Paige had always had feeling for Rick, ever since she laid eyes on him, she knew that he was with Michonne, but a part of her couldn't accept it, she shouldn't be with Rick, Paige should be. That is what she believed. She always felt on edge when he was around, but ever since Rick died, things had changed. She wasn't the same anymore, she lost herself, she lost everything that made her happy, so she knew that she had to do the right thing, for herself and for her family. She left them, she packed up and went across the country, she travelled for months, she didn't ever tell anyone, she just snuck out and never came back, she couldn't bare it.
It had been months since Paige left Alexandria, leaving behind her family, the people she had been with since the beginning, she loved them, but she loved Rick, she just knew he was alive, he had to be, they never found his body. After ten years, surely he had to be out there? Somewhere? He had to be somewhere, wherever that even was, but she would stop at nothing to find him, she needed that closure.
Paige had walked for miles, no human contact for months, she felt like she was losing it, she needed to find someone, someone to help her, someone to lead her the right way. "Where the fuck am I, anyway?" She asked herself, her map made no sense, but she saw a sign at the road side. Virginia. She was in Virginia. Far from home, she had never been there before, she hadn't even thought of coming here, but she headed for the sign, maybe she could find an abandoned gas station, someone had to be around, this was a new state, new beginnings.
"Damn it, girl. Easy. Slow." She heard a man's voice, she turned around, seeing a hooded man on a brown horse, coming along the highway, he had a brown jacket on, with fur around the collar, it looked familiar but she didn't really know why, but she felt like she had seen it before, somehow. The man stopped when he saw her, his hood stayed up, but he got off the horse, he had a revolver in his hand, a knife in his other. She didn't feel threatened, though. She just stared, like she was remembering something, like it was too easy. Somehow.
He looked up, he almost choked on his words, as his hood came down, low and behold, Rick Grimes was alive. And he couldn't believe he was seeing an old face, such an old face, from his past, that he had tried to forget. "Paige.." he spoke, his voice still sent shivers to her spine, she felt like she could be sick, she shivered, she felt like her head could explode. "Rick.." her tears hit her eyes, after ten years, she felt like she couldn't believe she was saying his name. Like he was really stood in front of her.
Rick pulled her into his arms, hugging her close to his chest, Paige felt almost relieved, she couldn't believe he was alive, he was really here, maybe it was a sign? Maybe this was good. She held him tightly against her, she couldn't even cry, she was starstruck and shocked, she didn't know what to say. "Is.. is everyone okay?" He asked, he pulled back slightly to look at her, his eyes soft and gentle. "Still okay, still coping. I left a while ago." She explained, as she wiped a few stray tears back, just glad he was back, that he was alive.
"It feels so good to see you, Paige. I can't believe you're here." He smiled, Rick was kind of relieved to see an old face, now he had moved on too, but he hadn't told her that yet. "I had to tell you something." She took a deep breath, looking at him. "I've always loved you, Rick." She admitted, Rick was surprised. "Really? Me?" He chuckled softly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I did too, Paige. I did love you. Once. But, the thing is.. I'm actually married now. I met someone else, I assumed that I had to move on." He explained.
Paige felt like her heart stopped, Rick had moved on. Of course he had, after all this time, he had married, he loved someone else, but that was okay, because Paige knew what she had to do now. She had to move on too. "Goodbye, Rick. Thank you." She gently kissed his cheek, before she left him, for the final time. She knew it was the right thing.
Paige left Rick that day, alone on the side of the highway in Virginia. But that was okay. She would love again. She would be better than this. And that was okay, that was right.