Page 79 of The Payback Plan

To: Sienna, Astrid

Subject line: SOS!!!

Paige

Well, that was about as awful as you’d expect.

Three little dots appeared straight away, indicting Sienna was answering. She’d obviously been right on top of her phone.

Sienna

Oh God, I’m sorry. Was she really angry?

Paige

No, it was worse. She wasn’t angry at all. She was understanding.

Astrid

Well, fuck… that’s very decent of her.

Sienna

But that’s Bella, isn’t it?

Astrid

How are you? You want to jump on a call?

Paige really did not. She was about as thought out and talked out tonight as possible.

Paige

Thanks, but not now. I’m okay, really. I think it’s Bella we need to concentrate on. I’ll message her in a bit but I’m not sure she’ll want to talk to me. She’ll probably appreciate hearing from both of you, though.

Astrid

Of course, I’ll get right on it.

Sienna

Me too.

Paige

Thank you. You guys are the best.

Astrid

We know.

Paige hooted out a laugh – the first one since her and Oliver’s difference of opinion earlier – before signing off and heading downstairs to find him. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the outcome of a conversation he’d urged her not to have but it only felt right to let him know given he was part of it all.

He glanced up when she entered the room and gave her a small smile and Paige felt ridiculously like crying again. They hadn’t spoken since their disagreement and she wasn’t sure if he was a sulker – Harvey had been a sulker – but apparently not.

Reaching for the remote, he paused the movie as she sat down beside him on the couch in Casper’s spot. He was in his standard pyjamas of T-shirt and boxers, his hair pushed haphazardly back off his forehead and he looked so damngood.

‘How’d it go?’