Thanks again for the reviews, it's so nice to hear you're still enjoying the story. Ok. Here's the pay-off - hope I've done them justice.
Paige can't quite understand how everyone doesn't see how she's different. As if she has nerve-endings instead of skin, she feels open, exposed. It becomes worse when Emily's around because she gravitates towards her as if there is a line that connects them together. Nothing more has been said, between them, or to anyone else. Paige hasn't even talked to Holden, she feels like even if she were to try and explain it, there aren't the words to articulate it. So she's walking around as if she's being spied on, on edge, waiting.
They try not to spend any time alone together. Emily professes to herself that she doesn't want to hurt Dani; that she's still raw herself and still scared that anything more between them will send her hurtling to the bright light that still hovers within her. So they sit with some of the others at breakfast; meet at Paige's house when they know Holden and Aria will be home; go to the White Dog at the busiest times. They never go to Emily's.
They sit close in these spaces. Nerves crackling so the brush of an arm is an agony. Paige can't take much more. It's been three weeks since New Years' eve. She doesn't have the willpower. She explodes at Holden when he makes a lame-ass joke about Emily coming over and then sits down and cries. Holden squats in front of her,
"Ok, what's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Yeah. I'm not buying that anymore, Paige." She tries to smile,
"No, I mean, the problem is, there's nothing going on." Holden waits,
"Ah. Ok. With….?" He waits a beat as she says nothing, says unsurely, "Are we talking about you and Emily? Because, you may not have told me anything, but I'm sure as hell something happened between you at New Year."
Paige snuffles, wipes her eyes and her nose on her sleeve. She shuffles up the sofa as Holden sits next to her and puts his arm round her.
"See? That's the problem, I don't know. Nothing happened, but we talked and, and I feel like something 's changed but.." She shrugs. "I'm so fucking confused, Holden."
"Ok. So, what was said?"
"I know she likes me. She told me she likes me. She admitted to kissing me back at the party. But she says she wants time."
"How much time does she need, Paige?" She shrugs again, looks pained,
"I don't know. She's still so damaged Holden."
"But you think you can handle it?"
"I think so."
"Then, perhaps you don't wait for her." She stares at him,
"What d'you mean?"
"I don't think it's fair that all the power lies with her. I think you need to take some control. What's she waiting for? Until she suddenly feels better? Less damaged? What if you being together is the final thing that heals her?"
"What if it's the final thing that damages her for good?" And she sounds so pathetic and sad that Holden laughs and kisses her hair, pulling her in for a hug.
"Then at least you know."
She sits and thinks about what he's said for a few days. She knows he's right. She can't go on like this anymore. Every practice with Emily is an agony. Every raise of Emily's eyebrow as she's changing; every smile that she gives her when she walks into a room is like someone's carving her name into her skin. She makes a decision.
It's cold still. It's afternoon, she's had no lectures so she and Aria are at the house together waiting for Holden to come home. They're supposed to be watching a film but Paige can't concentrate, she's up and down, fetching something to eat, then something to drink, then she needs to get her phone. Finally Aria huffs, turns off the film and stares at Paige,
"Ok. You're not concentrating and you're pissing me off. Just go and do what you have to do, wherever it is and leave me to watch this in peace."
Paige mumbles something about not having anything to do and apologises. Aria sighs and turns fully towards her,
"Go see her, Paige."
Paige taps her foot on the floor, a sure sign she's unsettled and bites the side of her thumb. Eventually she sighs out,
"You're right, you're right. I'm gonna go see her."
She jumps up, throws on a hoodie and in a whirl of anxiety and hope, she kisses Aria's cheek and heads out the door,
"Ok. Ok." Takes a deep breath, "wish me luck." Aria looks back at her,
"I really, really do."
Paige cycles faster to campus than she ever has before. She knows where Emily should be - just finishing a lecture. As she pulls up in the quad she spots Emily and her stomach flips. She catches sight of Spencer waving to Emily and calling her over and she feels sick. She thinks about turning to leave, but she can't. She has to know, and Spencer can just get over herself. And, somewhere in the back of her head she thinks that maybe, if Spencer hears then she'll let her be and stop bugging Emily about Dani and about her and Emily. She rests her bike by the stands, takes a deep breath and wipes her hands on the side of her jeans. She walks up to Emily, noticing with satisfaction the grin that appears on her face as she spots her.
