A/N: So Sorry guys that I havent really updated this story. I've been focusing more on my other story, but I think I'm back in the flow of the story. So I should update more often then once a month. Again sorry about that. If you haven't already you should check out my new story The Perfect Fall!
Thank you again to everyone who reviews and reads the story. It means a lot to me, so thank you!
So I'll do a little recap since it has been awhile.
Paige's parents are moving in with Paige and it freaked out both of them, making Paige question why Emily would want to be apart of her complicated life. Emily shushes her and gives her kisses. At some point Emily takes her shirt off and mesmerizes Paige with her Olive skin. And then they have a messy baking lesson at the Brew the next morning. Oh and there was no little Evee in the last chapter. Just in case you forgot. I'm pretty sure those were the big things last chapter.
Anyways enough rambling here's chapter 13. Enjoy!
Chapter 13
Emily's POV
"So what do you want to do today Ev?" I lay back on the grass putting my arms behind me, as the cool breeze swipes over me and the little girl. I've been picking up Evelyn everyday after school with Hanna for the past week, while Paige works at the Brew. But today it's just Evelyn and I, since Hanna is supposed to go out on her first official date with Tristen tonight and needed to go shopping before. Since I didn't have to work anymore, I had more time to spend with my new girlfriend and Evelyn. My eyes are closed as I still don't get a response from the little girl. But I still feel the pressure of her head on my stomach from her using it as a pillow. I guess she fell asleep, she must have had a hard day at school.
"EM!" My eyes snap up, and I sit up really fast to be face to face with a serious looking Evelyn. I look around and there isn't anybody near us, so the little girl must have needed her attention for something serious.
"What?" I get up and look around again to see if there was anyone by us that she was afraid of; but again there was no one in sight. I look back at the girl who is looking up at me with a pout on her small pink lips. "Wait you just called me Em, what happened to Emmy?"
"You calls me Ev. Not Evee so yous not Emmy. Yous Em." I sit down in front of her now, and she has this stance that conveys attitude. Her arms are crossed against her chest, and her left foot is tapping against the grass as if waiting for me to answer. I smile when I realize what I've done, and how it affected the little girl. Man she was just like her aunts, I can see all of their attitude with her pose, but mostly Spencer's attitude in her at this moment.
"Awe, I'm sorry Evee. Will you please forgive me?" I kneel in front of her so that we are at eye level, pouting my lips and giving her the best puppy dog eyes I have. I know it works when the scrowl on her face softens, and she flings her arms around my neck with that brilliant smile of hers.
"Duh Emmy!" And there was her hint of Hanna, the vivid and dynamic personality that only showed with people who were close to her. Something I never understood about Evelyn and I's relationship. I was told that Evee always kept new people at arm's length but she wasn't like that with me. She was quick to become friends with me, and in return for having that much trust in me, I would do whatever to please and protect her.
"Okay let's try this again. What do you want to do today EVEE?" I pick the little girl up and switch her to my right side but she has a different idea. She decides to crawl to my back for yet another piggy back ride, I should have known. I feel her little shoulders shrug at my question making me laugh, because it's like she had me wrapped around her tiny fingers. "Well hmm how about we go to Leon's?"
"Yayyyy!" I think I am deaf in one ear now with her high pitched voice cutting through me. I hear ringing coming from my left ear. "Sawwy Emmy.."
"It's okay little one, let's go." I shake off the ringing in hopes that it will go away soon, and gallop across the park to the town square. The town square was more crowded then how it was an hour ago when I first got Evelyn. Now there were teenagers running on the sidewalks, bumping into mothers and their kids walking with groceries. It reminded me of New York when I was younger. I would go grocery shopping with my mom and since the store was close to the apartment, we would walk. People were too always too busy to look where they were going to pay any attention to a little girl holding bags. A pang of guilt hit me as I thought of my mother, and how I hadn't visited her or even bothered to call her. I guess I would call her while at Leon's. I wonder how she would react to Paige and I. But my thoughts are quickly dissolved as the little girl voice fills my right ear. "Aunty Ali!"
