Authors note: Hello! back again sorry this has taken so long unfortunately work has taken over again AND i ended up breaking my arm when i was working away in India!. I am now on the mend and excited to post up the next chapter. Please if you have taken the time to read just drop a little review good or bad.
Love as always,
RB
Emily.
Ever since her feet touched land Emily felt as if she was surviving on half a tank of oxygen. She struggled to remember how she breathed before. They were short breaths, almost gasps that hurt her chest as she inhaled. She studied her palms that were constantly covered with a thin layer of sweat no matter how many times she wiped them on her pants. She had never found the feeling of safety outside of Paige, not with Sara, not even when her Dad came home. She had been promised in the past that there was nothing the girl wouldn't do to protect her. Now she was closer to Paige than she had been in almost 3 years, but why did it terrify her so much?
Buildings, so many buildings, probably the most prodigious she had ever seen. Emily winced at the pain in her craned neck as she tried to look at the very top of them through the cab window. She had wisely chosen to sit in the front to avoid anymore interrogation from Jo who was currently sprawled out on the back seat. Thankfully, once again, sound asleep.
She was a little overwhelmed by the amount of information Josephine knew about her already. Although these days she and the other girls were still hot topic. Their lives were still documented and brought up if even something as little as a programme on school bullying or 'troubled teens' came on the tv. They were an advert for what not to be at high school. Everyone knew her's, her friends and her families business and Emily truly resented that, but with Andrew still pleading innocent and the court case still ongoing she knew she would have to hold on just a while longer.
Suddenly Emily was pulled from her thoughts, quite literally, as she lurched forwards placing both hands quickly on the dash when the cab came to an abrupt stop.
"$37.80." An amused voice caught her attention as she tried to compose herself. She turned to look at the smug 50 something driver who had been not so subtly checking her out the entire ride over to campus.
"$37 for you" He winked as he wiped off the sweat from his top lip.
Cringing and feeling slightly nauseous Emily reached down to her purse to pull out some cash but was interrupted by an arm from outside the window reaching over her.
"Here keep the change." A guy with short wavy blonde hair dressed in a Stanford tracksuit handed over a 50 dollar bill, before opening the door as two jocks grabbed her stuff from the trunk.
"Thanks, but i..i can do that" Emily stuttered, waving off the boys attempts as she got out of the car.
"Emily Fields is it?" The first guy looked up from ticking the name on the clipboard and outstretched a hand towards Emily, she silently nodded and accepted the gesture.
"Brad Connor, I run the Sports psychology department. Please don't be fooled by my childlike appearance. I am a fully qualified faculty member, not a student." He sported a toothy grin finally allowing Emily to ease up a little as she smiled back.
"It's great to meet you Mr Connor, this is Jo….." Emily paused when she looked towards the back of the cab in confusion.
"…sephine." She continued in an almost whisper.
Brad's brows furrowed as he ducked down to follow Emily's gaze inside the window.
"Errrrr… your bags name is Josephine?" He looked the towards the girl with a puzzled look. The Driver looked just as bewildered as to when and where the girl must have gotten out, but chose to stay quiet, further adding to how crazy Emily must have come across.
"No my.. Uh.. friend, she must of gotten out when i was checking out all this." She gestured towards the campus with both arms, she chuckled nervously and awkwardly fixed the fallen hair behind her ear.
"Wow, must have been a long flight" He smirked, shrugging off the situation before turning his back and picking up the remainder of Emily's things. "Well the facilities are pretty spectacular even if am a little biased!"
Emily's eyes darted to the back of the cab once more before she tapped the roof and watched it, still confused, drive off into the distance.
"I actually graduated here, and the thought of leaving the place.." He looked up to the building and smiled. "It just didn't feel right..so here i am."
Emily turned quickly to follow him towards the buildings.
"Now i know you're probably tired but I'm going to need you to help me out today. The girls soccer team have quarter finals next week, they're are a rowdy bunch but i believe its good to be thrown into the deep end straight away..and I'm a psychologist so therefore I'm always right." He laughed at his own joke before stopping in front of a large building. This caused Emily, who was far to preoccupied taking everything in to even listen, to bump straight into the back of him.
"You're still on Philly time huh?" He laughed once again as Emily's cheeks reddened.
