Happy New Year.This chapter is another one that's short & sweet. But hopefully the content will make up for the short length.

Thank you all for reading and your reviews. You guys are the best.

Chapter 13

Paige's lips were soft and sweet, tasting faintly of the wine they had drunk at dinner and the vanilla lip gloss that she was so fond of. One hand rose up to cup Emily's cheeks as the other gripped her hip, pulling her in. She sighed softly into the kiss and the sound made Emily's heart flutter.

It was everything Emily had been yearning for since Paige had come back into her life. Yet instead of melting into the kiss like she so desperately wanted to, Emily found herself pushing her away.
Paige stumbled back a couple steps. Her eyes fluttered open as she came to rest an arm's length away and she stared at Emily looking dazed and disheveled. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath and her jaw worked but no words came out.

"Friends was exactly what you said you wanted a week ago," Emily reminded her. A part of her couldn't believe she she was saying this, when everything she wanted was being offered up to her on a silver platter. But the pain and humiliation of being rejected while laying together in her bed was still fresh in her memory. She couldn't go through that again in another week's time if Paige changed her mind back.

"Yeah. I did say that." Paige sagged against the counter. "But I don't know that I really meant it. I was trying to protect myself. Walking away from you last time, it damn near broke me. I don't think I'd have the strength to do it again if things went bad." She ran a hand through her hair, tugging roughly at the ends before her arm fell back to her side. "I thought if I put up some boundaries I could...I don't know... keep things under control. But do you have any idea how damn hard it is just being around you?"

Emily couldn't hold back a hollow laugh. Did she have any idea? Sometimes just being around Paige was akin to torture. The desire to touch her, to kiss her, it drove her to distraction. And as much as she cherished their newfound friendship, she could still feel the spectre of their relationship on the edge of so many of their interactions.
It was comforting, in a perverse sort of way, that Paige was struggling with the same things.
They had a failed relationship and a somewhat disastrous attempt at a friendship between them. They couldn't just pick up where they left off, jump back into a relationship like breakup and everything that came before it had never happened. Nor could they continue on like they had been, pretending like their feelings didn't still linger.

"So, where does this leave us?"

"I don't know. But something's got to give. We can't keep going on like this."

Emily agreed, but it had been at Paige's insistence that they'd been striving for just friends in the first place. She didn't begrude her that decision, but she wanted it to be very clear that whatever the next step was, that was also Paige's decision. She didn't want to come across as if she were pressuring her.

"We can't pick up where we left off," Paige repeated, her words coming slowly as she worked out a thought in her head before voicing it.

Emily accepted that. As much as she would love to resume her life with Paige, slipping back into their roles, like pressing play on a DVD that had been paused, too much time had passed and there were still to many issues between them. She just didn't know what that left for them. They had tried friendship and that hadn't worked. She didn't want to think that meant they were out of options.

"But what if we started over?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if we go back to square one. Dating. Getting to know each other all over again. As adults."

"Dating?"
"Yes. I know you're familiar with the concept," Paige teased. "Two people. Coffee. Lunches. Dinners. Movies. Long talks-"

"So basically, exactly what we've been doing?"

Paige paused a moment, her head cocking to the side as she thought that. "Hmm, well kind of." She sidled closer. "We can keep doing what we've been doing, with a few minor adjustments."

She rested her hands on Emily's hips as she eased in closer. Emily wound her arms around Paige's neck, her fingers playing with the fine hairs as she pulled her in.

"Adjustments, huh? Like what?"

"Let me show you," Paige murmured against her lips a moment before capturing them in a lingering kiss.

Emily sighed softly at the contact, allowing herself to melt into it the way she hadn't before. She sagged back against the counter behind her, letting its solidness hold her up as she pulled Paige tightly against her. There wasn't an inch of space between their bodies. Emily could feel her pressed against her length and still it wasn't close enough. She wondered if it would ever be close enough.

Butterflies fluttered in Emily's stomach as Paige's lips slid softly, but assuredly against her own. Her movements unhurried as she swiped her tongue along Emily's bottom lip before slipping into her mouth. Her grip on Emily's hips tightened as she pressed even closer.

Emily's lungs started to burn from lack of oxygen. She inhaled sharply through her nose and managed to prolong the kiss another moment or two before the need to breath forced her to pull away. She sucked in a ragged breath before leaning in again, eager to have Paige's lips back against her own. A flash of movement from the corner of her eye had her jumping back in surprise. She was unable to prevent the soft yelp as she spun around.

The movement she'd seen was her mother. Pam now hovered in the doorway looking caught between apologetic and scrambled away from Emily and stood struggling for breath an arm's length away, her cheeks aflame.
Emily bit back a laugh as, for a moment, they were sixteen again and her mom had walked in on them making out when they were supposed to be doing dishes. Or homework. Or watching a movie.

"I just came in to see if you two needed any help," she said, easing further into the room. She didn't even try to hide the grin taking over her face. "But I can see you've got everything under control in here."

