Chapter Text
Paige sighed as the cab went through the streets of London. It was raining, surprise, surprise; it was March, after all, it was practically the default setting for Spring in England. It simply seemed all the more cold and wet as she had spent the previous two weeks in LA sorting the last of everything needed to turn her book series into a movie. They wanted her there for that, the production team had plans they wanted her to look over with them. The last book was due to be released before the film was completed and they wanted to know how to end it. So with NDA’s, quiet meetings and hard work, she had sorted everything. It was a long and tedious time but it would be worth it in the end, or so she told herself ad nauseam when she was suffering jetlag and repeating herself constantly to people.
She looked at the ring on her hand, the diamond gleaming in the streetlights as she passed them, causing her to smile. She thought of Derek as the car made its way closer to her home. He liked to relax for a period after cooking dinner and watch TV or play the PlayStation before going to bed early. He worked odd hours, part-time, a mix of days and overnights but it meant that she could focus on her books when he was gone and enjoy his presence when he was home. Her income meant he could work sporadically whilst going back to college to get a degree, something she had assisted in, wanting him to achieve the goals they had spoken of in their early courtship. With her book deal, she bought a beautiful two bedroomed home in Archway, a solid investment as the area had been cheap when she bought but had been on the up since. All this allowed them to maximise their home and work/study life as best they could when she suggested he move in with her. The wedding had been set back because she wanted to get the last book sorted but as she was on the home-straight for that, she had started paying for different things for the wedding; the dress, deposit for the reception, it was all coming together.
The car came to a halt outside the address she had given and seeing the dim lights of a lamp downstairs, she frowned. Clearly, Derek was on an overnight shift and had let the light come on automatically on a timer. She had hoped he would be home, with two weeks without him, she felt somewhat in want of her significant other, as she had hoped they could spend the evening in bed, getting reacquainted after their forced time apart. Sighing, she paid the cab driver, took her suitcase and dragged it up the steps. She went in and frowned when she was not greeted by the warning to deactivate the alarm, she threw her eyes up. More than once she had argued with Derek about putting on the alarm when leaving for safety reasons, and that was in the last calendar month alone. She put her keys in the bowl, locked the front door and dragged her bag to the utility room to put her clothes for a wash, she rather do it now and not face it the following morning. Weary, she contemplated just ordering a takeaway and going to bed soon after but knowing that she would appreciate it far more the next night watching TV, she instead went to the freezer and took out some lasagna she had frozen, just for convenience. She walked into the kitchen and placed it in the microwave, the appliance beeping as she pressed the different buttons before the hum of it working sung throughout the room. Deciding to treat herself, she turned and went to the glass cabinet and reached for a wineglass, pausing for a moment when she realised there were only two rows of glasses and not an incomplete three since she and Derek had caused the set to lose one the previous Christmas when they celebrated his asking her to marry him by being amorous on the sitting room couch. Frowning, she looked around and realised there were a few things she should have noticed when she came in.
Derek’s phone was charging on the countertop. That told her he was home but it was only eight in the evening, surely he had not crashed out at such an hour, she thought. She walked into the living room and her stomach clenched, her body temperature seemed to shoot up several degrees at once and she felt her hairs stand on her skin.
There were the two missing wine glasses from her cupboard, as well as a black coat from A/Wear she had seen on a mannequin only a month previous that she had thought to perhaps purchase herself, knowing that Spring in England was as likely to be cold as it was wet or dry or warm, she inhaled deeply, noting the shake in her breath as she did so. All of a sudden, the idea of wine or dinner didn’t seem so appetising. She took the two glasses and brought them into the kitchen, placing them by the sink. They had been a gift from her brother when she moved in. He had been there to help her that weekend, Derek had been out of town, and they sat back and admired their handy work with a bottle of wine in paper cups, both siblings laughing at the lack of glasses of any manner in the house, as a result, he went and bought her a set. There was never a time she looked at them without smiling at the memories they invoked with her and her brother, until now. They had two sets of glasses in the house, the cheaper ones and her favourite for special occasions, for Derek to use her good ones, that stung.
Looking at the microwave, still rotating her meal around, she decided to have a tea instead. She went and made it, slowly stirring as she thought of what was going through her mind. The clang of something hitting the floor above her caused her to be forced to say to herself what was occurring in her home at that moment. The sensation of dread grew within her as she did so but she remained where she was and continued to make her tea, noting that Derek didn’t even have the decency to get full-fat milk for her supposed return the following day like she had requested, in fact, there was nothing she had asked for him to get in the house and she very much doubted he had planned to rush out and get it in the morning, especially if his lady friend remained for the night, surely he would have been more concerned with organising everything for her return to prevent her getting suspicious. She had asked specifically would she order a Tesco delivery or something but no, he said he would get everything, yet here she was, without even a Viennese biscuit to have with her tea as her relationship crashed to Earth above her. There were a few more noises before she focused on the clink that occurred every time her teaspoon hit the side of her cup. In the end, even the sound of that caused her to feel irritated. With her tea in hand, she sat and she waited.
