Guest: It's I who should be saying how much I appreciate you. It's writing for you guys that makes it so worthwhile.
Author's Note Again, sorry for the wait guys. But my schedule is kicking my ass. And my computer doesn't work so well anymore. This chapter kind of got away from me, it's not really what I intended to write when I sat down, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.
Chapter 7
"You're home early," Hannah greeted as Emily let herself into the loft. From the teasing sing-song of her voice Emily knew what her friend really meant was, she was suprised that Emily was home at all.
"It wasn't a date, Han," Emily reminded her, for the umpteenth time. She noticed that they were not alone, Aria and Spencer were settled on opposite ends of the couch, across from Hannah. A couple bottles of wine and decimated platter of chips and dip lay on the coffee table between them. She tossed them a wave before heading into the kitchen area to grab a wine glass for herself.
"Wouldn't know if from that outfit."
Emily glanced down at the clothes she was wearing, a pair of skinny jeans and a an off the shoulder peasant top. Simple enough. Comfortable. Maybe a little dressy for the restaurant she had chosen but what wasn't, really? So maybe she had chosen a pair of jeans that she knew made her ass look good. And maybe she knew the open collar of her shirt would draw Paige's attention to her neck, which she never could keep her lips off of, back when they were dating. Just because they weren't together didn't mean she couldn't remind Paige of what she was missing.
"It's just an outfit." Not that she was going to admit that to Hannah. Especially not when their meeting was supposed to have been about mending bridges, not about seduction.
Hannah hummed, clearly not believing a word of Emily's denial but didn't say anything further.
"How'd it go?" Aria asked as Emily dropped down onto the couch between her and Spencer.
"It was awkward," Emily admitted with a sigh before taking a long swallow of wine. "And kind of painful. There's a lot of history there. It's kind of like walking through a minefield. But, it was good. We're clearing the air."
Aria twisted her face up in sympathy and patted her knee. "I'm sure you two will get through it."
"Thanks." Emily squeezed Aria's hand, offering up a soft smile. She hoped that her friend was right.
She realized now she had underestimated the issues that now lay between them. How many things had been brushed aside or glossed over in their desperate efforts to make their relationship work. So much so that even now just being friends was going to take a concentrated effort. But she was willing, eager even, to put things right between them. To build up the trust that they had lost in hopes that one day they would be able to move forward, together. Even if the focus was on friendship, and not a romantic relationship she was still going to do everything in her power to salvage it.
But it was still tough to think about, to acknowledge, that they had gotten so far off course that romance wasn't even on the table. She had spent so much of her day and night dwelling on it, she really just needed a break. "Enough about me, how was your evening?"
She sat back and sipped her wine, letting the girls fill her in on the gossip and going ons of their days, happy to turn her mind off for a little while and just relax and laugh let herself fall into the easy banter and pattern of these friendships. She had missed them when they'd gone their separate ways, more than she realized until moments like this, when she was back in their company once again.
It was late, closer to morning than midnight when Emily made her way unsteadily up the stairs to bed, her head fuzzy and her body pleasantly warmed from the alcohol she had consumed, her sides sore from laughing harder than she had in a long time. Aria and Spencer were camped out on the couch downstairs, a pile of blankets haphazardlly over them in a clumsy, drunken effort by Hannah and Emily before they headed to bed themselves. Hannah shuffling into the downtairs bedroom and collapsing face first onto the bed, out like a light as soon as she hit the mattress. Emily could hear her faint snuffling and snoring as she crossed the room to her own bed, then stood at it's foot debating whether or not to bother with undressing or simply climb under the cozy, inviting looking covers. Even with her brain addled by alcohol she recognized she would be more comfortable if she shed at least the jeans, and with a sigh went to work fumbling with the button and fighting her way out of them.
A spare thought about how she wished that it were Paige struggling to pull the jeans off her flit through her mind and even though she knew better than to indulge it, she couldn't help herself from letting herself fantasize a little as she stripped down to her bra and panties and then slipped beneath the cool covers, the weigth of them around her shoulders a poor substitute for the feeling of Paige wrapped around her that she had fallen asleep and woken to.
She had missed that. It was probably one of the things she missed most about being in a relationship. About being with Paige. Those moments lying in the dark, on the edge of sleep, feeling the warmth of another body next to hers, the weight of an arm around her. That warm, cozy feeling of waking up all wrapped up next to someone. Next to Paige. She had never felt safer, more secure, more loved, than she had in those brief years that they were together.
Emily knew it was the alcohol inciting her actions. She knew it was a bad idea. But she found herself rolling onto her side and casting about on the floor beside the bed, searching for her jeans. Her fingers snagged the edge of them and she pulled them closer, curled her hand around them she could get a grip on them and brought them up into the bed with her. Fumbling around in the dark she felt along their shape until she found the pocket, and her cell phone tucked inside. She pulled it out and tossed the jeans back onto the floor, not longer interested in them now that she had found what he was looking for. She didn't to see to find the button to turn it on, and soon the glow of the screen lit the room anyway. The device vibrated in her hand as it came to life, a missed message notice popping up on screen accompanied by Paige's name, and the little photo of the two of them mugging for the camera that even now still accompanied her contact info.
Eagerly Emily pressed her thumb against the screen and brough the phone to her ear to listen.
"Hey, Em." Paige's gentle rasp came softly through the phone's speakers.She pressed the phone a little tigher to her head, so it was almost like Paige was right there, talking in her ear.
"I had a really great time tonight. I know things got off to a rocky start. But, I'm glad that we're getting a second chance at...whatever this is. You mean a lot to me. I'm glad to have you back in my life."
