29
Zach
Tap.Tap.Tap.The tip of her shoe lifts and descends incessantly on the tiled kitchen floor while she glares at me, arms crossed over her middle.
“You like your women with a stick up their ass?”Paige scowls, lips twisted sharply.“Reagan may be pretty to look at, but she and I are nothing alike.I’ve got my faults but a stick up my ass isn’t one of them.”
“Can we talk like two adults?”I fold and then unfold my arms.
We stand on opposite sides of the island in her brother’s condo.She moved out last night without my knowledge.It was only when I came back to the penthouse, after another one of the gala tasks she asked of me, that I found the place empty.
Once Paige left my grandmother and me in the supply room, Nan filled me in on the showdown with Reagan.Damn that woman.True to her word, Paige acted like nothing had happened and for the most part, everyone else followed her lead.But she ignored me for the rest of the day.In those rare moments when she did talk to me, it was only to send me on an errand away from the foundation.
“Oh, now you want to be mature when for months you were willing to play games and lie?Why didn’t you tell me about Reagan?And before you answer, don’t you dare say the opportunity never came up.”Pushing from the counter, she glowers at me.“She was a thorn in my side, and I told you about her silly games.You had many chances to come clean.”
I mash my lips together.She has me there.“It’s simple albeit embarrassing.I didn’t want to tell you about Reagan because she was a mistake.”
At some point yesterday, Paige left the foundation or had someone move most of her things to the condo.When I discovered she was gone, I grilled JP.For the first time in all the years he has worked for me, he was tight-lipped and wouldn’t divulge any information regarding Paige.
He infuriated me but I also respected his loyalty.It was more than I could say for myself and what I had given Paige.It was Nan who told me she was staying at Drew’s.Paige was considerate enough to let my grandmother know where she’d be and it had taken a bit of coaxing to get her to let me in.To hear me out.
“Reagan said you’d been together off and on for years.”
I snort like a teenager rather than use my words.I’m dreading my explanation for Reagan.Paige deserves to hear it, to hear the truth, but it’s something I’d like to forget, and she’ll only be more angry once I tell her.It’s plain to see she has moved past speechless—that was yesterday.Today is anger.
“We slept together off and on throughout the years,” I say, and she flinches, steeling her spine and clenching her jaw.“But we were never serious, and we were never a couple, no matter what she said.”
“Did you propose to her?”
“Not in the way she made it sound.We had a similar business arrangement to what you and I had.”I cringe at my poor choice of words because Paige and I were so much more than business.
“In a moment of stupidity, desperate to make an offer on St.Barts when I heard it was coming up for sale, I proposed the same arrangement to Reagan.But unlike you, I also told her we might have to get married to make it believable.There was nothing romantic about it.She signed a non-disclosure agreement and if we got married, she would have had to sign a pre-nuptial agreement, too.”
“Funny how you left that out of our arrangement.The marriage part, I mean.”She quirks a brow, twisting her face in disgust.“Did you figure you could get me to fall for you and I’d be none the wiser of your ruse?”Her words come with such venomous force that I frown, and the stench of my regret hangs heavy in the air.
“No, it wasn’t like that.We were different.I didn’t even have you sign a non-disclosure agreement,” I’m quick to point out, only now realizing I’d never treated us like business.
If I had been thinking with my head, I would have never entered our arrangement without a written understanding we were never to tell anyone.
“Wow, you two are a match made in heaven.Two liars.Pity you didn’t see it through.”She’s mocking and I’m getting mad.
“Paige.”
“It must be hard for you to have a real, truthful conversation, or do you only have that problem with me?”
“Are you done?”
“Go on.Get to the part where you asked her to marry you.”
“I didn’t,” I grit out.“The arrangement never even got off the ground.It became apparent she wanted the whole deal.”
“What?”She straightens, her tone softer, less accusing.“You mean the real thing?”
“Yes.But she was never the real thing.”I inch closer and she takes a step back.“She’s had it in her mind from when we were kids that a Hussey-Rothwell union would be amazing.It isn’t really her fault.Her grandparents wanted it, so naturally that’s where she got the idea.”
She frowns, casting her eyes to the floor.I get close enough to tilt her chin to look at me.“And I’ve never asked anyone but you to marry me.Reagan has never worn the ring.Yes, she knew about it.It’s a family heirloom.It was Nan’s and she’s told the story many times of how my grandfather proposed to her.I’m surprised Nan never told you.Reagan knows the history and she’s seen the ring.”
“She lied.”Her shoulders sag and I’m hopeful we can move past this.
