A/N: Hello!
Thank you for all the reviews. I enjoyed reading every single one and getting to know what you guys are thinking about the story so far.
Getlostandruncici: Hopefully the next couple of chapters will answer all your questions. Stay tuned. And yes, Paige is so fly
Dayabieberxo: Sometimes it's hard to friend zone a person, but it needs to be done. Emily will figure this one out soon.
Moonlightonwater: Not in this fic…I assure you LOL
Paily: Yes, I will keep my promise. Scout honor! I can't even deal with Locum Tenens! Is it Friday yet?
Del: I got to keep you on your toes, you know? But after every storm, there's a rainbow (totes just quoted Katy Perry). So this chapter will be pretty happy…
LovingEmilyx3: Thank you!
Lastly, to all the guests, whoever you are. Thank you for all your reviews.
Okay, here's the next chapter. It's time for some happy Paily stuff LOL
Enjoy
It has been a crazy hectic week for Paige, running around town, trying to get her self ready to act like the perfect Mayor's daughter. This morning, Paige had to pick up her dress from the dry-cleaners, had to stop by the hair salon, and get her self 'pretty' up. For the past couple of days, she was forced to attend etiquette courses with Noel. Talk about a boring waste of time, Paige thought. Now she was heading home so she could meet up with Mayor McCullers' PR team to fill her in what to do or what not to do at tonight's events. Paige has been to many banquets before, but never one that was this important to her father. Considering that Nick McCullers wanted to present a good wholesome image for his next campaign, Paige was on a strict watch by everyone.
Paige looked at her phone. 8:45 a.m. She had an extra fifteen minutes to grab some food and coffee before heading back to the main house. She absent-mindedly stepped in the Rear Window café, thinking that she won't run into any familiar faces this early in the morning.
The door rang and the scent of coffee instantly hit Paige's face. There was something about the scent of fresh ground coffee that could alone energize anyone. Paige walked over to the counter and closely observed the pastry display. Everything just looked so good and she was excited to order.
"Good morning. What can I get started for you?"
Paige froze at that specific voice, feeling chills running down her spine. This was too early, she thought. Paige stood up straight and smiled before facing the girl.
"Emily. Fancy meeting you here." Paige chuckled nervously, heart beat racing excitedly.
Emily smiled back and answered. "Well, I work here. Remember?"
What were the chances that Paige would stroll in this early? Emily thought. She had just started her shift and it has not been too busy. However, she was not used to this early bird shift quite yet. With Paige standing in front of her, Emily didn't mind anymore. She felt very nervous since she has not seen the auburn-haired girl regularly since their run-in the other day. She knew that Paige was busy over the last couple of days, but Emily missed seeing her every day at school and at the station.
Seeing Emily smiling so sweetly at her, Paige's knees wanted to buckle. Don't act like a fool, Paige told her self.
"Right." Paige said, looking away, mentally kicking her self for forgetting the obvious. Her nervousness was making her look more stupid with Emily standing there and waiting for her.
Calm down, Paige.
"Um…Can I get a red-eye, please?" Feeling her palms getting clammy already. Its just Emily, Paige reminded her self.
"Absolutely." Emily answered, marking the coffee cup, without looking up. "Is that all for today?"
"Um…What's your favorite pastry here?" Paige asked, pointing to the display case.
Paige figured that since she got this chance to talk to Emily, she might as well use this time to make her move. Paige instantly forgot that she had somewhere else to report to, consumed with thoughts of how to stalk her time so she could continue to spend more time here at the café, with Emily.
"Huh?" Emily said, got caught of guard.
Emily got sidetracked when her eyes roamed over Paige's features and lingered on Paige's lips. Emily blushed with embarrassment, looked away, but hoped that Paige didn't noticed.
"What's your favorite pastry?" Paige repeated again.
This time, Paige gave Emily her crooked smile, causing Emily to blush even more and Paige noticed. This was a good start to her morning, she noted.
A very good start.
Keep making Emily laugh, she told herself mentally. Paige liked the sound of Emily's laughter and it was contagious as she started to feel a grin growing on her lips. Maybe she did not need coffee anymore? That laughter sent shivers through her whole system and Paige liked it.
Emily cleared her throat and forced her self to look back over to the pastry display case.
"I like everything in there. Zachary really knows what he's doing when it comes to baking." Emily said, smiled lightly.
Paige nodded, trying to find something else to ask so Emily could stay here and continue to talk to her. Paige's eyes gazed over that smile. Her heart began to pick up more speed and the inside of her mouth went dry. Being around Emily always had that effect on her and Paige was slowly losing her cool. She has never lost her cool around a girl before, but apparently Emily was the first girl who could make Paige feel a lot of different things at the same time.
"I'll take one of everything." Paige spitted out.
It was all Paige could think of at the moment and she kicked her self mentally. Lame, she told her self, forcing a gentle smile towards Emily to cover up her dumb slip-up.
"Seriously?" Emily giggled at Paige's nervousness. She was getting better at reading Paige now that she knows more about the girl and she could tell that Paige was getting flustered. Why? She was not sure. "There's like 14 different types of pastries. Are you sure you want one of each?"
"Yes. I really like pastries." Paige said timidly, embarrassed to admit that to Emily. "You guys have donuts too right?" Paige asked excitedly.
Emily smiled and nodded as she grabbed an empty pink box. She put on gloves before grabbing one of each pastries and placing them in the box neatly. Paige looked around and noticed that at this hour, there were barely any customers in the café shop.
"It's not busy this morning?" Paige turned back and watched Emily. There was a good icebreaker, Paige told her self.
"It was busy earlier, but I guess people are going to get ready for the luncheon soon." Emily answered back, looking at the pink box, making sure she got one of every kind of pastries for Paige.
Paige nodded. Since today was a celebratory day, the town of Rosewood was invited to the luncheon first. The luncheon usually consisted of a brief gathering, a speech, and maybe a reveal of some sort of announcement then lunch with everyone. Paige dreaded the luncheon because it didn't sound fun to her. The entire day didn't sound fun at all, actually. Paige didn't want socialize with people she didn't care about and she could care less about the entire day really. However, since she is the mayor's daughter, she has to play the role and mingle with everyone. After the luncheon was the banquet, which is held later in the evening and Paige was looking forward to that event more than the luncheon.
"What are you doing here so early?" Emily asked, breaking Paige from her dreadful thoughts of what to come today.
"Um…getting ready for Mayor McCullers's party." Paige said, rolling her eyes. "This is the only time I have for myself. Been crazy busy lately." Trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice, but it was hard not to.
