First, I needed to find out Paige's last name, then I could try to find an address for her. Asking David was out. He'd figure out that I was up to something as soon as I asked. The solution suddenly popped into my head. Sydney. She would know Paige's last name, and I'd bet anything that she would want in on this too. I definitely didn't want to go confront Paige alone. I didn't have Syd's cell number, but asking for that would be a lot less suspicious than asking anything about Paige.
As for telling David about Paige's visit, I decided to keep that from him. There was no point in upsetting him over it, when I didn't even know the truth yet. I knew that I was risking a lot by not telling him, but I just couldn't handle seeing that angry hurt look on his face again. He was struggling enough with this as it was, and I didn't want to make him feel worse. I let out a deep sigh and nodded to myself, feeling better now that I had made a decision.
A few minutes later, the front door opened and David walked in, still breathing heavy from his run. He smiled at me, his cheeks rosy from the brisk autumn air. "Hi, sweetheart." He came around the couch and leaned down to kiss the top of my head. "You missed a great run. It's a perfect day for it."
"You only have yourself to blame for having to go alone," I told him with a smile. "You're just too good in bed for your own good."
He snorted out a laugh. "Let me shower, then I'll get breakfast started." His smile widened, making his gorgeous blue eyes light up with happiness, and I knew for certain now that not telling him really was my only option. I didn't want to add to his stress or ruin his mood for the rest of our day for that matter. I just hoped I didn't end up regretting my decision.
*********
"Hello?" Sydney said when she answered my call around five-thirty on Monday evening, as I paced back and forth in front of my couch. Getting her number had been exceedingly easy. David was thrilled when I asked for it, he seemed excited that I wanted to cultivate a friendship with her. I told him that I wanted to invite her to lunch with me, which I fully intended to do after I told her about Paige. That bit of truth helped me feel a little better about my deception.
"Hi, Syd," I greeted her. "This is Natalie. I hope you're not busy. I really need to talk to you about something."
"I'm just about to make dinner, but I can talk," she answered brightly. "Is something wrong between David and you?" Her voice became concerned.
I sighed deeply and dove right in. "No, it's about Paige."
"Oh," she said, but her inflection spoke volumes about her ill feelings about the subject. She sounded equal parts concerned and annoyed. It made me feel confident that we were on the same page about David's ex-fiancee. "Is she still trying to talk to him?"
"Yeah," I said irritably. "She showed up at his house yesterday morning while he was out on a run."
"Did you find out what she wants from him?"
"No, she took off before I could ask," I answered, "but something seemed off with her. Was she always nervous and insecure?"
"No," she replied in surprise. "She's kind of flighty, but she was always pretty confident in herself."
I described the entire encounter to Sydney and my suspicions about the bruises that I had seen. She was quiet for a moment, then I heard her let out a deep sigh before she finally replied. "That doesn't sound like her at all. I think you might be right about her being abused."
"That's why I called. I need to find out what she wants from him, and if she really is being domestically abused, then she and her baby need help. As much as I might be angry with her, she doesn't deserve that."
"What does David think of all this?" she asked and a wave of guilt hit me.
"Well..." I began quietly. "I haven't exactly told him any of this. I...I didn't want to upset him more than he already is."
There was another long moment of silence, and I was afraid that she was angry with me until she started talking again. "So what can I do to help?"
"I think we should find out where she lives and go talk to her," I answered as a wave of relief swept over me.
"We, as in you and me?"
"Yeah."
"Count me in," she said with no hesitation whatsoever. "David is a wreck right now, and he's too stubborn and hurt to do anything about this for himself. He'd rather live in denial. I think it's up to us to take care of this for him."
"If you can give me Paige's last name, maybe I can find her current address, so we can go talk to her."
"Her last name is Waldren, but I have a better idea. I think I still have her old apartment address on my phone. I could call the building to see if she still lives there, and if not I can see if she left a forwarding address," Syd suggested.
