Page 26 of The Moment You Know

“You did.”

“She was being one.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “She was.”

Paige stared at him as she recalled other parts of the encounter—the shock, the anger, the betrayal. “You have a son with her. You named him Jacob David.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you do that?”

“I named him that for us, for you and me. To honor the boy we lost.”

“And Ashley let you do that? She let you give her child our child’s name? Bullshit.”

“She didn’t know anything about our child. She thought Jacob’s name was just my first and middle names, flipped. But she knows now, because you inadvertently told her about the miscarriage during your fight.”

She didn’t remember that. And while she wasn’t pleased that Ashley now knew about the miscarriage, Paige was even less pleased at having been the one to reveal it.

“I think I understand why I got drunk,” she said to herself.

He shook his head. “You didn’t get drunk, Paige.”

“I didn’t?”

“No.”

She frowned at him, feeling like there was something ugly that she was missing, something that was directly related to Ashley … and probably their fight. The bits and pieces she could recall made it clear the fight had been bitter, escalating quickly to where they had practically been yelling at one another and then Ashley had—

Paige’s thoughts broke off and her mouth opened, as if in wonder. “Oh, my God. She … pushed me.”

“Yes.” His voice was heavy with regret. “She pushed you and you fell.”

She slowly reached up and touched the back of her head, feeling a large bump. “That’s why I’m all fucked up.”

“You have a concussion.”

Paige sighed with displeasure at hearing that. Being in the hospital now made sense, but also made everything worse. She knew the basics about concussions (mainly from her love of football and a thousand episodes of Grey’s Anatomy) and she knew she didn’t want to have one.

But apparently she did and had Ashley to thank for it.

“I’m truly sorry, Paige,” David continued quietly, earnestly. “I’m sorry that you had to find out everything … like you did.”

His remorse barely touched her at all. She felt oddly numb and she didn’t know how much that had to do with the concussion. “Does ‘everything’ include your coming in Ashley’s mouth this morning? Or yesterday morning, I guess? Because that was awesome.”

She knew she was being a bitch for not graciously accepting his apology, but she didn’t care. Fuck him for being with Ashley. And fuck that bitch, Ashley, too, for purposely unleashing all that hell and smiling at Paige while doing it. There really was evil in the world and Paige had gotten in the ring with it tonight. And lost.

David inwardly groaned at the blowjob reminder. Thank God she’d remembered that nugget. “Yes. But I’m especially sorry that she caused you to get hurt so badly. It scared the hell out of me, to be honest, not to mention …” he trailed off as he remembered her date. Paige obviously didn’t remember him yet, leaving David momentarily torn as to whether or not he should say something. Deciding he probably should, he said, “Not to mention, the guy in the suit you were on a date with. I think his name is Hale?”

Paige’s expression was blank for a second, then she closed her eyes in dismay. “Oh, shit.”

“He’s probably still in the waiting room, actually,” he told her, thinking it might cheer her up.

“He came to the hospital?”

David nodded. “I’ve kept him updated on how you’re doing. He, uh, seems like a nice guy.”

“He is a nice guy,” she said softly.

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