True Love Will Prevail
Chapter Five: Unknown feelings, Overthinking and Rum
'Guess what? I got this part for a new movie called 'You're the One'. You want to know what the best part is? I have this beautiful co-star that I'm going to get to see every day x K'
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. Before he could change his mind, he sent the message. What if she never answered? He started questioning staring at his phone.
Much to his delight, she texted back a few seconds later.
'Do you now? x'
'I was hoping it'd be you x K'
And he was being completely honest. He had been hoping it would be Emma; and she had been hoping it would be Killian.
'Why is that?'
'You are nothing like I thought you would be. When Sean told me the audition was for a rom-com, I fully expected to be paired with a self-involved woman with just a lot too much make up on. I know it's probably a stereotype, but I also know having you as a co-star is way better than any other options I could've had'
'You don't even know what other actresses auditioned' Emma typed back somewhat challenging. She was grinning, though.
'I don't need to. Knowing you is enough'
"And... send"Killian whispered to himself. Why am I so nervous? Jeez, I met her yesterday! He thought. In this very moment, he really didn't understand. He knew he liked Emma, but what exactly had gotten into him that was making him so nervous? He was never nervous!
He started to grow anxious when a few minutes had gone by and he hadn't received a text back. Frustrated, he run his hands through his hair. He locked his phone, turned around in bed so his face was buried in his pillow and groaned loudly.
"Aye, I took it too far" he said, his voice coming out mumbled against his pillow. "Bloody hell"
Back in her own bed, Emma's phone rung once again. As she read the incoming text from Killian, her eyes lit up and without noticing, her cheeks turned slightly red.
She couldn't deny texting Killian made her happy. But that happiness was clouded by what Alex had said earlier. Was he really a player? Was he just trying to get into her pants? Emma sighed. A part of her didn't want to find out.
Still, in this very moment, she put all those questions aside, and texted him back, determined to enjoy the present.
'Trying to seduce me already?' she typed back. A few seconds later, the three dots appeared on the screen. It was taking him too long for Emma's liking. She was growing impatient.
'It's not like that. I might have only met you yesterday, but I already see how strong and passionate you are. I'm truly impressed, Emma Swan'
Yeah, she could stay in this moment forever.
'Well, thank you Killian. You are not so bad yourself...'
Killian had sat up in bed once again when he heard his phone go off. Relieve washing over his features. It felt good to tell Emma some of the many thoughts running wild through his head.
'So, now that we are officially co-stars... how about that number? X'
'213-0122-9854, emergencies only though!'
Killian smiled with another idea in mind. 'Fine, I promise'
Emma was still sitting in her bed a few minutes later, wondering what to say next, or even if she should say anything at all. She wanted to, but she was scared of growing closer to Killian just to get her heart broken.
She hadn't had the best luck with previous boyfriends. Neal, her first boyfriend, nearly got her in prison. If it hadn't been thanks to Alex and her lawyer, she would have been behind bars in this very moment. Walsh, the latest boyfriend had turned out to be a cheating asshole. After that, walls had gone up around her heart. What she didn't really know yet was that just by meeting Killian and getting to know him, her walls had started to slightly crack.
Before she had any more time to overthink the situation, her phone started ringing. Unknown number, incoming video call.
It can't be, she thought picking up. Oh, but it was. Messy dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a charming smile popped up on her screen. He was leaning against what she assumed was the headboard of his bed. Shirtless.
She was shocked, hypnotized even, by the little she could see of his toned arms and chest.
"Like what you see?" Killian said raising an eyebrow, making Emma come out of her trance.
She instantly blushed, feeling extremely self-conscious. She must look ridiculous. She had her hair up in a messy bun and was wearing a shirt that was way too big on her.
"You look beautiful Emma" he said noticing the concern on her face. Again, she blushed, this time gently smiling at him.
"I thought we agreed this was just for emergencies" she said trying to give him a serious look but completely failing.
"It is an emergency!" Killian exclaimed, chuckling. Emma just rolled her eyes at him.
"And texting was just not enough for you?" she said amused.
