Page 29 of And Everything In Between

Then rang, hard, loud, urgent. Reality crashed back in like a wave she couldn’t outrun. Her body stiffened instantly, muscles tensed and face hardened. The peaceful bubble around them shattered, the outside world demanded entry.

Giovanni’s hand stilled, resting on her shin. He didn’t pull away, didn’t make a sound, simply watched as the transformation happened. Paige the woman… becoming Paige the caretaker, the problem-solver, the one everyone could count on.

She snatched the phone off the counter and answered, her voice already shifting back to that capable, controlled tone.

“Hello?”

A pause. Her face hardened slightly, the softness Giovanni had coaxed out of her receding with each passingsecond. Then her face changed slightly. It was enough for Giovanni to read the worry, fear, and resignation settling in.

Her hand gripped the phone tighter, knuckles going white. “I’m on my way.”

She ended the call, not saying anything for a beat. The silence felt different now, heavier, amped with something that hadn’t been there moments before. He stood slowly, already moving, like he knew before she said it. Like he could already read it in her stance, in the way her shoulders squared, and her jaw tightened.

“That was the center,” Paige finally said, her voice clipped and professional, eyes duller now. “They rushed my daddy to the hospital. Blood pressure dropped. He passed out during breakfast.”

He grabbed his keys.

“Let’s go.”

Not I’ll take you.

Not You should go.

Let’s. Go.

Her problem became his without her having to say a word. Another gift she hadn’t known to expect.

She almost argued. But she didn’t have a ride, and her mind wouldn’t rest until she saw her father’s face. She nodded, silently thanking him.

Giovanni provided her with a pair of his sweats and a hoodie. She looked a mess, but that was the least of her concern. He grabbed her hand, and they headed for the door.

Chapter 9

Everything in the room buzzed or beeped. Cold air, hard light, and too many wires. Paige hated all of it. But she stayed, attention stuck on the slow rise and fall of her father’s chest. This was reminder of how quickly paradise could turn into purgatory for her. This was a lesson in not getting comfortable.

Perry looked smaller somehow, diminished by the white sheets and faded gown. The doctor explained the situation when she arrived. Perry had experienced a sudden drop in blood pressure due to his dialysis, nothing they hadn’t seen before, but concerning given Perry’s overall health. They wanted to keep him overnight for observation.

“You should go home,” Giovanni said quietly from the doorway. “Change clothes. Get some things. I’ll stay with him.”

Paige turned, surprised by the offer. Giovanni leaned against the doorframe, his presence warming the room briefly.

“You don’t have to do that,” she said automatically, the words coming before she could think.

“I know I don’t have to,” he replied. “That’s not why I’m offering.”

Paige looked between Giovanni and her father, torn. Leaving Perry, even briefly, made her stomach clench with anxiety. But here she stood in Giovanni's borrowed clothes, hair disheveled, emotions raw from the scare. It would only be one hour. She'd be back before her father even missed her. It would be fine. And she really needed the fresh air and a moment to cry.

“He doesn’t know you,” she said, voice softer now, uncertain. “Are you sure about this?”

Giovanni nodded, “If he wakes up, I’ll call you right away. I’ll tell him you stepped out for coffee.”

“Why would you do this?” Her voice was quiet but clear. “You barely know us.”

“Because.” He stepped further into the room.

She blinked. “Because?”

“Yeah, so tell me what you need, Paige. Not what you think you should need. And then let me see to it that you have it. I don’t want anything from you.”

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