Fighting Fate (Granton University #1)(77)

After last night, so many things were no longer important. All the mental walls she’d thrown up to keep him away had crumbled. All her reasons for staying away felt stupid and petty.

She just wanted to be with him.

Nothing else mattered. Well, nothing except the opinions of two very important people in her life.

When she turned onto the interstate that would take her home, she realized she’d been heading this way all along.

Too many hours later, she pulled into the Hashmans’ driveway. It struck her then that she had no idea if her best friend would be home, or if she’d even want company. But Paige slid from the car anyway. She was already here. She might as well find out.

As much as Kayla had talked about moving out and finding her own place, Paige couldn’t picture her living anywhere else. This house right here equaled Kayla.

Knocking on the front door, she was surprised when Kayla herself answered. “Oh my God! Paige? What’re you doing here? Wha—oh my God, where’d you get a new bruise? And don’t tell me a laundry basket this time.”

Paige managed a weak smile. “Can we talk?”

“Of course. Come in.” Kayla dragged her over the threshold and into the living room. “What happened?”

Paige glanced around, checking for either of Kayla’s parents.

“They went grocery shopping,” Kayla answered her unspoken query. “But let’s go to my room anyway.”

Once they reached Kayla’s domain, Paige bypassed her favorite spot in front of Kayla’s vanity, not wanting to look at all the bruises on her face. She collapsed onto the bed.

“Now.” Kayla breathed out a steadying breath. “Who hurt you and where can I find him?”

Closing her eyes, Paige grinned. “I love you so much.” Nothing else mattered, not who Kayla had kissed three years ago, not who Paige had kissed this morning, not anything. She loved her best friend and needed her.

Kayla sat beside her and smoothed Paige’s hair behind her ear. “And I love you too, sweetie. Now talk.”

“I don’t even know where to start.”

Kayla laughed. “Where else? At the beginning. Duh.”

With that practical advice hanging in the air, Paige rolled her head along the mattress until she was facing her friend. “Do you think it’s possible to forgive someone for what they did and move on as if it never happened? I mean, if it was something so bad it changed your entire life forever, and what they did could never be undone, but you knew they never meant any harm and were sorry for their actions?”

“Wha…” Kayla paused to lick her lips nervously. “What’s this all about?”

Paige closed her eyes. “Logan Xander goes to Granton.”

Kayla cursed long and fluid. “He what?”

“He goes to Granton. And he works with me at The Squeeze. And we’re in the same grief group. And I pretty much see him all the time.”

“Oh, God.” Kayla moaned and clutched her stomach. “He told you, didn’t he? He told you I kissed him that night.”

Wait. Kayla had kissed him?

Paige sat up and stared at her, wide eyed. “He never said that you had initiated the kiss.”

What the hell? Kayla had kissed him?

Kayla squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m so sorry, Pay Day. I…he…” Tears immediately gushed down her cheeks. “I…I…”

Again, Paige reminded herself how much she loved her best friend. Nothing else mattered.

“You were drunk,” she tonelessly echoed Logan’s explanation. But she still couldn’t wrap her mind around this new development. “And he came on strong.”

“He was so nice,” Kayla wailed. “And cute. And Trace couldn’t stop talking about Granton. He was going to leave me behind, and I was feeling s-sorry for myself. Then, suddenly, there was this cute boy flirting with me, and…I don’t know. I wanted Trace to see us. I wanted him to appreciate me more so he wouldn’t leave me.”

Paige covered her mouth as she listened. She could hurt her best friend by telling her Trace had never meant to leave her; he’d wanted to marry her. Or she could let the past stay in the past.

“I never imagined it would end up like that. I never thought they’d fight and Trace would—”

“Hush,” Paige whispered. She wrapped her arms around Kayla and held her tight. “Don’t. It’s okay. I forgave you the night I learned about it.”

“But he died thinking I—”

“No,” Paige cut in sharply. “Enough. It’s over. It’s past. You’re my best friend, and I refuse to lose you over something neither of us can control now.”

Kayla squeezed her hard, her body trembling without any semblance of control. “You’re the best friend I ever had.”

“And you’re mine,” Paige promised her.

Sniffing, Kayla sat back and sent her a watery look of entreaty. “So, you really think you can move past this as if it never happened?”

Paige’s mouth fell open. “Oh! Actually, I wasn’t talking about you when I said that. I…” She began to wring her hands. “Of course I can move on like it never happened with you. I was talking about Logan. I…he…I really like him, Kay Kay. I like him a lot.”