A/N: This chapter is a little different in that it's told from both points of view, and it does get a little angsty/confrontational (conversation wise) in places. But, I have a feeling you will read it anyway.
There is not quite a Cigarette Warning™ for this one, but nearly. You'll see why it's not a full warning when you read it.
Anyway, on with it...
Disclaimer: I do not own skins. Bugger. Any and all typos are a total myth.
(Emily POV)
I walked back to the taxi, feeling an emptiness inside me that surprised me. I slid into the back seat, and was silent for a moment, until the driver spoke.
"Where to, miss?"
"Hmm? Oh... The Cardiff Marriott, please." I said, clearly distracted. I already felt empty enough now that Naomi was on her way back to London, but I had a feeling it was going to get worse, given that I now had to face my family. The trip to the hotel was short enough, and the driver helped me with the luggage. When I got to the front desk, I was greeted by a young concierge who set my gaydar off, immaculately dressed and effeminate enough to scream queen.
"Good evening, miss. How can I be of assistance?"
"Evening. I have a reservation under Fitch. Emily Fitch." I replied.
The concierge consulted his computer, and then looked up at me. "It seems there are quite a few Fitches staying with us at present. Sorry, your first name was...?"
"Emily." I said, unimpressed. Ok, so I was annoyed because I'd frankly rather go home than spend time with a family that doesn't know who I really am inside. I didn't fancy spending the next week wearing a face that meant nothing to the real me.
"Oh. I'm sorry, all I see here are three rooms booked under Fitch. A double room for an R and J Fitch, a single room for another J Fitch, and another double booked under K Fitch." The concierge explained.
Fucking Katie. Christ.
"Right. Obviously my sister has booked a double for the two of us instead of booking us each a single room." I said, annoyed. "Is there any chance you have a spare single room available?"
The concierge checked the computer. "We do have one last room available, yes. How long will you be staying?"
"I'll take it... And I'm unsure at this stage." I said, taking my credit card out of my purse and handing it over. "I frankly don't care how much it costs." I snapped.
"Very well, miss." The concierge replied, taking my card and booking the room in. He handed me a sheet of paper to sign, and then handed over a plastic card in a little envelope, as well as my credit card. "There is your credit card back. You are on the sixth floor, room 6045." I signed the sheet and handed it back to him. "Enjoy your stay."
"Could you please tell me which room K Fitch is in?"
"Certainly... Fifth floor, room 5102. Do you require assistance with your luggage?"
"No, thank you. I can manage." I said, slinging one bag over my shoulder and extending the handle of the other, making my way to the lift. The lift car arrived and an old couple got out, and I went inside and pressed the button for the sixth floor. The ride up to the floor was smooth, and a soft ding of a bell let me know I had arrived. I exited the lift, and found my room, setting my luggage down and sitting on the end of the bed. My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I dug it out, reading the message. I frowned when I realised it was from Katie.
"How fucking late are you running?! Mum is asking where you are, loser! xxKatiexx"
"Fuck's sake." I muttered, getting up and leaving the room. I took the lift down one floor, and meandered through the hall looking for Katie's room. Once I found it, I steeled myself, before raising my fist and banging on the door. A short moment later, it opened, and my twin sister stood before me, dressed in her usual clashing leopard print.
"About fucking time you showed up. Where have you been?"
"I told you I had to work this weekend." I replied, walking past her into the room.
"Yeah, right. That's why I called your office and got no answer." Katie lisped, closing the door behind her, as I went and sat on the sofa. "Wait, where's your luggage?"
I cleared my throat. Maybe Naomi was right...maybe I did need to grow some balls around my family. Here goes... "I booked a separate room." I said, keeping my tone calm.
"Uh, why? I booked this room for the two of us, stupid."
"DON'T call me stupid." I said, flatly. "You know perfectly well I prefer a single room, and I'm really not in the mood for your shit tonight, Kay."
"Right." Katie scoffed. "Since when did you grow a backbone?"
"Oh, I don't know. Since I decided I really couldn't be arsed spending seven days with you lot, making me feel so fucking small that I might as well not exist." I said, curtly.
"Jesus, what the fuck has got into you?" Katie asked.
"It's called being assertive, Katie." I replied.
"But... That's not like you...?"
I shook my head and laughed. "Oh, Katie. There is SO little you know about me."
"Bullshit, I'm your twin, I know everything about you." Katie replied, folding her arms.
"No." I replied, standing up. "You only think you know everything about me. You think I'm this meek doormat who you can walk all over, and I've had enough."