"Why text when I can Facetime you? I would much rather be looking at you and hearing your voice" he said giving her a smile. "Plus, I'd also much rather see you blush than just imagine it"
She gave him a warning look as if saying 'Don't push it, Jones'. He just shrugged.
"So, how was your day, love?" he then asked. Even through the screen, he was looking straight into her eyes.
"Why, thank you for asking Killian" she said smiling at him. "I got this part for a new movie, 'You're the One', you might have heard of it. It's supposed to be a big hit"
"Really?" he said smirking at her. "Tell me more"
"I have this handsome co-star with beautiful eyes and just a bit too much of a player smile that I'm going to get to see every day" she said quoting what he had said to her earlier. "A little bit childish though" she said shrugging.
Killian blushed.
And so, the night started for both of them. They talked for hours; sharing their hobbies, travel adventures (mostly Emma hearing Killian talk. He promised her he would take her to Europe), what they liked about being in the movie industry and what they disliked, heartbreaks (although it turned out to be a painful topic for both of them, so they skipped over it pretty quickly) and their future. Now, it was 1AM and there were both trying to stay awake. Unfortunately, the mumbled answers between the two meant they were not going to be so lucky.
"Killian" Emma said. He was still sitting up but his eyes had been closed.
"Huh" he said slightly opening them back up.
"It's 1AM, we have been talking for hours" she said. "We should go to bed"
"No. I want to talk to you"
"We are both already nearly asleep" Emma said. Sometime during the conversation, she had curled up in bed, holding her phone up against a pillow.
"Fine" he mumbled, getting under the covers himself. "With one condition"
"What is it?"
"Stay on the phone with me" he said. Emma gave him a look, to which he answered, "Please?"
"Okay"
"Really?" he asked in disbelief.
She nodded. "Goodnight Killian"
He smiled. "Goodnight love"
10 Days Until Filming
Emma woke up that Thursday morning and, just like the past three days, her phone was popped up on a pillow next to her with the screen reading 'FaceTime Failed'. Ever since Monday night, Killian had called her before going to bed and they had stayed up, talking to each other, until one or the other was asleep. Even then, neither ended the call.
As much as they both wanted to wake up to see each other still on their screen, it seemed as if the Facetime never made it through the whole night.
Emma had been sleeping like a baby since then. She didn't understand why, and she was well aware that it sounded stupid out loud, but Killian being on the phone next to her made her feel safe. She didn't know why she was feeling like she was. Emma had surely never felt this way about anyone before, even less about someone she had just met a few days ago. Still, whatever weird feeling she had for him were strong. It terrified her.
Killian woke up to a constant knocking on his door. He tried to ignore it until he heard Sean calling his name. He checked his phone. It was noon, he had three missed calls from him and a text message waiting from Emma. According to the time stamp, she had woken up at 9AM.
How could she even be up at that time? Killian wondered. They had been up for hours the night before, once again. He composed a text back to her.
'Good morning, love! I hope you've been having a wonderful day. How were you even up that early? If it weren't for Sean knocking on my door right now, I would still be asleep. Am I going to have to tell you about the many pleasures of sleeping in? x K'
Killian was known for being charming and sweet, something that just came out naturally around people he knew; he loved making people laugh, it made him happy. Sean had also told him multiple times that he had a habit of wearing his heart in his sleeve. Previously, honesty was what got him dates. It had happened that way with Milah. He told her how he felt, knowing he had a 50/50 chance that she would run or stay. Killian's honesty worked, and she stayed for a few months until she got tired of monogamy.
With Emma it was different. He was sure he was extremely attracted to her, and it was far beyond just physical attraction. He wanted to get to know her better, all of her. He didn't want to lose her or scare her away, and although he had been relaxing a bit more with every time they talked, just the mere thought that he would take it too far made him nervous.
This was new territory for them. Although they had both been in serious relationships in the past, neither of them had ever felt what they were feeling now. That enticing spark that had rushed through them when they first touched, sent their minds into a confusing mix of unknown feelings.
He got up after typing his reply and opened his front door letting Sean in.
"Long night I'm guessing?" he asked as he took a seat in one of the kitchen stools. Killian nodded. "Emma?"
