Page 76 of Any Kind of Life
“Not great. I tossed and turned most of the night. I’ve been out here since four.”
“You should have woken me up. I would have sat with you.”
Juliet barely managed a smile when she finally looked up at Paige. “No. It’s okay. You shouldn’t lose sleep because of me.”
“I’d have been happy to sit up with you.” Paige reached out a hand and took Juliet’s. “Why don’t you go back to bed for a few hours. I’ll just do some bits and pieces around here.”
Juliet’s tired eyes gazed back at Paige, as beautiful as ever. “I’ll be okay. I’m sure you have plans for us.” Juliet tried to stand, but Paige stopped her. “I…should shower.”
“Hey.” Paige squeezed Juliet’s knee. “Just relax. If you don’t feel up to heading out anywhere, we can spend the day here. I don’t mind. I could do with a rest.”
That was a lie. Paige had no reason to rest. It wasn’t as though they’d done much recently that would require her to rest. But if it was what Juliet needed to hear, then so be it.
“I think the tour and everything that followed is beginning to catch up with me.”
“Yeah?” Juliet seemed to smile a little more at that. “You feel like resting, too?”
“God, yes.” Paige guided Juliet to her feet and took her by the hand. “Come on.” They moved towards the couch, a thick fleece blanket already thrown over one end of it. “If you don’t want to go back to bed, at least get on the couch and watch some TV. Maybe you’ll fall asleep without realising it.”
Juliet lay down on the couch, bringing the blanket up to her chin the moment Paige draped it over her. She curled up, knees to her chest, and sighed. “What if she’s not dead.”
Paige frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“Cara. What if she’s not dead. Maybe it wasn’t her.”
Paige got to her knees at the side of the couch, stroking the side of Juliet’s face. “She’s dead, babe. The police confirmed it. They’re already halfway into an inquest.”
“I think I saw her down on the street this morning,” Juliet said as she closed her eyes. “I’m sure it was her.”
God, this was painful. “You really think Henry wouldn’t notice if she was still alive? That guy doesn’t miss a thing.”
“Henry isn’t outside anymore, though.” Juliet’s voice trembled, reminding Paige of a scared child. “I sort of mentioned it to him, but I’m not sure he realised what I was saying.”
“He realised, don’t worry. And as of today, he will be outside until you decide you don’t need him around anymore.”
“I…think I’m going crazy.”
Paige lay her head on the cushion Juliet was resting on, their noses touching. “You’ve had a huge shock. Of course you’re going to be feeling…out of sorts. But you’re not going crazy. You just need some time to come to terms with everything.”
Juliet brushed her nose against Paige’s. “I’m sorry I’ve been so miserable. You must hate being here.”
If Paige hadn’t understood where Juliet was coming from, she would have been offended by that. “I spent almost a week next to your bed. I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. Miserable is not what I feel when I’m here with you. I feel grateful for a second chance with you.”
“A second chance?” Juliet frowned.
“We almost lost one another. I almost lost you. To me, this feels like a second chance. She tried to break us, but she failed. She is the crazy one. She is the weak one for taking orders from some old bastard in prison. She is gone, Juliet.”
“Promise me,” Juliet whispered. “Promise me that she’s gone.”
“I promise you.” Paige kissed the tip of Juliet’s nose and smiled. “You’re safe, okay?”
“I hope so.” Juliet’s eyelids fluttered closed, a light sigh falling from her lips. “Will you lie with me?”
Paige managed to squeeze in next to Juliet, still facing her where she lay. She stole part of the blanket, her hand settling on Juliet’s hip beneath it, and enjoyed the simple sound of the woman she loved breathing.
Roused from her sleep by the most beautiful sound, Juliet remained where she was, listening to Paige as she played the piano. God, no sound in this world could ever be as soothing. No woman could ever make Juliet feel so safe and secure. Physically and emotionally. If things became harder, then Paige would be by Juliet’s side. If life took an uncertain turn for a while, Paige would work through it with Juliet. Right now, that was the only thing Juliet was clinging onto.
Did she believe Cara was dead? Of course she did. But it all happened so quickly that Juliet didn’t really know how to process it all. She wanted to move on with her life, but how did she do that? Cara had left her for dead on the floor of the bar…and now Cara was gone. Ron, too. It all seemed far too easy to be over.