He stepped down and started walking towards her. The music had died down and there was silence in the hall except for his footsteps. Voices in her head were screaming for her to run but she couldn't make her legs work. She knew she would have to face him again soon. She just hoped it wouldn't be until she was settled again. He stopped dead not two inches away from her.

"Hey Em."

"Wh-what what are you… why are you…"

"I wanted to see you. Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

"Yeah." Ruby gave her a look of pure shock before Emma turned and walked towards the private lounge just off the bar.

Neal barely made it into the room before she stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him, her eyes were already brimming with tears threatening to spill over but she wouldn't let them. She wouldn't let him see her weakness.

"So Em, how have you been?"

"Cut the crap, Neal. Just tell me why you're here." He hesitated before responding.

"I miss you. I want you back." He stepped towards her reaching out, taking her by the waist. She struggled to escape but he tightened his grip.

"You left me. Remember? You were the one who packed up one night, left your key and didn't even say goodbye or give me a reason. You really think I would want you back after you humiliated me like that and left me to deal with the press while you went off the grid." She shoved his hands off her body and turned away from his pleading eyes.

"You didn't have to deal with it, you could have gone off the grid too…" her frustration boiled over, she couldn't take this anymore

"Seriously?! You don't know anything, do you? How could I go off the grid when I have an album coming out in less than a week, Neal? I'm not like you, I can't just disappear leaving everyone I care about to worry that I was lying dead in a ditch somewhere!" The tears had spilled over now, but she didn't care. She wanted him to know how he hurt her.

"Em, I'm sorry, I was an idiot. Look, Tamara's gone, she couldn't handle the attention every time we went out."

"Oh, so you didn't miss me, you just couldn't handle being alone."

"Hey, that's not… I didn't… I still don't…"

"Exactly." She brushed past Neal before he grabbed her arm and pulled her into him. Before she knew it, he was pressing an unyielding kiss to her lips. She tried to push him away but he wouldn't budge. She gave up struggling and then the inevitable happened. Buried feelings came rushing back to the surface and she started to kiss him back. His hands moved from her back to her jaw and her hair, brushing a lock of golden hair behind her ear. When she finally came to her senses, she pushed him back, maybe a little harder than intended. He caught himself just before he ran into the glass cabinet behind him.

"Leave. Now!"

"Em, come on. You know we're good together."

"Neal, go!" Just as she shouted, the door flew open.

Shit.

He stood there, shaking with rage. Her manager. David Nolan, who also happened to be her best friend since childhood. She knew this was not going to end well for Neal.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"None of your business, but if you must know I came to speak to Emma." David took one look at her and saw the pain in her eyes. It was enough. He was at Neal within two massive strides. Emma didn't even realise what was happening until it was too late. Neal lay on the ground, breathing but not moving. David was standing above him and she couldn't help but let out a small weep before she was drawn out of her thoughts by a camera flash. She turned to see both doors open and a crowd of press in the doorway behind them, nothing. She ran out of the room through the press hoard. The hall was totally empty except for Ruby and a few people still enjoying their drinks at the bar.

Damn it.

Neal had outdone himself this time. Ruby sprinted towards her with her phone against her ear. All she caught of the conversation was "How the hell did this happen? How can you call yourself security when you let her bloody ex in without an invitation? You will be sorry when I'm done with you mate. Now go and fire whoever the hell was working this party and call me when it's done." So much for her night off.

"Where is everyone?" It came out more of a whisper than she had intended. Ruby looked up from her phone and looked Emma straight in the eye.

"It seems people scare easy, David came in here like a bat out of hell asking where you were, I told him and he flipped. People started heading out as soon as the press broke in. I swear Em, I made 100 phone calls to the security company very clearly stating that under no circumstances was he to be let within 100ft of the building."

"It's okay Ruby, it's not your fault." Ruby gave her a sad smile and then looked over Emma's shoulder.

"Hey! Hey! You lot get the hell out of there!" She brushed past Emma and two extremely large men followed her. Between the three of them and David they managed to get them all back outside and away from Emma.

She stood alone in the middle of the room. The night had been a total disaster and it was all thanks to Neal.

"Well, that was better than any party I've been to in a long time. The entertainment was especially fantastic." God, of all the people who could have stayed, why? Why did it have to be him?

"Are you serious right now? Can you not be such an arrogant ass for one night?" She spun to face him and was paralysed by the look on his face. For the first time in ages, he wasn't wearing that stupid smirk on his face but he actually looked… sorry? Killian Jones, the smug, arrogant jackass was sorry?

"My apologies, Swan. I merely intended to cheer you up. He shouldn't have been here. I know how much he hurt you." By this time they were the only people left in the room.

"Yeah well, I deserved it." He grabbed her elbow then spinning her around to face him.

"Don't you dare ever think that. That man is a damn fool for leaving you, Emma." She was taken aback by the use of her first name. He never called her Emma, it was always Swan. "He's a fool for not seeing how beautiful and kind and amazing you are." His voice had changed by this point, it was a lot more breathy and quitter and it looked like he was in pain as he spoke. Her heart was racing inside her chest and she had lost all feeling in her arm where he was still holding her. "You're one in a million, Emma. If he didn't see what he had when you were with him, then he didn't deserve you. You deserve someone who appreciates what he has when he's with you." Tears were spilling over again and his hand had moved from her arm to her face, brushing away the tears with his thumb. She looked up into his crystal blue eyes, they had clouded over with something she couldn't recognise. They stared at eachother for what felt like days but what could only have been seconds. He took a small cautionary step towards her. She didn't flinch. With that, he moved until he was well within her personal space. They stood motionless, just being with eachother. Then, he took a leap of faith and gently brushed his lips against hers. He expected her to slap him once he pulled away, but she didn't. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into another kiss. This one was stronger, more desperate than the last. He pulled her against him, one hand at the swell of her back, the other tangling in her hair.

"Eh-hem." Ruby cleared her throat awkwardly, both separated from eachother putting as much space between them as possible. "Sorry, we need to go, you need to get some sleep before the flight in the morning. I'll be in the car." She broke into a brisk walk and then she was gone.

"I'm sorry, love, I didn't…"

"I have to go." She began to walk away when he grabbed her again.

"Please Emma, don't run away. I know you. I know you're scared and so am I but please just give us a chance." He looked at her with pleading eyes, irresistible to any woman. She moved towards him and placed another gentle kiss on his lips.

"I'm not going anywhere, I promise Killian. When I get back we'll have dinner, okay?"

"Well, who could resist an offer like that from superstar Emma Swan?" He regained his arrogant smirk and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. He pulled her in for one last kiss before she turned and walked out, leaving him alone in the bar.