Siophiefandom – First off, thank you so much for always reading and writing a review to the story. I absolutely love them! Second…you'll see!
CaliGrlFoLife – hahaha, I'm glad I was able to get your heart pumping! Hopefully the story has the same effect with the non-action scenes
Naiel2017 – lol, I've been told I have way too much imagination. So this is my way to unleashing it so I don't seem too weird if I go tangent during a conversation
Guest1/EmGarretson22/warrior29/Guest2/pailyshark – I kinda feel honored that I was able to make your jaw drop twice! I hope you didn't mind the cliffhanger! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Jhas – lol! Well first off, thanks for reviewing! I would need to agree with you that Paige's act was indeed stupid…as you put it. But, do you think Paige would have act any other way if she saw Emily get pushed off the cliff? So now to your concerns. I'm glad I was able to at least address one of them already. For your first one, you will eventually find out what happens to Aria, however that isn't my focal point to the story. Think of it as a Paily adventure to find Aria (ergo if we find Aria…the adventure is over). And too your newest concern…I guess you'll just have to wait and find out! Thanks again for the review!
Thecatfromaliceinwonderland – Well now it's Friday! Of course I was going to post today! I would have told you guys if I didn't. AND Batman has a cape…just saying. BUT I do admit I appreciate Batman for the sole purpose of Paige basically being Batman. I found the song! It sounds like 'Kissing You' by Des'ree.
Guest3 – I don't think it's selfish to hope that…so here you go!
On a side note, obviously you guys saw I posted Chapter 7 on Tuesday…hope you didn't mind. I needed to "celebrate" after a meeting I had that I was completely dreading…plus it was a holiday for me so I was in a good mood! SO…onto the next!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Little Liars or any of its characters
In mere seconds, everything took place as though it was in slow motion. Focus and determination was the only two things on Paige's mind. Watching in complete fear as she could only observe the brunette freefall before her, Paige tried to increase her speed of her parapack suit hoping Emily didn't fall unconscious or hit the side of the cliff before she was able to get to her. The only plan Paige had was to get to Emily. Once she did, she didn't know how or where she'd land. She didn't know where they were going to stay or what they were going to do.
Falling 979 meters, the auburn girl didn't see any ground below them. With only the sea water crashing into the side of the mountain below them, Paige removed any notion of trying to swim in that. Maintaining her visual on the brunette now merely a few feet away from her, the auburn girl watched as Emily stretched out her arms to try to reach out for her. Paige could easily see the panic form in those chocolate brown eyes she's loved for years. Tightening her jaw as she got closer to the petrified brunette, Paige managed to successfully grab hold of Emily's waist as she held the girl close to her; engulfing her into a hug.
Relief. That was all Paige felt as she held Emily as tight as possible even though they were both still falling. Taking in a deep breath to steady her own heartrate at the thought of losing the brunette, the auburn girl finally controlled her emotions as she extracted one of her machetes and dug it as hard as she could into the side of the cliff.
Immediately forcing their bodies to collide at such an impact with the cliff, Paige felt her arm holding the machete feel majority of blunt as she used her left arm to shield Emily's back from hitting the cliff.
Visibly seeing and feeling how shaken Emily was in front of her, Paige's main priority was to access the beauty of any injuries. Scanning her eyes thoroughly over the brunette to make sure she wasn't harmed, the auburn girl finally spoke up. "I got you, I got you. Are you okay?" she breathlessly asked out of breath. Noticing the brunette staring at her hands which was gripping tightly onto the collar of her shirt, Paige tried to force the girl to look at her. "Emily, look at me. Are you ok?"
"Yeah" was all Emily was able to stutter out.
"Yes?" Paige asked more forcefully to break the girl out of her current stupor.