"Aye" Killian said, smiling. "Anyways, to what do I owe you waking me up?"
"Well, I did try calling you" Sean said smirking. "The script arrived this morning, so I am just dropping it off so you can get started on it"
"Great!" Killian said excitedly, skimming though the pages Sean had slid towards him. His friend raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.
"Things with Emma are going well I take it?"
"I think?" Killian said sighing. "We have been talking this whole week non-stop, falling asleep on Facetime. I just can't wait to see her again"
"I still don't understand why you haven't asked her out yet" he shrugged.
Killian remained silent, and Sean knew to not interrupt, giving him time to process his thoughts. Would it really be that terrible to ask her out? Killian enjoyed talking to her every night, and loved the little routine they had established, but nothing compared to seeing her beautiful eyes without any screens between them.
"I guess I'm scared. I don't want to get my heart broken again" he finally answered vulnerably. "You know what people think about me after these few months. What if that's what she thinks after that girl showed up the other day?"
"Killian, you guys have been talking every night this week for hours. If she wasn't interested that wouldn't have happened" Sean said encouragingly. "I also think you have to give her and yourself a little bit more credit. If she is as you described her to be, I'm sure she's not one to judge a book by its cover"
"Aye, you do have a point there" Killian said nodding. "I'll give it some thought"
Emma had been running around all morning since she had woken up. She went for a run at the beach, which only lasted around 45 minutes before she was burning up from the heat. She was going to make herself some lunch when she realized her fridge was completely empty, so she went grocery shopping and picked up some take out on the way home.
She had been texting back and forth with Killian ever since he woke up. He never failed to make her smile, and she was getting used to their interactions throughout her day. Emma was happier than she had been in a very long time.
Later in the day, she got a call from Alex letting her know that he had received her script. Emma agreed to stop over, excited to tell her friend all about the late-night calls. She was currently sitting in his office, reading over the first few pages of the script, waiting for Alex to get off the phone.
"It's great" she said once he hung up, putting the copy down. Alex nodded in agreement.
"You look rather happy today, care to share why?" he asked suspiciously.
"Killian and I have been talking ever since the audition. He calls me on Facetime every night now before bed" Emma said grinning. "We always talk until we fall asleep. He is so sweet, Alex"
"Emma..." Alex said tilting his head to the side. "Are you sure getting involved with him is a good idea?"
"I know what you are going to say. He is not the person the news portray him to be. He has been really caring, and not once he has judged me about anything I have told him. He gives me hope"
"Hope in what?" Alex exclaimed suddenly. "I mean, another woman was all over him the first night you guys went out! Shouldn't that tell you that maybe he is a player after all? That maybe he is just saying all those things to you as he is to someone else?"
The minute the words came out of his mouth, he knew he had screwed up. He was trying to keep Emma from getting hurt, but he had taken it too far. Emma was upset that he had even said those things. That soon turned into anger.
"Don't say that" she spat out. "What is it? Do you just think I'm not good enough for Killian to actually take an interest in me?"
Alex reached out for her hand, but she quickly pulled it back. "That's not what I meant Emma. I just don't want you to get hurt" he said. "If that's not enough, then just think about your future, think about the movie. What if you go out with him and he turns out to be just like everyone thinks? What happens with the movie? It wouldn't be good"
The movie. Emma hadn't realized completely what was at stake if something did go wrong between her and Killian. She was willing to put her heart on the line for him, that much she had come to realize over the past few days, but people were counting on them to make this movie great. She couldn't risk failing them after they had given her the best chance of her career.
With those thoughts in mind, and with no other words said, she grabbed the script and drove back home.
Killian had done some thinking the rest of the day after Sean had left his house. He had tried to focus on reading the script but his mind wondered back to Emma too frequently. Sean was right. He had to trust himself and trust her. He was planning on doing just that.
It was a little bit after 8PM, he was laying in bed, trying to get himself to call Emma. Usually they only called each other at night, not wanting to interrupt each other's schedules much, but he had just received a text from her letting him know she had just got home. If he wanted to take her out to dinner, he had to make a move now. He pressed the call button. A few seconds later, Emma picked up the phone.
