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.“Who told you that?” she demanded.“Never mind that.Is it true or not?”“What’s gotten into you?” Crystal tossed aside the hairbrush.“Oh, very well.It’s true.The network executives said the ratings weren’t growing, and they needed fresh blood.” She grimaced fiercely.“Fresh blood.I know what that means—some young tart with bazookas out to here.That’s all they care about, those damn TV executives.Doesn’t matter if she’s any good at her job as long as she’s under thirty-five.”The bitterness in her mother’s words made Paige reach out and squeeze her hand.“I’m so sorry.But I still don’t understand why you had to rent out this place.It’s not like you’ve ever been short of money.”“Bad timing.Just as I lost my contract, your father took a hit on some investments of his.Don’t ask me the details because I don’t know them, and I don’t want to know.The upshot was, we suddenly needed a lot of money quickly to service the debt.Your father wanted to sell the house, but I couldn’t bear that, so I persuaded him to rent it out for as much as we could get.At the time, I was surprised it got snapped up so quickly, but now I realize why.That Bellamy boy was all too eager to get his hands on my home.” Her mouth became grim again.“But why didn’t you tell me?”“I wasn’t up to telling anyone, and I thought you were still in London.” Crystal played with her heavy rings, avoiding Paige’s eye.She was ashamed, Paige thought with a burst of clarity.That was why she and Dad had vanished.“Your father and I have been staying in a villa in Bali.” Crystal shrugged.“It’s cheap to rent there.”And also far from their usual social circles.“But now you’re back, and your money troubles are over.What happened? Did Dad’s investments come good in the end?”“No, I’ve landed a new contract with Channel Ten.Two years and better money.” Crystal smiled and flicked her fingers through her impeccably groomed hair, once more the polished TV star.“That’s great.” Her mother was difficult and cold at times, but she’d always worked hard, and she deserved a second chance.“I’ll show those pigs they can’t keep me down.Which is why I need my house back.”Paige lowered her gaze.“You heard Owen.He doesn’t want to move, and as long as he keeps paying the rent, there’s no way you can evict him.”“Whose side are you on?”“No one’s.” Paige returned to her packing.There wasn’t much more to do, and then she would be ready to leave.She bundled more possessions into her suitcase, but the silent accusation emanating from her mother was too strong to ignore.“How long have you been sleeping with Owen?”Grimacing at her mother’s bluntness, Paige brushed past to the tiny bathroom beyond.“Only once.” She swept her toiletries into a cosmetic bag, returned to the bedroom, and tossed the bag into the suitcase.“Once too often, in my opinion.Did you really have to sleep with him?”“What’s that supposed to mean?” A pair of sneakers lay on the rug.They were her favorite shoes for cleaning the house.She wouldn’t need those anymore.She kicked them under the bed.“I mean he’s rough and uncouth and you could do so much better.”“So much better?” Heart aching, she turned on her mother.“Like Seth was so much better?”“Seth deceived us both, but next time we’ll be more careful.”“We?” Her head pounded.“I don’t need your help choosing my boyfriends.”“Obviously you do, or you wouldn’t be in this predicament.” Crystal glanced around with undisguised distaste.“Are you all packed? I have to leave—the thought of that lout putting his feet up in my house is giving me ulcers.”Paige pressed her hand against her stomach.If only the pain in her was just ulcers, but it was so much more.It felt like acid stripping her nerves and scorching her heart.It felt like something she’d never recover from.In a moment of weakness, her jaw trembled and moisture prickled behind her eyes.Damn, she wasn’t going to cry.She’d wasted enough tears in her life.She wasn’t going to weep over a man anymore.Gritting her teeth, she zipped up the suitcases and heaved them onto the floor.“I’m ready,” she said.“Let’s go.”…Burronga on a mild autumn Sunday was a mecca for day-trippers.A tourist bus had broken down outside the Red Possum, and traffic was jammed for several blocks.Paige rested her aching head against the back window of her father’s Mercedes.Her father was on his mobile phone while he steered the car.Her mother was talking about something, but Paige didn’t have the heart to pay her any attention.All she could think about was that she’d left Owen and in all likelihood would never see him again.“When we get to Sydney,” Crystal jabbered, “I’ll ring up a few contacts and line up some job interviews for you.”Finally some of her mother’s monologue penetrated Paige’s funk.She lifted her head from the window.“Job interviews?”“Mm-hmm.” Crystal twisted around in her seat to look at Paige.“Don’t worry, we’ll get you sorted out in no time.You’ll stay with us in our hotel suite.There’s plenty of room.” Her gaze roved over Paige, assessing, nitpicking, judging.“First thing to do is get you to my hair stylist.You’ve let yourself go, if you don’t mind me saying so.”Paige inhaled a deep breath.“Actually, I like my hair the way it is, and there’s no need for you or Dad to ‘sort’ me out.I’m doing that myself.”“I beg to differ.Seems to me you’ve been digging yourself into a deeper hole these past few weeks.”Her father sighed, but the phone was still glued to his ear, so Paige figured he was getting impatient about the traffic jam.“Mother, I don’t want you pulling strings just to get me a job.I’ll find my own job, on my own merits.”“What’s gotten into you?” Crystal shook her head in bewilderment.“I’m just trying to help you.You said yourself you’d been desperate to contact me earlier.Well, here I am, ready to do whatever it takes to get you back on your feet.”“I—I appreciate that, really I do, but…” Hesitating, she glanced out the window.They had come to a stop outside Java and Joolz, Ally and Tyler’s art gallery and coffee shop.Inside, the store was bustling, and Ally was wiping down a counter.Paige turned back to her mother.“I’m already back on my feet.I’m over Seth and that stupid video.It’s embarrassing, but it’s not going to stop me from pursuing my career.I want to be more than just a pretty face with good connections [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]