I DO NOT IN ANY WAY OWN PRETTY LITTLE LIARS OR THE MAJORITY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY, STRICTLY FANFICTION.

So here is the third chapter. It was a hard one to write. Its the kind of build up chapter that leads to Bigger story lines. Im half way through the next chapter and chapter 5 should be up by the end of the week. Im really going to be relying on your reviews as to how long this story is going to be/ how it ends (ill also be judging how i want the ending to go by watching PLL and how Emily is acting) so keep those reviews and PM's coming i love hearing from you guys! Tell me what you guys think of Jess and if you want more from her. She really is a sweetheart in this story. I know it may seem I am writing more Paige scenes. I am just waiting for Emily to get to stanford to write more about her. Happy reading

RB

Pacing back and forth from her locker, Emily resembled nothing more than a ghost both in image and glanced up at her reflection in the classroom window opposite, her eyes lacked focus, her skin was uncharacteristically pale as she tried to reign in her open mouth. A stream of short shuddering breaths escaped her lips as she let her eyes wonder to the picture of the Rosewood Sharks she hung proudly in her locker. They had just beaten the Red devils and Coach Fulton was holding up the trophy. Paige and Emily stood off to the side smiling proudly. Happy, arm in arm. She turned her back, slamming the locker shut and ran as fast as she could.

As she sat silently gripping the wheel for what seemed like an age , she tried to collect her thoughts but it was no use. She could not even remember driving home, all she knew was that she was there and her eyes were focused on her front porch. Her mind drifted back to previous moments she shared with Paige, replaying it in her head like a broken record.

"I practiced what I'm going to say to you, did you know that? i talked to myself the whole way over here.. i'm pretty convincing. Then i get to this porch and i forget everything. All i can say is 'I love you'. Like if i just say it right it'll fix things..somehow you'll hear it differently this time and.. everything will be alright"

Emily winced at the memory, the look on Paige's face made her eyes slam shut . The girl had a pretty good idea of what pure pain looked like in persons eyes. She watched her friends in constant fear, they had been drugged, abused, kidnapped and tortured. Their families put through hell and back . But none of which compared to the look on Paige's face that night, the girl was terrified, more so than when she was held and gagged at knife point.. it was all because of Emily. The thought of not having Emily in her life crushed her right down to the soul. No one else made Paige as vulnerable as the girl who supposedly loved her, not Alison. Not A, nobody.

A few deep breaths and sharp wrath of the front door closing brought Emily back to reality. She glanced over to Sara holding a duffel bag shifting nervously on the spot. As Emily approached her, hands shoved in her pockets she mentally prepared herself for what was to become the inevitable. "My Mom called.." Sara broke the silence and obvious tension in the air. "She's got a new job, a new place" The girl stood awkwardly trying to avoid searching Emily's glassy stare before continuing "It's..It's in Michigan" Emily bit forcefully on her lip as the comment ripped through her like a blunt knife, she stared at the ground trying to prevent the downpour of tears building up. Shaking her head from side to side, Emily tried to rack her brains for anything that would make the girl stay. But no words would come to her. Dropping her bag Sara reached forward taking the girls hand and rubbing her thumb repeatedly over Emily's wrist. "I'm broken..Em.." tears from both girls fell simultaneously to the floor "and for what it's worth i know you are too." Sara's attention wondered as a cab slowly approached, pressing her lips firmly to Emily's forehead before leaning down to gather her things.

Paige

Paige leant against the building just out of sight of the coffee pace getting over there a little faster than she would usually run, caused beads of sweat to fall from her collar bone all the way to her prominent chilled brick wall worked wonders against the swimmers body as she tried to compose herself before meeting the girl who made her nervous and excited at the same time. Peeking around the side of the building cautiously, a grin filled the girls cheeks as she spotted Jess eagerly waiting outside drumming her fingers impatiently on her phone.

As Paige wondered over the girls eyes finally met. An identical smile invaded their faces as they both opened their mouths to speak at the same time, Paige pausing briefly to let the girl go first.

"I thought you weren't going to show" The Soccer star beamed a slight blush forming in her cheeks.

"Now why would i do a thing like that" Paige quipped back "Apparently i'm getting a free coffee today?" The swimmer smiled confused at the other girls sudden nervousness.

