I'm sorry that it's taking me forever to write a new chapter. I'm writing examens in a few weeks and I'm sitting at my desk all day. I hope you're still reading and enjoying my story!
I think there will be 2 or 3 chapters left in this story and I'm trying to finish it before the exam.
Soon it was time for Paige to leave. School would start on Monday for both Emily and Paige although they both didn't want it to. They had been spending some quality time together and had gotten used to falling asleep and waking up next to the other. It was something they had not had in the past when Paige had been living in Rosewood due to Pam's strict house rules. It had not been hard to get comfortable with their new living situation and both Emily and Paige had come to see what living together one day could be like.
New Year's Eve had been nice and quiet at Spencer's house with all the girls and their boyfriends. Spencer's parents had left for London visiting Spencer's sister Melissa on New Year's Eve, so the girls (and boys) had had the house all to themselves.
They had been cooking a fancy five-course-dinner together which they all had enjoyed very much. Afterwards they had played some games to kill the time 'til midnight. In Spencer's yard they all had watched the fireworks. All of them knew that it was probably the last year they would be able to spend New Year's Eve together. Soon they would be all over the country attending colleges. Only god knew, if and when all of them would be in one place again. Emily and Paige had been in bed by 2am.
"I want you to stay." Emily said in a sad voice on New Year's Day morning in bed. She was lying on her side with her hand supporting her head so that she could face Paige. Her other hand was resting on Paige's belly. Paige was on her back looking at the ceiling.
Both Emily and Paige were trying to enjoy every second they had left with each other. But it was hard not to think about the fact that Paige's flight leaving in two hours. They both weren't too happy about it but tried not to let it ruin everything.
"Believe me, staying is the only thing I want right now" Paige said and turned to Emily. She brushed away Emily's hair. "Don't worry, okay? Nothing will change. We will talk on the phone, on Skype and maybe you can come over to California some time. You will see, time will pass and soon you're in college and we will be able to see each other more often."
"I don't know, Paige." Emily was skeptical. She wasn't made to be in a long distance relationship. She knew she needed some alone time with her girlfriend from time to time. She needed to hug and kiss her. Phone calls and Skype couldn't do that.
"Tell me. Why would anything change? We just put a label on our relationship, nothing more. We will still be hearing from each other all the time."
"So that's what it is… A label…"
"Em, of course it's not just that but I committed to you not just a few days ago when we decided to be girlfriends again. I have been in love with you for a really long time now and I don't intend for that to change. I did commit to you a long time ago and I'm not taking it back. I want to be with you – like forever."
"That's incredibly cute for you to say." Emily gave Paige a kiss. "But now that I've been with you for the last couple of days, I don't know how I can be on my own, especially sleeping alone in this huge bed." Emily had gotten used to falling asleep in Paige's arms and waking up with a huge smile on her face because the first thing she saw in the morning was her beautiful girlfriend.
"I know, it's not going to be easy but we can make it, right?" Paige was confident but she wasn't completely free of any doubts. She needed to hear it from Emily as well. She needed to know that Emily was in this as much as she was.
"I think so."
"Come on, Em."
Emily thought about it for a second and then nodded. Suddenly she was full of excitement. "We're gonna make it. This time it's different. We're more mature now, right? We know what we want. What's 3000 miles?!"
Emily moved a bit closer to Paige and laid her hand on Paige's soft cheek.
"I love you so much." Paige said before Emily could say anything. Emily herself replied with a passionate kiss on Paige's lips. She let her hand run through Paige's hair and deepened the kiss. Paige laid her hand on Emily's back and pulled her even closer to her. While kissing Emily passionately Paige moved her hand underneath Emily's shirt so that she could fondle the skin on Emily's back. Emily started to feel a heat between her thighs and she knew that if they didn't stop right away, she wouldn't be able to anymore in a few minutes.
"Paige…" Emily whispered when Paige was staring to kiss Emily's neck. "Paige."
"I know. I'm sorry." Paige apologized and moved away from Emily a little.
"Don't be. You know I want to, right? I just want our first time since we got back together to be perfect, you know? I want us to have enough time when we're doing it. We shouldn't do it in a hurry."
"I understand. I want that too and I want to cuddle afterwards until I fall asleep in your arms." Paige gave Emily a brief and innocent kiss.
"I love you, Paige."
Not long after that, Paige was saying good-bye to Pam on the front porch. Pam seemed genuinely sad about Paige leaving. She liked having Paige in the house. She really wished for their relationship to work out this time. Pam was looking forward to the day she could welcome Paige to family as her daughter-in-law.
