Two hours later, Thayer Ryback spotted Emma standing by the door to the club. Before she spotted him she turned her back to him, probably checking to see if Ethan had arrived yet. Quietly, he stepped up behind her and said, "So the Mercer delinquents have finally been released. What'd you do? Bribe the warden?"

Emma turned at the sound of his voice and smiled, "Good behavior," she stated simply, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"From you? Absolutely not. From Sutton? Rebellion is her middle name."

"I thought it was Penelope?"

"You know what I mean. Seriously, how did you and Sutton convince Ted and Kristin to let you out a month early?"

"I could say it was the fact that we've been perfect angels for two months, but I'm pretty sure it had to do with the straight A's Sutton got on her report card this semester."

"Sutton got straight A's?"

"You and I both know what she's capable of when she sets her mind to something."

Thayer nodded in agreement. He knew just how capable Sutton was. He'd watched her plan multiple lying games that he knew took a level of intelligence Sutton never would admit she had. The problem with Sutton was that she was too afraid to show it off.

"So how she's celebrating this momentous occasion?" Thayer questioned, "Crashing a party? Executing another lying game?"

"The last I saw her she was wearing yoga pants and a tank top with her hair in a messy bun popping popcorn in the kitchen."

"Wait a minute. Sutton Mercer is staying in on a night like this? What's wrong with her?"

"She's changed a lot, Thayer," Emma stated.

He hadn't seen much of her in the last two months, but he'd heard Mads say the same thing a couple times in passing. He didn't know what that meant and he didn't know if it was good or bad. He just knew that she was different.

"Emma," a voice called from behind them. He looked up to see Ethan walking toward them with purpose. Just like Sutton was a sore spot for Emma in her relationship. Thayer was a sore spot for Ethan. There was a point where Emma could've chosen either one of them. Of course Thayer would've told her she was crazy to choose him when she was obviously meant to be with Ethan, but there had been a connection. He couldn't deny it, but it was the same as the one he had with Mads. He wanted to protect her and make sure nothing bad happened to her. He didn't want to fall in love with her. That role was reserved for another Mercer girl.

"I'll see you later, Thayer," Emma stated taking a step away from him and toward Ethan.

"Have fun," he called after her. He watched her run into Ethan's arms and the two of them spin in a circle as he held her. That was what true love looked like. Ethan was an idiot sometimes, but most men are. He made mistakes, but he did love her, and the two of them were meant to be together. He was just glad the two of them had finally realized that.

As he watched the happy couple he found his thoughts drifting toward Sutton. They usually did when he thought about things like that. He began to wonder why she was home on a Friday night and not out like usual. He began to wonder just how much she'd changed. Before he knew what was happening his feet were moving toward the front door and he was handing his keys to the valet.

Sutton flipped the page in her magazine and sighed. She never realized how quiet the house was when there was no one home. Laurel was with Baz. Her parents were with each other and Emma was with Ethan. She was the only one with nothing to do on a Friday night and for once it really didn't bother her. She was enjoying the silence and the tranquility of it all.

"Cozy?"

The voice surprised her so much that she actually flipped off of her bed onto the floor. It didn't hurt but it was really embarrassing and his snickering didn't help matters, "Not funny, Thayer."

"More like hilarious," he responded climbing the rest of the way through the window, "I haven't managed to surprise you like that in years."

"Well you got me," Sutton responded, picking herself up off of the ground, "What are you doing here anyways?"

"Had to see it for myself," he stated like she should know what he's talking about. She didn't and it only brought the snickering back, "You…home…on a Friday night. Are you sick or something?"

"Why is this so hard to believe for everyone?"

"Sutton, last year you went to a party with a fever of 102. You'd taken so much cold medicine Mads thought you were drunk and called me to take you home. I had to carry you to your bedroom and you missed four days of school. Still want to tell me I shouldn't be surprised.

"Well I'm different now," Sutton stated.

"I can tell."

There was a pause that neither one of them wanted to fill. He saw Sutton's lips began to move and braced himself for what he knew was coming, "Thayer, I'm sorry for what happened with us."

"I know," Thayer breathed, "You told me."

"Thayer," Sutton sighed.

"Let's just not talk about that anymore," Thayer responded, "It's in the past. There's no point on dwelling on it any longer, so let's just forget it ever happened. Okay?"

Sutton nodded, but inside she was shaking her head. She didn't want to forget. She didn't want to act like nothing had happened between them. It had and unfortunately he'd got burned. She wanted him to know she understood. She wanted to get rid of the guilt she'd been carrying with her for months now about what she'd done to him, but in the end it wasn't her call. He got to decide how this went and he wanted to act like it didn't happen. She would give him that. He deserved at least that.