"Ev- monster!" The blonde comes up to us and she reaches for Evelyn but instinctively I move away from Alison, gripping ahold of Evelyn a bit tighter. The look in Alison's blue eyes began with hurt, and quickly changed to anger. "Excuse me, she is my niece." In my head I know that Alison won't hurt her, but I can't help feeling a bit apprehensive about letting anyone I don't know near Evelyn.
"I okay Emmy. Down pwease?" The little girl whispers in my ear as her grip loosens on my neck. I look back at Evelyn's amber eyes, and see confidence as I let her down. Her fingers slowly run down my arm as she reaches to Alison. "Hi Aunty Ali" She kisses the pink tinted cheek and the blonde returns the favor while balancing Evelyn on her hip and some shopping bags on her other arm.
"I missed you Evster. I got it from here, I'm sorry I forgot your name." She puts Evelyn down and begin to walk away. I look at the both of them walking away as Evelyn turns around to wave to me with a scared look in her eyes. Suddenly the momentary shock disappears as I walk up in front of Alison hearing her heels stop. Her piercing blue eyes were mesmerizing as they stared up at me trying to figure out what my next move was. I shake off any thoughts that were creeping up in my mind as a smirk starts to form on her lips.
"Uh it's Emily, and with all due respect she's not going anywhere with you. I told Paige that I would watch her today so I go with her wherever." I look at the little girl with a smile as she looks between us with fear in her eyes, a giant change from a few seconds ago. Alison kneels down and whispers something in her ear making the little girl light up and jump as she skips to the nearby table at Leon's. I move to follow her, but Alison's hand grips at my arm pulling me away from Evee. We still stayed close enough to watch her, but far enough so that she wouldn't hear the conversation.
"Okay listen. You are nothing but a babysitter for Paige, you are nothing to her or Evelyn. I am family, her freaking Aunt. She is coming with me for an hour or two, because my selfish sister-in-law refuses to let my family see her." She says in a low but stern voice and I retract my hand away from her grasp. I feel like I'm back in high school, where girls like Alison thought they could walk all over me. Well maybe if the situation was different then I would have let her , but this situation had Evee.
"No she isn't. Look, if you want to see her you talk to Paige about it. Come on Evee."
"Byes Aunty Ali! Up Emmy!"
"You got it Evee."
"Why don't I put a movie for you?" The little girl is laying on the couch almost asleep after spending most of the day walking around town. She nods her head against my ribs and I try to find a kids movie on the T.V., but it's too late because she's fallen asleep.
I skillfully move out from under her and walk over to the breakfast bar to finish my observation chart. One of my assignment had been to observe a children in a controled setting for my Early childhood Education class. Paige gave me the idea of asking permission to go to Evelyn's preschool to sit in for an hour. So that was another reason I had Evelyn for the day today, because I was already with her when school got out. The kids had been really good with not letting my presence disturb them, well except for Evelyn. She jumped up and brightened up from her slum when she saw me walking through the doors. She made observing more difficult because she kept wanting me to play with her, but before I could say anything the teacher stepped in. I could see the immediate hurt in Evelyn's eyes as she walked away with a defeated shrug that she kept for the rest of the time I was there.
I pull my laptop out to write up my report of my observation for Monday. Even though I had the whole weekend to do it, I wanted to get it done so that I could spend the little alone time we had before her parents moved in. She's already been getting boxes sent to her house from Buffalo. So I take it, it'll be soon.
Are you guys at the apartment?-Paige
Yeah. The doors unlocked, so you can just come in.
Okay. About to leave the Brew, want anything before I go?
Some coffee please? Anything strong. Oh yeah she's asleep, so shhh.
One Americano coming up:). Shhh yourself missy.
