This time I decided not to choose between lyrics. Not one, not two, but three.

Part one

Walk away

Chapter VII

I want to stay in love with my sorrow

But God, I want to let it go

Here in the darkness I know myself,

can't break free until I let it go

I'm gonna let it go

(Lithium, Evanescence)

"I told them, Em."

"How did they react?"

"They weren't happy, just as expected."

You wait for her to elaborate, sitting besides her, but she just shrugs, quickly breathing in and out, and pulls away her hand when you try to reach for it. You bite your lip and look down, nodding to yourself. It hurts you a little and it must show, since she gives you a regretful look, but you just shake your head in understanding – Paige doesn't like contact when she's upset and angry.

"My father didn't say anything at first and my mother… Well, she said she's always known, that she spent all these years hoping that Robert would cure me."

You close your eyes at those words, "She said that?"

"In a more sophisticated and hurtful way, but yeah. She knows better, she said. This is not who I am, who they raised me to be."

"Paige…"

"Bullshits. They taught me how to hate myself, that's how they raised me. I was never enough. All I did, all my accomplishments meant nothing. Val was the only thing they could see. I knew I could never be good enough – I knew, but I still craved for their attention, for them to care, so I kept on trying, hoping they would notice me. In the end, I even got more than I wanted. It only took her death for them to do it."

She chuckles bitterly, shaking her head. She gets up and starts pacing around the room and you just stare at her, not knowing what to do or say. Probably there's nothing you can do but listen to her as she lashes out at you in anger.

"They couldn't even look at me in the eyes for years, but they did, they noticed me. They focused on me. They helped me live the life Val planned to have – she had all planned out, you know? A prince charming as a husband, a work in my parents' company and a happy family, unlike me, who had no idea about what I wanted to do with my life. And I was happy with that, it was what I wanted, what I thought I was supposed to do – living the life she couldn't live because I took that chance away from her."

"Paige, it wasn't your fault. It…"

"I was the one who called her, Emily", she cuts you off, "I was the one who was too drunk to get back home on her own and called her sister to pick her up. If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't have had that accident. If it wasn't for me, she would be alive."

"You couldn't have known. It could have happened anyway. With anyone."

"But it happened with me. She got out of the house that night because I asked her", she sighs, "We already had this conversation many times, Emily. So please, stop. This isn't going anywhere."

"No", you say categorically, "Not until you understand that your life is worth just as hers was!"

She murmurs weakly, "I know that."

"Do you? Because it doesn't seem that way to me. You are still blaming yourself for her death, it's like you wished you died instead of her. And don't tell me it's not that way, because you would be lying."

You say that getting up and pointing your finger against her. You didn't want to get so worked up, you didn't mean to talk to her this way, but you should have known. This is what happens every time you two discuss – you get angry and she gets defensive.

"She didn't die because of you. She died and there was nothing you could do. You said she was the only person to really know you, to really love you. Do you think she would want this? Do you think she would want you to give up everything that you are?"

"Don't talk like you know what she would want. You don't."

"And you do?", you ask sarcastically, raising your voice to match hers, "You wanna know what I think? I think that her death destroyed you, you didn't know what to do anymore and so you did the only thing you could think of: you became her."

"I made her a fucking promise, Emily", she bursts out angrily, glaring at you and clenching her fists, "And I have every intention to keep it."

"You are not honouring her by living the life she wanted! She wouldn't want this. She would want you to be who you are, to chase your goddamn dreams!", you almost shout, but then you lower your voice, "You want to honour her? Be you."

You stand there in silence for a few moments, neither of you daring to move. You try to control your angered breathing as you watch her shaking, staring at you but not really seeing you, her face showing a multitude of emotions at once. Rage. Sadness. Sorrow. Despair. Fear. Hurt. Realization. Confusion. Defeat.

"I don't know how."

She seems so weak when she speaks, her voice so feeble. She sits on her bed, wiping the tears from her eyes, and you crouch in front of her, taking her hands and bringing them to your lips, she looks at you and you simply smile, as you start to speak.

