"We the jury find the defendant NOT GUILTY..."

The front door opening and slamming shut caused Emily to look up from her text book.

Silence filled the house moments later.

Emily felt goosebumps start along her spine and then crawl out to her her arms and fingertips.

Something was wrong.

She slowly closed her book and placed it on her bed, and went downstairs to see what was frustrating her mother.

The brunette tiptoed through the house, finally spotting her mom leaning over the kitchen sink – her shoulders shaking in sobs.

"Mom! Mom? What? What is it?" Emily ran over to comfort her mother, but the woman was inconsolable.

"He's free," she choked. "The man who murdered your father in cold blood. He's free. He's been acquitted."

Emily felt like the world was dropping out from underneath her feet. Her father's murder had attracted a lot of media attention and when the trial started, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Wayne Fields' killer would be locked up with the key thrown down a sewer drain.

She didn't even bother focusing on the trial. The lawyers insisted it was open and shut.

"How?" was the only question Emily could think to ask.

Paige felt like she could taste blood in her mouth from the amount she had been biting her tongue. Hanna had insisted - the only way Hanna did business was insisting – she had insisted that the two of them go on a shopping trip.

Paige couldn't remember the last time she went shopping for clothes.

She'd sometimes need something like a new hoodie or a new sports bra. But, that was a mission to the store, and there was never shopping around. It was buy what you need, and leave. But there was nothing she knew she needed for this excursion. Hanna just wanted to "shop".

"We're going to pretty you up for the double date," was how Hanna phrased it.

Paige bit her tongue, because despite her hatred for SHOPPING, she did like Hanna's company. Since she and Emily had started dating, Paige didn't have a lot of time to spend with her blonde friend, and she felt bad about it.

So she said yes to the shopping trip.

And she said yes when Hanna insisted on picking the music for the car ride there.

And she said yes when Hanna piled clothes in Paige's arms, tapping a snapback on her head and pushed her gently towards the changing rooms.

Hanna knew Paige disliked trying on clothes and shopping. But Paige almost had no clothes that fit her. Maybe a few pairs of jeans and a handful of shirts. When Paige was ill, she spent most days in oversized pajamas. Since recovering, her wardrobe hadn't magically grown. All of her clothes were baggy, and at least 3 years old.

Hanna sat in a chair outside the changing rooms, idly looking through the discarded clothes that hadn't been filed away. As she waited for Paige to change into the first outfit, she shouted to Paige. "If we were in a movie, this would be the make over montage scene. We'd get some incredible song to play in the background while you showed off every outfit."

Inside the changing room, Paige fiddled with a particularly difficult tank top (WHY ARE THERE SO MANY RANDOM STRAPS?! Paige screamed in her head) and finally got it on. She tried on the skinny, drop-crotch pants and felt like she looked like a total dork. She opened the door and shrugged.

Hanna almost laughed – the outfit looked fine. Good, even. But Paige's expression was like a puppy who had just gotten punished.

"Please don't make me wear these weird pants," Paige pouted.

"Aw, but they look cute as hell on you."

Paige sighed and scuffed her shoe on the carpet, feeling awkward in 'trendy' clothes. It was only Hanna's insistence that she'd pick clothes for Paige that Emily would like that kept her going. She could endure shopping if it meant Emily would like her clothes.

"What about the tank top?" Hanna asked.

Paige shrugged and sighed. "I guess it looks OK but it took me forever to try on. There's like random strap things and that I got tangled in."

Hanna snorted back a laugh, loving that Paige had no problem admitting her battle with a tank top.

"Try on the next one – the button down. It's a little more straight forward."

Paige headed back in, playing dress up for Hanna's amusement. She tried on a few more. Hanna had insisted on some items - "You are getting the snapback. And the plaid button down – the blue one" - but Paige was able to put her foot down on some of the more troubling ones - "I don't want to get the weird pants, but I'll get the kind that have the cuff at the ankles".

Finally, Paige got to sit back with her new purchases and watch Hanna try on some dresses. Paige didn't really know much, fashion-wise but she tried to be as honest as Hanna had been with her.

Hanna parked the car in the lot outside of Sketch Burger as she and Paige sank into their lunch. Burgers and milkshakes. Hanna's suggestion.

"Your goal is to get me to spend all of my money on new clothes, and then fatten me up so I can't fit into them?"

"Take a bite of that burger and tell me I was wrong for suggesting this place. Best burgers in Philly."

Paige did as she was told and nodded in agreement. "Yes, definitely skyrocketed to the top of the list."

"Caleb told me he loves these burgers more than me. And I told him that's probably the right choice."

Paige laughed into her milkshake and nodded. "The milkshake is good too."

Hanna agreed and immediately took a big gulp of the milkshake.