"Well this is your dorm for the summer, your stuffs already in your room. Chill out a bit and i'll see you in the sports department in.." He glanced down at his watch momentarily " Lets say..an hour?"
He opened the door and gestured her inside before giving her a nod and tapping his watch.
Emily glanced down at the set of keys in her hand. 'Room 138a' she walked along the row of dorms until she reached the right one and made her way quickly inside.
She finally let out the breath she had been holding ever since she got off the plane. It was a shaky, full of nerves and fear breath, but it didn't hurt anymore. There was a good chance that Paige had walked the exact same path that Emily had walked just now and the thought of that alone terrified her.
2 and a half years, thats the amount of time it had taken to feel as if she was finally alive again. The air felt lighter and she felt the same warmth that took over her all those times that Paige's presence surrounded her. She wasn't home, not technically, but she thought of the reason why she was so in love with Paige, why she still is. Where ever Paige was felt like she was there. She was felt like she was finally home.
Paige.
"You know if you keep kissing me like that neither one of us are going to get to practice" Jess spoke between kisses as Paige pushed her harder against her bedroom door and plunged her tongue deeper into the soccer players eager mouth.
"I" *Kiss* "Don't" *Kiss* "Care" Paige finally replied whilst moving her lips to kiss Jess's collar bone causing the other girl to shudder.
The two had been entirely inseparable from the time they first met, practically going on dates every single night, mixing it up with going out to dinner and staying in and not watching a movie in Jess's dorm. They both knew things were moving a little fast, they had even discussed the prospect but they both agreed pacing felt natural. They were so comfortable in each others company that it felt that there was no need for boundaries or to put up any walls. Like Paige, Jess had a troublesome relationship previously but they chose not to question one and other.
Paige secretly hoped she wouldn't have to bring Emily up ever. She loved the little bubble the two had created. She hadn't thought much about Emily recently, but when she did her heart hurt and her eyes felt heavy. Jess took that away and with that power she knew her feelings would only get stronger for the girl.
Paige felt her knees give way as Jess pushed her on top of the bed and laid her body down on top of her, never pulling away from the kiss that was gradually getting more and more heated. Paige's hands tangled in Jess's hair as she trailed kisses down the swimmers jawline, thighs absentmindedly pressed into places that were growing more needy by the second.
"You're incredibly beautiful, do you know that?" Jess spoke as she pushed her lips further into the crook of Paige's neck. She was desperately trying to suppress the moans that were surely escaping as Paige pushed her bare thigh further into the place she needed most. This was definitely the right time for them both to be wearing track shorts.
Paige pulled away briefly to stare into those eyes she had become so accustom to. She studied the girls face. Jess was the complete opposite to Emily. She had never seen eyes so blue, they reminded her of the water. Clear and so much depth that you could almost drown in them if you stared for too long. Her skin like Emily's was darker but Jess's was the kind that went away when the sun did. For years Paige ruled out the possibility of ever finding someone more beautiful than Emily, someone who she was more sexually attracted to, but with her brain working on autopilot she found the answer as she began working her fingers beneath Jess's shirt. Jess simply nodded as they both stared into each others darkened eyes. She was definitely sexually attracted to her. And the heat coming off of Jess proved the feelings were mutual.
"Paige! are you up there Honey?" a voice cut through the air like a missile.
The two's eyes widened in panic as Paige instinctively flipped Jess off of her and sent the girl crashing to the floor on the far side of the bed.
"Yes Mom, in here!" She frantically combed her hair in panic with her fingers and straightened out her top silently praying that the conversation she was just about to have with her mother would be a short one.
Soft giggles coming from the girl under her echoed through the room as the footsteps to Paige's door came closer.
"Sweetheart, we're leaving at 6" Caroline pushed the door open with her foot whilst fixing the diamond earring to her ear. Paige gulped as she heard Jess bang her head on the bottom of the bed frame.
"What was that?" Her mother asked in confusion tilting her head to look past Paige.
"It was, uh, me" Paige chuckled nervously as her mother sent a questioning glare her way.
"Right… well will be back tomorrow around 9, theres money in the kitchen and leftovers in the fridge, call me if you need anything" She walked over and placed a kiss to Paige's forehead before turning to and leaving the room.
