by Julia Gray
I've got someone on the inside.
PAIGE
Chapter Thirty Two
"That girl is awful strange."
My stomach feels great for once when I wake up. I volunteered to sleep on the sofa last night because I knew Mom wouldn't. I heard her get up early this morning and get ready quietly as I was still sleeping. She's trying to avoid me after the fit she threw last night.
Now you know how to set her off. All you have to do is mention Dad.
I like having the room to myself again. I do my makeup in the bathroom mirror before going downstairs for breakfast. I've been looking paler than usual lately. Not only because I haven't been going tanning in a while, but all the puking is washing out my color. I apply extra blush and bronzer to make my face glow.
I head down to the dining room in my pajamas with my hair in a messy bun. I hear Myra talking from the staircase. Her voice carries far when she laughs. I enter the dining room and see that Mikki is already here. She is wearing her usual jeans and a t-shirt. Myra is in her silk leopard print robe.
"You look quite good for how early it is," Myra comments. She says it with a smile on her face but I know she means it out of spite. Her smile is fake.
"What can I say," I respond. I sit down next to Mikki. "I wake up looking this way."
"Uh-huh." She picks up her teacup.
"Where's Dane?"
"He's in the kitchen helping Dessie," Mikki answers.
"Dane?" I laugh. "We are talking about my brother, right?"
"Dessie dropped a stack of plates." Myra shakes her head disapprovingly. "Sheila is going to be furious."
"Yeah," I respond. "Where is my mom and Sheila anyway?"
"Shopping," Myra answers. She sits up taller when she says it. "They went shopping for the engagement dinner tonight. I hope it doesn't turn out to be a disaster. Can you believe what happened at the party last night? Poor Rosie."
Mikki and I glance at each other.
"We left early," I lie. "What happened?"
"Some arse threw Sam into a window," she gasps. "The fire brigade even showed up. They phoned Rosie's parents." Her eyes are wide like it's the worst news she has heard all year.
"Do they know who did it?" I ask casually.
"Not yet." She takes a sip from her teacup.
"I need some toast." Mikki stands up. "Does anyone want anything?"
"Dessie will bring it out, honey." Myra looks at her like she's crazy.
"No, I can do it myself." She darts out of the room, leaving me alone with Myra. Mikki doesn’t deal well with pressure.
"That girl is awful strange," Myra comments. "I heard her talking to herself in the toilet this morning."
"Yeah well . . ." I shrug.
Myra holds her teacup to her lips. I tap my fingers on the table and decide whether or not I should join Mikki and Dane in the kitchen. The silence in the room becomes uncomfortable. I glance at Myra's auburn hair. It is perfectly straightened and shiny like she fixed it that way before coming downstairs. I smile when I spot a coat of lip gloss shining on her lips.
I decide to stand up, but as soon as I do, Mikki comes back with a serving tray. Myra laughs. Mikki puts a tea kettle in the center of the table and sets a teacup in front of me. She also sets down two plates of toast and a bowl of assorted tea bags.
"I thought you might want a cup," Mikki says quietly. She casually passes me a package of ginger tea. "It'll help."
"Thanks," I mumble. Myra leans in closer trying to hear us clearer.
I pour hot water into my cup and let the ginger tea steep for a few minutes before taking a sip. It isn't sweet, and it isn't too strong. I prefer coffee over tea, but I decide to drink the cup full to see if it really does help settle my stomach. Mikki softly takes a bite of toast.
"So," Myra studies us both. "What do you two have planned for today?"
"I'm sure Mom will have a list of things to do for the party when she gets back," I respond. My mom is all about party planning. She loves it, and I think she loves the drama that comes with it. For my sixteenth birthday she planned an event at the Banley building downtown that was so over the top, I felt like even my wedding day wouldn't be able to top it. The event room was practically redone to look like The Waldorf in New York. There were fancy tables, lacy curtains, and all new furniture. Not to mention the display of fancy cakes that must have cost a fortune.