"You do. I've seen you and I fell for you. The real you. The one who you've been trying to hide and bury somewhere inside yourself. You let me see you", you stroke her cheek, "And you're all kind of beautiful, Paige. You're strong and you're brave. You're kind and sweet, passionate and caring. You're… God, Paige, I…", you sigh in frustration, "You're not your pain. It's a part of you, but it doesn't define you."

"Em…"

"I'm sorry. I… I just wish you could see yourself like I do."

She takes your face between her hands and presses her lips to yours, kissing you slowly and oh, so softly. You feel her hands moving to your shoulders, like she's trying to hold on to you, and you wrap your arms around her neck and pull her closer, but doing so causes you to lose your balance, making you fall to the ground, Paige in top of you.

You look at each other shocked for a moment, but then you both start giggling, not moving, just laying there. Paige intertwines your hands together and looks at you, with a ghost of a smile on her lips. You kiss the tip of her nose, then you gently bump your noses together, smiling.

"I'm not broken."

"You never were."

And this time she smiles, she really does, and it is simply breathtaking – it's like she never smiled before this moment. A smile, devoid of pain and anguish and sadness, of guilt and regret and blame, is what she is giving you now – a smile full of peace and happiness and joy, of relief and forgiveness and freedom.

"I never was."

"You're going out?"

You're surprised she's actually talking to you, you've spent the whole week avoiding each other and talking only when strictly necessary. You cautiously nod as you tie your hair in a ponytail and you see her looking down through the mirror.

"With Paige?"

You nod again as you take your mobile to check if Paige has arrived, but you haven't got a text yet. After your discussion, she went to meet her parents again, claiming she had to, owning that to herself – that was over an hour ago. She told you to get ready for when she comes back, saying she wants to go somewhere with you, so that's what you did.

Your phone suddenly beeps, so you look at yourself in the mirror one last time and turn towards Hanna, clearing your throat and waving your mobile as you tell her that you should get going – you're almost at the door when she calls you back.

"Do you think we could talk sometimes?"

You stare at her and then you slowly nod, "Sure. Is tomorrow okay?"

"It's perfect. And…", she clears her throat, "Have fun today. The both of you."

Your eyes widen in surprise – you were waiting for her to make the first step, not willing to do that yourself, and it seems she made it, even though you weren't expecting her to. You smile warmly at her and you can see her entire posture relaxing, as she smiles back.

"Thanks, Han. We will."

"So, you didn't tell me where are we going."

"You're right. I didn't. Turn left."

You roll your eyes as she smirks at you, but you do as she said. You ask again, but she just keeps on smiling and giving you instructions about where to go. She finally points to you where to park and you look around you, taking in the surroundings – you don't recognize this area. You get out of the car and look at Paige questioningly who just smiles and suggests to look in front of you.

"A tattoo shop?"

She simply nods and takes her mobile out of her pocket, unblocks it and then hands it to you. A Japanese kanji is what you see – you don't know what it means, it was Paige that studied the language, not you.

"Are you really sure about this?"

"Yeah. I always wanted one, but my parents", she chuckles, "Surprise, surprise, they didn't agree and said something like, 'It isn't fitting to the image we wish to give about our company'. Since I don't have a company to run anymore, I finally can get one."

"So the first thing you do is getting a tattoo?"

"Well, not exactly the first... I passed by Val before coming to you", she scratches her head,"But yeah, not the point. I know what you're thinking, but his is not because of them. It's about me, only me. It's something that I finally do for myself, and myself only. Something that I want to have in case I don't remember in the future, you know? If I ever forget, I have this to remind me."

She stares at you expectantly and you simply smile, now assured she's not doing it on impulse. She matches your smile and leans in, giving you a soft peck on the lips and leaving you speechless. She smiles again and takes your hand, leading you inside of the shop.

You stop in front of some photos as Paige greets who you think is the owner of the shop like he's an old friend, wanting to give them some privacy. A picture catches your eye, a human figure – an angel, perhaps – slamming its wings and leaving a cloud of dust under it.

