Chapter 21

It didn't feel right to be sitting here while Juliet was in hospital, enjoying lunch with friends. Enjoying was a stretch, but Hannah and Caz had turned up with food, so Paige felt she had to at least try to get something in her body. Still, Paige knew where she would rather be. At Juliet's side. Especially now that the news of her attack was out there.

"You haven't eaten much," Caz said from across the table.

"No, I know. I don't really feel like eating." Paige pushed her salad around the plate, sighing as she sat back in her seat. "I should really be back at the hospital by now. I hate knowing she's alone."

Hannah reached a hand forward, settling it over Paige's. "It's just some lunch, Paige. You'll be back there before you know it."

I never should have left earlier , Paige thought, managing a fake smile. "Yeah, I know." She flicked a slice of onion from a lettuce leaf and sat up a little. "Rachel turned up here before. Wanting to know what was going on like she had the right to details."

Hannah lowered her fork. "She did? None of us have heard from her in a long time now."

"And I told her as much." Paige scoffed as she shook her head. "She has no right to show up here bawling her eyes out as though she cares. Probably a guilty conscience from avoiding all contact with Juliet, though." Everyone likely thought it, but Paige would be the one to say it out loud. She didn't care. "I told her bits and pieces, but that's all. She can read it in the news like everyone else does."

Hannah sighed. "Don't worry about Rachel. Just focus on yourself and Juliet."

"Oh, I am. One hundred percent. Just…wish I knew more. I feel like the days are passing, and nothing is happening."

"Have the doctors said anymore about Juliet's progress?" Caz's voice wavered as she said that. Every time Paige looked at her, she had tears in her eyes. "Anything at all?"

It seemed they were avoiding talking about the news article. But Paige could live with that. She never wanted to think about that headline ever again.

"They're happy with her progress. She's stable, and she's improving daily. No signs of infection." Paige stared down at her plate, feeling terrible for not wanting to be here with Hannah and Caz. She had been the one to contact them, but she wasn't the best company today. It was really good of them to be here, though. "I know I'm not much company, but thanks so much for coming over with lunch. I do appreciate it, even if my face says something else."

Hannah smiled. "We understand. Don't worry. And if nothing else, I have to do this so Juliet doesn't tear me a new one when she wakes up."

"Eh?"

"If she thinks we haven't been looking after you." Caz shrugged, finishing her salad. She reached for the garlic twist in the centre of the table, ripping some from it. "I can't believe all of this."

"No, I know." Paige puffed out her cheeks.

"To think I was sitting here with her just a couple of weeks ago, drinking wine while she panicked about where you two were headed…I just cannot get my head around all of this."

"Panicking about where we're headed?" That caught Paige's attention immediately. She sat forward, clasping her hands under her chin. "Care to explain?"

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about. I'm fairly certain she's said it all to you anyway."

Paige looked between Caz and Hannah, frowning. "No. I'd like to know what she said to you."

Caz cleared her throat and sipped from her glass of sparkling water. "She just wants the best for you, Paige. Juliet isn't convinced that you stopping touring with Soraya is the best thing for you. She's worried you're only ending it because of her."

Ah. Juliet had spoken her fears to Caz. "Yeah, I know. But I think we've moved past that now. She knows why I don't want to tour, and she knows I want to be here in Liverpool, making the bar as successful as we possibly can."

Caz grinned. "Juliet and I are…similar in some ways." Caz took Hannah's hand where it rested on the table. "We both feel incredibly lucky to have the women we do in our lives. While you and Hannah likely don't see it as an issue, or probably even think about it most of the time, the age difference does play tricks on our minds."

Paige lifted a brow. "It does?"

"Of course. Neither of us is stupid enough to forget that the potential of you or Hannah finding someone much younger than us is on the table at all times."

Hannah turned to Caz this time. "Caz?—"

"No. Hear me out. Both of you."

Both Hannah and Paige sat up in their seats, eyeing Caz intently.

"We're not saying we think it would happen, we know how much you love us, but being in relationships that have such big age gaps does mean we're a little more wary than we probably should be. Neither me nor Juliet expect you and Hannah to leave us, but if the shoe was on the other foot, I'm sure you two would understand from our perspective." Caz smiled. "We've lived a lot of our life already. We've had successful careers, and we're kind of aiming to settle down, perhaps even slow down, rather than make all kinds of future plans."

"I get it." Paige nodded. "And I do understand where your fears come from. I guess all we can do, Hannah and I, is show you and Juliet that we don't see futures with anyone else, you know?"

