Chapter 13- Whispers

Paige’s POV

Without waiting for Leah to wake up, I quietly got ready for class.

She’d passed out the second we’d gotten home last night, still mumbling something about Enzo in her sleep. By the time she opened her eyes, she’d have one hell of a hangover.

I made a quick pot of hangover soup anyway, poured it into a bowl, and covered it with a plate.

‘Heat before eating. Drink water. And no more vodka. —P’

I left the note on the kitchen counter beside it. I tugged on a fitted black Henley, slipped into my skinny jeans and sneakers, grabbed my bag, and headed out.

The campus was already buzzing by the time I crossed the courtyard. Students were already rushing between lectures, coffee cups in hand, conversations overlapping into one giant blur.

If being invisible deserved an award, I would’ve won gold at least until recently. Now, wherever I walked, whispers followed me like ghosts.

“…Isn’t that her?”

“The girl Mike dumped.”

“I thought she dumped him.”

“No, I heard Knox Tatum kissed her.”

A week ago, nobody would’ve looked twice at me.

Back then, I was just another law student trying to survive classes. No one knew I was dating Mike except Leah, he had always insisted on keeping our relationship quiet. He’d said he didn’t like people in his business.

At the time, I’d believed him. Now I wondered if he’d simply wanted to keep his options open.

I tightened my grip on my bag and kept moving.

…….

The rest of the day disappeared beneath pages of case law, lectures, and more notes than I wanted to look at.

By the time my final class ended, my brain felt completely fried.

I glanced around the courtyard out of habit.

Leah was nowhere in sight.

Even though we were in different departments, she usually found me between classes just to complain about an assignment, steal my snacks, or drag me to lunch.

I smiled to myself.

Guess the hangover had been worse than I thought.

My phone buzzed just as I stepped out of the building.

Unknown Number- ‘Hi Paige! This is Olivia from The Blue Line Grill. We’d love to have you start today if you’re still interested. Your shift begins at 5 p.m. See you then!’

I read the text three times before it sunk in. A laugh escaped me. I actually got it. There’d been applicants with years of waitressing experience. Compared to them, I barely stood a chance.

A wave of relief settled over me.

The pay was better than I’d expected, the restaurant was only a short walk from campus, and the evening shifts fit perfectly around my lectures.

More importantly, I’d finally have my own income. I wouldn’t have to rely so heavily on the Tatum’s every time I needed money.

I quickly typed back.

“Thank you! I’ll be there by five.”

As I slipped my phone back into my pocket, I couldn’t stop smiling. It wasn’t my dream job. But it was a paycheck.

……….

The Blue Line Grill was tucked between a bookstore and an old cinema, only a few streets from campus. The moment I stepped inside, the smell of grilled burgers and fresh fries filled the air.

“You must be Paige.” A woman with auburn hair smiled as she walked over.

“I’m Olivia.” She showed me around the restaurant, introduced me to the owner, Ray, and handed me a black apron and a small notepad before explaining how everything worked.

The tour took less than fifteen minutes. The diner was quite small and the owner was very nice and welcoming.

“Don’t worry,” Ray said with an encouraging smile. “You’ll pick it up faster than you think.”

“I hope so.”

“You will.”

The first few hours passed surprisingly quickly. A family celebrating a birthday. Two students arguing over lecture notes. A businessman who ordered nothing but black coffee. I was still getting used to carrying more than one plate at a time without dropping anything, but thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as I’d imagined.

By the time I’d cleared another empty table, I was beginning to think maybe I could actually do this.

“Table seven’s free now,” Olivia called from behind the counter.

“Got it.” I grabbed a cloth and wiped the table down before straightening the chairs.

The bell above the entrance chimed.

Without thinking, I glanced toward the door.

My smile faltered.

The last person I wanted to see walked in.