"And she is Emily, my… Emily."

My Emily? You turn when you hear your name being called and look at Paige confused, if not a bit hurt. She can kiss you out in the open now, but she can't call you 'girlfriend' yet?

"Emily, this is my uncle Jonathan."

You suddenly freeze. Uncle? You feel conscious of yourself and you try to smoothly adjust your jacket while you approach them – this is the first member of her family you meet. Oh God.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir", you say nervously, as you extend your hand.

"Sir?", he chuckles, "No need of such formalities, kiddo. Any", he clears his throat and looks at Paige, "friend of my nephew is a friend of mine."

He smiles and grabs your hand, shaking it, before engulfing you on a crushing-bones hug. You look at Paige with your eyes widened, but she just smiles and shakes her head. You cough in embarrassment when he releases you with a big smile on his lips and look down, then you watch him leave, after saying he'll go and set things ready.

"A warning would have helped, you know?"

"It would only have made you nervous", she shrugs.

"Yeah. Remember that when you're about to meet my dad."

She gulps, eyes widening, and mouths a little 'sorry', but you just chuckle and nudge her. Your father's choice of career has always been a source of uneasiness and it seems that Paige isn't immune either – that amuses you.

You look at some photos together, pointing out which one each of you like, but you feel her shifting awkwardly next to you.

"You're probably wondering about what happened before."

"It may have crossed my mind, yeah."

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that, I just didn't know what to say. We never talked about it, made it official and I didn't know. I didn't want to assume."

You raise your eyebrows. So that's why she said that, she doesn't know where you stand. To you, it was automatic and granted since the moment she broke up with Robert, but it wasn't to her. You sigh and take her hand, you were the one to assume and you shouldn't have.

"Do you want to make it official?"

She looks down and plays with your intertwined hands, "Yeah. I want to. If you want that too", she looks up hopefully, "Do you want to?"

"Paige, it was already official to me", you say, "So of course I want to."

Her lips breaks into a giant smile and are on yours the very next moment that you're caught off guard for a second, but you quickly recover, laying your hands on her hips and pulling her close. You slowly pull away, foreheads barely touching, and smile at each other. She kisses you one more time and smiles shyly before pulling away completely and pointing to the tattoo you were observing earlier on.

"That's really cool."

"That's the work I am more proud of."

You turn towards Jonathan and he's smiling at the two of you affectionately and somewhat proud. You smile, the way he talked to you before and the way he's smiling now, looking at your joined hands, make perfectly clear that he's not talking about that tattoo.

"Uncle, this is Emily. My girlfriend."

"I'm happy for you, kid. And welcome to the family, Emily."

"You could get one, too."

Paige says when her uncle gets out of the room to get a call in the lobby and you just look up at her startled, almost dropping the book of pictures you were looking at. You?

"Me? Oh no, no."

"Why not? Are you a chicken? Is that your new name? Chicken Fields?"

"That sounds like a burger of those fast foods."

"Now that I… Hey. Don't try to change the subject."

You roll your eyes, you thought you were succeeding at deflecting the subject. Truth is you're actually afraid of needles – not that you're going to admit it to Paige, so a tattoo is out of question for you. Needles are allowed near to you only when it is strictly necessary.

"But just imagine it for a second", you try again.

"I'm sorry, love. I'm the only one who gets to eat you."

"Have you just called… Wait, what?"

As realization hits you, you blush hard, looking down, and Paige bursts out laughing. You shove her when she can't seem to stop, but she only laugh harder as you huff, annoyed.

"Just let me tell you, though. Tastier burger ever."

"You're impossible."

She smirks, "And you love it."

You smile and shake your head, trying to hide your blushing – this is not where you wanted to go and talk about, at all.

"I was just joking. It's just that you've been staring at that book for a while now, you seemed to be very absorbed and I thought you liked one."

You actually do. You've been looking at kanji tattoos out of curiosity, reading their meaning, but there's only one which has caught your eye. Peace.

