Only in Dreams(49)
I look at her. “I think that’s Henry.”
“You need to know it’s him,” she urges. She opens her arms, and I fall onto her shoulder, letting her warmth wrap around me. Sighing deeply, I know she’s right, but I just don’t know how to be sure.
“Have you talked to Henry lately?” she asks me.
I don’t move, content in my friend’s embrace. “Yeah, I think he can sense something.”
“What makes you say that?”
“He seems standoffish. Honestly, it’s been weird between us since he went home,” I explain.
“Why do you think that is?” she asks.
“I wish I knew. I keep thinking I should just get on a plane and head back home.” She’s quiet, and I’m surprised my revelation didn’t provoke a reaction. “Is that what you think I should do? Fly home?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” she questions.
I sit up and turn to look at her. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you to answer.”
“If you want to marry Henry, you probably should go home,” she answers cryptically.
“That isn’t any kind of answer at all,” I snap.
“I can’t tell you what to do, and if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s not going to happen.”
“So you think if I stay I’ll end up with Christian?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No—you’re not saying anything,” I huff. I watch as she stands and walks to the window. She peers out, something haunting her. “You clearly have something to say. Why don’t you just say it?”
She turns; the look in her eyes is filled with pain. She doesn’t want to have this conversation.
“What’s wrong with you?” I demand.
“You don’t want me tell you, trust me,” she groans.
“Please, just tell me why you’re being so weird.”
“Paige, Christian loves you.”
“I know, he keeps telling me that. What’s your point?”
“He’s back. He’s him again. Olivia has her uncle, and Colin finally has his brother back. I just don’t want things not to work out and—” She stops herself, starting to fidget, refusing to make eye contact.
“You don’t want me to fuck him up again,” I snap, her apprehension suddenly obvious.
“I didn’t say that,” she quickly defends.
“You didn’t have to, I can see it all over your face.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just—”
“Say it!” I demand.
She shifts her gaze up to mine, bites her lips, and with a deep breath she tells me, “If you have no intention of leaving Henry, then you should probably stop this now. Maybe you should go home.”
“Hey, what’s going on up here?” I hear Colin’s voice, right before he enters the room.
“Oh,” Emmie quickly says, scurrying across the room to wrap her arms around her husband. “Nothing, we were just talking about what Paige has planned for the day.”
Colin’s eyes shift between us. He can see that something is going on between us, but he can’t seem to figure it out. “Okay—well I just wanted to let Paige know she has a visitor in the gallery.”
“I do?” I ask, pressing my lips together curiously.
“It’s Christian,” he explains.
“Oh,” I say, nodding. “Can you let him know I’ll be right down?”
“Sure,” Colin says, turning to exit. He hesitates, turns back and looks at us. “Are you sure everything’s okay in here?”
Emmie and I both nod.
“Things are fine, go tell Christian she’ll be right down,” Emmie instructs, practically shoving him out of the room. She wastes no time once he’s gone. She turns and walks straight over to me.
“Hey, come here.” She reaches out, and I stand and face her.
“What?” I groan, still annoyed only moments ago she told me to go back to New York.
“Listen, I love you like a sister. Christian is my brother now, and I’d love nothing more than the two of you to get back together. If there’s a chance, I say go for it. All I’m saying is, if you’ve made up your mind, and you’ll be marrying Henry no matter what, stop this now.”
“Maybe I should tell Henry about the three dates.”
“If you tell him, there’s a good chance he’ll call off the wedding. Are you prepared for that outcome?” Emmie asks.
I shake my head.
“Then I say you wait. Just promise me, if you keep going down this path, you’ll be as gentle as you can with Christian. We can’t lose him again.”