Hello,

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

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

Note 2: There will be a jump time, this chapter will take some months after Emily's graduation; Emily is already a freshman on California.

Chapter 38 – New beginnings

*** Music background: Everything has grown by Colouring***

Alison thoughts. – "Isn't it amazing how life is one thing and then in an instant become something else… just like that life happens and changes it all… So did you say it: I love you, I don't ever want to live without you, you changed my life… did you say it? … make a plan, set a goal, work toward it… but every now and then, look around; drink it in because this is it! It might all be gone on a wink of an eye…"

(Radio news)

Reporter. – "Good night every one, here we're on the scene of a huge car crash that happened just a few moments ago… This hit and run ended as a pile-up of cars; for now, we don't have any information of the driver who caused the 1st hit, we only know that there are several people in critical state and until now just one dead… a young girl…"

*** End of the music moment***

36 hours earlier…

It has been a rough 1st semester for Emily, being a freshman wasn't easy, a lot of courses and a full schedule of practice on the pool, it was getting almost all of her time and don't letting her a lot of time for Alison. The blonde didn't complaint as she has been very busy, she had also been with a crazy schedule, she was taking extra-courses in order to graduate as soon as possible and working on the company of her family, in a very short time, she's starting to get how it works.

At the beginning, the couple had been talking by phone, making video calls and texting all the time but as time went by, the phone calls, the video chats and the texts started to be less frequent, Emily was the one who recently has initiated all the calls or text and it was starting to frustrate her that the blonde was taking her for granted.

For Emily surprise, after some months apart, Alison could make a little of time and went to visit her on California as Emily requested her presence for supporting her on the finals.

*** Flashback***

(On the phone)

Emily. – "So we made it for the finals, they will be on the next week-end, do you think that you will be able to make it this time?"

Alison sighed. – "I don't know Em, there will be a huge meeting on the company very soon, I've a lot to read and prepare if I want to make a good impression with the direction of the company…"

Emily. – "Please Ali, you haven't been in any of my competitions, even my Dad has come to see me more than once!"

Alison. – "Love, it's not like I don't want to, it's just that the timing is not good for me…"

Emily pleaded. – "Please Ali, I need you here! I didn't think that I could compete again with the lesion of my shoulder but I made it work! And this is a big deal for me! Ali!"

Alison sighed. – "Fine… I will do my best ok but I can't promise anything…"

*** End of the Flashback***

(In Emily's college door room)

The brunette was slowly opening her eyes and a big smile appeared on her face as she found herself grabbing Alison's body between her arms. The blonde just arrived last night and as soon as she arrived, Emily attacked her like an animal in heat, when they arrived to her room, the brunette didn't waste any time to take off their clothes and get intimate with the blonde.

Emily slowly approached until their naked bodies were rubbing against each other with her as the big spoon. The brunette was rubbing her nose on Alison's neck and putting open kisses on it; her hands started to map Alison's body with her fingers and they stopped on the blonde's brest; Emily started to get wet and moaned as she was getting turned on just caressing the soft brest of her beloved.

Alison whispered with a sleepy voice. – "Em, you know that I get grumpy when you awake me up so earlier…"

Emily smirked and said on Alison's ear. – "Sorry, it's just that I've missing you so much… touching you, smelling you, kissing you, having you in my bed…"

Emily continued playing with Alison's boobs and she started to nip Alison's hard nipples, Alison left out a little moan.

Alison teased. – "So did you really miss me or you miss more my boobs?"

Emily bitted Alison's shoulder and teased. – "I missed all of you, specially your boobs…"

Alison opened her eyes and pouted as her girlfriend waked her up, she turned around and looked with a serious look to her mermaid.

Emily raised an eye brow. – "Are you really mad 'cause I wake you up?"

Alison glanced. – "I should be mad because we haven't really sleep, we were awake almost all night doing it but I wouldn't be honest if I say that I didn't like your way to wake me up…"

Emily bitted her lips and continued kissing her girlfriend and squeezing Alison's brest. Emily was kissing Alison's neck and the blonde turned her head towards the empty bed that was beside them.

Alison. – "So where is your roomie?"

Emily. – "She's staying with her boyfriend, so we've the place all for ourselves…"

Alison smirked. – "You kicked her out for me?!"

Emily laughed. – "Actually she offered to stay out in order to give us more privacy…"

Alison. – "Oh well, that was nice from herrrr ahhhmmmm… "

Emily whispered as she was introducing her fingers inside the blonde. – "Sorry, I can't wait any longer…"

The brunette started pumping Alison and she rubbed her fingers on Alison's intern walls, the blonde moaned and tilted her head back. As the brunette was sliding her fingers inside the blonde, Emily started to rub her folds on Alison's leg; Emily's hips were rocking Alison's leg faster and harder as she was getting ready to her orgasm.

