CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

Emily parked, helping Naomi with her crutches, relieved when Naomi didn't rebuff her help. She wanted to talk to the blonde, but Naomi was not interested. So she followed her silently, spotting Freddie on the skate park.

"I'll be back," Naomi said angrily, leaving Emily standing on the grass, looking for somewhere to go. Effy was sitting nearby, so she walked over and sat down.

"Here," Effy handed over her spliff, smiling as Emily took it.

"Thanks," Emily said, watching Naomi and Freddie get together.

Effy laid back, looking upwards at blue sky. She knew Emily needed the silence, and was happy to accommodate.

Emily watched Freddie and Naomi, looking for signs of Naomi's attitude. She gave away very little, which was frustrating. But Emily kept watching, hoping one of them would tell her something. Her irrational moment may just have alerted Naomi to the fact that she still wasn't completely comfortable with everything, despite their night together. Fuck. She didn't want to push Naomi away, she actually wanted to do the complete opposite.

"That will never change," Effy remarked from her position.

Emily didn't turn, but replied, "I know."

Satisfied her point was understood, Effy closed her eyes. Freddie had explained their friendship, and she knew it would never be broken no matter who else entered their lives. She had accepted that, and she counted Naomi a friend. Emily may proclaim she understood, but she wasn't sure it was completely true, given Naomi was a lot less comfortable confiding in people as Freddie was.

Naomi laughed at something Freddie said, and it sent a pang of jealously through Emily. It was irrational, but she couldn't help it. While she was thinking upon this, Freddie had made his way over to them and was holding his hand out to Emily. Taking it, he smiled.

"Come on Emily, let's go get these two something to drink," Freddie smiled down at Effy who nodded.

"Um, okay," Emily knew this was a set-up but she didn't know how to decline his offer.

"Back in a few, babe," Freddie let Effy know.

"Come on, Emily," Freddie grasped her hand, pulling her along.

Emily smiled, his happy mood was infectious, but her smile dulled when Naomi said nothing as they passed her.

"Don't worry," Freddie whispered as they walked up the hill. "She's not angry, and this isn't an ambush."

Emily felt herself relax, on both accounts.

"I thought this might have been the time you tell me I'm fucked up and Naomi can't cope," Emily admitted.

"I just thought you might like to talk to someone," Freddie suggested.

"I'm okay," Emily lied.

"Not wanting to see the lake because it was something we all did is not doing okay, Emily," Freddie said firmly.

"I feel like an alcoholic who has given up drinking only to move onto gambling. I'm not breaking the addiction cycle, just replacing it."

"That's fucking shit, Emily," Freddie remarked.

"Yeah."

"You encourage her to open up and by some fucking miracle she does then you shut her down? That is dangerous territory."

"Sounds pretty fucked up when you say it aloud," Emily scoffed.

"Okay, good. So, stop scaring her okay? She's tough, but not unbreakable."

"I have a feeling she'd kill you for saying that," Emily smiled.

Freddie laughed.

"Let's go get some coffees and shit."

Emily and Freddie returned with drinks, smiling at each other as they saw Naomi and Effy laying together, holding hands as they looked up into the sky.

"We leave for twenty minutes and they've become Bristol's new lesbian partnership," Freddie teased.

"Fuck off, Freds," Naomi poked his leg with one of her crutches. Smiling up at Emily, she took the hot drink from her and reached for the redhead's free hand.

"I'm a fucking twat," Emily nestled her head into Naomi's chest.

"Yeah, but Effy won't put out, so I'm stuck with you," Naomi teased. The talk with Freddie had worked. It had calmed her, and while she still didn't quite understand, she was willing to listen.

"You couldn't handle me," Effy quipped, taking a swig of her vodka that had been hiding away in her bag.

"I think she could," Emily muttered, blushing when all three pairs of eyes looked at her.

"That tells me all I need to know about your performance," Freddie teased.

"Hi everyone," JJ smiled as he noticed them sitting on the hill. Waving, he came over, wishing he spent more time with Freddie and Naomi.

"Jayj!" Freddie jumped up, pulling him into a hug. "Man, where the fuck have you been?"

"I got a new job, working at the hobby shop," JJ stopped; stunned that he hadn't told them. Had they slipped that far away from each other?

"Cook would be ashamed," Naomi remarked, as if reading JJ's mind.

"Yeah," Freddie kept a hold of JJ.

Effy and Emily looked at each other, knowing their bond was something they'd probably never truly be a part of, no matter how long they stayed with their respective partners.

"Come on Emily," Effy said without explanation. Emily, thankfully, followed immediately, kissing Naomi on the cheek and whispering something that made Naomi blush.

"Thank you," Naomi pulled Emily down for a kiss.

Freddie sat on the grass next to Naomi, JJ following. They sat facing each other, smiling.

"The integrity of the unit is almost preserved," JJ remarked.

"Jay, how did we not know you got a new job?" Freddie exclaimed.

"I'm so used to seeing you all the time, I just assumed," JJ shrugged.

"Fuck, we're not been very good friends to you, JJ," Naomi admitted apologetically.

"I understand. You have Emily and Freddie has Effy."

"No excuse man," Freddie shook his head.

"It's not like before when you had the shed," JJ said.

"We need a new fucking shed," Freddie smiled, looking over at Naomi.

"Oh no, not my place." Naomi shook her head.

"You have a yard out back. We could fit one," Freddie started doing the calculations in his head.

"I love you both, but I like my privacy," Naomi admitted.

"You could still have it," Freddie replied.

"We could place it in the left corner of the yard, near the concrete path," JJ smiled, getting into this idea.

"And who would explain it to my mother? And pay for it?"

"I can talk to Gina," Freddie suggested.

"And when Cook comes home? You know he's banned from my house."

"Easy, he can climb over the fence," Freddie suggested.

"We can all put in some money," JJ offered.

Naomi looked at her two eager friends, and she began to seriously consider the idea. They had had some fucking great times in Fred's shed, and it had always been a place they could touch base, where they could really join up and be themselves. She looked over to JJ, and she felt guilty. She had talked to Emily about how important they both were to her, yet she was missing out on some of his life.

"I'll suss it out," Naomi offered.

"Excellent!" JJ clapped his hands together.

"So, tell us about this job," Naomi patted JJ's leg and waited for a long JJ story.

TBC ...

Thank you.