Finally drifting her eyes up to meet Paige, Emily a bit more confidently responded. "Yes"
"Good" the auburn girl nodded as she began to access the situation they were in. Absolutely nothing but a wall of rocks was in front of them, the sea below them and the sky above them. "Ok. Ok. Alright, listen" Paige stated as she took in everything she saw she could use. Positioning her feet within one of the rock formations, the brown eye beauty looked at Emily. "I'm going to need you climb on my back"
"What? Are you crazy? There's absolutely nothing below us" Emily yelled out as she gripped the auburn's girl shirt even harder.
"Em, you need to trust me okay?" Paige stated calmly. "I'm not going to be able to move unless I have my arms and legs. You won't fall. I have some rope we could use to make sure of it"
"Move?" Emily exasperatedly asked. "Do you want climb back up there? It's going to take you the entire day. Can't we just stay here? Your team will come for us right?"
Paige knew the brunette was scared. She knew Emily didn't want to move since they were seemingly safe for the moment. "We're sitting ducks if we just stay right here plus the team is a bit busy at the moment. We need to at least try to get an advantage over where we are"
"And where are we?" Emily shouted.
"I'm not entirely sure but somewhere on Mount Davis" Paige answered as she looked up. "But I think I saw an opening when I was trying to get to you. It's about a mile and half to the right. If we start now we could get there before night fall" she stated before gazing back down at the brunette. Immediately seeing the beauty look down in fear, Paige felt her chest dip. "Hey, look at me. Everything is going to be fine. You just need to trust me okay?"
"Yeah" Emily whispered.
"Ok, I'm going to wrap this around your legs and arms" Paige instructed as she showed Emily the rope she managed to pull out of her backpack. Straightening back up as Paige finished tying the rope securely around the brunette's ligaments; the auburn girl immediately remembered her gash as she felt a strong pain to her side. Flinching at the realization, Paige tried to toughen up for the sake of saving their lives. "Ok, are you ready? Wrap your arms around my neck and hold on" Paige ordered as she twisted her body a bit so Emily could easily hold on.
Securing the brunette's position on her as she wrapped the rope around them once more, Paige removed the machete she inserted into the crevice before her as she began positioning her fingers within the rock formations.
"Paige, I'm just going to bring you down" Emily dejectedly stated.
"You're not" the auburn firmly retorted. "I've had to carry bags of sand heavier than you. I'll be fine. Let's just get out of here" she stated easily feeling the pain on her side intensify at the first movement she made.
Ignoring the strenuous pull in her muscles, Paige began gradually and carefully making her way to the right of the cliff. She wasn't entirely sure how long it was going to take her with her injury, but Paige wasn't going to let that stop her from trying. After a few hours, it was obvious the girl was slowing down from when she first started but she had the same determination and focus.
Easily feeling the blood from her wound trickle down the side of her leg, the brown eye beauty hoped Emily wouldn't take notice. However, Emily did in fact take notice of her posture throughout the climb.
"Paige, are you okay?" the brunette asked as she felt Paige shake a little against her.
"I'm fine" the auburn girl determinedly answered.
"You're shaking" Emily worriedly replied. "Let me get off of you for a second"
"No, I'm fine" Paige replied again. "We're almost there" she mumbled more to herself then to Emily.
Knowing how stubborn the auburn girl was, Emily didn't want to get her mad, but still wanted her to rest. "Paige-"
"I said I'm fine" the unwavering beauty replied more forcefully. "Just give me 10 minutes. I could already hear the difference in the wind"
Completely confused of what Paige was talking about, Emily scrunched her eyebrows. "Meaning what?"
"We're almost there" Paige repeated. "The coolness in the air tends to pick up a bit the closer you get to any cave"
Paige knew her body was weakening by the minute since she was losing so much blood. The only thing she had to drive her to climb up that cliff was saving Emily. Pushing her body even further to make it to the last few steps, her body worked the overdrive the instant she saw the cave. Climbing even faster toward their destination, the pair finally made it after a little over 3 hours of ascending the rock wall.
"Told you" the auburn girl stated obnoxiously out of breath as small smiled crawled on her lips. Watching as Emily walked pass her to take a better look at the cave, Paige felt her eyes close before she fell to floor.
