Regina pulled up her pants, feeling the need to cover herself up. She needed the security her clothes were providing her with and she was surer than ever that she needed to get the hell out of here.
"Regina, please let me explain." Emma tried desperately to get the other woman's attention. From a fast glance it was obvious that the younger woman was close to crying and her already pale face was getting paler. "Gina, please, please. Please, talk to me." and she was full on crying.
Regina had been truthful before. She could not see Emma Swan cry. It did something to her brain, her heart. "What is there to talk about? You really did leave me. You chose him over me. You decided to have a family with him. And then you come here asking me why I left." Regina could feel the tears burning behind her eyes too. "What did I have to stay for, Emma? Huh? Why would I want to stay in Storybrooke, and watch you walk around with him?"
Emma was crying into her hands, shaking her head wildly. It was very unlike Emma to cry when there was someone else there, but Regina wasn't just any regular someone to her. She was her everything.
"I didn't, I didn't mean for it to happen, I-" Emma tried desperately to get her breathing under control in order to talk. "It wasn't supposed to happen, I didn't plan it but it all just... happened." she let out a small hiccup. "And then you started pulling away and then I found out I was pregnant and then Henry asked for help..." swallowing her sobs, Emma managed to continue. "And then you were gone, Regina. I couldn't try to fix it anymore."
"Please, Emma." Regina said while shaking her head. "I don't want to know any more about your dalliance with the pirate than I have to. And it wasn't me who pulled away... You were." finding her other shoe, she leaned on the table to put it on. "You stopped answering my calls and my texts, you stopped showing up for lunch. I didn't see you for a week after it and by the time you came around, my brain had already convinced me that nothing was going on between us anymore. I thought-" now she was crying too. "I thought you regretted it, I thought you were repulsed by having slept with the Evil Queen, I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. It broke my heart!" Regina couldn't help but to scream the last words as she quite literally had to hold onto her chest again.
"Regina, no please." Emma begged her, walking closer but not daring to touch the other woman. "I wasn't repulsed or regretting, I wanted it too. I wanted you, I wanted all of it. But what happened with Hook made me feel so guilty because I did promise you. I promised to take a different path and then I failed, and I couldn't look you in the eye." she took a deep breath, hoping Regina was listening to her. "I was so in love with you... and I still am."
Regina snapped her head up. Had she really heard correctly? Had Emma really said the words the brunette had been dying to hear for years? It was unreal how it was all happening at the same time and it left Regina reeling for the right reaction. But Emma wasn't finished.
"And we created Hope. So, it must mean... that you loved me too..."
Regina closed her eyes.
"Yes, I loved you. I loved you so much." Regina whispered. "Which is why this hurts so bad. I'm battling with myself because all I want to do right now is the reach into my chest and remove my own heart, just to numb the pain I'm feeling." Emma looked alarmed and was about to say something, but Regina cut her off. "But I won't. I won't become my mother who decided that feeling nothing was better than feeling everything."
There was a silence. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either. Regina stared at Emma, trying to memories all the things she most adored about the younger woman. Her soulful eyes, her beautiful hair, her strong arms and stance of confidence. But now there might just be more things she wanted to forget than there was to remember.
Eventually it was Regina who broke the silence. She whispered. "I just wish I could forget all that happened."
"You want to forget me?" Emma sounded so broken.
"No. I just wish I forgot how much I love you." Regina whispered before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.