"Paige!"
"Hi, Em." She nods at Spencer, "Spencer." Spencer glares back at her, voice dripping with sarcasm,
"Paige, what a delightful surprise. Look, we're going somewhere so if you could –" Paige steps forward to block her,
"No! Er, I mean, no, I can't. Emily I have to talk to you." And all of a sudden all the fancy words she's been rehearsing on the way here fall away, and she thinks, I'm just a girl, what the hell have I got to offer someone like you? Then she remembers New Year's eve and the night before New Year in her bed, when Emily held her and the things she told her. And she takes a deep breath,
"Em, do you remember when I said I didn't think I could just be friends with you?" Emily looks awkwardly at Spencer, then back to Paige, nods.
"Well. I think I was right. I don't think I can be."
She hears Spencer scoff beside her, begin to say something, but Paige isn't going to be knocked from her course now,
"I don't think I can be, because we could have something really good." She sees Emily's face shut down, she closes her eyes, and on another day, Paige would have believed that it was over there and then. This time, this day, she knows it isn't. She just needs to find the right words. "Em. You believe you're not ready, but what if you are? What if you just need me, us, to make you ready? Remember what Coach says? The body doesn't lie. Listen to it, Em. You told me something at New Year that I think answers the question for you. Don't ruin this by cowardice. You have to live, Em. Remember you chose to live. Be brave. Be bold." She waits a beat, "And trust me. Like you did with swimming. Just trust me because," she takes a deep breath, "I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you."
She stops, stands and watches as Emily's eyes fill and she swallows. Paige doesn't want this, not here, not now. Doesn't want to make Emily cry. Never wants that for her. She's said what she needs to. She brushes a piece of hair back behind Emily's ear and gently touches the side of her face.
"Ok, I'm gonna go. But now you know. Only, I can't wait forever, Em. I can't, I have to get on with or without you. And I need to know if it's one or the other. But you need to either take a chance on us, or leave me the hell alone. Because I can't do this anymore. "
She looks at Spencer and smiles, shrugs,
"Sorry, you can go for your coffee or whatever now. Thanks."
She doesn't look back. To them, it looks like arrogance. To Paige, it's all she can do to not turn round and apologise. To tell Emily to take all the time she needs, whether it's next week or next year, hell whether it's ten years time. But at the same time, she feels calm, confident, controlled. And it feels good. She heads back home.
Aria's sitting in the same place, the only change a half-drunk cup of coffee on the floor next to her. She looks up expectantly as Paige comes through the door. Paige smiles and shrugs.
"Ok? How'd it go? What happened?"
"I saw her."
"Good."
"Yeah. Spencer was there."
"Ok, bad."
Paige laughs, and sits next to Aria,
"Kind of. It threw me off at first, but I said what I wanted to say. Well," she pauses, "I forgot completely what I wanted to say, but I said something."
"Good." Aria rubs Paige's back, "That's gotta be good, right? 'Cause you can't go on like you were." Paige turns to look at her,
"Yeah, sorry about that. Have I been a complete pain?"
"Only since Christmas. A bit."
The sit in silence for a while. Aria's just about to get up when Paige starts talking again.
"I'm glad I said something though. It feels good. I feel like I can move on." She dips her head and then looks back at Aria, "I feel like I can get on and stop being a pain in the ass. Oh – until I realize I've been completely rejected. Who knows what'll happen then." She smiles a rueful smile, "I'm really sorry."
"Doesn't matter. And if you are rejected? Then we'll deal. You're not on your own, Paige."
"Thanks. I know."
XXXXX
Emily's left standing, staring at Paige's retreating back. She hears Spencer huff beside her, knows she's going to get a tirade of anti-Paige propaganda and she pulls herself together, puts a lid on the butterfly flutter in her stomach. Waits.