Emily saw the glimpse of distant in Paige's eyes when the word 'luncheon' came up earlier and now it all made sense. Paige was not looking forward to this day at all. Emily walked over to the counter and closed the lid of the pink box.
"Yeah, I have not seen you around much lately." Understanding Paige's situation, but she missed Paige when she didn't get to see the girl around.
Emily walked over to the espresso machine and hit a couple of buttons, getting the machine ready. While making the drink, Emily was contemplating whether or not to admit to Paige that she missed seeing the girl on a daily basis. Be honest for once, she told her self, but fear was slowly starting to creep in and killed the idea. She cleared her throat.
"Here's your coffee." Emily handed the drink to Paige, chickening out at the last minute and letting the opportunity pass by.
"Thanks." Paige said, handing the money to Emily. "Sorry, I had to go attend some course on manners and crap to prepare for today. That's why I haven't been around at the station even though I rather be there than at that course. It was a huge waste of time really." She paused. "Missed me when I was gone?" Paige asked smugly, teasing the girl.
Emily rolled her eyes playfully, but she smiled.
I did.
It was like day and night when Paige was not around. Emily's days were not as adventurous and she missed that feeling whenever Paige was around. Emily opened her mouth to answer, but she got cut off when Paige pulled her phone out from her back pocket.
"I'm sorry." Paige quietly said before answering the call coldly. "What?"
Emily's heart sank again. Another chance slipped by.
"Listen, I don't care and I don't know where he is. Tell my dad to quit yelling in the back. It's not doing any good." Paige said tiredly to the phone. "How am I should to know? Ask William. Well, someone is not doing his job. Fine. Okay. Okay! I'm heading there now. Shit!"
Paige hung up the phone and sighed. Today was going to be a very long day, she concluded. Paige looked at Emily again and smiled apologetically.
"Thank you for these." Paige pointed to her coffee and box of treats. "See you at the luncheon?" Embarrassed by asking with a little hint of hope in her voice, hoping that she will see Emily there.
Emily gave Paige a small smile. "See you there."
With that, Emily watched Paige turn and walk out of the café, feeling disappointed that their time was cut short, but couldn't wait to see the girl later on.
Paige looked in the mirror at her self and she almost wanted to vomit. Short summer dresses were never Paige's thing, but it was formal and modest enough to wear to the luncheon. Or that was what she was told by the stylist. She had no opinion on the matter and she hated that. She hated being told what to wear and what to do, but right now, she has to do what her father wanted. Let's see how long she could tolerate being bossed around before she snaps.
"Looking good, sis." Noel complimented, as he leaned against the doorway.
Paige turned around and noticed that Noel was wearing a white buttoned-up shirt and khaki slack with a tie that matched the color of Paige's dress. This definitely painted the perfect family image, she thought.
"What do you think? Are we convincing enough? The perfect ideal family of Mayor McCullers?" Noel asked sarcastically, giving Paige an exaggerated spin.
"Not bad." Paige shrugged, grabbing her clutch off of her bed.
Paige was surprised that Noel finally showed up at the last minute. One of the PR called her earlier, giving Paige an earful about her brother and his where about. He was nowhere to be found, but he managed to show up at the most critical time. Thank goodness. The luncheon was going to start soon, in less than an hour so Noel made it just in time.
"Were you told to come and fetch me?" Paige said, unimpressed with the management team's tactics. She felt like she was a pawn for the day.
"Put on your best smile, sis. Daddy dearest is waiting." Noel said, pouting at Paige.
Paige walked passed Noel and down the stairs. They both entered the formal living room and the place was crawling with Mayor McCullers' campaign team members. Great, Paige thought, so it has begun. The luncheon was starting with chaos and the feeling of agitation was irritating Paige.
Nick McCullers turned around and say loudly, startling both Paige and Noel, as they both looked around helplessly.
"Here are my kids. Paige and Noel." Nick said in his proudest tone. Paige didn't buy it and rolled her eyes, which wasn't missed by her father.
Nick walked up to them and gave them both an awkward hug as one of the photographers started snapping pictures. A reporter scribbled down something on his note pad as he followed.
Paige didn't even bothered to return the hug, as she knew that all of this was a strategic stunt for her father's future political career. It was not genuine.
Nick leaned in.
"Don't screw this up for me, Paige." Nick whispered through his teeth before turning around and flashing a smile at the photographer.
"Noel, here, is the captain of the varsity football team at Rosewood High. He is also part of the student council team and is in the top five percent of the senior class." Nick boasted, smiling at Noel.
Noel flashed his best smile to the reporter as Nick continued to brag about Noel. Paige watched on with discomfort. She was not sure what her father was going to say about her to the reporter, considering she was not as active with her extra curriculum activities as Noel.
"Okay everyone! Attention! It's time for us to move on to the town square." Nick announced excitedly and everyone, beside Paige, cheered. She stood there dumbfounded, disappointment written all over her face, frustration brewing inside.
Nick moved away from Noel and quickly walked out of the house. The photographer and reporter instantly followed him quickly out of the door. Paige stood there with her fist clinching and tears beginning to swell in her eyes. Her father has blatantly forgot to mention her to the reporter. Nick McCullers does have another child or did he, himself, forgot, Paige thought.
"Ouch. That must hurt." Noel whispered in Paige's ear before throwing his head back in laughter and exiting the house.
Don't cry, Paige told herself. Don't be weak. She already knew how her father is so this shouldn't have been a surprise. Shaking off the feeling, she exited the house, following the trail of people walking to the town square.
The weather in Rosewood was incredibly beautiful today. The sun radiated the bright blue sky and no clouds were in sight. Downtown Rosewood was clogged with people. Balloons and banners were stringed all along the streets. No one would get lost coming to this event, Paige thought. This was too much and way over the top.
Paige looked around and politely smiled at people who passed by. This was what she had to do for her father's sake, put on a fake smile for the people of Rosewood. There were no familiar faces in the crowd and she lost Noel at some point in the sea of bodies. She figured that maybe she should walk up to the podium area and do what she was suppose to do, but a little voice inside her head told her to stay there in her spot, right there. Paige was in mid yawn when she heard Emily's voice again for the second time today.
"Hey."
Paige quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth before turning around and greet the girl. Emily was wearing a cute black skirt and a pattern top. It was not too casual, but not too formal either. Her hair was half up and half down, but still curled lightly. Paige gulped nervously, lost at words.
Goodness gracious.
"Hey." Paige said, found her voice and feeling her lip forming a smirk as she looked at Emily.
Paige was happy to see Emily here in the dense crowd of people. Since their little run-in this morning, Paige wanted to find Emily to continue to hang out with her. It would definitely make the day go by more pleasantly. Paige really liked spending time with the girl and just her luck Emily found her first.