"Woah, that was a close one" Jess grinned in triumph before leaning up to kiss Paige.
"Oh and Paige?"
Paige pushed Jess's head back down as her Mother poked her head around the door once again.
"Maybe the pair of legs under the bed would like to come to dinner one night, introduce us properly" Her mother said barely holding in the chuckle.
"That would be lovely Mrs McCullers, thank you" Jess outstretched a thumbs up over the side of the bed as Paige buried her beet red face into the pillow.
"I look forward to it, Paige you have practice get going or you'll be late" Carol laughed once again.
"Got it, thanks Mom" Paige muttered with her head still engulfed in the pillow as she cringed internally.
Emily.
Emily looked on in horror at the group of girls huddled in the small room of the classroom. They were animals. Laughing, joking, even two play fighting in the corner. She felt out of her depth.
"Hello sorry I'm late" Emily startled as she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"You must be the new psychologist?" The girl spoke in a charming accent, maybe Australian she couldn't tell.
"I really hope you can sort out these bunch of baboons the only way i can tame them is with food and my bank balance cant take it much longer" The girl laughed as she followed Emily's gaze inside.
"Im Emily, Fields" Emily smiled as she reached out a hand to the blue eyed beauty.
"Jess Whitehall, team captain" The girl smiled, she was absolutely gorgeous, Emily might have even flirted with her if Paige didn't occupy her every thought.
"You have your hands full i see with these girls" Emily chuckled once again looking to through the window particularly at the girl who had a smaller girl in a headlock.
"You could say that." Jess let out a hearty laugh. "Im going to head inside good luck, you'll do great." She squeezed Emily's forearm in reassurance as she headed inside the classroom to the chorus of wolf whistles and cheers.
"Right Emily, you have you notes, lets go" Brad emerged from behind opening the door and shuffling Emily inside. The room went quiet as soon as the two entered. The girls scurried like cockroaches quickly back to their seats.
"Good afternoon Ladies." Brad spoke and then turned his attention to Jess in the front row.
"Miss Whitehall nice of you to join us."
Jess's cheeks reddened slightly as the rest of the girls giggled under their breaths.
"Sorry Sir. Car trouble" She replied back giving him the signature smile that could melt butter.
"Yes McCar trouble, Sir" One of the girls sniggered causing the rest of the girls to erupt in fits of laughter.
Emily didn't quite catch on to the play on words, putting it down to an inside joke within the team, something she knew very well about from her high school days, especially the inside jokes she shared with Paige.
"Ha-ha Soph. Very funny, i hope you'll find time to laugh when you're puking out of your nose from doing suicides later on tonight." Jess quipped back causing the girl to sink lower into her chair. Jess turned to address the rest of the team in a stern tone.
"Miss Fields and Mr Connor are here to help us, now show some respect or you'll all be joining Sophie on the field tonight" The room went quiet as Jess gave them all an icy glare, she finally shifted her attention back to the front and gave Emily a thoughtful smile.
"And that concludes todays session all i can say is good luck, stay calm and put everything you have learnt into practice." Brad concluded by clapping his hands together as the girls all began to collect their notes and shove their way out of the door.
"Great job today Emily" He patted Emily's back as he collected his own notes and made his way out of the class.
"He's right you know. They all seemed to actually shut up when you talked, never seen anything like it before" Jess piped up from behind Emily who had just realised they were the only two left in the room. She smiled at the girl once again and thanked her with a nod as she breathed a sigh of relief. Her first day was over. No hiccups and thankfully no sign of Paige just yet.
Jess opened the door and gestured Emily to walk out first . Emily looked towards the soccer player to thank her failing to notice the person coming into the room from the other side. She practically face planted them and dropped her notebook. Without looking the other girl instinctively bent down to retrieve it.
"Sorry ill get it!" That familiar voice that haunted Emily's dreams for 3 years.
The smell of CK1 and chlorine.
"Holy fuck" A tall dark skinned girl behind the girl uttered in pure disbelief as she stared Emily in the eye and grabbed hold of the mystery girls arm.
"What?" She looked confused by the girls sudden reaction. "It was an accide…" she stopped immediately as she turned to face Emily.
"Paige?"
And then everything went black.
OOOOOOOOP! Please REVIEW! Love hearing from you all!
RB