In Love and Diplomacy

Chapter Twenty-Six: Go Ahead, Ask Me

"Something's made your eyes go cold
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted"

- Taylor Swift, "Haunted"

Chapter Twenty-Six

My pulse was in my throat as my gaze slid unsteadily back to the screen. I was numb.

Two pictures shone bright and bold, imprinting themselves on my retinas. On the left was an old photo from four years ago. The photo on the right was much newer, timestamped two weeks before today.

Another lifetime ago.

Both felt like relics from the past, from a different time, a different Avery.

The left photo was colorful, a sea of green shirts with various slogans in puffy letters. "SAVE THE OCEAN" and "ONE EARTH, ONE CHOICE" were the most prominent. Signs were proudly thrusted in acts of defiance, crowding the air above the tide.

A young-faced Avery, fresh out of college, grinned as she shook her new boss's hand. Cruz's face was smoother and less stressed, but he still had the same perfectly practiced smile that could be found on any politician's billboard. The rally was hectic; the photo could have resembled a 'Where's Waldo' game with how tightly packed the crowd was.

I remembered that day. A rally celebrating a big case win. I was also celebrating a win of my own, a promotion. A new job title.

My boss celebrated next to me, but like me, he wasn't celebrating just the win. The environmental rally served to cement his success in a legal showdown and confirm his public image. He'd officially glued his title of 'champion of the people' on.

A corrupt company had successfully been smothered in court. A company that'd evaded the law for too long at the cost of the oceans, at the cost of beauty.

The background of the photo was another wave of posters, ugly green shirts, and smiling faces, but an angrier face stood out among the crowd. It was twisted among the joy; clearly a man not caring to hide his disgruntled fury.

"What did you do?" Reed's voice was rough as he repeated himself.

I ignored him, my eyes stuck on the screen, refusing to understand what glowed in front of me. I looked to the other image.

On the right, a black and white photo stood in stark contrast to the rally's colorful one. This photo was much less defined, but evidently a security image downloaded off an outdoor camera. I recognized the street it showed. I'd habited those sidewalks when I stayed at the hotel. The photo was of the area right outside the lobby. Rolo was pictured splayed out under the shade of a palm, and I stood with my legs spread protectively over him. My face was drawn and stressed.

The day the manager tried to kick us out.

A man with a backpack was in the corner of the picture, waiting for a nearby crosswalk. His face had been circled in red, and though he was half-turned, it was unmistakable.

It was the same man.

The same angry man from the rally four years ago hovered on the edges of this security photo. Four years apart, but the same grim expression on his face, his figure always standing just out of direct sight.

I'm going to be sick.

"Nothing to say?"

My brows furrowed. This time, I did let my eyes return to Reed. I swallowed a wave of nausea.

"What?"

"How long have you been working with him?" Reed demanded, furious. I stared at him, trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about.