Turning around as she heard a large thud behind her, Emily felt all the blood drain from her body as she saw Paige lying on the floor. Running over, Emily assumed it was because she was so tired. "Oh my god, Paige"
Opening her eyes a little, Paige was able to mumble. "Ok, don't freak out"
"Why would I freak out?" Emily asked as she scrunched her eyebrows. Noticing the auburn girl trying to grab the hem of her shirt, Emily tightened her saw as she helped the girl pull up her shirt revealing the large gash Paige managed to get while initially fighting Caminiti's men. Widening her eyes in disbelief, Emily was beyond livid. "Paige, you climbed with that? Are you crazy? Why would you do that? You could have bled out up there" she started screaming out.
"I get it" Paige whispered. "But you could yell at me after"
"After what?" the brunette asked confused.
"I need you to stitch me" Paige stated.
"What? The only thing I've stitched were my pair of jeans" Emily frantically responded.
"Pretend I'm a pair jeans" Paige smiled out.
Emily wasn't in the mood to hear the auburn girl's humor. "Paige-"
"Em, please" the brown eye beauty begged. "I can't even bend let alone stitch myself. Plus I'm losing a lot of blood every passing second. I need you to close the wound" she continued before drifting her right hand to below her bullet proof vest. Stopping as Emily took out the syringe she was going for, she continued. "Then give me a shot of that. It'll kill out the bacteria and give me some adrenaline" the auburn managed to clearly clarify.
"I can't" Emily tearfully replied. "I'm going to hurt you"
"I need you too" Paige whispered. "Nod if you understand me" the auburn advised as she noticed Emily still looking down at the syringe. "Please. You could do this"
"Ok" Emily finally agreed as she swallowed to control her nerves. Wiping away her tears on her arm, Emily raised Paige's blouse enough to see how deep the wound was. Drifting her eyes back up to Paige, Emily saw the for the first time fear in her eyes. Tightening her jaw, the brunette wiped her hands on her pants as she knew she had to control her own fear so she wouldn't scare the auburn girl more than she was already. "I need…I need to take of your pants" the brunette stuttered; earning a confused look from Paige. "The gash goes well below your pants"
"Ok" the auburn girl whispered; feeling nervous as she felt Emily drift her hands to the clasp of her pants.
Emily herself was even more nervous as she slowly began unbuttoning Paige's pants and slipping it slowly off the brown eye beauty's waist. Mentally telling herself she was scared of hurting the girl, Emily knew she was more nervous of exposing the girl before her.
Parting her lips as Paige's bare legs came into view, Emily couldn't get herself to look Paige in the eyes. All she was able to do was focus on the beauty's toned legs which exposed her black lace waist panties. Feeling her mouth go dry at such a view, the brunette took in a deep breath to control her hormones as her felt her eyes drift off to meet Paige's.
Paige didn't need anything to take away the pain at the moment; the intensity of her own sexual tension with the brunette was the perfect drug. All she could feel was Emily's fingers on her bare thighs. The auburn girl wanted to close her eyes and engulf in the feel of Emily but she couldn't allow that to get to her. Seeing the lust in Emily's eyes, Paige knew the brunette was having somewhat of a hard time too.
"I need to uh" Emily started as she didn't know how to verbally say what she need to do. Holding the corner of Paige's undergarment, the brunette looked to the auburn girl before continuing. "Shift these down as well"
Arching an eyebrow at what the brunette needed, Paige simply nodded as she tried to raise her hips a little to make it easier for Emily to pull off. The tanned beauty quickly took a small towel out of Paige's bag to cover the girl's reserved area before unintentionally licking her lips and performing the act. Paige watched in slight amusement at how unnerving the brunette seemed to be. "You okay?"
"Yeah" was all the brunette was able to mumble out as she watched the girl's newly exposed soft skin knowing a certain area was right next to her fingers. Clearing her throat to gain her nerves back, Emily took the bottle of water to pure it over the wound as she began washing out the surrounding area of the gash. Taking the needle she was about to use to sew the area, Emily used Paige's lighter to heat the tip of the needle before starting to thread.
