A/N: *insert something witty and clever here*
Seriously, hope everyone is taking care of themselves. Love to you all (en Espanol, te amo).
Chapter 18:
Hot and Cold
Emily had always been confident. Alison would never forget seeing her stride over to her bike her first weekend back in town. She had been so cool and self-assured, like she didn't have a care in the world. It was like the world existed solely because she was in it.
She didn't seem to care what other people thought about her. She didn't seem to care about what she looked like. She seemed completely comfortable in her own skin.
Alison had been drawn to her magnetic energy from the start. The brunette was confident without being too smug. Her bold seductive sex appeal oozed off of her. Everything about her was hot. Her smile. Her smoldering gaze. The way she walked. Even the way she dressed.
It was amazing that the pregnancy hadn't changed that air of confidence, at least not outwardly. In fact, it had only made her more appealing to Alison. Her new wardrobe gave her a newfound sense of self.
Alison watched as Emily coolly walked through Hanna's living room like she owned the place. She did own the place. She owned everything, including Alison's heart.
She was just as comfortable in her new threads as she was her old clothes. She didn't skip a beat. She went along with Alison and Hanna as they clapped and catcalled her as they paraded her around like a supermodel.
"Work it, honey!" Hanna put her hands up to her lips and cupped her mouth while whistling loudly.
Emily leaned into it with a playful wink. She tried to play the part by casually flicking her wrist and waving it off like it was nothing.
"Yas, queen!" Hanna grabbed a stack of mail and started flipping thin envelopes at Emily to try and make it rain.
Alison shot Hanna a stern look. She knew that Hanna wasn't gay, but she didn't like other women flirting with her girlfriend. Hanna was just being friendly and Emily was just being playful, but Alison felt her blood boiling. She knew it was stupid to feel jealous, but feelings weren't logical.
"You look super hot, Em." Alison languidly rose to her feet.
She made a methodical move towards Emily and stretched her arm out to take Emily's hand, making sure to keep her eyes locked on Hanna's.
Hanna didn't seem to notice her territorial behavior, which only pissed Alison off more. The other blonde was totally oblivious.
Hanna was trying to quietly support Emily, even though she was wary of her relationship with Alison. It was clear to her that Alison meant something to Emily. The brunette looked great in her new clothes, but the smile she was wearing on her face was the accessory that topped it off. Emily looked at Alison like she was the most precious thing in the world. Their souls were intertwined.
Hanna knew the depth of that love. She knew what it felt like to know you would die a thousand times over for someone. She had seen the look in Emily's eyes when they were talking about her attraction to Alison.
Hanna had a hard time seeing the girl that Emily saw. There was too much stigma attached to the blonde for her to look at her without bias. She'd had a hard time after her dad left. Alison had tormented her about it relentlessly. Alison had been hot and cold, first taunting her about how her dad didn't love her and then pretending like it had never happened.
When they were kids and Hanna had gotten the invite to Alison's party she thought it was Alison's way of trying to make it up to her. Then after the party she'd gone back to her cold nature.
She'd been vicious about Hanna's father and had poked fun at her baby fat and her clothes. It had pushed Hanna into some unhealthy habits. Alison had picked away at her until she felt like there was nothing left.
Even though Hanna had grown since then she was still picking up the shattered pieces that Alison had left in her wake. She was starting to understand why Alison acted out, and the fact that she had apologized was a start.
Hanna knew she'd always be a little bitter towards her. Alison knew it, too. But they seemed to have an unspoken understanding. They both cared about Emily. It was enough to keep the peace between them.
Hanna wouldn't deny that Alison loved Emily. She'd heard it in her quivering voice when Alison told her that she was worried about Emily's safety. Still, she was gun-shy about completely trusting the blonde. But she was happy that her friend was happy. That's all that mattered.
Alison brushed her fingers along the collar of Emily's jacket, smoothing it down. She slipped her hand in between the jacket and her shirt and moved her palm down against the curve in her side. She glanced over at Hanna to make sure she was getting her point across.
"I can't wait to see the private show." Alison leaned forward with a wink and pressed a kiss against Emily's lips.
She reached up and gripped the side of Emily's neck. Emily gently put her palms against Alison's hips. Alison smiled into their kiss.
She pulled back and gave Emily an innocent look, but her touch was a little off. Emily noticed a weird tension in her movements. It wasn't until she saw Alison's eyes dart over to Hanna that she realized that Alison was trying to stake some kind of claim on her.
Emily wasn't sure how to feel about it. It felt immature to her, like the old Alison. It was one thing for Alison to be protective. It was another thing entirely when she acted like a child with a toy she didn't want to share. She didn't like it when Alison let her jealousy get the better of her.
But she also felt oddly turned on by her actions. Her body was responding to her touch. It was responding to everything about her. Her silky smooth lips. The scent of her body wash. The taste of the wintergreen gum on her breath. It sent her senses into overdrive. Her libido went crazy when she was around Alison.
"You've got one more outfit to go." Hanna stood up, pushing her bare feet against the living room carpet.
"Really? I didn't see it in the bag."
"It's the one on the dresser. I forgot to put it with the others. I'll show you…"
"We can find it." Alison flippantly dismissed Hanna.
She grabbed Emily's hand and quickly rushed towards Hanna's room.
"Ohh…kay." Hanna sank back down into the chair, a hint of confusion on her face.
"Why are you being so weird?" Emily asked in a hushed tone.
"I'm not being weird." Alison's face scrunched up in a look of defiance, pushing her way into Hanna's room. "I'm just…" she looked around, scrutinizing every square inch of the pink decorations, "…making sure it's safe."
"What exactly is going to happen to me in here? Am I in danger of getting too close to the feathers on her pink furry lamp?"
"That's not an innuendo, is it?" Alison made a face.
"No!" Emily blurted out a laugh. "But it totally should be." Her expression softened. "What's this really about, Ali?"
"I was just worried that maybe someone was lurking in the closet or waiting to jump you from outside her window."
"We're on the second floor."
"So? Crazy people can climb trees."
Emily moved towards Hanna's window, which was shaded by curtains. She pulled the curtains back to reveal the winter wonderland outside. There were no trees by Hanna's window.
"The boogeyman can't just float in mid-air." Emily let the curtains fall back into place.
"They can in horror movies." Alison frowned.
"We're not in a horror movie." She walked back over to Alison. "And I don't need a bodyguard." The blonde glared at her in disagreement. "Are you going to start tasting my food for poison, too?"
Emily was leaning on her humor, because she wasn't sure what else to do. She was going through the motions, too. She had ups and downs. She had her own concerns about being drugged and poisoned. But she was trying to stay brave for the people in her life. She was trying to be strong for Alison and for her daughter.
"Don't joke. We don't know what this person is capable of. They already got to you once with your sports drink." Alison put her hands against Emily's shoulders, pressing up against her body. "I'm just trying to protect you…"
"I love that you care." Emily kissed her forehead gently. "I do. But you've got to give me some breathing room here. I'm not a porcelain doll. I'm not going to break just because I'm pregnant." She combed her fingers through Alison's hair. "I know things have been tense. I know it's been hard on you." She could see Alison's anxiety rising to insurmountable levels. "But I refuse to let this terrorist stop us from living our lives."
"God, why are you so unwaveringly confident? It's annoying." Alison rolled her eyes, but she had a smile on her face. It was the opposite of annoying. It turned her on. "And hot…"
Alison slid her hand into Emily's back pocket. She licked her lips and reached for the elastic waistband in the front. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Part of it was because she didn't like the idea of Emily and Hanna alone in her frilly little room. Part of her wanted to claim it for herself. She could tell that Emily wanted her.
"Alison…" She bit down hard, nearly hissing out her name. "Slow it down."
