Emily stared at herself in the mirror, naked but for her panties and bra. The four-leaf clover above her left breast had healed into a scar, but the memory was still fresh in her mind, as it always would be.
She wished she'd actually died, back in Boston, instead of having to live like this. There was only one thing nowadays keeping her alive, keeping her sane.
JJ.
Her secret girlfriend of almost five years had helped her through it all, everything. Emily could only think of how hard it had been on herself, never before had she thought about how it had affected JJ.
Emily wasn't happy, but that's all JJ could see. She'd disappear into her bedroom for hours at a time, every smile was forced, every word uttered hard to say.
JJ longed to help, but didn't know how. She'd been brushed off for so long by Emily, and couldn't help but wonder and worry even though she knew she'd done nothing wrong. Doyle had caused every bit of it.
JJ pushed open the door to Emily's bathroom, as she'd been in there for at least twenty minutes. She found Emily standing, nearly naked in front of the mirror. JJ stood behind her.
"Whatever you're thinking about doing, don't do it."
"I'm thinking about you."
JJ stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Emily's front and burying her face in the skin of Emily's back and breathing in the clean smell of her hair.
"I love you, JJ." Emily murmured, and JJ could tell that it was the first thing Emily had said in the last few months that she truly meant.