“Paige!” Leo said, smiling brightly as he cleared space on the seat next to him for her to sit. He had papers, books and a thermos on the seat, and scrambled to try and get them into his rucksack, “Sit here,” he said insistently, patting the seat next to him.
Paige hesitantly sat next to him. Why is he on this bus? she thought, Does he know that I get this bus home?
“Which stop is this?” He asked, peering out of the window, “I’ve just returned from a conference up north, and I never usually take this bus.”
Some of Paige’s anxiety waned. It didn’t explain why he was getting a bus in the opposite direction to his house, but it wasn’t any of her business.
“The one on Mill Street, just down from your parents...” Paige said, confused as to why he hadn’t realised that was where she was boarding from.
“Oh, of course!” He added, “It looks different from this angle.”
“Oh,” Paige said, unconvinced.
“Have you been working there today?” Leo asked.
Paige, thrown off by his apparent amnesia, stumbled over her reply, “Yes.”
“Of course, of course...” Leo said, leaning over to look out of the window again. As he did, the rucksack on his lap slipped forward, opening the zip a fraction. The contents of the bag poked out, including a green bumbag. It was identical to the one she had seen in Starbucks.
It took a moment for Leo to notice that his belongings were about to fall out, but as he began to rescue them, he clasped the bumbag.
Shock was radiating from her face as she realised it had been Leo’s bumbag on the chair in the café. Was the phone in there? They locked eyes, Paige’s face saying everything, and in a moment of recognition Paige saw Leo’s face change in an instant. His usual cheeky demeanour dropped, and he looked at her gravely.
She pressed the bell and stood up to get off at the next stop, too afraid to speak, but Leo grabbed her wrist, gently but firmly and pulled her back down.
As the bus slowed to a stop he called out, “Sorry, pressed it too early!” to the driver. From the level below, Paige heard the driver tut before the bus continued on its route.
Paige looked around the bus – there weren’t many people on it. At the far back was a pre-teen girl in school uniform reading a book. Two rows back there was an elderly man leaning against a cane, daydreaming, and as she had seen when she got on, the only person downstairs was the woman rocking her baby. Paige felt isolated and knew the bus driver was her best chance of escape. She would have to alert him, but with Leo gripping her wrist so tightly, she wasn’t sure how to do so. If he meant her harm, he could have a knife in his bag.
Before she could make a decision, Leo had pressed the bell and the bus slowed to arrive at the next stop. Paige looked out of the window – they were in a remote spot, outside of the main city, and the stop was flanked by woodland. Still holding Paige’s arm, Leo indicated that she should stand up. They shuffled forward together, and Leo went down the stairs first. At the bottom he pulled her back towards him and whispered so that no one else could hear, “Come with me, I don’t want to have to hurt you.”
As they reached the bus door, Paige willed herself to say something to the bus driver.
“Thank you,” Leo said to the bus driver, feigning politeness. The bus driver nodded in reply, returning to look out of the front window. Paige urged herself to shout for help, to make some kind of signal to him, but fear froze her tongue and she continued to walk off the bus with Leo still holding tightly onto her arm.
“This way,” he said quietly, pushing her into the woodland.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
AS LEO PUSHED PAIGE on into the woods, she realised she had been here before, just a few years ago.
“This way, P,” Tom called, walking down the road, beckoning Paige to follow him.
“How much further?” Paige had asked, cold to her bones and stumbling on numb toes.
“Not far, I promise,” Tom said.
The road was flanked by woodland, which Tom had just headed into. Paige sighed. She was already shivering against the bleak Autumn wind and they had been walking for over an hour.
“Tom, wait,” Paige jogged to catch up a little. She found Tom bent down at the base of a tree in a little copse, moving dead leaves away to reveal a plaque.
“See?” Tom said, gesturing for her to come closer.
The plaque read “For all those angels who haven’t grown wings yet.”
“What does it mean?” Paige asked, dancing from foot to foot to try and warm up.
“That’s you,” he said, pointing back at the plaque, “You’re an angel who hasn’t grown wings yet.”
“Tom...” Paige’s frustration with the weather had affected her patience for these types of things.
“I just mean, you haven’t found your niche yet,” Tom said.
Paige realised he meant her career. Ever since her dad had died, she’d struggled to find any passion for work, accepting any job, whether it utilised her skills or not.
Paige shrugged, not knowing what to say. Tom added, “I just wanted you to know that I’m proud of you, wings or no wings, and so is your mum and so would your dad have been if he was still around.”
“Thanks Tom,” Paige said, walking forward to help him up from a kneeling position and hug him, “I’m just a little lost.”
“I know you are, P,” Tom said, hugging her
