"No. We will just ignore him. Or we can send Spencer out there to send him away." Emily pulled Paige back down to her when the girl went to get out of bed.
"As funny as it would be to watch my dad shrink under Spencer's stern gaze, I have to deal with him." Paige said, looking down at Emily.
"Not three days after you had a heart attack!" Emily practically yelled, rolling so that her back was to Paige.
"Hey." Paige said as she layed down behind Emily, pulling the girl so that her back was flush with Paige's front. Paige put her hand under Emily's shirt and ran her fingers along the bare skin she found, causing Emily to get goose bumps where ever Paige touched.
"Were not supposed to be doing that." Emily mumbled.
"I can't even touch you? I will not allow that." Paige said, causing the girl under her to giggle. "And I am not going to allow my father to ruin this, us." Paige said as she kissed Emily's shoulder. Emily rolled over so that she was under Paige, her hand never leaving Emily's stomach.
"I don't want you to get into a fight with him, that will make your blood pressure rise and make.." She was cut off by Paige kissing her.
"I am just going to go tell him to leave." Paige stated.
"Then let Spencer do it." Emily said.
"I have to stand up to him Em." A smile broke out on Emily's face when Paige finished speaking.
"That is the first time you called me that." Emily said as she bent her neck up to kiss Paige.
"I will go ask him to leave and be right back." Paige said as she kissed the girl one last time and left.
"Come get me if you need me to kick his ass." Spencer said with a smirk when Paige walked to the front door.
"Oh, you would be the first person I would get." Paige winked as she opened the door to reveal Nick McCullers standing there with his arms crossed over his chest. "Father." Paige acknowledged him.
"Get your things, were leaving." Nick said.
"I'm not going. So if that is why you came here, you might as well go home." Paige said, steeling herself for the fight that was going to come.
"This is ridiculous Paige! You just met her." Nick yelled.
"What's ridiculous is that she is treating a million times better than you or mom ever did!" Paige shot back.
"Don't drag your mother into this, it has nothing to do with her. You are coming home with me right now." Nick said.
"Home? Is that some sort of a joke? We haven't had a home for the past ten years." Paige said.
"And who's fault is that? You were the one that broke her heart Paige." Nick said with anger in his voice.
"Me? Because I was tired of lieing to everyone? I'm gay dad! I was gay back then too! And guess what? I am going to be gay until the day that I die. I'm sorry if you and mom can't deal with that, but I am not hiding who I am so that you can be happy. I have been so fucking miserable for the past ten years of my life. There were times that I wanted to drown in that pool! That I didn't want to be in this world anymore, and it was your fault! But I am happy. For the first time in so long, I am happy. And I am not going to be miserable for you anymore! I don't know how this is going to work out, I pray that this will, but I refuse to have those dark thoughts again." Tears were rolling down Paige's face as she finished yelling at her father. She waited for what felt like years for him to reply, and when he didn't she turned to walk towards the front door.
"I hope it does too." Paige heard from behind her when she turned the handle. "I hope it works out too. As much as I object this, hate that you are gay, I only want you to be happy Paige. So I hope this works out too, but I can't be a part of it." Paige watched as her father got into his car and drove away without looking back. Opening the door she was hit with a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time, but as she closed the door she felt as if her breath was leaving her.
"Paige?" She heard Spencer say from the kitchen.
"Yea, I just need a minute." Paige said as she made her way to the back deck.
"Emily? Are you ok?" Spencer asked as the girl walked into the kitchen tears falling from her eyes.
"Where is she?" Emily asked as she looked around for Paige. Spencer pointed to the back door, which Emily walked too and stepped out quietly. She saw Paige sitting on the low railing of the porch, her bare feet in the sand and her hands holding the railing. Paige was looking out towards the ocean, deep in thought as tears slipped down her face. Emily walked over to Paige and hugged her from behind, head resting on her shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around her. "That was intense."
"You heard?" Paige whispered, fighting back more tears at the thought of Emily hearing things from her past.
"The bedroom window was open." Emily turned her head and kissed the side of Paige's before using one hand to turn Paige's face towards hers. "You are so beautiful Paige McCullers. And I cannot wait to get to know you. But I know were are going to work out, because I already love you. I love what I know, and I love what I am going to know. I love you." Emily said as tears ran down her face, matching the ones leaving Paige's eyes. Paige turned in the girls arms and slammed their lips together as she pulled Emily over the railing and into her arms.