Clearly seeing the pain in Paige's eyes, Emily felt guilty for causing it but knew she had to take her time to not create any more damage. It took the brunette a good half hour before finally being able to completely close the gash as she was impressed by her own handy work. Smiling a little to herself, Emily finally spoke up after not speaking for the duration of her procedure. "Ok, I think you're all set" she stated happily before injecting the beauty with the medical syringe.
Lifting her head slight to take a look at the brunette's handy work, Paige was easily amazed. "It looks like you're a natural at stitching up wounds"
"Don't move" Emily blurted out as she ran over to the auburn girl's side. "You're going to pop the stitches"
"I'll be careful" Paige stated to reassure the tanned beauty as she pushed herself off the ground. "I just need to clean up a bit and put my clothes back on" she continued as she saw her blood stained shirt. Grabbing her extra black tank top in her bag, Paige removed her shirt as she felt Emily's eyes studying her. Feeling a blush radiate around her cheeks, the brown eye beauty was suddenly happy it was dark where she was standing.
Pouring a generous amount of water on her dirty shirt, Paige used it as a rag cloth to rub as much dirt off her skin before placing on the clean piece of clothing. The brown eye beauty knew any movements at that moment was strenuous on her and could easily feel the effect it had on her wound. Leaning against the cave wall for extra support, her eyes drifted toward Emily who seemed completely distraught over something. About to speak up to fill the silence, Paige soon heard the brunette speak up first.
"I'm sorry" Emily simply mumbled. "I'm so sorry" she repeated tearfully.
Confused of why the brunette was apologizing, Paige knew she should be thanking the girl. "Em, this wasn't your fault. I was the one who went after you on that cliff. If anything I should be telling you I'm sorry for putting you in that position"
"No" Emily nodded her head as she walked a little closer toward the brown eye beauty without looking her in the eyes. "I'm sorry. For everything" she continued; finally lifting her gaze to meet Paige's. The look in the auburn girl's eyes told Emily she finally understood why she was apologizing. "You use to have this look in your eyes when you would see me. It was like you haven't seen me in years despite us seeing each other hours prior" she began as she started making her way closer toward Paige. "It was like you had this particular smile just for me. And whenever I saw it, I couldn't help but smile. You were my rock; my other half. Then I kissed Alison. Despite knowing-"
"Knowing what?" Paige asked as she cut Emily off. Feeling a bit of dread engulf her, Paige was suddenly nervous that Emily knew how she honestly felt about her.
"Despite knowing… what she did to you. Or how she made you feel" Emily answered. "I kissed her"
"It happened" Paige retorted as she looked to the floor before pushing herself off the wall and walking toward her backpack. "It's in our past. We move on. It doesn't even matter now" the auburn girl stated; inwardly flinching at her own statement and visibly seeing the impact it had on Emily.
"It matters to me" Emily clearly stated as she raised her voice. "You mattered me. You mattered to me more than anyone has ever mattered to me"
"Except Alison" Paige unexpectedly shouted out. It was too late now for her to back down. If they were having this conversation, they needed to be honest with each other. "I mean you kissed her despite knowing how I felt. If I mattered to you so much, you would have at least considered that"
"I had to kiss her" Emily honestly responded as she watched Paige roll her eyes and retreat back to her bag. "I had too. I admit I was attracted to her. Despite knowing every cruel thing she did to you, I was attracted to her. I didn't know why"
"We should find somewhere dry to sleep tonight" the auburn girl pungently stated as she looked out of the cave's entrance.
"I kissed her because I needed to figure out what I was feeling" Emily continued ignoring Paige's statement. The brunette knew Paige didn't want to hear how her best friend and worse enemy got together. "I didn't know what else to do, but I need to know if I was falling for someone who as malicious as her"
"And for a few months, you thought you did" Paige replied as she looked Emily in the eyes with a heated gaze.
"Yes" Emily honestly confirmed.
"Ok" the brown eye beauty nodded in understanding. Looking away, Paige walked over to the closest wall needing the extra support once again.
