Page 49 of Beyond Question

Her mouth drops open again but she quickly closes it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right.”

Paige sighs, then gives her head a little shake. “I tend to work during my lunch break.”

“Yes, I remember.” After a brief pause, I add, “I rememberlotsof things.”

Like almost kissing those lips that so desperately want to smile for me.

Or holding that hand she keeps bringing to her mouth like she’s going to chew on her thumbnail, then thinks better of it.

Or the way she fits in the crook of my arm, lining up so perfectly against my body.

Her scent, that subtle rose petals on a tropical beach smell that I want to bottle up and keep on my nightstand. Which is a silly notion because I could just buy whatever perfume she wears and have that by the bed—

Yeah, fuck, I hear the way that sounds.

Before I move any deeper into Joe Goldberg territory again, I decide to just rip off the Band-Aid. “I think we should talk.”

“Travis.” How she manages to make my name sound like a sigh is a mystery.

“I like you, Paige. It’s new and honestly feels a bit scary, but there it is.” I shrug, but before she can retort, I go on. “You’re not just a shiny toy to me.”

She winces but we both know I heard her earlier monologue for Rylan.

“It’s not some fleeting thing.”

“I don’t do casual.” She shakes her head. “It’s that simple. I can’t give you what you’re looking for.”

Ignoring the way her assumption of what she thinks I’m looking for makes the back of my neck itch, I shake my head. “Stop assuming you know what I want, Paige. It’s unfair. To both of us, really. You’re talking yourself out of something without even giving us a fair chance. And I know you don’t date casually.”I swallow hard, because here goes nothing. “Or at all. Because I met with Bronte.”

I brace myself for the shock, but she only nods. “I know.”

“You already know?” Frowning, I slump back into the chair. “She was supposed to talk to you.” My eyes narrow.Did Bronte lie?She said she’d go to bat for me, but—

“She did talk to me.” After a pause, she laughs softly and adds, “So did Rylan, by the way. She’sTeam Travis, if you must know, and slightly annoying about it.”

My shoulders deflate as I exhale. As much as it pleases me that Rylan and Bronte are on my side, the unavoidable truth is right in front of my eyes. “But you still want nothing to do with me.”

Paige opens her mouth, then closes it again, a mix of emotions in her eyes that mimics the one in my chest.

“That’s not really true,” she finally whispers.

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “What?”

Paige licks her lips, then runs her hand down her face. “I’m terrible at this.”

I laugh softly. “Join the club.”

“I like you, too.”

I know this, but I refrain from saying so—or gloating. I want to, though. God, how I want to jump to my feet and shout at the top of my lungs, hop onto this chair and Tom Cruise the shit out of this office. My chest has swollen three sizes at least. But this isn’t the time for that. So I take a deep breath and nod. Play it cool. “Well, now that we got that out of the way… why are you running?”

She exhales a loud breath and her shoulders slump. Shaking her head, Paige says, “I don’t think you want to know.”

She’s not who she says she is.Cabot’s words sneak back into my mind.Twenty years of secrets. A life before New York, before she was Paige Matthews. Before she had Bronte.

The answer is so fucking clear I nearly rock backwards with the strength of it. She’s running from mebecauseof those secrets. She’s terrified of something, but even more terrified of mediscoveringthat something.

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