"You look a little lost." Emily teased, smiling at Paige, noticed how Paige's face lit up when she turned around.
Emily's heart leaped at the acknowledgement, making her feel slightly light-headed.
Paige continued to hold her crooked smile. "Crowded spaces are not really my thing."
Paige shook her head and looked around to see if any of Emily's friends were near by. None of her friends were around, Paige realized. "No friends with you?"
"Um…they're around here somewhere. The reception is pretty bad here." Emily said as she checked her phone to see if she had any missed calls or text messages from her friends.
Emily tried to look around to see if she could find any of her friends among the large group of people, but no such luck. Emily frowned in frustration and when she looked back at Paige, she realized that Paige has been staring at her.
"What?" Emily asked, ceasing her eyebrow in confusion.
You look really cute.
Those words rang in Paige's head, making her heart hammer rapidly, but Paige smiled, shaking her head, and said, "Nothing."
Paige always found Emily's frown to be so endearing. She couldn't help but stare. This was another opportunity, Paige thought, to make her move.
Say something, Paige!
"You look…" Paige started, but stop in mid sentence.
"EMILY!" Someone shouted.
They both turned around and found Emily's friends heading towards them. Paige sighed. Another missed opportunity, she told her self. Stop with the interruptions!
Hanna ran up and gave Emily a hug first, followed by Spencer, Aria, Caleb, and Toby.
"Hey, we have been looking for you." Spencer said, looking concerned.
Spencer shot Paige a death glare before looking back at Emily. Jeez, Paige though. If a look could kill, then Spencer got that one in the bag. Note to self, don't mess with a Hastings, Paige thought. She should really turn and leave since she got the feeling that she was not welcomed, but she didn't want to leave quite yet.
"I was waiting for you guys, but I couldn't call or text. Bad reception due to the mass of people here." Emily explained, showing her friends her phone.
"Come on." Hanna grabbed Emily's hand and tugged it. "Mona and Lucas are waiting with your mother over there." Hanna pointed to the opposite direction from where they were standing.
"Okay. See you at the banquet?" Emily looked back at Paige before being pulled away by her friend.
"Yeah." Paige said softly in disappointment, lingering her stare as she watch Emily disappear in the crowd.
Paige torn her eyes away and looked around. She was not sure what to do now, but then she noticed that Aria was still standing there, staring back at her.
"Yes?" Paige asked, feeling uncomfortable under Aria's Bambi eyes gaze.
That stare could turn any no into a yes, Paige concluded. Each of Emily's friends really had their own deadly quirks, Paige realized.
Look away quickly, Paige.
Aria shuffled towards Paige, looking down at her linked hands. "Um…I don't know where to begin." Aria said, awkwardly standing in front of Paige.
"I already know what you're going to say. Emily talked to me about it and I know that it's a big secret, but I can keep my mouth shut." Paige said, jokingly hoping that it would lighten the mood of the conversation for Aria.
"I just want to say thank you for doing this. For me. Or for Emily. It means a lot. Thank you." Aria looked up with her wide orbs, looking like she's on the verge of crying.
Oh no. Please don't cry. Paige smiled nervously at Aria. "No problem."
Aria smiled, turned, and took two steps before turning back to Paige.
"You know? You should go for it." Aria said, confusing Paige.
"Go for what?" Paige asked, not sure what Aria was referring to.
"Emily." Aria pointed in the direction that Emily left in. "I know you like her." Aria gave Paige a sly smile.
Paige huffed, trying to brush it off. She looked away so Aria couldn't read her expression. How the hell did Aria figure out that Paige likes Emily? They barely ran into each other and they are in two separate circles of friends. Was it that obvious?
"You should go for it." Aria said again. "Do something about it. She likes you too, in case you didn't know." Aria smiled reassuringly before leaving Paige stand there, with her jaw hung in after shock and thoughts running away a thousand miles per hour.
Emily got ready at the Marin's. All the girls agreed that they should get ready for the banquet at Hanna's house and their dates could pick them all up there so it would make planning easy for everyone. Since Ezra couldn't attend, Aria was the only one that was going without a date. Emily insisted that she could cancel on Samara, but Hanna and Spencer were both adamant that it was too late to change the plan. Truth was that Emily didn't want to lead Samara on because she felt that Samara wanted the night to be more of a date type of night and that was the opposite of Emily's intentions when she agreed to go to the banquet with the girl.
Ding-dong.
Hanna stood up from the vanity and quickly dashed out of the room. "Mom, can you get that please?" She ran back into the room and asked the girls with a wide smile on her face. "Ready, girls?"
All the girls were looking her best tonight in their fancy gowns. This was going to be a memorable night, Emily thought. Looking around at the girls, Emily couldn't help her self, but analyze all her friends and their appearances.
Spencer had her hair up in a loose bun. She was wearing a dark tan gown that was low in the back, exposing a lot of skin. Aria had her hair braided to one side and she was wearing a dark red dress that almost looked black, but the red sparkles helped keep the dress looking red. Hanna had her hair straight down and parted in the middle. Her skin created high contrast against the royal blue color of her hi-low dress. Emily chose a champagne color gown that swept the floor with the dress tail. Her dress had a plunging neckline that wasn't too revealing. Her curled hair was swept to one side, as she wanted to keep her appearance simple for tonight, not over-dressing for the banquet.
All the girls smiled at each other, hinting that they're ready to get the night started and have some fun. Emily loved going to fancy events like this because there wasn't many chances for her to dress up formally. Might as well get the night started early so she could wear the gown as long as possible.
Emily careful descended down the flight of stairs where she heard Hanna squealed with excitement. Hanna ran down the rest of the stairs and tackled Caleb with a tight embrace. Emily couldn't figure out how Hanna could have done that. Running down the stairs with heels on?
No, thank you.
Spencer silently walked over to Toby, where she laced her hand with his and placed her other hand on his arm. They both smiled sweetly at each other.
Emily spotted Samara standing there awkwardly, waiting for her. She walked over to the girl and greeted her.
"Hey." Emily smiled politely.
"Hey beautiful." Samara smiled back.
"You look great." Emily said, trying to keep the conversation as friendly as possible, but not flirtatious or giving Samara the wrong idea.
"You look stunning." Samara said, leaning in to grab Emily's hand.
Before Emily could pull her hand away, Hanna noticed Samara holding her hand and she squealed loudly. Emily had no choice but to go along with it, because she didn't want to hurt Samara's feelings in front of her friends. That would be embarrassing for the girl and Emily didn't have the heart to do that to Samara. However, she will need to draw the line and tell Samara that they should just remain friends after the banquet.
