Hello,

Thank you for following my story and thank you for the reviews ^^

I want to personally thank to: Leapyearbaby29, alwaysdream1, PllFan1998 and minercraftgraces for the reviews, it's very motivated to update sooner thank to you guys ^^

Happy Holidays!

Note 1: In Italics, the storyteller speaking (moi ^^)

Note 2: This is an Emison story but like I told you before, the arc of these chapters is a hard moment on the story for the couple but I do believe that love conquer all ^^

Chapter 27 – Jealousy is a bitch

(In the kissing rock)

Alison. – "I was thinking to do it in Christmas but life is scary and short and I can't carry this ring anymore…" (Little smiles) "I think that something good should happen between all the chaos's on our lives…"

Those blue eyes looked to Emily and Alison felt a little of fear when she noticed the absence of response from her girlfriend.

Alison was still on knee and she gulped hard went she said. – "Em…. mermaid… you can speak now…"

(Complete silence from Emily)

Alison gulped. – "Really Em, can you say something now? Please?"

Emily looked down and crossed her arms when she said. – "I- I – I don't know what to say…"

Alison felt a little crack on her heart; that reply wasn't definitely what she was waiting to hear.

Alison gulped; her blue eyes became watery-eyes when she asked with a shaky voice. – "So is that a no?"

Emily's lips shook and she continued avoiding seeing the other girl in the eyes.

Emily sighed. – "I- I- I… I don't think that I'm ready for marriage..."

Alison. – "I'm not asking you to marry me tomorrow; we could have a long engagement…"

Emily ran a hand through her hair and she signed again. – "Ali, I- I- I just…"

Alison stood up, closed the box and put it in her pocket again; she turned around and gave the back to Emily as she used her hands to clear the tears of her face.

Emily. – "I-I'm sorry…"

Alison. – "Just forget it… it's late we should go home…"

(In Hanna's house next day)

Hanna. – "She proposed! And you said NO!"

Emily looked down and murmured. – "I didn't say no…"

Spencer. – "Yeah, but you didn't say yes neither…"

Aria. – "Em, I know that we are too young, you might don't feel ready for that but you should talk with her…"

Emily started to play with her hair, she was still hiding her night with Talia to her friends and she couldn't explain it now.

Emily gulped. – "I don't know what to say to her without hurting her…"

Spencer. – "Well, no talking with her about it is worse; you need to talk about it…"

Emily sighed. – "Yeah, I know…"

Aria looked to her watch and said. – "It's almost 2pm, don't you have work Em, I was going to pick my brother so I can give you a ride if you want…"

Emily gulped, she was still not able to look to Talia and confront her.

Emily. – "I'm not going to work today, I don't feel fine…"

Emily stood up and left to her house.

(In the brew)

Talia. – "Hi, what I can offer to you?"

Alison. – "Two mocas please…"

The blonde was turning her head all over the place like she was looking for something; Talia noticed it.

Talia. – "Are you looking for something?"

Alison. – "Ah, yeah… Is Emily not working today?"

Talia. – "She didn't come today; I guess she doesn't feel well…"

Alison. – "Oh, I see…"

Talia looked to the girl and asked. – "Are you her girlfriend?"

Alison looked to the woman in the eyes and the old woman blushed when those blue eyes were fixed on her.

Alison. – "Yes, I'm Alison, Emily's girlfriend… and you're?"

Talia. – "I'm Talia, I have been working here for a while, I guess you know me by now, I have also heard a lot about you…"

Alison smirked. – "Well sorry but Emily had never talked about you… so no; I don't know who you are…"

Talia felt a little down by her ego with the words of the astonished blonde who was in front of her; she was going to reply back but another woman arrived to the scene.

Mary. – "Ali!"

Alison turned and she hugged the other woman with a huge smile in her face

Alison smiled. – "Thank you for coming, I really needed someone to talk…"

Mary looked to her child with warm eyes and she was caressing Alison's hair when she said with a smile. – "I'm happy that you called me…"

Both sat in the sofa and started to talk as they were drinking their coffees. Alison told everything to Mary about her proposal and without noticed it Talia was hearing their conversation.

Alison sighed. – "So that's it… are you also don't say anything like Emily?"