"Huh. Like you can believe a word of that. You know, I really don't get how you can still be friends with her. After the way she treated Dani, the way she just thinks she can treat everyone. You know what she was like in freshman year, how she just slept her way through most of the campus –"
"Yeah, I know what you've told me, Spence."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Emily shakes her head,
"It means what I said. And anyway, people change. I don't think she's like that. Not anymore, I've seen no evidence."
"Then perhaps you need to open your eyes when it comes to her, Emily. She's still messing that Lauren around, from the swim team."
"Yeah? And where did you hear that?"
"Dani." It's Emily's turn to scoff. Spencer flashes into anger, "No, you don't get to do that. You know, the Emily I know would never treat someone like you treated Dani."
"Spence. I know I treated Dani badly –"
"Well, at least you admit it. And all because of her." Emily states, more loudly this time,
"I treated Dani badly. But it was me. Nothing to do with Paige."
"Sometimes I don't think I know who you are anymore, Emily. You're different."
"Don't you think what happened to me might make me a little different, Spence? We knew one another in high school and I'd changed before the accident. I died twice. Do you really think I'm gonna be the same person you knew before? You can't keep me as your scared and shy friend who needs protecting. Paige doesn't see me that way, she challenges me, sometimes she scares me, but you – and Dani – you make me walk around like there's glass between me and the world. Paige doesn't. Paige wants me to live in the real world, live in it with her."
Emily knows Spencer. She knows that for her, at this moment, it's all about winning her argument, but she also knows that once she has time, she'll think about what Emily's saying and that she isn't too arrogant to change her mind. At this moment, she knows she's going to have to endure whatever it is that Spence wants to throw at her. She braces herself,
"God. I can't believe you're being so naïve. Emily, she just wants to get you into bed – another score on her card."
Emily's stomach unexpectedly flips, and Spencer can't help but notice the shy smile that spreads on Emily's face. She knows at that moment that she's lost. Emily says more quietly,
"And maybe that's where I want to be."
"Well then, I can't help you."
"Spence, I'm not asking you to. But I would like your support. And I would like your friendship. And I would like you to try with Paige. Because, I think I'm in love with her."
Spencer rolls her eyes. But she loves Emily. She shrugs,
"So, what do I do?"
"Spence, I don't want you to do anything. I just want you to be my friend."
"Then I am. But don't expect me not to try and protect you, 'cause that's what I do."
"I know. And it's why I love you. Thank you." She loops her arm through Spencer's, "Come on, let's go get that coffee."
XXXXX
Emily keeps it to herself for two days, like a secret, or a promise, or a present that she visualizes unwrapping, expectation growing. For two days, she acts, at least on the outside, as if all is the same: at swim practice, in lectures, even just in the quiet of her own room. She knows Paige is waiting for her to say something and she's teasing her. And she has to admit, she's enjoying it. She's also terrified. This thing that's grown between them, she knows it could blow her apart. But she also knows that Paige is the chance she has to take to move on, to build a future – because that's what Paige offers her.
Day three, Friday, she's sitting in the White Dog café. If anyone were watching her, they'd be aware that she's waiting for someone, every time the door opens her head snaps up, every few minutes she checks her phone, sighs and drops it into her pocket again. Eventually, the door opens and she smiles as Holden comes through the door. He waves,
"Hi. You ok?"
"Yeah. Thanks for coming. Do you want anything?"
"I'll just get a coffee." He motions to Elaine, the waitress, who brings his order. He settles back into his chair and takes a sip. "So? What's with the secrecy?"
Emily blushes a little, she has a favour to ask but is a little worried she may have to win him over before he agrees. She's banking on his relationship with Paige to help her. She takes a breath,
"Holden. I want to ask you something."
XXXXX
Later that day, Paige is sitting in the living room with a hopeful look on her face. When she sees how Holden and Aria are dressed, she looks positively miserable.
"What's going on? You going out?"
If she wasn't so caught up in herself, Paige would have noticed Holden and Aria's somewhat shifty looks at one another, she stands, Holden replies,
"Yeah."
"You didn't say. Oh come on, you gonna leave me here? All by myself on a Friday night?"
"Yeah, we've had this planned for ages, me and Aria time. I mentioned it a while ago, but you've been, you know, preoccupied."
