ALL RIGHTS GO TO MARLENE KING

Love is needing someone. Love is putting up with someone's bad qualities because they somehow complete you. - Sarah Dessen

Chapter 10: Outburst

Alison's POV:

After breakfast we had decided to go shopping, I thought that a shopping spree might help ease my mind a bit. After hitting about six store we went over to this cute little boutique.

Hanna got a cute blue scarf and we walked over to the register to pay. The employee grabbed the scarf without making eye contact and announced the price in a french accent. As Hanna was getting her money out the man raised his head and looked me dead in the eye. It was him.

Cyrus.

Cyrus smirks at me slightly and I freeze. My hands grip the counters for balance, knuckles turning white and my heart was beating rapidly. I took a step back, and then another until I was back against the wall. Emily and the others were starring at me confused. I couldn't breathe.

"Ali, what's wrong?" Emily asks.

Before I could open my mouth, Cyrus ran over towards me and started punching me. I screamed out In pain and collapsed on the floor. Emily's voice was booming in my ears as she tried to get me to listen to her but I only heard the sickening sound of Cyrus laugh every time his fist connected with my face.

I felt myself being placed in someones arms. I open my eyes and see Emily holding me tightly against her.

"Shh, it's okay." Emily cooed as she strokes my face, trying to calm me down.

I look around the store. Cyrus isn't here. An old lady behind the counter is staring at me with wide eyes, as if she'd just whiteness the most horrifying thing in her life.

I had imagined it.

Tears fall freely from my eyes so I burry my head deeper into Emily's chest.

Emily eventually picks me up and carries me out of the store and into some alley by the corner of the street. It was raining slightly.

"Alison what happened?" Spencer asks.

"Yeah, you practically gave that lady a heart attack." Hanna says.

"I, uh- I don't know." I answer nervously.

"Ali, you can tell us." Emily says, standing in front of me.

"It's nothing, it was just a panic attack, remember I got one in school?"

"Just a panic attack?" Spencer says, crossing her arms.

"I'm fine guys, really." I tell them with as much conviction as I can but it's hard to convince someone else when you're not even sure about it.

"I'm going to take Ali back to the hotel." Emily says and grabs my hand.

"You don't have to do that, I don't want to ruin your day." The real season is that I don't want Emily to come with me because then that will lead to more unanswered questions.

"I want to, lets go." Emily and I walk silently away from the girls.

Our walk home is mostly quiet except when Emily pops the 'Are you okay?' question over and over again and each time I just nod my head slightly, like clock work.

We arrive at the hotel and I sink down in one of the chairs while Emily stands with her back against the wall, arms crossed.

"What aren't you telling me?" Emily says, frustrated.

"Nothing." I whisper.

"I thought we were done with the lies Ali, but clearly we're back to the same place as we were before." Emily is getting more pissed off by the second. This is not good.

"I'm not lying." My voice cracks and it gives it right away.

"There you go again, what's so important to lie about?" Emily throws her arms up in defeat.

I just sit still, not speaking or moving. My mind flashes back to the events of last night. The pain, confusion, tears, horror, everything. I feel tears prickling in my eyes.

"If we can't be honest with each other then how can I trust you!" Emily yells.

"Just trust me on this, it's nothing you have to worry about!" I yell back, standing up from my chair.

"Of course I should worry if my girlfriend is randomly screaming in stores and then lying about why she did it!" It's the first time Emily's called me her girlfriend, but I'm to pissed off to care about that right now. She doesn't understand anything.

"You don't know anything!" I scream, tears running down my cheek.

"You're right I don't, because you don't trust me!" Emily screams back. Emily's face is horrifying, I've never seen her this angry and it scares me.

"I do trust you!"

"How can I believe that when you won't even tell me this!" Emily takes a step closer towards me and I automatically back up so I'm back-to-back with the wall. Emily stares at me confused, she opens her mouth to speak but closes it and walks out instead.

"Emily wait!" I run after her until we're out in the middle off the empty street yelling at each other. The forceful rain was drizzling down our faces, making it hard to see anything.

"I can't do this, Alison!" My heart practically stops. Some tourists walking by stop to look at us, whispering to each other.

"Can't do what?" I challenge.

"This!" She says and motions her hands towards me.

I stand there stunned. Emily is breaking up with me. Instead of fighting back, defending my guard, I let her win. She deserves so much better than me.

Emily starts walking away from me, but I open my mouth.

"I love you!" I yell and she stops. Her body non moving and she turns slowly around facing me.

"Ali-" I run over to Emily and cut her off by kissing her passionately. Emily stands frozen for a couple of seconds before moving her lips in sync with mine. After a while I pull away, starring into her deep brown eyes.

"You're intoxicating." Emily says, tucking a strand of wet hair behind my ear.

"I hate how you've got me rapped around your fingers ever so tightly," Emily cups my face with her hands, my breath hitching in my throat, "And yet I can't find away to stay away from you."

"I pull her into another deep kiss as the rain drops run down on her lips and into our mouths.

"You want to go inside?" I whisper in her ear.

"Yeah, I'm pretty wet." Emily says, smirking at me.

"I can tell." I twist my fingers in her soaked hair.

Emily and I run back inside and into our room. I quickly throw off my clothes and grab the nearest shirt, it's Emily's old sharks sweatshirt. The sweatshirt is warm and long and has Emily's amazingly floral scent to it.

We both crawl under the warm sheets and I curl up in a ball, hugging my knees to produce more heat into my body. Emily turns around so she's facing me and snuggles me into her, her heat radiating onto me and I instantly warm up.

I quickly fall asleep.

Emily's POV:

Ali's asleep and I'm left thinking what to do. I clearly love her and apparently she loves me to but if she keeps lying things will fall apart and I don't want to be heart broken by Alison again.

I can't sleep but after awhile I feel Ali twisting her body restlessly. I see her eyebrows furrow and her breath quickens. She must be having a nightmare. I rap my arms tighter around her, hoping it will help.

I think I made it worse, as soon as I wrap my arms around her she starts whimpering, thrashing a little, kicking her legs slightly, like she's trying to get away from my embrace. I whisper her name softly in her ear, trying to sooth her.

Ali lets out a weak cry and grips the sheets tighter. I don't know what to do, should I wake her up?

Finally she stops moving, meaning that her nightmare was probably over.

"NO PLEASE!" Ali screams and jolts up. Her breath is loud and she has tears running down her cheeks.

"What happened?" I say, pulling her into a tight hug as her tears drain my shirt.

"I had a nightmare." She whispers into the fabric.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask, kissing her head.

"Um, not now, I'm tired." Ali shifts her position so her head is on my stomach with her arms draped tightly around my waist, hugging me so tightly almost as if she's afraid someone might snatch her away.

"It's okay, goodnight." I lay my head back and close my eyes.

Before I'm completely asleep I hear a faint muffled whisper coming from Alison.

"Cyrus."