The First Ripple in Time

After the elevator opens, you see a couple of interns and production assistants hanging out in the lobby, drinking coffee, and talking to each other while on their phones. Paige makes a pointing gesture at a corridor away from them. You both head in another direction away from the production team and out to side exit of the hospital. Paige giggles hysterically as you both make it to the street unseen.

“So, where do you want to go?” You ask Paige.

“Let’s go to the beach. I love the beach,” Paige says pointing her finger out to where the sea can be seen. You and her whisk away to the beaches of Barcelona. She holds onto you tight as if any distance between you would mean that you would slip away from her.

Paige is contemplative during this time. A silence fills the two of you as you walk on the sands of the beaches with the waves crashing to the side of you, keeping you two company. Every once and a while, Paige would slip, appearing tired from post-surgery, and you would catch her, helping her up.

“Are you alright?” You asked.

“I’m super,” She sounds a bit love drunk. Paige’s hand grazes yours, and she looks expectantly at you and smiles. You respond by reaching over and holding her hands, she swings it playfully as you walk side-by-side on the beaches of Barcelona.

A notification pops up on your phone.

Would you like a helping hand?

Helping Hand – Free

Healing Elixir – Paige’s post-surgery condition will heal up, and her stitches will disappear.

Without much to lose, you decide to unlock it. You looked over, and Paige, who was staring out at the scattered houses that adjoined the beaches, didn’t seem that different. You felt awkward about just asking about her stitches out of nowhere.

The two of you stumble across a beach house. Paige lets go of your hands and starts skipping towards the fence of the beach house crying, “Come on.”

Paige starts to climb the green-metal fence, and you catch up, asking, “What are you doing?”

“The lights are off. I don’t think anyone is in there,” Paige says. Through the long glass windows, you could make out nothing but the darkness within the house.

“What about your stitches? Plus… I’m pretty sure this is illegal.” You look around nervously, seeing if anyone was watching you two. Being in the Island for so long you always had a sense that cameras were on you constantly.

“You need to relax,” Paige says, smiling mischievously. “Come on.”

You climb on over and join Paige. Paige goes towards the back door and jimmy the door handle. It clinks open.

“Yay. It’s unlocked.” Paige says.

“Paige, this is a bad idea.”

Paige sticks out her tongue and says, “Hey, you’re the one that started all this. Let’s go.”

Wincing you follow behind her, a rush of excitement and adrenaline comes through you. The house is dark. There are no lights except for the ones that come from the outside from the beachside lamposts and the full moon. The backdoor leads to the kitchen, and you step lightly, feeling like a burglar in a house.

“Cool. I don’t think anyone’s here. This must be a vacation home for rich people,” Paige says, she scraps her fingers along on the kitchen cabinets and notices the light dust that forms on her fingers.

“This something you do often?” You ask, still nervous, and looking around as if the house owners would walk in at any moment and catch the two of you.

“You need to chill, Matt,” Paige turns around, and, in the dim light, her face shows a wild intensity, like a wolf looking at a weak lamb.

Bracing yourself, you back up and grip the kitchen cabinet behind you, a bit anxious. Paige creeps towards you like a predator stalking its prey and covers her body over you. Like that night in the gardens of the manor, you pick up where you left off. She overwhelms you with her body and jumps on to you with her hands wrapped around your neck. Your mouths connect and your tongues fight to gain entry into the other's mouth.

“I’ve missed you so much, Matt. You’re such a fucking jerk.” Paige **** cries between pants and kisses. Your hands caress her back pulling her into you.

More kisses exchange between you two. She lets your lips go and rest her head on your shoulder. Paige finally lets out the frustration in harsh kisses onto you. Her mouth kisses your lips, then your chin, and she plants hungry kisses against your neck and works back up to your mouth again. She was trying to land kisses everywhere on you. Feeling alone without cameras constantly on you or other islanders watching you, you let out everything between each other.

“I’ve missed you too.” You pant through kisses as her hands search your back, grasping at your back shoulder as if she really couldn’t believe you are finally here.

Your hands run through her hair, and you pet the back of her head, soothing her as her hands tighten around you, gripping it and feeling like she doesn’t want to let you go. Somehow you felt like you were on islands on your own, away from the cameras, apart from the show. You both held each other there and enjoyed once not having to worry about anything but each other.

“We don’t have to go back,” Paige whispers, burying her head in your neck. “I’ve found it, Matt. We don’t have to keep playing their games and have them pull us apart. I’ll leave the show if you leave it, and we can just be together.”

You want to say yes. You need to say yes. Every instinct compels you to say yes. Jenna’s face and Mona’s face, cloud your imagination. How would they react if the producers suddenly tell them that you left the show to be with Paige? You couldn’t run away from it forever.

“I’ll do whatever you want, Paige.” You answer without thinking ahead—no more games, no more figuring things out. You could throw the AMA out. Fuck the Island and fuck the producers. You’ll have to apologize to the rest of the girls later, but you got what you wanted. That’s all you were thinking at the heat of the moment.

“Just don’t leave me,” Paige whispers into you as she buries you her forehead into your chest. Both your hands and arms reach for each other and desperately cling to one another. Paige reaches for another kiss and then drags you toward her, and she leads you through the rest of the house, searching for somewhere to push you into so she could do what you both desired for so long.

Paige’s soft giggles and heavy panting fill the empty house as she drags you through the dark hallways. Then you see the outline of a couch bathed in the moonlight and beach lights where she pulls you to. You finally were going to see the promised land with Paige. Finally, settle the score and even things up. You both throw yourselves into it and tie yourselves together.

Suddenly, the room is illuminated with light. You feel a popping sensation in your head, like how your eardrums feel during take-off or landing. Both of you are frozen as you realize someone else is in the house.

“Who the hell are you guys?” A voice asks.