"We know you don't. I just think it's important that Juliet is given a little leeway when it comes to speaking about her insecurities. You have the opportunity to travel the world and really make something of yourself, Paige. I can totally understand why she is confused that you don't want to. But then, on the other hand, I see why you don't want to."

"I don't think anything at all really matters right now other than Juliet waking up. Once I see her and speak to her, I think I'll start to settle." Paige brought her knee up to her chest, resting her foot on the edge of her chair. "I know it's going to be a long road to recovery, but I'm here for her. The bar is…not important at the minute."

"Juliet is going to be just fine," Hannah said, holding onto Caz's hand tight. "And so will you. Because you have us…and Edie."

"How is Edie?" Paige wished she could spend some time with Hannah's daughter, but right now, it wasn't possible.

"She's okay. I think she's been a bit anxious with everything that's happened, you know she's really fond of Juliet, but we've tried to be honest with her. Although, once she sees that fucking article, we'll have no choice but to confirm what happened."

"You're a really great mum." Paige loved watching Hannah and Edie's relationship. Then there was Caz. Considering they'd only been together for a couple of years, you'd never know it from the outside looking in. Caz was brilliant with Edie. "You're both great parents."

"You never wanted kids?" Hannah asked as she got to her feet and started to clear the plates away.

"It's not something I've really thought about. Before Juliet, I was dealing with James. I certainly didn't want to raise a family with him, but with Juliet? I think I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"Has she ever hinted at kids?" Caz passed the plates along to Hannah.

"She did when we first met. Before we were even together. We'd met up for lunch when I'd just started working at the bar." Paige recalled that day vividly. "She spoke about what she'd hoped for when she was younger. You know, the wife and kids, the big house, while being a successful lawyer."

"Interesting."

Paige frowned. "Is it?"

"That she would bring that up with you when you were nothing other than a very new employee at the bar? I think so." Hannah winked as she turned for the dishwasher. "I think you and Juliet would make great parents."

Paige lifted a shoulder. "Well, whatever happens, it ain't happening any time soon. Juliet almost died last week. I don't think the kids conversation is something to have right now." Paige chewed her lip as she watched Hannah and Caz. "I…did ask her something when I got to the bar that afternoon, though. T-the day I found her."

Hannah and Caz watched Paige expectantly.

"I asked her to marry me. When she was dying. She said yes."

Caz beamed a smile. "Of course she said yes. She would always say yes. She loves you."

"I didn't only do it because of what was happening. Granted, I probably wouldn't have asked her for a while yet, but the thought of her dying and never knowing that's how much I loved her…I had to."

A tear slid down Caz's cheek, quickly mopped up by the pad of Hannah's thumb.

As Paige opened her mouth to speak, to comfort Caz, her phone started to ring on the table beside her.

"H-hello?"

"Paige, hi. Dr Nunez here."

Paige's heart sank. "H-hi."

"If you'd like to make your way to the hospital, we're in the process of waking Juliet up. It could take a while, she's been receiving heavy sedation, but I'm sure she would love it if you were here when she does wake up."

Paige shot to her feet as her heart pounded. "I'm on my way." She quickly ended the call and shoved her phone into her pocket, frantically checking what she needed. Right now, anything here wasn't important. Just her phone was enough. And her keys. "That was Juliet's doctor. They're going to wake her up."

Hannah approached and placed her hands on Paige's shoulders. "Hey, take a breath. Just relax."

"I can't. If she wakes up and I'm not there, I'll never forgive myself."

Caz joined Hannah, offering Paige a supportive squeeze of the hand. "Calmly get what you need, and we'll drop you off at the hospital. Okay?"

Paige looked between Hannah and Caz, her bottom lip trembling as a tear slid down her cheek. "What if there are complications?"

"They wouldn't try to wake Juliet if they weren't confident of her recovery right now." Caz guided Paige towards the living room and sat her down on the couch. "Now just take a few breaths, figure out what you need, and we will be here ready to go whenever you are."

Paige lowered her head to her hands and sighed. Caz was right. She really needed a moment to relax. If she went into Juliet's hospital room in a panic, Juliet may feed off that energy. Calm and collected was one hundred percent the right approach here. She lifted her head and smiled back at Caz. "I don't know what I would have done without you and Hannah this past week."

Caz reached out and touched Paige's cheek lightly. "We said we'd be here for you, and we meant it. Everything is going to be okay."