“Someone called my cell and told me that I needed to come quickly and see what was going on with my own eyes.”
“Who called you?” Marie’s head whipped around to look at me.
“I don’t know - some guy. He said I needed to know the truth.”
Marie gave Pete a dreadful look. “Did he give you a name? What did he say exactly?” She pressed anxiously for answers.
“He didn’t give a name. He said he was a reporter or something. He told me where Ryan was – even gave me the address. I had a cab drive me there.”
“Shit, Pete! Ryan needs to know this!” Marie flashed her eyes back to me. “Taryn, where did you think Ryan was?”
“I thought he was going to be at the hotel.” I wiped my eyes. “He was only scheduled to film until two o’clock. I tried calling him but his voicemail picked up. I went into the bedroom to unpack and I found a love note from Lauren to Ryan.”
Marie bowed her head in disgust.
“I know. Ryan found the letter on the sidewalk by the cab stand,” she muttered.
“He was planning on leaving me,” I sputtered. Tears streamed down my cheeks again from the pain of his betrayal.
“No, he wasn’t!” Marie insisted loudly. “I don’t get it, Pete.” Marie groaned, questioning him with her eyes. “Taryn, I asked Ryan point blank if he ever cheated on you and he said no, absolutely not,” she stated firmly.
I scoffed. “And you believed him?”
“Well, there are other things. I can’t say - I promised. Yes, I believe him.”
“You’re right! You don’t get it! None of you get it!” I shouted, angry that my friends were siding with him.
“I saw them having dinner together! I read her little love letter encouraging him to break up with me. I found the whore’s panties on his bedroom floor. I saw him touch her and kiss her with my own eyes! That’s it, it’s over! She can have him!” My throat strained from screaming. I had no fight left in me. “Turns out I wasn’t enough after all.”
Tammy wrapped me in her arms, gently trying to shush me while I became more and more hysterical. I was shaking all over.
“Taryn, come on! You have to admit this doesn’t sound right. I mean how would some reporter find out your cell phone number?” Pete asked.
“What does it matter?” I sobbed into Tammy’s shoulder. “Feel free to go down there and break his face.”
“No way! Not knowing what we know. I agree with Marie. Ryan wouldn’t lie about this - not now. Somebody set you up… but who?” Pete pondered.
I glared at him. “Yeah, sure. There’s some big conspiracy going on.” I wiped my eyes. “What else could it possibly be?” I said sarcastically. I didn’t understand why my friends were so gullible.
“Taryn, look at this picture. Is this what you saw?” Marie pointed to my computer screen.
“Are those the pictures he sent to cover his tracks? They could have been taken on any number of days.”
“Turn around and answer my question! Is this what you saw?” Marie showed me another picture.
“Similar,” I murmured. All the pictures she showed me were taken from inside the restaurant. Why are there pictures of this quality from inside the restaurant?
“No, this is exactly what you saw. Do you see that?” Marie pointed to a long, thin block at the bottom of each picture. “Ryan said all of these are date/time stamped as they film it.”
The date and time matched when I was there. My birth date was on all of them. My pulse quickened from the shock.
“What’s that?” Marie pointed to something gray at the top of the picture. It was hard to discern what it was.
“I don’t know,” I whispered out.
“How about in this picture? Don’t look at him kissing her.” Marie covered them with her hand. “What is that?” She pointed again to something gray at the top of the picture. The elongated oval shape was more pronounced.
I gasped.
Marie turned to look up at me. “Do you see it now?” She smiled.
It was crystal clear what the gray thing was now… it was the microphone boom.
Ryan was on location filming, and the date and time stamps proved it.
“No, but why?” My vision became blurry and the room started to spin. “She left note… I read… wha? Not stupposed be filmin.”
A high-pitched tone started ringing in both of my ears and I couldn’t feel my legs. That’s when the room tilted sideways… and disappeared.