Emily wouldn't be at home, Ross thought on the way home. She'd been forced to agree to something she didn't want to do and now that she was away from Monica's influence, she had thought better of it. She must have borrowed money from someone, maybe her uncle. Maybe she'd asked someone to buy her ticket from overseas so that she could leave him. If only there was a way to stop her boarding a plane. He'd lost her again and it was going to be so bad...
He rang the apartment from the lobby just to be sure. No answer. It was nearly midnight. She was never coming home. He didn't want to go upstairs but he might as well go seeing he was there. He had to sleep somewhere. Home would not be home without her.
He saw a shape huddled in the doorway.
'Emily?' The shape moved.
'Ross?' said Emily, in a tiny scared voice. He ran up to her and encircled her tightly.
'Sweetie, where have you been?' She was shivering and had started to cry, 'Why are you sitting outside.' He studied her face. He could see that even though the hall lights were dim, that her face was bruised. He touched a hand lightly to her face, shocked.
'I was mugged,' she said, trembling. 'On the subway. They took my purse and my keys.' But he didn't care what they took as long as she wasn't...
'Oh my God, you're hurt!'
'Just a few bruises. I'm all right.' He fussed about her some more and she let him explore for more injuries.
'Have you been to the police?' he asked.
'Yes.' And they had done nothing, he could see. 'They said something about doing a report.' They couldn't stay out here all evening.
'Come on,' Ross said, pulling her up, 'We'll get you inside, get you warm and feed you and give you something to drink.' He opened the door and scooping her up, depositing her on the couch. 'I'll just ring Monica and tell her you're all right.' But a look at her white face told him that could wait until after she'd had some comfort.
He waited until Emily was in the bath and then called Monica.
'She's safe,' Ross said,
'Thank God for that,' Monica said.
'She was waiting for me outside the apartment.'
'Outside?'
'She was mugged on the subway and they took her keys. She ended up a long way from home and had to walk all the way back. She got lost as well.'
'She must be exhausted.'
'She's going straight to bed as soon as she's had her bath.'
'I'm sorry this happened,' Monica said. 'She doesn't need a reason to hate New York.'
'I don't know about New York,' Ross said, 'But she says she doesn't want to go in the subway again.'
'Well I don't know how she's going to manage where you live,' Monica said. There was a silence.
'I don't want her to ride the subway either, at least not on her own.'
'Well you don't know any people out your way do you? People who could ride with her,' Monica said. Ross sighed. He knew what the obvious solution was – selling it would be the problem.
'I think I'll leave the suggestions for today,' he said, 'She's had enough adjusting to do.' Suddenly he was aware that she was in the room. How much of that had she overheard?
'It's been an awful day for her,' Monica said, as Emily walked towards him, wrapped in a dressing gown.
'Oh,' he said, as she nuzzled up against him.
'She's there?' Monica asked.
'Yes.'
'Tell her hi for me,' Monica said, 'Bye Ross.' She hung up. Ross turned to Emily.
'You don't have to do anything you don't want,' he told her. She rested her head on his chest.
'I don't want to live here any more,' she said. 'It's been ruined.' She put her arms around his neck.
'Here?'
'This part of New York. Every time I go near that subway station I'll remember.'
'I'll find us somewhere safe,' he assured her.
THE END