Royally Kissed | ✓

45; the envelopes

Since she had a considerable amount of free time this mid-morning, she'd reached into a decision to visit him for a short while. She went through the underwater tunnel and faced the truth once she did. To completely move forward, she had to accept wholeheartedly that her chapter with Arthur had come to a dead end.

Besides, she was with Owen now and he loved her in spite of the complications and without complications. That was what mattered to her at this moment.

She let out a stifled sigh the second she'd finally walked out of the tunnel. It might had not been that easy, especially with the thoughts of Arthur, Lola, and the baby together with happy smiles on their faces. A small black cavity caved into her stomach but she told herself to be glad for them.

Who's baby was that, though? she wondered.

"Robby?" she asked, smiling when he was, indeed, inside the cave that morning. "Do you still even work?"

She chuckled as she walked up to him, and he'd promptly stand up from the stone bench rooted on the side the second he saw her.

"Hi," she breathed, fishing her hand out of the pocket of her coat to touch his metallic arm. "How're you? Sorry, I haven't told you that I was gonna be away for a couple of days. I was with, um, my boyfriend." She flashed her teeth until she recalled about the time he'd kissed her, making her smile fade into a shy twitch of her lips. "I–uh. I just want you to know that I'm not mad at you or anything about what happened." She let out a sigh, and her eyes crinkled at the corners when she lifted up a bashful smile again. "You know, that wasn't cool when I walked out on you. I'm not sure we should still see each other, though. I dunno, but we're still friends...right?"

Paige pulled her eyebrows together when he didn't make a respond at first.

"Well–um," she rubbed her tights against her knees when the silence made her feel sheepish, "if you don't want to, it's alright. I understand–"

He thumbed up ever-so-suddenly, making her blink in a strange fashion.

"Oh. You mean we're still friends," her eyebrows arched up to clear things up, and he turned up another thumb. Her mouth quirked up. "That's good to know. Anyways, time's running so I've to go. I'll see you soon, Robby."

With no hesitation, she threw her arms around him and closed her eyes like she was breathing him in. Except, he was odorless, unresponsive.

"Bye."

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Paige knocked against the door thrice. Just as she heard someone padding through the floorboards, she turned to Malcolm and took the paper bag from him.

"You can come back in an hour," she said to him, just as her eyes strayed from someone at the opposite side of the building down the road. Malcolm had informed her about this, but she chose to ignore the man who was seemingly taking pictures. "You can warm yourselves with coffee down the street."

Malcolm nodded politely without a word. The door fluttered ajar and a pair of brown eyes peered through the narrow gap. When a flicker of recognition dawned in her eyes, she widened the door open and Robin beamed up at her.

"Paige?"

She chuckled. "That's me."

They shared a long hug that was very much like long-lost best friends. Paige patted the top of her head when she straightened up and they soon trudged into the apartment.

"Paige," Cain, who was striding in his usual lazy gait in the hallway, breathed in faint surprise, "You never told me that you'd come."

They did a quick hug before Paige's arm snugged around Robin's shoulders again. "Well, it's meant to be a surprise. Hey, Robin?"