Page 78 of The Payback Plan
God… her kindness was too, too much which only intensified Paige’s guilt. A tiny, strangled sob slipped from her throat before she could smother it.
‘Are you hurt?’ The enquiry was suddenly more strident. ‘Did Olly hurt you?’
‘No, no.’ Paige’s eyes flew open as she dashed at the tears on her cheeks. ‘He didn’t. He’s… he couldnever.’ Not in the way Bella was implying anyway.
‘Ishehurt? Did something go wrong with the payback plan?’
It sure did – the damn thing had blown up in her face. Paige quelled the urge to laugh hysterically at how badly it had backfired but hastened to reassure Bella instead. ‘No. He’s fine,’ she confirmed and heard a sigh of relief in her ear. ‘It is… about Oliver though.’
Time to stop screwing around and just do it already.
‘I’ve, we’ve… I…’ Paige’s palms were actually sweaty now. Bloody hell, woman.Just say it already.‘About two weeks ago… God, I don’t know how to say this…’
‘How to say what?’
Bella’s voice had gone very quiet but there was a note of something in it that made Paige think that Bella knew exactly what she was trying to say.
‘Something happened. Between us. We kissed. A couple of times and then this weekend we…’ Paige faltered. She didn’t know if Bella wanted the gory details. ‘And I’m so,sosorry. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you. I had no idea it was going to happen. I don’t even knowhowit happened… well, I kind of do.’
Indiscretion, thy name is booze. Except if she was being honest the liquor had only accentuated a vibe that had already been brewing.
‘But that’s just… ohfuck.’ Paige rubbed her hand across her face. ‘I’m a terrible person and a shitty friend.’
‘No. No, you’re not,’ Bella denied but it was too quick and robotic.
‘I am,’ Paige wailed, wiping her running nose on the back of her hand. ‘You were going tomarryhim and he jilted youvia texton your wedding day and I was supposed to be getting some payback for you and?—’
‘It’s okay,’ Bella interrupted, her tone dull but insistent. ‘It’s fine.’
Fine?God, that waswayworse than if Bella had yelled because it sounded like Bella was trying hard to keep it together and she’d done too much of that in her life already. Paige suddenly wished theywereon video so she could see how Bella was really feeling.
‘Are you…’ Bella cleared her throat. ‘Do you have feelings for him?’
Oh man.That was the million-pound question, right? ‘Yes.’ Paige winced at how bald it sounded but there was no point holding back now. ‘No… I don’t know… I’m so confused.’
There was a long pause as if Bella was processing the information. Or maybe just trying to stop herself from yelling which was nothing less than Paige deserved and something she’d honestly prefer to Bella’s muted, contained reaction.
‘And what about him? Does he feel the same way about you?’
‘I honestly don’t know, Bella. Sometimes I think he might but?—’
‘If he feels the same,’ she interrupted, her tone stiff, ‘then I’m happy for you both.’
What? No, that wasn’t what this was. Regardless of however her jumbled feelings might shake out, a relationship wasn’t on the cards. ‘No… it’s not like that. I just… I needed you to know?—’
‘Paige,’ Bella interrupted again, her tone a little sharper this time. ‘It’s fine. If you both feel the same way then I am happy for you,’ she repeated.
‘Bella—’
‘I have to go,’ she interrupted a third time. ‘But I’ll talk to you soon, okay?’
The phone hung up in her ear and Paige stared at the screen for a moment before fresh tears rolled down her face and she buried her head in her knees.
Dear God, that was worse than she’d thought. Bella sounded so bloody contained and that wasn’t healthy, surely? This outcome can’t have been on her bingo card for this whole bloody karma exercise they’d embarked upon. It sure as hell hadn’t been on Paige’s.
Dragging her head off her knees, she scrubbed a hand over her face as she PM’d Astrid and Sienna.
WhatsApp. Monday 21.17GMT.