"You are a genius, Sydney."
"That's what I keep telling Jensen," she replied with amusement. "I can make the call now and see what I can come up with, then I'll call you back."
"Okay, I'll be waiting."
We ended the call and I continued pacing, my nerves running wild inside me. A slight nauseous feeling came over me, and I got a little lightheaded, so I sat down on my couch. I sucked in a few deep breaths until I felt a little better. What was I doing going behind David's back like this? Protecting your man, dumbass. I really didn't see any other option here and Syd agreed, so it couldn't be all bad. My brain continued arguing with my heart, driving me insane, until my phone rang. I snatched it up off the couch cushion next to me.
"Well?" I asked Sydney.
"I've got it," she said triumphantly. "What do you say we both take a long lunch tomorrow and go check the address out."
I let out the breath I'd been holding, then paused at the next crossroads in my plan to help David. Did the ends justify the means? Was risking David's ire worth it? Would his anger, if he found out about it, be enough to threaten our relationship? Was Paige the bigger threat to us here? All that I knew for certain was that David couldn't go on like this. It was slowly ripping his life apart, and I was afraid our relationship would be destroyed right along with it. With that thought, my decision was made.
"Where and when do you want to meet?"
*********
Sydney pulled up to the curb in front of my office building at eleven o'clock the next day. She smiled at me as Maggie and I walked up to her blue Chevy Malibu, then glanced over at Maggie in surprise. She rolled down the front passenger window as I stopped next to her car.
"I hope you don't mind, Syd," I said sheepishly. "Maggie insisted on coming with us."
"Hi," Maggie announced with a wave and a devilish grin. "I'm the best friend. She's not going on this harebrained scheme without me."
Sydney's smile widened as she nodded. "Understood. The more the merrier, so hop in."
Maggie and I climbed into the car. I was feeling a little better about my plan, now that I had Maggie and Syd both with me.
"So, what's the deal with this Paige chick?" Maggie asked, getting right to the point. "What's the dirt between David and her?"
"Well," Sydney began with a frown. "They were together for about two years, and they had been living together for one when she dumped him. She was kind of a flake, but I liked her. I didn't expect what happened between them at all."
"So she blindsided him," I added bitterly, my anger at this woman rising inside me again. I wondered if I could manage to be civil when we talked to her today.
"If there were signs, I didn't see them," Syd said with a shake of her head as she drove. "If David noticed, he didn't mention it. Hell, after the breakup he never willingly talked about her again. Anytime that I tried, he got angry and ended the conversation. At the time, I thought he was being ridiculous. Now that I know the whole truth, I understand how much pain he was in."
I was floored by David's complete and utter denial, and how he had been living in it for so long. No wonder this was tearing him apart. He'd never dealt with his loss, and the wound was just as fresh now as when it had happened.
"He seemed to be dealing with the breakup pretty well for the first week, but then he just went in
to an emotional tailspin that must have coincided with him learning about the abortion." Sydney looked sad as she continued. "He left for the Ukraine about a week after that. I knew that he was just running away from the pain, but he's so damn stubborn. He wouldn't listen to me. I didn't want him leaving with bad feelings between us, so I let it go when he left. I've been worried about him ever since."
We all lapsed into silence after that, while Syd drove us out to the suburbs. We ended up in an upper-middle class housing addition that was filled with large beautiful brick homes that all looked alike. None of them had the character that David's home did. The GPS on Syd's phone led us to a house at the end of a cul-de-sac, and she stopped the car on the street in front of it. It was large and unassuming, with beige bricks and a three-car garage. It was virtually indistinguishable from every other house in the addition. The landscaping was perfect, too perfect. The lawn was so plush, that it almost didn't look real. There was something sterile and untouchable about the place that bothered me and filled me with unease.
"It's like the set of The Stepford Wives, don't you think?" Maggie said as she eyed the house from the back seat. From the way Paige had behaved on Sunday, I had a bad feeling that Maggie was more on the mark than she realized. No one laughed at her attempt at humor, not even Maggie herself. We sat staring at the house for several long moments.