Emily moaned. – "Ali… I'm… I'm…"

Alison groaned. – "Oh yes! Me too!"

Both girls came at the same time; Emily collapsed on top of Alison and fell sleep.

Emily opened her eyes and rose and eye brow as she found herself alone on bed. She looked around and found Alison on the little table of her door room; the blonde was working with her laptop and her iPad. Emily walked towards the blonde and hugged Alison's neck with her arms from behind; she started to kiss Alison's neck but the blonde continued focus on her laptop and iPad.

Emily. – "Why didn't you wake me up…?"

Alison. – "You needed to sleep and I needed to work on my benchmark…"

Emily continued kissing Alison's neck and her fingers started to roam their path towards Alison's brest but Alison stopped her.

Alison. – "Don't you've practice or something to do for the big event of tomorrow…?"

Emily teased as she tried to put her hands on Alison's brest. – "I know the perfect work out for me…"

Alison stopped her again and said. – "Em, we already did it a lot…. I need to focus on this, this is important… I need to focus… this is my 1st big meeting with all the direction of the company, I've just one shot to prove them that I can handle it all…"

Emily pouted. – "But you promised me that we could've some quality time, it's being months since we've been together!"

Alison sighed. – "And I will make it up to you… I'm staying a week so I just need some hours to finish this ok…"

Emily sighed. – "Fine…"

The brunette served herself a little of coffee and lay down on her bed as she was staring at the blonde. Alison continued focus on her work and acted as she was complete alone.

Emily. – "Since when you've become so focus on work….?"

Alison. – "Since I've the responsibility to lead a company…"

Emily. – "I thought that was the work of Mr. Cohen for now…"

Alison. – "He's the president of the company for now but I requested him to be his assistant, I want to learn everything as soon as possible in order to be the CEO…"

Emily started to imagine Alison as the CEO of her company and a little of sadness crossed her mind as she imagined that with a big post like that, the blonde will be more busy and distant, she remembered how Alison's father was, always on meetings, never in home, always absent and to be honest, that wasn't what she wanted for them…

Emily. – "Ali… this is really what you want?"

Alison. – "I don't follow…. What do you mean?"

Emily. – "You wanted to be a chef; you never liked this kind of work… why don't you just let someone else take charge of the company for you…?"

Alison stopped typing on her laptop and said. – "That's not an option; this is my father legacy, my empire…."

Emily. – "But Ali…."

Alison interrupted her. – "Emily! I love you but you don't have a vote on this! Please stop telling me how to lead my company… we've already discussed about this…"

Emily sighed of frustration. – "Fine! I'm going to take a shower…"

The brunette stood up, put some clothes on her and went to the shower.

(On the airport)

Emily and Alison were waiting for Pam; Alison walked a part of the brunette when she received a call. Emily just saw her by the corner of her eye and she huffed seeing that Alison acted indifferent after their earlier discussion. Pam arrived and hugged tight Emily.

Pam. – "Honey! Ready for tomorrow?"

Emily. – "Yeah I think… I'm a little nervous…"

Pam. – "Don't be! You're going to do it great as always! And where is Alison? She arrived yesterday right?"

Alison approached and said. – "Yes I'm here…"

The blonde hugged Pam and they went with her to check-in in her hotel. They passed all the day together, Emily wanted to give them a tour of California as it was the 1st time of the blonde there, but for Emily frustration, the blonde looked more interested on whatever was on her iPad that what Emily was trying to show her.

(In Emily's college door room)

They arrived to the door room after dropping Pam on her hotel. Emily was planning to say something but her intention went interrupted when Alison made a call.

(On the phone)

Alison. – "Hi, Mr. Cohen, sorry for calling at this hour, I just wanted to check if you had the time to check on the business project that I sent you this morning…"

Mr. Cohen. – "Hello Alison, you know that you can call me by my name… Andrew… and yes I'm finishing reading it… it shows a great job from you, it's very impressive…"

Alison chucked. – "Thanks Andrew… do you've any comment or modification to propose?"

Mr. Cohen. – "Well, yes…"

The blonde was on the phone talking with Mr. Cohen and noting his comments to improve her work. Emily just saw her in silence as she didn't know how to fit on the corporate word of the blonde. Alison continued talking for a while and without noticing it, Emily fall sleep on her bed as she looked to Alison from the distance.