Emily felt her throat constrict as she closed her eyes; preventing tears from falling. It was hard for her to admit everything, but she needed too. In order for them to get past their current stump, she needed to continue. "We went to this Passion Pit concert that May after you left" Emily stated despite feeling as though the floor before her was crumbling. She needed Paige to understand how she felt. "By time we left the concert, my phone was just completely dead but I didn't think anything of it, but I should have known better since we've been there so many times. So when we found ourselves like sardines in the lobby trying to get out, I shouldn't have been surprised that we lost each other in the crowd. I was terrified. I didn't know how I was going to get out of there…or even home. I didn't have any money and just went into a full panic mode. Then I saw this girl" Emily stated as she tried to get Paige to look at her, but the girl refused to. "She had your auburn hair. Your straight cut bangs. Your built. Your height. And from behind she looked exactly like you; but I knew it wasn't" the brunette admitted tearfully. "All my fears went away. I wasn't scared anymore. Until I felt a few drops of water fall on my arm. I thought the ceiling was leaking. But it wasn't. It was me. My body just completely broke apart in that moment and I couldn't do anything about it. By time Alison found me I was huddled in a corner sobbing uncontrollably" Emily admitted as she finally got a glance from Paige. "She thought it was because we got lost. But it wasn't. It was because I didn't realize how much I missed you. Every time after that, I saw you everywhere; whether it was the park, or school or the pizza shop. And all I wanted to do was run over to you. But you weren't there" the tanned beauty stated as she felt the tears from her eyes fall. "Then, I went to this graduation party Nicole was having. I had my first beer. And my first tequila shot. And my first whiskey sour. And my first rum and coke. I was drunk out of my mind…but I didn't care. Because that was when I saw you again and finally decided to run over to you and hold you. It was Connie Richardson. You always said you thought you two looked alike" Emily explained with a slight laugh to try to cover the fact that she was crying. "I think it's safe to say she's still terrified of me. I'm so sorry" the remorseful brunette repeated again before completely breaking down.
Feeling her heart break at how sorry Emily was; Paige knew no one could help who they were attracted too. Reaching out to grab the brunette by the waist, Paige whispered "come here" as she tried engulfing Emily in one of her famous bear hugs that always made the brunette feel better. "Come here" she repeated as she finally wrapped her arms around the tanned beauty.
It was the first time both girls disregarded their adverse history and just gave into everything they were feeling. Emily couldn't help but snuggle more and more in the auburn girl. "I've missed your hugs" she honestly admitted as she wrapped her arms tighter around Paige's neck. "I've missed you"
"I've missed you too" Paige admitted as she was completely submerged by the feel of Emily against her and the smell of freesia and red plum surrounded her. Opening her eyes slowly, Paige found herself facing the entrance of the cave once again and repeated her previous statement. "We should find a dry place to sleep tonight"
"What are you talking about?" Emily asked as she disappointingly broke apart their hug. "It's dry over here"
Picking up her backpack from the floor, Paige put it on before answering the brunette. "Not for long. It's going to start raining in a few minutes. We need to try to move to a higher area" she continued before putting on her mini flashlight to start investigating a safe place for the night.
"How do you know that?" Emily asked; impressed by the girl's survival skills.
"Do you see those clouds over there?" Paige asked as she pointed toward a few of the white clouds right in front of them. "They're low. They're also called cumulus clouds meaning severe thunderstorms are coming" she whispered; trying not to get the girl scared.
"Thunderstorms?" Emily repeated as she froze mid-step.
"We're safe in here" the auburn girl stated as she tried to reassure the girl nothing was going to happen to them. "We just need to find a place where we won't get wet when it starts to rain out there"
***9 Years Ago***
Paige's eyes flew open as another loud thunder echoed throughout the gymnasium. Adjusting her eyes toward the large windows, the auburn watched as the lightening began illuminating through the entire area. Observing as the rest of the students were undisturbed, Paige felt herself drifting off to sleep; until she turned her slightly to the left to see Emily was missing.
