guest I don't know how long this story will end up being, but I'm a big fan of the slow burn, so it will probably be awhle before they get together. And Emily will definitely have to earn it.

guest Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

guest Yeah, a bit of a twist on things.

Nyxxyn Thank you. And I hope that I don't dissapoint, that this story does live up to the others.

Chapter 3

Emily would have been content to lay in bed all morning, wrapped up all cozy beneath the blankets, talking, catching up or just sharing some quiet time together. A scene reminiscent of so many mornings back when things were at their best between them. But, "just friends" didn't engage in behaviour like that. Especially not while naked between the sheets.

She felt the moment slowly growing heavy, awkward, as they both registered the situation, and the need to transition out of it.

"Do you want some breakfast?" Emily asked, keeping her tone light, easy, trying to normalize things as much as they could be. "I could make...well toast. Probably. Knowing Hannah, that's the only thing we've got."

Paige shook her head. "No, thanks. I should probably just get going." She shifted on the bed, made to get up, and then paused, a frown marring her features.

Emily knew it was mean, but she had to fight back a smirk as she watched Paige fight with the sheets, trying to wrap them around herself so she could rise from the bed without exposing herself. Slowly sympathy seeped in as she watched Paige's face grow red from exertion or embarrasment, or maybe a mixture of both.

"I'm going to make some coffee. Let you get dressed." She had no such modesty as she slipped from the bed, taking a moment to stretch out sleep heavy limbs. She felt a twinge in muscles not used in awhile. Heat flashed throug her at the reminder of the source of the faint ache. She felt Paige's eyes on her, but didn't look back as she made her way across the room to the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of knit shorts. She pulled them on, her actions unhurried, unabashed under what she knew to be Paige's hungry gaze. They may have agreed to just be friends, but that didn't mean she couldn't give Paige a taste of what she was missing.

Without so much as a glance in Paige's direction Emily headed downstairs. She made it around the first curve of the staircase, just out of sight, when she heard Paige let out a heavy sigh, and from the rustle of covers and faint thump, flop back down against the mattress. Another rustle told Emily that Paige had either pulled the covers up over her head or buried her face into the pillows to muffle the low groan that still carried to her ears. She smiled to herself at the confirmation that Paige was still affected by her. It gave her hope that she still had a shot in this.

She had made it to the kitchen and was leaning sleepily against the counter, waiting for the coffee to begin to brew when she heard the thump of feet hitting the floor above her. Floorboards creaked as Paige tracked back and forth across the bedroom, retrieving her clothes from where they had been unceremoniously tossed last night.

A few minutes later she descended the stairs, redressed in yesterday's clothes looking sleepy and rumpled and thoroughly fucked.. Emily took some pride in being the reason she looked like that. She also took pity on how uncomfortable Paige looked standing at the edge of the kitchen, hands shoved deep in her pockets, shoulders hunched, tension in every line of her body.

"I made you coffee." Emily nodded towards a mug resting on the counter beside her. Two sugars, a dash of milk, just the way Paige liked it.

Offering a weak smile of thanks, Paige crossed the room and removed her hands from her pockets, wrapping them around the mug like a lifeline. The smile growing a little stronger when Paige realized it was a travel mug. As much as it stung, Emily knew better than to expect Paige to stay when it was clear she was itching to get out of here.

She watched Paige's jaw work, saw her mouth open and then fall shut as words failed her. Emily just offered a small smile of her own. She understood. She would be patient. She knew Paige well enough to recognize when she was reeling. Knew that the other woman needed some space, some distance, to wrap her head around everything that had happened and to try to adjust to her new reality. As much as Emily would love to force it, she she knew that would only result in widening the chasm between them and that was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

"So I guess I'll uh, see you later," Paige said, already inching towards the door.

Emily nodded and, fighting back every instinct within, let her go. The door closed behind Paige with a soft click, and Emily sagged back against the counter, running her hands through her hair with a long sigh. She jumped and let out a yelp a moment later as the door swung open.

"Was that Paige I saw sneaking down the back staircase?" Hannah asked as she breezed in.

"Yeah," Emily muttered, grabbing her coffee and making her way over to the couch.

