The Payback Plan

Chapter 17

17

Paige messaged the WhatsApp group on the plane. Not that she said anything about being on a plane of course because Bella didn’t know she was on her way to New York. She’d filled them in on the tabloid pictures and they’d all been suitably outraged at the scurrilous reporting and bandied about suggestions for possible solutions, but Paige insisted that doing nothing and flying under the radar was still her best option.

She’d also told them she and Oliver had fought although she hadn’t gone into the nitty-gritty except for the deleting his book bit. Then, deciding if she was in for a penny, she might as well be in for a pound, she also fessed up to falling in love with him. She didn’t want any more secrets – not with these women, anyway.

They’d all been very sympathetic which had been wonderful and which she’d needed but wasn’t entirely sure she’d deserved given how badly she’d botched the payback plan by falling for the guy she was supposed to be taking down. It had helped that Bella had pointed out that she’d not exactly stuck to the script with her plans either but there wasn’t any real equivalence here – only Paige had truly let the side down.

Astrid, normally the most outrageous of the lot of them, had been strangely quiet during that part of the messaging but Paige figured she was preoccupied with her disguise plans for the party tonight so Chase wouldn’t know she was there.

As good as unburdening in the group had been, it had been even better to get to Astrid’s uncle’s ritzy apartment on Central Park West two hours before they were due at the party. Finally, for the first time – for Paige, anyway – since that fateful meeting in O’Hare in December, she had been able to sink into a group hug that meant more than Sienna and Astrid could ever know.

Yes, she’d screwed up. Yes, Oliver hated her. But these women had her back.

Which was exactly how she felt a little over two hours later striding fashionably late and pre-charged into the Nayak Gallery to have Bella’s back. Even if she was slightly trepidatious about seeing her face to face. Talking via message and over the phone wasn’t the same as having to look Bella – whose bastard ex she’d fallen in love with – in the eye.

But here went nothing…

The space buzzed with the mingle of dozens of voices, the art looking as spectacular on the walls as the glamorous crowd milling around to view it. They sipped on champagne as they pointed and conversed like they knew what they were looking at and it pleased them very much. Every single one of them was dressed with the kind of flair Paige had always thought of as very New York.

Which meant Astrid in her ginormous black hat and dark sunglasses, didn’t look that out of place at all. Paige had queried whether the hat would have the opposite effect but she had to admit the floppy brim did hide Astrid’s face most effectively even if it had nearly taken Paige’s eye out several times in the cab on their trip to the gallery.

Sienna and her, both in sparkly cocktail numbers, certainly looked less New York in comparison although suddenly none of that mattered as a shocked Bella walking towards them, champagne glass in hand exclaimed, ‘ Oh my God , what are you guys doing here?’

Paige felt a thunk to her chest seeing Bella again and a sudden shyness rendered it difficult to meet her friend’s eye. Thankfully that was subsumed by Sienna’s excitement as she announced, ‘We came to surprise you!’

But it didn’t last long as tears welled in Bella’s eyes and an overpowering flood of concern swept away any awkwardness Paige was feeling.

‘Bella?’ Sienna’s eyebrows rose. ‘Are you okay?’

Bella nodded but it was far too vigorous to be believed. Astrid certainly didn’t as she stepped in to gather Bella into a tight hug. Paige, who had rescued Bella’s full champagne glass while swerving to avoid potential blinding-by-hat-brim, glanced at Sienna.

‘I’m good, I’m good,’ Bella promised as she shrugged out of the hug, no trace of moisture in her eyes now.

‘Okay,’ Paige murmured but wasn’t so sure. Was it just the stress of the opening event or had something happened? With Chase? Or was Bella perhaps not as okay with the whole Oliver thing as she’d made out? Offering the champagne glass back, she said, ‘You look like you could do with this.’

Hell, she could do with one herself.

‘Oh Paige.’ Bella ignored the drink and grabbed Paige into a hug. Sienna rescued the glass this time. ‘It’s so good to see you,’ she whispered fiercely. ‘And I’m so happy for you and Olly.’ She released Paige and earnestly sought her gaze. ‘We would have made a terrible mistake if we’d got married that day.’

Astrid, clearly aware of the private nature of the conversation between Paige and Bella, herded them all over to a quiet corner of the gallery.