I take a few more sips of tea and decide to finish my cup upstairs. I need to find something suitable to wear. I might have to take an impromptu shopping trip also. I hold my cup and head back towards the staircase.
"I'm going to get dressed," I announce.
I walk slowly back to my room and take another sip of ginger tea before opening the door. I see a shadow stretched alongside the window. Someone knocks gently. My chest tightens, and my heart feels like it has stopped beating. I drop whatever is left in my teacup to the floor.
A hand taps at the window.
I take a small step forward. I can barely move. I start to breathe heavily. The hand knocks again, and this time I hear a voice.
"Paige," it says. "Please tell me you are in there."
I dash to the window and open it. Gavin creeps inside and exhales. His tall, thin frame bends over to catch his breath. I quickly fix my hair as best as I can before he looks at me again.
"Gavin," I bark. "What are you doing here?" I pull him towards the bathroom where he can stay hidden if someone walks into my room. "Are you crazy?"
"Paige." He grins. "You are just the person I was hoping to see."
Chapter Thirty Three
"Why are you searching through Mom's panties?"
Gavin is in my room, and my heart is racing. I feel anxious but the overwhelming urge to puke is faint. In fact, I barely feel it. I smile, staring at tea stain on the floor. The ginger worked. I pick up my teacup and look for cracks.
"I almost screamed, you know. How did you even know I was in here?"
"I didn't," he answers. "But I knew this was your room."
"Should I bother to ask how you knew that?"
He shrugs.
"I've been dying to see you," he says quietly. Our eyes connect.
"You saw me last night."
"Yeah," he responds. "It has been way too long." I see his eyes dart down to my stomach. I clear my throat and fold my arms. It is like we are meeting each other for the first time all over again. He hasn't kissed me since finding out about the baby.
"That can't be the only reason you are here."
"I wish it were," he answers. He takes a step closer. "But unfortunately no." He grabs my hand. I am slightly embarrassed that my palms are sweaty. "You better sit down."
Gavin isn't normally so serious.
"Okay, you are starting to scare me."
"Don't be scared," he assures me. He instinctively helps me onto the sofa. "I need to ask you a few questions about your mom."
My mind immediately jumps to the way she has been behaving and the things Dane has been saying about her. My eyes are wide when I hear Dane's voice in my head telling me that Mom missed her plane to London because she was kidnapped. I push my memories aside and realize that Gavin knows more than he's letting on.
"I'll answer your questions, but you have to answer mine."
"Like a game?" He raises his eyebrows. "Agreed." He sits close to me. My chest pounds. I place a hand on my heart to keep it from bursting from my chest. I want Gavin to kiss me. I want to feel normal. Gavin knows my secret so if he kisses me that means that he likes me not just because it's hot to fool around with your boss's daughter.
"Me first," I say. "Is my dad in town?"
Gavin takes a deep breath and scans the room before he answers.
"If I get one right does that mean you'll take off a piece of clothing?" he teases. I slap his shoulder, and he chuckles. "Yes. Your dad is in town." He glances around the room again.
"Where is your mom staying?" he asks.
"Here in my room."
"Uh, it's my turn to ask a question," I respond. I twirl a strand of hair pretending to think carefully about what to ask next, but the truth is I know exactly what I want to ask. "Why are you here in London with my dad?"
"I was telling the truth before," he answers. "I am here on business."
"What kind of business?"
"Ah ah." He chuckles. "One question at a time, remember?" He glances around the room. "So your mom's luggage?"
I tilt my head towards the closet.
"It's all in there," I answer.
"As the Brits say, bloody brilliant." In a heartbeat, he jumps to his feet and begins searching through my closet. He nonchalantly opens one of Mom's duffle bags like it isn't an invasion of her privacy. I lean in the closet doorway and watch him study each item of hers with patience and precision.
"My turn," I say quietly. "Why are you searching through Mom's panties?" I see his face cringe when I say the word panties.