"Oh. Well. I guess." She gestures towards the tv, where she's streaming a zombie movie marathon, "I got this ready. But …." She shrugs, "I'll watch them by myself."
Aria laughs and pulls her into a hug,
"Stop being so dramatic, Paige. Just, have a nice night."
"Yeah. Right." They head out the door, Paige calling after them, "Hey! I don't even have anything to eat." The door shuts and Paige throws herself onto the couch, "Yeah. I'll just get a take-out."
About an hour later, Paige is still lying on the couch. She's playing a film, but not really watching when she hears the wind-chimes by the door as if someone's knocked into them and snaps upright. There's a tentative knock on the door and she steps up to open it.
"Emily!"
"Hi." Emily's standing in front of her, holds a bag of Chinese take-out up. She looks shy, scared. Paige swallows and holds onto the door as she feels her stomach dip and for a moment, she just wants to slam the door shut. She manages to stutter out a hello and opens the door wider.
"Hi. What are you doing here?"
"What you said. To come over. To see you." Emily stands, uncomfortable in the middle of the room, "I brought take-out."
"Yeah. So I see."
Paige takes the take-out from Emily and heads to the kitchen. She noticed her hands shaking when she took the bag and she puts it down, leaning on the work-top. She didn't realize Emily had followed her and she jumps when she hears her ask,
"Paige? You ok?"
Paige closes her eyes and turns round. Knows she sounds rude, but can't help it.
"Why are you here, Emily? Why do I do this to myself with you? I open myself up to you and I don't hear anything for three days. It's like when I was sick all over again. What are you doing here?"
Emily steps closer. So close she can see the faint lines around Paige's eyes, the dark circles. She reaches up a hand and touches her cheek gently, faintly. Paige closes her eyes, leans into her hand.
"You were right." Emily's voice is hoarse.
"When?"
"I do want you, want to be with you. I'm sorry I didn't admit it for so long. I'm sorry I messed up with Dani. But mainly I'm sorry I hurt you. Made you think I don't want you. Because I do. I do want you." Her voice becomes a whisper, "So much" As her lips gently move to replace her hand and she kisses down Paige's cheek to the corner of her mouth. She pulls back to look at Paige.
Paige's breathing is shallow as she leans forward and kisses Emily: tongues sliding together, Paige tastes Emily, hands still bracing her against the worktop. Eventually, she moves them, slides a hand to Emily's neck, her face and up into her hair, the other around to the small of her back, pulling her towards her. She feels Emily moan into her mouth as they kiss and kiss. Emily pulls back, smiles and rests her forehead against Paige's,
"Wow."
"Ok?"
"Sure."
Paige moves closer again, places a kiss on her temple, moves her mouth down to her ear and takes the lobe between her teeth, gently, gently, placing a kiss, before moving along Emily's jawline back to her mouth where she kisses the corner of it. Paige feels Emily push against her with more urgency, Paige is aware of what Emily said at New Year: she doesn't want to push her too far, to scare her away, but she wants her so very much it's hard for her to stop. Emily turns her face slightly so Paige has nowhere left to go but back to Emily's mouth, where her lips part more than willingly for Paige's tongue. Paige can feel her heart pounding, her hands beginning to sweat where they've pulled Emily forward so she's flush against her body. She moves one hand to where her thumb can gently caress Emily's neck, finding and pausing a moment as she feels her pulse, drumming against her fingers, feels her swallow, feels the breath hitch in her throat as their mouths move against one another.
And Paige has this desire to feel, to just touch Emily's skin. Without breaking the kiss, she gently moves her hand from around Emily's waist until it hovers above the hem of her shirt, then gently, she slips her thumb under the material and smoothes the rough edge of her thumb over Emily's stomach and along. She feel Emily tense at the touch and Paige pauses a moment to check she's ok, Emily gives a slight nod and Paige continues, moves her hand until her palm is soft against the scar, the one she felt that night in her bed and she feels Emily shiver and moan, her hips push into her.
Emily pulls back, gathers her breath, "Paige? Could we just…" as Paige pushes against her, closer, kisses her lips, her cheek, moves to nuzzle at her neck, below her ear, along her throat. "Jesus, Paige." She carries on kissing her, Emily turns her head to bring their lips back together, murmurs against them. "Can we just go upstairs?"