There was a pause and Emily could hear Paige's steady, if not slighty rapid, breathing. She felt a grin tug at the corners of her lips as the message played on, without Paige saying anything. She might be the one who was drunk, but Paige was the one drunk dialing. And not hanging up, even though she was clearly at a loss for words.
"Well, uh..." Paige cleared her throat, ad fell silent again for a moment. "I guess I should let you go. Have a good rest of your night. Talk to you later...uh...Bye."
Emily was grinning from ear to ear as she replayed Paige's awkward and endearing message. A warm, fuzzy feeling filled her chest as it ended for a second time. She pulled the phone away from her ear and hit the call button. Ringtone sounded as she repositioned the phone. Once, Twice. Three tmes. Four. She was starting to get impatient, and a little nervous when she heard a click, followed by a rustle and the clearing of a throat.
"Emily?" Paige's voice was low and thick with sleep.
Emily had to will away images of Paige lying in bed, hair tousled from sleep, the faintest of pillow creases along her cheek, eyes heavy-lidded and drowsy.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Her tone grew sharper, worry coloring her words.
"I just got your message."
"Now?" Paige groaned and Emily heard the rustle of covers over the line. "Em, it's 4:30 in the morning."
"It is?" Emily glanced at the clock on the bedside table and sure enough, the glowing red letters shone a steady 4:30. "Oh. Well, if it's so early, why are you up?"
Instead of answering, Paige sighed. "Are you drunk?"
"No. I'm not drunk. Well, maybe a little," Emily conceeded, holding her hand up, fingers spaced barely apart to emphasise how little.
"I see." Paige chuckled softly. "Are you safe? Do you need me to come?"
"You want to come over?" Emily glanced around the dimly lit bedroom, delighted by the prospect of Paige joining her in here. Though a frown quickly marred her features as she seemed to remember Paige not being so happy the last time she'd been here.
'You're home then?" Paige asked. "At the loft?"
Emily nodded.
"Em?" Paige prompted. She started to nod again before realizing that Paige couldn't see her, and she needed to answer.
"Yes. Hannah and Spencer and Aria are here too.'
"Ahh, girls night. I want you to do me a favor, Em. Can you do that?"
"For you, anything."
Paige's breathing hitched, and there was a moment of silence. "Okay, so first thing I want you to do is go into the bathroom and drink a nice big glass of water for me. Can you do that?"
Emily, cozy in her bed, glanced across the room to the bathroom door, which seemed to stretch further away from her the longer she stared at it.
"Em. You still with me?"
Heaving a sigh, Emily swung her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself slowly to her feet. "Yeah, I can do it," she said. After an unsteady moment she began shuffing her way across the floor. "Okay, I'm getting some water," she announced, wedging the phone between her shouder and her ear before reaching for her glass on the side of the sink. She fumbled with the tap, struggling to turn it on, and let out a triumphant hiss followed by a yelp as water rushed out of the faucet at full blast, spraying everywhere.
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"Fine. Fine," Emily muttered, decreasing the flow. She stuck her cup under the stream and then brought it to her lips, downing it in several long swallows. "Okay. I had water," she announced proudly.
"Very good," Paige enthused. "Now, open the medicine cabinet and check to see if there are any asprin in there."
Emily popped open the mirrored cuboard and peered blurrily at the shelves. The words on the bottles swam before her eyes and she had to blink a few times to bring them into focus. "Umm."
"Asprin, Em. Do you see any?" Paige prodded gently.
After another moment of peering, Emily found the bottle Paige was referring to.
"Yes. Apsrin. I've got it."
"Okay. Take two of those."
Emily nodded and twisted at the cap on the bottle, which didn't even budge. She let out a grunt and tried again.
"Em?"
"Stupid childproof labels," she muttered, tapping it agains the side of the sink in frustration
"Push down and turn," Paige instructed gently.
With uncoordinated fingers, Emily complied. The top of the bottle popped open and a couple of pills spilled out. One of them escaped down the drain, but she slammed her hand down on the second one, stopping it. "Gotcha," she exclaimed, picking it up and tossing it into her mouth. It was chalky and bitter against her tongue and it made her gag a little, but she swallowed it down. She followed it quickly with second one, this one getting stuck in the back af her throat and making her cough.
"Done," she called when she had completed her task, doing a fist pump.
"Good girl. Now, fill up the glass again with water."
"I can't drink any more. My bellly's all swishy with liquid," she complained, even as she did as Paige asked.
"No, this ones for tomorrow. Take the glass of water, and the bottle of asprin and go back to your room."
"Do I get to go back to bed now?" She asked, eager to be back in the warm comfort of her covvers. Her eyes were heavy and her head felt foggy, all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep.
"Yes, you get to go back to bed now."
Emily didnt need any more prompting on that. She turned and shuffled her way back to bed, only sending water sloshing over the side of the cup a few times along the way.
"Put the asprin and the water on the bedside table," Paige instructed just as Emily reached the bed. It was almost like magic, her knowing Emily was there.
She set both items down on the table as instructed and then climbed into bed, letting out a soft sigh of contentment as she leaned back against the pillows and pulled the covers up tight under her chin.
"You all set?" Paige asked softly.
Emily hummed a response, eyes already drifting shut as sleep started to take over.
"Goodnight, Em. Sweet Dreams," Paige whispered.
"Night, Paige," Emily mumbled. More asleep than awake. "Love you."
She might have been dreaming, but she thought she heard Paige whisper "I love you too."