Emily looked around as they all stood in a circle. The boys looked handsome and dashing, while the girls look stunning and elegant. They all looked like they were out of a James Bond movie, which made Emily smiled more wide.
"Let's go." Toby said, squeezing Spencer's hand.
Tonight was going to be a great night.
The banquet was held in downtown Rosewood, in the oldest building in town. Usually Rosewood would hold this banquet every four years, but this was Emily's first time going. She didn't really know what to expect. All of the parents were going to meet up with each other later so Emily and her friends proceeded to the event first to check out the scene.
The building had large elegant banners hanging from the ceiling and over all the windows inside. There were staff members at every corner assisting and directing people as they walked by. As usual, Spencer and Toby were the first ones to lead. Caleb and Hanna followed, then Emily and Samara. Mona and Lucas meet up with them outside and they followed in last with Aria.
Emily's group of friends followed the crowd into the hallway where a quartet was playing. The hallways were lined with heavy ivory drapes and tons of candles. A red carpet cushioned their steps as they continued down the hallway. This was pretty elaborate and nothing Emily has ever seen before.
"The McCullers must have spent a lot of money on this event." Lucas said as he observed his surrounding, awe-stuck.
"They have tons of money so why not throw the best party around?" Toby countered, looking back at the group.
Mona smiled, impressed with the turnout of the party, and said. "The McCullers knows how to throw the best party, that's for sure."
Towards the end of the long hallway, each group was escorted to a table depending on the number of the guest's party. Emily and her friends took up an entire table as they each took their seat. Emily looked around, trying to see if any of the parents were here yet, but there were too many people around. Women were in elegant evening gowns while men donned tuxedoes. This was beyond a small town affair, Emily thought as she looked around and found a familiar set of eyes staring at her from afar.
Paige was seating at one of the table closest to the front, surrounded by her friends. Emily couldn't see what Paige was wearing, but it looked like Paige was not wearing the appropriate female attire. Paige was wearing a suit instead of a gown. Her hair was up in a bun and she had no tie on. Emily smiled softly because the suit looked really good on Paige. She couldn't stop her self, but let her eyes roam all over Paige. Her heart skipped happily and her body began to heat up. She couldn't take her eyes off of the girl. Paige was definitely the definition of unique. In a dress or a suit, the girl could rock it both. Then Paige raised her glass of champagne at Emily and smirked.
Shit!
Emily got caught staring and she tore her eyes away, pretending to not see Paige's gesture.
"Hey. Thanks for coming with me to this banquet." Samara interrupted her thought.
Samara placed her hand on top of Emily's on the table. Once again, Emily didn't have enough time to react so she just kept her hand still. Emily forced a smile back at the girl, which cause Samara to give her hand a little squeeze. This was not how it was supposed to go, Emily thought.
Hurry up and friend-zone her!
"No problem. What are friends for?" Emily said, hoping that Samara understood her hint.
Samara just smiled in return and withdrawn her hand quickly. It seemed like maybe Samara got the hint, but Emily was not 100% sure. She turned her attention back to her friends. Spencer and Toby were in their own world, whispering closely, and not paying any attention to the rest of the table. Hanna, Caleb, Mona, and Lucas were chatting and laughing with each other. Out of the entire table, Aria was the only one that looked like she wasn't enjoying herself as much as everyone else. Emily understood why, but she didn't know what to do to cheer the girl up.
"Hey." Emily nudged Aria on the shoulder. "Are you having fun?"
Aria gave Emily a sad smile. "Yeah. I am, but I just wish…"
Aria didn't have to finish that sentence for Emily to understand what she was trying to say. Emily looked around and noticed that people were mingling before the actual dinner so she thought that it was a good idea to go explore the building with Aria for a while, hoping that it would ease the girl from her troubles.
"Let's go around and explore. Give your mind off of you-know-who." Emily said in a whisper.
Aria nodded in agreement. They both excused themselves from the table and told everyone that they will return soon. Both girls stood up and walked out of the dining area. Linking arms with Emily, Aria leaned her head against Emily's shoulder, appreciating the distraction.
"Thanks, Em." Aria said as they continued to walk down one of the hallways.
Where they were going, Emily had no idea, but it was nice to get away from everyone. It was starting to feel overwhelming with so many people in one place.
"Where are we?" Emily asked, chuckling to herself.
They just started walking around aimlessly, now Emily has no idea where they were in the large building. They have gone down a couple of hallways and then back up a couple of flights of stairs. Aria looked around in alert, trying to help Emily figure out where they were.
"Maybe, we should go this way?" Aria pointed and led the way to the right.
Emily followed, not confident that they were heading down the correct path, but followed Aria anyways. Emily frowned when she heard the change in the musical tempo in the air, indicating that dinner was going to start soon.
"I think they're ready to serve dinner. We have to go back."
"Okay. Um…" Aria said, not sure what to do, looking around for exit signs, but couldn't find any.
Some of the hallways were lit, but others were not. Emily should have known to not head down these hallways, but that was too late now. Aria and Emily both jumped when they heard a whistle followed by a quiet chuckle coming from one end of the hallway.
"I come in peace." Paige appeared from the shadows, raising both of her hands with an amused expression.
Back in the dining area, Paige watched Emily and Aria walk out and Paige thought that this would be a good opportunity to go find Emily. They still need to finish their conversation without any interruptions. With Aria's advise, Paige was determined to have this conversation with Emily.
Emily felt Aria exhaled with relief. Paige slowly walked towards them, tucking both hands into her pant's pockets. Now Emily could fully check the girl out. Her breath hitched at the sight of Paige. Her black suit was fitted with some satin tuxedo strips along the sides of her skinny black trouser and the collar of her blazer. A starch white button-up collar shirt with a couple of the top buttons open was what she wore underneath her blazer.
Simply yet it was tastefully sexy.
The way Emily looked in her dress wasn't even fair. Paige saw Emily from afar and she couldn't help but continue to walk towards the girl until she could completely take in the way Emily looked tonight. Paige's eyes raked down the length of the dress and she tried to not stare too much, but damn...that neckline.
Don't be rude, Paige.
Paige had to force her self to put both hands in her pant's pockets. She had to do something to distract her self and keep her mind from wandering too far because that neckline left little to the imagination.
Emily's eyes slowly gaze down the collar of Paige's shirt, following each button down until her eyes rested on the first closed button that stop right above the cleavage area. Emily cleared her throat to cause a distraction from the feelings that were stirring up inside of her. Paige was absolute hot in her suit and Emily felt like she was drooling over the girl.
Calm down, Emily.