She was laying down in bed, holding her phone up over her face. She smiled slightly at Killian, as he too appeared on her screen. Instantly, he felt something was wrong.
"Is everything okay?" he asked before she could even say hello.
"Yeah, everything is fine" she lied.
She hadn't been able to stop thinking about what Alex had said back in his office. Sadness had taken over on her way home when she realized she couldn't keep things with Killian going as they had been. She had to let him know that they had to remain professional.
"I need—"
"Would you—" Killian started saying just as Emma begun talking. He chuckled, making Emma give him a half smile in return. He knew something was off, but he didn't want to push it. She motioned for Emma to speak "Go ahead"
"It's okay, what were you saying?" she asked.
"Well..." He said looking down for a few seconds, as he got his thoughts in order. "Would want to go out on a date with me? If you have had dinner already we can do it some other time..." he said starting to ramble on.
Emma eyes light up for a few seconds. It was then she remembered what she was going to say herself before she was interrupted. Her expression turned into a frown. When she looked up at Killian, he could see the pain and sadness in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Killian" she started slowly, blinking back the tears that were forming. 'I have to do this. It's for the best' she kept repeating in her mind. "I think we should just remain friends"
She wanted to say so much more, but the lump that had formed in her throat after seeing his expression was making it hard for her.
His heart had dropped. He looked down, not even wanting to take a chance to look at her, scared of what else he might feel. 'Maybe it had been too much for her after all' he thought. Her voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Killian?" she said lightly. When he looked up her, she was taken aback. His eyes were no longer bright; they were darker, nearly dull, full of disappointment. His charming smile was gone, replaced by a half a smile, she could tell he was trying hard to keep up.
"Aye, I understand" he said. She swore he had heard his voice slightly break. "I'm sorry I bothered you these past few days, it was not my intention to make you uncomfortable. I will keep my promise and will only contact you in case of an emergency"
Emma was in shock. He sounded hurt and torn, just as she was feeling herself. "Killian—" she begun saying before he interrupted her.
"It's okay, love" he said, his voice lower than usual. "I'll let you go now, have good night"
Before Emma could say anything else, Killian hung up. The silence quickly took over her room. She didn't move for minutes, still looking at her now dark screen. A lonely tear rolled down her cheek. 'What have I done?' she thought, as the image of Killian's wounded eyes burned fresh in her mind. Had she just pushed away the only man that had seemed to truly care about her?
She wanted to scream but she didn't have the strength. She wanted to call him back, wanted to tell him what she was feeling and explain what Alex had said, but she couldn't. She had to do the right thing, or at least what she had thought was the right thing. After seeing Killian's disappointment, she wasn't sure what was right anymore.
Emma laid awake for hours, not being able to get herself to sleep. Her phone was popped up on the pillow, just as it had been the previous night, but this time with no Killian to keep her company.
Back in his own bed, Killian was sitting with his head against his headboard. He had run his hands through his hair so many times, it was a complete mess by now. He wasn't sure how to react, so he just sat there, as the waves of all the different feelings hit him at once.
He was angry that he had pushed Emma too far. He was sad that he would no longer see Emma's name pop up on his phone. Most of all, he was worried about her. Yes, he had been rejected, but he couldn't stop thinking about how upset she had looked when she had first picked up the phone. 'What had happened today?' He wondered. He felt uneasy, useless, as he was unable to help any further. He never wanted to see her upset, unfortunately, she had made it very clear it was none of his business.
With that in mind, Killian put his shoes back on, grabbed his wallet and called a taxi. Not long after, he was taking a seat at the nearest bar, fully intending to drown down his feelings.
"Hi" he said as the bartender approached him. "I'll have some rum, and keep it coming please"
A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took a bit longer, I'm currently back home for two weeks!
Every story needs some angst; true love isn't always easy. In this realm it for sure won't be, but it is totally worth it! I have a lot of fluffy moments planned out and hopefully it turns out to be as good as it is in my head.
As always, feedback is always super welcome, it helps me stir the story in one direction or another.