"They keep telling me that I need to stop chasing after you. That I need to stop talking to you. That I need to let you go." Bay sat cross-legged in a grassy field, slowly peeling a blade of grass into strips of green.
"Do you want too?" Emmett signed to her, he was resting across from her, laying on his side to face her.
"Of course not!" Bay exclaimed. She found herself somewhat offended by his question. "My parents threatened to even send my to a therapist."
"Why?" Emmett responded, a confused look claiming his face.
"They say it isn't healthy. We had one fight and suddenly you've fallen out of everyone's grace." Bay growled with frustration.
For the past few weeks her entire family had been telling her that she was crazy to keep trying to communicate with Emmett. She would then argue back saying that just because the two of them had a bad argument doesn't mean she doesn't love him. Or that he doesn't love her. Yes, his taking off for a few days after the fight was a bad choice, but he was mad and needed time to cool off. Just like she needed time to paint her feelings out.
"What's unhealthy is if I don't see you. Or talk to you."
"Just not in front of your family? Or Daphne?" Emmett shifted his body over, now his head was resting in Bay's lap.
"Yes, just not in front of them." Bay signed with her nose wrinkled in discontent.
"I've missed you. I wish we could meet somewhere aside from this field. It'll make seeing each other on rainy days hard, especially since I can't come to your house anymore."
"Aw, you're too sweet." Bay fanned herself in faked admiration, "We could always go to your place"
A pained look claimed Emmett's face, "Things haven't been well with mom lately. She seems very depressed."
Bay's mouth formed an "O" shape as she fingered Emmett's hair.
"I have to go for now."
"Please don't." Bay's fingers stopped musing with his hair and a panicked look appeared in her eyes.
"Hey, it's okay. We'll see each other tomorrow."
"Will we? Sometimes you disappear for days and I can't contact you in anyway. I get so worried and then get lectured by my parents for waiting around for 'that boy'." Bay released a heavy sigh. "Sometimes I swear you're a figment of my imagination."
Emmett sat up and looked at Bay with deep sympathy. He signed that he was sorry.
"No, it's okay. I need to go. Family dinner tonight." Bay fawned excitement.
"Go. I love you." Emmett gave her that crooked sly smile that she loved so much.
"I love you too." She felt a hot blush covering her face.
"Bay, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Chasing after Emmett is just going to keep you from healing. You need to accept he is gone." Kathryn caught Bay when she was sneaking in.
"Mom, don't start." Bay snatched a peach from the fruit bowl on the counter and bit into it greedily.
"Bay!" Her father's strict tone made her stop.
"Honey, we are just worried. You haven't talked about-you know-the accident." Kathryn rubbed Bay's arm in a way that Bay assumed was supposed to be comforting. Only it wasn't. It bugged her.
Bay snatched her arm away and marched from the room without another word.
"John. We have to do something. She can't keep on-"
"I know. She just has to accept he is gone on her own terms. Not our's." John hugged his wife.