"Why? She'll never know. Besides, she's probably done it in here with Caleb dozens of times…"
"Because this is her house."
Alison moved her hand out of Emily's back pocket and grazed her arm. She grabbed Emily's hand, her fingertips guiding Emily's palm up underneath her shirt, pushing it up towards her chest. Emily automatically cupped her hand over the lacy material of her bra. She let out a shuddering breath. Alison was really testing her.
Alison had a wicked smile on her face. Her seductive grin pulled Emily into her gravitational field. Emily bit her lip, trying to resist. Alison cupped her cheek and moved in for a kiss. It was hungry and needy and very different than the kind of intimacy they normally shared. Emily could feel a difference, but she wasn't quite sure what it was.
She pulled back gently.
"What has gotten in to you?" Emily's lips hovered over Alison's.
She probably wouldn't have been able to stop herself had she not remembered that Hanna was right downstairs.
As if on cue, they heard Hanna's voice echoing up towards her room.
"If you're not down in 60 seconds I'm going to come up there and separate you with a firehose! This is a fashion show, not a brothel!"
Alison and Emily both snorted out a laugh. Alison's laughter turned into a string of quiet little giggles. It was the cutest sound Emily had ever heard.
The blonde put her index finger up against her lips and quietly shushed Emily. Her devious nature faded and Emily saw the vulnerable blonde who had hugged her tightly the very first time she'd been on the back of her bike. Her simple little prissy girl.
"Be down in a minute, Han!" Emily called back, her voice wavering, nearly giving her away.
It didn't help when Alison started to help her strip her clothing off so she could change. Emily had to shoo her out of the room, because she didn't think she could stop another fit of passion.
Alison glanced back as she was walking out and caught a glimpse of her side profile. All she had on was underwear and a tank top. Alison could see her belly protruding out in a tiny little curve. It made her smile.
She quickly rejoined Hanna in the living room, giving her a smug smile. Hanna gave her a knowing look. She knew exactly what they'd been up to. Alison didn't say a word. She just reached into her pocket and pulled out her lip gloss and smoothed it on over her lips, popping them when she was finished.
A few minutes later Emily walked into the room in her last outfit of the day. A sleek black top, matching pants, and a blue and off-white flannel shirt tied neatly around her midsection, hiding her bump. She had a scarf that matched her flannel. And to top it off she was wearing a grey and black beanie.
"Artsy chic." Alison winked. "Hubba, hubba."
"Please never say that to me again." Emily laughed, her cheeks turning red.
She was not used to being a model. She was not used to being a sex symbol. She'd just always been Emily...nothing out of the ordinary. She liked blending in. She liked doing her own thing. And she most definitely had her own style. Fortunately, Hanna had been able to replicate that style in her new maternity wear.
"You happy?" Emily glanced at Hanna.
Hanna furrowed her brows in concentration as she observed the outfit, just like she'd done when they were shopping. She had Emily turn in circles. Hanna tapped her chin, as if she was deep in thought.
Alison watched their interaction intently. She had no reason to be angry, yet she had the selfish impulsive desire to rip Hanna's face off. She tried to work through her emotions, trying to understand them. It wasn't reasonable for her to want Emily and the baby all to herself, but that's what she wanted.
She didn't like it when Emily got too close to other people. She knew it was stupid to feel insecure about their relationship, but she had a little nagging voice in her head that made her worry that Emily might leave her.
"Well?" Emily pushed Hanna for an answer. "What do you think, Van Gogh?"
"My finest work of art." Hanna nodded in approval. "But I'm more of a Da Vinci with Monet tendencies. I need both of my ears to show off my hoops." She waved her fingers over her earrings.
"They look more like rusty spoons." Alison mumbled.
Hanna didn't hear her, but Emily did. Alison knew it was petty, but she didn't care.
Emily cocked her head curiously. She couldn't figure out what was going on in Alison's head. One minute everything was fine and the next she was spitting venom.
"Wanna show off the new threads? Caleb says The Brew is doing an impromptu talent show. Sabrina apparently talked Mike into singing the Spice Girls…in full costume. Aria and Ezra are already there. We could make an afternoon out of it?" Hanna suggested.
Alison frowned. Just what she needed…more people fawning over Emily. More people who had the opportunity to get too close to her, and potentially hurt her. A crowded gathering didn't sound like a good idea.
She thought about the girl in New York. That Bethany Young girl. Fortunately, it wasn't Courtney. But it could have been. Or maybe Courtney had been in Rosewood. Maybe she'd been stalking Emily. What would have happened to Emily if Alison had been gone longer?
Emily looked like she was considering Hanna's offer, but before she could answer Alison put her hand on Emily's arm and lovingly looked at her.
"I was kind of hoping we could spend a little quality time together. I haven't seen you all day." Alison trailed her index finger along Emily's jaw line.
Emily smiled and took Alison's hand. Alison's smile had her totally whipped. Every time the blonde batted her lashes and smiled she would do anything she asked.
"We'll take a raincheck." Emily glanced outside. "Well…er…a snowcheck. But take lots of pictures. I want one of Mike in a leopard unitard and kitten ears."
"He's not Scary Spice." Hanna scoffed. "He's totally bubble gum Baby Spice. Aria has the costume ready."
Of course she did. Even Alison laughed at the image of Mike in a girly pink dress with a blonde wig on.
"I'll grab your things." Alison started gathering Emily's bags. She was beyond ready to leave.
"Thanks for today, Hanna. I really needed it." Emily didn't realize how long it had been since she'd felt normal.
"Any time," Hanna said. "You can always call me…no matter what."
"This really goes above and beyond…"
"It's what friends are for." Hanna smiled modestly.
"I want you to know that we really appreciate everything you and Caleb are doing for us."
"Of course." Hanna nodded. "He said that he's looking into security cameras. Something discreet. Because whoever we're dealing with is too smart to get caught out in the open."
"Alison has one outside her garage, but she says that it doesn't work. Her parents just put it up as a deterrent."
Hanna's eyes lit up like she had a brilliant idea. Emily loved seeing the wheels turning in her head. As far as blondes went, she was the opposite of the stereotypical dumb blonde.
"I bet Caleb can do something about that. Most of those things are set up with wi-fi, even if it's not in use." She reached for her phone and started texting. She waited a few seconds and then her phone chimed. "My man is a genius."
"He can get it to go live?"
Hanna showed Emily the message on her screen.
Give me 5 minutes.
Two minutes later he sent another text with a black and white image of Alison's yard and the street covered in snow.
It's wired. Easily tapped. But it doesn't do live feeds. It's motion sensor activated and only takes snapshots. It will be hit or miss, but it's better than nothing. Where are we on the hidden camera front? When does Alison want to set those up?
"Tell him as soon as possible," Emily said.
Hanna texted her response and sent it to Caleb just as Alison walked back into the room. She had all of Emily's bags. She didn't stop to say goodbye to Hanna. She just walked towards the door babbling about how heavy the bags were.
Emily thanked Hanna and jogged after Alison. They walked out to the street, where Alison had parked her car. She'd been too afraid to park it in the driveway because there was an incline and she was afraid they'd skid in the snow.
Alison paced in front of Emily quickly, barely making eye contact with her. She knew she'd appeared ungrateful and weird.
Emily was not about to let the tension go. It was important to her for the two of them to talk things out.
"What was that back there?" Emily reached for the door handle.
"What?" Alison asked innocently.
"Are you really that pissed that I went out with Hanna today?"
"No!" Alison threw Emily's bags in the back and climbed into the driver's seat.
Emily climbed into the passenger's seat.
"Why do you two antagonize each other so much?" Emily questioned curiously. She loved both of them and she was tired of being in the middle of their battle.
