Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Showdown (Present)

                                    

                                          
The party was crowded, the music loud enough to make everything feel like a distant hum. Paige had tried to stay away. After everything that had happened, she'd promised herself she wouldn't let herself get caught up in the drama. But tonight, she couldn't ignore it anymore.
She stepped into the room, scanning the crowd, and her stomach dropped when she saw them. Tatum and Kate.
It had been weeks since Tatum had ended things, weeks of trying to move on, of pretending that the betrayal didn't cut deep. But seeing them together-laughing, leaning into each other in that way that once used to be hers-was like a punch to the gut.
Tatum was wearing a soft smile as she whispered something to Kate, and Kate responded with a playful nudge. They were standing close-closer than friends should. And there it was, that thing Paige had known all along but had been unwilling to confront until now: they weren't just seeing each other-they were in a relationship.
Paige had known about the late-night phone calls, the strange excuses, the way Tatum had been distant the past few months. She'd felt it in her bones before Tatum had even said the words. But seeing them together like this made it real.
Paige's breath hitched in her chest. The pain, the betrayal, the anger-it all hit her like a wave, and before she could stop herself, she was marching toward them. She didn't care who was watching or what they thought. All she could see was Tatum, her once lover, standing next to Kate Martin, and everything inside her screamed that this wasn't how it was supposed to end.
Tatum's eyes widened when she saw Paige approaching, her posture stiffening. Kate looked up too, meeting Paige's gaze with a cool, unreadable expression.
"Paige, what are you doing here?" Tatum asked, trying for a tone that was neutral, but it came out shaky.
Paige ignored her question, her voice rising as she stepped closer. "You've been with her all this time. You've been sneaking around, while I was-while I was right here, waiting for you. And now you're just going to stand here and pretend like this isn't happening?"
Tatum opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. It was like she couldn't find the right thing to say. Maybe there wasn't anything left to say.
Kate finally spoke, her voice sharp. "Paige, you don't get to do this. You had your chance."
Paige's eyes shot to Kate, her anger flaring. "Oh, really? This is coming from you?" Her voice was filled with bitterness. "You think I don't know you've been seeing Tatum for months, even when she was still with me? You think I didn't notice you at every game, acting like nothing was wrong?"
Kate didn't flinch, but there was a cold edge to her expression now. "You don't know anything about us," she said, her tone unwavering. "It's none of your business anymore."
Paige felt her chest tighten. "It is my business. I loved her. I trusted her. And she betrayed me."
Tatum took a step back, her voice barely audible as she finally spoke, her words falling flat. "I'm sorry, Paige. I didn't mean for it to happen like this. But I couldn't keep pretending."
The apology, if you could call it that, cut deeper than any words had before. Paige swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. "You couldn't keep pretending? You couldn't pretend to love me for just a little longer?"
But Tatum just shook her head, her face softening with regret. "I never wanted to hurt you," she repeated, but there was no conviction in her voice.
The room felt like it was closing in on her. Paige's heart raced, her emotions a whirlwind of anger, hurt, and disbelief. She had never felt so betrayed in her life, and she didn't know what hurt more-the fact that Tatum had left her, or the way she had done it. The way she had made a choice, without ever giving Paige a chance to fix what was broken.
"You don't get to apologize now," Paige said through clenched teeth. "Not after everything."
There was a long, unbearable silence. Tatum and Kate stood there, looking at her, but it was like they were looking right through her. Paige could feel her anger turning to something worse-emptiness.
Without another word, she turned away, walking toward the door with all the strength she could muster. Her mind was screaming, her heart aching, but she wouldn't let them see her break.
As she pushed through the crowd, the reality of the night set in, each step heavy, like she was walking through a fog of grief. The life she thought she had with Tatum was gone, and nothing-nothing at all-was ever going to bring it back.
She stepped into the cold night air, the weight of the betrayal settling deep in her chest. It was over. And the pain, the anger-it was something she would have to carry with her.
The truth had been laid bare. Tatum had chosen Kate. And Paige had no choice but to let them go.