“Cancer runs in families, Evan.” My heart fell to my stomach as the room spun. My biggest fear was always Paige following Jack.No, this couldn’t be happening.Panic seeped into my chest and I couldn’t breathe. I was dizzy as I staggered back to my chair.
Now it all made sense. Why she was so passionate that last night and why she had sobbed after we made love. From that moment on, she wasn’t the same. I had let her push me away when she needed me the most. And now I was losing her.Reallylosing her.
“I need to see her.” I stood and felt my pockets for my keys. Ellie rushed over to me and grabbed my wrist as I started towards the door.
“She won’t let you in. We need to think of another way to coax her out of hiding.”
I picked up my phone and started a text to Paige.
Me: I need a couple of flyers designed. Can you still do them for me?
“Paige wouldn’t stop doing work for me. I’ll make her come in here.”
Ellie nodded. “No she wouldn’t, if for no other reason than for Jack. But how will you get her to come in?”
My phone buzzed with her reply.
Paige: Sure I can. Email me what you need and I’ll send it right back to you.
Me: I may need an ad and a few other things, too. Can you come in this week?
Come on, Daisy. Take the bait.
Paige: OK. I’ll come in on Friday. Noon good?
Me: Noon is perfect. Thank you.
“She’ll be here on Friday.” That was two days away. I threw my phone down on my desk and put my face in my hands. How would I stop myself from climbing the walls until Friday, and how was I going to check on her?
“Ellie, can you still call her every day? At least if she blows you off we know she’s okay enough to speak.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows. “I’m just as worried as you. She can rush me off the phone all she wants, but I won’t stop calling her.” She smiled and shook her head. “The one person who could get through to her isn’t here anymore. You and I have to work extra hard. We can’t let either of them down.”
“I’m so fucking mad at her, but I miss her so much, Ellie. This past week has been torture, and all this time she’s been sick and alone and hiding from us…”
“It breaks my heart. I miss her, too.” Ellie’s voice drifted off as she ran her hand back and forth over the desk.
“Whatever game she’s playing ends now. On Friday, I’ll finally find out the truth.” I only prayed the truth didn’t mean I was about to lose her for good.
Thirty-Three
Evan
I wasa complete and total fucking mess.
I snapped at everyone who worked for me and had spent the last two days texting back and forth with Ellie to learn if she had any news on Paige. It killed me that I couldn’t drive over there, park my ass on her stoop, and make her talk to me. She was the most important person in my life, and she had completely shut me out. Me, and her entire family. That wasn’t Paige. All the Taylors were tight. For Paige to withdraw like this, whatever was going on had to be bad. My imagination ran wild with possibilities. I didn’t know the initial signs or symptoms of leukemia. I’d been living in Philadelphia when Jack had called me from the doctor’s office parking lot the day of his diagnosis. After he dropped the bomb on me, the only thing he asked me was ‘I can count on you, right?’ I’d told him ‘always’ and he had ended the call.
I’m sorry, Jack. So fucking sorry.
“Ev, Paige just got here.” Jessica grabbed her bag and came over to my desk. “I’m going to the bank now to make the deposit, in case you guys need some privacy.”
I nodded at her. “Thanks, Jess. How . . . does she look okay?” My stomach sank when she grimaced in reply.
“I’ll be back in a bit.” The clicking of Jessica’s heels faded and she said something to Paige before she headed out the door. I raked my hands over my scalp and braced myself.
“Hey.” I lifted my head to look at the woman I loved, now just a shell of herself. It’d been a little over two weeks since I had stormed out of her apartment, yet I hardly recognized her.
Paige’s face was pale and gaunt. Her eyes were sunken and rimmed with dark circles. She looked as though she hadn’t slept or eaten in God knew how long.How could this happen so fast? How did I not notice?I had known she was sick, and had the bad feeling it was something serious, but I figured she would tell me if she’d found out she was really ill. We were partners in everything; why had she cut me off like this?