Mary chucked and put her cup in the table. – "I must say that I'm impressed of how bold you're… you're nothing like me or your Dad at that age…"

Alison. – "Can I ask what happen between you and my Dad? We have never talked about it…"

Mary signed and grabbed Alison's hand on hers when she answered. – "When I had your age, I was nothing like you, I was shy, scary of the world… we doesn't choose with who we fall in love… sadly for me, I fall in love of the boyfriend of my twin sister, your Dad, he was so a gentleman at young age… we started being polite strangers with each other, short talks, every time that he came to the house and brought something to Jessica, he also brought something to me as well… he was the 1st person who saw the real me…"

Alison chucked. – "Yeah, I know the feeling…"

Mary chucked. – "Well, time flighted and from polite strangers, we became friends and before we knew it we fell in love… we fell for each other and even if I was scared of what could be the consequences of it; I never felt more alive in my life…"

Alison. – "So my Dad loved you back? Why he married Jessica anyway?"

Mary sighed. – "The night that your father was going to break with her, Jessica announced to the family that she was pregnant… I couldn't deal with that so I left… I thought that the best thing to do was leaving…"

Alison. – "I didn't know that they had a child so younger... what happen with him?"

Mary. – "What happen is that Jessica played us, she invented to be pregnant in order to marry your father… it was all a lie, when we found out it was too late, they were already married…"

Alison. – "So how did I happen?"

Mary. – "I got emotionally fragile at the time that your grandfather, my Dad died; you're grandma thought that the best for me was to be at Radley for a season, so she put me in that hell place… I wasn't getting better, it was awful… I wanted to die… but your Dad never gave up on me… he visited me all the days, all the weekends, I fell all over again for him and I felt how he did it too… at that time, he founded out that Jason wasn't his child and we thought that it was a sign for us to be together… he started to look for a lawyer for the divorce and between time, I got out from Radly, I were discharged under the condition to follow a strict drug treatment, but I didn't respect it…"

Alison. – "Why?"

Mary. – "Because I founded out that I was expecting you… I couldn't risk your health with those drugs so I decided to don't take them…" (A huge smile came to her face) "We were so happy when we found out that you were in my belly… I was so happy…"

Alison looked down to her cup and with a little of hesitation she asked. – "If you were so happy, why did you leave me?"

Mary gulped and her face showed guilt. – "Without the treatment and the drugs on my system, I suffered a breakdown; I started to suffer paranoia when you were born…" (A tear appeared in her eyes) "I was so afraid to hurt you that I convinced myself that the best I could do was leaving you with your Dad…"

Alison. – "So you left without looking back…"

Mary. – "I'm so ashamed by my cowardly actions, I'm so sorry and I'm not asking for forgiveness because I know that I don't deserve it… I can't change the past but I hope I can do something to change our present and future…" (She put a hand in Alison chin and made the other girl to see her in the eyes) "I love you, I always did and I will always love you… From now on you can be sure that I will show up and never leave you again…"

Alison smiled. – "You know; everybody's got that picture in their mind; the one of, you know, how their life's supposed to be… Just make me wonder how that picture is for me now, with you in it, with my Dad, Jason and with Emily, college, where I have to go, what I should do…"

Mary. – "Well you should think about the picture about how do you look in it? It's not about who you're standing next to or what is in the background on that picture… it's: are you smiling? Are you happy? Are you good with the choices that you've made? Because if you're; it doesn't matter where are you standing or with who you're standing next to in that picture, it will be a good picture… but you don't need to worry, you're way ahead of the game Ali…"

Alison. – "Well, it didn't feel like that…"

Mary. – "But you are! I have watched you taking your pain and your chaos and turning it into something beautiful… you've changed people lives, mine included, you have saved people lives! You made peace with your past; you opened yourself up to the woman you love, and you have bounced with style when things didn't go your way… You've been brave and honest… and you're so beautiful my child, which makes the pictures look even better…"

(Both launched little laughs)

Mary. – "I'm very proud of how you turned out, so no matter who you become, Emily or any other girl, gonna be lucky to have you…"

Alison chucked. – "Thanks mom…"

Mary cried of happiness because this was the first time that Alison had called her 'mom', they hugged and they decided to do a little of shopping after finish their coffees.

(In Emily house at 7pm)

Emily was in her house when someone knocked the door, she opened and her eyes got bigger when she saw who was there…

Talia. – "Hi Emily…"

Emily. – "Ta- Talia what are you doing here?"

Talia. – "Can I come in?"

Emily hesitated but she left the other woman in. They sat in the extremes of the sofa of the living room, keeping a notable distance between them; in silence for a moment.

Emily murmured. – "Can I offer you something to drink?"