It's just a suit, Emily mentally told her self.
Aria smiled when she glanced over at Emily, giving her a knowing look. It was obvious to Aria that Emily was awe-struck by Paige and her suit.
"Did the dinner start already?" Aria decided to break the silence, looking back at Paige. She was beginning to feel like the third wheel in the narrow space that they occupied, as the air was thick with tension.
Paige looked behind to make sure that no one followed her up the stairs.
"Yeah. Are you guys trying to find your way back?" Paige chuckled as she found it funny that these two girls managed to get this far away from the dining area.
The building was basically in a circular shape. If Aria and Emily kept on walking through a couple more hallways, then they would have found their way back to where they started.
Emily and Aria just nodded.
"Um…I have this for you." Paige reached inside of her jacket and pulled out a set of keys.
Emily drew her eyebrows together in confusion. What was that for, she thought. Emily looked at Aria, but Aria just returned the same facial expression and shrugged. Paige extended her hand in front of Aria, dangling a set of keys, but Aria was reluctant to take it. Paige just smiled and slightly jingled the keys, insisting that Aria take them.
"What are these for?" Aria asked quietly, not sure why Paige was giving them to her.
Paige smiled, motioning her to come closer. Paige whispered something into Aria's ear. Emily couldn't really make out what Paige was telling Aria, but from Aria's facial expression, Aria looked shocked yet surprised all at the same time and Emily couldn't tell if it was a good or bad thing.
Aria stepped back and looked at Paige for a couple of seconds before she embraced the girl and said thank you quietly. What was that about, Emily thought. Paige just pointed down the hall and Aria ran towards that direction.
Paige turned back around and smirked at Emily.
"Emily."
"Um…where is she going?" Emily asked, not sure what just happened.
Aria just left her, alone with Paige in a dark hallway. It wasn't the dark hallway or somewhere unfamiliar that bothered her, it was the fact that Paige was standing here with her, looking very attractive in front of her. Emily gulped nervously.
"She's going to meet someone." Paige said, smiling.
Paige leaned towards Emily, but didn't want to invade Emily's space so she kept a good distance between them. She stood close enough to sincerely whisper, "You look beautiful by the way."
Emily looked up, feeling her heart swell at those words, and a slow smile grew on her face. Paige saw how her words affected Emily and that made her grin even more before winking at Emily. Emily's heart rapid bounced against her chest and her smile grew as Paige's smile grew. Emily was sure she looked like a goof with her smile, but she didn't care. Right now, Emily just wanted to stare at the girl.
"Thank you." Emily replied, feeling out of breathe all the suddenly. Emily managed to say, "You too."
Mentally cursing at her self for sounding like an idiot.
You too?!
Paige chuckled at Emily, who was obviously struggling to find her words. Paige dipped her head shyly. So maybe Aria was right. Maybe Emily did like her. Therefore, she was acting all weird whenever Paige was around her. The realization that maybe Emily liked her made Paige have a difficult time to breath as her heart throbbed with excitement.
"I wanted to stand out, you know? Be different." Paige beamed and did her best runaway face.
Emily laughed at Paige's silliness.
"You definitely stood out." Emily admitted out loud, staring at Paige.
Paige was the only person Emily saw at the banquet tonight. No one else caught her eyes like the way Paige did, now she couldn't keep her eyes off of the girl.
Paige smirked. She was glad to hear that she definitely caught Emily's attention tonight. That was what she was hoping for. Since the luncheon and the little conversation between Aria and her, Paige decided to pull all the stops to get Emily's attention tonight.
"Come on." Paige said, motioning Emily to follow, but Emily hesitated.
Why should she follow Paige? Where was Paige going to take her? Paige turned around and saw a confused Emily who didn't want follow her. Paige smirked again and walked back to the girl. She looked at Emily directly in the eyes and slipped her hand into Emily's hand. Emily's eyes grew with shock and she gulped. What was Paige doing? She thought. Her heart was hurting at this point and Emily thought that her heart might fail any second from going into overdrive. It was thumping so loud that her ears began to buzz and her vision became blurry, but the only thing she could see was Paige smiling at her.
Paige looked down at their joined hands. The softness and the warmth of Emily's hand mesmerized her and she was in awe by how perfectly their hand fitted together. Paige slowly drew lazy circles on the back of Emily's hand with her thumb and without a word, Paige just tug onto Emily's hand, telling Emily that it was okay to follow her.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked, still trying to stay calm, but it was not happening.
A warm sensation imprinted on her hand as tingles ran up and down Emily's arm. She gulped again as the sensation began to intensify.
"Anywhere you want to." Paige said laughing lightly. She stopped and looked at Emily. "Are you hungry?"
Emily nodded and her other hand traveled to her mid section. She hasn't eaten anything for the past four hours, because all of the girls wanted to look her best in her dress. Therefore, now she was starving without realizing it until Paige brought it up.
Paige took a second to think where they could go to grab some food and then an idea popped in her head. She gently squeezed Emily's hand.
"Okay. Let's go." Paige's warm smile gave Emily the reassurance that she knew what she was doing.
They both went down a couple of flights of stairs before Paige lead them through a couple more doors that Emily didn't realized. Emily looked back and she could see that they were somewhere towards the back of the building because she could see the entire dining area from where she was standing. The loud commotion caught Emily's attention as her eyes drawn back to Paige. The delicious scent of food wafted through the air and sounds of sizzling overwhelmed the room. Now she could see where they were and Emily had no words as she watched Paige waving to someone in the kitchen.
"Henri! Henri!" Paige shouted, getting the attention of an elder man in full chef attire from across the massive industrial kitchen.
The man saw Paige and smiled. He placed down his utensil, walked over with both arms extend, and greeted Paige.
"Paijey. Mon cheri. Comme ca va?" Paige hugged him, but she still held onto Emily's hand, not letting go.
Emily looked around. Everyone was hustling in and out of the kitchen, carrying large trays of food as they walked by. The delicious scent alone was making her stomach growl louder.
"Oui, ca va." Paige answered back.
Paige can speak French? Emily was impressed. Who didn't like someone who can speak French? It sounded so sexy coming from Paige's mouth as Emily continued to listen to their French conversation. Even though Emily couldn't really understand what they were talking about, but she was focused on Paige's mouth, watching the girl's face. Emily couldn't look away. The shapes that Paige's lip formed as she spoke with a fluent accent was turning Emily on as she stood there gawking.
Paige then gestured towards Emily, snapped her out of her staring, introducing her to Henri.
"Henri. Emily. Emily. Henri."
"Ah, she's tres belle, Paijey." Henri winked at Paige, causing Emily to smile and blush at the same time.