"Yeeeh..about that" the girl looked up to meet Paige's deep brown eyes and swallowed internally "I um..cheated a little. That bet..i saw a picture of you in the trophy cabinet at College. Thats how i knew you were on the swim team" Jess closed her eyes embarrassed from confessing the little white lie she told only to strike up a conversation with Paige.

She was relieved when a small chuckle left the swimmers mouth. Jess punched the girl playfully before shooting back "stop laughing, it worked didn't it?!" Paige moved forwards making the slightly taller girls breath hitch before whispering "and heres me thinking you thought i had sexy swimmer legs" Jess raised her brow, biting her lip seductively and without hesitation replied "well, i didn't say it was all lies."

Jess returned to the table, coffee in hand clasping a bag of two identical cupcakes between her teeth as the two settled at the same booth that they became accustomed to the previous day.

"Im not sure what you'd like so i just got coconut frosting" Paige looked up at into the girls glistening blue eyes before dipping her head with a smile.

Jess was nailing it. Whatever this was whether it was flirting or just friendly conversation, Paige couldn't help but feel captivated by the girl. Not only did she do the small things like guess her favourite cupcake, she never once broke eye contact with the swimmer, she genuinely looked as if being in Paige's company was the best part of her day, like theres no where else in the world she'd rather be. Paige never felt like that before. She felt as if every girl she met fell so short of Emily's standard, comparing her ex to anyone who tried to get close. There was something about Jess that intrigued Paige. She wasn't the type of girl that would need chasing or pushed people away. The swimmer was sure, like anyone, the girl had faults but as of this moment Jess had 1 up on Emily. She made Paige feel wanted. The girl wasn't Emily.

1 hour later

Pausing briefly from the fits of giggles Paige turned her attention to the buzz on her phone. The swimmer frowned knowing that the gathering had to come to an end, she had to start making her way up to the college to start warm ups for the meet. Although they had been sat there for a little over an hour talking non stop, laughing and mocking each other, Paige felt overwhelmed with sadness realising that she now had to leave.

"Im sorry, i have to go" Paige regretfully sounded to the girl grabbing her bag and turning towards the exit.

"It was really nice seeing you again Jess"

Jess could sense the reluctancy in the Swimmers voice as she subconsciously took the girls arm making Paige swivel round to face her once again. With a nervous smile she loosened the grip before reaching behind to scratch the back of her neck, summoning up the question she wanted to ask the brown eyed beauty all morning.

"You know i read online last night that swimmers had to eat up to 8,000 calories a day, is that true?"

Paige slowly nodded, with a puzzled look on her face. It was a random question but she let the girl continue.

The stunning brunette paused, gathering her thoughts before persevering.

"So i was just wondering… would you let me load you up with carbs at dinner…after the meet?"

Speechless Paige looked over Jess's shoulder only to witness Talia grinning wildly at her from behind the counter nodding her head suggestively urging the girl to accept the offer. She returned to look at Jess opening her mouth before another reminder sounded on her phone.

Paige stuttered before answering the girl "I..i have to go, i'll text you later." Jess's face turned bright red as she watched Paige rush past her effectively crashing her way out of the door, before heading into a sprint across the street.

As Paige rounded the corner to the exact building she was propped up against earlier that morning, she clung tightly to her chest, trying her best to regulate her breathing before sinking to a crouched position holding her face in her hands. Flashbacks of Emily repeated in her head over and over, she could hardly breath, almost bordering on a panic attack. She searched deep within herself to try to figure out why she was in such an emotional state. The only feeling she could pinpoint was that she felt like she was cheating on Emily. Emily Fields, the girl who put Paige last time and time again, the girl who stood on her porch and told her 'she deserved the best of everything' which in honest truth was just a nice way of explaining that she couldn't give the girl what she needed. The girl who instead of driving Paige to the airport spending the last few precious moments they had, together, opted instead to investigate with Aria. Emily was the only person that was holding Paige back and she didn't even know it.

As she sat there staring into the distance her phone signalled a text message. Her palms sweated at the thought of it being from Jess, relief washed over her as she caught sight of the sender. It was from her teammate, Rio, telling her to get her 'skinny white ass' to training before Coach Matthews noticed her absence. She immediately stood, dusting her self off before reaching to her pocket for her iPod, panicking when she realised it was missing, panicking even more at the place she knew she had left it.

