Good night, guys! :) I'm back. I told you I would try to publish one chapter per week and I'm making an effort. :D Writing this chapter was really fun, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. :D I apologize in advance for all the mistakes due to the lack of proofreading. I needed to update this ASAP. :) You all seem like enjoying the cliffhangers, right? Get ready! ;)

CaliGrlFoLife: LOL I know I'm making the wait a little bit frustrating, but if you keep asking for more I guess I'm doing a good job, right? Thanks! ;)

Guest 1: Hahaha. Who do you want to kiss who? xDDD

Guest 2: I can assure you they will end up together. Isn't that the purpose of all your suffering waiting for Paige to realize she is totally in love with Em? :D

jofi: You all threaten to kill me, but you need for me to finish the story before doing that, though. LOL

Guest 3: You wanted an update, am I right? ;)

MJ: Just go to sleep when you need to rest, I don't want to ruin your life. xDDD Thank you for your nice words! I bet you'll love this one. I don't know, I have a feeling about it. Muahahaha. :D

Enjoy the chapter, guys!

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

: Chapter 16 – Facing Reality:

Last night was unforgettable. Too many things happened in a brief amount of time and I still didn't assimilate everything. I mean, Emma was really sweet and I guess I owe her an apology because she had to leave because of Maya. Not everything is lost though, I happen to have her number. And what can I say about Maya? I didn't see that coming. She seemed sincere and it was nice talking to her without fighting. It was good for a change. I don't know if people can really change, but I guess I will have to try to at least be nice to her. And to finish the night, the best part of it: Paige. I couldn't sleep at night because all I could think about was her kissing me on the cheek. I know that means nothing, but it meant the world to me. I still blush just by thinking about that perfect moment. I'm exhausted, 'cause I barely slept. And now I have to go to work. That would be really bad news if she wasn't going to be sitting next to me. It's insane that I'm waiting for the weekend to end so I can see her for five days in a row. I think I'm losing my mind.

I get out of my bedroom and walk towards the kitchen with my eyes still partially closed. I need to eat and have a huge cup of coffee if I want to look presentable at work. The bags under my eyes and tired face aren't going to help. I hear someone talking and I open my eyes making a huge effort.

"Good morning, Em! Hanna yells at me. I don't think I need coffee anymore, she is equally effective to make someone forget about the sleep deprivation with one shout.

I frown at her. "What the hell are you doing here? It's six in the morning." I look at my watch and check I am not mistaken.

"I needed to talk about last night. I couldn't wait anymore, so I woke up one hour ago, have a shower and decided to come here."

"Best decision ever," Spencer adds sarcastically, giving her a disbelief look and looking at me after. I can't help but laugh.

"When did you finish working? I thought you had…" She doesn't let me finish the sentence.

"I just got here. I opened the door, got inside and five minutes later Hanna showed up. I had a 12 hour shift with three surgeries. I need to sleep," she begs Hanna, who is extremely happy although the two of us have zero enthusiasm about what's going on.

"I'm excited about last night and I need to talk about it, okay? It's going to be only ten minutes." Spencer frowns at me, making me laugh again.

"Who made coffee and pancakes?" I ask, the delicious smell getting to my nostrils.

"Do you think I have energy to cook?" Spencer teases me. She's exhausted, but she smiles at both of us.

Hanna gets up and brings the pot of coffee and a huge plate full of pancakes. My stomach starts growling. Spencer and I start eating. I realize how hungry we were when Hanna stares at us and grins. We both look at her but don't say a word and keep eating.

"So… Caleb… He's just perfect."

"Are we talking about that Caleb?" Spencer looks at me. We didn't have the change to tell her about last night plan because she's been working non-stop.

"We went out last night. The four of us," I shyly add, remembering how sweet Paige was with me.

"Four?" She raises her voice. "Paige, his brother and you two hanged out?" Hanna nods enthusiastically.

"We went to a gay bar." Spencer spits a piece of pancake.

"Whaaaat? I don't get why. I mean, Caleb went too?"

"The place was cool," Hanna adds. I can't help but laugh at Spencer's face. Last night was odd indeed.

"I don't get how you ended up there, but I won't ask 'cause I know that must be a long story." Spencer takes a sip of the coffee.

"I'm going to the movies with him later." Hanna is really excited and I'm really happy for her. Caleb seems a great guy and they make a perfect couple.

"Well done, Marin," Spencer says with enthusiasm as she pats Hanna's shoulder.

"I couldn't even fall sleep last night because of all the feelings I was dealing with. I think I really like him." It's funny we both had trouble to sleep. However, she got the boy, I didn't get the girl and I won't get her, at least not in this life in which the love of my life is straight.

"That's great, Hanna." I hold her hand and she smiles at me.

"Emily succeeded even more, though," she adds, making Spencer widely open her eyes and shift her attention to me.

"No, I didn't. She's just teasing you," I respond, avoiding their gaze and focusing on the pancake in front of me.