"Maybe we should actually get out of the car?" I finally blurted out. I opened the passenger door, and the movement set us all into motion. The other two followed suit, and we ended up standing on the sidewalk staring at the house again.
"This doesn't look like a place that I could ever imagine Paige living in," Sydney said with a frown. ""It's a cookie-cutter nightmare here," she added as she eyed the other homes nearby.
"Come on," I said as I dragged the other two with me up the sidewalk toward the house. We stopped in front of the massive front door, and I sucked in a breath for courage, before finally ringing the doorbell.
A few moments later, the door opened slowly, and Paige stood there in the doorway. She looked terrified and cowed, the bruising on her face more evident without any makeup on. She was wearing yoga pants and a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing more bruises. She looked at me in surprise and confusion, then recognition flashed across her face as her eyes fell on Sydney.
"Sydney?" she asked incredulously.
"Hi, Paige," Syd said quietly as she focused in Paige's face and frowned. She must have noticed the bruising too. "Can we come in and talk?" Paige glanced behind us with fear and worry on her face, then nodded reluctantly as she stepped aside to let us in.
We followed Paige through the living room. It was just as sterile and devoid of warmth as the outside of the house. She led us into a large kitchen, filled with high end appliances. The room was spotless, just like the rest of the house. There was a mop and bucket sitting off to one side. We must have interrupted her while she was cleaning.
"Have a seat," Paige mumbled as she gestured toward the kitchen table nearby. "Do you want something to drink?"
"No, we're fine." I shook my head as I watched her standing there wringing her hands and her eyes darting around the room. It was hard to feel anger toward someone who looked terrified and broken like this. Syd, Maggie, and I sat around the table, the discomfort of this situation hitting all of us. No one knew what to say first as we watched Paige sit down across from me. She sat there staring at her clasped hands in silence, and seemed to be shrinking into herself as I watched.
Finally, I couldn't take it. "Why are you harassing David?" I blurted out tersely, my irritation getting the better of me. Her eyes flew up to meet mine, shame and guilt flashing across her face.
"I...I..." Paige stammered out as she leaned back away from me. "I j...just wanted to talk to him." Her voice was almost a whisper, and she looked at Sydney helplessly.
"Haven't you hurt him enough?" Syd asked sternly. She wasn't the ally Paige thought she was. Syd's underlying anger bubbled up into her eyes. Paige looked to Maggie, who crossed her arms and glared at her. Her eyes moved to her hands again.
"I w...wanted to apologize to him." Her voice came out in a quiet defeated tone; her shoulders slumping down. "What I did to him was unforgivable, but I needed to try." A few tears started tumbling down her cheeks, but I refused to let it get to me. I wanted answers.
"Really?" I asked in anger. "Over a year and a half later, and now you feel bad enough to apologize."
Instead of defending herself, Paige began to sob. The three of us glanced at each other, unsure what to do now.
"If it makes you feel any better. I've gotten what I deserved," Paige forced out as she cried, her shoulders shuddering with deep painful sobs. What the hell did she mean by that? My eyes were drawn down to where she was fiddling with her engagement ring, and realization hit me. Her fiance was hitting her, and she thought that she deserved it for what she had done to David. This situation was even more messed up than I thought it was. My anger with Paige evaporated. No matter what she thought, no one deserved that.
"How long has your fiance been hitting you?" I asked her gently. Her face flew up in surprise.
"I...I don't what you're talking about," she mumbled in denial, her eyes wild and fearful.
"Paige," Sydney said with sympathy in her tone. "Where did you get those bruises on your face and arms?"
Paige shook her head in denial, and shoved her arms under the table to hide them. "You need to leave now," she blurted out. "Aiden expects the house to be clean when he gets home, and I need to finish mopping."