How long Paige sat there, she was not entirely sure. The microwave had declared that time was up and to retrieve her meal, the tea was half drunk, the rest cooling as she sat there, on the stool, facing the hallway, unsure of what she was even waiting for when the door upstairs opened and she heard footfalls go through the landing of her home before descending the stairs. Inhaling deeply, she prepared for the oncoming conflict. A moment later, a very startled looking woman wearing only a pair of panties and an open shirt belonging to Derek was looking at her. “Oh...I...Paige, right?”
Paige could only scoff at the woman knowing her name and acting so nonchalantly. “Yeah, Paige.” She confirmed coldly. “And you are?”
“Nicola, I’m Derek’s girlfriend. He told me all about you. He said that you were in flitting between France and Canada for work. Where in France are you based, I studied in Lyon.”
Paige had been prepared for a lot of different interactions with the woman that would be in bed with her fiancé, she was not prepared for this particular one though. “I...I’ve never been to France or Canada.”
Nicola looked at her in confusion. “I...why would Derek say otherwise? He has that picture of you two and your brother Phillip on his phone?”
“Phillip is his brother, yes. And I am sure the picture you are referencing was from his thirtieth, but…”
“Love, what are you up to down there?” Came Derek’s voice from where Paige suspected to be the bedroom door.
“I’m talking to your sister.”
“Sister?” She wanted to laugh at the sheer confusion in Derek’s voice at Nicola’s comment. A moment later, he descended the stairs and turned to see who she was referencing. Seeing Paige, he physically stepped backwards. “I…”
“I think you’ve been caught,” Paige completed the sentence for him. “And in spectacular fashion.”
“Paige…” He stepped forward towards the kitchen, wearing only a pair of boxers. “I can explain.”
“I very much doubt it.”
“Look, I know that this is not ideal for a first meeting but it’s not that bad really, is it? I mean, you’re around my age, you know how odd meeting family can be, surely, it could be worse if your Mum was here too,” Nicola asked, trying to defuse the situation.
Paige looked at the other woman, the one she loathed entirely as she awaiting Derek to come downstairs but at that moment, she realised that Nicola was genuinely ignorant as to the significance of the situation.
Derek seemed to realise also and stepped towards Nicola. “Why don’t you go upstairs for a moment while I deal with this, okay?”
“I think she deserves to know the truth too, Derek. Don’t make any more of a fool of her,” Paige suggested to him. She toyed with the ring on her hand before walking forward and handed it to him. “I think it is safe to say I don’t need this anymore. Hopefully, it will get you a deposit on a new place to live.”
“Oh, God.” It was at that moment that Nicola realised all was not as she had been made to think it was as she watched the ring go into Derek’s hand.
“Paige….” Derek walked towards her. “It was an accident.”
“I am not sure what constitutes an accident to you, Derek, but fucking another woman, having her believe she is your girlfriend while your fiancée is working on getting everything sorted so we could have a nice wedding is definitely not an accident in my eyes. There is no way what you did constitutes such.”
“You…” Nicola looked at Paige in shock.
“That picture you saw, of him, myself and Phillip, he lied. I assume he forgot to change his screensaver and came up with that story to placate any worries you may have had. I’m not his sister, I was his fiancée.” She looked at Derek. “Get your things, and get out of my home.”
“It’s my…”
“I bought it, the mortgage is in my name.” Her voice was sterile and even. “Get your things and get out of my home.”
“Paige…”
“Now, Derek.”
“But I can’t get everything now.”
“Then enough for the night then, I will have the rest outside the door for you at noon tomorrow. And don’t you dare waste time arguing, Mark’s on his way.”
Derek swallowed. Paige was slight enough at a mere five foot six but Mark was somewhat more sturdy built at six foot three and, as Paige often joked, the same in width. He had played rugby in school and could have gone professional but his passions were another path and he left it in school. He still worked out and was formidable looking. He had joked to Derek before that he would crush him if he hurt his sister, Derek did not want to test that threat. “Nicole.” He went to take the other woman’s arm but she pulled away from him.
“So what, you cheat on her, she says get out and you think I will take you? You lied to me.” Her hurt was more vocal than Paige’s. She turned and faced Paige, who was looking at her stoically. “I am so sorry, I swear, I never knew. He never said. If I had known...”
“You didn’t, I can’t blame you. I want to. I want to be angry with you but you didn’t cheat on me, he did. But thank you and I’m sorry he hurt you too.”
Nicola nodded slightly, startled at Paige’s consideration for her in all of it. “I...I better get dressed.” She turned and walked up the stairs leaving Derek and Paige alone.
“Paige…”
“I don’t want to hear it.” She stated. “I gave you everything I had, Derek, time, effort, me, money to help you achieve your goals, and you throw it all back in my face. How long?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I didn’t ask did it matter, I asked how long?”
