Hey you awesome people! :) Here is another chapter, finally! Ive been battling with writers block and forced myself to get this written today. Hopefully you like it and the story is progressing to your liking. :) Please leave a review with your thoughts or ideas for further chapters or scenes you would enjoy in the review section. Have a great week. xx

Apologies in advance for spelling, grammar errors. should only be minor mistakes.

"Hey, finally. I was about to send out a search party. I've called everyone we know looking for you." Mona said, taking one of the bags of Chinese food from her girlfriends hand.

"Sorry I got held up. I had to take a detour. That's all."

Mona's brow creased "Detour? Why?" Moving to the kitchen Emily unpacked the takeaway boxes while Mona retrieved some plates. "This is why." She replied placing Alison's wallet on the small island bench making a quiet thud. Mona turned at the noise, "Who's wallet?".

Mona's gaze shifted from Emily to wallet and back again. "Em, what's going on? You've been acting weird all day; dodging my calls. What's going on?"

"Just open the wallet." The smaller brunette did as she was told. Her fingers clasped around the cold leather. Instinct told her she wasn't going to like this. Sliding open the zip she peeked inside. A few coins, two $20 notes were nestled there, An old movie ticket, stamps and receipts. A few cards sat neatly in a row on one side. Sliding each out she viewed them; a video store member ship, grocery store coupons and library card that seemed to be about a decade old for...Rosewood High! Alarm bells were blaring in Mona's head. Not even needing to look further for confirmation she closed it "This is Alison's isn't it?".

"I ran into her getting our order. I literally ran into her. She was like a deer in headlights when she saw me. She bailed so quickly she forgot her wallet."

Mona was stunned, her eyes wide. "What did she she say when you talked to her? Did you talk to her?"

"I wanted to but I didn't know what to say. She left before I could get a single word out." she explained taking a seat at the table.

"Em, you should really eat something." Mona encouraged.

"I'm not really hungry. I could use a drink though, have we got any tequila?" Emily was pushing her food from one side of the plate to the other with her chopsticks. The smaller brunette shifted forward on her chair, her hands on top of Emily's.

"You know I love tequila as much as the next girl but -. Anyways, you were saying you took a detour. Where did you go?"

"I went to Ali's house to return her wallet." she replied. "I knocked on the door but she wasn't home. I stayed there in my car for an hour just waiting like an idiot. I don't even know why."

Mona stroked Emily's hand, "I do."

Emily's head snapped up, her eyes slightly misty at her admission. The expression on Mona's face suggested what Emily also knew in her heart, "What? No, that's not-" Emily began when Mona interrupted.

"Who are we kidding Em? This isn't what you want. You and me. We just keep going around in circles." she paused visibly swallowing "It's never been what you want. We are the direct result of two broken hearts, bottles of tequila and a one night stand." Emily's composure was beginning to crumble. Hearing Mona reduce their entire relationship to abuse of alcohol and poor choices was too much. She gripped Mona's hand "Please Mona don't say it please don't say it. I need you." Mona's face was also stained with tears.

"You may need me Emily but you longer want me. It's her you want. We both know the truth. It's always been her. It's high time we both stop pretending."

Emily shook her head "Mona please no. I can't. I can't go back there. Too much has happened." The brunette's lungs felt as if they were going to explode, like someone was squeezing the life out of her. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

"That's exactly what you said that night. The night you broke up with her and I tried to convince you to go and talk it out."

"We didn't break up. We decided to take a break. It's completely different." Emily corrected, her voice just audible through the sobs.

Mona nodded "Exactly. You never really ended things with Alison. You both pressed pause because it was easier than calling it quits. I've loved being with you Em and I'll never forget the happiness you brought to my life after things with Mike didn't work out."

Emily pleaded with her girlfriend, her head falling onto their joined hands "Mona please. I'm begging you don't do this. I love you."