‘I think…’ Bella continued, ‘I was looking for the full stop on what I thought I should be doing. I think we both were, really. But he was always more a friend to me than anything else.’

‘Are you sure?’ Paige hadn’t realised how much she’d needed this. To hear it as she looked Bella in the eye and see the truth.

‘Absolutely. I promise. On red velvet cakes.’ Bella grinned as she drew an X over her heart. ‘And I think you all know how seriously I take red velvet cake.’

Everyone smiled. Bella certainly did have a thing for red velvet.

‘Now tell me,’ Bella said briskly, belying the huskiness in her voice. ‘How are you all here?’

‘I thought it would be nice to be here for you tonight,’ Sienna explained.

‘And we agreed,’ Paige added. ‘But it was going to be tricky because we needed invites and we couldn’t just ask because you were the one in charge of that.’

‘And I said, who needs invites, when we can simply crash the event.’ Astrid grinned. ‘But of course, I couldn’t just rock up so – ta da! You like my disguise?’

Bella eyed the disguise . ‘The hat?’ She looked at it doubtfully. Then, ‘The hat?’ she repeated looking at each of them as if questioning their decision-making skills.

‘And the glasses.’ Astrid turned her face from to side, endangering lives once more. ‘Although I may have perhaps overestimated their suitability as a disguise.’

She laughed then and suddenly they were all laughing and for the first time since they’d walked into the gallery as a surprise . Paige thought it was going to be okay.

‘But you can’t stay,’ Bella said, clearly miserable over the edict. ‘If Chase finds you here, he’ll?—’

‘He’ll what ?’

The very male enquiry caused a swift, collective indrawn breath from each of the women as all eyes flew to a rather surly, rather big guy standing behind Bella, rocking his screamingly expensive suit to perfection.

Paige had seen pictures of Chase Miller online, of course, but none of them did him justice. He was as Alpha badassery as his images had portrayed and he was looking at Bella with a mix of suspicion and something else she couldn’t quite place.

‘What will Chase do?’ he asked, his gaze flicking dismissively over Paige and Sienna before peering under the brim of Astrid’s hat, his eyes narrowing then quickly widening in disbelief. ‘ Astrid ?’

His strangled exclamation ricocheted around the tight circle but no one nearby looked up from their conversations. Ooh boy . This was not going to plan. One look at Bella’s face, drained of colour, told Paige her friend knew she’d been caught out.

‘Bella?’ Chase demanded. ‘What’s going on?’

‘It’s not what it looks like,’ Paige blurted, rising to her friend’s defence. It was the least she could do for the woman who had shown her nothing but understanding. ‘Bella didn’t do anything wrong.’

Except a resigned Bella was having none of it. ‘It is what it looks like, and I did do something wrong. But this isn’t the time.’

She looked utterly wretched, gazing at Chase with both guilt and resignation and Paige’s heart went out to her – she knew exactly what Bella was going through right now.

‘The girls will go,’ she continued. ‘I’ll make myself scarce and wait in the office until everyone’s gone.’

The three of them protested but Bella just smiled and said, ‘It’s okay. I’ll call you after.’ Then she turned, her head bowed and walked away.

With one last withering look at them all, Chase also departed.

‘We’re not going anywhere,’ Paige said vehemently, her gaze tracking Bella’s progress through the gallery. ‘There’s a café over the road. We’ll wait there for her.’

Nobody argued.

* * *

Over two hours later, Paige was on her third cup of coffee, her eyes fixed on the Nayak as it slowly emptied out. They’d found a window seat when they’d first entered the café and had been staked out ever since.

‘So… what’s next for you?’ Sienna asked, swishing her honey-blonde hair behind her as she leaned in a little.

Until now the three of them had been mostly chatting about Bella’s predicament with Chase. Astrid was fretting about how her presence at the gallery had really screwed things up for Bella which had led to an upset stomach. She’d been to the restroom three times already and was there again now.

‘I don’t know.’ Paige blew out a breath, her curls ruffling as she dragged her attention from the window to Sienna. ‘I guess I have to wait and see if the tabloids manage to identify me then manage to connect the rather lurid dots.’ She stared at the lipstick mark on her coffee mug for a beat or two. She had no idea what she’d do if that happened.

House-sit in Antarctica maybe?

