Lauren furrowed her brow. “Is that what you want? Because you’ve offered a few times.”
“No. It’s not what I want. I thought it was what you wanted. I get that this is weird for you, but you’ve been holding me at arm’s length all week, and I want things to go back to how they used to be. If you don’t approve of me going out with Josh, I’ll end it. I just… I just want things to go back to how they were.” And that was really it—she wanted her friends and her support network, and she wanted Josh, and she didn’t see how both were possible.
Lauren sighed. “You want my honest opinion?”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
But Paige wasn’t sure she wanted to hear this. And she wondered if she’d been too defensive. Perhaps she should have stood up for her relationship with Josh more instead of offering to break up, but she’d hated the tension between herself and Lauren and couldn’t help but wonder if all of this could have been avoided if she hadn’t gone out with Josh to begin with.
Lauren stared at her for a long moment with her lips pursed. “It really doesn’t have much to do with you. I mean, it does, because I love you and you’re one of my best friends and I want you to be happy. But Josh is…he’s barely over Megan. Has he talked to you about what happened?”
“He’s mentioned her but hasn’t said a lot.”
Lauren nodded. “I don’t want to betray his confidence, but the short version is that they met in law school, fell in love, and were planning a future together, but once they were facing the real world, it all fell apart, or this is how Josh tells the story. Secretly, I think she wasn’t as serious about the relationship as he was. I mean, I’m sure she cared about him, but he was law school companionship, not a long-term relationship. But Josh didn’t know that, and he was crushed when she ended it. I think she actually got the job in Chicago to put some permanent distance between them.”
“He missed your wedding because he had a job interview in Chicago. I remember you being upset about that.”
“Yup. And he still beats himself up about not being there for me. He didn’t get the job, and he didn’t get the girl, and he was really unhappy for a little while. He’s been better since he started the new job, but I assumed that was because the job was distracting him from what happened.”
“Probably it was.”
“You probably were, too. Which I don’t say because I think it’s a bad thing, but I…I couldn’t stand to see him get crushed again. Megan broke his heart. And you, well, I started picturing him falling in love with you, which of course he’d do, because you’re wonderful. And if things didn’t work out and he got crushed again… Not that I think you’d string him along or anything… Ugh, I’m not explaining this well.”
“You’re being protective.” Paige felt her heart squeeze. “I wouldn’t intentionally hurt him.”
“You say that, but you just started dating. What happens if you break up?”
What indeed? “Believe me, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering about that question.”
“And?”
“And I worried that, if we broke up, you’d choose him over me.”
“Really? You thought that?”
“Yeah, of course. He’s yourbrother. He’s family. So being with him is a pretty big risk. Because if things don’t work out, I lose you and I lose this job that I love. But then some days I think it’s worth the risk.” Paige took a deep breath. “But you’ve been kind of avoiding me all week, so maybe I’m wrong about that.”
“I needed time to process this. And like I said, I worry. About both of you.”
“I know. And maybe you’re right. But I… Well.” Paige ran out of things to say. “I guess I know what I have to do.”
“No, wait.” Lauren’s brow furrowed. “You know what sucks about this? I don’t want to lose you, either. Josh is family, but you are, too. You, Evan, Lindsay, you guys are my family here in New York. I know I didn’t react very well to the news that you and Josh were seeing each other, but it’s only because I want you both to be happy, and this situation could get complicated. I know your luck with romance hasn’t been the best recently, and I hate watching you go through that because I want you to find a great guy. I’m not telling you not to date him, or even how I feel about the two of you together should even matter. But just, you know.”
And Paige did know, or she thought she understood what Lauren was telling her. When Lauren offered a hug, Paige hugged her back.
Customers came in then and ended the conversation, but as Paige got the cat room ready for that evening’s book club meeting, she made some decisions. She wasn’t happy with any of it, but it was the only way she could see to keep her life together.
* * *
“The jury is going to find Bobby guilty,” Josh said as he stood with his boss in a little anteroom near the courtroom. “Jurors number five and seven, the older women? They recognize the bill of goods Bobby’s selling.”
Provost frowned. “I know. Mrs. Rossi’s counsel knows it, too, because he’s still refusing to settle.”
“What if you upped the financial ante? She’s suing for damages to her house, but if Bobby will agree to double that, she might back off.”
Provost chuckled. “Well, Joshua, you are about to get a lesson in where the line is between greed and the principle of the thing.”
That line was apparently somewhere around five million dollars.