"Little early for a visit," Hannah teased.. "Does that mean you guys..." She didn't have to complete the question for Emily to know what she was asking.

Seeing no reason to dance around the subject, Emily sighed, and nodded. "Yeah."

"Bow-chicka-wow-wow," Hannah intoned as she circled the couch and dropped down beside her. "Get it, Em." She slapped Emily's knee, giving her an accolade she didn't deserve.

Emily offered a weak smile, and sipped her coffee.

"What's all this?" Hannah wagged a finger in her general direction, indicating her defeated posture and general air of pessimism. "I would have thought you'd be a little more excited. I mean, this is 've been pining over her for years."

"I haven't been pining. I dated. I had relationships."

"You had one night stands and casual relationships."

"I was with Izzy for over a year. We lived together."

"You two were biding time, playing house and we both know it."

Emily sighed, not even arguing because Hannah was right. She hadn't exactly been sitting by the phone waiting for Paige to call her in the years that they were apart, but she had never truly moved on, never given her heart to anyone else.

"And you love Paige. Even after all this time."

"Sometimes, love isn't enough, Han."

For all the problems that had come between them, lack of feelings had never been one of them. It might have even been just the opposite, too much feelings. They loved so instensely that it consumed them, clouding out everything else and making it impossible to deal with all the other issues that surrounded them.

"No, but it's a start. Maybe this will be the time that you finally get it right."

If only.

"Except, she doesn't want that. She said she just wants to be friends."

"Friendzoned? Ouch." Hannah winced. "Can't say I really blame her though. I mean, no offense Em, but you put that girl through hell last time."

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Emily elbowed Hannah lightly, though there was no real indignation in her words. She was aware that she hadn't exactly handled herself well after her father died. She'd been lost and angry and lashed out at everyone around her. Namely Paige. Her decision making skills at the time hadn't exactly been the most clear, and she made a lot of mistakes. Including letting Paige walk out the door.

"Your side. Always your side." Hannah deflected Emily's elbow. "I'm just saying-"

"No. I get it. And you're right. It's more or less what Paige said this morning, when she was letting me down gently. It's just, I'm worried that she doesn't even want that. Not really. Not with the way she hightailed it out of here. And even if she does. How are we supposed to do that? We've never really been good at being just friends."

"Maybe that's part of your problem," Hannah said. "You guys have love and lust down to an art. You keep falling together and then falling apart. But, you've never really worked on building all the other stuff that goes with being in a relationship. You don't have a solid foundation."

"Hmm." Emily took a few minutes to contemplate Hannah's words. It was a little tough to hear, but there was some truth to them. They'd always sort of been at one extreme or the other, passionately together, or passionately fighting. They were girlfriends or nothing. Maybe it would do them some good to take a different tactic this time, get to know each other once again. It sounded good, in theory. But, Emily knew it was going to be hard. There was a lot of history between them, not all of it pleasant. They were going to have to overcome a lot to get to a place of love and trust. Not to mention fighitng off attraction every step of the way.

"Even if we do make a go of it as friends, I have no idea how I'm supposed to just be her friend when all I can think about is-"

"Jumping her bones?"

"Putting it indelicately, yes," Emily said with a laugh. "Oh, my god. Yes."

Hannah chuckled along with her, patting her shoulder in sympathy.

"So, what do I do? When we're hanging out and she's being her adorable, dorky self and all I want to do is lean in and kiss her?" It was going to be torture. Pure, unadultered torture to be within kissing distance of Paige and not be able to give in to it.

Hannah didn't have an answer for her, not that Emily had expected she would. It just the price she had to pay for the opportunity to have at least some sort of relationship with Paige. A small price really, considering the alternative of not having one at all. So she would bide her time and prove herself to Paige. Show her that she could be reliable and trustworthy and worth another chance. It was an unfamiliar position for Emily to be in. She'd never really had to work to get a girl's attention before, but she was up for the challenge. When it came to Paige, she would do whatever it took to get it right this time.

