Page 63 of Happily Ever After

Not black, exactly. More like that soft, pre-dawn gray that made everything feel muted and fresh. The streetlights cast pale circles on the pavement, and the air had a touch of coolness that would be gone entirely in another few weeks.

Paige liked this hour. It felt like borrowed time in the best possible way. A quiet pocket of the day that belonged to people willing to forego a little sleep. Perfect for people who needed space to think. People who needed time to themselves.

She wasn’t one for hyperbole, but it was as close to magic as she imagined truly existed. She lifted her chin slightly, letting the breeze blow past her, not caring what her hair looked like. She was about to get sweaty anyway.

She wasn’t heading to the fitness center early because she was afraid of Darcy. That thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. What she was afraid of—if afraid was even the right word—was escalation.

Because regardless of how Paige behaved, Darcy would push. She wanted a reaction. Or, better yet, a scene. Paige understood that now.

So she’d decided to change the rules of engagement, at least for today.

The fitness center parking area was nearly empty when she arrived. The only cars there probably belonged to the employees, as the center had just opened a few minutes ago.

She parked close to the building, the tires of the golf cart crunching softly over the pavement as they came to a stop. She hopped out, grabbed her bag, and headed for the reception desk to sign in.

Inside, the lights were on, bright and impersonal against the quiet. The hum of the air-conditioning and the faint whir of a single cardio machine somewhere deeper in the main room were the only sounds. The ever-present smell of the rubber mats reached her, just slightly stronger than the aroma rising out of the tall cup of coffee sitting on the counter behind the unmanned desk.

Paige walked through and scanned the space automatically, the habit ingrained now. Empty except for one man on a rower and a woman walking laps on the second-story track that overlooked the main floor. Good.

She headed for the locker room, moving without too much urgency. She’d either be gone or just finishing up by the time Darcy arrived.

If she arrived.

Paige put her bag in a locker, tucked her earbuds in, slipped her phone into the pocket of her leggings, and exited. She liked the vibe of this place when it wasn’t crowded—the clean scent of disinfectant, the dark colors that somehow made the vast space seem cozy, the way everything was in its place.

It was a safe haven for her in some ways. She’d rediscovered herself in a gym very much like this one. Found out that she was capable of so much more than she’d imagined.

She climbed onto the treadmill, setting the pace slower than usual at first. Her body needed the warm-up, but her mind was already moving, replaying yesterday’s conversation with Jerry Franklin.

He’d used the phrase gray area.

She grimaced. She hated gray areas. Not because they were insurmountable, but because they were seen by some people, like Darcy, as opportunities.

Paige increased the speed, her footsteps settling into a steady cadence. She stared straight ahead, letting her body do the work while she got her thoughts organized.

She’d done the right thing. She was certain of that.

She’d sought out the truth by going to the Colony office. She hadn’t lashed out. It wasn’t necessarily their fault that the bylaws had never been amended. She also hadn’t responded to Darcy’s threat with anything that could be used against her later.

Still, Paige couldn’t shake the unease that filled her. What if Darcy was successful? What if all the little groups and clubs had to be disbanded? Just because Jerry’s wife had a group of her own didn’t mean he could do anything to help.

The treadmill screen blinked, tracking her pace, her time, her heart rate. All as it should be. Paige turned up the speed, then reached for her phone and checked it absently, expecting nothing more than a quick update on her numbers.

Instead, she saw an email notification from Maude. The email had come in a little after one a.m.

Paige frowned slightly. If Maude had sent something this early, it probably wasn’t to chat. Paige opened her email app and read.

The subject line was simple. Found something. And it had gone out to Paige and Cece alone.

Paige’s pulse ticked up. She knew this was about Darcy. Cece had told Paige she was getting Maude to help dig again.

Paige tapped the screen and opened the message. There wasn’t much text. Just a brief note, written in Maude’s characteristically straightforward way.

This isn’t conclusive yet, but it’s pretty close. Read when you have a minute. We’ll talk whenever. Just don’t call too early. Maude had signed off with a smiley face emoji, making Paige smile, too.

For a moment.

Attached was a document. Paige hesitated for half a second, then tapped it open.