Page 92 of The Payback Plan
‘That was quick,’ he said as she tramped down to the living room, balancing the cases in a precarious hold. His ass was sat against the table edge, his arms folded.
She placed the bags on the floor. ‘Not a lot to pack.’ The story of her life – don’t stay anywhere too long. Don’t put down roots.
‘I bought some pellets for Pavarotti yesterday.’ He indicted the bag of food sitting next to the cage.
‘Thank you.’
‘I think Bunky will be very surprised at the new Flower.’
Flower. God, it hadn’t been that long but the name seemed totally foreign now. Completelywrongsomehow. ‘He may well think I switched him.’
‘I took heaps of photos and videos of his transformation process that I can send you if he gives you any grief.’
Paige almost laughed at the revelation. Of course he had. Several long beats passed as they stared at each other before she blurted, ‘I’m sorry. About your book. I was angry but more at myself than anything else and the situation. I have got a couple of back-ups, it’s not gone. I’ll send the file to you tomorrow.’
He nodded. ‘I know.’
She blinked. ‘You do?’
‘Well… not positively no. And I grabbed that stick out of the coffee and shoved it in rice quicker than you could blink after the door closed behind you.’
‘Oh. I… don’t think that works with thumb drives.’
‘It doesn’t. As of this morning it’s still fucked. But, after I’d shoved it in the rice and for about two hours following, I took it as a sign from the universe that I shouldn’t be doing this writing a book thing. That it had all just been folly and I was set to throw the towel in until I realised that there wasno wayyou wouldn’t have some other back-up system. It just didn’t seem like the efficient woman behind the peach emoji I’d come to know.’
Paige couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing that she was so damn predictable. In the end, she guessed it didn’t matter. She was who she was.
‘But, thanks to her,’ he continued, ‘I’ve realised that being an author is my calling. I’ve actually got an idea for my next book. Fiction. A madcap caper set in Tinseltown.’
That was the last thing Paige had been expecting and she forgot temporarily that she was leaving and they were doomed and she was just trying to hang on until she could get out of here as a ray of sunshine burst in her chest. ‘Really? That’s amazing.’ Her smile was so big her damn face ached.
‘Really,’ he replied, grinning back.
Considering she was about as miserable as she could be, Paige felt inordinately happy right now. At least until he spoke anyway.
‘Don’t go, Paige.’ He stood, taking a step towards her. ‘I love you. I’minlove with you. And I think… you’re in love with me too.’
Paige shut her eyes to ward off the flood of feelings.He loved her. The words any person in love with another person wanted to hear reciprocated. And she believed him. She’dfeltit the week they’d spent together before she’d left. In the way he’d looked at her and touched her and spoken to her.
And yes, she loved him. She loved him so much it hurt. But it didn’t matter. Because the tabloids had happened and she couldn’t risk it.
She opened her eyes. ‘I do. I do love you.’
The slow, lazy grin he gave her turned her insides to molasses. He’d clearly beenverysure she was going to admit her love and it should have been irritating how cocky he was but man, triumphant Oliveroozedsex appeal.
‘Except…’ Paige steeled herself for what she had to do. How she had to push him away and make itgood.Burn all the bridges. Make it worse than a thumb drive in a mug of steaming hot coffee.
This was a job for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
‘I’m not the person you think I am.’
18
Paige watched his eyebrow quirk upwards, clearly amused in his cockiness. ‘Oh yeah?’ He stepped back, nestling his butt on the edge of the dining table again as if waiting for some half-ass attempt at convincing him they could never be.
‘Yeah.’ She made sure she caught his gaze as she said the next words. She needed him to know this wasn’t a joke or a ploy. That she was deadly serious. ‘I met Bella in December at O’Hare. We were two of four women who got the last table at a dessert café during a snow storm that had grounded all flights.’
‘Okay.’ He was still smiling,indulgingher.