I smile at my phone and was about to reply when the door opens and I'm half expecting Paige to come in, but to my surprise it's Tristen. He's about to speak when I put my finger to my lips and point to the couch with the other hand. He walks over and sees the slumbering girl, hearing her nose making a whistle type of sound whenever she breathed. He smiles before grabbing my hand, and walking over to the kitchen.
"Should I call off this date with Hanna?"
"Why would you do that? You guys are practically dating already." I look at the signs of doubt in his now dark blue eyes under his shaggy locks. "Unless you don't want to be with her anymore…What's going on Tris?"
"This." He rolls up his pant leg revealing his prosthetic leg. I've only seen him reveal it a few times since we started living together but every time I saw it, it reminded me of that night. It reminded of the stillness of Tristen's body next to me and the smoke coming from the spot where Maddie and the teenage boy were when the explosive went off. How I got lucky while other's didn't, I didn't lose anything physically during that explosion, like Tristen and Maddie. But I still lost my first love and a part of my best friend due to my incompetence.
My incompetence left Tristen permanently disabled, after two surgeries and six months of rehab. Maddie left Iraq in a damn body bag along with two other people, who had families waiting for them to come back, but never did. I wrote to each of their families more to clear my conscious so I could better sleep but it never happened. It wasn't until I came here to Rosewood where I finally was able to sleep. But having Tristen here was bittersweet, because he was a daily reminder of the consequences of my actions.
Even though he adjusted well with the prosthetic over the past year and a half, enough to play basketball again like he never stopped. But the fact that he can't do the one thing that he's been wanting to do since he was a child makes me feel like I stole his future from him. I'm surprised that he doesn't hate me for what I have done to him, he's never blamed me for what happened to his leg and I've never understood why. I thought that when I stopped getting letters from him when I was overseas, that he was done with me. I never expected him to openly seek me out, and to live with me.
His blue eyes always told me more to the story then anything. They told me that he was scared. I clearly remember the roles being reversed almost two weeks ago. When I was scared to just admit something in my past that might affect my future. He supported me, so now I am here to support him through whatever he needs.
"Um you haven't told her? I thought you guys already…you know." I learned that it's best to not make a big deal out of his leg, because this whole discussion doesn't need to be turned around on me when Tristen needed me.
"Em it's been like two weeks, I'm not a pig. Anyway, how do I even bring that up in conversation? Oh hey did you like the movie? Oh and by the way, I'm an amputee." He paced back and forth across the kitchen rubbing his temples as he continues to talk about the possible outcomes of telling Hanna.
"Well yeah. I mean, it's like what you told me about talking to the therapist. Just talk." I shrug as I sit on the stool watch him pace more until my words sink in to him. Finally they sink in making him stop, and he comes towards me leaning into me on his elbows.
"Yeah well you're not really qualified to tell me that, because you blew off your appointment with the therapist, and you run away from your problems when you don't know how to deal with them." He leans his head on the countertop with his hands resting on the back of his head. I walk over to the couch, pick up Evelyn, and I carry her to my room and place her on the bed. I put pillows around her so she doesn't roll off, since it's not against a wall. I close the door walking up to Tristen and push him sideways into the corner of the counter.
"Screw you Tristen... Get out if you're going to be an asshole. You asked for my opinion and I gave it to you. If you think that Hanna knowing you're an amputee will affect the way she feels about you, then you obviously don't know her well." I shove him again, just because he's going through a dilemma doesn't give him the right to be an asshole. He hits the cabinet and puts his hands up in the air figuring out his mistake.
"Look I'm sorry, I know I asked you and I'm grateful but from experience, girls have walked away after knowing this." He walks past me and slumps down on the couch putting his feet up on the footrest and throwing a pillow on his face. I sit next to him and left the pillow from his face to reveal his watery eyes.
"Yeah well none of those girls have been Hanna, Tris." Just then the door opens and Paige walks in with a shocked expression on her face, as her eyes narrow on Tristen's prosthetic leg.