"Emsy-"
"Enough, Katie." I repeated sternly, staring at her. "There are only minutes between us. What gives you the right to continue to boss me around? We are neither children, nor teenagers anymore, Katherine. We are in our mid-twenties now, and you could be a little more mature than always needing to be the queen bee. Or should I say, queen bitch?" Katie stared at me in disbelief. "Now, I'm tired, so I'm going to my room, to bed. I'll see you in the morning for breakfast." I said, as I began to walk out of the room.
"Who are you? What have you done with my sister?" Katie asked.
I turned back to her. "This IS me, Katie. The only difference is, I'm not holding my tongue anymore. Now, goodnight." I said, leaving the room and slamming the door behind me. I knew I would probably get an earbashing from mum over this in the morning, but frankly at the moment, I didn't give a shit.
I made my way back to my room, and decided to take a bath to make me relax a little. The complimentary bubble bath had a fragrance that smelled of vanilla, and I poured some of it in while the bath ran, staring at the multiplying bubbles as I got undressed. I placed my phone on the counter that was next to the bath, and slid into the deliciously warm water. I wished that the warmth would take away some of the emptiness that I felt inside, but I knew that was just wishful thinking. There was only one thing that could solve that, so I picked up my phone. I knew that Naomi was barely out of Wales on the train just yet, but I needed to talk to her.
"Hello?" She said, when she picked up the phone.
"Hello, beautiful." I said, instantly glad to hear her voice.
"Hi, Emily." Naomi replied. "Is something wrong?"
I smiled. "No, nothing's wrong. Well... Unless you count the charming conversation I've just had with my sister. But... It doesn't matter. I just...wanted to hear your voice."
"I'm...glad you called, actually. I miss you." She said, quietly.
"I know. I...I miss you, too."
"You do?"
I sighed, feeling a tear slip down my cheek. "Yes, I do." I half-whispered. "You've only just left and I can barely stand it, Naomi."
"Are you sure you can't come back to London early?" She asked.
I paused. "That depends."
"On what, Emily?"
"On how much my family pisses me off between now and Friday." I replied, flatly. I then sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound bitter, but my sister has already pissed me off this evening."
"How?"
"She booked us a double room, when she knows I prefer my own separate room. I had to book separately, thankfully they had a room to spare, otherwise I'd have been on the next train following yours." I explained. "I'm tired of her making assumptions like that, especially when she knows from past years what I prefer."
"Oh." Naomi replied. "Is it...bad that I wished they didn't have a room free?"
Again, I smiled, mostly at the sweetness of her voice. "No. It's not bad at all. I almost wished the same thing."
"Only almost?"
I sighed. "Ok, I did wish it." I replied, hearing Naomi chuckle softly.
"What do I have to do to help you make up your mind?" She asked, enticingly.
"About coming back to London?"
"Yes." She replied. "Emily, I... I feel like I'll go crazy without being with you. I already feel so...empty inside, right now."
"Naomi..." I started to say.
"Emily... Listen to me, please?"
I sighed once more. "Ok."
I heard her sigh, as though she was right next to me. "I need you, Emily. I feel like I can't breathe, and I don't know how to handle it."
Christ, she really did feel what I felt.
"You're aching inside, aren't you?" I asked, softly.
There was a long pause before she replied. "How did you know?"
I tiled my head back, fighting off the tears that I knew were about to spill. Come on, Emily... You're supposed to be stronger than this. "Uh... Because I feel it, too." I said, my voice strained. "I thought I could help it, but I can't. This weekend was perfect, Naomi, but it's..."
"Not enough?"
"No." I replied. "It's not. I don't think I'm satisfied with it. Don't get me wrong, I loved spending time with you, I just... Needed more. I need more of you."
"Can I ask you something? As an equal." Naomi asked.
"We are equal, Naomi. In spite of the nature of our sexual relationship, I do consider us on an equal standing, ok?"
"Ok..."
"So...what is your question, beautiful?" I asked.
"Please, come back to London... before Friday?"
I closed my eyes for a brief moment. "It will cause so much tension if I do." I said, quietly. "Not with you, of course, but... my family."
"Emily..." Naomi said. "Please?"
I sighed, deeply. "Why can't I resist you when you ask me like that?" I half-whispered. "What about if I came home Wednesday?"
"Wednesday? Really?"
"Yeah. I'd rather come home now, but... I've already booked the room, and I'm relaxing in the bath, and..."
"You're naked?"
I laughed. "Well, I didn't get into this bath fully clothed."
"Damn." Naomi sighed.
I smirked to myself, briefly. "You're distracted now, aren't you?"
"Uh...a little."
I chuckled softly. "My beautiful Naomi... Are you alone?"
She cleared her throat. "Yes."
"Lock the compartment door and pull the blind down." I said.
I heard movement on the other end, over the faint clickety-clack of the train on the rails. "Ok... Now what?"
