“We’re aware,” Nathaniel reassures me. “We went over the security footage with Kyle. We’ve watched the whole thing. We believe Jared’s account of the situation.”
A knot in my chest I hadn’t even noticed loosens. “Good. So you’ll put out a statement clarifying what happened.”
Blake and Nathaniel exchange a glance, and ice shoots through my veins.
“Wewill,along with releasing the full footage of what happened. We’ll even have our lawyers contact his accuser with defamation charges if he doesn’t retract his statement.” Blake scratches his thick beard. “We’ll do everything we can, but it’s going to be a social media circus.”
Disappointment weighs me down despite already knowing it wouldn’t be that easy.
“For now,” Nathaniel says, “we need to remove Jared from passenger duties.”
My shoulders snap back. “You’re punishing him for something he didn’t do.”
“Not punishing.” Blake’s next words come gentler. “Putting him back on the water taxi with passengers would only invite more trouble, more videos, and more accusations.”
Nathaniel steps closer, his boots scuffing on the plywood. “We hired him for maintenance work, anyway. It’s safer for him to stick to his role, away from the spotlight.”
“So your solution is to hide him?” The question comes out sharper than I intend, despite my effort to stay calm. “Doing so only feeds the rumors. People will take it as an admission of guilt.”
“Sometimes perception matters more than facts.” Nathaniel places a hand on my shoulder, his touch gentle but his words firm. “We can’t risk Jared’s safety.”
I step back, his hand falling away. “So we let the bullies win.”
“We’re not surrendering.” Blake crosses his arms. “We’re being strategic. Give it time for this toblow over. Let our lawyers handle the legal aspects. Once the full footage is released?—”
“People will have moved on to the next outrage,” I finish for him. “And Jared still loses work.”
Blake sighs. “We’re doing what we think is best.”
The words sting more than they should. “He’s a good man without a pack to back him up.”
“We see that,” Nathaniel says gently. “No one is questioning his character. He did the best he could with the situation he was put in. And this has exposed a flaw in our system, which also needs attention. This hasn’t only affected Jared.”
“No, you’re right,” I sigh. “You have a lot riding on the success of this resort.”
“But this doesn’t mean we’ll leave one of our people hanging out to dry.” Blake fiddles with the rainbow-beaded necklace his niece made him. “It’s just going to take time.”
A shadow shifts at the edge of my vision, and I turn to find Jared standing in the gap between plywood sheets. Sunlight catches in his hair, turning the brown strands gold at the edges. His face, still mottled with bruises from Derek’s punch, holds a quiet shame.
How long has he been standing there? Longenough, judging by the slump of his shoulders and the way his eyes drop to the floor.
“Afternoon.” The greeting comes out quieter than usual, with none of his typical enthusiasm present. “Sorry to interrupt. Kyle said you wanted to talk to me?”
Nathaniel steps forward, professional composure sliding into place. “Jared, we were just discussing your situation.”
“I heard.” He forces a smile. “It’s fine. I understand.”
Nathaniel clears his throat. “We’ve got a second water taxi coming in that we bought second-hand. We’ll need you to make sure it’s in tip-top shape.”
“Of course.” A careful mask slips over Jared’s face. “Whatever you need.”
The docile acceptance reminds me of myself, of all the times I swallowed objections and smiled through frustration. Of all the times I let Auren reshape my boundaries because it was easier than fighting.
“This isn’t right,” I say, the words coming out before I can stop them.
They all turn to me.
Jared’s expression shifts first to surprise, then to something warmer. “It’s really okay. I came to Misty Pines for work. Doesn’t matter what kind.”