Page 52 of How to Get Even

She ducked under a particularly low hanging tree branch, making way for a group of elderly ladies putting Bella’s pace to shame, and upped her speed.

She’d been at Nayak almost a month now and while it still felt almost scarily new, she also couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out. Shehadto take Chase down before the gallery opening. She just had to.

Because a part of her was beginning to worry that she shouldn’t be doing it. She’d seen him with other people, she’d seen him with Sascha, and while he was still autocratic and difficult, she wasn’t sure that she was seeing the cruel, womanising, cheating bastard that she’d thought he was at the beginning of her time here. It was all going the wrong way. Familiarity was supposed to bread contempt. But what she was feeling wasn’t…

Her phone beeped and she checked her smart watch. Seeing who it was, she pulled off to the side and took a beat on the bench, retrieving her phone to read the message.

Paige

Sorry I’ve been a bit quiet.

Bella

Is Olly being awful?

She doubted it even as she typed it. Olly just wasn’t horrible, even if hehadleft her at the altar.

Paige

No, no. Really… it’s fine.

Bella

I can call if you want?

There was a pause.

Paige

Would love that BUT Oliver’s started yelling about Pavarotti escaping again and threatening to take him to the pound and Bunky will never forgive me. I should go help.

Bella didn’t think that there was a pound for hamsters, but she got the idea.

Bella

If you’re sure you’re okay?

Paige

Absolutely!

Are you okay though?

Was she? Yes, she was okay. But things with Chase were getting complicated and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She just… didn’t want to tell that to Paige who had literally flown to another country and moved into the house of a man she was getting revenge againstfor Bella. Paige who had moved a menagerie of animals into Olly’s pristine Cornish show home, one of which was a hamster of extreme girth and the other was a chaotic stray dog called Casper whose favourite thing in the whole world was a soggy tennis ball. She had donesomuch and Bella felt bad. And not the good kind of bad. She felt as if she wasn’t quite meeting the standards she needed to. As if she wasn’t playing her part.

Bella

I’m good. I’ve finally set up that interview for the day after tomorrow.

And that will be the beginning of Chase’s downfall.

Paige

Go Bella!! Astrid will be THRILLED.

Oh God, sorry, gotta run. Oliver is threatening to make

Pavarotti sleep in the garage. Talk soon xxx

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