Mona looked away fighting the fresh tears that wanted to escape her eyes "J-just not enough." she whispered, pulling her hands from Emily's hold. In the minutes that followed Emily didn't look up fearing that watching her girlfriend walk away would push her further over the edge. Mona's chair screeched followed by the bedroom door swing open. Mona shuffled around, clashes, bangs. At the sound of a zipper it was clear. She was packing. Emily shut her eyes tightly in the safety of darkness her arms had created wishing hard that this wasn't happening. This whole day hadn't happened. A few short days ago she had just visited an old flame feeling free but none the less content with how her life was now. Now it was in shambles because new flame said she thought her feelings for said old flame had not yet extinguished. When Emily finally found the strength to lift her head up the silence was deafening. the apartment stood still. Slowly wandering into the bedroom her eyes crept over the emptiness. the space on the dresser where Mona's perfumes used to sit was now vacant with only dust residing there. The closet door lay open and bare. Her clothes that hung neatly in seasonal order were no longer there just empty hangers. The few photos of the pair them that hung on the wall were gone. It was like Mona hadn't existed.

"Mona?" her voice came out only as a hoarse whisper, her throat had dried from crying so much. Mona emerged from their en-suite bathroom with her things throwing them into her awaiting luggage bag that Emily hadn't even noticed was on their bed. Mona inhaled deeply moving passed the brunette.

"I'm sorry I wasn't enough for you."

"No-Mona come on, we can work this out. We're good together. Alison is my past, i promise you that. She's better off without me but I'm not better off without you. Please stay."

"I need some time. I'll call you." with a lasting hug Mona said goodbye. With the click of the door, then silence.

Emily what have you done? You've managed to screw up yet another relationship!

All the pent up emotion seemed to spill out of her at once. She didn't know how long she had been crying. Laying there curled amongst the pillows her girlfriend had used. Her face was red and blotchy. Her eyes almost indistinguishable behind the tears that had dried there.

"Emily? Are you alright?" Emily sat up straighter hearing her name. She'd been slumped over the bar for the past hour hour drinking herself stupid.

"Huhh? W-w-whose asking?" The brunette slurred. Her vision slightly blurred as result of her drunken stupor.

"It's me, Mona & you look about as good I feel right about now. Bad day?" the smaller woman asked sliding herself onto the stool next to Emily.

"What'll it be Miss?" The old barman interrupted cleaning a beer glass with a dishrag.

"Tequila shots & keep'em coming." the bartender quickly lined up half a dozen shot glasses pouring the liquid from a height.

"Thanks," she said handing over some money. "Keep the change." Another customer hollered for him and he promptly left for the other side of the bar leaving the two women alone. "So what's got you all dark and twisty hun?" Mona asked downing one shot of tequila, quickly sucking on one the few lime wedges in front of them.

"My girlfriend and me. You remember Alison right?" Emily took a swig of her beer she'd been drinking

Mona nodded. "Oh yeah, i bet she's a handful." she laughed downing another shot.

"You have no idea how much. One minute everything is fine. The next she's breaking it off with me."

"Been there sister." Mona spat,

"Wanna join me in my misery?"

"Honey, I'm Madam Mayor of misery!" Mona said raising her shot glass to clink it with Emily's beer bottle. "You know Aria's brother; Mike and I we've been fighting."

Emily snorted, her eyes drooping. "Who knew i'd have something in common with my old high-school enemy?"

Mona laughed, throwing back another shot, "urgh relationships who needs them right?"

"I'll cheers to that!.

In the hours that followed Mona and Emily had ended up at Mona's apartment eating pizza and throwing back some more tequila, until...Emily found herself the next morning completely naked in Mona's bed with Mona next to her and equally as exposed. Her head throbbing violently and no memory of how it had really happened. As it turned out Mona had not only been the shoulder she had cried on many times that night but a valuable source of company as well.

Emily's eyes fluttered open, she'd fallen asleep. it was midnight, Stretching her limbs she wandered into the bathroom turning on the shower she wanted to wash away the emptiness she felt. The water hitting her like knives to the chest. Mona was gone & probably not going to come back. What was she to do now? She was completely in love with two very different people. One was her soulmate whom she had given her heart to at a very young age despite being told it wouldn't ever work out (which in retrospect they had been right). The other she had fallen for quickly, she had healed the broken girl and given life to a new one. Both women had made her happy. Both women had caused her pain. Which one was she to choose? Was their even a right choice? Whatever choice she made it would not be easy. Maybe there was a third option? Choose no one. Maybe then life would be easier and less complicated. Lonely, but less complicated sounded quite appealing. After showering she returned to bed having made her bedroom into a cave complete with laptop complete with netflix, junk food a plenty and sadly more alcohol. Watching hours of sappy movies criticizing and throwing shade at the characters whenever the romantic leads whenever they shared a moment falling in and out of sleep. Her restless sleep was disturbed as violent knocking occurred at her front door.