‘I’ll have to go back and pack up the rest of my stuff, although as most of it was recently acquired from charity shops and I’m not likely to wear it again, I guess I could just leave it. But I do need to pick up Pavarotti.’

She could of course arrange for him to be moved through a pet transport company but she’d grown too fond of the hamster to subject him to a long road trip with complete strangers. Her father would do it, as would either of her siblings but with them already concerned for her about the tabloid pictures she’d alerted them to before she got on the plane, she didn’t want to give them any more cause to worry.

This was a mess of her making, she should be the one to tie off the loose ends.

Sienna rested her elbow on the table, propping her chin on her palm. ‘How do you feel about seeing him again?’

Paige had been trying not to think about it but she couldn’t avoid it forever. ‘I don’t know. It’ll be hard I guess.’ At least having Scotland to head to would be a good distraction.

‘Because you love him?’

‘Yeah.’ Loving him and knowing that it didn’t change anything was gutting. Wasn’t love supposed to be transformational? ‘But also because I need to apologise for the way I left things. I was in panic mode and lashing out and I acted impulsively when he was just trying to offer me an alternative way of dealing with it.’

‘Alternative how?’

Paige shook her head, desolation an ache in her throat. ‘It doesn’t matter. If by some miracle Oliver wanted anything to do with me after today, it doesn’t change our circumstances. He’s someone still very much in the public eye. And I am still very much someone with a lot to hide.’

Sienna’s mouth quirked. ‘Humour me.’

Contemplating her friend for a long moment, Paige huffed out a breath. ‘He said I was being passive and that I was punishing myself for something that wasn’t my fault. That I hadn’t done anything wrong. He said I should make a stand. That I shouldn’t let Harvey take any more of my life than he already has.’

Sienna didn’t say anything for long moments, just nodded slowly as if she was trying to compute all this new information. Or formulate the right response.

‘Maybe he’s right, Paige?’ she said eventually, her voice gentle. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong. This terrible thing was done to you through no fault of your own and yet you’re the one hiding away.’ Removing her hand from under her chin, she slid it across the table to rest on Paige’s forearm. ‘I’m going to do my bit to call Harvey out but… maybe you should make a stand.’

Paige snorted derisively. Make a stand. How could something so ill-defined sound so bloody grandiose? Yet, having this same conversation with Sienna, without all the heat and confrontation, the message hit differently.

What if she was right? What if he was right?

‘I don’t even know what make a stand means.’

‘Neither do I.’ She patted Paige’s arm and smiled softly. ‘But maybe Olly does?’

Paige didn’t know what to say to that but Sienna seemed so sure of herself she almost believed it. Not that they got to discuss it any more as Astrid’s, ‘Heads up ladies,’ interrupted the discussion. Astrid looked pale but also resolute as she strode toward them, pointing at the window. ‘The eagle has left the building.’

Tossing money on the table, they hotfooted it out of the café and across the road, dodging traffic to reach Bella as fast as they could. She seemed dazed and lost and was shivering when they finally reached her, standing in the frigid cold in nothing but her slinky, not-made-for-a-New-York-February dress and heels, her fingers clasped around a small fashionable clutch. In unison they wrapped their arms around her and held her tight.

‘Where the heck is your coat?’ Sienna demanded.

Astrid nudged Sienna. ‘I don’t think she’s worried about her coat right now.’

‘Let’s get her into a cab,’ Paige suggested, worried Bella was going to fall down if they didn’t get her a seat soon. Spotting one across the street, she walked three paces to the edge of the sidewalk and hailed it and less than a minute later they had all piled in.

‘Where to?’ the cabbie asked.

‘The apartment,’ Bella whispered.

Sienna, in the front seat supplied the address as a tear rolled down Bella’s cheek. Astrid, who looked even more guilt-ridden than she had in the café, shot a worrying look at Paige who put her arm around Bella’s shoulder, surprised when Bella, keep-calm-and-carry-on Bella , curled into her like a child curling into their mother.

Nobody spoke during the trip, not even the driver and Bella didn’t even stir until they were pulling up outside her apartment fifteen minutes later.

‘I need my phone,’ she said absently.

Sienna, who had taken charge of Bella’s clutch said, ‘Here you are,’ as she passed it over then fixed up the driver.

Bella tapped on a preprogrammed number and after only a second or two said, ‘Daddy?’

