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She’d damaged Matteo. Worse? He allowed her to keep damaging him rather than push forward and forget his past.
His anger and her fear helped her realize it was time to move on. She needed to forget about trying to create something with Matteo and go home. Maybe she was running away. Maybe she was making the wrong step toward her future, but at this very moment, it felt right.
There was nothing left for her here. Her career as a nanny was over. Her so-called relationship with Matteo was over too. It was best that she leave.
Her phone rang as she made her escape on the bus, and she pulled it out of her sweater pocket, her heart lodging in her throat when she saw it was Claudia calling her. She shouldn’t answer.
But she couldn’t resist.
“Paige! What is going on?” Claudia asked the moment Paige said hello. “I see pictures of you and Matteo on some trashy gossip site and they’re saying such horrible things about you. Things I know can’t be true.”
Paige bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Claudia’s conviction in her was reassuring. She could always count on her—too bad she couldn’t count on Claudia’s son. “I know. I’ve seen them all and it’s awful. They’re trying to destroy me.”
“Where are you? Where is Matteo? He won’t answer his phone. Let me talk to him.”
“I’m not with him,” she admitted, her voice small.
“Then where are you?” Claudia paused, and a siren blared annoyingly as a police car raced past. “What is all that racket?”
“I’m leaving, Claudia. I’m going back home.” Paige sniffed, the tears flowing freely now. Again. She swiped at them angrily with her fingers.
“What? You can’t leave. Matteo needs you and so does Matty.” Claudia sounded incredulous.
“He doesn’t believe me. He r-really thinks I had an affair with my f-former employer,” she stuttered, afraid she might sob into the phone.
“Well, did you?” Paige had to give it to Claudia. She had no problem getting directly to the heart of the matter.
“Of course not,” Paige practically wailed, not worried if anyone heard her. Not that anyone on the bus was paying attention to her. “The man attacked me. His wife caught us right in the middle of it and he acted like he was the innocent one.”
“Paige.” Claudia’s voice was the sternest she’d ever heard it. “I’m very disappointed in my son—and in you too. I saw you with Matteo and know that you have his respect and his love. Why are you running away when you should be confronting him? I know my son—he’s stubborn, but he loves you. I know he does. You can’t let it end like this.”
“I have to go. He doesn’t believe me, Claudia. If he doubts me already this early in our relationship, then what sort of trust do we really have?” A quivering breath escaped her and she briefly closed her eyes, praying for strength. She could get through this. She would.
“Tell me where you are, at the very least. Please, cara. So I know that you’re safe,” Claudia said.
Claudia’s concern touched Paige deeply. At least someone thought she mattered. “I’m going to take a bus home. Today, tonight, whenever I can get out of here. I can’t afford a plane ticket.” Well, she could, but she didn’t want to waste her money on one. She much preferred the thought of riding a stinky bus for a few days, processing her thoughts before she arrived home. It would give her time to prepare for the endless questions and speeches that were sure to come.
How she hated being such a disappointment to her parents. To everyone. She’d always been a good girl, doing everything anyone asked of her. Wanting their approval, getting good grades, having nice friends, working decent jobs. Yet for the last year, ever since she arrived in the city, she constantly found herself immersed in trouble.
She didn’t understand it.
“Call me when you get on that bus. Call me when you arrive home. I mean it. I’ll worry about you the entire time.” Claudia did sound terribly distressed, which Paige appreciated more than she cared to admit.
“I will. I promise. Goodbye, Claudia,” she said softly.
“Goodbye, my darling. I—I hate to see you go like this.” She paused. “Are you sure you won’t try and speak to Matteo one more time?”
“I can’t. He’s broken my heart too many times already. I refuse to give him the opportunity to do it yet again. Goodbye.” She ended the call and grasped her phone tight in her hand, staring out the window. Clutching the handle of her duffle bag close with her other hand, she scanned the people who sat nearby, thankful that no one looked her way. She always got a little scared riding the city bus, which was ridiculous. She was such a wimp.