"Henri, we're hungry and I was wondering if you can make us something special?" Paige asked, gently stroking her thumb over Emily's hand again.
It's like Paige knew the exact moment to do that and Emily was beginning to like the way their hands felt together. It was very comforting.
Henri looked at Paige and smiled tenderly. "For you and your special lady friend? Bien sur! I'll be right back, okay?"
Paige looked around and noticed that they could use one of the kitchen counters as their table so she tugged Emily's hand once more before letting go.
"Here. Sit on this counter." Paige patted on the counter, but Emily didn't think it was a good idea so she shook her head. "Come on. It's okay. I'll help you."
Paige stood in front of Emily with both hands on her waist. Emily gulped nervously, but Paige was oblivious to how nervous she was making Emily feel. Emily obligated and hitched herself up onto the counter. Paige helped stable her so she wouldn't fall and hurt her self. Paige kept both of her hands on Emily's waist, nervous that she might be making Emily uncomfortable. Okay, Paige, stop creeping Emily out, she mentally said. Paige pulled back both hands and smiled apologetic at Emily.
"Wait here. I'll be right back." Paige said quickly and disappeared between the kitchen staffs.
Emily could finally breathe now with Paige out of sight. Inhale and exhale, she reminded her self. She looked at her hand that Paige held earlier and now, it felt cold like something was missing. She missed that sensation Paige gave her just by holding her hand. It was a simple touch, but it stirred so much within Emily.
Paige came back with a bottle of champagne, in one hand and a plate of something else in her other hand. " I hope you like pizza."
"I love pizza!" Emily exclaimed excitedly.
Paige smiled, looking at the pizza and back at Emily. A girl who likes pizza is her ideal type of girl, Paige thought, amused at the thought. Emily is totally her type she realized.
"So I take it that pizza and champagne are okay?" Paige asked, jokingly, holding up the two items.
Emily looked at the pizza then back at Paige, beaming. "It's perfect. Thank you."
For some reason Emily was beginning to feel like this could be a date, but why was she getting so far ahead of her self? Emily couldn't believe that Paige has her melting with happiness in a matter of less than a day. This is crazy. No one has ever done that for her, Emily thought.
Paige placed the pizza in between them. She peeled the seal off of the champagne bottle and popped it open. The content from the inside of the bottle spilled a little over the top causing Emily to gasp. Paige brought it to her mouth and took a swig. She then hand it to Emily and Emily did the same thing.
Emily looks absolutely gorgeous.
Paige mentally memorized how Emily looked right now. She was feeling so anxious having Emily near her again. It was a weird feeling, but a good weird.
Paige was the first one to dig into the pizza. She was so busy from doing press and taking pictures that she didn't have time to eat today either. She was so over this banquet, but she had to be here. Paige was glad she came though because if she had ditched this event, then she wouldn't be standing in this kitchen sharing a pizza with the most beautiful girl she has ever laid her eyes on.
Emily eyed Paige in between bites. "So…I have a couple of questions for you."
This was Emily's chance to ask Paige whatever and find out how Paige felt about her. She wanted to use this chance carefully before someone or something interrupts the conversation, but she didn't know where to start.
Paige looked up at Emily and finished her food in her mouth. "Ask away."
Emily smiled at her response. Paige was never shy of Emily's questions nor did she ever feel uncomfortable when Emily wanted answers from her. Another thing to add to the list of qualities Emily liked about Paige McCullers.
"What was that thing with Aria about?" Emily picked up her slice and bit into it.
"I set up a private dinner for her and Mr. Fitz on the second level." Paige answered nonchalantly, taking another bite of her food.
"Mr. Fitz is here?" Emily stopped chewing, surprised by Paige's answer.
Paige casually nodded before taking another swig of the champagne. Paige had no idea how much that meant to Emily because of Aria. Mr. Fitz and Aria always had a difficult time trying to enjoy simple things that a regular couple gets to enjoy and public events were tricky for them to both attend without speculations. This was really sweet of Paige to have done that for them, but why, Emily wondered.
"How? Why?" Emily asked, looking at Paige curiously.
"I invited him. He knows that I know about the secret. And…this was kind of a thank you gift for Aria." Paige said vaguely, looking down at her slice of pizza.
She didn't want Emily to find out that Aria had told her how Emily felt about her. It would probably embarrass the girl, and Paige didn't want Emily to feel that way.
"Thank you gift? For what?" Emily was definitely curious about what Aria have done for Paige so she pressed on.
"Encouragement." Paige looked away, avoiding eye contact with the girl. She hoped that Emily wouldn't push any further on the matter. "She did me a favor and now I'm doing her a favor. Isn't that how it works?" Paige chuckled, trying to distract Emily from asking any more questions on the matter.
Paige picked up her slice of pizza and pointed to the last piece. "Last one is yours."
Emily smiled back. "It better be mine."
"Don't worry. It's all yours." Paige teased back, smiling to her self.
Jeez, Paige thought, this girl could really eat. Paige found it to be cute that Emily was not self-conscious about food like a lot of other girls Paige has met before. Plus, Emily was not a picky eater either, which is also another good quality to possess in Paige's book.
"So how's that redhead girl from the party?" Emily asked out of left field. "Have you seen her lately?"
Paige choked on her food, coughing violently. Emily giggled as she patted Paige's back to help her calm down.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked sincerely, searching Paige's face. Paige just nodded before taking a sip of champagne.
"Ha. Ha." Paige took a couple more swigs to wash down the pizza that seemed to be stuck in her throat.
"Question. Why though?" Emily was curious on Paige's answer regarding the redhead. It has been on her mind since that day when the redhead told her what really happened.
"Why what?" Paige asked, confused, not sure what Emily wanted to know.
"Why didn't it happen?" Emily asked, casually taking a bite of her pizza again.
Paige nervously took a long swig of the champagne and Emily could sense that Paige was trying to come up with the clever response.
"She isn't my type." Paige said flatly, thinking that it was a pretty safe answer to give.
"Oh? So tell me...what is your type?" Emily always wondered what kind of girl Paige like, considering Paige could get any girl she wanted and now Emily will get the answer she always wondered.
This is it, Paige thought.
Be bold and ballsy. Do it. Just be honest.
"My type? Um…sweet and smart."
"Come on, be specific." Emily pushed on.
Emily really wanted to know what is Paige's type. Paige looked back at Emily, studying her features closely, wondering what she should say. She gave in. What's the harm? Maybe Emily would figure out that she is exactly Paige's type.