"I wonder how the burger would feel if Caleb cheated with the milkshake," Paige thought out loud.

Hanna laughed and coughed and blew milkshake out of her nose, all over her steering wheel – causing Paige to crack up, gripping her side in laughter.

"You just blew milkshake through your nose! I didn't think that happened after 3rd grade!"

Hanna was still coughing and slightly crying from laughing and having the shake fly through her nose.

"Don't be a jerk, get me a napkin," Hanna said, wiping the tears from her eyes as Paige bit back laughter.

Paige dug through the bag their food came in, "There's none in here."

"Check my purse," Hanna suggested, wiping the steering wheel with her hand.

Paige grabbed her friend's purse from the floor by her feet and dug through it. She grabbed a few pieces of paper and handed them to Hanna, and continued to dig – finally finding a couple of napkins.

Hanna looked at the paper and handed them back.

Paige looked at the paper in her hands, still holding back snickers of laughter. Something familiar about one of the pieces of paper grabbed her attention.

She looked at Hanna through the corner of her eye as she unfolded the piece of paper.

She immediately recognized her own handwriting, the ink partially faded.

"I don't know who I am writing to, but I want to say I am so sorry for your loss.."

Paige looked at the letter with her mouth open in shock. The moment of levity from seconds ago feels like a lifetime ago.

"Hanna," Paige said, her heart heavy, bile rising in her throat. Her mind racing, trying to figure out who had passed away in Hanna's life. Why Hanna had gotten this letter.

Hanna was still busy cleaning up, and chuckling to herself that she didn't register Paige's call.

"Hanna," Paige said again, more urgency and fear in her voice. It was that tone of fear that perked Hanna's interest. The smile that was on her face faded when she heard it.

"Why do you have this?" Paige asked, holding the letter.

Hanna looked between Paige and the piece of paper, confusion on her face.

"Have what? I don't know what that is."

"Who.. um," Paige felt the bile rise again, and swallowed it down. "Who.. died?" Paige winced. She had no idea how to word that question.

"Who died?" Hanna parroted, complete confusion drawn on her face.

"I wrote this," Paige confessed in an exhale, her eyes closed, terrified to see the expression in Hanna's eyes.

"Paige, is that like – a love letter to Emily? I promise I didn't read it."

It was now Paige's turn to look confused. Why had Hanna brought Paige into this?

"It's.. what? What does Emily have to do with this?"

Hanna rolled her eyes. "That's Em's purse, dork. I just borrowed her's cause she ruined mine with her coffee. It's basically just my wallet and lipstick and nail polish that's in there now. Whatever else is her's. Unless it's cash. Then that's mine too," Hanna tried to smirk to lighten what felt like a serious mood, but Paige's jaw just tightened more.

"This is Emily's letter?"

Hanna searched Paige's eyes for clues about what was happening, but found none. So she just nodded.

The blond watched as the color drained from Paige's face and the brunette threw her car door open and vomited onto the parking lot outside.

Hanna froze momentarily, shocked by what she just witnessed. She grabbed Paige's hair out of the way and soothed her back.

"Paige, are you alright? Should I call 911?"

Paige wretched again, and Hanna cringed at the feeling of Paige's ribs and spine rising under palm as the other girl got sick.

Paige shook her head finally, choking back sobs. "I'm fine."

"What is it? What's that letter?"

Paige glanced back over it and felt the bile burn her throat again. "I think I have Emily's dad's kidney."

"I think it's oddly romantic, Paige. You're scared. But I think Emily will see the romance," Hanna tried to sooth Paige's nerves as the girls waited inside the Grille for Emily and Caleb to show up.

Paige hadn't pieced more than three words together since making her confession to Hanna. The face looked ghostly white and a continuous look of fear was written over her features. She couldn't express the fear she felt at the prospect of telling Emily what she knew, but she knew she couldn't and wouldn't keep it a secret.

Paige just nodded in a vague acknowledgment that Hanna had said something.

"Here she comes," Hanna announced, motioning towards the door.

"Have a little faith in your girl, yeah? She won't let you down," Hanna smiled, with a nudge to Paige's shoulder. The pale girl just swayed weightlessly under Hanna's nudge.

"I'm going to give you guys some space. I'll be upstairs waiting for Caleb. It'll be fine, Paige. Emily really likes you."

Once again, Paige nodded. Her eyes fixed on Emily's face. Hanna sent a wave to Emily as she headed upstairs to observe the two from the second floor.

Unlike normal, Emily's eyes didn't brighten and her face didn't break into a smile when she saw Paige. If Paige had been in her right mind, she would have registered the oddness in Emily's personality. But she could barely breathe and focus on the words she was going to say. It was all too much. The only thing that gave Paige courage was Hanna's advise to have faith in Emily. She did. She had all of her faith in Emily. And she knew she always would.

