Sixteen

 

Enzo

 

 

“What did she say, Cal?” I'm anxious, desperate even. Something is really wrong. Callie took a weird call from Paige and she's been trying to call her back for the past few minutes.

“Shit, she won't answer me!”

“Baby, calm down.”

“Don't tell me to calm down, Hudson. Something happened to her. I could hear it in her voice. And there's a reason she called me and not Della. She knew Del would tell Freddy. So whatever happened to her, she doesn't want him to know. And by the way, she slammed the phone down, I'd say she doesn't want you to know either.” She says to me. I narrow my eyes. “I asked her why she wasn't fucking the night away with Mark.”

His name and the thought of him touching Paige like that is like a knife twisting in my gut. I hate that fucking cunt!

“What did she say?” My brother asks.

“Nothing, she must have heard Enzo's voice and put the phone down. I need to get over there, Hudson.”

“I'm coming with you.”

“No, you're not!” She snaps at me. She's right in my face all of a sudden. “If he's hurt her, I'll kill you!”

“The fuck?”

“You think we don't know about you two? You think we don't know you've been screwing her and then dumping her because you're too fucking chicken shit to actually be with her?”

I roll my shoulders and push my hands into my pockets. Of course, I knew people would work out what had been going on between Paige and me, I'm not stupid. No, I am stupid, I never should have touched her. I knew that yet I couldn't stop myself. The more I had of her the more I needed. And it was just never enough. It will never be enough.

“She wouldn't have even been with that man if you'd have just told her how you feel.”

“Enzo, please tell me you didn't.”

I roll my eyes at my brother. I don't need this right now, I need to get to Paige. “We don't have time for this right now, Sonny. I need to get to Paige. And save your breath, Callie, I'm going.” She huffs but follows me along with my brother.

We get to Paige's faster than anticipated but slower than I'd like. I'm about to knock when Callie grabs my arm, she has a key. Hell, I have a key but not with me. Paige gave it to me a couple of weeks ago when I insisted that she did. I needed to make sure I could get to her should she need me.

Fuck me, she needed me tonight, dammit!

Callie opens the door, it's dark inside. “Paige!” She calls. “Paige, where are you?!” She waves her hand behind her, indicating for Hudson and me to hang back. I don't wanna hang back I want to run through the house and find her. She has to be here! “You guys check down here, I'll look upstairs.”

“I don't think she's here, bro.”

“She's here.” I look down at my feet, there's evidence of a struggle, blood on the floor. “Somebody's hurt, there's blood on the floor.”

“Hudson!” Callie screaming my brother's name sends my blood cold.

We both run up the stairs and into the en suite bathroom in Paige's bedroom. My heart sinks to my feet. I feel like all the air has been knocked out of me. My lungs feel tight, too tight for me to breath.

Paige is slumped against the bath. Her head buried in her knees, her arms around her shins, her hair a mess, blood dripping down her hairline. She's barefoot, her hands have cuts on them, some of her nails are broken, evidence of her fighting back, and her dress is a mess.

What the hell happened to her?

I watch in shock as my brother and his wife talk calmly to Paige. I can't cope, my heart is breaking inside my chest. This happened because we argued, because she felt like I was using her, that I didn't want her, that I didn't even find her attractive. I should never have touched her, she was safer when I didn't. But I can't deny my heart any longer.

I can't let this take me under, even though I'm going to kill that son-of-a-bitch. I need to be there for Paige, she needs to know that I love her. My god, I love her.

“Sweetheart, tell me what he did to you.” Callie's voice is soothing but Paige is shaking her head.

“Paige?” Her head shoots up and again the wind is knocked out of me. What the fuck did that bastard do to her? Her face is a mess, she has a huge black bruise on her cheek, her lips are swollen and her eyes are puffy, but I suspect that's from crying so hard. She looks so shocked to see me.

Her lip quivers, her eyes so full of tears and I'm trying so hard to hold mine back. I get to my knees in front of her. I cup her face and she bursts into tears. My brother scoots out of the way and I pull her into me. She clings to me, her face buried in my chest as she cries. “I'm gonna take her to the hospital. Take your wife home.”

“I'm going with her. There's no way on earth I'm leaving her. You go home. You're no one to her now!” This bitch is fucking pissing me off big time!

“No, please!” Paige pulls on my jacket. I turn my eyes to her. “Please don't leave me.”

“I'm not leaving you. Not for a second, I promise.” I lift her into my arms as I get to my feet. “You have your answer. Go home or come with us, Callie. But I'll thank you to keep your mouth shut about what I feel for Paige because you have no idea!”

I don't give her chance to respond, I walk out of that house and place Paige in the passenger seat of my car. She winces, but I kiss her head letting her know I'm here for her.