"She started it."
"Seriously, Alison?" Emily cut her eyes over at the blonde.
But when she looked at her, she couldn't be mad. Her dazzling blue eyes were staring back at her. She had a sad look on her face.
"It just feels like Hanna purposefully tries to piss me off. That's all. Her sodium content is through the roof."
"What?" Emily asked in confusion.
"She's salty."
"You two have a rocky past." Emily reminded her. "That doesn't just disappear because you want it to."
She knew that the situation between the two blondes was complex. She remembered the way it had felt when Nick had tried to get her to bury the hatchet with Courtney. Alison had tortured Hanna the same way that Courtney had picked on Emily. The situations weren't exactly the same, but Alison was Hanna's Courtney.
"Remember when I first got back to town…when I told you that I had too much on my plate to play games?" Emily licked her lips.
"You're not a game to me, Em." Alison looked over at her, reaching over the console to touch her hand.
Emily couldn't find the strength to pull away. As long as Alison was touching her she had her heart…and her attention.
"I know. But when you act the way you did back there with Hanna…when you do things like that it bothers me."
"I'm sorry." Alison squeezed her hand.
She sounded sincere, and Emily knew she meant it. She had seen her grow in tremendous ways since she'd gotten back to town. She wasn't the same girl that tried to pressure Emily into torturing Mona and Mike that first day at school.
"It's just…Courtney acted like that. And I can't go through that again."
"If it makes you feel any better we did have a nice heart-to-heart. I think we were friends for half a minute." Alison tried to lighten the mood.
Emily chuckled.
"I get that you guys are going to squabble. Not everyone gets along all the time. But I don't feel like playing the bouncer role. I don't like being put in the middle."
"No one is putting you in the middle."
"Not intentionally. But I do have to play the peacekeeper. And it's kind of exhausting, especially since I've got so much else on my mind." She moved her free hand to her stomach.
The pregnancy was a stark reminder to Alison that her beef with Hanna was so much bigger than the two of them. It was more important to focus on Emily and the baby than it was to hold on to grudges.
"I'll work harder. I'll do better." There was a strange undertone of panic in her voice. She hated disappointing Emily.
"Relax, Ali." Emily could hear the nerves in her tone. "I'm not mad." She assured her. "You've already proved to me how much you care. I know that you mean well. And to me, that's worth more than anything. You have a beautiful soul." She smiled, leaning over the console to kiss her.
The only sound in the car was the rustling of their bodies in the seats as they kissed. They pulled back and readjusted in their seats.
"You know I would never hurt you, right?" Alison gripped her hand.
Emily turned to smile at her with a wry look on her face.
"Like you ever could? I'm pregnant and I could still kick your ass."
Alison laughed and playfully smacked her.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know." Emily pulled back on the cockiness and gave her an earnest look.
"Your heart is safe with me. I promise." She'd made that promise to Toby and Hanna, too. And she intended to stay true to her word.
Alison started the car, immediately reaching to turn the heat on. She rubbed her hands together and blew a heated breath against them and then reached for her gloves.
They were quiet on the ride back to Alison's place. Alison was busy concentrating on her driving.
The snow was starting to come down a lot heavier. Big mushy flakes hit the windshield and stuck to the glass right before the wipers smeared the melted droplets away.
"It must be killing you not being able to ride because of the weather," Alison said as she pulled in her driveway.
"I get the same thrill when I let you drive me places." Emily winked.
"You're awful." Alison put the car in park. "But you're right."
"Always am." Emily smiled. "Besides, I'll take her out for a spin in a few days. Have to keep the motor running."
"That her better be in reference to your bike."
"I've named her Krystal." Emily grinned widely.
"Oh my God. I hate you." Alison snorted.
"No, you don't."
Alison turned the ignition off and glanced at Emily.
"Want to come in?"
"An empty house with just the two of us? Gee, let me think about that." Emily teased. She grabbed the bags and opened the car door.
Alison reached into the back seat to grab one more bag that Emily had forgotten. Emily was already out of the car and was circling around to the driver's side. Alison opened her door and stepped out.
Alison's heel hit a small patch of ice and she nearly face-planted, but Emily dropped the bags in her hands and caught her before she could hit the pavement.
"You okay?" Emily helped her get steady on her feet. She had a tight grip and she wasn't letting go.
Alison felt Emily's firm muscles wrapped around her protectively. She huffed out a breath that dissipated into the air. Alison saw the worried expression on Emily's face, and it made her feel like melting. Her big bad protector had such a soft underbelly.
"You just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" Alison smiled at her.
"You are kind of a handful." Emily shrugged it off playfully.
They peered at one another, the snow falling around them. It felt like a picturesque moment, like it would belong in a calendar shoot. Emily released her hold on Alison and walked around to admire the untouched snow on the grass. She slowly pulled her brand new gloves on.
"Been a long time since I've seen snow." Emily bent down to draw a heart in the soft white substance. "Didn't see much of anything like this in San Antonio." She traced her fingers across it. "I forgot how beautiful it was."
She could hear Alison walking up behind her and she grinned as she scooped up some of the snow. She rolled it into a ball and turned around and smiled at Alison. Alison saw the wintry weapon in her hand and she paused in her stride.
"Emily Fields, don't you dare." A smile broke across her face.
Emily lifted her eyebrows. She smirked at Alison and playfully stuck her tongue out and bit down on it. She tossed the snowball at Alison.
Alison shrieked out a laugh when it hit her.
"You are so dead!" Alison leaned down and scooped up a snowball of her own.
"Gonna have to catch me first." Emily started running around the yard.
Alison took off after her. It escalated into a full blown snowball fight. Alison ducked by the side of her house, but Emily found her. She snuck up behind her and wrapped her arms around her and they both fell into the soft ground below. They made snow angels and wrote silly things in the snow. They turned towards one another and kissed, their lips warm against each other.
They were both so focused on one other that neither one of them saw the person in the red coat hovering strategically between the shadows of a tree with low hanging branches and a red car parked right next to it. It was completely out of view of the camera above the garage and out of view of the two girls playing in the snow.
It was easy to blend in when there were people around, but it took a little more finesse to remain incognito in a blanket of white covering an entire sleepy town. Admittedly, the red coat had been a bit of an impractical decision.
It had worked in New York. The decoy girl in the coat had done exactly what she was supposed to do. She had been an easy target. She was young and eager…and looking into the school of acting. Naturally, she'd been willing to please.
They'd met in a coffee shop. Sweet unsuspecting Bethany. She'd been told that in order to really get the feel for the program she needed to immerse herself in a role. Bethany had eagerly agreed to wear the coat and trail another girl who was there to look at the same program.
It was meant only as a distraction. Bethany was supposed to keep Alison occupied. Then Alison went off-script. Fortunately, the girl's mother hadn't been too far behind.
It had created a delightful show. Alison had a surprising amount of ferocity and strength. It had taken balls for her to chase after a stranger in the streets of New York and tackle her to the ground. Emily had seemingly met her match, a girl just as brass and bold as the brunette herself.
The person in the shadows watched the two of them frolicking like kids, forgetting about the danger…forgetting about the fact that they were supposed to be afraid.
Flakes of snow fell against the coat, creating little crystals of diamonds that quickly dissipated. Each flurry was unique.
Snow was beautiful. But snow was also deadly. Snow itself wasn't dangerous. It was the conditions that it brought along with it. The hidden depths of ice underneath the soft undisturbed ground. The frozen branches weighing heavily upon the trees, bringing large powerful objects crashing to the ground. The wind chill and the risk of hypothermia.
Sometimes hypothermia crept up on people without them realizing it. The body became wet and sweaty without grasping the chill that inevitably came afterwards. Some victims of hypothermia reported feeling hot to the point of pulling their clothes off in a fit of madness.
