Chapter 41
CHAPTER 41
P aige woke with a start.
She’d had a nightmare again, but this one was different. She’d been standing in a room watching Blake and Debbie make out.
Why couldn’t she be normal?
Instead, she had a dead husband who cheated on her, and it was her fault he was dead, and a boyfriend who’s hung up on another woman.
She picked up her phone and glanced at the time. It was three-thirty in the morning. She’d missed a half-dozen texts from Blake and four calls, all with voicemails. She didn’t want to see what they said.
Instead, she flicked on the TV and scrolled through Netflix. She went straight for the depressing dramas. She didn’t want to laugh or fall in love, and adventure would be too intense right now.
* * *
Paige basically stayed in bed for three days. Her doorbell rang a few times, and she didn’t answer her phone. She did send a text to Ida to let her know that she was fine, just not feeling well and that, no, she didn’t want her to come over and bring her famous chicken noodle soup.
On day four, she glanced at the empty ice cream cartons and chip bags. Crumbs were all over her bed. And she smelled.
She crawled out of bed and turned the shower on to steaming hot. Then she stepped in and let the water run over her.
The tears came without warning, and within minutes she was curled in a ball bawling her eyes out. She missed Blake with every fiber of her being and his betrayal broke her. She sobbed until she couldn’t cry anymore, letting the hot water wash the tears away. Then she stood and washed her hair.
When she stepped out of the shower, she felt like a new person. She still hurt from Blake’s betrayal, but she felt better.
After she finished getting ready, she surveyed the mess in her bed. Her phone was buzzing somewhere in the middle, and she dug around until she found it.
Tess.
Without bothering to think too much, she answered it.
“You know. If you hadn’t answered, Lukas was going to come out and force you to come home with him.”
Paige sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I just had to mope for a few days. I’m feeling better now.”
“Lukas wants to talk to you and make sure you’re doing okay.”
Paige didn’t really want to talk to him, but she didn’t see that she had any choice. “Okay. Put him on.”
“You really need to learn to answer your phone,” Lukas snapped.
“Well, hello to you too.”
“Paige, I’ve been extremely patient with you since Emery died, but today I’m going to tell you some things that might hurt.”
“I’ve been hurt enough, Lukas. I don’t need it from you too.” After everything she went through with Blake, she didn’t need Lukas to add to it.
“You made a mistake with Blake.”
Paige’s blood ran cold. “Who I date is my business. You don’t get to lecture me on mistakes I’ve made.”
“That’s not what I meant. I meant that you should’ve given him the benefit of the doubt. He’s staying with Hayden right now, but he’s been over here every day asking for advice on how to get you back.”
“What about Debbie?” Paige spat out. She hated even saying her name.
“She’s an asshole. Nothing happened between her and Blake during their little work thing.”
“Then why did she post on Facebook?”
“Did you not hear me? Because she’s an asshole.” Then his tone softened. “Because she wants Blake back, but he doesn’t want her. He wants you.”
Paige wanted to believe him, but there was too much evidence to the contrary. She saw the Facebook post. She wanted desperately to believe him, but she didn’t want to be taken for a fool either.
“Yeah. I don’t believe that.”
“Then you’re making a massive mistake. You know when I found out Blake and you had a thing going on, I worried mostly about you getting hurt. I never imagined you’d be the one to break his heart.”
Paige had had enough. She hung up the phone and left it on her dresser.
She wasn’t going to talk to anyone else today.