Immediately sitting up in a slight panic, Paige began looking around to see if she spotted the brunette but didn't see anything. After participating in Relay for Life at their high school, everyone was easily exhausted after spending hours running around and doing other physical activities. Paige knew Emily was as tired as she was.
About to push herself off the ground, a sudden movement by her feet caused Paige to focus solely on that area. Pulling the sheet off the object, Paige had found her friend.
"Em?" Paige asked as she noticed the brunette slightly shaking as a large crackle echoed throughout the gymnasium. "Hey, what are you doing down there?"
"Nothing" Emily mumbled.
Nodding her head as she realized how scared the brunette seemed to be by the sudden thunderstorm, Paige had an idea how to calm her. "Hey, why don't you come back up here? I don't think my headphones could reach over there"
"What?" the brunette asked confused as she finally locked eyes with the auburn girl.
"I forgot to send you that Phil Collins song for Ms. Siegel's exam" Paige explained as she began taking out her headphones. "It does wonders to clear your mind before the exam. Let me know what you think" she asked sincerely as she handed one side of her headphones over to Emily.
Feeling herself smile, Paige tried to bite her lip to prevent the brunette from seeing her small victory. As the song began playing, Paige could feel Emily's body immediately relax next to her as the brunette shifted closer toward her. Paige was unsure how to handle such a predicament. She didn't know if she should wrap her arms around the girl. She didn't know if she should place her hands above her head. She had no idea what to do which made her even more nervous. Taking her own advice, the auburn girl tried listening to the song to calm her own nerves.
Come stop your cryin'
It'll be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I'll protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry
For one so small
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry
***Present Day***
After a few minutes of searching the inside of the unexplored cave, the pair managed to climb on a few craters; giving them the height from any water that might reach them. "I think this place is perfect" Paige confirmed as she took off her backpack. Thankful the opening of the cave brought in enough natural light as the sun had set, Paige knew the two needed to eat as she opened her pack. They've been through too many strenuous activities and needed to regain their energy. "Ok. So I got some trail mix, peanut butter and granola bars. What's your poison?" she asked as she laid everything in front of them.
"Peanut butter" Emily answered with a smile.
"Well some things don't change" Paige observed with a matching smile as she handed the brunette her dinner.
"And some things do" the brunette retorted as she drifted her eyes down Paige's body before taking her bottle of peanut butter. Watching as Paige slightly blush at her statement, Emily didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. "Thanks. How's your cut?"
Lifting her tank top a little to view the bruise, Paige was satisfied with the healing process. "It'll be fine"
"Can I see it?" Emily asked as she shifted closer toward the auburn; unintentionally causing the girl to increase her heartbeat. Not waiting for Paige to answer, Emily raised the girl's shirt herself to make her own assessment of the gash before looking up to Paige. "Does it hurt?" she breathlessly asked as Paige held her gaze.
Nodding her answer, Paige forced herself to talk despite feeling as though she might just faint by the proximity of the brunette. "No. A little. I've gotten worse" Paige answered as she flinched at the unintentional dispute she knew she just started.
"Where?" Emily heatedly asked.
Cocking an eyebrow toward the brunette's direct question, Paige knew she couldn't lie. "The worse was when I broke arm in Turkey when my landing gear didn't deploy as it should have"
"You broke your arm?" Emily repeated as she tried to allow the fact sink in.
"Yeah, they gave me 4 months on desk duty" Paige explained. "I was shot twice in the leg but thankfully the bullet went straight through"
"Thankfully" Emily rhetorically stated. "Anything else?"
"Em-" Paige started before being cut off by the brunette.
"This is your life now?" Emily shouted as she pushed herself off the ground. Pacing herself around to control her anger, she continued. "Falling from planes? Fighting random cartels? Being shot at? Putting your life in danger at the whim of any call?"