"Go to the window."
"Ok."
"Now... Take off your top for me. And your bra." I waited, as I heard the rustle of clothing. "Are you done?"
"Y-yes."
"Tell me how you feel, beautiful."
Naomi sighed, softly. "Exposed." She replied. "I wish you were here with me."
"I know."
"Fuck." Naomi muttered, her tone frustrated. "How do you do this to me?"
"Do what, beautiful?"
"Have me so addicted to what you do with me." Naomi replied.
A wide smile crossed my lips. "I'm as addicted to you as you are to me, Naomi."
"You are?"
"Don't doubt it for a second." I said. "The bond between a dominant and a submissive can be quite strong and intense. With us it is so much stronger, so much more...complex. I need you as much as you need me, right now."
She sighed again. "And what does dominant Emily want me to do next?"
"Lean against the glass." I smirked.
"You're lucky it's dark outside and the train is in the middle of nowhere." Naomi replied. "Ok..."
"Unbutton your jeans."
I heard her sigh again, and her shaky intake of breath. "And now?"
I shifted so I was a little more comfortable, and the water settled around me. "I want to know how wet you are."
Naomi exhaled slowly, and I heard her breath catch in my ear. "Jesus... Very."
"I can't wait to feel it for myself." I said, keeping my voice low, as I heard her shallow breathing.
"Me either." She replied, her voice breaking slightly, followed by a soft moan.
"Are you playing with yourself?"
"Yes." She whispered. "I can't help it, you make me crazy."
"I wish I could see you right now, beautiful..." I said, quietly. "Your warm skin pressed against the cold glass..." A gasp left her, and then a soft groan. "You sound so beautiful, Naomi..." Another light whimper. "Imagine me standing behind you... My hands trailing over your skin."
"Yes..." Naomi murmured.
"It feels good, doesn't it?"
"Oh, yes..." Naomi groaned.
But the groan was cut midway through by an engaged tone. I immediately looked at my phone and read 'CALL DISCONNECTED' on the display. I found Naomi's number in my contacts and called her back.
"The number you have dialled is currently out of service or switched off. Please try again later."
Fuck! I hope nothing bad had happened...
(Naomi POV)
I stared at my phone in disbelief, after hearing the warning tone signifying a dead battery. Fuck me, how could I have forgotten to charge it? I slumped down on the seat next to me, staring at the useless flat phone in my hand.
"Fucking typical." I muttered, upset. I took a deep, shuddering breath, feeling a confused, but also aroused knot twist in my stomach. Although, I felt as though a bucket of cold water had just drenched me. Sadly I put my bra and top back on, fastened up my jeans and laid down on the seating.
"Emily..." I muttered to no one, as tears fell down my cheeks. If I'd thought leaving Emily at the station made me feel empty, this was like a chasm that was cracking it's way through my heart. I longed for her so badly, and I felt cut off from the one thing that was keeping me level at the moment. Ok, Emily did make me feel out of control at times, but the others, my god... She was a good listener, as well as an attentive lover. Not only that, she could be surprisingly fun to be around at times, and she did have a good sense of humour.
But what's more... She had my heart, and I knew it. She owned it, and I had no regrets about that, whatsoever. I could tell she was apprehensive about expressing it, but I knew she felt the same. I'm not stupid, I can tell from the way she is with me. The way she looks at me, it's not possessive at all, she looks at me like I'm the only thing that matters for her, and that's more of an indication than any words she could say to me, short of telling me she loves me. It's her actions that speak louder than words, and they are only words unless they are true, right? Emily didn't actually have to tell me she loved me, and I could tell that it was hard for her, given that her expression showed she wanted to say it many times, but something held her back. I don't know what it was, but I decided to be as patient as I could, and wait for her to be ready to tell me.
Before I realised it, I was sobbing with my arms wrapped around me. For the first time since I'd met Emily, I felt alone. I knew that I was probably being dramatic, but I really needed Emily to hold me as I lay there curled into a ball, and the physical distance between me and her was growing with each mile the train travelled back to London.
I must have fallen asleep, because I was woken up some time later by a knocking on the compartment door.
"J-just a minute." I said, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I opened the door to see a conductor standing there.
"Sorry to disturb you, miss. We have arrived in London."
"Right. Fell asleep. Thanks for letting me know." I replied. The conductor gave me a polite smile and went on his way.
I gathered my things and left the train, exiting the station and hailing a taxi. I gave the driver my address, and stared out of the window as the taxi took me home. I paid the driver, thanking him for the journey, and got out of the cab, trudging up the path to my flat. I opened the door, and stepped inside, closing it behind me. I walked through the sitting room to find Effy watching television.
"Welcome back. How was Wales?"
"Good." I said, quietly.