"Good," Thayer responded, "Then I guess I should get going."

He turned to leave and Sutton found herself calling after him before she could stop herself, "What if you stayed?"

"Why would I do that?"

She took a step toward him, "Because I have our three favorite movies sitting out by the DVD player right now and, honestly, I could really use the company."

He smiled, "I guess Sutton Mercer hasn't changed so much after all," he responded. He stepped back toward her and let her lead him out of the room. She smiled to herself. Maybe they could go back to normal and act like nothing ever happened. Maybe everything could be just like it was before this all happened. Then again, nothing else was.

A few hours later, Emma closed the front door behind her and started down the hallway toward the kitchen. She could hear the sound of the television and expected to find Sutton sitting on the couch alone. What she didn't expect to find was Sutton asleep on the couch with her head resting in Thayer's lap.

They were both asleep and Emma decided Thayer was the safer person to wake up. She gently shook his shoulder until his eyes opened and he focused on her. She was staring at him with a hint of a smile on her face.

"Comfortable?"

"It's not what you think," Thayer stated simply as he carefully slipped out from underneath her. For a moment she stirred, but she didn't rise. Her breathing remained steady and neither one of them had the heart to wake her up too. Without saying anything else Thayer headed toward the kitchen and Emma followed.

"Oh so you and my twin sister didn't fall asleep watching a movie."

"Okay, so it is what you think," Thayer responded, pulling the refrigerator open and grabbing a can of soda.

"So does this mean you and Sutton are okay now?" Emma questioned, leaning against the countertop.

"Why wouldn't we be?" He questioned with genuine confusion as popped the top of his can of soda.

"Oh come on Thayer. She hurt you as much as anyone and she used you in the worst way. You're telling me you can forget what happened that easily."

"I let go of what happened as soon as that car got pulled out of the lake."

"How?"

"It hurts more to live without her than to live with her at her worst."

"You really do love her," Emma realized.

"I always will," Thayer admitted, taking a sip of his soda, "Even though she doesn't feel the same way."

I wouldn't be so sure, Emma thought. She'd been watching Sutton carefully anytime they were around Thayer or his name came up in conversation. There was a mix of pain and eagerness that always flashed across her face. She wanted to know what he was doing, but it seemed to remind her of what she'd potentially lost. There was something there, but was it love? Only Sutton could make that distinction.

At the sound of the front door slamming, ten minutes later, Sutton pushed herself up onto her elbows. She'd fallen asleep probably five minutes into the second movie and had woken to find Thayer already gone. Was that disappointment she was feeling? She pushed herself into a seated position and wiped the sleep from her eyes.

"Sleep well?"

She turned to see Emma standing behind her with a knowing grin on her face, "Where's Thayer?"

"He just left," Emma explained.

"Oh," she sighed. It was disappointment she was feeling. He never left without saying goodbye.

"He wanted to say goodbye, but I suggested he should let you sleep."

She brightened a little. Maybe things could stay the same between them. As they'd watched the movies they'd fallen back into their typical routine. They'd quoted their favorite lines as they came up. They'd had a popcorn-throwing contest. Thayer was the only person she knew that she felt like she could be herself with all of the time. He loved her, all of her. She got up off of the couch and headed for the kitchen.

"The two of you looked pretty cozy on that couch when I got home," Emma stated as she followed.

"I fell asleep," Sutton stated as if it wasn't a big deal, grabbing two cans of soda from the fridge and sliding one over to Emma.

"Your head was in his lap."

She started to say something, but then realized she had nothing. That probably did look a little weird, considering she'd been adamant about the fact that she didn't feel that way about Thayer. She took a sip of her soda and hoped Emma would drop the subject.

"Will you be honest with me, Sutton?"

"About what?"

"Do you love Thayer?"

Sutton paused for a moment and thought about how to word her response, "I care about him and I don't want to hurt him again."

"But do you love him?"

"Not the way he wants me to," Sutton stated.

"How do you know?"

"What?"

"Sutton, I got a taste of your past two serious relationships and I know you weren't in love with either one of them. So how do you know you're not in love with Thayer?"

"I just do, okay?"

"Keep telling yourself that," Emma responded, pushing away from the counter, "Maybe one day you'll actually believe it."

Emma grabbed her soda and headed for her bedroom, leaving the comment hanging in the air. What did Emma mean by that? She knew she didn't love Thayer that way. She didn't need to justify it to Emma. The only person she needed to convince of that was herself and she'd already done that. At least, she thought she had.