More looks were exchanged between Paige, Sienna and Astrid. Bella didn’t talk much about her family but they knew things were strained. Or had been anyway.

‘Can I come home?’ Bella asked, her voice breaking.

Paige swallowed a lump and hugged Bella tighter as she choked out a, ‘Thank you,’ hung up and started to cry. Not a tear or two, actual gut-wrenching sobs.

It had been a long time since Paige had felt this helpless. Maybe that first sickening day she’d opened one of a hundred early morning texts from friends and acquaintances alerting her to Harvey’s horrible act of spite. She wasn’t sure exactly what had gone down between her and Chase but she was pretty sure it was more than a work thing and on that, she could most certainly relate.

‘C’mon, love,’ Astrid murmured after long silent moments broken only by Bella’s choked weeping. ‘Let’s get you inside.’

* * *

Thirty-six hours later, Paige stood on Oliver’s doorstep, almost eight weeks to the day since she’d first arrived, steeling herself for what was to come. She’d hired a car from Bristol airport and was just about as tired as she could be after hardly any sleep on the red eye and no sleep in New York. They’d stayed up all night with Bella, being distractions when required – tequila shots and movies, grilled cheese sandwiches and 4a.m. Chunky Monkey – and shoulders to cry on the other times.

Bella hadn’t said much about what had gone down and nobody had pushed. It was too soon and she was too close to it but the night had been all about Bella. Supporting Bella. Which Paige had been totally on board with. Bella had occasionally wailed about being such a downer when Paige and Oliver snogging on Porthmeor was plastered across a dozen social media sites but Paige had summarily dismissed her concerns.

She’d been pleased, almost grateful, to be immersed in someone else’s drama. In fact, when the Carmichael car had arrived for Bella in the morning to whisk her back to her family, it was a stark return to reality for Paige.

To her drama. To Oliver.

Oliver who had been on her mind constantly since Bella had left. On her trip to the airport. On the plane. On her drive from Bristol. Oliver who she loved and wanted to be able to spend the rest of her life with but carried far too much personal risk to even consider. Oliver who she had to say goodbye to and never see again so those photos and the mystery woman would be nothing but an insignificant blip in the timeline of his celebrity.

Sinking quickly from view. And scrutiny.

Sienna’s calm, reasoned, maybe you should take a stand floated into her mind as Paige lifted her hand to knock on the door and she shut her eyes to ward it off. It was much easier for her and Oliver to say than for Paige to actually do.

Just get in and get out, Paige . Grab the hamster, apologise, tell him you haven’t deleted his book then grab your stuff and go.

Rapping hard – twice – Paige waited for the door to open. She had a key she could have used but it didn’t feel right given the way they’d left things. When there was no answer though, she seriously considered using it. It was lunch time; maybe he was on the beach?

She gave two more firm knocks in quick succession but still there was no answer. Not sure how she felt about a non-answer after psyching herself up to face him for hours, she fished through her bag for her key. But, to her surprise, the door opened abruptly to reveal Oliver in sweats and a T-shirt, his hair clearly finger combed to bird’s nest intensity.

Her pulse leaped at the sight of him – dishevelled or not – but she had no chance to fully assess her reaction as he stuck his head out looking rapidly left and right before pulling her into the house. ‘Jesus, Paige. You were lucky no paps were lurking.’

Paige blinked. Stupidly, she hadn’t even considered the possibility but it had obviously been a harrowing couple of days. She supposed that was na?ve of her but also – not her life . Still, his irritated frown was wonderfully familiar and her stupid heart softened.

‘They must have all buggered off to get some lunch.’

The door shut and they were standing in the hallway. Close – so close. And he was looking at her and she was looking at him and it didn’t seem possible that a mere two days’ absence could make her want him more. Love him more. But her pulse was tapdancing and the deep yearning ache she’d been suppressing intensified so she supposed it was possible.

As if realising they were standing a little too close he huffed out, ‘Come in.’

Paige followed him into the living room, the ocean view looming ahead through the double glass doors. It was overcast again, the waves thrashing, a perfect backdrop to the final scene of this tangled web of a relationship.

‘I’ve just come to pick up my stuff and Pavarotti,’ she told his back as the cage in its usual position on the kitchen bench came into view.

‘Sure,’ he said, as he stepped aside to allow her to overtake him.

