LOVING DAHLIA ( ᴘᴀɪɢᴇ ʙᴜᴇᴄᴋᴇʀs) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 12: Confusing Feelings

After a brief chat with Azzi, Paige was determined to find out what was going on with Dahlia. Something had shifted between them, and Paige couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Dahlia had been avoiding her. Her mind was racing as she scanned the gym, her eyes finally locking onto Dahlia, who was walking briskly toward the exit. Without thinking, Paige quickened her pace, reaching Dahlia just before she could open the gym doors.

Before Dahlia could react, Paige’s hand gently wrapped around her wrist, pulling her to a stop. Dahlia turned, her steel-grey eyes meeting Paige’s intense blue ones. But before Paige could utter a word, Dahlia interrupted her, her voice sharp but wavering. “Paige, let me go. I need to go pick up Sadie,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

Paige frowned, not willing to let Dahlia slip away so easily. She tightened her grip just slightly, enough to make her point but not too much to hurt her. “No, Flower. Why are you avoiding me? Just talk to me,” Paige implored, her voice soft but edged with frustration.

Dahlia’s eyes finally flickered back to Paige’s, but they were clouded with something that looked suspiciously like hurt. She swallowed hard, and before she could stop herself, she snapped, her words bitter and laced with jealousy. “Why don’t you go talk to Leona instead? She seems interested in you. Maybe you two should date. You’d make a cute couple.”

The sting of Dahlia’s words hit Paige like a slap. For a moment, she just stood there, stunned by the sudden outburst. Then, without thinking, she reacted. In one swift motion, Paige pulled Dahlia closer, her arm slipping around Dahlia’s waist, holding her tightly against her chest. Dahlia gasped, her heart racing as Paige’s familiar warmth enveloped her.

“You jealous, Flower?” Paige teased, a smirk tugging at her lips, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. “Because it sure sounds like you are.”

Dahlia’s face flushed, and she shook her head quickly, trying to deny it, but the words wouldn’t come. “I’m not jealous,” she muttered, her voice unconvincing as she tried to wriggle free from Paige’s strong grip.

But Paige wasn’t letting go. She leaned in closer, her breath hot against Dahlia’s ear. “I’m not interested in Leona,” she whispered, her voice sending shivers down Dahlia’s spine. “The only person I’ve got eyes for is a stubborn woman with grey eyes and a sharp tongue.” As she spoke, Paige pressed a soft kiss behind Dahlia’s ear, her lips lingering just long enough to make Dahlia let out a small, involuntary sound from the back of her throat.

Dahlia’s knees nearly buckled at the sensation, her mind racing and her heart pounding. Before she could process what was happening, Paige released her, stepping back with a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. “I’ll give you a call,” Paige said simply, her tone casual, as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn’t just turned Dahlia’s world upside down.

Dahlia stood there, frozen in place, her skin still tingling where Paige’s lips had touched. She watched in a daze as Paige walked away, her confidence never faltering. Dahlia didn’t move until Paige disappeared from sight, and even then, her mind was spinning. She could still feel Paige’s arms around her, her breath against her ear, her lips on her skin.

With a shaky breath, Dahlia pulled herself together and headed to pick up Sadie from daycare. But Paige’s words—and her touch—lingered in her mind, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

Later that evening, after putting Sadie to bed, Dahlia called Carla. She needed to talk to someone, to sort through the whirlwind of emotions that had been stirred up. Within an hour, Carla was at her apartment, armed with snacks and a warm hug.

As they settled on the couch for their impromptu sleepover, Dahlia finally opened up, telling Carla everything that had happened. Every word, every touch, every confusing moment between her and Paige spilled out in a jumble of emotion. And when she was done, her voice cracked, and the tears she’d been holding back finally fell.

Carla wrapped her arms around her best friend, holding her tightly. “Oh, Dahl. You’re falling for her, aren’t you?” Carla said gently, her voice full of understanding.

“I don’t know what to do,” Dahlia admitted, her voice small. “She… she makes me feel things I wasn’t ready to feel. But I don’t know if I can handle this. She’s so… Paige. And then there’s Sadie… I can’t just throw myself into something if I’m not sure.”

Carla pulled back slightly to look Dahlia in the eyes. “You don’t have to have all the answers right now. But you can’t keep running from this either. Talk to her. Be honest with her and with yourself. You deserve to be happy.”

Dahlia nodded, wiping her tears. “I just… I don’t know how to tell her.”

“You’ll figure it out,” Carla assured her, giving her one last squeeze before they both settled into the couch for a movie. But even as the film played in the background, Dahlia’s mind was elsewhere, still replaying the feel of Paige’s lips against her skin.

She had a lot to think about, but one thing was clear—Paige wasn’t someone she could easily forget.

Hi my darlings I hope you guys like this chapter, I'm about to get writers block so if I don't finish this book I'm sorry, don't worry pookies they're tension will be sorted out soon, I'm sorry for a boring confusing chapter.

I wonder who fell first Paige or Dahlia 🤔

XoXo V 💜💜💜