“A couple of months.”
That stung. “Is she the only one?”
“Yes.” She stared at him analytically. “No.”
Paige nodded slightly. “I mean it, get what you need and get out. Noon tomorrow, your things will be outside, Mark will be inside here with me and I don’t want to hear or see you again.” She stated before shaking her head. “What did I do wrong, why?”
“You’re always so busy. Books, LA, movies, book tours, writing, you spend more time writing than with me.”
“It’s my job to write, Derek. This wasn’t news to you. I had ‘The Swords’ published when we met. We met because of it. You asked me how much work I did for my books before you even asked me out. I worked my writing around your work schedule, taking into account your overnights to do so.” He gave a slight glance to the side. “You didn’t work overnights, did you?” He said nothing. “You...that long?” She thought of the day he told her he was taking some night shifts at weekends so to assist him through his course financially over a year ago. She had been somewhat upset that it meant they would rarely have a weekend night together anymore, but she had accepted it as she thought that he had accepted her work schedule.
“I am too young to sit in on Friday nights watching documentaries and reading like some old fart.” He argued. “You’re too boring, even the sex is boring, you don’t even try to spice it up.”
His words felt like sharp daggers to the stomach, but Paige stayed strong, not wanting him to see the hurt. “Then why stay? You would have been far happier as a single man, why stay, why ask me to marry you?” He didn’t answer. In her heart, Paige knew. “I was just a financier to you, wasn’t I, an ATM? Use me to fund life and get your kicks elsewhere.” She huffed slightly. “Fine, bigger fool me.” She heard the sound of shoes upstairs. “I said no shoes upstairs, is there anything you respected while you acted as you did?” Again, no answer. “Unbelievable.”
Nicole descended the stairs looking shameful as Derek went up without a word. “I’m sorry, again. I never would have…”
“It’s not your fault, you don’t owe me an apology. The one who does has remained silent.” She indicated to the kettle. “Tea?”
“I…?” Nicola looked at her in bewilderment.
“It is too late for a bus and a cab will be a bit so how about some tea while Shitbag gets going and then we get you home safe and sound.”
“You really don’t hate me?”
“I hate what happened but I can’t hate you, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. You thought you were in a loving relationship too.”
“I thought it was weird, his work schedule, how we usually came to mine but it’s far smaller and I have a roommate. It’s clear now, he was avoiding us coming here to keep us away from you.”
“Most likely, yes. My schedule is messy at best.” Paige acknowledged as she boiled the kettle.
“How are you so calm? I feel like Hell.”
“I will probably break down crying when I am by myself or when my brother comes.”
“Does he live close by?”
“Oxford.”
“So he won’t be too long.”
“I will contact him when Derek is gone.”
“I thought you did already?”
“If he came while Derek was still here, I would be trying to prevent a guy nearly twice my size from murdering the man I just found out cheated on me, more than once. I don’t think I would be overly inclined to stop him.”
“Me either.” Nicola agreed.
The pair said very little as they heard the footsteps above them and the sound of different wardrobe doors and drawers slam closed.
“You’d swear you just said you found someone else and wanted him gone, not the other way around,” Nicola commented.
“Yeah, mature, he is not being.” Paige agreed.
Not long after, Derek walked down the stairs, a suitcase in hand and looked at both women for a moment. “I…”
“We don’t care. Have a nice life, Derek.” Paige walked forward and opened her front door. “Mark is just getting some takeaway in Mario’s so I would be hurrying up if I were you. He’s not best pleased.”
“My PlayStation…”
“MY PlayStation. I bought it, my card is the one on the account, I bought the games. I am not giving you any more money. It was meant to be for my loving fiancé, you lost the right to anything I bought here. If you want it, you can buy it off me, a hundred and fifty, if not, fuck off.”
Derek said little else as he walked out the door of the house, but Paige was certain there was an utterance of the word “Bitch” as he did so but she left it go. She only wanted him to leave. When his cab beeped to inform him it was there, she closed the door, not even waiting for him to get into it.
“I will call mine now.” Nicola took out her phone.
“I can drive you if you want. It’s not safe at this hour.” Paige offered.
“I have ruined your evening enough at this stage.”
“You ruined nothing, you never knew. Please, let me bring you home. I don’t like the idea of leaving anyone out alone. Give me a second to contact my brother, he can be on his way while I bring you.”
“Okay, sure. Thank you.” Nicola gave a weak smile.
Twenty minutes later and with a promise that Mark had his girlfriend Fiona with him and they were on their way, Paige indicated out into traffic again after leaving a grateful Nicola to inform her flatmate of her eventful evening and head back to her home, grateful that Fiona said that she would deal with Paige’s bedroom so she did not have to clean her bedsheets after everything.
Within the hour, Paige was in a hug from her brother who insisted on forcing her to eat. All the time she ate, she swore to herself she wouldn’t allow herself to be made a fool like that again.