There were many dangers in life, many that people didn't know about.
Emily was soon going to find that out the hard way.
Across the street two oblivious girls were laughing and building a snowwoman. That snowwoman turned into an entire little snow family. There was a tiny little child-sized snow person between the two adult-sized ones.
Alison smoothed the round head of the smaller snow person. She'd found two dark grey river rocks for matching eyes. When she finished she stepped back to admire their work. She glanced at Emily and smiled.
Emily wrapped her arms around Alison and kissed her cheek. She noticed that Alison was shivering, so she suggested they go inside and warm up. They grabbed Emily's new clothes and walked inside to shake the snow off, unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows of the winter weather.
o ~ O ~ o
They went up to Alison's room so they could change out of their wet clothes. Emily changed into her new flannel shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She glanced at her phone. She had a message from her mom.
I'm off work at 5. Dinner at 7. Your dad is making lasagna.
Emily replied,
Sounds great.
Having fun shopping with Hanna?
Found some great deals.
She pushed the bags of clothes into a neat row out of the way.
She sat down in a large cushioned chair near the bay window that looked directly into her window across the street. She wondered how often Alison looked out and peered at her house, waiting for her to come to the window.
She thought about the little snow family they'd made. She couldn't see their handiwork from Alison's window. It was just beyond the corner of the house.
She zoned out as she waited on Alison to get back. The blonde said something about making hot chocolate before rushing out of the room. But when she came back she was empty-handed.
"What did I miss? Has the blizzard overrun the town yet?" Alison questioned.
"The abominable snowman made an appearance." Emily teased. She glanced at Alison's empty hands. "And I'm guessing he raided the hot chocolate stash?"
"Oh." Alison's face brightened, almost like she'd forgotten something. "We're out of the essentials. Jason must have finished it all off. He's like a human garbage disposal. Sorry it took me a few minutes. I was just making sure that all of the doors and windows are locked."
"Wouldn't want the boogeyman to get in." Emily nodded solemnly.
"Wouldn't want anyone interrupting our cuddle time." Alison corrected her.
Emily smiled a crooked smile. She glanced outside again.
"Caleb says the camera above your garage takes pictures. So we've got that extra layer of security for now."
Alison looked startled.
"How does he know that?"
"I asked Hanna to have him look into it."
"I thought we were getting hidden cameras."
"We are." Emily was a little alarmed to see Alison so upset. "Do you not want that camera on?"
"Of course I do." Her reaction felt stiff and forced. "It just feels a little…invasive."
Emily nodded in understanding. It made sense that she was freaking out. Holding a phone and taking a selfie was a lot different than being under surveillance. The situation was stressful.
"C'mere." Emily waved her over.
Alison walked over and scooted in next to her. She moved into Emily's lap and kicked her feet up over the armrest of the chair. Emily smiled at her and laid her arm across Alison's legs, curling her hand to grip her thigh.
"It's going to be okay." Emily reached up with her other hand and rolled it between her shoulder blades.
Alison loved how calming she was. She wrapped her arms around Emily and gave her a kiss.
"You look really sexy in your new clothes."
"It's flannel and sweatpants." Emily laughed.
"You could wear a potato sack and make it look sexy." Alison nuzzled her nose against Emily's.
"I very much doubt that."
"You should have told me you were going shopping. I would have gone with you."
She still couldn't get over the fact that Emily had spent the whole day with Hanna. It's not like she needed to be with Emily every second of the day. And it's not like she didn't know that Emily had friends. But sharing Emily was hard for her. She wanted her all to herself. And she didn't trust anyone. Whether Emily wanted her to be her bodyguard or not, Alison considered herself her protector's protector.
"Hanna ambushed me," Emily said. "Besides, you said you were finishing up the rest of your college applications."
"Ugh…" Alison groaned. "It's the holidays. Can we not talk about school stuff?" She saw the disapproving look on Emily's face. "They're done. I'm just waiting until after New Years to send them in."
"Where did you apply?"
"No…" She pecked Emily's lips, "…more…" Another peck, "…school stuff."
"Okay." Emily conceded.
Alison looked out the window. The town was beautiful. But it also felt very unexciting. She had turned down going to the beach with her family so she could stay with Emily. But she hadn't said anything specific about staying in Rosewood with her.
"We should go somewhere for New Years." Alison suggested.
"Seriously?" Emily pulled back so she could look at her.
"What? It's not like anything is happening here. Maybe it would do us some good to get out of town."
"Or maybe someone will follow us and we'll never make it back to town."
Or maybe the very danger was outside Alison's house at that very moment, observing the little snow family they'd built.
"I'm not talking about going out to a cabin in the middle of nowhere where a stalker could kill us." Alison rolled her eyes. "I really had a good time in New York. I think you'd like it, too. Why don't we take a trip up there? Kiss in Times Square as the Big Apple drops?"
She had a plan to try and get Emily interested in the big city. That way maybe she could convince her to move there if she got into NYU.
"Large crowd. Why not? Instead of getting killed, we can get mugged."
"No way anyone would think about mugging you." Alison wrapped her fingers around Emily's large bicep.
Even with the pregnancy, she managed to stay in shape. She still boxed with Jake, much to Alison's dismay. Alison knew that Emily didn't like to be fawned over, but Alison hated that she had yet to slow down. Sometimes she felt like handcuffing her to the bed and forcing her to get pampered.
Something she didn't realize is that Emily didn't want to slow down. She was working through a bunch of complex emotions that she refused to talk to anyone about. She had a hard time vocalizing her fears. She didn't feel like anyone would understand her pregnancy woes.
Her hormones were messing with her emotions. She knew the dark thoughts would overwhelm her if she stopped exercising and stopped riding. As it was, she couldn't swim nearly as often as she wanted to in private anymore. Sometimes she got in a few laps at the gym, but she was anxious that someone might come to the pool and see her baby bump.
She wasn't showing much, but it was glaringly obvious when she was in a skintight swimsuit. She'd tried swimming with a swim shirt as well, but it slowed her traction down in the water. It made her feel like a beached whale.
Getting away probably would do her some good, but she knew it wasn't realistic, not with work and school. And she definitely didn't want to go to New York.
"New York isn't an option for me." Emily shook her head.
She knew it was irrational to think that in a city of over 8 million people she would run into Isaac and his family, but she couldn't get past it.
"Right. Isaac." Alison nodded in understanding. "Wanna go somewhere else then?"
"Paris is looking pretty good right now. It's far enough away." It was a nice dream, at least.
"You have a passport?" Alison asked.
"I'm an army brat. I've had a passport since I was in utero." Emily looked out the window. She stared at the snow in thought. "Though I don't think we'll be going anywhere anytime soon. And maybe that's not such a bad thing." She smiled at Alison. "Think about it. You and me. Empty house. Lots of possibilities."
"First things first, I'm still cold." Alison curled closer to Emily. She snuggled up to her and smiled with a seductive look in her eyes. "Warm me up."
"That I can do." Emily grinned, leaning in to kiss her.
Alison grasped her cheeks to pull her closer. She carefully moved around in the chair until she was straddling Emily.
Emily held her waist in place as Alison gripped the back of her neck. Emily gently bit down on Alison's lip. It made the blonde grin into their embrace. Seconds later Alison moved her tongue in between Emily's lips, gently pressing it forward.
Emily pulled the curtains shut. Their kisses started to deepen and their bodies naturally fell together.
They only had a limited range of motion in the chair, so Emily sat up and pushed herself forward so she could stand.
Alison slipped down and her legs automatically found their way around Emily's waist. Emily held the edge of the windowsill for support and lifted Alison off of the chair.
