Page 46

CHAPTER 46

“ T he doctor wants me to stay a little longer,” Rebecca said from the hospital bed. “But I should still be able to make it to the fundraiser tomorrow.”

Olive plastered on a wide smile. “That’s great news.”

Rebecca didn’t look great this morning. She was paler than usual with all kinds of machines and wires still hooked up to her.

Olive had glanced around the room when she first entered, looking for any clues about Rebecca’s condition. Any labels on the medication hanging on the IV bag or notes scribbled on the board.

She’d known it was unlikely she’d see anything to give her a glimpse into Rebecca’s medical history, and she hadn’t.

She did, however, see a ring camera light and some sound equipment.

That was when it hit her. The man who’d gone to their house yesterday? He hadn’t gone there to get Rebecca’s medications. He’d gone to retrieve her equipment so Rebecca could record more TikTok videos.

Olive made a mental note to check the social platform later to watch Rebecca’s updates.

Matt sat beside Rebecca’s bed still, dark circles beneath his eyes.

Olive swallowed hard at the sight of him. He looked rough.

Then she remembered his motorcycle.

She was desperate to make some of these pieces fit.

She plastered on a compassionate—and authentic—smile. “It looks like you stayed here all night.”

He ran a hand over his face. “I did. I didn’t want to leave Rebecca—just in case she needed me.”

“I guess Willow is still at her friend’s house?” Nova asked.

“That’s right.” Rebecca readjusted the canula at her nose. “I’m so grateful for all the good friends we have. I don’t know what we’d do without them.”

“I can imagine.” Olive offered a nod.

Rebecca paused and squinted at Olive.

A rush of nerves shot through Olive. What was she thinking?

She waited.

“No offense, but you look worse off than I do today,” Rebecca finally said. “Are you okay?”

Olive resisted the urge to touch her neck or face. “Do I? Just tired.”

Rebecca was far more observant than Olive had given her credit for. She would need to be careful.

“You shouldn’t work too hard,” Rebecca said.

There she went, sounding like she cared about other people in the midst of her own suffering. Olive had to give her kudos for that.

Nova cleared her throat. “Not to change the subject, but I was wondering if I could get some footage of you here in the hospital. I think it would really help drive home the seriousness of this situation.”

“Yes, of course.” Rebecca nodded. “That’s fine.”

Olive sucked in a breath before approaching the next subject. “Listen, while she does that, I was wondering if I could have a word with you, Matt? Maybe out in the hallway.”

“Is everything okay?” Rebecca’s eyes widened with alarm.

“It’s fine. I just wanted to clarify a couple of details from our interview, and I thought it would be easier somewhere quieter.”

“Of course.” Rebecca nodded, seeming reassured.

With Rebecca’s blessing, Olive and Matt stepped into the hallway.

It was time to ask him some hard questions.

Matt definitely looked nervous as the two of them stepped outside Rebecca’s room.

He wasn’t sure what to expect right now, and Olive hoped to use that to her advantage.

“What’s going on?” Matt crossed his arms, putting up a physical barrier. Body language 101.

“Listen, I don’t want to beat around the bush,” Olive started. “But we’ve been doing some fact-checking. It’s only smart when you’re doing a documentary, right?”

His skin looked a little paler. “Of course. What’s wrong?”

“We’ve talked to a couple of Rebecca’s old friends from college. One of them told us you were actually married when you and Rebecca met. She also said you were a grad assistant, which would have made dating Rebecca out of bounds.”

His eyes widened and then softened again.

This hadn’t been what he expected her to bring up, was it? He seemed almost relieved that it was just a question about his infidelity.

“Oh, that.” His voice turned more serious. “I just didn’t think that was relevant to your documentary. Is that something you’re going to add to the video?”

“Not necessarily. It’s just that when there are inconsistencies in what a person tells us about one aspect of his or her life, then we have to question possible inconsistencies in other things they’re telling us. Make sense?”

Matt nodded quickly. “Yes, of course. I didn’t mean to keep that truth from you. I just didn’t want it to be broadcast, of course.”

“I can understand why you wouldn’t want that information out there.”

He pressed his eyes closed before running his hand over his face again. “I’m not proud of what happened. But my marriage was less than a year old, and it had been really rocky. I shouldn’t have ever married Miranda, but she pushed me to tie the knot, and I did. We were so unhappy together. Then I met Rebecca, and she was such a bright spot.”

He was pretty good at selling this, Olive mused.

She still had more questions. “Did Rebecca know you were married when she pursued you?”

Matt’s eyes crinkled at the edges. “When she pursued me?”

Olive tilted her head. “You said she was the first one to make a move. You said you were in a study group together.”

His cheeks turned red. “I was actually doing some tutoring outside my normal job hours. Even though she did kiss me first, believe me, the feelings were mutual. She refused to truly date me until my divorce was finalized.”

“That’s good,” Olive muttered.

Matt turned his sharp gaze on her. “Does that make you feel better? And is this really even that important? There are so many other things we need to be focusing on concerning Rebecca’s treatment.”

Olive didn’t like the way he’d dismissed her questioning, acting as if Olive was the one out of line for bringing up the subject.

She thought about his motorcycle. Should she ask him? Watch his reaction?

Why not? She was running out of time.

“One more question.” She locked her gaze on him. “Is it true you like riding motorcycles?”

His brow furrowed. “I do. How is that important?”

“I’m just trying to find interesting snippets about you and Rebecca that people can relate to. Motorcycles are one of those things.”

He stared at her another moment and shook his head. “I still don’t see how that’s relevant.”

“B roll,” Olive answered. “It helps give life to documentaries and make the people I interview seem more human.”

Matt finally nodded. “I guess that makes sense. But I sold my bike, so I don’t think your idea is going to work.”

Sold his bike? Was he telling the truth?

Olive needed to find out.