Page 83 of Angel

Chapter Twenty-Six - Paige

Lia practically stomped into the dining room. I quickly averted my eyes and turned to look at Mrs. Salvatore, who was telling Soph something about the neighbors down the street.

“...and it’s the same every year,” she said. “Those wreaths stay up until July.”

I held my breath as Lia selected one of the last few free seats. When she settled down at the one furthest away from me I finally let out an exhale. Her mood was easily readable. She was pissed about something.

Presumably, her conversation with Angelo had not gone very well.

When Angelo entered the room, he wore an equally strained expression. He settled in the seat across from me and shot me a tense smile. I tried to smile back, but the bag of rocks in my stomach made it hard. Just when I thought things were looking up, just when I thought I might be able to deal with Christmas like a normal human being,thishad to happen.

Angelo and Lia both said little throughout lunch, and I mostly picked at my salmon. When Pops and Mrs. Salvatore stood up to leave the table, Angelo looked over at me.

“How about we go do that shopping we still need to get to?”

I tried to smile. “All right.”

Sophia eyed us, her chops probably watering at the mere suggestion of a mall. Angelo turned away from her, though, calling an Uber and specifically saying it was for two.

Sophia rolled her eyes and stood up from the table. “Have funshopping,” she told me with a wink.

We retrieved our coats and hats and went to wait outside. The moment we stepped out, the Uber was already there, pulling up the drive.

Angelo opened up the back door and we hopped in. After giving the driver the name of a shopping center I didn’t recognize, he fell back into the seat.

A long moment passed.

“It didn’t go very well,” he finally, grimly said.

I sighed. “Okay.”

Angelo’s lips pursed. “Sorry. What I mean is she gave me some attitude. But she’s going to leave you alone.”

“Really?”

He averted his eyes. “Absolutely.”

I studied his profile. “You don’t seem so certain about that.”

Angelo turned to stare into my eyes. “I’m going to make sure she leaves you alone.”

A heaviness pressed onto me. “Oh.”

Angelo’s eyebrow cocked.

“Thank you,” I quickly said. “For talking to her. But now I’m thinking I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Paige...”

“Now she knows I heard her talking about me, and thatIhave a problem withher, and it might just make everything between us worse...”

“She doesn’t know you overheard her conversation with Dom. I left that part out.”

I pulled fretfully at my grown-out bangs. “She’ll figure it out. And it doesn’t matter anyway. Maybe I should just talk to her.”

“You don’t have to do that,” he quickly said.

“Why not?”