"Fine." Paige stood straight and smirked at Emily. "Tall and athletic. She got to have this killer smile with dimples. Big twinkling brown eyes. Slender figure with a tan complexion and long dark hair." Paige's eyes traveled down to Emily's lips as she took another swig of the champagne. Her eyes traveled back up Emily's face and she looked directly into Emily's eyes. "Kissable lips. Sound like anyone you know?" Paige challenged.
Emily stopped chewing completely. Was it her imagination or does that description sound a bit familiar? There was no way. Don't be self-absorbed, Emily. However, back to Paige's question, Emily shook her head, not knowing how to give Paige an answer.
"Shame." Paige said, still holding her smirk.
Emily looked away, trying to look busy by paying attention on her last slice of pizza and hiding her blush.
"Okay. My turn." Paige said after taking another sip of the champagne, eyeing Emily closely.
"Shoot." Emily said, intrigued.
"So you came with Samara?" Paige said coolly, not wanting to cause any tension, but Paige wanted to know something though.
Emily stalked her time, thinking thoroughly how to answer Paige without giving the girl the wrong idea about her and Samara. There was absolutely nothing going on between them. Hopefully, Paige don't think other wise.
"Yeah." Emily admitted and quickly added. "But it's not like that. We're just friends."
Paige nodded, giving Emily a shy smile before looking at her slice of pizza. "Oh? She's not your type? She seems very smitten with you though."
Paige wanted to push the topic, wanting to hear the truth from Emily.
When Paige first saw Emily entered the building with Samara, Paige felt a ping of jealousy. Who wouldn't? Seeing someone she liked with someone else irked her, in the wrong way, but she shook off the feeling. Paige didn't want to react on jealousy because she knew that she would look dumb in the end. Paige rather asks Emily about it first; even if the truth turns out to be something she didn't want to hear. However, it didn't matter. Emily and Samara made a beautiful couple, but Paige was still going to take her chances tonight and try to get Emily's attention. That's all that mattered. Emily was with her, right now and Paige was content with it.
"She's nice, but I only see her as a friend. Nothing more." Emily said as a matter-of-fact, hoping that Paige fully understood.
"Why? Do you like someone else?" Paige asked, knowing that the question might push the wrong button, but she didn't care. Paige arched her eyebrow, challenging Emily to answer her honestly. She knew that Emily liked her, but she really wanted to make sure that was the truth.
Emily stopped chewing immediately and looked back at Paige. She had a feeling that maybe Paige knew that she liked the girl more than friends, but she wasn't going to admit it.
"Yes." Emily thought that answer was a good enough to give and she was right when she saw Paige smiled wider at her answer, seems like Paige was satisfied with a simple yes.
They both went back to enjoying their food before Henri busted back into the kitchen.
"Paijey. They're looking for you!" He huffed in distress.
Paige threw down her pizza slice down and gently grabbed Emily's hand.
"Come on. We got to go."
With a mischievous smile on her face, Paige helped Emily down from the counter and laced their hands together. Paige looked at their joined hands again. It still amazed her that holding Emily's hand felt very natural to her. It was something she couldn't describe, but she liked the sensation. She pulled Emily with her as she quickly weaved them through the narrow kitchen and through some doors.
Emily grabbed the fabric of her dress and pulled it up slightly so she wouldn't step on it and trip. She felt safe with Paige's touch around her hand. She knew that Paige wouldn't let anything happen to her; just like that time they ran away from the police. As they quickly navigated out of the kitchen, Emily felt excitement mixed with anxiety. It was the same thrill she experienced when she went on that bike ride with Paige. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep her from quietly laughing as she turned back around and saw a young gentleman trying to keep up with them, but they soon lost him somewhere along the chase.
Paige and Emily made their way up a flight of stairs that Emily didn't recognized and into the first room down the hallway. Once inside, Paige reluctantly let go of Emily's hand and looked around. She wasn't sure where they were, but it looked like they have found their way into one of the rooms with access to the patio garden that had a small pool. Paige turned back to check on Emily, but found the girl staring at her.
"What?" Paige asked, breathing slightly heavy.
"Did you know that this was the second time I had to run away with you?" Emily asked, feeling the thrill of spontaneity.
Emily was trying her best to neutralize her feeling, not wanting Paige to know that she liked being rebellious with Paige. The first time they ran away from the police, it was scary for Emily because she has never done anything like that before. However, this time, it was not scary at all. It was the opposite. It was exciting. Now she finally understood why Paige enjoyed being so defiant from time to time.
"And?" Paige retorted, once again flashing her smirk.
Emily shook her head, biting on her bottom lip again to keep her from forming a smile on her face. To other people, Paige might seem like a bad influence. She likes to go against authority and likes to challenge people, but Emily knew that there was more to Paige. This time, Emily was not going to give into Paige's intimidation. She was going to challenge back. She wanted to challenge back.
Emily started to wander around, and Paige followed closely behind.
Paige quietly joked behind her. "The banquet is a joke. It's all for show. William knew that I didn't want to be here. Plus, it's not my fault that he can't keep up with us."
"Is that why we're running away and not heading back to the dinner?" Emily asked, turning around and walking backward so she could look at the auburn-haired girl.
Emily was moving really slow because she didn't want to accidentally back into the small pool that occupied the outdoor space.
"Do you want to head back then?" Paige looked up slightly and arched her eyebrow.
No, she didn't want to go back, Emily thought, unless Paige wanted to go back then she would. It was nice to be lost in their own world for a while. Even if it was for ten minutes, Emily didn't care. She wanted to spend, as much time with Paige if she could, but she knew that was not possible. William is bound to find them soon and then they have to return to the dinner.
"No, but I don't want to get into trouble either." Emily confessed with a shy smile.
Paige shook her head. Why would they get into trouble? They haven't got caught yet.
"Just admit that you like the idea of getting into trouble with me." Paige said, giving Emily a cocky smile.
Paige reached out and grabbed Emily's hand, stopping her in her spot.
Just admit it already.
Paige knew that Emily somewhat enjoyed it, but she wanted to hear Emily say it out loud. Emily looked up in surprise. Not sure what to do next or how to reply to Paige. Her hand became an instant distraction as Paige held onto it. She was trying really hard to re-focus, but it was impossible. Emily didn't want Paige to think that she could be pushed around that easily, because Paige was being too arrogant for her own good right now. Emily was not going to let Paige win.
"You like to get me into trouble, don't you?" Emily retorted teasingly.
Paige made an amused face. Emily was not afraid to stand up to her and she liked that. "No one forced you to be here." Paige turned, giving Emily space to leave if she wanted.
"Well, I didn't volunteer either." Emily said, arching her eyebrow and took a small step forward to close the space between them.
