Worth The Wait

Chapter 6: Fabricated

CHAPTER 6: Fabricated

The rice porridge was warm and comforting, soft on her tongue and easy on her stomach—exactly what she needed after everything she drank last night.

Lara took a few more spoonfuls before glancing sideways at Reagan, who was still eating calmly beside her. Questions had been piling up in her mind since yesterday, and now they were bubbling to the surface, impossible to ignore.

“Can I ask you something?” she began, setting her spoon down gently.

Reagan glanced up at her with a quiet hum, nodding.

“Why did you suddenly decide to come here after your business trip?” she asked, her voice gentle but filled with curiosity. “I didn’t even know you were on one until Duke mentioned it. I tried calling you yesterday right after I saw the article but you were unreachable.”

Reagan set his chopsticks down and leaned back in his seat, his green eyes meeting hers.

“The business trip was last-minute,” he explained calmly. “It came up unexpectedly, so I didn’t have the chance to tell you. But coming here to Kyoto wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment decision. I’d already planned to see you, even before the trip came up.”

Lara’s brows knit together. “You did? But you said before that you didn’t want to come because you were worried you might get in my way.”

“I did say that,” Reagan admitted. “But I missed you, more than I expected. And Kyoto’s just a few hours away. I couldn’t stop myself. Originally, I just wanted to see you, even if it was only for a little while… but then the article came out.”

Lara tilted her head. “Right. Speaking of the article… and those photos… I vaguely remember you saying last night that you used them to your advantage,” she pressed. “What exactly did you mean by that?” Her tone sharpened slightly, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

Reagan paused.

Then, with a sigh, he said, “I’ll tell you. But you have to promise me you won’t get mad.”

Lara crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing further. “Why? Is there something I’m supposed to get mad about?”

“Just promise me, please,” he said gently.

She stared at him for a long second before letting out a short sigh. “Fine. I promise I won’t get mad. Now tell me.”

Reagan nodded and leaned slightly forward.

“The photos… they’re real,” he began. “I did go to a jewelry store. And I was with someone when they were taken.”

Lara’s chest immediately tightened.

“But,” he continued quickly, “the article and the rumor about me being engaged, that part’s fake. It’s completely fabricated.”

She frowned. “Then the woman in the photo with you?”

“She’s a close friend of mine,” Reagan said with a small smile. “And you really don’t have to worry about her. She’s a lesbian—and soon be engaged by the way. She even laughed when she saw the article.”

Lara let out a small breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Relief flooded through her, followed quickly by a wave of embarrassment. She looked away, her cheeks reddening.

She’d let jealousy and insecurity twist her insides yesterday. But could anyone really blame her? It was a valid reaction. Wasn’t it normal to get upset when someone you love is rumored to be engaged to someone else?

She exhaled softly and looked back at him. “Alright. I get it. I’m sorry for getting mad yesterday. I was just confused and honestly a little hurt,” she admitted. “But I still don’t understand how you used the situation to your advantage.”

Reagan held her gaze for a moment before speaking again, this time more cautiously.

“That article, Lara… the rumors… all of it—it was planned.”

She blinked. “What?”

“It wasn’t my idea,” he said quickly, as if trying to soften the blow. “It was Duke’s. He thought it would be a good way to... test the waters. To see how you’d react.”

Lara gaped at him. “To see what?”

“I know it was stupid,” Reagan admitted, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t even want to go along with it at first. But Duke convinced me. And I guess a part of me was curious too. I… wanted to know if you still cared.”

Lara stared at him, stunned. “You mean to tell me you let all this—those photos, that article, people gossiping online—you let that happen on purpose just to see how I’d react?”

“I didn’t expect it to blow up like that,” Reagan said quietly. “Duke’s sorting it all out now. He’s the one who paid someone to take the photos and write the article.”

Lara leaned back, struggling to keep up. Her thoughts were swirling with every word he said.

She opened her mouth, then closed it again. After a long pause, she asked, “Who else knew?”

Reagan looked guilty.

“Please don’t tell me—”

“Ali knew,” he admitted.

Her breath hitched. “Ali… was on it too?”

