The kiss was everything Emma had remembered Regina describing what a first kiss was like. It was new and exciting. It was as if nothing else in the world existed except for the sensation of the other woman's lips pressed against her own. It was magic.

The blonde slowly opened her eyes as she felt Regina begin to pull away.

"Emma…I….I need to go," Regina said turning her body towards the door and reaching for the handle.

"Regina, don't, it's okay I can drive you," Emma said panicking not quite sure what was happening.

"No, I'm fine. Really. I just…I need to go…" Regina said as she pulled the car handle and stepped out into the cold.

Emma wanted to try and stop her but she was frozen in fear. She didn't want to make things worse. She didn't want to push her away. She didn't want to start a fight but she also didn't want to not fight for her. She was confused, she was hurt, and she was scared. Tears began to stream down her face as she watched the woman that finally made her feel something walk away.

…..

"I was getting ready to call you. I didn't hear you come in." Zelena said as she flipped the kitchen light on and noticed her sister was standing in the dark over the kitchen sink. "Everything alright?"

Regina shook her head no.

"What's wrong sweetie? Something happen at work tonight?" Zelena asked as she walked up behind her sister and placed an arm on her upper back rubbing it lightly.

"No," Regina sniffled and brought a hand up to wipe her face.

Zelena scrunched her eyebrows, "Oh God, he didn't find you did he? I'll kill him…"

Regina turned to face her concerned sister, "No, Z, he didn't find me. I'm fine."

Zelena sighed in relief, "Okay, well that's good. But, you are obviously not fine. Would you please talk to me?"

"I don't even know what to say…" Regina rolled her eyes as she tried to blink back the tears that wouldn't stop flowing.

"Well something is hurting you. Come here let's sit down." Zelena grabbed a box of tissue from the counter and led her sister out to the sofa. "What happened before you came home?"

Regina took a deep breath and began to take her shoes off. "Emma, she um, well she told me that she likes me."

"Okay?" Zelena asked confused. "You guys are friends so?"

"No, Zelena, she likes me as in she has feelings for me."

"What?" Zelena smiled, shrieked and jumped off of the couch.

"Z! Henry!" Regina motioned for her to quiet down.

"Sorry," Zelena whispered and sat back down. "I mean what? What do you mean she has feelings for you?"

"I mean exactly that, she said that she has feelings for me."

"Hold on a second so Emma is a lesbian?"

Regina nodded her head yes.

"And now she likes you?"

"Yes, why is this so hard for you to grasp?"

"It's not…I'm just trying to wrap my head around all of this…"

"Is it so hard to understand that she is a lesbian? Or is it the part that she has feelings for me?" Regina asked with an angry tone to her voice.

"Neither. I'm just trying to figure out why the situation has you so upset."

…

Regina washed the counter top for the fifth time that hour as she continued to gaze at the door. It was almost two in the morning and she had settled on the realization that Emma was not going to come in tonight. Honestly, she had no idea what she would say if she saw her face but at the same time she knew that she couldn't leave things this way either. She was mad at herself for walking away from her after the kiss but she was feeling so many things that her mind couldn't keep with her thoughts. She was afraid that if she were to say in that moment she could have ruined things with them forever. She knew that walking out on her wasn't fair to Emma but she was overwhelmed with everything that she was feeling. She still was.

She finished her shift and instead of heading home she decided to sit in one of the booths and call Emma. She wasn't surprised when the voicemail picked up and she hung up without leaving a message because anxiety took over and she was left speechless. She sat there debating for a few moments about calling again but knew if she did she once again would not know what to say. Frustrated with herself and the situation all together she turned her phone off and stood up. She shoved the phone in her coat pocket and walked out into the winter air.

As she approached her building her heart began to race faster than usual and she could feel the hair on the back of her neck begin to rise. She tried to brush off the knot in the pit of her stomach as nerves from the situation with Emma but something didn't feel right. Her intuition was telling her that something was wrong. She began running up the slick steps to her building, careful not to fall, when a hand grabbed her upper arm. She knew that grip.

"You should have responded to my letters."