(The next morning in the door room)

Emily was with her eyes closed but she smiled when she felt lips on her cheek.

Alison whispered. – "Come on sleepy mermaid, breakfast is ready and you need to weak up… today is your competition…"

Emily looked up and when she opened her eyes, her smile got bigger when she saw Alison's blue eyes.

Emily chucked. – "You know why I love so much the water?"

Alison. – "Nop, why?"

Emily chucked. – "Because every time that I see the water on the pool or the ocean, it reminds me your beautiful ocean blue eyes… so I love to be on water because like that I can always be thinking on you…"

Alison smiled and kissed her on the lips, it was a soft peck on the lips but that was all that Emily needed to melt her heart.

They ate breakfast, mostly only fruit and juice as Emily needed to prepare for her swimming competition. Emily was preparing her bag as she was talking with the blonde.

Emily. – "So I need to be earlier and do some practice on the pool… everything will start at 11am, mom is arriving directly… are you sure that you will not get lost on the campus?"

Alison. – "I'm sure, don't worry…"

Emily. – "What are you going to do until then?"

Alison. – "I think that I will stay here working on the modifications for my business plan…"

Emily sighed. – "Oh…"

The brunette zipped her bag and walked towards the blonde and pecked her lips one more time before leaving.

Emily. – "See you there!"

Alison nodded. – "Yeah!"

The brunette left and Alison took her coffee and sat; she stretched her arms before start typing. Alison was so concentrate on her work that she didn't put attention on the time, suddenly, she looked up to her phone and her eyes got bigger when she noticed that there were already 1pm.

Alison. – "Shit!"

(In the swimming pool)

Alison ran from the door rooms towards the pool, she sighed breathless when she arrived to the pool, when the blonde arrived, she just arrived in time to see Emily on the podium of 1st place, the blonde applauded and as she was walking towards the brunette, Emily looked at her in the eyes and Alison could feel the disappointing on Emily's look.

After all the ceremony, Alison slowly approached to Emily and once she was in front of her, she said with a soft voice.

Alison. – "Can I hug the 1st place?"

Emily didn't reply just nodded; Alison hugged her tight and congratulated her for her win. Alison felt bad for don't arrive in time and see her swimming, she wanted to do amends and she invited Pam and Emily to eat on the favorite restaurant of Emily's choice.

(In the restaurant)

They order the food and Alison went to the bathroom, she was taking some time on the bathroom so Emily went to see her. The brunette picked her on a phone conversation.

Alison said on the phone. – "Yeah… I see that, ok then; we can bring forward the date of the meeting… yeah I know… I haven't decided yet, I also think that study overseas will be good for me but…" (Sighs) "Let's talk about this when I'm back ok…"

Alison hung up and Emily returned to the table before the blonde could notice that she heard her earlier when she was on the phone.

After eating together, Pam suggested to also go to dinner together to a restaurant that she wanted to try, Emily nodded and Alison just gave her a little smile.

(In Emily's college door room)

The couple arrived to the door room and after letting Pam at her hotel, there has been an awkward silence between the two girls. The blonde was the 1st on break the silence…

Alison. – "So I'm sorry for earlier and for all of that… but I will make it up to you… I promise…"

The blonde took her travel bag and started packing on Emily's bed.

Emily raised and eye brown and said with a confused look. – "What are you doing?"

Alison. – "I need to go back sooner… sorry…"

Emily yelled. – "So you're leaving, you just came?! You were supposed to expend the entire week here!"

Alison sighed. – "Em please… I'm trying my best here, I could stay for your competition… what else do you want from me?!"

Emily yelled. – "I want you to stay! It looks like you don't care about me anymore!"

Alison yelled. – "How can you say that when I flight km of distance just to see you swimming?!"

Emily yelled. – "You didn't see me swimming! You didn't make it in time and you missed it all! You were supposed to be here for ME! my competition! I needed you there!"

Alison sighed. – "I'm sorry, I lost track of time working on my business project for the company…"

Emily. – "And that's the issue! That fucking company is becoming your only priority these days! It's like that is the only that matters to you now! You didn't want that in the 1st place, you wanted to become a chef, don't you remember?!"

Alison yelled. – "Yes I remember Emily! I remember that I also wanted to have my parents for my graduation and for my weeding but that's never going to happen! We can't have it all!"

Emily yelled. – "I don't want it all! I just want you! I want to be your priority!"

Alison huffed and continued packing.

Emily. – "We've plans for this week you know!? My mom is waiting for us to dinner tonight!"