"I love you too." Paige said as they broke apart, looking into each others eyes. "Were crazy, right?" Paige said, causing Emily to chuckle.
"Are you happy?" Emily asked, already knowing the answer.
"Extremely." Paige answered.
"I am too. So what if that makes us crazy, at least we can be crazy together." Emily said as she kissed Paige. A beeping from Paige's wrist broke the two apart.
"Heart monitor." Paige mumbled into Emily's lips. "Courtesy of Spencer."
"Ignore it." Emily said as Paige pulled her closer and slid her tongue along Emily's lips. The beeping grew louder and quicker and made Emily pull back from the girl, causing Paige to groan loudly like a little kid being punished.
"This is going to suck!" Paige grumbled as her fingers played with the front hem of Emily's shirt. Emily used her finger to tilt Paige's face to hers and kissed her once on the lips.
"If it means you getting healthy, then I am willing to wait." Emily said as she pulled Paige in for a hug. "But when you are cleared for activity, I am going to tear you apart." Emily whispered into her ear, biting it lightly before turning back towards the house.
"What did you do to her?" Hannah asked as she looked out the door at Paige, standing in the sand.
"Nothing." Emily said as she walked through the door. Just then Paige snapped back into action and walked towards the house, moving past the girls and grabbing Emily's hand and pulling the squealing girl towards her room. "Paige." Emily whined as Paige pulled her towards the bed, her wrist beeping loudly. "We can't do anything." She protested as she stopped in her tracks and turned to face a pouting Paige.
"Ugh, you can't just say something like that and expect me not to react." Paige said with a pout to her lips.
"So. Damn. Cute." Emily said as she kissed Paige's lips after each word. At that Paige yawned and made a move towards the bed. "No, no. No sleeping yet. How about we go take a bath? We can't fool around, but we can relax together." Emily suggested.
"I think I would really like that." Paige said as she started towards the bathroom, stripping along the way. Before she reached the door, she was down to just her bra and matching lacy underwear. She turned back to see that Emily had her eyes focused on Paige's ass. "You coming?" Paige winked at Emily before entering the bathroom. Emily followed Paige into the bathroom, stopping in the doorway when she saw Paige standing braless looking into the mirror, her hand cover a spot above her chest.
"What's wrong?" Emily said, seeing the worried look in Paige's eyes.
"I can't get this wet." Paige said as she moved her hand to reveal a nasty looking pucker mark above her left breast. It had dried blood around the stitches and was bruised a deep purplish blue.
"The doctor gave me covers for it for when you take baths." Emily said, snapping back into action. This was the first time that she had seen the marks an Paige's chest, and it shocked her that it was so bruised. "They told me how to clean it too let me do that before we get in." Emily began the task of cleaning up the skin around the stitches, moving extra careful after Paige made a hissing sound at the alcohol rubs touching the wound.
"This was supposed to be sexy." Paige said as she felt tears coming to her eyes again.
"Hey, this is still sexy. You are after all, naked." Emily said as she winked at Paige. She leaned up and kissed the girls lips to reassure her. After applying the clear cover to Paige's chest she instructed the girl to get in the tub of warm bubble filled water. Emily watched as Paige pretty much fell asleep as soon as her back hit the tub and her head rested back. Emily went to the closet and got a cup and walked back to the tub, grabbing her shampoo. She kneeled beside the tub and used one hand to tilt Paige's head back enough so that she could use the other hand and cup to let water run down her hair.
"I thought you were getting in her with me?" Paige mumbled, although she did not open her eyes or protest Emily washing her hair.
"How about we just get you cleaned up and then cuddle in bed until the girls get supper ready?" After a soft mumble from Paige, Emily continued to wash the girls hair. She then cleaned the rest of Paige off, taking extra care around the bandage on her chest. She helped Paige out of the tub and dried her off before helping the girl get under the covers of the bed.
"No pjs?" Paige asked with a smile.
"No pjs." Emily said as she stripped out of her clothes and climbed into the bed so that she was laying behind Paige, wrapping her naked body around Paige's. She told Paige a few stories from her childhood before the girl had fallen asleep in her arms. Emily couldn't wait until next week when the girl would get her stitches removed and have her first check up, she wanted to show Paige how much she loved her, she wanted to be physically close to Paige again.