Emily sat down next to Paige.

Hanna watched the two from up high. She was too far to hear them, but she could read their body language clearly. She felt encouraged when she saw Emily reach over and grab Paige's hands. Hanna's phone buzzed in her pocket and she reluctantly looked away from Paige and Emily and down at her phone.

New iMessage from Caleb: Sorry. Running late. Is Emily Ok? I just heard.

Hanna furrowed her brow. Caleb didn't know about Paige's letter, as far as she knew.

New iMessage to Caleb: What are you talking about?

"Hey," Paige smiled, her breath heavy in her chest. "I have something to tell you."

Emily felt a sad smile wash over her face. "I have something to tell you too."

Paige gulped, her hands sweating and shaking like crazy. "Would it be ok if I go first. I need to say this before I lose my nerve."

Emily finally noticed her girlfriend's pale complexion, the sweat beading on her forehead, and her hands shaking gently in her lap.

Emily finally reached out to calm Paige's hands. "Of course, go ahead."

Hanna waited impatiently for Caleb to reply to her. It seemed like the typing-bubbles had appeared at the bottom of the screen for hours. She let her attention shift back down to Paige and Emily. She watched Paige reach into her back pocket and pull out the letter she had found in the purse. Her phone vibrated again in her hand, pulling her attention back to the device.

New iMessage from Caleb: Just heard about her dad's trial. Her killer totally got out scott free. Saw it on my Facebook feed. Everyone's super pissed. But apparently he had some B.S. Alibi.

Paige pulled Emily's hands to her mouth and kissed them, before letting go and reaching into her back pocket. She pulled out the folded, worn white sheet of paper.

She played with it in her fingers for a few seconds before looking up to meet Emily's eyes. Emily had patience in them, which just encouraged Paige more. She knew there was nothing to be scared of. She was just afraid of hurting Emily. She never wanted to hurt her.

Hanna felt her stomach clench as she read Caleb's text. She felt horrible for Emily, and knew this would just destroy her friend. A few seconds passed, and Hanna remembered what was happening downstairs. No way Paige should tell Emily her news right now.

Paige unfolded the piece of paper in her hands and took a deep, shaking breath.

She met Emily's eyes.

"I," she started, but her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I um. I found this when I was with Hanna. She said it was yours."

Paige handed Emily the letter, and watched as Emily's eyes looked down at the piece of paper. Her face registered that she knew what it was. Paige had held out just an iota of hope that maybe it wasn't Emily's. But that expression on her girlfriend's face confirmed she knew it.

"I wrote that," Paige admitted, her voice clear and only a decibel above a whisper. But Emily heard her.

Emily's head shot up, meeting Paige's eyes. She was looking for any trace of this being a joke. She hoped that Paige was making an awful joke. But she knew she wasn't.

Paige closed her eyes at Emily's silence and opened them slowly.

"It was your dad's, wasn't it?" Paige knew she didn't have to explain herself, Emily knew what she was asking.

Emily wiped the falling tears with her thumb as she re-read the letter. She nodded without looking at Paige.

"I don't know what to say," Paige simply said. "But I couldn't not tell you."

Paige reached out for Emily's arm to try and comfort her, but Emily pulled away. It wasn't malicious, but Paige felt as though Emily had slapped her across the face.

"Em?" Paige whispered, hoping for some kind of reaction.

Emily folded the letter back up and stood up, shoving it in the pocket of her jeans.

"I need to go. I uh.. I need some time. Some space," Emily backed away from the table, her voice completely distracted as her mind raced a million miles an hour. "I'll call you," Emily said in a tone that didn't sound at all genuine.

Emily wouldn't let her gaze meet Paige, because she knew if she did, she'd get swept up in her love for the other girl. Emily couldn't process all of this new information – she felt like she was overwhelmed with whiplash. Every part of her life that felt stable 5 hours ago suddenly shifted under head feet.

Hanna made her way down the staircase just as Emily nearly sprinted from the restaurant. She was torn – to follow Emily, or stay with Paige. But one look at the broken expression on Paige's face told Hanna all she needed to know.

"Paige, I'm so sorry."

Paige slumped over onto the table, her forehead laying on top of her forearm.

"She hates me," came Paige's muffled reply.

Hanna pulled at Paige's shoulder to get the other girl to face her, "She doesn't hate you..." she started but stopped when she saw the look on Paige's face.

It wasn't sadness.

Or fear.

Or shock.

It was pain.

"Paige! Paige, what's wrong?" Hanna asked frantically.

Paige shrugged, her hand moving to her back, and she doubled over the table again. "I need to get to a hospital. Now."