Paige took another long swig from the bottle, barely flinching at the burn as Embry’s voice echoed behind her. “I didn’t want to leave you, Paige! You were everything to me.”
The words made Paige scoff mid-sip. She slammed the bottle down on the counter, the sound sharp and final.
“Oh, please.” Paige spun around, eyes narrowing as she jabbed a finger in Embry’s direction. “Spare me the fcking rom-com monologue, Embry. ‘You were everything to me?’ What the actual fck is that supposed to mean? Because last time I checked, people who mean everything to each other don’t just vanish without a fcking word!”
Her voice dripped with venom, but her eyes? They burned. Embry kept talking—kept making excuses—and with every word, Paige’s grip on the counter tightened. Flights. Phones. Numbers. Paige let out a bitter laugh, cutting her off before she could finish.
“Oh my god, stop.” She put a hand up, mockingly wiping fake tears from her eyes. “My phone broke! My parents changed my flights! I didn’t know what to do! Boo fcking hoo, Embry!” Paige leaned in, her smirk sharp and biting. “You didn’t know what to do? Here’s an idea—anything. Send me a fcking letter. Send a letter to my favorite coffee shop - you at least fcking knew that. SEND A FCKING PIGEON WITH A NOTE. Anything except nothing. But nah, you took the easy way out, didn’t you? Just disappeared. And now you’re standing here, crying like that’s supposed to fix it?”
Paige’s eyes flicked down to Embry’s bare skin, her lips curling in disgust. “And put your fcking clothes on before I make you regret walking in here like that.”
When Embry didn’t move fast enough, Paige stormed past her and grabbed the robe hanging off the wall. She yanked it over her shoulders, tying it with an angry tug before turning back to Embry and shoving her clothes into her arms again—hard.
“Here. Put these fcking on and get out before I call security.”
But just as the words left her mouth, something meaner—crueler—flashed in Paige’s mind. Her lips curled into a smirk, one that didn’t reach her eyes.
“You know what? I have a better idea.”
Without missing a beat, Paige grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts, pressing a button before bringing it to her ear. It barely rang once before the other end picked up.
“Hey, Zane. Get your ass up here. Now.”
She didn’t even give him time to respond before hanging up, her gaze locked on Embry as she crossed her arms. Three minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
Zane stepped inside with the casual swagger of someone who didn’t expect to be walking into a disaster zone. He paused when he saw both girls, his eyes immediately flicking between them.
“Woah, fck. I get a two-for-one deal?”
Paige smirked, running a hand through her damp hair as she stepped toward him.
“No. Just me.” Her voice was sharp, but there was something almost playful in the way she said it—as if she was daring Embry to say something.
Paige turned back, locking eyes with Embry as her smirk darkened. “But this bitch can watch if she wants. Or she can fcking leave.”
And with that, Paige grabbed Zane by the shirt, pulling him toward the couch without so much as a second glance at Embry. She didn’t care. Or at least, that’s what she told herself as she shoved Zane down onto the cushions and started unbuttoning his shirt.
Fck Embry. Fck feelings. And fck caring.
She wasn’t going to let Embry tear her apart again. Not now. Not ever.