"Oh.. I'm sorry, Em said I could just come in, but I still should have knocked." She has three coffee's on a tray with some pastry bags. I get up quickly and get the almost falling tray of coffee and move in front of her line of vision. I hear Tristen ruffle with his pant leg, and walking over to his room and closing the door. "I'm so sorry Em. I didn't know.." Paige whispers to me as I walk her over to the kitchen.
"It's fine, he's having a dilemma right now. He thinks Hanna will leave after finding out, so he's wondering if to spare his own feelings to just end it before she knows." I take the coffees out of the carriers and look at markings on the coffee to figure out which one was mine. I took the hint on when to stop talking to Tristen, but the look on Paige's face looked like I should be more concerned about him.
"What? Hanna wouldn't do that. She really likes Tristen, He isn't a jerk like most of the guys she dates." She looks at me with troubling eyes as if to make sense of everything. I can see the flash of hurt in her brown chocolate eyes as they flick between Tristen and his leg.
"Yeah well tell him that, because he's not listening to me." I point my chin up at an embarrassed Tristen whose now in a dark blue dress shirt and some dark washed jeans. He brushes the hair out of his face as the red tint on his cheeks deepens when he locks eyes with Paige.
"Tristen?" He still isn't looking at us but I hear him mumble, and Paige looks back at me as if to get an okay. I nod and she turns back, walking up to him and resting her hand on his arm. "Just go for it. If I know my sister, I know that she won't care about your leg. She likes you a lot Tristen, I was on the phone with her earlier and she seemed really excited for your guys' date. You don't have to tell her tonight." He puts his hand over hers, and I see a weak smile on his face. He whispers thank you to Paige before pulling her into a hug and leaving.
She walks over to me and I smile in awe from seeing her handle Tristen, it was quite sexy how she could just make everyone feel calmer. It was just one of her many traits that I admired, the fact that she could use her words to navigate a situation but I used physical force. I lean in to kiss her but I stumble forward because I'm greeted with air. Opening my eyes I see Paige looking at me from behind the kitchen counter with her arms folded across her chest. It brought me back to the park when Evelyn was mad at me. What the hell did I do wrong now? It seems like today is the day for me to piss people off. I hang my head walking over to the bar stool where I left my coffee, and wait for her to tell me what I did wrong. I guess she took the hint to just get on with yelling at me.
"I was leaving the Brew when I got a phone call from Alison, saying that she and her mom are going to take me to court for visitation rights to Evelyn." Yeah just what I expected, yelling, but I don't quite understand why she's yelling at me. I get up and walk over to her but she is standoffish. "Apparently you had a run in with Ali and were being rude to her and refused to let Evee see her." And there it is. Why didn't I think that what happened between Alison wouldn't get back to Paige? But I didn't think she would go as far as threatening Paige with getting sued. But I feel my jaw clench as she continues to blame me for Alison threatening her, when I was just doing what I thought was best for Evelyn.
"Woah, that's not what happened. Is that what she told you? She practically took Evelyn from me and I had to chase her down the street to get Evelyn back. All I told her was that she needed to talk to you before Evee went with her. They can't do that, can they?" By now she's over by the couch and I follow her as she starts crying into her hands. I wrap my hand around her and move her towards me trying to soothe her.
"Well Alison was very livid about it over the phone, and then Mrs. D called me expressing the same concern again, so if they do take me to court I'm screwed because I have no plausible reason for me to keep Evee away." She throws her hands in the air and I know that the situation is serious but I can't help but smile at how animated she is being. I usually see her so calm.
"Can I ask why you try so hard to keep Evelyn away from Jason's side of the family?" It seems like Paige goes out of her way to avoid Jason's family, except for Spencer. Ever since I met them, Evelyn has been with either Paige, me, or one of the three girls. I didn't even know that Jason's family was living in town until Evelyn's party. because Evelyn was always with us. She had said that Jason's mom could take Evelyn one day this week, but didn't answer the phone calls all this week.
