Page 71 of The Hideout

A hand on her shin had Paige’s breath caught in her throat, her instant reaction to try to crawl backwards. But the wall was there, and she couldn’t crawl up the wall. Her head shot up, eyes wide, knowing she had nowhere to go, but it wasn’t James staring back at her.

It was a retreating Juliet.

Paige placed a hand to her chest, her deep breathing only causing further pain to her ribs. God, he’d really put some effort into the blows he’d inflicted.

“I’m sorry,” Juliet said as she moved away as far as she possibly could. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come in, but you didn’t respond when I knocked, and I…” Juliet sat back on her knees in the middle of the room, her bottom lip trembling. “I had to let myself in. I had to see you were okay.”

Paige just stared. Dumbfounded that Juliet was in her hotel room with her. And then the realisation that Juliet could see the state Paige was in dawned on her. She turned her face and her body away, focusing her gaze on the wall. “I’m fine. S-so you can go.”

A strangled sob from Juliet had tears falling down Paige’s face, but she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t bring herself to look Juliet in the eye.

“Paige,” Juliet whimpered, the fear in the room palpable. “Can I… May I…” She paused and sniffled. “Can I come closer?”

“What for?” Paige pressed her temple to the wall, her eyes closed.

“To check you over. To…hold your hand. Just…to be there for you.”

Paige chewed her bottom lip, trying to calm her emotions. But Juliet being here and wanting to see that Paige was okay was just bringing out more emotion. More tears. More pain. “I…I’m okay. Really.”

“Baby, you’re not.” Juliet’s voice broke. Paige could feel her inching closer, but she didn’t want her up close and personal. Because then she would see the black eyes, the bruised jaw, the split lip. “Paige, please?”

“I tried to leave,” Paige spoke barely above a whisper. “I had my bag, and I thought Harriet was still there. But she wasn’t; he’d asked her to leave. And then…I don’t know. He smashed my face against the door and knocked me out.” Paige swallowed, finally turning to Juliet. Only Juliet wasn’t in the middle of the room anymore. She was on her knees in front of Paige. “I…thought he was going to kill me.”

Juliet reached out a hand, softly placing it over Paige’s. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“I knew it was coming. Once I realised the door was locked, I knew it was coming. I had my back to him, and all I was trying to remember was your face. I needed the last thing I ever saw to be your face. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t see you, I couldn’t feel you, I couldn’t smell you. I’d just left you that morning, and I couldn’t remember what you looked like.”

Juliet didn’t say anything. She shifted until she was beside Paige, her own knees brought up to her chest. “Paige, I…need to hold you.”

Paige turned her face to Juliet, noting the shock in her eyes immediately. Paige knew how she looked. She wasn’t surprised by Juliet’s reaction at all. “I’m in pain.”

Juliet whimpered at those words, the back of her head pressed against the wall, her eyes closed. “This is all my fault. I should have been here. And now…”

Yeah. Now what? Paige thought.

“Now I don’t know how to make this right. How to fix you.”

Paige slowly reached her hand over and touched it to Juliet’s knee. “I’m going to be okay.” Maybe she would, and maybe she wouldn’t. But Paige had to at least put that out there so one or both of them could feel better about the situation.

“Will you come back home with me?” Juliet settled her hand over Paige’s. “Right now, with me, back to my place.”

“I…yes.” Paige studied Juliet’s profile, a tear as it slowly glided down her cheek. She had no idea what was to come in the weeks ahead, but she knew she didn’t want to stay in this hotel room alone. “If that would be okay?”

Juliet turned, her eyes swollen and red. “I don’t want you anywhere other than with me.”

While Paige adored hearing those words from Juliet, they couldn’t mean anything. She loved this woman, she had no issues with saying that out loud, but Paige couldn’t stay in Liverpool long-term. Once James had regrouped, he’d be out there looking for her again. Paige couldn’t risk one final showdown with him. She simply wouldn’t survive.

“Would you like me to help you up off the floor?” Paige noted that hesitation in Juliet’s eyes, but she got to her feet and held out a hand. “I know you don’t want me too close, but I just need to help you up.”

Paige smiled as Juliet carefully helped her up from the floor. She slowly put an arm around Paige’s waist, the uncertainty in Juliet’s touch causing an ache deep in Paige’s heart. “Thank you.”

“Maybe you should rest while I get your things together. A nap could be good for you. We can leave after you’ve taken your next lot of medication. I’ll go downstairs and get you a bite to eat.”

Juliet turned to leave, but Paige reached out and took her hand. “Don’t go. Please.”

“O-okay.”

“Will you lie with me? I haven’t been sleeping very well.”

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