Nodding in confirmation, Paige answered. "Yes it is"
"How? Why?" Emily begged. "You could have been the next Nobel Peace Prize laureates for climate change"
Closing her eyes in frustration, the auburn girl knew a lot had changed from the last time they saw each other. "You don't know me"
Frozen in step, Emily slowly turned her head to face Paige as she repeated the girl's statement. "I don't know you?"
"You don't know me anymore Em" Paige repeated herself as she held Emily's gaze. "What is wrong with what I do? I save lives!"
"By putting your own life at risk" Emily screamed.
"So? What if I do?" Paige shouted back. "Do you know how that feels? Risking my life for the sake of hundreds of others? Or even one person? I've been trained to walk into a burning building from land, sea and air. I've been trained rescue victims that were trafficked across the border. I've been trained to rescue people like Aria. So what? Are you telling me this profession is beneath you?" the auburn let out in one breath.
"No!" the brunette yelled back as she combed back her hair in frustration.
"So what Em?" Paige asked a bit calmer when she saw the brunette begin to hold herself.
"You could die!" Emily tearfully admitted.
Taken aback by how much emotion was engulfing the brunette, Paige didn't know what to say. "Em"
"You could die" Emily repeated. "I haven't seen you for 8 years. And now that I finally do I find out basically at any point of the day I could lose you all over again?"
"You're not going to lose me" Paige stated to try to reassure the brunette.
"Promise me that" Emily furiously stated. "Look me in the eye and promise me that"
Paige looked down at her fingers knowing she couldn't make any such promise. "Em-"
"Exactly" Emily stated as she took her seat and began eating her peanut butter without a second glance at the auburn girl.
Paige didn't know what to say. "Of course there's a risk" she admitted.
Knowing Emily had no intention of talking to her; Paige grabbed her trail mix before beginning to eat. Finishing up within a few minutes, she opened the pack of Nature Valley granola bars before eating one and wordlessly giving the other to the brunette. Feeling at ease when Emily took it, Paige gave the brunette a small smile before she began cleaning up the area.
After the day's events, it was obvious the girls needed sleep. Brushing off the dust from her jacket to use as a cover, Paige flipped her bag to use the back as a pillow. Drifting her gaze toward Emily, she thought the brunette was going to give a her a look; a look that would clarify their boundaries between each other. But she was mistaken.
Emily was still furious at the prior conversation they had. She knew there was no reason why she should be furious, but she couldn't help it. Here was Paige. This perfect specimen of a human being; smart, skilled and absolutely gorgeous. Yet Emily couldn't imagine what she would do if Paige ever got injured. All she wanted to do was protect her which was ironic given their situation.
Lying down with her back toward the auburn girl, Emily stayed on her side until she felt Paige lay down beside her. As Paige covered both of them with her jacket, both their bodies instinctively molded together as though no time had passed from their last sleepover. The only difference this time around was Paige felt as though her entire body was just drenched in goosebumps by the mere heat of Emily's body so close to her. Wanting to just wrap her arms around the brunette, Paige laid still as she looked up toward the cave's ceiling.
Paige didn't need to wait long before she felt her eyes grow heavy. Slowly allowing herself to drift off, the sound of thunder suddenly echoed through the entire cave; immediately making Emily flinch and shift even closer toward the auburn girl. Feeling her left arm go around the brunette instinctively, Paige knew Emily was not going to be sleeping tonight with the thunderstorm continuing outside.
Finding it harder to breathe as Emily laid so close toward her, Paige managed to think of an idea that would help the brunette fall asleep through the storm. Using her right hand to pull out her mp3 player, the auburn girl began searching for the one song that may help her. Finally getting to it after a few seconds, the brown eye beauty handed her the left side of her headphones over to Emily as the girl hesitantly took it.
Timidly placing the left side of the girl's headphones on, a small smile appeared on Emily's lips as a sense of warmth washed over her. Unconsciously shifting even closer toward Paige, Emily found herself lightly gripping the girl's tank top as she felt Paige securely wrap her arms around her; giving her a sense of pure security.
Come stop your cryin'
It'll be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I'll protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry
For one so small
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry