning me.