Talia. – "One glass of water will be nice…"

Emily stood up and gave the water to the other woman; Talia drank a little and she was contemplating the glass which had the mark of her lips on it when Emily started to talk.

Emily. – "What are you doing here?"

Talia. – "We need to talk…"

Emily. – "I don't…"

Talia. – "I met today your girlfriend Alison, you're right; she's a complete natural beauty…"

Emily exalted. – "What?! How?! Did you tell her about…"

Talia. – "I heard that she proposed to you… did you say no because of what happen between us?"

Emily looked down and cried. – "She put all her heart all out there and I messed it up…"

Talia. – "Why?"

Emily said with tears in her eyes. – "Because I have zero confidence, I'm auto destructive…"

Talia. – "Maybe you messed it up because you don't love her…"

Emily affirmed. – "I love her!"

Talia looked her in the eyes and said. – "Really? Look deep in your soul… do you love her?"

Emily said again without hesitation. – "I LOVE HER!"

Talia chucked and turned her look to the glass which was on her hands. – "So what are you doing here… go look for your girl! Go for her!"

Emily cried. – "I can't, I sleep with you… I cheated on her…"

Talia. – "We didn't have sex…"

Emily surprised. – "What?! But when I wake up, you and I… we were naked in your bed…"

Talia chucked. – "Ah… after two bottles of wine; we started to make out, yes we got naked very fast but before anything happened you stopped, you cried a lot and then you fell sleep…"

Emily didn't remember anything of that night but she couldn't avoid the relief hearing those words.

Emily. – "So we didn't have sex?!"

Talia. – "No…"

Emily was so happy and Talia noticed it, she stood up and left the glass on the table.

Talia. – "I just wanted to clarify this with you… I hope that we can continue working together… I will not say anything of what happen if you're afraid of it…"

Talia was leaving but before doing it, she said. – "See you tomorrow at work?"

Emily smiled and said. – "Yes and thank you for coming and tell me this…"

Talia nodded and left. As soon as she left, Emily sent a sms to her friend Hanna asking her to come to her place.

(In Emily's room)

Hanna. – "So what I'm doing here?" (She looked to the brunette who was trying to choose what outfit to put on) "Do you want my advice on clothes?"

Emily. – "Yes, but I also called you because I need your help to fix my mess with Ali…"

Hanna. – "Are you going to say yes? What changed your mind so fast?"

Emily sighed and sat in her bed, she motion her hands in order to ask her friend to sit beside her.

Emily signed. – "I need to tell you something…"

Hanna. – "Ok…"

Emily started to talk from the beginning of the events and she was being as detailed as possible. At the same time that Emily was talking with Hanna; Alison was arriving to Emily's house, after passing all the day with her mom, the blonde decided to talk with Emily as her mom suggested. The blonde founded out the front door opened and went all in the house, she started to approached to Emily's room in silence, she wanted to surprise her girlfriend but in the end she was the one who ended surprised by what she heard.

Hanna. – "You cheated Ali with Talia?!"

Alison felt her blood bowling when she heard the sentence of Hanna so she stood up in the frame door of Emily's room; both girls looked in shock when they noticed the presence of Alison.

Alison yelled. – "You did what?!"

Hanna gulped. – "Ali…"

Alison shoot Hanna down and glanced at hear with a lethal look. – "You, out now!"

Hanna gulped and nodded with fear when she said. – "Yes ma'am…"

The blonde was leaving and murmured to Emily. – "Good luck…"

Hanna left and the two girls stayed in silence for some minutes, Alison was really mad, squint eyes, a wide stance and throbbing veins in her front-head that showed her anger; Emily froze of fear and her hands were shaking because she didn't know what to do now.

Alison. – "Speak out Emily! Explain me what I just heard! I recommend you to choose wisely your words…"

Emily gulped and she explained to her girlfriend all that happen that day. Alison didn't move a millimeter but as far as the brunette continued talking, Alison posture changed from an intimidated pose to a broken posture… tears appeared in her face in silence.

Emily. – "Ali, I messed up, I know… she didn't mean anything to me… if I could take it back oh God, I would in a second…"

Alison with tears on her face and her arms crossed, she said with a broken voice. – "You cheated on me…"

Emily. – "No, no I thought that I sleep with her but nothing happen, we didn't have sex!"

Alison looked her in the eyes and yelled. – "You make out with her and got naked in her bed!"