The desperation in Emily's voice and the nerves in her stomach make Paige pause and she laughs, a low throaty laugh. She grabs Emily's hand and they make slow progress up the stairs, kissing, hands touching, exploring. By the time they reach the top of the stairs, Paige has lost her shirt and the top four buttons of Emily's top are open.
They pause and break apart only when Paige's door is open and they're in her room. Paige sees Emily swallow, sees her eyes pool over, senses her hesitation. She steps in and pushes Emily's hair away from her face.
"It's ok."
Emily's breathing is getting faster, more shallow, she's on the verge of panic, her eyes are sliding from Paige's gaze, she moves her hands to touch Emily's face,
"Shh, Em, it's ok."
"Is it? I'm terrified."
Paige nods.
"Paige, I hope to God that you love me."
"I do. I do love you. I think I knew you the moment I met you. Do you remember? Outside Coach Brennan's office?"
Emily smiles, remembers.
"I thought Holden was your boyfriend."
Paige laughs again, whispers, voice hoarse with emotion, lust,
"And loved you the first time I spoke to you."
Paige sees Emily's breathing returning to normal and though she's still breathing heavily, knows it's not from panic or fear. She moves towards her again, kisses her, running her tongue over Emily's bottom lip, she feels her mouth open against hers. "I love you." She tells her and knows that she'll tell her over and over again for as long as, and whenever she needs. "And I want you. I want you so much." Paige steps closer, encloses her in her arms and hears Emily's voice close into her neck,
"Paige? What if I disappear?"
"I won't let you. I'm here now. I'm never letting you go anywhere. You're safe. Trust me."
Emily nods. Paige gently lifts Emily's dark-blue Henley over her head, sees her flinch as she reveals her stomach, breasts, shoulders. She sees the scarring running around Emily's right shoulder as she pushes her bra strap off and brings her lips, gently, to kiss the raise of skin there. She feels Emily tense as she pushes the strap off her other shoulder and reaches round to undo the clasp and lets the material fall. She quickly removes her jeans, her own bra; then lightly runs her fingers across Emily's neck, following the thick band of damaged tissue, down, ghosting over her breasts. Feeling Emily move to protest, she moves her hand to the scar over her ribs and leaves the palm of her hand resting there, flat against her stomach. She looks back at her face,
"Don't. Don't stop me. You are so beautiful."
"I'm not. How can you say that?"
"How can I not?"
And for a moment, she wonders how Emily must have been before the accident. But this scarring that she hates so much, Paige loves. It's the proof of her desire to live - her chance for a future - the chance that brought her to Paige to look after her and love her. And so she loves it. She kisses her way down Emily's neck, along her collarbone to her scars, then back again down her breasts, gently sucking at her nipples. She feels how Emily responds to her, her skin prickling as she kisses it, nipples hardening, hears her breath hitching, feels her fingers raking down her back, pulling her closer. She pulls at Emily's jeans button until it opens as she pulls back to let Emily slide her jeans down her legs and pull them off. They move forward again, Paige waiting until Emily puts her arms around her and rocks into her, her hands ghosting over her back, shoulders, shoulder blades.
She moves them backwards until they can fall onto the bed where Paige braces herself on one arm above Emily. She leans forwards as Emily leans up and they kiss again, as Paige runs her hand along Emily's ribs, down around her hip. She feels Emily's hands against her back, her fingers grasping. She's kissing and sucking at her breasts, down over her scars. Emily moans and Paige moves back up to her mouth, licks along her lips, dipping her tongue inside to meet Emily's. Paige feels Emily's hands running along the sides of her body, up until she's cupping her breasts in her hands and thumbs her nipples. Paige feels her stomach dip, the wetness pool between her legs, her breathing hitch.