"Or if there's nothing, I may have a suggestion…"

"I am all ears", you say sarcastically, preparing yourself for the next joke.

"My name… In a special place."

"I can't really understand if you're horny or just a perv."

She wiggles her eyebrows and winks at you, but you just shake your head again. You look down at the book and trace the tattoo with your fingers.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not really. It just burns a little."

You nod as you stare at Paige's wrist. Complete. You feel her looking at you with a confused look, but you just look up and smile, she stares at you a bit longer, still not convinced, and you keep on smiling and eventually she relaxes and matches your grin.

"Talking about burgers made me want one", you glare at her, but she smiles sheepishly, "A real one. There's a place that I know of, they make the best – well, second best – burgers I ever ate. We could go there, if you feel like it."

"How could I turn down such a romantic offer?"

"It itches."

You grunt, wrinkling your nose, and you go to scratch your shoulder, but she stops you taking your hand and shaking her head. You roll your eyes at her and sigh in defeat, you know that she's right – you just wish it would stop hitching.

"Look at the bright side – you're over your fear of needles, at least."

"You know?"

"It wasn't that hard to figure out. You kept on staring at that thing like it could kill you."

You open your mouth to answer, but then you close it, knowing there's nothing you can say. You look up at Paige and you see her smiling, giving you a look that's a mix between understanding and amusement.

"I'm afraid of heights. Oh, believe me" she chuckles, "Born and raised in San Francisco, never been even near to the Golden Gate Bridge."

"Really? That's the first place I went."

"I wonder why. Did it leave you charmed?"

You just shrug and play dumb, pretending you didn't get her joke, but she smiles knowingly – and rightly so. She goes to speak again, but the waitress comes and serves your food, interrupting her – probably for the best, you think. You smile at her, thanking her, and then you immediately take a bite of your burger and look up at Paige, who hasn't moved an inch. Wasn't she starving?

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She answers begrudgingly and starts to eat, without looking at you. You just give her a confused look, slowly nodding. Has something happened and you didn't notice? You keep on staring at her, giving her time and waiting for her to explain, and eventually she does.

"She is flirting with you."

"Who?"

She raises her eyebrow, "The waitress."

"I didn't notice."

She huffs, rolling her eyes, and you smile at her jealousy. You extend your hand and take hers, she looks at you and you smile again. You tell her she's all you can see, and you see the angles of her lips turning in a little smile she's trying to control. You smirk mischievously and throw a French fry at her, hitting her nose. You can't contain your giggles at the sight of her unbelieving face.

"Did you just… Way to ruin the romantic moment, Emily."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Romanticism."

You say, throwing another fry at her and laughing harder as she tries to clean herself, glaring at you. You continue giggling, noticing the not-so-well-hidden amusement in her eyes.

"I'm so going to get you back for this."

You laugh together for a few moments, then you resume eating in a comfortable silence, not letting go of each other's hands. As much as you love those moments wehn Paige can't seem to stop talking, you appreaciate these kind of moments the same way. Sometimes silence carries more meaning than billions words ever could. Sometimes silence just weighs more.

"If happiness and love were flavours, you would taste as such."

You smile as your heart melts, Miss Romanticism indeed. You squeeze her hand and she smiles shyly, looking a bit surprised – you chuckle when you realize that was supposed to be only in her head.

"And if dorkiness and sweetness were too, that's how you'd taste."

"Remember me how I got so lucky."

And by kissing her, you remind to the two of you how you both got lucky.

Author's note: I know, I'm bad at writing happy moments. I just hope it's not too terrible.
In the previous chapter I said there would have been 4/5 chapters, but I take that back. I had in mind to make very shorter chapters, but all the things I wanted to write on those have been incorporated on this longer one. So this mean that next chapter is the last. I'll try to post it before the end of the month. A new beginning is on the horizon.

To the guest who reviewed the last chapter: Paige did tell him. She told him everything. Sadly, only after he proposed.

Have a good time, everybody!

Meek's out.