The blonde huffed and turned out in order to leave, Emily panicked and she immediately followed her downstairs; Emily put herself in front of the front door in order to be an obstacle for the blonde and avoid to leave her go. Alison rolled her eyes and went in direction of the living room; she couldn't avoid it but her look got fixed in the glass of water that was in the table with the mark of the lipstick of the other woman, she took the glass and smashed it on the floor.

Emily. – "Ali, look, I need you to listen to me ok… I understand that you're mad and I'm sorry for springing it on you like this but I meant what I said before, we didn't have sex, we only make out and it didn't mean anything to me…"

Alison glanced to her and yelled. – "A kiss always means something!"

Emily ran a hand through her hair and panicked, she said with a shaky voice. – "Ok, maybe you're right but it wasn't a romantic moment and you would know that if you…"

Alison yelled. – "If what Emily! If I was there?! Because let me sweetly pointed out to you that at that moment that you was there making out with that old ugly woman! I was as a stupid putting Christmas lights on our spot, preparing the surprise that I made for you… so no Emily! I couldn't be there to check out on you kissing another woman!"

Emily sighed. – "Is it impossible for you to forgive me? … I forgive you…"

Alison. – "You forgive me?! For what?!"

Emily. – "For all that happen in the past…"

Alison huffed and tears started to follow from those blue eyes when she said. – "You know what! Because of that I loved you even more…" (More tears in her face) "You had such grace in that moment that I fell in love with you all over again… I can't believe that you would use it now as a bargaining ship!"

Emily said with tears in her face. – "No, no, no… I'm not, I'm not, I'm not… I just need you to trust me and believe me when I tell you that my heart is with you!"

Alison huffed and started to walk in direction of the door; Emily signed and ran a hand through her hair when she said.

Emily sighed. - "Ah… a part of me feels like ever since that we got back together, you've just been waiting for a moment like this to push me away and run away…"

Alison stopped her walk and turned in order to look Emily in the eyes.

Alison. – "Oh great! You kissed this woman Talia and I'm the one pushing you away!"

*** Music Background: Stay by Rihanna ft Mikky Ekko***

Emily looked to those blue broken eyes of the blonde and she could felt the pain that the other girl was feeling.

Emily cried with tears in her face. – "I love you Ali… I don't know what else to say…"

Alison yelled with tears in her face. – "What about you to show it! I'm not pushing you away Emily! I'm holding on for dear life…" (She approached to Emily enough to balance her hands on Emily's chest once and over again as she tried to calm herself down) "For lord of God Emily! I came back for you! I risked my live for you! I proposed to you! "

Emily grabbed her from the wrist and said with tears. – "I'm sorry, It was wrong, I just slipped…"

Alison looked her in the eyes and said. – "Yeah, I guess that it just slipped your mind that you have a girlfriend! How could you do that?!"

Emily. – "Look I'm sorry please forgive me!"

Alison liberated herself from Emily and turned in direction of the door, Emily tried to stop her but Alison didn't let her to grab her arm.

Alison. – "Don't!" (She looked at her in the eyes and said) "You know what is even worse than you making out with her? it's that you wasn't planning to tell me, isn't it Emily?"

Emily gulped and looked down.

Alison. – "You want from me to be honest, to always talk with the truth but you can't do it! You continue lying to me!"

Emily. – "Please Ali, don't leave, I know that I made a mistake but I want to make things right!"

Alison. – "How?! I can't stop picturing you with her! It just changed everything! God Emily… you were everything to me…"

Emily panicked when she heard the past tense of the last sentence of the blonde.

Emily cried. – "And you're everything to me! You have to forgive me!"

Alison glanced. – "I 'have'?! No Emily I don't HAVE to do anything! You're a liar and a cheater and whatever you realise it or not; your lies are hurting me…"

Emily yelled. – "So what now?! Are you just going to run away!"

Alison. – "I can't see you right now Emily…"

Emily sighed and pointing out the door when she said. – "Fine! Leave!"

Alison. – "Finally! Something that you said makes sense! Bye Emily!"

She left and slapped the door, as soon as Emily heard the sound of the door she understand that she shouldn't have said what she said at the end and she grabbed her face with her hands as she cried.

(In Talia's apartment, around 11pm)

(Knock knock)

The old woman opened the door and her eyes got bigger when she saw who was there standing in her door.

Talia gulped. – "What are you doing here?"

Alison glanced at her with a lethal look. – "Being angry at you for one…"

Be prepare because the next chapters will be full of drama ^^