Alison sighed. – "I know I'm sorry… "

Emily. – "I just wish that you've told me earlier before doing plans with my mom…"

Alison sighed. – "I'm sorry ok, I just didn't want to make a scene in front of your mom and for the record I didn't plan to leave so soon until today when I received the news that the meeting date will be sooner than expected…"

Emily crossed her arms and huffed. – "Is it that what really is coming up right now?!"

Alison looked Emily into the eyes and asked. – "Why are you so pissed at me? Whatever you want to say, just say it! I don't read minds Em…"

Emily said with a high toner of voice. – "Why should I talk?! When you don't talk with me! It's not like I would be planning to go overseas without consulting it with you right?!"

Alison realized that Emily heard her when she was on the phone on the restaurant.

Alison. – "So that's why you're so pissed at me…"

Emily. – "Why I would be pissed to my FIANCEE who's planning to LEAVE ME and go study thousands of miles away!"

Alison sighed. – "I haven't decided anything yet, Mr. Cohen just offered me to do an internship and at least to do my 1st semester on Europe… it's an offer, that's all…"

Emily. – "But you didn't tell me about it Ali! Beside this isn't about studying overseas, it's about you ditching our plans! You're a liar!"

Alison. – "Whoaw… stop right there! I haven't dished out on anything!"

Emily. – "Am I crazy to think that you leaving to another continent; it's not a big deal! Huh... no you know what fine! Whatever! Do whatever you want to!"

Alison. – "Em, when you wanted to come here to California and follow your dreams, I supported you because I knew how big deal it was for you! So it pisses me off that I can't follow mine unless I've your permission! How is that fair!?"

Emily. – "We're supposed to do this kind of decision together! We've plans! One minute is one thing and the next minute is another thing… I don't need that shit on my life right now! I've enough stress with keeping my scholarship to add more on my plate…"

Alison took a deep breath and said with a soft voice. – "Em… I know that our relationship at distance hasn't been easy but even if I decide to go overseas, we will figure it out as always…"

Emily. – "Jesus Alison! Have you ever been in this long-distance relationship?! The texts, the video calls by skype! They are all bullshit ok! It's like dating a ghost! Yeah… everything will be solved…" (Sighs) "You're so naïve… you don't know shit about the word I don't know how you are planning to lead a company…"

Alison said with a little of pain in her voice. – "I can't believe that you say that to me…"

Emily said with a sarcastic tone. – "What?! You want me to write it down for you…"

Alison took a deep breath and decided to don't reply to the provocation, she continued packing.

Emily crossed her arms and yelled. – "You're becoming like your father, a workaholic who only think on that company!"

Alison yelled as she looked her in the eyes. – "Don't you dare to talk like that of my Dad!"

Emily yelled. – "I'm just saying the truth!"

Alison closed her travel bag and took a deep breath before saying. – "I don't have time to discuss and I really don't want to say something that I will regret to say… I need to make it to the airport as soon as possible in order to find a flight… can you drive me there?"

Emily continued with her arms crossed and said. – "No! I'm going to the dinner with my mom… You want to leave! You can take my car keys and drive yourself or take a taxi!"

Alison huffed. – "Fine! You can pick up your car on the airport!"

The blonde took the car keys and when she opened the door, she stopped when Emily said something…

Emily. – "Don't bother to contact me until you decide what your priorities are!"

Alison slammed the door when she left.

(In the Airport)

*** Music background: Safe with Me by The CO***

The blonde was sitting, waiting to the hours to pass as she found a flight for that night, the time passed fast and it was already dark, she heard how they were calling to board; she took her travel bag and started to walk towards the gate, she was on the electrical stairs when she looked down to her bracelet with the charms on it. She started to play with it and then her fingers stopped and grabbed the charm that was a heart, she fixed her look on that heart.

As soon as the blonde arrived to her gate, she walked away on the contrary direction; she ran through the airport towards the parking, she stopped by a moment in a flower shop that was on the airport, she bought a bouquet of roses.

The blonde entered into the car and put the bouquet on the co-driver's seat and started to drive.

*** End of the music moment***

(In the restaurant at night)

Pam was sitting waiting for the couple; she got surprised when she saw only Emily arriving on a taxi.

Pam. – "Honey, where is Alison?"

Emily. – "She's not coming, she left…"

Pam. – "Emmy, are you two ok?"

Emily. – "I don't want to talk about it… let's just diner ok…"

Pam. – "Ok honey…"

As they were eating, Emily's phone rang several times…

Pam. – "Are you not answering it?"

Emily saw that all the missing calls were from Alison. Emily leant her hand over her phone and turned it off.

