Page 55 of Any Kind of Life
Paige sat back on her knees, exhausted from cleaning. She didn’t know why she was bothering; the blood stain wasn’t coming out. It seemed easier to call the company where they’d chosen the flooring and have them send out a fresh batch that would cover the area, but Paige didn’t have the energy to call them about it. The more she thought about the reason she was on her hands and knees, the sooner she wanted to be out of here and at Juliet’s side.
She had tried to head there an hour ago, only choosing not to when Henry told her she needed some space from the hospital. From the moment Juliet was admitted, Paige had spent very little time anywhere else. At least if she was here cleaning, she could consider herself useful. And then, when the day came for Juliet to walk back in here, it would be spotless…with very little to remind them of this time in their lives.
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that!
Paige knew she was lying to herself. The chances of Juliet ever wanting to be inside this bar again were slim to none. And who could blame Juliet for feeling that way? She had almost died in here. The trauma of that would surely see this place closing down. A shame, really, given what they’d put into The Hideout, but Paige didn’t care what happened to it so long as Juliet recovered. The rest didn’t matter.
“You doing okay down there?” Henry appeared behind Paige, wiping his hands on a rag. “I can finish off here. You should go home for a few hours before you go back to the hospital.”
“I can’t. I need to sort this stain out. It’s just not budging.”
Henry approached Paige and lay a hand on her shoulder. “Paige, you’ve been down there for hours. Your back won’t thank you for it. At least have a break and a cup of coffee.”
Coffee, she could do. She would need the caffeine for another night of bed watch anyway. “Good idea.” She groaned as she got to her feet, throwing the sponge into the bucket that sat beside the blood stain. “Coffee for you too?”
“I’d love one. I’d also offer to make it, but I have no idea how to even turn that machine on, so it’s best if I don’t bother trying.”
Paige smiled in Henry’s direction. Who knew they’d all become so close in the last year? Not Paige. And certainly not with Henry. But he was around more often than not lately, so it made sense to make him feel a part of the place. “Have a seat in our lovely new ruined bar.”
Henry lifted himself onto a stool, scratching at his stubble. “You know, things will get better. It’s going to take a long time, but you and Juliet will recover from this. And the moment she opens her eyes, I’m never leaving her side again.”
Paige appreciated that, but Henry couldn’t spend his life sitting outside their apartment. Cara had to be caught soon. “Any news on anything?”
“I’ve had confirmation. Cara is definitely Big Ron’s niece. I know one or two people inside who can get to him. They know what I expect of them at this point.”
Paige shook her head. “H, you’re going to get yourself into trouble. Where will we be then?”
“It’s all good. Don’t you worry about it.”
Paige didn’t like this. She didn’t want them to become part of some huge crime. She just wanted Juliet to be safe and loved. The way it had been since they’d met. “I never should have gone on that fucking tour!” Paige braced her hands against the counter, her head dipped between her shoulders as she exhaled a deep breath. She was beginning to move past the anger stage…and now came the guilt. “If I hadn’t, none of this would have happened. Cara wouldn’t have had the fucking balls to do it if she knew I was around. No way.”
“Or…maybe she would have, and I’d be dealing with you both in hospital.” Henry raised an eyebrow as Paige turned to face him. “It’s becoming quite clear that Cara purposely applied for a job here so she could get to Juliet. And knowing it was on Ron’s say-so, she would have stopped at nothing. The moment he gave her the okay, she would have done it no matter who was around.”
Paige’s eyes filled with tears, her bottom lip trembling. “But at least she wouldn’t have been lying there alone. Knowing she was dying…she wouldn’t have been alone. She must have been so scared, H. I can’t even bring myself to think about it. But it’ll always be there, won’t it? That moment I walked in here is going to keep me awake for a long time, I know it is.”
“Maybe it will.” Henry nodded slowly. “But eventually, you’ll stop seeing it. It’ll stop playing on your mind.”
“I hope so. I need to be on my game to take care of Juliet.”
Henry winked. “You’ll be just fine, Paige. You’ve already been through a lot and powered on like an absolute champion. This is a blip, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you’re both okay.”
Paige reached a hand over the bar and squeezed Henry’s. “You’re a good man. Don’t let anyone tell you any different.”
“I do my best to look after the people I care about. That’s my focus.”
“And we appreciate it. Everything you do for us.” Paige prepared two coffees and set them down on the other side of the bar. She rounded it, sitting facing Henry on a stool. “One day, when this is all over, we’re all going to be in here drinking something far stronger.”
Henry laughed. “I think I’ll book the night off when that happens. I’d like to be here for the celebrations.”
“Guest of honour, H. Guest of honour.”
Chapter 20
Paige’s phone started to ring in the bedroom for the second time in under a minute. She rushed through the apartment to get it, almost slipping and breaking her neck when she skidded on the polished hardwood bedroom floor in her socks.
She didn’t have time to check the screen. “Hello?”
“Have you seen the news?”