Paige crossed straight to the cage, smiling when the hamster who was now officially ripped , leaped off his wheel mid spin like a freaking gazelle and rushed to the bars for some loving. ‘Hey there, little guy,’ she crooned, sticking her finger in to caress his quiff, her smile growing as Pavarotti practically shuddered in delight.

‘How was the opening?’

Her shoulders tensing, Paige gave a stiff nod. Small talk – fun. Not . ‘It was great,’ she enthused without any real excitement. ‘Bella did an amazing job.’ Which she had but the fact she was also a complete mess because of this bloody bargain they’d all made, tempered Paige’s response.

‘I read the reviews online. It seemed well received.’

He’d read the reviews? ‘Uh huh,’ she remarked noncommittally before turning back to face him. His hands were on his hips, his eyes intense as they met hers. Too intense. She couldn’t deal with that level of intensity. ‘I’ll just go and grab my stuff.’

‘Okay.’

Paige practically ran up the stairs and packed her relatively meagre possessions in record time, tossing clothes haphazardly into the ridiculous mishmash of suitcases, not thinking – just doing. Just needing to be away.

‘That was quick,’ he said as she tramped down to the living room, balancing the cases in a precarious hold. His ass was sat against the table edge, his arms folded.

She placed the bags on the floor. ‘Not a lot to pack.’ The story of her life – don’t stay anywhere too long. Don’t put down roots.

‘I bought some pellets for Pavarotti yesterday.’ He indicted the bag of food sitting next to the cage.

‘Thank you.’

‘I think Bunky will be very surprised at the new Flower.’

Flower . God, it hadn’t been that long but the name seemed totally foreign now. Completely wrong somehow. ‘He may well think I switched him.’

‘I took heaps of photos and videos of his transformation process that I can send you if he gives you any grief.’

Paige almost laughed at the revelation. Of course he had. Several long beats passed as they stared at each other before she blurted, ‘I’m sorry. About your book. I was angry but more at myself than anything else and the situation. I have got a couple of back-ups, it’s not gone. I’ll send the file to you tomorrow.’

He nodded. ‘I know.’

She blinked. ‘You do?’

‘Well… not positively no. And I grabbed that stick out of the coffee and shoved it in rice quicker than you could blink after the door closed behind you.’

‘Oh. I… don’t think that works with thumb drives.’

‘It doesn’t. As of this morning it’s still fucked. But, after I’d shoved it in the rice and for about two hours following, I took it as a sign from the universe that I shouldn’t be doing this writing a book thing. That it had all just been folly and I was set to throw the towel in until I realised that there was no way you wouldn’t have some other back-up system. It just didn’t seem like the efficient woman behind the peach emoji I’d come to know.’

Paige couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she was so damn predictable. In the end, she guessed it didn’t matter. She was who she was.

‘But, thanks to her,’ he continued, ‘I’ve realised that being an author is my calling. I’ve actually got an idea for my next book. Fiction. A madcap caper set in Tinseltown.’

That was the last thing Paige had been expecting and she forgot temporarily that she was leaving and they were doomed and she was just trying to hang on until she could get out of here as a ray of sunshine burst in her chest. ‘Really? That’s amazing.’ Her smile was so big her damn face ached.

‘Really,’ he replied, grinning back.

Considering she was about as miserable as she could be, Paige felt inordinately happy right now. At least until he spoke anyway.

‘Don’t go, Paige.’ He stood, taking a step towards her. ‘I love you. I’m in love with you. And I think… you’re in love with me too.’

Paige shut her eyes to ward off the flood of feelings. He loved her . The words any person in love with another person wanted to hear reciprocated. And she believed him. She’d felt it the week they’d spent together before she’d left. In the way he’d looked at her and touched her and spoken to her.

And yes, she loved him. She loved him so much it hurt. But it didn’t matter. Because the tabloids had happened and she couldn’t risk it.

She opened her eyes. ‘I do. I do love you.’

The slow, lazy grin he gave her turned her insides to molasses. He’d clearly been very sure she was going to admit her love and it should have been irritating how cocky he was but man, triumphant Oliver oozed sex appeal.

‘Except…’ Paige steeled herself for what she had to do. How she had to push him away and make it good. Burn all the bridges. Make it worse than a thumb drive in a mug of steaming hot coffee.

This was a job for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

‘I’m not the person you think I am.’