Page 47 of Perfectly Wrong
But I didn’t get the chance because she ran out of my apartment before I could explain. I tried calling, but she wasn’t picking up. I was worried, but I told myself if something had happened, I would know. Or at least I hoped so. I just needed to get to Icon Records, talk to her boss, and then scour the whole city until I found her.
It hurt to see her like that, so lost and desperate, but I promised I’d fix everything, and I meant it. If there was one thing I couldn’t stand, it was letting my girl down. My new mission was to make Elena happy, no matter what. I wanted to see that gorgeous smile of hers every day, and if she needed to cry, I wanted it to be tears of joy. I could already picture us getting married, having kids. Just the thought of little Elenas running around made my heart race. It felt like a glimpse of heaven. I’d never even considered having kids before I met her, but now the idea of not having more of her in the world seemed unbearable. And I was more than ready to change that.
Alex sat next to me in the car, completely silent. He didn’t know what was going on between us, so I used the ride to fill him in. To my surprise, he wasn’t thrilled.
“I have no idea how I’m going to explain this to your sponsors,” he muttered, lost in thought. “Let’s hope they don’t drop you.”
“You’re overreacting, dude.” I took a deep breath. “I told you, everything will be fine.”
“I don’t understand how you can stay so calm. And I can’t even imagine how Elena must be feeling right now. If you’d told me earlier, this album wouldn’t have even come out. I would’ve pulled you out of here the moment I found out.”
“And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you.” I shrugged. People needed to chill out.
The car stopped outside Icon Records, and we headed in. Jeremy was expecting us in his office, which pissed me off because I wanted to check if Elena was around. But there was no time. He stood by the door as we walked in, and I felt like a kid being scolded. Alex and I took seats across from Jeremy, who settled behind his desk, looking stern. For a moment, it felt like I was back in school, waiting for detention.
“Martin, I assume you’re aware of what’s happening. And I hope you understand the severity of your actions.”
I didn’t reply, just shifted uncomfortably in my chair.
“My question is simple, and once I have your answer and Elena’s, the board will decide what to do with both of you.”
“Jeremy, it’s really not that serious, man,” Alex tried to smooth things over. “They’re young; it happens.”
“Other clients were involved, Alex. It’s not that simple.”
“What’s the question?” I interrupted, anxiety creeping in.
“Who initiated this? Who made the first move?”
This was it—time to put my plan into motion. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“It wasn’t me,” I said confidently.
Jeremy’s eyes widened, and Alex stared at me, stunned.
“Sam, this is a serious matter,” Jeremy said, his voice tense. “Not only could Elena lose her job, she will. I’m going to ask you one last time: who started this?”
Like I cared. She’d be better off working for herself, in a fancy office with high-end clients. She’d earn double what she made at Icon and be happy forever.
“I told you, it wasn’t me.”
What was his problem? Was Jeremy getting old and losing his hearing? He started talking again, but I just wanted him to shut up. I still needed to find Elena and explain my plan, hoping she’d get on board. Oh, and I had to keep her away from that idiot John. He wasn’t going to touch her again without going through me first. I could forgive Elena for cheating on me at that stupid party if she promised never to see him again. We definitely needed to talk about that.
Eventually, Jeremy let us go, saying he’d contact us once the board decided what to do. I rushed out of the building, ignoring Alex calling my name. I hailed a taxi and headed straight to Elena’s place, cursing myself for not driving in the first place.
When the cab pulled up, I ran to her door, pounding on it like my life depended on it. Because, let’s face it, it kind of did. I had to be the one to tell her what happened, not Jeremy or anyone else. If she misunderstood, I was dead.
I knocked again, but there was no answer. I tried peeking through the living room window, but the house was dark. She wasn’t home. I ran a hand through my hair, starting to panic.
Elena had left my place on foot. I’d watched her from the balcony, walking south and turning the corner before I lost sight of her. Now I was picturing the worst—what if she was hurt, alone in some rundown hospital, when I could’ve been there, making sure she was in the best care in Toronto? Waiting at her house felt impossible. So I went back home, grabbed my car, and started scouring the city for her.
After two hours of aimlessly driving around Toronto, I called Elena for what felt like the millionth time. Okay, it was the twentieth, but still. My phone kept count, which was just rubbing it in. Since she didn’t pick up, I sent another text:
Where are you? I’ve been driving around looking for you for hours! Please, answer the phone!
She got the message but didn’t bother reading it. I threw my phone onto the passenger seat, feeling tears sting my eyes. Where the hell was she? Had she already been fired? God, I hoped not. If she was, I’d have to deal with her rage and try to fix things—if she’d even let me.
As the sun began to set, I felt completely lost. I had no idea where to go or what to think. All I could do was pray she was okay. I parked outside her house and sat there for hours, texting her over and over.