Pam. – "You're not answering it?"

Emily sighed. – "No…"

Pam. – "What if it's important…?"

Emily. – "It's Alison…"

Pam. – "With major reason, you should pick up and answer…"

Emily sighed. – "I don't want to talk with her right now…"

Pam. – "Honey…"

Emily. – "Mom, please let's just eat ok…"

Pam. – "Fine, but if you let me tell you one last thing on the subject, you shouldn't waste your time arguing with each other…"

Emily. – "You don't know what was the reason of our fight…"

Pam. – "No, I don't but I know how is to be in a long-distance relationship with your father always overseas… you've to make every minute count Emmy, life is too short to waste it on fights… you don't know what can happen tomorrow or if what you said to the love of your life today will be the last thing you will ever tell him…"

Emily. – "Mom, Ali is not like my Dad, she's not going to war…"

Pam. – "Maybe not honey, but we can't control what happens on the world, sadly bad things happens all the time…"

Emily didn't reply, she just sighed and continued eating.

(Alison driving heading to the restaurant)

*** Music background: Babe I'm gonna leave you by Led Zeppelin***

Alison was driving back towards Emily; she speeded up when she saw the timing. The blonde was driving fast and started to dial Emily's phone; it sent her directly to voice mail every time that she dialed it; in the end, she decided to leave a message…

As she was driving, Alison look to her bracelet with the heart on it; she smiled as her eyes stayed glued to the charm in form of a heart; while Alison went distracted for a second; in that instant she lost the opportunity to see a newly broken-down car crashed that was just meter of distance from her, Alison looked up and her eyes got bigger when she got conscious of the situation, she was driving so fast that it made it impossible to evade any kind of collision. She tried to make a manoeuvre and turned around the crashed car that was in front of her; the hiss of the tyres over the concrete paving left a mark on the cement floor; the blonde thought that she was doing the correct manoeuvre turning around the other vehicle but sadly she wasn't the only one driving fast; it was then when a huge Toyota truck rammed into her passenger's side; the car rolled over several times, the rose petals and the breaking glasses were flying all over the place, the sharp glasses inflating the safety bag; Alison's head made contact with the cement ground not a moment later.

The car tumbled over and over as other cars crushed in the pile-up; the world passed in a blur of red and white lights as blood were pouring out of her body and blurring her vision; when the car absolute stopped tumbling; silence and gasoline smell was the last thing that Alison felt that night…

(In a taxi heading to Pam's hotel)

Pam. – "It's normal to have so much traffic at this hour?"

Taxi driver. – "Sorry ladies, there was a car crash, a pile-up to be exactly, it happened in the area so everything is chaos right now…"

Emily sighed and decided to turn on her phone as the driver turned on the radio…

(Radio news) Reporter. – "Good night every one, here we're on the scene of a huge car crash that happened just a few moments ago… This hit and run ended as a pile-up of cars; for now, we don't have any information of the driver who caused the 1st hit, we only know that there are several people in critical state and until now just one dead… a young girl…"

*** Music background: Everything has grown by Colouring***

As they were hearing the news on the radio and more details of the accident, Emily noticed that she had one new message on her voice mail so she decided to hear it…

Voice mail. – "You've one new message; please push '1' to hear the message received…"

Emily pushed "1" on her phone and heard the message.

Alison message on Emily's voice mail. - "Em… mermaid please pick up! I want to hear your voice, please! … I know that you're mad and you've all the right to be, I had been a jerk and I'm so sorry… Look, we both know how I feel about you… so I'm just gonna shoot straight… mermaid, you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me; you're everything that I thought I ever wanted and more… the last few months, yes I hadn't been the most romantic person in the word but you must know that all I can think about is our future together… about what is gonna be like once I finally get my degree, how we will finally be together as a married couple… Em, you said that I'm naïve for thinking that we're going to always figure it out but I can't help it to be so optimist and have so much faith on us because when I think about us, I feel so peaceful and safe, because anything no matter what happens from the day that you said yes to me, I knew that nothing can ever peek that bad because I've you and you've me… I'm sorry for not telling you about the offer of Europe, I was planning to do it believe me, I just wanted to wait a little longer because I was planning to propose you to come with me… Em, I love you and I promise to always show up for the moments when you need me the most; I understand now that being there is really all that relationships are… I'm so sorry for what I've done, I don't want to make the same mistakes as my Dad and be absent on our lives… you're the one, you're always my priority, Em I'm driving back to you, to the restaurant; please just give me a chance to make it right ok… see you soon… I love you, never forget that…"

Next Chapter: CH39 – Stay with Me