but the girls’ voices wafted down the hall. I limped toward Paige’s room, and saw them sitting on her bed.
Her eyes widened when she saw me. “You called him?” she asked Gillian, her tone accusing.
“Yes,” Gillian admitted. “Now I’m going to make some coffee. You need the sugar and caffeine.” She paused at the door. “Talk to him.”
I continued to the bed, where I sat down next to Paige, studying her face. She looked pale, pinched. Withdrawn.
“What happened, Paige?” I reached out to push the familiar wisp of hair behind her ear.
She looked at me, but not into my eyes. She glanced back toward the window.
“It’s nothing.”
I needed to see those impossibly green eyes focus on me. So I tilted her chin in my direction.
“Paige. I’m here for you. I want you to tell me what’s going on.”
She hesitated. Just for a second, but in that second I knew she didn’t trust me. I wasn’t sure she ever would.
“I—I just got some bad news today. That’s all. It’s really not a big deal, I don’t know why Gillian—“
“Because you fainted. That’s why,” Gillian said, entering the room with a large, steaming mug in her hands.
She handed the cup carefully to Paige.
“You what?” I asked.
“It was nothing, Clay,” she began.
“It was not nothing, Paige. You aren’t going to be able to deal with this alone. I refuse to let you.” Gillian’s voice was firm.
“Let’s go,” I ordered.
“Where?” Paige’s eyebrows knit together, and I second-guessed myself for distressing her.
“The doctor. The hospital. Something! You fainted and you don’t look so good now. So I’m either taking you, or you’re going to start talking.”
Desperation overtook me; for her to throw me a line, anything to let me show her that she could take me into her confidence. There was so much going on behind that perfect, delicate face. Her hair was falling into her eyes again.
She stared at me. “Why?”
“Why what?”
Her eyes hardened. “Why do you care so much?”
Now it was my turn to stare. I looked at her beautiful face and petite form stretched out in the bed. Then I just couldn’t look anymore.
I stood up and walked out of her room. Walking down the hallway toward the front door, I prayed she would stop me. I didn’t want to go, I just wasn’t sure what else to do.
If she didn’t understand by now how much she had changed me already, in the short time I’d known her…well she may never understand.
But I was ruined, regardless of what Paige Hill did from this moment on.
I reached the front door, opened it, and walked out into a crimson autumn.
Seventeen
Clay
Paige: I’m sorry.
An entire fortnight. I hadn’t heard from Paige in two weeks. I’d been going to class, going to therapy for my ankle. I’d been attending soccer practice. But that had been it. No parties, nothing else. I’d been waiting.
And this was all I got.
I wasn’t sure what to say, but I was angry. I thought we had been starting something new, something real.
Maybe I was wrong.
I put my phone back in my pocket, and heaved myself off the couch.
“Yo, Drew!” I shouted.
“What’s up, man?” Drew poked his head out of his room.
“Let’s go out.”
“Dude, seriously? I thought you’d decided to become a monk or something. You only have to say the word. Should we call Rob? I think he’s getting food or something.”
“Nah,” I declared.
Rob wasn’t going to agree with how I was choosing to spend my night. He’d waste my time, talking about Paige and suggesting I call her. I didn’t need that right now. I needed the carefree company Drew could provide.
“He can meet us out later,” I added.
“Word,” Drew nodded approvingly. “Is the Clay-minator back?”
“Don’t get carried away,” I warned. “I just want a drink, maybe some music.”
“Let’s hit up
Her eyes widened when she saw me. “You called him?” she asked Gillian, her tone accusing.
“Yes,” Gillian admitted. “Now I’m going to make some coffee. You need the sugar and caffeine.” She paused at the door. “Talk to him.”
I continued to the bed, where I sat down next to Paige, studying her face. She looked pale, pinched. Withdrawn.
“What happened, Paige?” I reached out to push the familiar wisp of hair behind her ear.
She looked at me, but not into my eyes. She glanced back toward the window.
“It’s nothing.”
I needed to see those impossibly green eyes focus on me. So I tilted her chin in my direction.
“Paige. I’m here for you. I want you to tell me what’s going on.”
She hesitated. Just for a second, but in that second I knew she didn’t trust me. I wasn’t sure she ever would.
“I—I just got some bad news today. That’s all. It’s really not a big deal, I don’t know why Gillian—“
“Because you fainted. That’s why,” Gillian said, entering the room with a large, steaming mug in her hands.
She handed the cup carefully to Paige.
“You what?” I asked.
“It was nothing, Clay,” she began.
“It was not nothing, Paige. You aren’t going to be able to deal with this alone. I refuse to let you.” Gillian’s voice was firm.
“Let’s go,” I ordered.
“Where?” Paige’s eyebrows knit together, and I second-guessed myself for distressing her.
“The doctor. The hospital. Something! You fainted and you don’t look so good now. So I’m either taking you, or you’re going to start talking.”
Desperation overtook me; for her to throw me a line, anything to let me show her that she could take me into her confidence. There was so much going on behind that perfect, delicate face. Her hair was falling into her eyes again.
She stared at me. “Why?”
“Why what?”
Her eyes hardened. “Why do you care so much?”
Now it was my turn to stare. I looked at her beautiful face and petite form stretched out in the bed. Then I just couldn’t look anymore.
I stood up and walked out of her room. Walking down the hallway toward the front door, I prayed she would stop me. I didn’t want to go, I just wasn’t sure what else to do.
If she didn’t understand by now how much she had changed me already, in the short time I’d known her…well she may never understand.
But I was ruined, regardless of what Paige Hill did from this moment on.
I reached the front door, opened it, and walked out into a crimson autumn.
Seventeen
Clay
Paige: I’m sorry.
An entire fortnight. I hadn’t heard from Paige in two weeks. I’d been going to class, going to therapy for my ankle. I’d been attending soccer practice. But that had been it. No parties, nothing else. I’d been waiting.
And this was all I got.
I wasn’t sure what to say, but I was angry. I thought we had been starting something new, something real.
Maybe I was wrong.
I put my phone back in my pocket, and heaved myself off the couch.
“Yo, Drew!” I shouted.
“What’s up, man?” Drew poked his head out of his room.
“Let’s go out.”
“Dude, seriously? I thought you’d decided to become a monk or something. You only have to say the word. Should we call Rob? I think he’s getting food or something.”
“Nah,” I declared.
Rob wasn’t going to agree with how I was choosing to spend my night. He’d waste my time, talking about Paige and suggesting I call her. I didn’t need that right now. I needed the carefree company Drew could provide.
“He can meet us out later,” I added.
“Word,” Drew nodded approvingly. “Is the Clay-minator back?”
“Don’t get carried away,” I warned. “I just want a drink, maybe some music.”
“Let’s hit up
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