"Who the hell is knocking at-3 in the morning!". Doing her best to ignore it she rolled over dumping a pillow over her ears.

"Go to hell, Go to hell, go to hell!' she chanted under her breath. Still the knocking continued, louder and more deliberate than before. Emily was just about to reach boiling point and tell whoever was to fuck off but before she could even sit up the knocking stopped. Emily sighed in relief enjoying the silence-if only for a moment. Voices reached her ears. Voices in an argument. Not audible enough to hear the conversation but loud enough to know they weren't exchanging pleasantries in passing one another. As quickly as it started it stopped. The incessant knocking at her door began again.

"Urghh for fuck sake." Emily growled stomping out of her bedroom almost ripping the door of its hinges "Will you please fuck off! Some of us are trying to-" the rest of her words were lost in her throat at the sight of her visitor.

"You've been drinking again haven't you? You always were a potty mouth when you drank heavily. Either that or you could flirt for America." that voice, that face. Emily squinted tilting her head to the left, the light from the hallway blinding her view a bit. She couldn't be sure she was seeing who she thought she was but she was almost certain Alison was standing in her doorway.

"Alison?" the person was dressed in an overcoat and heels.

The person moved into the apartment "God it looks like a bomb hit this place. When was the last time you had it cleaned?"

Emily rubbed her eyes forcing herself to open them wider. It was true. The place was a mess. Her and Mona's takeout still sat untouched on the table giving off a stale smell, numerous junk food wrappers hung out of the bin, empty alcohol bottles littered the kitchen and bedroom. Anyone else walked into the apartment they'd think it was the coming apocalypse. "Jesus Emily. I thought you were better than this? I thought you had your life together now. You had started over. It's like you've gone backwards in the space of a day."

Emily snorted through her haze. "That's rich coming from you. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Mona called. She said you have something that belongs to me."

Emily crossed her arms over her chest "What would that be?"

"My wallet." she said sternly. The brunette headed toward the kitchen grabbed the wallet throwing at the blondes chest "Here, you got what you came for. Now get out!"

Alison caught the wallet shaking her head. "If you think for one minute I'm leaving you alone in this mess you're wrong. I'm not leaving you alone to do something stupid & another thing, how did you and Mona happen?" the blonde asked throwing her overcoat down and had begun picking up the mess.

"Haha, doing something stupid is how we ended up here Alison. Or did you forget?" Emily snaps.

Alison glared at Emily for a second but her gaze almost immediately softened. "Go take a shower and go back to bed. I'll clean this up." Emily opened her mouth to argue but the blonde only forced her toward the bathroom. As Alison cleaned the apartment Emily snuck into her room grabbing her mobile.

You called Alison! What the hell Mona? -E

A second or so later her phone beeped with a text.

It's for your own good you know. Bottom line is you love her whether you admit that or not. If she's turned up at your door it means there's still a good chance she loves you too. -M.

Again Emily showered and got back into bed, a bit more sober than before. Alison had successfully cleaned the apartment having it look almost new again. It dawned on her that she had wanted to confess to the crime but perhaps confessing to Alison first that she had been wrong in wanting to cover it up was a good start.

"Do you need anything? Water? Aspirin?"

"No I'm fine. thanks."

Alison smiled turning to leave

"Ali," Emily said quickly.

Alison's ears had to be deceiving her, her nickname had rolled off the brunette's tongue again. Her stomach flipped nervously "Yes."

"You don't have to babysit me. I'll be fine on my own. I'm sure you'd much rather be somewhere else."

"There's no place I'd rather be. Now get some sleep."

"Will you-no never mind."

"What?" Alison asked curiously

"Would you stay with me until I fall asleep again? I mean you don't have to." Surprisingly to Emily, Alison smiled.

"Of course. I'll just get you a bucket first, you've had quite a lot to drink."

Emily blushed hiding her face under the sheets of her bed. Quickly Alison was gone and back with the bucket and sitting by Emily as she closed her eyes. Drifting off she mumbled "I'm sorry I screwed things up Ali."

Alison's heart melted "I'm sorry too." leaving a gentle kiss to Emily's forehead she turned out the light. She was exhausted too having busied herself cleaning the mess. It wouldn't hurt to close her eyes for just a minute right?

...What happens next? You'll have to wait and see. Much love! Please remember to leave a review with your thoughts :)

-Nat