"She flirted with a blonde girl, then Maya showed up and before the night ended she came to the rescue of Paige." She's enjoying this conversation. I'd have preferred if she kept speaking about Caleb.

"Maya?" Spencer asks, ignoring the two other girls.

"That woman is creepy as hell. How did she know you were there?" She's right about that, but that's not the most important thing right now, so I shake my head.

"What did she say?" Hanna questions me.

"It's… She apologized and told me she wants to be part of my life." I hide the fact that she told me she loved me. I don't want to tell them that yet.

"She wants to get into your pants. She already hurt you. Be careful with her, Em," Hanna advises me.

"I think she's really sorry about everything she did."

"I don't trust her, Em. You're too naive and she's evil." If they had seen her sad eyes, they would have a different opinion about my ex. However, I don't want them to think I'm going to give her a chance to be friends. I know how protective Spencer is and she will slam me. I'm not in the mood for that.

"I won't get back with her, guys." They both nod at me, supporting my decision.

"Let's get to the best part of the night. What happened with Paige?" Hanna inquires me, eager to know what happened.

"Nothing happened. Why do you ask? I just went after her because I wanted to know why she was leaving."

Hanna grins at me. "What did she say?"

"She was a little bit mad I was talking to Maya. She's concerned about her, just like you," I admit.

Hanna bursts into laughter. "Come on, Em! She was jealous. Don't you see it?" Spencer doesn't say a word, but she's paying full attention to our animated conversation. "You should have seen her face when you were with that blonde chick. And when Maya showed up… I mean…" She stops speaking and sighs. "I could see the rage in her eyes when you were comforting her."

I didn't see this coming. "You were focused on Caleb only. You couldn't have seen her reaction, Hanna. Perhaps she was mad because she knows Maya made me suffer. That's all, you took it out of context. She cares about me, as a friend," I emphasize.

"I'm a good friend and I analyzer her behavior when you were around that chick and Maya. I know what I saw. She's into you but she's scared. Just give her time."

"Hanna… I don't think you should say that. It's just an opinion." Spencer arches her eyebrows towards Hanna. That's her way of telling her to stop saying those things. She knows I'm hurt because I want Paige so desperately and doesn't want me to have expectations about Hanna's theory.

"Okay. I won't say a word, but…"

"It was a pleasure to share this moment with you, but I'm exhausted," Spencer adds, intentionally interrupting Hanna again. "Have a nice day both of you." She waves at us and disappears.

I look at my watch and realize I'm already late. I go get dressed and ten minutes later we both leave the apartment. We walk in silence till we have to separate to go to work. We say goodbye to each other.

When I get to the hall that leads to my workplace I see Paige leaving his dad's office after slamming the door. She seems furious.

"Morning, grumpy," I tease her. She smiles at me and I feel like my day couldn't get any better. "Is everything okay?" I ask, once we're both sitting in front of the computers.

"Just… my dad," she briefly adds.

"Is it work related? I mean, if it is, I can give you a hand."

"Are you so nice to everybody?"

I nod at her. "Even more to you." She flushes and I grin at her.

"It's only that he doesn't want me to date Jason?"

I frown at her. "Why?"

"He doesn't want me to date any employee. He thinks that might give the impression that person will be given a special treatment. He finds it unprofessional." He's a point. I mean, it doesn't mean that Jason is dating her just because she's the daughter of the boss, but it may look like that. And we all know how people like talking about that kind of gossip.

"Does that mean it's impossible our relationship will ever happen?" I don't smile at her after asking the question, though. I remember Hanna's words and keep a straight face to see her reaction. After a few seconds of silence she finally opens her mouth.

"What… I mean…" she mumbles, unable to finish a sentence. I don't change the expression of my face. "Are you serious?" she nervously asks.

"I was joking, Paige. I know that will never happen, am I right?" She shakes her head and shyly smiles at me. I don't know if I made her nervous because she knows about my feelings or Hanna's theory is becoming a reality. I need to stop thinking about that possibility to avoid disappointments. "What are you going to do about it?" I ask.

"Jason?" she asks. I guess she's still hesitant because of the bomb that I dropped and made her really nervous. "I'm the only one that controls my life," she harshly claims. I love her personality. I only wish she was a little bit braver if Hanna is right about this mess that is affecting me personally.

The day goes by quickly. I concentrate on my work so I don't think about the beautiful woman that's sitting right next to me. 30 minutes before the time of leaving, my phone starts ringing. Maya's name shows on the screen. I hesitate for a few seconds, but I finally decide to accept the call.

"Hey. Is something wrong?" Paige turns her head to look at me. "Okay, I thought something was going on, that's all," I add after Maya tells me she just wanted to talk to me. She seems relaxed and is being nice to me. Maybe people can actually change.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me. Just as friends, okay?" she emphasizes. I know my friends would think this is a bad idea, but I really feel like it. This might be the best way to forget about my other 'issue'.

