Page 59 of Any Kind of Life

Chapter 21

It didn’t feel right to be sitting here while Juliet was in hospital, enjoying lunch with friends. Enjoying was a stretch, but Hannah and Caz had turned up with food, so Paige felt she had to at least try to get something in her body. Still, Paige knew where she would rather be. At Juliet’s side. Especially now that the news of her attack was out there.

“You haven’t eaten much,” Caz said from across the table.

“No, I know. I don’t really feel like eating.” Paige pushed her salad around the plate, sighing as she sat back in her seat. “I should really be back at the hospital by now. I hate knowing she’s alone.”

Hannah reached a hand forward, settling it over Paige’s. “It’s just some lunch, Paige. You’ll be back there before you know it.”

I never should have left earlier, Paige thought, managing a fake smile. “Yeah, I know.” She flicked a slice of onion from a lettuce leaf and sat up a little. “Rachel turned up here before. Wanting to know what was going on like she had the right to details.”

Hannah lowered her fork. “She did? None of us have heard from her in a long time now.”

“And I told her as much.” Paige scoffed as she shook her head. “She has no right to show up here bawling her eyes out as though she cares. Probably a guilty conscience from avoiding all contact with Juliet, though.” Everyone likely thought it, but Paige would be the one to say it out loud. She didn’t care. “I told her bits and pieces, but that’s all. She can read it in the news like everyone else does.”

Hannah sighed. “Don’t worry about Rachel. Just focus on yourself and Juliet.”

“Oh, I am. One hundred percent. Just…wish I knew more. I feel like the days are passing, and nothing is happening.”

“Have the doctors said anymore about Juliet’s progress?” Caz’s voice wavered as she said that. Every time Paige looked at her, she had tears in her eyes. “Anything at all?”

It seemed they were avoiding talking about the news article. But Paige could live with that. She never wanted to think about that headline ever again.

“They’re happy with her progress. She’s stable, and she’s improving daily. No signs of infection.” Paige stared down at her plate, feeling terrible for not wanting to be here with Hannah and Caz. She had been the one to contact them, but she wasn’t the best company today. It was really good of them to be here, though. “I know I’m not much company, but thanks so much for coming over with lunch. I do appreciate it, even if my face says something else.”

Hannah smiled. “We understand. Don’t worry. And if nothing else, I have to do this so Juliet doesn’t tear me a new one when she wakes up.”

“Eh?”

“If she thinks we haven’t been looking after you.” Caz shrugged, finishing her salad. She reached for the garlic twist in the centre of the table, ripping some from it. “I can’t believe all of this.”

“No, I know.” Paige puffed out her cheeks.

“To think I was sitting here with her just a couple of weeks ago, drinking wine while she panicked about where you two were headed…I just cannot get my head around all of this.”

“Panicking about where we’re headed?” That caught Paige’s attention immediately. She sat forward, clasping her hands under her chin. “Care to explain?”

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about. I’m fairly certain she’s said it all to you anyway.”

Paige looked between Caz and Hannah, frowning. “No. I’d like to know what she said to you.”

Caz cleared her throat and sipped from her glass of sparkling water. “She just wants the best for you, Paige. Juliet isn’t convinced that you stopping touring with Soraya is the best thing for you. She’s worried you’re only ending it because of her.”

Ah. Juliet had spoken her fears to Caz. “Yeah, I know. But I think we’ve moved past that now. She knows why I don’t want to tour, and she knows I want to be here in Liverpool, making the bar as successful as we possibly can.”

Caz grinned. “Juliet and I are…similar in some ways.” Caz took Hannah’s hand where it rested on the table. “We both feel incredibly lucky to have the women we do in our lives. While you and Hannah likely don’t see it as an issue, or probably even think about it most of the time, the age difference does play tricks on our minds.”

Paige lifted a brow. “It does?”

“Of course. Neither of us is stupid enough to forget that the potential of you or Hannah finding someone much younger than us is on the table at all times.”

Hannah turned to Caz this time. “Caz?—”

“No. Hear me out. Both of you.”

Both Hannah and Paige sat up in their seats, eyeing Caz intently.

“We’re not saying we think it would happen, we know how much you love us, but being in relationships that have such big age gaps does mean we’re a little more wary than we probably should be. Neither me nor Juliet expect you and Hannah to leave us, but if the shoe was on the other foot, I’m sure you two would understand from our perspective.” Caz smiled. “We’ve lived a lot of our life already. We’ve had successful careers, and we’re kind of aiming to settle down, perhaps even slow down, rather than make all kinds of future plans.”