Page 92 of Special Delivery

Maybe she’s busy.

The next day, there’s still no response. I check my phone after every delivery, triple text her, and still—nothing. By the time I’m done with my shift, I’m jumping out of my skin with the need to see her, talk to her. Not bothering to change out of my uniform, I head straight to her house.

Her car is parked out front, so I march my way to the front door. Just before I ring the doorbell, I consider the possibility of seeming like a lunatic for dropping by unannounced just because she hasn’t responded to a few texts, but it’s too late to turn back now.

My finger presses the doorbell, and the sound rings out. A minute passes with no response, so I press it again. A few minutes later, I finally hear footsteps approaching.

“Paige, hi,” I start to say, before noticing her bloodshot eyes and the mess of her hair. She’s wearing the same bathrobe she wore the first time I saw her, but now it’s riddled with stains.

She turns her head to the side, as if ashamed of me seeing her, which is ridiculous. She’s beautiful, even when obviously distressed.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, her voice hoarse.

“You haven’t answered my texts. And I kind of missed you. Are you okay? Are you sick?”

“No.” I’m not sure what that’s the answer to, but I decide it’s both.

“Can I come in?”

She shakes her head. “Sorry for not answering your texts, but I don’t think we should continue this thing between us.”

My head snaps back like I’ve been slapped. “What do you mean?”

She exhales before glancing up at me. “Are you in a relationship?”

My nose scrunches. “What? No.”

“Why does your real-estate agent seem to think so?”

“Isabelle? You know her?”

She crosses her arms in front of her chest. “She sold me my house.”

Shit. I told her I was in a relationship to get her off my back. “She was showing me houses… and she was coming on pretty strong. Eventually, I told her I was dating someone, so she’d drop it.”

“So you lied to her?” There’s a cool edge to her voice, one I haven’t heard ever since she accused me and my mom of leeching off her dad.

“Yeah, I guess I did. I thought it was letting her down gently. What’s going on, Paige? Why won’t you let me in?”

“Like I said, Ryan, this thing between us is done. I’d like you to leave now.”

“I don’t get it… I like you, Paige. What the hell happened?”

“I said leave.” Her bitter tone seeps into my bones, chilling me from the inside. I might have come here unannounced, but I won’t disregard her wish.

“Fine. I’ll go. But I want you to know I don’t want to go. I missed you, and I want to spend more time with you. I don’t know what the hell happened, but I’ll find out, and I’ll fix it. Okay? I’ll fix it, Paige.”

“I don’t want you to fix it. I want you to leave.” Her voice is now drained of energy, and I realize how exhausted she seems.

Not wanting to upset her further, I take a step back, and she closes the door in my face.

My heart sits heavy in my chest as I take a deep breath before turning on my heel. From the corner of my eye, I notice Linda in a pink skirt suit, standing at the edge of her driveway, offering me an awkward wave.

“Hi Linda.” I wave back.

“Is everything okay?”

“Not sure. You might know more than me.” Her mouth parts at my words, but I continue to my car, determined to get to the bottom of this.