"I hate that word," he mumbles. He shies away from the underwear and begins digging through socks and nightgowns. "I'm looking for something she stole."
"Stole? My mom?" I laugh. She freaked out my freshman year of high school and grounded me for months for stealing a tube of lip gloss. Alana dared me to do it.
"Yep," Gavin answers, moving to her dresses that are hanging next to mine. "She stole it from your dad. That's why we're here. I've got to get it back."
My eyes go wide. Learning information from him isn't hard at all. It would have taken me weeks to get information like this out of Dane. I raise my chin and watch Gavin run his fingers over the fabric of each garment.
"And you are telling me all this because?"
"Because I want to," he replies. "I would want to know if it was my mom." He shrugs like it is no big deal. Any other person wouldn't take the psycho actions of my parents so lightly. Gavin hardly gives it all a second thought. I've never been with a guy like him.
Chapter Thirty Four
"You're looking nice and thin these days."
Gavin thoroughly searches through Mom's stuff. He shakes his head when he doesn't find what he is looking for. I glance around the room and peek into the hallway to make sure Mom didn't come home suddenly without warning.
"If you tell me what it is you're looking for, maybe I can help?"
"Your dad might kill me if I say that much." He sighs and looks at Mom's empty wine glass on my nightstand. She left it there last night. "Actually if he finds out we're talking right now he will kill me."
"He won't." I take a step closer to him. "He likes you. He wouldn't have asked you to come here if he didn't."
Gavin raises his eyebrows.
"I wouldn't be so sure," he mumbles. "This might be the last time we are alone for a while." He doesn't waste any time wrapping his hand around my waist, careful not to rub my stomach. He leans in and kisses me firmly, picking me up and carrying me to the bed.
"Gavin!" I giggle. But my heart is racing, and my arms and legs are tingling. I feel like myself again in his arms. I feel wanted. "Someone could walk in at any moment. What if my mom catches us?"
"She never caught us that one time in the guest room closet," he responds.
I smile, thinking back to all our wild encounters. I let Gavin kiss my neck. His hands slowly move towards my torso, starting from the tips of my shoulders. My blood pumps faster. Gavin is so close to me that I can hear his heart beating. His fingers brush across my abdomen, and he looks at me for approval. I kiss him back and before I know it we hide under the sheets. It feels like before when being with him was forbidden.
It's still forbidden even though I'm already pregnant.
Gavin wastes no time reacquainting himself with every part of me. He doesn't care that I'm pregnant. In fact, it seems like it might actually be turning him on. His hands brush across my stomach again, and he gently pulls me on top of him. He guides my hips with his hands, and for a minute I let myself focus on the moment and leave everything else behind.
I hear voices in the foyer downstairs. Myra's loud laugh echoes in through the house, and immediately I pull myself out of Gavin's arms. It isn't something I want to do, but I don't want to get caught just yet.
"Did you hear that?" I whisper. Gavin looks disappointed. He kisses my lips one more time and gives me a playful slap on the butt. He chuckles and rushes back to the window where he came in.
"Paige," he says. He opens the window and puts one foot outside. "I'll be around if you need me. Remember that." He maneuvers onto the ledge, hanging onto a corner brick and part of the roof. "Oh!" He sounds a little out of breath already. "And if your mom tries to run, don't let her."
"What?" I run to the window. "Why would she run?"
"She might if she finds out your dad is in town," he answers.
I hear sounds in the upstairs hallway. I quickly shut the window and close the curtains, giving Gavin time to climb down. My door knob turns, and Mom comes waltzing in with shopping bags and a smile on her face. She drops her bags on the floor and takes off her jacket like last night's tantrum never happened.
"Find anything good?" I casually ask.
"Yes as a matter of fact. London has such fabulous shopping." She sorts through her bags until she spots the one she is looking for. She pulls out a garment box wrapped with a silver ribbon and tosses it to me. "For you."
Another apology gift.
