JJ threw his keys down on the couch. He should've reasoned with Hope, told her he couldn't possibly go home and be a good little boy because he had another pressing engagement. If he had been thinking straight he would've insisted on waiting for Abigail's board meeting to be over. No, that wouldn't have worked. Hope was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. She would see through that in a second. JJ scrolled through the pictures on his phone, coming to a video he hadn't had the heart to delete after his breakup.
JJ had just finished strumming when he heard a click go off behind him. "I found your phone," Paige grinned.
"You've been tap—come on, gimme it."
Paige allowed JJ's fingers to hover above the case before she pulled it out of his reach. "Missed," she said sweetly.
"But I never miss twice," he said playfully, satisfied when Paige moved to duck behind the couch. "Yeah, you'd better run, Larson."
She had, making JJ chase her around the couch for almost ten minutes, before they'd both fell back onto to the couch in a giggling mass of limbs. One of JJ's hands held the phone high above his head like a trophy, while he tickled Paige's side with the other. "All r—right, I give."
JJ smiled as he put his phone on the end table and pulled his girlfriend onto his lap. "How long were you taping me, anyway?"
"Not long, just enough so that when you're a big star, I can say 'I knew you when.'"
"Oh yeah?" JJ stroked Paige's hair as she put her head to rest just below his chin. "And how exactly did I rise to stardom?"
"Well, you made a Ewe Tube video of you playing guitar that went completely viral and now you're the new Justin Bieber."
JJ's bare chest vibrated with laughter. "Seriously, you look at me and think teen idol?"
Paige giggled. "I'll think of a better example."
"Please do."
"As soon as you agree to sing something with me."
"Sing…as in you and me?"
"Well, yeah, I thought it would be fun, but if you don't want to…what?"
JJ swallowed his laugh. "I've never seen anyone try to talk that fast."
"Shut up," Paige blushed.
"But then how are we supposed to sing together. Just us, though, not that someone like me would go viral anyway, I've played family occasions and that's about it.
The memory was so clear; it was as if it had happened yesterday. JJ was pretty sure he still knew the words to the song Paige had picked too. It was a country tune called "Picture", which probably wasn't one of her favorites anymore since it had practically prophesied their break up. JJ hadn't uploaded the video or even thought about the channel again, but maybe this was the way to let Paige know he was thinking about her without Eve's interference. Positioning his guitar, he took a breath and pressed record. "Um, hi. Someone I really care about talked me into starting this channel, so I'd like to dedicate this first cover to her. This is Fix You by Coldplay."
When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need.
Roman slammed the Necktie Killer's case file down on his desk, causing a few papers to flutter to the floor. When he sat back up, he was face to face with three of his grandchildren and their distraught-looking aunt.
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
Steve seemed to notice there was more the siblings had to say to each other because he quickly shepherded the kids out of the room with the suggestion they all go find Rafe so that the children could make introductions. Kim forced herself to wait until they were gone before releasing a sigh.
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace.
"Tell me you have something new in Paige's case."
"God, I wish I could, Marlena's still working on a profile."
"Maybe I'll help her along," Kim mused, trying to blink away the wetness in her eyes.
Roman begrudgingly released her, holding up a finger as he answered his phone. "Looks like Paige helped herself," he told Kim after hanging up. "Lab's got a hit on some bloody cloth found at the scene." He pulled his sister back into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, Kimmie. Let me drop you at the hospital."
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Shane sat on the edge of the hospital bed holding Eve's free hand in his own.
They looked up briefly as Kim walked into the room. "Roman thinks he has a lead," she whispered.
"Did you hear that, honey?" Eve sniffed. "They're going to catch the person who did this to you. Do you think she can hear me?"
"I know she can," Kim said softly, reaching over to smooth Paige's hair. "We're here, sweetheart."
"You mum, Kim, and me, so why don't you open those beautiful eyes?"
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try
Eve gasped. "Paige?"
"Darling?" Shane called. Her eyes fluttered a second time. "Kim, go get Kayla!"
To fix you