"Okay. How about two hours from now at that restaurant just around the corner of my apartment?"

"I didn't expect you'd accept my offer. You made my day. I'll see you there then. Bye, Emily."

"See you later, Maya." The moment I say her name, I see Paige abruptly turns to look at me. She's not happy at all.

"So… Maya," she says after I leave the phone on my desk and continue working pretending nothing happened.

"I'm just having dinner with her. I have everything under control. Don't worry about it."

She sighs. "I don't want to have an argument. You're an adult, so do whatever you want to." She is being harsh and overly protective at the same time. I find it adorable that she cares about me, but it also hurts that she doesn't trust my instincts. I don't want to fuck everything up hooking up with Maya again. I'd love to know what is really going on inside her head. She's still a mystery to me.

"Hi. I'm sorry for being late," I apologize to Maya while I pant and try to catch my breath.

Her smile is enough for me to know she's not bothered by my delay. I went jogging and had a shower and by the time I checked my watch it was already time to leave the apartment.

"I'm so happy you're here," she adds, giving me that look that I loved so much. "That beer is for you." She points at the yellow drink that's on the table.

"Thank you. Why?"

"I didn't forget what you like and I know you love beer, Em." She grins at me and I smile her back.

"So, are you hungry?" I ask. I'm starving. Going for a jog always makes me so hungry. I've been thinking about food since I got into the shower.

"I am. I know you are too," she teases me. I guess she realized about that when I started looking anxiously to the menu that was on the table.

"We'll be having two hamburgers with onion rings and fries," I tell the bartender when he approaches our table. He nods at us and heads the kitchen. "I had to prove I know you well too," I joke.

"So, how are handling the change? I mean, leaving Rosewood and coming to the city…"

"Better than I expected. Besides, I'm with you, so that's all I needed," she says flirtatiously. I take a sip of beer so I don't have to respond to that. "I found a job already." She's a financial consultant. "I went to five interviews the first day I got here and two of them wanted me. I chose to work at a really important bank."

"That's great, Maya. I knew you wouldn't have a problem to find a job, though. You have experience and we both know how good you're at it."

She looks me in the eye. "I guess I'm good at work but not in my personal life, huh?" I knew that prickly subject would come up eventually.

"I'd rather not talk about that, if that's okay with you," I add nicely. I don't want to have a discussion now that we're trying to build a new friendship.

She nods at me but I see her sad eyes and I wonder if she's really so into me. I don't understand why she's acting like this when she repeatedly cheated on me when we were together.

"How is work?" She changes the subject and I really appreciate her for that.

"It's good. We're working on many interesting projects and I find it really fulfilling."

"You always had talent," she praises me. I smile at her.

When the bartender brings the hamburgers, we start eating like we hadn't have food for a whole week. We don't even speak. When we finish eating, we both order ice cream. It was like a tradition of ours to finish any meal with ice cream, and traditions are supposed be maintained. When Maya finishes the dessert, she excuses herself and goes to the bathroom. I use that moment to check if Hanna called me, she told me she would to go shopping tomorrow. A voice startles me.

"Emily." I raise my head from the cellphone to look at the woman that's talking to me.

"Paige? What are you doing here?" Caleb is sitting at the corner table and waves at me. I'm in shock. She heard the phone conversation I had with Maya and knew exactly we were having dinner at this place, so this is weird.

"Caleb had a whimsy about getting ice cream and he told me these are supposed to be the best in the neighborhood," she adds, pointing at the little ice cream that I was about to eat. I can tell she's lying. This is not a coincidence. New York City is huge and coincidences like this don't happen often.

"Are you spying on me?" Just in that moment Maya comes back and sneers at Paige.

"What are talking about? Is she stalking you?" Maya asks, her level of cockiness growing.

Paige starts laughing loudly.

"No, she's not. It's just…" I start saying with the intent to calm the storm that's coming.

"She's always around you. She's kinda annoying." That attitude that I hated so much is becoming a reality. Maybe Spencer is right and people don't change.

"Could you just stop?" I raise my voice. Maya stops talking, but keeps staring Paige with rage filling her eyes.

"Could we speak privately?" Paige suddenly asks, making Maya sigh.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" She may took this the wrong way, but I'd rather avoid more awkward conversations.

"It really can't." She looks at me with those sad puppy eyes that weaken me. I look at Maya and stand up, aiming to the front door so we can talk outside. She suddenly grabs my arm to stop me. "It's actually not necessary to go outside." I frown at her. I don't get what she wants, but the grin that emerges on her face makes me even more disconcerted. She looks me in the eye, takes a step further and gives me a passionate kiss that leaves me breathless. "I've been dying to do this all day," she says, a huge smile showing on her lips.

I'm in shock, paralyzed, unable to say a word.

"Go, Paigey!" Caleb cheers from the other side of the restaurant, applauding at the same time.

To be continued…

Stay tuned! ;)