With her tail between her legs she walked cautiously back over to the 'Jumping Bean Cafe.' Head down, gaze fixed to the floor she pushed through the door wincing at the bell signal. Jess however was nowhere to be found. Instead Talia just looked up from her accounts book and gave Paige a small apologetic smile.

"I think i left my." Paige was cut off by Talia reaching behind the girl to pick up the iPod from behind the cashier.

"She didn't know if wanted to see her again so she asked me to keep it here for you" The coffee shop owner muttered sheepishly.

"You saw all that, Huh?" the young girl whispered avoiding the woman's sympathetic stare.

Talia simply nodded.

"Well thanks i got to go" Paige began to retreat backwards but she was suddenly surprised when Talia lunged forward and wrapped her in a one armed hug. Releasing from the embrace, she gestured for Paige to take a seat finally breaking the awkwardness with her soft voice.

"You know i dated a girl very similar to yourself" She smiled at the memory before carrying on "I had just moved to small town, started a job in a little coffee shop. My husband and I… he didn't know about my sexuality at the time" Paige shifted awkwardly in her see but still said no word. "There was this girl, i could sense every time i was around her this wave of anger, she was hurting. She made the tension in the room unbearable. She walked in everyday wearing the same shirt, flipping out if something ever spilt on it. I could tell she was still holding on to her Ex. Day's passed and i could tell we both had a connection. She seemed better as time went on. I remember asking her one day how she is mean't to move on when she still carried the girls shirt on her back. Ever since that day something changed within her. She let go, it was pretty soon after her breakup but i knew she was ready to move on. We began dating and things were great" The story came to a halt before Paige interrupted

"Then what happened"

Talias eyes left the hands clasped within her lap before uttering the remainder of the words "She..um.. she found out about my husband, that i wasn't being entirely honest. I quit the job and moved here, started my own business, left my husband" Any pain that was in the woman's eyes was now gone as she looked up to smile at Paige. "All i am trying to say is that you have to open your heart to love again. The world may seem still at times but it is always in motion, moving on to bigger and better things" she leant over to give Paige's hand a gentle squeeze before clearing her throat standing abruptly "look on the bright side without a little heartbreak i wouldn't have this little gem of a business.. I wouldn't change anything what happened" She paused looking up at the neon sign infront of her. Unbeknownst to Paige the next sentence could possibly send her whole world crashing down

"Although out of everything i wish i could have taken the name of the shop with me . 'The jumping bean' doesn't have the same ring to it as much as the 'Rear window Brew'."

Talia walked passed Paige briefly brushing shoulders failing to notice the look of complete shock on the Swimmers face. Paige breathed heavily taking in the information. Her heart felt like it had sunk to bottom of the ocean. Paige was the Ex in Talia's story. She thought again back to Emily. As soon as Paige got on that plane she was a complete unconsolable mess. She shut herself off from the rest of the world, the thought of Emily contacting her.. making Emily suffer a long distance relationship made Paige's skin crawl. She smashed her phone changed her email and didn't speak to her parents for weeks.

The sharp ring of the bell brings Paige's thoughts crushing back to the present, turning to stare at the older woman as she served the customer. She was pissed but strangely enough it felt as if something in Paige's heart shifted. She wondered for a moment how she was not throwing punches at Talia or standing in a pool or her own tears. The girl was confused ,after gaining the knowledge of how quickly Emily had moved on after the she left, of how when Paige felt like her whole world was coming down the other girl was finding comfort in the arms of another woman, she thought that she would return to being how she was on the plane that night. But she didn't. The sinking feeling vanished, Instead she just stood there, her head shaking side to side as she let out a small chuckle.

"I did not mean a damn thing to that girl" played over and over in Paige's head as she glanced beside her to the booth herself and Jess were previously occupying silently cursing herself for not giving the girl a chance. Maybe she had time to make it right, all she knew is that she needed to be near the blue eyed girl who numbed the ache in her heart.

Looking at the booth one last time she turned to make her way out the door, she was running late for practice but she could leave without confirming things with Talia.

"Thanks for the talk, i really hope you find someone just like.." she paused waiting for Talia to fill in the blanks. Her body tightening as Talia finally replied…

"Emily."