wrapped around your finger | paige bueckers

Chapter 6

"Okay, you gotta tell me what's up." Drew remarked, leaning back on the chair with his feet propped up on the table. "You've been brooding all day. Spit it out."

Walking past him, you seized the opportunity to roughly shove his foot, earning an indignant yell from him, "Get your foot off the table, customers eat here."

"It's literally thirty to close, no one's eating here until tomorrow."

"It's still nasty."

Drew shot Aoi a look, as if to say 'you see this shit?'. She gave him a flat stare, before huffing, "I hate to admit it, but it's true that you've been down the whole day. What's up?"

You wiped the counter more aggressively, despite it being spotless, "Nothing."

"You are scrubbing that counter raw, honey."

"Just doing my job."

Drew threw his hands up, groaning, "She's impossible." He then leaned forward conspiratorially, gesturing for Aoi to come closer. She obliged, shifting forward half an inch just for him to loudly whisper, "Something definitely happened at the club with Paige. I bet fifty bucks on it"

You barely stopped yourself from hurling your dirty rag at his face.

Aoi hummed, "I'm not taking that bet, I would lose."

Sighing in defeat, you threw the rag to the side, turning around to lean your hip on the counter. "Yeah, I guess it's about...Paige."

"Fucking knew it–"

Aoi elbowed Drew in the gut, causing the latter to double over. You blinked, unamused, as she gestured for you to continue. You cleared your throat, "I don't know, I guess I kinda hoped I had a shot? It's stupid, I know–"

"Wait, you don't?" Drew lifted his head, seeming to have recovered from the blow to his torso. "Paige was all over you, bro."

"Nah," You shook your head, "She's in this complicated relationship with her girlfriend. Or ex?" You paused, mulling it over. "I don't know what they are actually."

"Sounds messy. Break them up."

Aoi smacked Drew in the arm, causing the latter to curse. "Don't just say shit like that."

"What? Why? Y/n is so much better than her."

"Still."

You raised a brow at Drew, "Weren't you talking about bagging Paige like three days ago? Now you're all supportive?"

He smirked, shrugging, "I don't have a shot. Plus, I met a girl yesterday after you ditched me."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that."

He waved you off, "Don't worry about it. You probably had things to deal with, which you should definitely tell us about right now."

You tried your best to recount the events in a linear order, your brain working overtime to recall certain memories and emotions. The more you spoke, the more you realized that what you had with Paige was barely friendship, mere acquaintances to the long history she seemed to have with Yasmin. There was no competition.

" –she just seemed so in love, you know? She didn't wanna let go." You fidgeted with the hem of your shirt, wincing, "I probably got a bit overzealous with my celebrity crush there, I was in no position to interfere with anything, or even imply I would."

A beat passed, before you tacked on, "She's still a bitch, though."

Drew cackled, as Aoi cracked a smile. You let out a soft laugh of your own, suddenly grateful you have people in your life that would pester you when they sense something's off, not letting you go until you let it all out and feel better. Just talking about it already set your head straight.