Alison broke the kiss when she felt Emily walking and holding her weight. She was worried about Emily trying to lift so much weight.
"Em, you're not supposed to…"
Emily cut her off with a hard kiss, not because she hated being told what to do, but because everything in her body needed Alison at that moment. She knew she could make it ten feet to the bed without a problem.
Before Alison could complain that she wasn't following doctor's orders she felt her back being lowered against her downy bedspread. Alison peeled the edge of it down and kicked it out of the way, exposing her satiny sheets.
She tugged on Emily's shirt, pulling her forward. Emily crawled next to Alison. She put her hand on the blonde's face and gently kissed her.
Alison lazily laid her palm against the side of her neck and put her other hand against Emily's hip. Emily made a quiet noise that Alison felt as she blew a breath into their kiss. She'd found out that Emily was much more sensitive to her touch recently. It didn't matter where she touched her, Emily always wanted more.
She felt Emily's thigh nudging her legs open, moving to try and connect their bodies…to get closer. She took control, which caused a pulsing sensation between Alison's legs. Her heart started racing. The adrenaline rush Alison got from being with her gave her a natural high like nothing else she'd ever experienced.
Emily slid her hand up Alison's shirt to find that she hadn't bothered to put a bra back on. It made Emily's desire run even hotter.
Alison moved her hands up between their bodies and delicately started to unbutton Emily's shirt. Her fingers were warm and soft against Emily's bare flesh. Alison was careful, because she knew Emily's chest was tender, though sometimes she found just the right amount of pressure that was pleasurable for her.
"Let me know if it's too much…" Alison breathed into their kiss.
"You too." Emily caressed her cheek with her fingers.
Emily moved her hand down the side of her neck. She trailed her fingers down further to the curve in Alison's side. Her palm came to rest on her hip. She waited a few seconds, but then slowly moved her fingers to the front of her waistband.
She felt Alison exhale and mewl against her mouth as she dipped her fingers down inside of her pants. Alison's body tensed up. Her muscles trembled.
"You okay?" Emily stopped when she felt her shaking.
"Mmhmm." Alison grasped her face and deepened their kiss.
Alison had felt Emily's touch before, but every time felt new and exhilarating. And the fact that she always made sure Alison was okay…it just opened up a piece of Alison's soul that made her fall even harder for her.
Alison's entire face felt hot. Her body craved Emily's touch. She wanted more. She hooked her leg around Emily's and moved against her, pushing their pelvises together in a grinding motion. She rolled against Emily's movements. Her body flushed in a fiery wave of heat. Emily did things to her she'd never felt before.
Alison's fingers slowly trailed down the divot in Emily's chest to her belly. She let her hand linger against her baby bump. The pregnancy glow made Emily beautifully radiant. She was sure there was some study out there about how pregnancy put off some crazy pheromone that drove their partners wild. There was no mistaking it…Emily made her feel completely insane.
She felt it hit her, slowly at first…building up like the warm flow of blood rushing through her veins. Then it overtook her entire body, her senses…everything. It was like a sudden torrential downpour on a hot summer day. Emily didn't have to do much to get her body to respond. All she had to do was touch her.
Alison buried her face against Emily's shoulder and nibbled against her skin. She felt a jolt of pleasure shoot through her body and she bit down against Emily's shoulder.
She leaned her forehead into the crook of Emily's neck to bathe in her aroma. After a few seconds she pressed a kiss against the mark she'd left.
She felt Emily kiss her temple. The brunette held her so lovingly. It was an embrace that Alison could get lost in forever.
She peered into Emily's eyes. There was a softness there that made Alison feel like melting. Her sensuality was intoxicating. She was dangerous, but safe. She was tough, but soft. She was everything Alison could have ever wished for and more.
Alison moved her hand down Emily's body, her fingers sliding inside her sweatpants. She felt Emily immediately respond. Emily's motions became more controlled…more assertive. She pushed Alison to go further.
Emily pulled back from their kiss to catch her breath. Her entire body felt like a giant pulsing heart. Alison moved her fingers between Emily's legs. She looked into her large brown eyes.
All the other times she'd gone this far with people she'd never cared enough to stop and ask if it was okay, but it felt different with Emily. She felt like she needed her permission.
"What's wrong?" Emily saw the timid expression on her face.
"It…it won't hurt the baby if I…" Alison gently rolled her fingers against Emily.
Emily let out a shuddering breath. Her thighs were quivering. Her entire body burned with anticipation and a needy desire.
"No." She moved against Alison's fingertips.
Her body was throbbing. The intense contractions she could feel in her pelvis felt so good it almost hurt. Her body was aching to be touched so badly that it was verging on discomfort.
It was the most extreme desire she'd ever felt. She didn't just want it. She needed it. She felt like the fire in her stomach would never settle. She felt like she was burning from the inside.
She'd heard that pregnancy made women's bodies crave a high level of intimacy, but she'd never expected that her arousal would build to such an intense point. She'd read something about it having to do with extra blood flow and heightened sensitivity. Whatever it was, Alison's touch had her nerve endings prickling in desire. It felt like she was going to run out of air if she didn't get what she needed.
"You're sure?" Alison placed a peck against Emily's jaw. She could feel Emily throbbing against her.
Emily nodded and mumbled out a muffled noise. She couldn't breathe. She hadn't been expecting it to go this far. She hadn't expected to want it so bad.
It had been hot with Maya, a desire giving in to temptation. It had been uncomfortable with Isaac, a need to fulfill an inevitable duty. But with Alison, it was a need as essential as oxygen. The blonde was a blazing inferno that engulfed her senses and made her feel whole in every sense. She wanted to hold her and never let her go.
She felt things with Alison she'd never felt before in her life. And she knew it wasn't just from the hormones. She knew because she looked into Alison's eyes and they both felt like they were flying.
She was focused on Alison as the blonde gently prodded forward. Her fingers explored, gently, cautiously. Emily was silky and warm and she was surprised by how slick and moist she was. She kept her gaze fixed on the brunette as she gently moved in and out.
Emily tensed up and Alison started to pull away, but when she looked at her she saw exhilaration on her face. Emily mewled a sound of contentment and Alison kissed her swollen lips.
Her breaths were uneven and rapid. Her motions matched Alison's perfectly. Alison could feel a connection that she'd never felt before. She saw a beauty in Emily she'd never seen before.
She felt Emily's breathing hitch, their mouths parting just enough for Emily to catch her breath. Emily trembled. She seemed to be totally lost in Alison's eyes. Alison knew exactly what she was searching for, and she let her in. She let her vulnerabilities become visible.
As Alison felt Emily's motions...as she tasted her breath...as she watched her give in to the love between them Alison realized something. Emily was hers. She was truly hers...in every sense. All of her jealousy faded away in that moment. The blonde just took the time to appreciate and covet her. No one would ever have the piece of Emily's heart that she had.
Alison wasn't sure what was going through Emily's mind when her jaw went slack and her body tensed up. She was worried at first, thinking that maybe it had something to do with the baby…that maybe she was in pain. But the smile that formed on her face told Alison otherwise. Her muscles pulsed...rapidly at first, then they slowly relaxed.
Emily moved in to kiss the blonde again. Their kisses slowed from frenzied to tender. Emily brushed a strand of Alison's hair out of her face and cupped her cheek. She pecked Alison's mouth, holding the kiss, appreciating the fullness of her lips.
When she pulled back Alison smiled sweetly at her. It was a reminder to Emily that no matter how vicious she could be when she was upset, there was an untapped gentleness inside of her.
Emily rolled to the side, pulling her weight off of Alison, leaving the blonde feeling the draft of the cool air.