"Come back soon, will you?"
"If you let me." Paige joked. She knew Pam wanted her to visit Rosewood and stay in the Fields' house. Maybe they would be able to visit Pam in Texas soon.
"It's good to have you here." Pam gave Paige a hug. "You're always welcome. Have a nice flight, Paige."
Emily took Paige to the airport but this time they were talking about everything they had done the last few days. Christmas, New Year's Eve, the power breakdown and their workouts in the park… They wanted to remember it all, every second of the time they had spent together in the last couple of days. Paige's hand was resting on Emily's leg for the whole drive. She didn't dare to pull away because she knew they wouldn't be able to touch Emily soon enough.
"I'm going to miss you." Emily said when it was time for Paige to pass security. She tried hard not to cry in front of Paige. She didn't want Paige to sit on the plane for the next few hours with the image of Emily crying in her head.
"I'm gonna miss you too." Paige pulled Emily into her arms and held her tight. "This is not good-bye, it's just "see you soon", okay?
"I had a great time with you the last few days in Rosewood. I see if I can come over there soon, okay?"
"I would love that." Paige pulled away but let her hand rest on Emily's cheek. "I really have to go now."
Emily nodded. "Okay, go." Emily kissed Paige one last time. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Emily watched Paige leave. Of course she was sad that they would be able to see each other for a while but there was definitely hope. She had the feeling that this time their relationship would last. They would be able to get past all this distance thing and they would come on out stronger. Maybe after college they would even get married. Emily definitely wanted to be married to Paige someday.
On the plane, Paige had the seat next to the window. Next to her was an old couple which had fallen asleep right after the take off. Paige thought that they had to be around 80 years old. She admired them and wished for her to be happily married when she was this old. Hopefully she would be married to Emily. Paige could definitely picture her and Emily to be asleep on a plane together in 60 years. Paige closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep as well. She was still exhausted from New Year's Eve.
When Paige woke up again 2 hours later, she remembered the present Emily had given her before they had left the house. Emily had made her promise that she wouldn't open the present before she was on the plane. Paige got up to get her hand baggage where she kept the present. She had to ask the old couple to let her through to the aisle from where she would be able to pick up her bag.
"Thank you." Paige said to the old woman next to her when she was bag in her seat holding Emily's present.
"Is it your birthday, Dear?" The woman asked.
"Oh, no, Ma'am. It's from a friend I visited for the last couple of days." Paige knew better than to blurt out that she got the present from her girlfriend. Paige had made the experience that especially old people didn't approve of her "lifestyle".
"That's very nice of her."
Paige thought that the conversation came to an end and started to unwrap the present. Emily had printed a photo of her and Paige and had put it in a nice frame. She remembered the day they had taken the picture. It had not been a special occasion. Emily and Paige had just lain on Emily's bed one evening and had been talking about school and college and what was in front of them. It had felt like the old days when the two of them could spend hours together without getting tired of talking to the other about everything and nothing. Emily had wanted to capture the moment in a picture. A picture Paige was looking at right now. Paige also found a small card: "This way you can fall asleep next to me every night." Emily had drawn a small heart underneath the text. Paige had to wipe away a single tear. She was moved by Emily's gesture.
Paige was handed a tissue. She looked up and found the old woman smiling at her.
"She's very special to you, isn't she?"
Paige decided to be honest. "She's my girlfriend." Paige waited for the unmistakable disapproving reaction she was expecting but there was none. So she continued, although she didn't really know why she was telling all that personal stuff to a stranger.
"Emily and I, we just got back together after a few months apart. I'm living in California and she in a small town near Philly."
"Oh Dear, that's a long distance for a relationship." The woman said and seemed to be truly moved by Paige's story. "I'm Margret by the way and that's my husband Walter."
"Paige." Paige replied with a smile.
"Nice to meet you, Paige."
The two of them kept talking for a while and the flight seemed to pass more quickly this way. Margret and Walter had been visiting their son Mitchell, his husband Eric and their two children Samantha and Ryan in Philadelphia over the holidays. Paige then understood why Margret hadn't shown any disapproval over her relationship to Emily. Walter followed their conversation and threw in a comment from time to time but he was quiet mostly.
After landing and picking up the luggage, Margret gave Paige their address and phone number and Paige promised that she and maybe Emily would visit the next time she was in Rosewood.