Page 56 of Lakesides and Longing

Paige sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. I just had to mope for a few days. I’m feeling better now.”

“Lukas wants to talk to you and make sure you’re doing okay.”

Paige didn’t really want to talk to him, but she didn’t see that she had any choice. “Okay. Put him on.”

“You really need to learn to answer your phone,” Lukas snapped.

“Well, hello to you too.”

“Paige, I’ve been extremely patient with you since Emery died, but today I’m going to tell you some things that might hurt.”

“I’ve been hurt enough, Lukas. I don’t need it from you too.” After everything she went through with Blake, she didn’t need Lukas to add to it.

“You made a mistake with Blake.”

Paige’s blood ran cold. “Who I date is my business. You don’t get to lecture me on mistakes I’ve made.”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant that you should’ve given him the benefit of the doubt. He’s staying with Hayden right now, but he’s been over here every day asking for advice on how to get you back.”

“What about Debbie?” Paige spat out. She hated even saying her name.

“She’s an asshole. Nothing happened between her and Blake during their little work thing.”

“Then why did she post on Facebook?”

“Did you not hear me? Because she’s an asshole.” Then his tone softened. “Because she wants Blake back, but he doesn’t want her. He wants you.”

Paige wanted to believe him, but there was too much evidence to the contrary. She saw the Facebook post. She wanted desperately to believe him, but she didn’t want to be taken for a fool either.

“Yeah. I don’t believe that.”

“Then you’re making a massive mistake. You know when I found out Blake and you had a thing going on, I worried mostly about you getting hurt. I never imagined you’d be the one to break his heart.”

Paige had had enough. She hung up the phone and left it on her dresser.

She wasn’t going to talk to anyone else today.

CHAPTER42

Blake rubbed his already red eyes and stared up at Lukas. He’d had the call on speakerphone, but Paige didn’t know. It was good to hear her voice, but he’d hoped Lukas would’ve been able to convince her to talk to him.

He had no idea what else to do.

Tess sat next to him and rubbed his back. “Just give her some time.”

“I don’t want to give her time. Every day that I’m away from her, it physically hurts. Right here.” He thumped his fist to his chest, which didn’t help the ache residing there.

Lukas didn’t say anything, and after a few minutes, Blake got up. “I’m going back to Hayden’s.”

He trudged out of the room and down the porch stairs. He paused at the end of the yard and sent another text to Paige.

I love you so much. Please believe me. Nothing happened with Debbie. I can’t stop thinking about you. Just let me come home. I’ll spend the rest of the year making it up to you.

It was pretty much the same text and voicemail he’d left her a hundred times already. But he didn’t know what else to say. He couldn’t live without her. She was just like Lukas, assuming the worst, though now Lukas was on his side. He hated that she thought so little of him.

That stupid post by Debbie. If she’d just take it down, maybe Paige would believe him. Blake started walking down the street and scrolled through his messages.

Debbie responded to the first three but refused to remove the post. Then she just stopped responding.

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