I forced my own anger to one side and plonked myself down into the sand next to Wednesday. She had her knees tucked up under her chin and she was hugging onto them for dear life. It was chilly out too, but I guessed the way she was shivering probably had more to do with her situation and less to do with the weather. I still draped my jacket over her shoulders to warm her up. I hated seeing her suffer in any way, even if it was from just a chill to her bones. Her days of pain and discomfort were over as far as I was concerned.
“So, the talking… was that a one-time thing, or can you talk to me now too?” I mirrored her body language and hugged my knees to my chest. She sighed and turned her head to look away from me.
“No. I… I…” She sighed with such despondency it made my heart hurt. “I’m trying.”
Her voice was quieter now. A gentle whisper over the breeze. It was just how I’d imagined her voice to be. Like a song that made your skin tingle; pretty, with depth and tone. The kind of voice that, even when whispered, made people want to listen.
“No need to try. Just do what comes naturally.” I leant closer to her and had to stop myself from pulling her into me for a hug. “I’ve got all the time in the world.” And I meant it too. I’d wait forever for her.
“I… thank you.” She turned to face me, and as she spoke, she covered her mouth with her arm. It must’ve been some kind of nervous thing, but I didn’t want her to hide from me. Not ever.
“You don’t have to thank me for anything.”
“Yes… yes, I do. You… you saved me.” I could see the tears welling up in her eyes and I reached over and wiped one away as it rolled over her cheek.
“I think we saved each other,” I whispered back, feeling my heart burning for this timid little warrior. Who knew a tiny little dark-haired beauty could floor a six foot hulk like me and turn me into jelly? “I’ll forever be grateful for the day I met you, Wends. I didn’t even realise I was lost myself until I found you.” I shifted around until I was facing her and narrowed my eyes. “Which brings me to my most important question. What exactly is your name?”
She chuckled and raised her head from behind her arm.
“Shall I give you a clue?”
“Ooh, a game. I like games.” I nudged her elbow with my own. “Give me the first letter.” I felt like I was about to discover the winning lottery numbers or be dealt a shit-hot hand at poker.
“It’s P.” She grinned and looked down at the sand, all coy.
“P… hmm, let me think. Penny? No, okay, Pippa?” She smiled and shook her head.
“Pam? Pat? Patsy? Pearl? Is it also the name of a flower, like Poppy or Petunia?” Still more head shaking.
“Philippa, Philomena. Shit, its Phyllis, isn’t it? If it is, we can always change it to Wednesday. No wonder you didn’t want to tell me your name if it’s Phyllis. No offence to any Phyllis in your family that you might’ve been named after, by the way. Shit, I’m waffling now.”
She threw her head back and laughed. I loved it when she did that.
“I’m not a Phyllis or a Pam.” She smirked at me like a little devil, and I suddenly felt the urge to put her over my knee and spank her. “Do you really want to know?” It felt like she was flirting with me, and I liked it.
“More than I want my next breath.” I placed my hands over my heart and gave her my sexy but sincere look.
“It’s Paige. My name is Paige.”
“Oh my God. How did I not guess that? Of course your name is Paige, it’s perfect.Youare a blank page, Paige.”
“Oh Lord, here we go.” The cheeky little minx rolled her big brown eyes at me, but I wasn’t finished yet.
“Your future hasn’t been written yet, but we’re going to fill each page, Paige; fill it and rewrite your story. Shit, I’m gonna have so much fun thinking up new jokes that I can tell using your name. Please tell me your surname is a number like seven or eleven.”
She frowned, so I carried on.
“Your mum and dad were such big readers that they named you after their favourite page of a book.” She huffed out a laugh, but I was on a roll. “No, even better, its Turner, isn’t it? You’re a real Paige Turner, get it?”
She shook her head and laughed. “Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s Olsen. My full name is Paige Olsen. I can change it to Turner if you’d prefer though. I kinda feel like Paige Olsen died a long time ago.” The sadness washed over her eyes as she spoke that last part. All of my jokes, and yet her demons were still there, seconds away from dragging her under.
“Nobody died,” I stated firmly. “Paige Olsen is alive and well. Does this mean I have to start carrying a bookmark around with me? I mean, I don’t want to lose my Paige.”
“You think these jokes are original.” She groaned. “But I’ve heard every page joke going.”
“Not the way I tell them. So, cats or dogs?”
“What?” She wrinkled her nose up at me, and damn, if it wasn’t the cutest thing I’d ever seen her do.