"Because it's hard still. It's hard to be near his family, in his parents' house where I used to have dinners with him and where all of his pictures still hang over the mantle and throughout the house. It's already hard looking at Evelyn and seeing so much of Jason in her, but to be near his family where they are constantly reminding Evee and me of Jason is so fucking hard. I love Jason, and I want Evee to know about her dad but it's still fresh to the both of us." She looks at me with mascara streaked cheeks. I kneel in front of her knowing how she feels about consistently being reminded of things lost.
"Paige… I know it must be hard for you to see them and see everything, but you can't keep Evelyn away from her family. They are her family too, and you can't just keep her away from them just because it's harder for you. Evelyn is strong and she loves her dad, I've seen her eyes light up whenever she talks about him or even when she sees Alison. I think you're making it harder on her if you don't let them see her." Her eyes look hurt and angry now as I cup her hands in mine. I notice her hands are shaking making me squeeze harder and move up to kiss her softly on the lips. I feel her relax and her shaking stop when she leans forward to give me a chaste kiss.
"I can't go back to that house though Emily. It's too hard, why do you think I hardly have pictures of Jason around the house?" She pressed her forehead to my lips and I lightly kiss her forehead as she speaks, and the vibration of her trembling lip travels to my mouth.
"You don't have to go to the house. Spencer or I can take her over to their house, or you can meet them in town. You don't have to be reminded of him, but Evee does. As strange as it seems Evelyn loves Alison." I sit up next to her on the couch and pull her on top of me, throwing some of the couch pillows on the floor so we both could fit comfortably on the couch. She rests her head on my chest and we stay silent for a few minutes. This is what I looked forward to when she came home from work, being lazy together and finally touching her now that we were behind closed doors and out of the public eye.
I don't know how long I was asleep for, but I don't feel the weight of Paige's body on mine when my eyes flicker open from coming back to consciousness. But I feel numbness from my left shoulder down and when I finally wake up and take everything in I see Paige on my side. I guess she had shifted off of me while we sleeping and she nestled herself under my arm. I get up to check the time and to check on Evelyn, but Paige's arms are tightly wrapped around my midsection. I loosen her grip slowly and lightly so that she won't wake up and walk over to close my laptop screen before tip toeing or to my room. I see Evelyn sitting up in my bed with some of her Polaroid pictures spread out across my bed.
"Hey Evee whatcha doing?" I walk over to the edge of the bed waiting for her to finish laying out the pictures before expecting a response.
"Look at them Emmy! They pretty huh?" I look across all the pictures of trees and leaves, some of the play structures that I always take her to, I was in a few of those. There are a few of Hanna kissing the camera, in which I just roll my eyes. Also there are candid shots of Paige at the Brew from one morning, that we stopped by to get Hanna something because she got a visit from "Aunt Flow" as she tells Evelyn. Apparently "Aunt Flow" likes Chai tea, carrot cake and chocolate croissants because Paige knew exactly what to give me for Hanna when Evelyn answered why we were there so early. But one picture catches my eye and I pick it up to get a better look at it and to see if my eyes were still groggy from just waking up. I rub my eyes making the picture clearer and I see that it's a silhouette of what looks like two girls kissing. I instantly panic, because even though it doesn't show the faces you can clearly tell it's two girls.
"Evee where did you take this picture?" I walk over to her, and show her the picture pointing at the background. It looked like the park but the sun shining behind the two figures made everything dark. I hope for her to say anywhere but the park. The day we went to the police station to make our statements, was the only time Paige and I shared a kiss in public when we thought that Evee wasn't looking. At the damn park.
"Oh dat one. Um in da park." Shit.
Sorry if there are mistakes guys. I'm really tired and probably should wait til the more but eh what the hell, you guys waited long enough.