"Nice...er...conference, then?" She said, and I could hear her smirk. I guess Emily was right about that little white lie not sticking.
I dropped my bag at my feet, and looked Effy in the eyes. "How did you know?" I said, flatly.
Effy lit a cigarette, and blew out a ring of smoke. "Well, you didn't have that hickey when you left." She smirked, indicating an area on her own neck. "That, and... Katie called, asking if I knew where Emily was. That's Emily's twin sister, by the way. She mentioned the Fitch Family Vacation in Wales, and I put two and two together."
"Right." I said, slumping into the sofa.
"You could have just told me, Naoms." Effy said. "I don't care that you and Emily had a dirty weekend away."
I screwed my nose up. "Christ, it sounds so sleazy when you say it like that."
Effy chuckled softly. "Emily is many things, sleazy isn't one of them."
"Right." I sighed.
A short moment passed before Effy spoke again. "Naoms... Is everything ok?"
I shook my head. "I'm not sure." I murmured, as I stood up. "It's late, I'm going to get to bed."
Effy pulled me back down to the sofa. "Not so fast, Naoms." She said, staring into my blue eyes with her own. "Talk to me, tell me what's wrong."
I sighed, deeply. "I miss her." I said, my voice small. "Like...really."
Effy regarded me carefully. "You're in love with her, aren't you?"
I leaned back against the sofa. "Yes."
"Oh, Naoms..." Effy said, pulling me close for a hug. "No wonder you've been so odd lately."
"C-can we talk about this tomorrow? My phone went flat and I have to call her so she knows I'm alright."
"Ok." Effy replied. "But you owe me details, Naoms." She said, as I stood up.
"Right." I said, as I went into my room and shut the door, dropping my bag at the foot of my bed. I plugged in my phone to charge, and while I waited got if to power up, I stripped out of my clothes, and crawled under the duvet. Checking my phone, I saw that I had three text messages, and one missed call from Emily's number.
"Hey the phone cut out. Are you ok? xEx"
Another had been received about ten minutes later.
"Beautiful, I'm worried. I can't get through to you. xEx"
And the third, a half hour after the second.
"Maybe your phone went flat? Call me when you can. xEx"
I sighed, and dialled Emily's number, waiting for it to be picked up.
"There you are! Are you alright?!" Emily said, a small amount of panic in her voice.
"I'm fine... Nothing bad happened, my phone just went flat." I replied.
"Oh, thank fucking Christ!" The relief in her tone was evident. "I was worried."
"I would have called sooner, but Effy played inquisitor when I got home. It appears your sister called her...looking for you." I said.
"Fuck." Emily muttered, angrily. "I'm sorry about that, beautiful."
"It doesn't matter. Like you said, Effy knew anyway. If not from her perception than from the hickey on my neck. Thanks, by the way."
Emily laughed softly. "I didn't hear you complaining."
"Well no, but... You're lucky I have a decent concealer." I giggled.
"Haha... Oh, I miss you, beautiful."
"I miss you, too. Did you mean what you said? About coming back Wednesday?"
"Yes. I'm a woman of my word, Naomi. I'll be back late Wednesday afternoon. I promise."
"Thank you." I whispered.
"So, you're home now?"
"Yes."
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Lying under the duvet in my bed."
"Are you tired, beautiful?"
"A little. But I wanted to talk to you first, to put your mind at rest." I replied. "Sorry about earlier."
"It's alright, these things happen." Emily replied. "Did you...finish?" She asked.
"No." I replied. "I...I couldn't. It wasn't the same."
"I see."
"I fell asleep on the train." I said. "I actually felt pretty awful when we got cut off."
Emily sighed, and I also heard a light sniffle. "I was so worried something bad had happened." The strain in her voice tugged at me.
"I'm fine, Emily." I said.
"I know, I just... Christ." Emily whispered. "If anything happened to you, I..."
"Nothing happened, Emily. I'm fine... Calm down, ok?" I said again, reassuring her.
"You just mean so much to me, Naomi."
"I know. You mean a lot to me, too." I replied.
"Listen, beautiful. I'm going to let you get some sleep, I know you have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow."
I sighed, deeply. "Ok."
"Can I call you in the morning?" Emily asked.
"I'd like that." I smiled.
"Ok. Sweet dreams, beautiful."
"Same to you. Goodnight."
"Night." She said, as the call ended.
I set an alarm on my phone, and buried myself under the duvet, imagining that Emily's arms were around me as I drifted off to sleep.
A/N#2: I'm kinda just wishing they'd just say it already, aren't you?
More soon... I really should get working on the other stories on the go, but this one keeps pulling me back to it. I'll see what I can do.
Review if you wish...
~GN~ xo