All Hannah could do was gather her up in a hug. Offering silent support and sympathy. The comfort, Emily knew, just as much for Emily as it was for herself. She was going through her own relationship troubles. They had analyzed the situation for hours the other day, and Hannah was no closer to the solution to her problem than Emily was to hers, but it was nice to be able to fall back into old habits, and familiar arms. As difficult as returning to Rosewood and facing the past had been, there were definite upsides to it as well. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her friends until she was back with them again. Facebook and texting and the occasional email were fine for keeping in touch, for keeping in tune with each other's lives, but it didn't come close to sitting face to face. To being able to hug and touch and watch their faces light up and their laughter ring out. They were all so much lighter now, after so many years away. It was lovely to see that. To be able too look back at the horrors of the past and compare it to the successes of their present.

"I'm really glad you're here," Emily mumbled into the side of Hannah's neck. Her words muffled but hopefully her meaning clear. Hannah squeezed a little tighter, letting Emily know she'd gotten the message.

"Me too. I-"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off by the rining of Emily's cell phone, the device vibrating across the coffee table where she had left it last night.

"Hold that thought," she said, offering Hannah an apologetic smile as she pulled back and reached for the her phone. She froze before her hand made contact, caught up short by the name flashing across the screen.

"What is it. What's wrong?" Hannah was on guard immediately, one hand rubbing soothing circles up and down her back as she leaned forward to see what had spooked Emily.

"Nothing. It's fine." Emily waved her off before she could spin into a panic as well. "It's just...Sabrina." Finally regaining use of her limbs she picked the phone up and turned it around, showing the screen to Hannah.

"Coffee shop Sabrina?" Hannah's eyes narrowed in confusion before going wide. "Wait, weren't you guys...Oh, shit."

"Yeah, oh shit." Emily watched the call go to voicemail, a notification popping up on screen that she had one missed call and one new message. "We were supposed to meet last night, but I cancelled on her to..."

"Get with Paige," Hannah completed the sentence for her.

"Exactly." Emily's heart sank as she realized the two of them were going to have to have a conversation. "I need to call her back. But, what do I say?"

Hannah shrugged. "Don't look at me. She's your gilfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

She wasn't really anything, though that seemed mean to say aloud. They'd been hanging out some. Emily enjoyed talking to her, found her attractive, but the spark wasn't there. Or maybe Emily's heart just wasn't in it. They'd gone out a few times, but things hadn't really progressed beyond a few pleasant, but not particularly spectacular kisses. She felt bad that she had forgotten about her so easily, had cast her aside so readily as soon as Paige came back into to picture, but the guilt came more from knowing she'd behaved badly than any actual feelings she had for Sabrina.

Technically, they had not come to any kind of agreement to be exclusive, but what Emily had done was still cheating. Now she was going to have to own up to that. And hurt someone who had only treated her kindly. This was definitely not turning out to be the best of days.

Again, Hannah didn't have an answer for was something Emily was going to have to figure out for herself. She took a few minutes to clear her thoughts, and then, with a shaky breath, dialed a number that had just recently become familiar. As the line rang, she rehearsed what she was going to say, running the words over and over again in her mind.

"Hey, stranger." The greeting was warm, light and easy. And all of Emily's carefully planned words vanished from her thoughts.

"Hey." The word came out airy and breathless and she winced at the possibility that Sabrina might take it as fliratious.

"I just called you."

"I know. Sorry. I just...Hannah is here and.." she trailed off, not wanting to lie to Sabrina but also not wanting to get into it over the phone.

"Oh? Well, I was just calling to see if you wanted to get lunch, or something. But if you and Hannah-"

"No, lunch would be good," Emily interrupted, then winced once again, thinking that her words must have sounded much to eager.

"Perfect," Sabrina said, sounding so cheerful at the prospect It pained Emily to know what she was going to have to do when they met for lunch. "I have to get back to work. I'll see you around one?"

"See you then."

"I can't wait." The poor, unsuspecting woman.

"Uh, yeah. Bye." Emily's hand tightened around the phone as she listened to the call disconnect.

"Smooth," Hannah teased. "Sorry," she muttered when Emily turned wide, woeful eyes on her.

Sighing, Emily stood. "Guess I should go shower and get ready," she said with all the enthusiasm of someone heading towards their execution. Hannah shot her a sympathetic smile before she trudged upstairs.