"Oh." I carefully open the box and hold up a tiny purple cocktail dress. It is strapless, and the waist cinches inward with a delicate bow. "What is this for?"
"The party tonight, of course." She puts her hands on her hips. "Try it on. I went down a size. You're looking nice and thin these days."
I would gladly gain a few pounds if it meant getting rid of this morning sickness. I guess she sees my sunken cheeks, pale face, and skeletal arms as a positive thing. I hide my disappointment with a fake smile. I don't normally mind hiding my true feelings like this from her, but this time I can hardly force out a friendly expression.
How can she not know I'm hiding something?
"Right now?"
"Yes, right now." She taps her foot impatiently. "We have a long day ahead of us."
I take the dress into the bathroom and throw it on quickly. I attempt to zip it up on my own. It's tight around my torso, and it clings so closely to my skin that I feel like it is cutting into my circulation. I look in the mirror because the dress feels really tight, but it looks decent. You would never know I am struggling to breathe in it.
I walk out of the bathroom and Mom dramatically covers her mouth with her hands like I am walking out in a wedding dress. I shrug. I don't want to wear it. Mom nods and moves her pile of bags onto the bed.
"Perfect," she says. "It's going to look stunning with that necklace I gave you."
Oh right. The necklace I almost tossed in the trash.
I promptly return to the bathroom and unzip the dress. I take a deep breath, checking the medicine cabinet to make sure the necklace Mom gave me is still there. It shines when the light touches it. I carefully rest the dress on my arm and glance at the price tag. I look twice when I see all the zeros. The dress costs over twenty thousand dollars. My eyes go wide. I wear a lot of designer clothes but nothing this expensive unless it is jewelry or a full-length gown. Mom might spend this kind of money on herself, but not on me. And definitely not for an apology present. I return to my room and watch her sort through all the items she purchased.
"Um." I don't know if bringing up money is the smart thing to do considering what she did yesterday when she heard the word dad. "Thanks for the dress."
"Wait until you see what I got for myself." She pulls out a dress with gold fabric with what looks like a cluster of diamonds on one of the sleeves.
"Wow," I gasp. That must be the most extravagant thing she owns. "Are those real diamonds?"
"Oh, honey." She shakes her head. "Why would I ever wear fake ones?"
Her dress m
ust cost even more than mine. Dad would never let her spend this much on clothes. Two years ago they didn't speak to each for three whole months because Dad found out that she spent twenty thousand dollars on a fur coat. That's when he put limits on all of her credit cards. Mom holds the dress against herself and her face beams.
She is up to something.
GAVIN
Chapter Thirty Five
"That's exactly what she did."
Matt and I sit in silence and stare at his computer screen.
He was upset to hear about how I broke into Paige's aunt's house, searched through his wife's luggage, and still didn't find his missing chip. When he clenched his jaw and raised his head so he could literally look down on me, I reminded him that I searched through her stuff twice.
"Caterers," he mumbles, watching two men carry stacks of boxes through the side door that opens out to the back garden. It is the first thing he has said to me since I came back.
"Looks like it's going to be quite some party," I respond.
"If my wife planned it, then it will be." He scans each picture on the screen as he says it, hardly looking my way. He is still pissed.
"When do you think these guys will make their move?" I ask. I watch Matt study a suspicious looking car parked down the street from the caterer's van. Matt zooms in to get a better look. He studies the car and then zooms towards the caterer's van.
"They might have already," he admits.
My chest starts pounding when he says it. I promised Paige I would keep an eye on her and that I would make sure nothing bad happened to her. I cling to the fact that Matt doesn't seem worried at the moment.
"No." I lean back in my chair and casually fold my arms. "If they've searched the house too and found nothing then that means they are planning on taking a different approach." I blurt out what is going through my head, and it sparks Matt's interest. He turns and looks at me with a hint of mischief in his eyes. He grins slightly like a parent does when their child realizes that Santa is just a made up fat guy. Santa never came to our house anyway.
