Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Except two pennies and a bottle of Tums! I'm a unemployed sixteen year old, and the money to buy Army Wives doesn't grow on trees! Hahaha well my mommy used to tell me when I was five that I was her little princess but turns out that's not tax deductible :'(
Author's Note: Yay! A follow up chapter! Good news, LaLaLola ,my lovely reviewer, will be getting her requested chapter very soon! I hope for lots and lots and lots of reviews here people! Leave me some… please! LOVE RILEY!
LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE
Her head was pounding and her tongue stuck to the dry roof of her mouth, the taste of stale booze and vomit lingered when she breathed. No, she decided, drinking was not fun.
Emmalin rolled off her stomach, instantly regretting it as the wave of nausea that came over her like a hurricane. She waited patiently on her back, holding still and allowing the queasy storm to pass.
Her fingers went to her temples to rub in slow careful circles, in a failed attempt to soothe her agonizing head. Slowly the seventeen year old Army Brat recalled the events from last night, fuzzy images of her with Jeremy Sherwood replayed in her mind.
She looked down to find that she was still wearing his shirt from last night. The dark flannel was loosely draped around her and was messy from sleep, the soft cotton caressed her skin. Tentatively she brought the collar to her nose, smiling when she inhaled his familiar scent.
Noises from the kitchen drifted into her room, the clanking of dishes on the counters and stovetop. Claudia Joy's light humming could be heard through her closed bedroom door. Slowly pulling herself out of bed, Emmalin stumbled to the bathroom, quickly spilling the contents of her stomach. The brunette could vaguely recall throwing up last night with Jeremy. God, that was embarrassing.
After lying on the white tile that lined Emmalin's bathroom floor praying for her stomach to settle, she entered the shower and decided to get ready for her day.
LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE
Jeremy went to answer the front door, as he heard the doorbell. It was 0800, he quickly wondered who would stop by at this time of morning, especially when Major Sherwood wasn't home? His father was pulling an early shift and his mother was on the phone with a friend upstairs.
He quickly pulled the door open, revealing Emmalin Holden. He had to smirk at her choice of oversized sunglasses, she must've been feeling awful. The first hangover's the worst after all.
"Good morning." He smirked, stepping aside so she could enter the house. The petite girl stumbled ungracefully toward the kitchen bar, taking a seat on a stool next to his cup of coffee.
"What's so good about it, Jeremy?" She pulled off her dark sunglasses, displaying red rimmed eyes and dark circles that no amount of makeup could conceal.
"Nice shirt." The nineteen year old commented. She was wearing his shirt from last night. The navy colored plaid button-down he gave her to sleep in. The long sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and a few of the buttons had been left undone at the top. It was notably large on her but he still thought she looked nice.
"Did you want it back?" She fingered the soft cotton, hoping he would tell her to keep it.
"It looks better on you." He went to the far side of the kitchen to get her a Tylenol and strong coffee for her ragging hangover.
"Good, cause I probably wouldn't have handed it over." She smiled, taking the aspirin from him gratefully.
"Your parents find out?" The soldier took the seat next to her, watching her add cream and sugar to her mug of coffee.
"Mmmh. No. I left as soon as I could this morning." She mumbled, sipping her drink.
"Good."
"I'm sorry 'bout last night." Emmalin said, biting her nails as she looked at him. He could see immense guilt shadowing her delicate features.
"Don't worry about it." Private Sherwood assured the seventeen year old, he gently tugged her hand from her mouth to cease her nervous bad habit.
"Thanks for taking care of me. I don't know how I would've gotten home."
"Can't believe you spent two hours on your hair." He sighed, stroking her dark hair tenderly, the strands were still damp from her shower.
"Yeah well, if I recall correctly you admitted to sleeping with your Spanish teacher." Emmalin teased, resting her head on the counter. She hoped that Tylenol kicked in soon.
"Not for two hours." The soldier laughed.
"Where are your parents?" She asked, biting her lip.
"Mom's upstairs, the Major's at work." Jeremy replied, his dark eyes meeting her amber ones.
"Did they ask why you were out so late?"
"Late? I dropped you off around midnight." He smirked.
"I only partied till midnight and my head hurts this bad?"
"That's what happens when a seventeen year old downs some tequila."
"By the way, I'm sorry about some of the things I said last night…and for throwing up." Emmalin fought the urge to bite her nails into oblivion, how could she have been so stupid last night?
"What all do you remember?" Jeremy asked, rubbing his neck.
"Putting my foot in my mouth all night…and you holding my hair back. And then holding me after I practically begged you to stay."
"It's alright." He grinned. The nineteen year old knew that she would never have wanted to talk about all her feelings last night.
"I shouldn't have brought up Amanda, or the bathroom wall. Or my dad. I'm really sorry, Jeremy." God, why did she tell him that she wished it was her sister that was alive instead of herself? How could she bring up Amanda cheating on him?
"We would've needed to talk about it eventually." Jeremy stroked her cheek softly. She realized that he was right, even if her method was wrong.
"Preferably when I wasn't wasted."
"Minor setback." He chuckled, reaching for her hand.
"I know my dad loves me, just so you know."
"I know…you know that…um, you're not an Amanda replacement to me, right?"
"I was a little worried." The brunette whispered softly, her eyes glancing down at her shoes. She couldn't look his in the eyes.