"Touché." Paige paused. Paige has never let anyone challenge her as much as Emily, at this moment. She refused to back down and let Emily gain control of the situation.
"Tell me then. Why are you here with me?"
Paige took another small step closer. Her gaze stopped at Emily's lips and she had to bit her bottom lip to stop her from lurching forward and capturing Emily's lips, because that was all she wanted to do to shut the girl up.
Emily refused to back down. She suddenly took a small step forward, causing Paige to automatically take a small step back. Paige's face fell as she starting to realize that her plan might have backfired on her.
Emily didn't miss that change in the other girl's facial expression. The ball was in her court now and she going to have some fun with it. Her lips curled up at one corner and whispered to Paige. "Isn't it obvious?"
Paige was officially in trouble, she thought. Emily has this look that Paige couldn't decipher. She knew that she would give Emily anything if the girl asked for it right now. If Emily wanted her to sit, she would sit very still. If Emily wanted Paige to stand, then she would stand all day for the girl. Paige shook her head. By the look on Paige's face, Emily knew she has gained full control now so she pushed on.
"So you don't know?"
Emily leaned in close, causing Paige to once again take a small step back. Paige's eyes grew as she began to panic, lost in the emotion that was stirring from within of her. Whatever Emily was doing, it was frightening Paige because their proximity was too close. Paige couldn't focus with Emily being this close, so close that she could smell a familiar vanilla scent in the air and causing her head to spin.
Emily looked at Paige's face then down to their hands. A devilish smile came on Emily's face as she brought both of her hands up and placed them on Paige's shoulder. Paige froze in her spot.
Um…
Her heart was hammering wildly and she felt her blood draining. With a little force, Emily pushed the girl back and Paige realized what was happening.
Paige's knees buckled and her foot touched the edge of the pool, causing her to swing her arms forward in a windmill effect to create some support. Once it clicked in her head what Emily was planning, she figured that the girl deserved to get dragged in too. In a split second, Paige quickly reached out and grabbed onto Emily by the arm and tried to yank her in the same direction that Paige was free-falling in. Emily let out a shriek as Paige grinned at the girl.
Emily planted both of her feet into the ground and forced her self to fall into the opposite way, because she didn't want to be pulled into the pool with Paige. Her little harmless prank backfired on her as Paige counter-reacted. She yanked her arm, hoping that Paige would also fall in her direction. Emily fell onto the ground hard and Paige slammed on top of her. Emily let out a groan as she felt the pain shoot up her bottom, as she laid on the cold concrete with Paige's weight on top.
With her eyes still closed, Emily tried to muffled her pain, but the weight of Paige was a much more overwhelming sensation, snapping her out of her world of pain. Emily lay completely still when she realized that Paige was fully on top and Paige's face was mere inches away from hers. The weight was tolerable and it stirred up a sensation within Emily as she could feel every inch of Paige's body pressing against hers. Emily couldn't breath as she felt her heart skipping every other beat.
Paige couldn't believe it. The chance of Emily saving her from falling into the pool was almost impossible, but it still happened. Paige started laughing, as she lifted her self off of Emily. Holding up half of her body weight, she looked down at Emily. Her little laughter turned into a booming one and Emily lay there dumbfounded. Emily couldn't help but laugh along with Paige. Tears were running down Paige's face at this point.
"Ohhh, that was sooo close." Paige said, as her laughter slowly subsided. "Your way of flirting is pretty comical." She brought one hand up to wipe the tears that formed in the corner of her eyes.
Emily killed her laughter instantly and remarked. "I'm not flirting."
"Yeah, you are." Paige said, looking down at the other girl. "It's cute."
"I'm not!" Emily exclaimed, offended. "Can you get off of me?"
"Do you want me to?" Paige retorted, arching her eye. With that remark, Paige knew that she has regain control of the situation again.
Emily opened her mouth, but her voice was lost somewhere. Therefore, she couldn't reply to Paige right away. As awkward as their positions are right now, Emily didn't want Paige to go anywhere.
"Just admit that you like me." Paige challenged. "I know you do." She exaggeratedly shrugged.
Paige flashed her grin at Emily and she was dazed, staring at Paige's lips. How did Paige know? Was she that obvious? Emily tried to deny, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Therefore, she just continued to stare at Paige in shock.
"It's okay." Paige said with a confident smile on her face and winked at Emily. "You'll admit it to me, sooner or later."
Paige pushed herself off of Emily and brushed her hands on her dress pants. Emily instantly missed the feeling of Paige pressed against her. Paige extended her hand out and offended it to the girl. Emily, who hasn't spoken a word yet, slipped her hand into Paige's hand. Paige used her strength to pulled Emily up off the ground, but at the same time, she had to stable Emily as the girl was trying to find her balance again. Once up, Emily looked at Paige and noticed that once again, they were standing very close to each other. She nervously licked her lips as she watched Paige closely.
Paige smiled shyly and asked. "Are you okay?" Searching Emily's face.
Emily blushed and nodded, looking down and saw that Paige was still holding her hand and Paige's other hand was placed gently on her hip. Emily felt absolutely fine, especially whenever Paige held her hand. When she looked back up, her breath hitched because with the nighttime glow of the pool, Paige looked stunning. All of Paige's features were highlighted by the blue-ish glow of the half-lit pool. Emily really wanted to lean forward and capture the other girl's lips, but she didn't want to be too forward. She knew how she felt, but how did Paige feel about her?
Paige was probably sensing the same thought as she gripped a little tighter on Emily's hand. Emily sensed nervousness as the tension in the room increased. Paige smiled softly before looking in Emily's eyes again. Her face slowly inched closer, making sure to give Emily a chance to reject her, but Emily stood still.
Okay, this is it.
Paige inched her lips as close to Emily's as possible, but left enough room where their lips were not touching just quite yet. Her eyes traveled up Emily's face and settled on the girl's eyes.
"Just admit it." Paige whispered against Emily's lips as Paige's other hand snaked up from behind and gently pulled Emily's body closer.
"Yes." Emily had to remind herself to keep calm and breathe. The buzzing in her head was consuming her thoughts and her only focus was on Paige's lips. She only had enough concentration to give her answer breathlessly.
"Yes?" Paige's face softened and a wide grin displayed across her face.
"Yes. You're very likable." Emily licked her lips nervously and her eyes traveled down to Paige's lips. She had had enough of their push-and-pull game and she didn't want to talk anymore. If she had to be the first to admit her feelings, then so be it.
Paige brought her hand up to cup Emily's face. The touch brought on an undeniable electric shock. She smirked at Emily before completely closing the gap between them.
Let me know what you think. Please review it. PM me.
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