Unlike when she was sixteen, Emily didn't feel embarrassed or like she needed to apologize for being caught. She offered up a shrug and a wry grin and could only hope that Paige, who was doing a fine imitation of a statue would remember to breath.

"I think I'm going to skip dessert and head out for a bit."

Emily shot her mom a thankful smile. Sometimes having a mother so invested in her romantic life was a blessing.

"I won't be late," Pam said as she began backing out of the room. "Lock up if you leave before I get back. And no funny business," she apparently couldn't help but add, her grin turning teasing.

"Mom!"

But she was gone, her laughter floating down the hall behind her. The joke garnered a laugh out of Paige, who sagged against the counter with a ragged sigh for a moment before pushing herself off it and moving to stand in front of Emily once again.

"Yeah, Em. No funny business. What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"Oh please. I have moves that would have you begging for it in seconds."

Paige scoffed and rolled her eyes, though they both knew what Emily had said was true.

"You're mom's right though. No funny business."

Emily nodded. "Yeah."

Paige looked surprised, like she thought Emily was going to argue rather than agree.

"Let's leave these for a minute," Emily said, gesturing to the dishes on the counter "and go into the living room and talk."

Without waiting for a response she took Paige's hand and led her into the other room. They settled facing each other on the couch in nearly identical positions, one leg drawn up under them and one arm draped or propped against the back of the couch. Their knees brushed as they shifted, getting comfortable and came to rest a hair's breadth from each other. Though they weren't touching, Emily could feel the heat radiating from Paige's body.

"Sex complicates things," she said, jumping right in. "And this is going to be complicated enough, trying to sort out new feelings from old, without adding to the mix."

Paige was nodding as she spoke, clearly in agreement with Emily on this.

She wanted things to work out with Paige. But she wanted it to be on its current merits, not on lingering remnant of the past. She had no doubt about her feelings. She knew she loved the Paige sitting before her, and not some memory or idealation of her from back then. And she believed Paige felt the same way. But they couldn't ignore the impact those old feelings would have on the relationship they were building now. They had been the root of their issues while attempting to be just friends.

"I want us to get it right. And if starting from scratch is how we get that, then I'm all for taking it nice and slow."

Paige nodded. "Not too slow though, right?" Her brow furrowed slightly in concern. Emily cocked her head to the side, waiting for her to elaborate. "I mean we're starting over, which I think is great. I think its exactly what we need. But we don't have to go back to the very beginning do we? We can still kiss and...do stuff?"

"You mean will I still let you touch my boobs?" Emily teased, enjoying the way Paige blushed and ducked her head, even after all this time. "Before our first date? What kind of girl do you take me for?"

"Come on, you said it yourself, we've basically been dating this whole time."

"You mean the whole week that you've been back? That whole time?"

Emily couldn't help but be amused by the role reversal. A few days ago it had been her trying to talk Paige into a physical relationship, and now Paige was trying to talk her into one. She also couldn't help but be amused by the fact that Paige thought Emily would want to be romantic without being physical. Sex might be off the table for the time being but that didn't mean she wasn't still attracted to Paige. Or that she didn't want to kiss and "do stuff" as Paige had so eloquently put it. She didn't want to rush. And she wanted Paige to know she was taking this reconciliation seriously. But she wasn't going to live like a monk in the meantime.

"Under the shirt, over the bra," she said with a sigh, like it was a huge concession to let Paige touch her. Paige did a victory fist pump before surging forward, catching Emily mid-laughter, mouth open as she started to call her a dork. Her lips pressed against Emily's in a rough, hurried kiss. Her tongue swept immediately into Emily's mouth as her hand tugged at the strap of her dress, pushing it aside to cup her breast. Emily chuckled into the kiss as Paige groped her like a pubescent teenage boy. Her laugh turned into a whine when Paige pulled away just as abruptly as she'd descended.

Emily flopped back against the couch trying to catch her breath while Paige settled into place looking calm and 's head spun as she tried to keep up with the turn of events. She ran a hand through her hair and took a couple deep breaths, ignoring the way Paige was grinning at her like the Cheshire cat at leaving her so unravelled. The grin slowly faded however as Emily resettled herself, without bothering to adjust the strap of her dress, leaving herself partially exposed.

"You don't play fair, Fields," Paige muttered, averting her gaze.

"Like you do?"

"Touché." Paige tipped an imaginary hat in Emily's direction. Emily pulled up the strap on her dress.

"Would you like to go out with me?"

"What?" Emily had heard her, the question just seemed incongruous with the happenings. Though she supposed it wasn't, considering the conversation that had sparked it.

"Would you like to go out with me?" Paige repeated. "Let me take you on a proper date."

Emily was nodding before Paige had even finished talking. She loved it when Paige planned a "proper date." Paige took great pains to make everything a surprise and they always ended up at some amazing restaurant or concert or event. Emily didn't think she'd ever had a bad time on a date planned by Paige. And from the excited gleam in her eye as she awaited Emily's answer, Emily didn't think she was about to start now.

"I would love to go on a date with you."