Emily's new flannel shirt was splayed wide open, exposing her drizzling wet skin…the heat and sweat from their passion glistening from her chest to her stomach.
Alison snuggled closely to her. She slipped down to lay her head on the soft fleshy part of Emily's chest right above her growing stomach. She placed her palm on the side of her small bump and pressed an innocent kiss against her belly. Emily felt the motion in her heart.
"I…um…I haven't…" Emily bit down on her lip, a sheepish smile on her face, "…not since I got pregnant. I hope it wasn't too weird." She caressed the top of Alison's head.
She'd been worried that Alison might feel awkward because of the baby, but all Alison saw when she looked at her was the girl that she loved. And she wanted every part of her.
"Mmm." Alison shook her head. "You're perfect, Em. You're so perfect."
She pushed her face closer to Emily's body. She loved everything about the brunette, including her baby.
"Your mommy looks really beautiful right now." Alison whispered quietly. "You're very lucky. She's pretty and witty and brave."
"You missed an opportunity there to sing 'pretty and witty and gay'." Emily chuckled, running her fingers through Alison's hair.
"And she's snarky, too." Alison added. She glanced up at Emily. "West Side Story has a lot of versions, smartass."
Alison rubbed her palm against Emily's silky smooth skin. They were both sweaty. Emily had done her job of heating Alison up.
"Now would be the perfect opportunity to kick her for mocking me." Alison quietly spoke to the baby, keeping her cheek pressed against Emily's stomach.
She didn't feel anything, which was slightly disappointing. But then she remembered that she was entangled with the most wonderful girl in the entire world, and her disappointment faded.
"She's on my side, aren't you Little Bit?" Emily was smirking. She reached down and rubbed the side of her stomach.
"See what I have to deal with?" Alison ignored Emily and kissed her belly again. "But it's okay. Because even though she's annoying…" She poked Emily's ribs, making her laugh, "…she loves." She peered up at Emily, a genuine smile on her face. "She loves with all of her wicked little indigo heart."
Emily smiled at the blonde. It was so easy for Emily to forget Alison's past transgressions like the bickering that had happened with Hanna earlier. Because Alison became a completely different person when it was just the two of them.
It wasn't just the intense heated moments that they enjoyed. It was the quiet moments afterwards. The true touch of intimacy. It was the moment when Emily gently threaded her fingers through Alison's hair and cupped her cheek with her warm palm. It was the moment when Alison held Emily's bump between her hands and told her daughter how wonderful her mother was. They were lost in the world of each other.
They hadn't seen the uninvited solicitor outside Alison's house. They hadn't heard the thuds of large mounds of snow hitting the soft ground below. Sometimes when it was just the two of them they shut out the world. But the world wasn't silent for long.
An hour later, just as they were drifting off for a late afternoon nap a loud chirping noise brought them crashing back into reality.
Emily yawned and reached for her phone. She grimaced. Her phone always made her squirm. She was hoping that it was a picture of Mike dressed up in go-go boots and doused in pink sparkles.
There was a single text with a photo attached. It was not the wild scene from The Brew. It was messy cluttered lumps of snow. Had it not been for the two river rocks that Alison had used for the little snow child's eyes sticking halfway out of the snow it would have looked like any mess of snow.
A family that stays together gets slayed together. Happy holidays, bitch. Things might be heating up in your life, but baby, it's cold outside.
Emily was so startled that the phone slipped out of her hand and bounced off of the bed on to the floor. She scurried out of bed and raced over to the window, buttoning her shirt as she moved the curtains aside. She looked around for movement, but didn't see anything.
Alison rushed after her. She hadn't seen the text.
"What's wrong?" Alison tried to detangle herself from the bed sheets.
Emily didn't waste a second. She tore out of the room and ran towards the stairs.
"Em, slow down!" Alison cried as she raced after her. She was worried that she'd trip and fall.
The last thing they needed was another visit to the hospital. But Emily was steady on her feet, as always. She didn't falter in her step at all as she clutched the guard rail and took the stairs two at a time.
She knew it was a long shot. The photo had probably been taken right after they'd gone inside, but if there was even the slightest chance that her stalker was still out there she couldn't risk letting them get away.
Emily flung the door open and raced out on to the porch, her bare feet sloshing against the snow that had accumulated on the wooden paneling.
Alison quickly caught up to her. She snatched her arm and glanced down at her feet.
"You're not wearing any shoes! Get your ass back inside before you get pneumonia!" Alison growled angrily.
She hated it when Emily ran headfirst into danger. It seemed to be a reoccurring theme in her life. She knew the brunette couldn't help it. It was instinct. But she was terrified that one day it would get her hurt…or killed.
Emily jerked her arm free and sprang towards the edge of the porch. She leaned over the banister and saw the remains of the snow family they'd built. More snow had covered the ground beside the destroyed bulges. There were no footprints in sight. The picture had been taken long before she'd gotten the message.
"Fuck." Emily slammed her hand against the railing.
Alison reached out to touch Emily's arm.
"Emily…" Alison's voice was softer this time. Her touch was more gentle.
When Emily turned around she saw Alison bunched up because of the cold. Her face was scrunched and her teeth were chattering. She'd followed her out without shoes. Emily barely felt the cold, but she looked at the blonde in her short sleeved shirt flapping in the breeze and she could see that she was freezing.
Alison looked over her shoulder and saw the destroyed snow family. It didn't take her long to put it together.
"Oh my God." She stopped shivering and took a step around Emily. "The bitch was here?"
Emily sighed and pulled Alison back towards the front door…back towards the warmth and the safety of the house. It wasn't right to put Alison and the baby in danger.
Just as she was getting ready to close the door she glanced out towards the garage, her eyes landing on the security camera. It was pointing away from the side of the house, but maybe it had caught something.
After she calmed Alison down she went to grab her phone so she could text Caleb. She knew it was wishful thinking, but she had to try.
Just got another text. It was from outside the house. Can we see if the camera got anything?
It took about five minutes for Caleb to get back to her.
Give me a second. Mike is shimmying on stage…need to get away from the crowd.
The image of Mike shaking his groove thing actually helped bring a sense of normalcy back to Emily's mind.
I want photos of that, too.
Three minutes went by and then she got a text from him with a photo attached.
Timestamp is a little over an hour ago. Probably triggered by the car?
Emily opened the attached photo. The view was partially obstructed by the snow and the image was grainy, but there was a car down the street pulling away from the curb. It was hard to tell since the photo was in black and white, but the car looked like it was either grey or a shade of black. The license plate was obscured. It was hard to see what make and model it was.
Emily stared at it, hoping that something would register in her mind. There was a sense of de ja vu, but she couldn't figure out why.
She didn't know that it was the same car that had been outside her house the weekend she'd moved in. The same car that had been outside school her first day back. The same car that had been at the frat party the night Alison got drunk. The same car that Alison had just missed seeing the night Emily was in the hospital.
It was just a generic car.
A generic car that Emily would see again soon. But she'd never see it coming.
o ~ O ~ o
January kicked into high gear at work and school. Emily had picked up some extra shifts at the gym. It helped keep her mind occupied. Her insomnia had gotten much worse. The only thing that kept her focused was boxing. It also gave her a boost in her confidence. If she came face to face with whoever was threatening her she'd be ready.
Alison still bitched about it. She didn't like that Emily was still boxing. She thought it was too dangerous. Then again, she thought everything was too dangerous. And it was starting to grate on Emily's nerves.
"Didn't that day in the school gym teach you anything?" she'd griped before Emily left for her shift at work on Friday.
"That wasn't because I was boxing. I'm safest when I'm alert. I stay alert by keeping up with my boxing." Emily had kissed her before she left.