"Why aren't you at work?" Sydney asked her quietly. That was a good question.
"Not that it's any of your business, but Aiden doesn't want me to work while I'm pregnant. He said it was best for the baby." Her speech sounded rehearsed and trite. "You need to leave so I can get back to work." She rose from the table and started unrolling the sleeves of her shirt to cover her forearms with jerking movements. We had already seen her injuries, and I didn't know who she thought she was fooling beside herself.
"Paige," Syd continued in a soft tone. "Do you need help?"
"No," she said curtly, but I saw the terror in her eyes. "Please leave now."
"Come on," Maggie said in resignation as she stood. "She doesn't want us here, so let's just go."
Syd and I rose from the table to follow Maggie out of Paige's house. There was really no point in forcing the issue now. We knew what was going on here, but she chose to deny it. That just proved how terrified she was of this Aiden guy. I was grateful that he wasn't here right now. If he was as controlling as he sounded, who knew what he'd do to her if he knew we were here right now. We made it to the front door, and Sydney paused to look at Paige one more time.
"Paige," she said with deep concern in her eyes. "Do you still have my number?"
"Yes." Paige nodded.
"If you need help, you can call me anytime."
Paige looked nervous and stared at the floor. "Thanks for stopping by, but I really need to get back to cleaning the house."
Syd stared at her with pursed lips for a moment, then let out a deep sigh. We left without another word and went back out to the car. The silence in the vehicle was deafening as we sat in shocked silence.
"Now what the fuck do we do?" Sydney asked out of nowhere.
"How can we help someone who doesn't want it?" Maggie added.
"I don't know," I answered to both of their questions. The logical part of my mind told me just to let this go and forget about it. It really wasn't my problem anymore. However, the emotional part of me wanted to help this poor woman, even if she didn't want it. Whether she would admit it or not, she and her baby needed help desperately. Both of their lives were at risk here. If this Aiden guy had no qualms beating on his pregnant wife, what wouldn't he do? What had I gotten myself into?
*********
I still hadn't figured out what to do about Paige by the time David picked me up Wednesday evening to go to Jensen and Syd
ney's for dinner. When I answered my door, I got a heaping dose of guilt to tack onto my indecision. No matter the reasons or what I told myself to justify my actions, I was keeping secrets from the man I loved, and it was a heavy burden.
David gave me a huge sexy grin as he walked into my apartment, dressed in jeans, a sweater, and a distressed charcoal jacket. Now that it was November, the temperature had dropped enough to warrant extra layers. To distract myself from my guilty conscience, I admired his ass as he bent down to pick up George, who had rushed up to him immediately, chirping out his demands for attention.
"Hey, big guy," David murmured to the giant cat as he cradled him like a baby in his arms.
"He missed you," I told him with an affectionate smile. "He's been yowling at night looking for you."
"Really?" David asked as he glanced up at me, his smile widening.
"Really," I answered as I stepped closer to him. "But not as much as I missed you." My voice lowered seductively. I hadn't seen him since Monday morning, and seeing him instantly made my body long for his. He lowered a disappointed George to the floor and gathered me into his arms. I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck and breathed in his scent. David never wore cologne, and he didn't need it. Just his scent alone was always enough to make desire burst to life inside me. "You smell good," I whispered as I pressed my face into his neck. I nuzzled his skin with my nose, the hairs of his scruffy beard tickling one side of my face. I pulled the collar of his sweater aside, and placed a soft kiss to the spot where his neck and shoulder met, then nipped at him with my teeth.
David made a noise deep in his chest and tightened his arms around me. "Natalie," he groaned out. "Stop torturing me, we don't have time for this." His arms didn't move from around me though, so I continued kissing and biting his neck. I could feel his arousal growing against my pelvis, and suddenly being late for dinner didn't sound so bad to me. David's hands slid down to my ass. He gripped me tightly, and ground his erection into me with a low possessive growl.
You Are My Love: Breathless Book 2 Page 11