Ridiculous: Mattory

14: Mistakes Were Made (Don't Let Me Go)

A/N: I feel like this chapter needs a 'buckle up buttercup' warning... and maybe also a tissue warning. You have been warned.

Mallory

I wake up in the morning with a sense of equal joy and foreboding.

The joy part is easy enough to understand—memories of steamy kisses and promises of forever run through my head on fast-forward, leaving me biting my lip and playing with the M necklace that now rarely leaves my neck.

When the foreboding kicks in, I leap out of bed and rummage through my purse for the letter I'd stashed in it last night. My hands tremble as I read it again, though it makes no more sense than it did last night.

"You look beautiful in red? How did he even know?" I say aloud, glaring at it. I'd gotten changed in the dressing room and there hadn't been any cameras backstage. Had he managed to sneak in somehow?

However he did it, it severely creeps me out. And of course, Matt had proved himself quite adept at distracting me to the point of outright forgetting to tell him. With a huff, I stow the letter back in my purse and make myself breakfast. The suns shines brightly through my window—we pushed back the start of the workday a few hours since we had a show last night, and I took advantage of the extra time to sleep in.

When I make it to the studio, there's a solemn air hanging over the place that makes me furrow my brow. I find Stephen, Whitney, Natalie, Jason, and Jeremy scattered around the break room, murmuring quietly among themselves. They look up when I walk in.

"What's going on?" I ask, standing in the doorway.

"We have no idea," Jeremy says.

"I think Jared's waiting until everyone gets here," says Whitney. "So you might as well make yourself comfortable," she continues, patting the seat on the couch next to her. I take it, a sour feeling settling in the pit of my stomach.

Stacey, James, and Adam arrive within the next ten minutes. Matt is the last to show up, and he, too, seems to sense the heavy atmosphere that hangs over the room.

Jared comes in a few minutes later, and there's a look of sadness in his eyes that makes my heart break. What is going on?

"Mallory. Matt. With me." I exchange a glance with Matt, and he shrugs, getting to his feet. I follow suit, and we make our way into Jared's office. "I tried to warn you," Jared says softly, his voice bitter. "You have to know that I tried."

Tried what? my mind demands as we step inside his office. A heavyset, balding man in a suit sits in Jared's chair, arms crossed; another man with bright red hair and freckles who's wearing a button down and tie leans against the back wall. Jared shuts the door and stands against it, crossing his arms as well.

"Mr. Meese, Ms. Everton. Have a seat," says the balding man. Matt and I look at each other again, then do as he bid, sitting in the two chairs across from Jared's desk.

"Matt, you met Mr. Ballinger last night," Jared says from behind us. "Mallory, this is Allen Ballinger, one of the new executives." He gestures to the redhead. "And this is Detective Reynolds."

Detective? I think to myself, brows furrowing again. Reynolds gives a short nod, while Ballinger uncrosses his arms and leans against the desk. "I was not aware that you two were... involved."

I feel my stomach drop. If one of our execs was here, inquiring about my relationship with Matt... Oh, no.

"We kept it pretty discreet," Matt says slowly, and the look in his eyes reminds me of a trapped animal.