A/N: First and foremost I'd like to apologize for the long wait. In the midst of school and other various activities now, I will make it my job to update at least once a week. And with that, I hope you and enjoy and please don't forget to leave feedback. Thanks!
Chapter Eight
He held onto the cool metal tightly, burning up on the inside with nervousness. The Lima Bean really was the only coffee shop in this god forsaken town. Walking inside, he found a small wooden table in the far corner and sat down with little spirit. What if Emma decided not to get coffee today? He'd still wait. He'd wait until all his hope was gone and occupied with nothing but regrets. He couldn't get her pained expressions out of his mind from the day he left her and it make him sick. And it was all his fault.
He wasn't sure if it was an hour or two later but when a flash of red hair made it's way through the morning crowd he was sure time had stopped. Unable to wrap his mind around things, he just sat there and stared. Would she notice him? If he was honest she probably never wanted to see him again. He almost didn't see her pay for her order and walk away from the counter. And he almost didn't catch her on the way out either.
"Emma." He called her name out breathlessly.
It was so familiar. Emma slowly came to halt, knowing exactly who had called her name. She hoped it was dream, and that she'd wake up, safe and okay in her comfortable bed. His footsteps became louder as if they were on hallow ground, and reality met her unexpectedly. She didn't want to turn around, but something made her body move. She was drawn to him.
"I want to talk to you." Will mumbled nervously. "I need to talk to you."
He shouldn't have came. Emma shook her head and turned to walk in the opposite direction, ready to break out into a sprint. But then he called her name again, like he needed her and she had no idea why. She realized he had traveled all the from New York to find her and the thought was unsettling. Only soul mates found each other – and a week ago he told her that they weren't.
"Emma, please." Why did he have to beg? "I'm sorry."
She stopped again. "What are you doing here?"
Will opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. He thought it was obvious, but then again he wasn't even sure what he really wanted. He realized that he wanted to be with her in whatever way her could, but not once did he stop to think that there was so much more he had to earn first.
"You told me to forget about you and I'm really trying." She let out a shaky breath. "I don't know what else you want from me."
"I guess I want you not to hate me," he offered as his only reason.
No, she could never hate anyone. And she wished that she could give all her love to him, but she couldn't – not now. Emma was sad and angry, and full of all these feelings that she never had before, all because of one man and the city of love.
"If you weren't here it'd be a lot easier."
Did his presence really hurt her that much? Will might have hated himself for what he put her through, and it only made him that much more persistent. He could fix her and they'd be happy.
"But you love me." He smiled to himself, surprised by the warm feeling it gave him to be able to say it out loud.
That's what she told him. She told him that before he had the opportunity to throw it back in her face and used it against her. How could he be so insensitive? It became obvious that he was desperate, but she wouldn't allow herself to feel bad. Not after how he made her felt. Emma finally looked in his direction with a reserved expression.
"I thought I did, but I was wrong. Everything that happened was a mistake and nothing is going to change that." She challenged boldly.
Running a hand through his hair in desperation, he looked up to the sky hoping that a miracle would fall down on him. It had been so long since he had to use words to show how someone how he really felt and he didn't know how anymore. It was his own fucked up issues that seemed to tarnish what might have been the only good thing to walk into his life.
He spoke quietly. "I could change that. Just give me a chance."
"I already did and you completely ruined it. I don't owe you anything!"
Will was speechless – and she was right. She was right for all the wrong reasons.
"Is this what you want – to stay angry?" He glared at her accusingly. "Trust me Emma, I've been there before and look at me now!"
Emma looked down at the ground, intimidated by his penetrating glare. Was she supposed to just forgive him? Of course not. A part of her wanted to – the part where she looked at him and remembered the gentle caresses or the soft feeling of his lips against her. For a moment he worshiped her, and just like that he broke her just as much. Maybe if he knew what it was like, he'd be more understand. How could he have been there before if he had always done whatever he wanted with women?
"You don't know how I feel! You've never been heartbroken before."
His heart tightened in troubling way, this time because of his own pain. Pursing his lips, he moved walked towards her solemnly and looked into her eyes with a hazy expression.
"Yes I have."
Her expression softened at his confession, but before she could respond something interrupted their newly discovered connection.
"Hey, is everything alright, Emma?"
An unfamiliar voice caused both their heads to turn in the same direction. Will's eyes immediately narrowed at the guy who sounded more interested in just 'helping' Emma and he wondered why he ever took what they had for granted. Of course guys would chase her – he knew first hand, but he didn't expect this kind of guy to be staring at her with blue eyes in a way only Will wanted to.
Waiting for an answer, both men turned towards Emma expectantly. Gaining her composure, she relaxed her posture and turned to face the unwelcome guest.
"Yeah, everything's um, great."
She made sure to smile the best she could and noticed Will frown out of the corner of her eye. This was so much more than she could handle. The man in front of her was kind and gentleman like without any difficulty, while Will had to reach far within himself to exhibit any kind of humbleness. And if she was completely honest, he was cute with scruffy hair that was the color of sand, but he wasn't attractive in the way Will was. No one she knew was.
"If you say so," Unconvinced, he smiled warmly at Emma and gently grasped her shoulder before extending his hand to Will. "I don't think I've seen you around before."
Will found Andy's grip to be firm as he shook his hand and gritted his teeth. Bastard. Everything he tried to accomplish had suddenly been thwarted.
"I'm from out of town." Looking towards Emma, he pulled his hand away. "I have some important business to take care of. Though, I ran into Emma here who happens to be an old friend."
Andy chuckled, "Some place for important business."
He smiled almost knowingly; not in a cocky but a confident kind of way and Will actually felt threatened.
"I think I'll be very surprised."
He spoke in a way that he knew would grab Emma's attention and watched her flush. As the seconds dragged on, he realized that not only may he have embarrassed her, but caused some more anger to build as well. He'd have to get his ego in check.
Emma bit her bottom lip nervously, before giving Will a cold glance. As much as she missed his face, he shouldn't have found her. It wasn't fair that she was put in this position, and for what? There was no way he'd get the opportunity to hurt her again. The wind blew gently, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before joining the conversation.
"Andy, I never got back to you about dinner tomorrow."
Will looked between the two, completely bemused. Just over a week ago, she told him that she didn't like Andy. Did something change? Looking into her deep eyes, he couldn't find anything. No feeling, no adoration, nothing that was there when she learned to know him in Paris. If this was her plan to make him jealous, it was working.
Surprised, Andy grinned brightly before tilting his head to the side.
"No, you didn't. What do you say, Emma?"
Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded. "I'd be to delighted to."
Ignoring the guy who dressed like Mr Rodgers in a Christmas special, Will looked at Emma as to say 'no one's buying it,'but it was clear that Andy would take anything he could get and he almost felt bad for the suitor. Almost. Dropping his head in defeat, Will squeezed Emma hand quickly, not caring who saw and decided to save himself from anymore torture.
"I'll leave you two to it. It was good seeing you, Em." He glanced at her longingly, before giving a curt nod to Andy who was just... smiling at her.
Will was sure he had seen just the slightest trace of sympathy in Emma's eyes and placed his hands in his denim pockets before walking the opposite direction. He wasn't sure where he was going. He had no purpose, no desires – only Emma. And she wanted nothing to do with him. Of course she didn't want anything to do with him. He knew he broke her heart, and it made his own break. Was it to late to fix it? He hoped not, because he'd do anything she let him. Even if that meant staying at the crappy Lima Inn for a month. He'd find a way to make it right.
