Panic Prone

Forty

skittlesxrayn

Emma was walking towards a park after leaving the clinic and an orange civic pulled up next to her.

"Em, get in."

Emma stopped and looked at Jay through the open driver's side window, "I would prefer to walk, thanks." She started walking again.

Jay parked and got out, catching up with her. He didn't say anything, just walked with her.

After a few minutes of silence, they entered the park. Emma sat down on a swing and Jay stood behind her, putting his hands on the chains.. She sighed, kicking her feet in to the dirt.

"It sucks," she mumbled as Jay started pushing her slowly.

"There's worse things," he said softly.

She slowly pumped her legs, "At the moment there's not."

He let out a soft laugh, "Maybe not, but a few months ago..."

"Don't, Jay."

"Why can't you talk about it?"

She stopped swinging and turned a little to face him, "Because it hurts."

"Holding it all in isn't going to help though. Just like ignoring the fact that you just found out who your real father is, isn't going to help. You need to deal with it all."

She sighed, "I don't want to. Not right now. Not today."

"Then when?" His hands slid down the chains, on to her shoulders, "I'm here, no matter. You know that, right?"

She nodded, "I know, Jay."

"Then talk to me, Em. Please. I know we haven't exactly had the best relationship, but I care about you."

"We're not even in a relationship."

Jay's hands fell from her shoulders, "I guess I just assumed... After everything we've gone through together..." He shrugged, "Whatever."

"It's not like you ever asked if I would be your girlfriend. The only conversation we've had about it was 'no strings attached.' That was it, Jay. What did you expect? First, you save me from an eating disorder, knock me up, then I kill our baby and that makes us a couple?"

Her words were harsh. She closed her eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't... I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

"No, you're right. None of that makes us a couple. None of the time we've spent together over the past, what year, means anything and it sure as hell doesn't make us a couple." He started walking away.

She watched him walk away and then looked down at her shoes, "Way to go Em," she mumbled to herself.