“She didn’t like it either, but she agreed to play along. I’m sorry.”

Lara could only stare at him in disbelief. Silence stretched between them as the truth settled in.

She felt blindsided. So all of this—her panic, the pain, the endless spiral of thoughts yesterday—was based on a complete farce?

She looked down at the bowl of porridge she no longer had the appetite for.

Even Ali was on it too. That traitor. She had acted so worried yesterday—checking in on her, comforting her, pretending she was just as shocked. All the while, she knew. They had all planned this behind her back.

And Duke. The audacity of that man to lecture her yesterday, speaking as if he was on her side… when he was actually the one pulling the strings the whole time.

Lara let out a sharp, disbelieving scoff, folding her arms as she sat rigidly in her seat.

“I can’t believe this,” she muttered under her breath.

“Lara… I’m really sorry,” Reagan muttered, guilt written all over his face.

“Oh, now you’re sorry?” she shot back, eyes narrowing. “Why did you even agree to something so childish in the first place? This isn’t like you, Reagan. I could understand Duke and Ali pulling a stunt like this, but you?”

She wasn’t shouting. But her voice carried enough weight to make him flinch.

“Did you even stop to think how that would make me feel?”

Reagan dropped his gaze, his features tightening with remorse. “I did. I just... I’m really sorry, Lara. I never meant to play with your feelings.”

Lara let out a shaky breath and looked away. She wasn’t mad. Not exactly. But the ache in her chest had been sitting there since she’d seen those headlines and photos.

“You have no idea what I felt when I saw those pictures,” she whispered, voice trembling slightly. “When I read those articles, I thought—God, I thought you had moved on. That you’d fallen out of love with me. That the promise you made me a year ago didn’t mean anything anymore.”

She blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the tears building behind her lashes.

“I couldn’t reach you. I couldn’t ask you what was happening. I just kept spiraling, thinking I made a mistake... thinking maybe I’d made you wait too long and you got tired.”

Her voice cracked, just barely. “I blamed myself. I started questioning everything—my choices, my worth, the distance. I told myself I had no right to feel jealous or hurt or betrayed, because you weren’t mine. We weren’t even official. But I was hurting, Reagan. Because you made a promise. You gave me your word.”

A lone tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly turned her head, wiping it away with the back of her hand. But Reagan had already noticed.

He pushed his chair back and knelt in front of her in one swift motion. His hands gently cupped her face, his thumb grazing her cheek as his green eyes searched hers with raw sincerity.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice cracking. “God, Lara. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. That was thoughtless and reckless and completely on me. I have no excuse.”

“You should be sorry,” she muttered, not moving away from his touch. “That was such a jerk move, Reagan.”

“I know,” he breathed. “I know, and I hate that I made you feel that way. I hate that I broke your trust even for a second. I should’ve known better. I would never—never—intentionally break your heart, Lara.”

She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. “I know you didn’t mean to. But still… you really shouldn’t have gone along with it. God, I cannot believe Duke convinced you. And he even roped Ali into it? Seriously?” Her jaw tightened. “He is so dead when I get back. So dead. Now it makes sense why he was acting so smug about the whole thing yesterday. He even laughed at me! Then had the nerve to lecture me like I had no right to be upset!”

Reagan gave a sheepish half-smile, still kneeling. “What did he say?”

“He told me we weren’t even official, so technically I had no right to worry. Then he said maybe I should’ve tied you down before I decided to go soul-searching around the world,” she muttered bitterly.

Reagan chuckled under his breath and shook his head. “He’s not entirely wrong, you know.”

Lara glared. “Don’t push it.”

“Okay, okay,” he raised his hands in surrender. “Still, don’t be too hard on him. I know it was a dumb move, but his intentions weren’t bad. Neither were Ali’s. They just wanted to give you a little push. They were worried. They thought if you saw something like that… maybe it’d help you make up your mind.”

“I get that,” she said. “I do. But it still doesn’t justify what they did. I’m still upset.”

“I know.” Reagan nodded, lowering his head for a second before meeting her gaze again. “But if there’s a way I can make it up to you, I’ll do it. Anything, Lara.”