Alison had pouted as she watched her drive off on her bike, something else she was not happy about. It was still really cold out and it had been snowing sporadically.
Emily claimed that she needed to ride it every once in a while to keep the engine from dying, but Alison got the sense that there was more to it than that. She knew that Emily was struggling…that she felt like she was losing her identity in her pregnancy. And her bike helped with that, though the winter had made most of her rides very short.
Emily was smart on her bike. She was very careful. That was the only thing that eased Alison's mind about her riding.
Emily stayed late after her shift to take a refresher course with Jake. She was working on her footwork.
She focused on her breathing as she threw punches and jabs at the training mitts. She threw a left hook that was slightly off-center and almost clipped Jake. He was quick enough to avoid it.
"Focus. You're too in your head," Jake said.
Emily knew he was right, but it was hard for her to get out of her head. She took a breath and took another swing. This time it connected. He swiped at her and she blocked him.
They kept at it for nearly half an hour. When the session was over Emily grabbed her sports drink. She was dripping with sweat, mostly because she was wearing a sweatshirt to hide her bump.
"You're usually a little more on the ball." Jake pulled the punch mitts off. He grabbed his drink. "Everything okay?"
"Just got a lot on my mind."
"I can tell." Jake gave her a wry smile.
"Okay, I wasn't that bad." Emily rolled her eyes. "I've just got a lot happening. Senior year, you know?"
"Yeah. I get it." Jake nodded. He eyed her incredulously, like he knew she was keeping something from him, but he couldn't figure it out.
Emily knew she had to tell him. Soon. But she was afraid he wouldn't let her box anymore. And that was the only thing keeping her sane.
They heard footsteps approaching. When Emily turned around she saw Mike walking into the room with his gym bag.
"I got next." Mike tossed his bag against a bench.
"Hey, Mike." Emily put her drink down.
"Yo, Em." He waved. "Wanna spar a little?"
"Nah, I'm spent for the day." Emily shook her head. "Is Aria with you?"
"Ezra's office." He threw his thumb up and pointed out the door.
"What was on their reading list this week?" Emily laughed.
"Don Quixote." Mike threw a few practice jabs at the air.
Normally when two people were enclosed in a small room together Emily knew they were doing more than just talking. But when Aria and Ezra were together she knew they were actually talking about books.
"They're such nerds." Mike shook his head with a laugh.
"You still watch Scooby Doo cartoons." Emily pointed out.
"Because Velma is hot." Mike grinned.
Emily wasn't surprised that he was into the dark-headed nerdy chick with glasses. He followed Mona around like a puppy at school.
"You need an intervention for your attraction to cartoon characters." Emily teased him.
"Let's see what you got, Montgomery." Jake reached for the training mitts.
Mike did a sorry excuse for a karate kick that came off really dorky. He almost landed on his ass.
"That was on purpose." He faced Emily, his face red in embarrassment.
"Whatever you say, Karate Kid." Emily winked.
She threw a towel around her neck and grabbed her things.
She walked into the lobby and saw Sabrina at the front desk talking to Toby.
"Hey, Sabrina." Emily wiped her face with her towel.
"Emily, hi."
"I saw the video you posted on Tiktok of Mike's epic show." Her favorite part had been when Mike pulled Mona on stage to sing "Wannabe" with him. Unsurprisingly, she had a fantastic singing voice.
"The girls ate it up. The three of us made almost triple tips that night. He's a ham, but he's a prize ham." Sabrina laughed.
"What brings you around?" Emily asked. "Got another show in the works?"
"Actually, yeah. We're organizing a weekly open mic night. Aria told me that Ezra might be jazzed to do some of his poetry readings."
That sounded horribly boring.
"Isn't the whole point of an open mic to draw in a crowd, not chase it away?" Emily reached for the flyer with a laugh.
"Emily Fields, coming out swinging." Toby chuckled. "You know throwing a jab at someone only works if they can hear it, right?"
"Then I'll put it in my stand-up act." Emily flashed them a cheeky smile.
"Want to sign up?" Sabrina looked excited that someone was taking an interest.
"That was the punchline." Emily shook her head. "Me doing stand-up would drive out as many people as Ezra's sappy poetry."
"Personally, I think you'd crush it." Toby shrugged. He picked up the flyers and looked at Sabrina. "I'd be happy to hang these."
"That would be awesome. Thanks." Sabrina turned to face Emily. "So, besides stand-up, do you have any hidden talents?"
Hidden? Yes. Talent? Unless her baby could tap dance inside of her, no.
"Not really. Ali sings and plays the piano though. I can see if she'd be interested."
"The more the merrier." Sabrina smiled.
She was so bubbly. Emily liked her. She'd been nice to her since the day Emily had walked into the coffee shop.
"I'm really glad I ran into you." Sabrina reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. "The apartment is move-in ready. It's about a block from here. If you feel like braving the elements I can take you by to see it if you want."
"Yeah. That'd be great."
When they stepped outside the cold air washed over her. Emily's feet and back were aching. She knew her ankles were going to be swollen by the time night came around. She'd been retaining water for weeks. She could see it in her face. She was puffier than usual.
"It's the one bedroom, right?" Emily asked as they walked down the sidewalk.
"Yeah. They just replaced the flooring and the light fixtures. It's a really nice set up."
"Awesome."
A gust of wind blew the wintry air into their faces. It felt good to Emily at first, but then her sweat started to cool against her skin. She reached into her bag and pulled out a jacket to put on over her sweatshirt.
"We can grab an Uber if it's too cold." Sabrina offered.
"I'm good." Emily waved it off. "I like the cold."
"Ah, part Alaskan?" Sabrina asked jokingly.
Emily laughed.
"Nah, I just missed this kind of weather when I was in Texas. It was always hot as hell in San Antonio. Makes me appreciate the winter a lot more."
"Give me the heat any day." Sabrina rubbed her hands together and blew a hot breath against her fingers to try and warm herself up.
Emily reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a set of gloves. She handed them to Sabrina, who thanked her and put them on.
They turned down a street heading towards the apartment complex.
Just as they were rounding the corner, Alison spotted them. From a distance she wasn't sure it was Emily, but then she heard her unmistakable laugh. She cocked her head, glaring at the tall skinny blonde next to her.
Who the fuck was she with? Didn't she know it was dangerous to run off with strangers?
She thought about following them, but she didn't want to seem clingy. But she didn't like Emily disappearing with strangers, especially not when someone was threatening her.
She had no way of knowing that Emily was just getting a tour of her new apartment. Sabrina told her a little bit about the neighborhood and told her she was pretty sure she could get her a good deal on the rent.
Emily made an appointment with the leasing office to come back and sign the paperwork and put a down payment down the next day.
After they were done looking at the apartment they walked back to the gym, where Alison was impatiently waiting.
It was starting to get dark, so the street lights were automatically turning on. Alison heard them before she saw them. She would recognize Emily's voice anywhere. When she saw them approaching she did her best to appear unbothered.
"Emily!" She waved.
"Ali, hey, I didn't realize you were here." Emily smiled.
"I thought we could go out for dinner." Alison reached for her hand. She pulled Emily in for a kiss. Alison wanted the blonde she was with to know that Emily was taken.
"I'm kind of sweaty and gross." Emily pulled back. "Plus, we've got that Econ test coming up."
"So let's do take-out and have a study sesh." She was practically hanging all over Emily.
Emily gave her a weird look, wondering what was wrong with her. It wasn't abnormal for Alison to go all out with public displays of affection, but this felt extreme…even for her.
"I've got to take off." Sabrina glanced at her phone to try and kill the awkward tension. "Emily, give me a call if you need anything else."
"Thanks again." Emily waved.