"You shouldn't have been. It never crossed my mind." He said truthfully.
"It crosses everyone's mind, even my parents." She laughed downheartedly, not a normal characteristic of her's.
"They don't want you to be your sister…and neither do I."
"Would you really keep me over her? You said that last night, I think. I might of imagined that part." Looking deep in his chocolate-colored eyes, seeking reassurance.
"No, you didn't imagine that part." His hand tangled through her long locks. She smiled, pleased that he openly cared for her that much.
Emmalin gently slide from her seat, slowly taking his face in her hands, straining on her tippy toes to brush her full rosy lips against his mouth softly. She had never kissed his on the lips before, the feather soft touch left them both feeling breathless even though he didn't return the chaste touch. The soldier caressed her cheek gently after she barely pulled away. He had told her before that he couldn't kiss her, although they both knew he wanted too.
"Why are you wearing Army PT clothes?" She asked, noticing Jeremy's clothing choice. The gray 'ARMY' tee shirt made his muscles stand out, she gently ran her hands down his biceps and chest, feeling the hard cords of muscle contract beneath her fingertips.
"I went back to work today." Jeremy told her, his arms wrapping loosely around her waist, her head resting just below his chin.
"What? It's too soon!" She barely pulled away to stare at him with wide amber eyes.
"Emmalin, I'd have to go back eventually and it's been a month." The nineteen year old said simply, he had never expected this news to upset her so much.
"Exactly it's only been a month!" Emmalin whispered, putting her hand compassionately over his heart, biting her lip. She didn't want him to go back so quickly, it would make her worry like mad.
"It's not like I'm quitting counseling." Private Sherwood assured the Army Brat. His mom didn't take this news very well either. Damn, he hated it when people worried about him. His parents were being extremely paranoid after the suicide attempt, Denise practically went into hyperventilations when her son got a papercut. Jeremy didn't want Emmalin fretting over him too.
"But…" He silenced her with a rough calloused finger to her lips.
"I'll be fine. And work keeps me busy, I've been going crazy here at home for the last month."
"Jeremy, you were telling me about your schedule before Pamela called?" Denise Sherwood entered the kitchen, barging in on the two, "Oh, Emmalin I didn't realize you'd come over." Denise starred a little at the close skin-to-skin contact her son and the seventeen year old had. She'd only really witnessed their intimate encounters once, at the hospital, but her husband had told her that he knew they were closer than they were letting on. He'd mentioned that Jeremy was still saying that they weren't together.
"Hey, Mrs. Sherwood." Emmalin smiled, not pulling away from the nineteen year old. Jeremy raised an eyebrow at her, and in return she only shrugged. If they could cuddle in his bed in front of his father, why couldn't they embrace in front of his mother?
"How was work, anyways? Did you tell Emmalin that you started your first shift today." The dark-haired woman's eyes never left the two, but she wouldn't ask all of her burning questions. If they weren't going to explain, then she wouldn't ask them to.
"It's stupid, and too soon." Emmalin pouted, shaking her head at Jeremy.
"See, Jeremy! Emmalin agrees, it's too soon! His body hasn't even healed yet!" Denise was ecstatic that the Holden shared her opinion on the matter. But her pigheaded nineteen year old son wouldn't agree to take excess time off from work. 'God, Jeremy could be just like Frank sometimes!' The dark-haired woman thought, frustrated.
"You haven't even healed yet? You can't go back to work with a broken rib!" Emmalin gasped at the nineteen year old, roughly tugging the hem of the Private's shirt up, inspecting his chest for herself.
The bruises were almost completely gone, only a few lingered and they looked much less sickly. They would be gone within a week's time. The soldier couldn't resist wincing when the girl's slender digits brushed his broken rib. Feeling his tremble, she tenderly pulled his shirt back down.
"I've got a doctor's clearance." He covered, wishing he could've withheld that wince. Emmalin would worry herself silly that she hurt him.
"That's not good enough." The young Holden shook her head. There was no way that Jeremy was going to be able to convince her of this being a good idea.
"I'm fine." He insisted, smoothing her hair from her forehead.
"No. You want to just get over this, and it takes time, Jeremy. This doesn't just go away over night and you're not waiting long enough. Give yourself a break… Can't the Army wait a little longer?" Her eyes were pleading with him, Emmalin couldn't believe he would even consider returning to work so soon. She clung desperately to his chest, being extra careful not to hurt his rib again.
"No. I only get a month off." He sighed, knowing she wasn't going to drop this.
"They won't…deploy you anytime soon, right?" The seventeen year old asked shakily, her eyes wide. The thought of him fighting overseas almost sent the Army Brat into a panic attack.
"Dad says that they won't send me overseas for at least another six months." He reassured her gently, rubbing her back soothingly to ease the worried expression from her face.
"That's still too soon." She whispered against the soldier's chest, her juicy lips set in a deep pout.
Emmalin was worried but at the moment she was content to snuggle into her "almost boyfriend's" arms. She didn't care if his mother was watching them or not, she gently reached up to kiss his cheek affectionately. Her arms wrapped around the soldier's neck gently, reaching up to brush his lips sweetly.
Denise Sherwood was in shock, looking at her son and her best friend's daughter she was astounded. If the Army Wife hadn't known better she would've assumed they were a young married couple. The idea of Jeremy and Emmalin being that close surprised her.