Chapter Twenty-Three
DAISY
Delilah: Don’t believe everything you see on the internet.
Me: I know that.
Delilah: Even Andrew said the internet is full of shit. Those websites aren’t reliable, they love the gossip. Even if they have to make something up.
Me: I know.
Me: In my gut, I KNOW.
Delilah: Have you talked to him?
Me: Not since last night, before the article. They have another game tonight and then they come home tomorrow.
Delilah: Try not to be too in your head about it.
Me: I’m trying. It’s just… hard. It looks bad. I don’t believe it. It’s got to be the angle.
My finger swipes over the chat and back to the photo and article. The girl is clearly trying to do something with Bad Boy Miller, but that isn’t who he is. I know that. My gut tells me to not worry about it. It only looks bad because of the angle.
Delilah: Stop looking at it.
I roll my eyes instead of replying to her. Another message comes up on my phone. It’s Alexa who handles the social media for the Bobcats.
Alexa: Heads up, incase you haven’t seen. There’s gossip online that we’re working on clearing up about Ethan. It’s not what it looks like.
Me: I saw and I know.
Alexa: There’s more. There’s another article that published.
Me: What is it?
Alexa: It’s a lousy comparison one. Showing images of women he’s been photographed with. And I mean JUST photographed with, there trying to turn it into something.
Me: Okay?
Alexa: You’re in one of the photos. It’s from the gala. Please don’t let whatever is in the article get to you. The comments are going to be mixed.
Me: Share the link.
Alexa: (inserts link)
I stare at the title of the article, Bad Boy Miller Changed or Going Backwards?
I swallow as I scroll down to see image after image of him with other women.
Some you can tell are old, they’re grasping at straws.
The image of the two of isn’t a bad one.
It’s when we’re dancing. It’s the only picture where his eyes are soft and his smile seems genuine.
That was before we were back together, when I was fighting it.
I scroll down and the comments are already coming in. Some talk about how he’ll never change, but they don’t know him like I do. Then there’s a few mentioning me by name. The first couple seem to see what I see. Then it gets bad.
No, it gets fucking horrible. I exit out of the browser and try to not let those words taunt me.
Big girl.
Mediocre woman.
Fatty.
Ugly.
I copy the link from my chat with Alexa and paste it over to Delilah. Ugh, this sucks. My chest fills with dread. It can’t be like that. I need to get out of this house.
Me: I know not to believe everything I read, but I need out of this house and out of my head.
Alexa: Say less! Come up to the office and then we’ll all go out. A girls night, food and drinks. You can even crash on my couch if needed. I live down the road
Me: I don’t plan on drinking that much. I just need a distraction.
Alexa: Girls night it is. Come and meet us at the main office.
Me: Give me 30 minutes to change and another hour to get there.
Alexa: Perfect, we’ll have hopefully wrapped up stuff here by then.
I’m not going to drink, it’ll only make me dwell on things. But going out with others for a distraction could be useful right now.