Page 62 of Any Kind of Life
“You don’t understand, Paige. Whether they find her or not is irrelevant. Once Ronnie knows I’m alive, he will send someone else after me. That’s how these people work.”
“I don’t care what he has up his sleeve; I’m not going anywhere.” And that was final. Juliet could ask repeatedly, but Paige would still be here. It was as simple as that. “I think maybe you need to rest. You’ve been on machines for days, and so you should rest and just let your body heal.”
Juliet scoffed as she turned her head away from Paige. “And you should stop deflecting from the inevitable, Paige.”
“What exactly is the inevitable?” Paige rose to her feet and rounded the foot of Juliet’s bed. If she had something to say, she would look Paige in the eye as she said it. “Please don’t push me away, Juliet. I’ve been here waiting for this moment every day since you were attacked. If I wanted to run, I would have done it already.”
“Now is your opportunity to do that world tour.”
If she heard anything about this world tour once more, Paige was going to lose her mind. The world tour wasn’t an option. She didn’t want to do it. Paige frowned as she stared down at Juliet. “What is the inevitable?”
“Us. Going our separate ways.” Juliet couldn’t even look at Paige as she said that, but it felt as though she meant it. “I can’t keep you safe. From the moment we met, I promised you I’d keep you safe, and now I can’t. No matter how hard I try, it’ll never be enough. Someone will always be there, waiting for the right moment. I’m not putting you in a situation that could get you killed, no way.”
Paige wasn’t having this conversation. It was a waste of time. “I’m going to let your doctor know that you’re awake, and then I’m going to give you some time to rest. I’ll let Henry know, too.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Juliet’s forehead, refusing to show her emotions. “Get some sleep. I’ll be around if you need me.” Paige stepped away and moved towards the door. She turned back briefly, smiling when Juliet watched her from across the room. “I love you.”
Juliet visibly swallowed. “Do the right thing. Walk away, Paige.”
Paige slowly opened the door and slipped out into the corridor. The officer standing close by offered her a slight nod, and then Paige locked eyes with Henry. He sat in the very same seat he’d occupied for the last five days. “Juliet is awake and talking,” Paige said, less enthusiastically than she thought she would have been. “I’ve told her to get some rest. I don’t know if she’ll listen to that advice, but I guess that’s her choice.”
Henry got to his feet and pulled Paige into a hug. “That’s brilliant news. Now you two can move on.”
Paige drew back and lowered her eyes. “I’m not so sure it’s going to be as simple as that. But yeah, hopefully.” She threw a thumb over her shoulder. “I’m going to grab a coffee. You want anything?”
“No. I’m good.” Henry looked toward Juliet’s door. “Would you mind if I went in to see her?”
Paige had no say in what was best for Juliet at this point—that was becoming quite clear. “Go for it. Maybe she’ll be happier to see you than she is to see me.” Without explaining herself, Paige turned and walked down the corridor, her hands shoved in her pockets. Some fresh air would do her the world of good, and maybe it would help to clear her head.
She didn’t even say she loves you back.
Juliet stared at the closed door, every inch of her aching. It wasn’t from her injuries, though. It was from the difficult conversation she had just had with Paige. Had she become too complacent since they’d met? Absolutely. If Juliet hadn’t let her guard slip, if she hadn’t spent the last fifteen months of her life living in her happy little bubble, this wouldn’t have happened. More importantly, she wouldn’t be losing the love of her life in the coming days.
Because it would happen.
Juliet had to make Paige see sense.
A light knock at the door had Juliet flinching ever so slightly. One, because it could be someone coming to finish the job, and two, because it could be Paige trying to reason with Juliet. Only there was no reasoning to be had here. Juliet had made her decision, and Paige would leave the city. It was the only way she could ensure Paige was safe. It was the only way to manage this. It was the only way that Juliet could encourage Paige to walk away. The knowledge of her safety and a better life. And it would mean that Juliet didn’t live with that fear any longer. The fear of the woman she loves being hurt because of Juliet’s past.
“C-come in.” She tried to sit up in the bed, failing when she realised she had very little energy.
The door opened, and Henry stepped inside. It was good to see him.
“Well, you’ve seen better days.” He closed the door quietly and approached Juliet’s bed. “And I know I’m only getting away with that because you can’t chase me out the door.”
“You’re right. But when I’m up and about, you’d better run.”
He pulled a seat closer and sat down. “How are you doing, Jules?”
“As you say, I’ve been better.” Juliet managed a smile, but inside, she was slowly crumbling away. How the hell was she supposed to go on without Paige? Whether it was the right thing to do or not, it didn’t hurt any less. “Is Paige outside?”
“No. She’s gone to get coffee. She said it was okay for me to come in and see you.”
Juliet nodded. “So, what have you found so far?”
“Oh, I don’t think so. You almost died. You’ve just spent most of this week in a medically-induced coma. We’re not having this conversation. No way. Paige will throttle me.”
“Paige doesn’t need to know that we’ve had any sort of conversation.”
Henry’s brows drew together. “That’s…not something I thought you’d ever say. You and Paige are usually very honest with one another.” He eyed Juliet. “What’s going on?”