As Sabrina walked away Alison stared at her backside. She didn't trust anyone in town, and she didn't think they could be too careful when it came to Emily's safety.
"Who was she?" Alison asked, staring as the girl faded into the distance.
"You can't be serious." Emily cocked her head. Alison had seen her all the time at The Brew. "You don't recognize her from The Brew?"
"Oh…" Alison had been so focused on hating the girl that she didn't even realize she recognized her. "The coffee girl."
"Yeah. Sabrina. She's the one helping me get my apartment. You have met her several times. Do you just…not look at faces…"
"Only yours." Alison smiled. She leaned in for a kiss. She noticed that Emily wasn't very receptive. "What? I'm just trying to look out for you. You can't be too careful with this freak out there…"
"That's not why you're asking."
She'd seen the way Alison was behaving, like an animal marking its territory. It was the same way that she'd been behaving at Hanna's house during the fashion show. It was the side of Alison she hated.
"Look, I'm yours. I don't know how many times I need to tell you that." She took Alison's hands, trying to comfort her. "But I have other friends, too."
"I know that." Alison pulled away. She looked offended. "And I trust you. It's other people I don't trust."
"If you trust me then you shouldn't have to worry about other people." Emily pointed out.
"You just…you don't realize the way people look at you." Alison frowned bitterly. "You have such a charismatic and alluring personality…"
"Is that a problem?"
"No. I just don't want them to think that you're slutty or something."
Alison hadn't thought it through before she said it. She immediately glanced at Emily's stomach, realizing the impact of her words.
"Wow." Emily took a step back and pulled her hands away from Alison's. She looked stung by the words. "Of all the people in the world to call me a slut…"
People were going to be talking about that as soon as they found out about her pregnancy. They were going to be calling her all kinds of names, and Emily and Alison both knew it.
"No. That's not what I meant." Alison was frustrated, but not at Emily. She was mad at herself. Her words never came out right. "I just know how people in this town talk."
"I know. You used to be one of them."
"Let's not make this into something it's not…"
"The only person making it into something is you."
"Because I care about you!" Alison raised her voice. She hated that they were arguing. "Can we just…back up? I don't want to fight."
"We're not fighting." Though Emily's tone suggested otherwise.
Alison remembered what Emily had said about the way Courtney acted. She had to be better than that.
She knew that Emily's heart belonged to her. Logistically she knew it. But sometimes she saw Emily with other people and she just saw a flash of red. But she didn't want to be like that. She tried to rein in her temper.
"I didn't mean to upset you." She knew that stress wasn't good for the baby and the last thing she wanted to do was stress Emily out.
"I'm not upset." Emily's face was tense, but she didn't look mad.
She wasn't angry. She wasn't upset. She was just conflicted about what she wanted in life. She felt a little lost. And a little lonely. The loneliness felt strange to her, because she had so many people in her life that loved her.
She wasn't sure how to explain to Alison that she was wading through some really heavy emotions about her pregnancy and the baby…about her future. She wasn't sure how to talk to anyone about the doubts she was having.
"Em…talk to me." Alison pleaded.
"I'm kind of wiped, Ali. I just want to go home."
"Let me drive you. It's too cold to walk." Alison wrapped her arms around herself. She was starting to feel the chill.
Emily saw her shivering. She pulled off her jacket and wrapped it around Alison's shoulders. She reached into the jacket pocket and pulled out the same gloves she'd let Sabrina wear on their walk to the apartment. Alison put the gloves on.
Emily's gesture made Alison feel terrible. She was out here making accusations and Emily was taking care of her.
"Come on. Let's go home." Alison repeated.
She knew she could fix it if she could just get Emily alone and explain what she was thinking. She just wanted to hold her. And kiss her. And let her know how much she cared.
Emily gave her a patient smile, which is more than Alison thought she deserved.
"My bike is parked out back." Emily reached into her bag and pulled her keys out. "I don't want to leave it out here."
"The roads have black ice everywhere."
"Not anymore. It was clear on the way out. Trust me, my dad made me check the weather and traffic a half a dozen times before he'd let me leave the house."
"It's not safe." Alison desperately reached out and grabbed her arm. "You're coming with me."
Emily gently pulled away. She appreciated that Alison cared so much, but the harder Alison pushed the more Emily felt like she was being boxed in. She didn't understand the sudden feelings of isolation. She'd been reading about loneliness during pregnancy, but it was hard for her to talk about. She wanted to open up, but she was still trying to figure out how to do that.
"I appreciate your concern. I do. But I'm getting tired of you treating me like I'm made out of glass." There was no malice in her tone at all. "I just…I need some space, okay?"
What does THAT mean? Alison tried not to panic. Things were going so well with them. She didn't want to screw it up.
"You are so stubborn." Alison grumbled. "I'm being perfectly logical and you're getting mad at me for it?"
"I'm not mad. I'm just tired. And I need to think. And I have some packing to do." Emily reached out and touched Alison's cheek. She gave her a kiss. It felt like a pity kiss and Alison didn't like it. "I'll call you later."
"Promise me you'll be careful." Alison's eyes locked on Emily's gaze. She touched the side of Emily's neck with the palm of her left hand and softly put her right palm against her stomach.
"I always am." Emily rubbed her thumb against Alison's cheek.
She kissed her again. Her lips were so warm. Alison marveled at how she was always able to stay so warm. She felt the sting of the cold air when Emily pulled away.
She wanted to chase after her, but she also wanted to give Emily space. She didn't know what she was doing anymore. She hadn't ever been in a relationship before. She'd never been in love before.
Emily turned the corner, disappearing from Alison's sight. Her thoughts were racing, not just from the spat with Alison, but with the idea of moving out of her parent's house and changing the course of her entire life. She was painfully aware of the ticking timeline in her life.
She secured her workout bag on the back of her bike with jump cables and slid her helmet on. As she started up the motorcycle she took a moment to appreciate the feel of it. She knew she wouldn't be able to ride it for much longer. She was getting bigger, and that meant her balance was likely to be off. Her doctor had told her it was almost getting to that point.
The exhaust and the engine felt hot against her legs. Everything about her bike soothed her. The sound. The vibration. The noise. She took a few minutes to breathe. She didn't like to ride when she was emotional.
When she was finally calm she pulled out of the parking lot and on to the road. All of her fears and anxieties melted away when she was riding.
She was focused and fixed on the scenery, and she was alert because there was a patch of fog rolling in. It was thin in most areas, but she hit a heavy area of it when she was halfway home.
The fog was so dense that she could barely see more than a few feet in front of her. The lines on the road disappeared into the heavy white smoke. Beneath the glare of her headlight she could see fractals of frozen fog sticking to the slick patches of black tar on the road, which she easily rode around. In the distance she could see the faint glow of a green stop light, but nothing else. It was eerie.
After she rode a few miles it started to clear up. She started to go around a bend and saw headlights approaching.
The headlights flashed once. Then twice.
Emily assumed that the driver was telling her that there was more fog ahead, so she slowed down.
She heard the roar of the car's engine, and she got a strange feeling in her gut. Something didn't feel right. But by the time she realized it, it was too late. As the car sped closer it started to drift over the center line. She laid on the horn, but the car just accelerated in speed and swerved into her path.
A/N: *runs from pitchforks*
Our girls are really going through the motions. Sheesh.
FYI, the timing of the conversations surrounding the Hanna/Alison/Emily dynamic was hilariously on point given this is the chapter where you get some of the layers peeled back there.
Also fun to write was the winter wonderland (until, you know, bad things happened) and the fluff (which I still maintain makes me a neurotic mess). Logistically I should probably be more worried about the death threats I'm sure to receive for the cliffhanger. Muahahah.
I will end simply by saying...Mike as a Spice Girl. You're welcome.