Her hand snakes down Emily's body until she's moving soft circles on the inside of her thighs. She's waiting, wants Emily to ask, doesn't want to do anything wrong, or push too far too soon. She feels Emily's legs open and feels her whisper into her mouth, 'Please, Paige.' 'Inside?" "Mmm." So she moves her hand, pushing upwards until she feels Emily, wet, she smiles into her mouth, and feels Emily smile and cry out a little as she slides one finger inside her. Both catch their breath as Paige rocks her hips to increase the pressure. Emily arches a little into her, digging her nails into her shoulder, her hip. Paige adds another finger and presses her thumb down, moving against her, increasing pressure and rhythm. She can feel Emily close, so close, feels her breathing quicken, then, unexpectedly, feels her holding back, pulling away, Paige leans forward, her mouth to her ear and whispers,
"It's ok. I'm here. I'm here. Let go. Trust me. You can always trust me."
And Emily feels it. Feels Paige all around her, inside her, next to her, above her and she lets go, far away from the fear that letting go will make her lose herself to the bright white light, because when she shudders and cries out she feels Paige with her, hears her voice and it tethers her to her.
They lie for a moment, panting, breath mingling, Paige kisses Emily again, softly. Moves her hands to where she can just hold her for a moment. She feels Emily begin to shake, pulls back to see tears, moves closer to kiss them away,
"Shh. It's ok. It's ok."
"Paige, it's like dying. It feels like dying. I can feel the light, its heat."
And for a moment, Paige feels awful, guilty. She never wanted this for her. Feels like she shouldn't have pressed her, but she wanted Emily so much. Still wants her, even after this, this desire for her hasn't gone. If anything, this glimpse has made her want her so much more. Paige dips her head, kisses her collarbone, holds on tight, until she hears Emily continue,
"But I could feel you with me. And I knew I'd come back." She starts to laugh, "It's beautiful. I forgot how.." she searches for the right word, smiles at Paige, looking so lost and scared, "You're beautiful."
And Emily waits for a moment, for a beat of her pounding heart as it slows. Emboldened she takes Paige by surprise as she flips them, so she's lying flush against Paige's body, aware of her own weight on her, of the bumps and wheals of her scars,
"Is this ok? Does it feel gross? Can you feel them?"
Paige smiles back at her,
"Don't, Em. You're beautiful."
She moves a hand to Paige's breast, kneading it, running her thumb over the nipple she watches Paige sigh. She runs her tongue down Paige's clavicle, between her breasts and dips into her belly-button, laughing as Paige squirms a little. Paige's hands fist in the covers and Emily sneaks a look at Paige before she shuffles down, settling between Paige's legs and Paige's breath hitches. As Emily's tongue sneaks out, Paige sighs her name. Her tongue sneaks out again and Paige's moans fill the room. She feels Paige tense and arch above her, a hand fist in her hair. She presses the flat of her tongue along Paige's clit and sliding two fingers inside, she feels Paige clench around her, she hums into her, licks and sucks, hearing Paige moan, until she's bucking and arching on the bed above her and she has to hold her legs tighter to hold her down. She kisses her letting her come down and moves upwards, kissing along her body, over her throat, her chin until she's at her lips, where they kiss, gently, deeply.
"God, I love you." Paige says, and again, as her heartbeat slows to normal, "I love you."
They snuggle together, limbs tangled, breath mingling, wrapped tightly together and drift off.
Waking a little later, Emily watches Paige as she studies her. She runs her hand across her body, thumb grazing over her skin, raising goosebumps. Tracing the scars, as she drags her hand across her, she follows with her lips and tongue. Emily feels herself spiral upwards again, her heartbeat increasing. But she needs to know something,
"Is it gross?"
"Mmm?" Paige isn't really listening. She's marveling, awe-struck, creating her own desire-lines around Emily's body. Emily tugs at her, bringing her back to her attention.
"Paige. Is it gross?"
"What?"
"The scars. Do you think, one day, you'll wake up and see them, as gross, disgusting?"
Paige shakes her head to clear it. Can't understand what the hell Emily is saying. She frowns,
"Never." She props herself on her elbow looking down on Emily, "Never. They're part of you. So they're beautiful."
It sounds so simple, so obvious when Paige says it, that Emily almost believes her. She leans towards her and they come together again, murmurs and whispers, little cries, nothing between them, breast to breast as tongues and hands move together.
It's just after eleven, when they're lying wrapped so closely it's hard to tell whose limb belongs to whom. Paige traces down Emily's arm. Down the scars, to where her vein wraps around her forearm and down to the back of her hand, the result of Emily's weight training and her belief in how it helps her swimming – a tip she's passed on to Coach as she said she would. Emily pushes Paige's hair back from her forehead, still slick from sweat as she runs her fingers over two old, small scars.
"What are these from?" Paige chuckles,
"Nothing as dramatic as yours."
"No, but they're cute."
"See? Scars can be cute." She turns her head so she can look at Emily, "Beautiful."
Emily still doesn't believe her. Not yet. Thinks she could get used to Paige trying to show her though.
"Um, the one by my eyebrow? I got when I was seven. I fell off my bike." And Emily has a vision of a young Paige, looking very much like she does now, hurtling through space and time over the handlebars of her bike. Then, as now, not letting anything stop her or get in her way. Always chasing what she wants, headstrong, fierce. She smiles indulgently, Paige looks at her curiously,
"The other one, near my hairline? Was at a stupid hat party in high school. Someone slipped something in my drink and I was dancing to impress some girl and fell over. Cracked my head open. She took me to hospital though and we dated through senior year, so it wasn't all bad."
Emily runs her fingers over the scars, down across her face, tracing her lips with her thumb.
"What hat did you wear?"
"Mm?" Paige is losing it a little at Emily's touch, not really able to focus on anything much apart from where her hand is moving next. Emily laughs,
"To the party. You said it was a hat party."
"Oh, um. I don't know, I thought it was a lame party, so I just wore a lame hat. I was a bit of a brat about it, so I probably deserved to get roofied." She shrugs, "Anyway, the party wasn't my sort of thing. They had some cupcakes, but they all tasted of old pennies, I just wanted a coconut one."
Emily nods, a smirk on her lips,
"Coconut cupcakes. I'll remember that when I invite you to any parties I may have."
Paige laughs,
"Yeah. Do that." She leans closer in, conspiratorially, "I get pretty pissed if all you have is vanilla."
Emily's stomach rumbles, and Paige remembers the take out. She's feeling pretty hungry herself, she skipped lunch and hadn't got round to making herself anything before Emily appeared. She reluctantly moves Emily's arms from where they're encircling her.
"Come on, superstar. Let's have food."
Emily follows her out of the bed, finding her panties from where she dropped them earlier, Paige hands her one of Holden's oversized New York Jets shirts and puts one on herself. She grabs Emily as she tries to walk out past her, pulling her in for a long, slow kiss, sliding her tongue into Emily's mouth. Emily pulls away after a few seconds,
"Don't or we won't leave and I really am hungry now."
They creep down to the kitchen, unaware as to whether Holden and Aria are home yet. They chuckle as they find Paige's shirt halfway up the stairs and stop again to kiss. Paige heats up the noodles in the microwave and roots around for some nibbles in the cupboards.
Aria and Holden are back just after midnight, both fearful, wondering how Paige is, what might have happened. The sight they're greeted with answers their fears. As they open the front door and move into the front room, the open kitchen door allows them to see, quite clearly, Paige sitting on the table, legs wrapped round Emily's thighs, bracing herself on her arms. They're kissing deeply, familiarly. Holden looks at Aria and smiles giving a thumbs up. They thought they'd made enough noise as they came in and wait expectantly for the pair to stop and look round, instead, Emily's hand slides down to the hem of Paige's shirt and slips underneath moving slowly upwards, over her hip, stomach, ribs, upward. At this point Holden turns away, coughing wildly. Aria starts laughing as Paige and Emily break apart, blushing,
"Oh, please, don't mind us."
Aria notices Paige wipe her thumb across her mouth and smile. Her legs are still wrapped around Emily, whose trying to act with decorum and as if she hasn't just been caught initiating sex with their housemate on the kitchen table. Holden wanders into the kitchen,
"Coffee?"
Emily finally breaks free from Paige's leg-grip and Holden walks past Paige planting a kiss on the top of her head, whispering,
"I'm really happy for you."
Paige brushes him off but, secretly delighted, she can't help but grin back at him.
