Hi again! Hope you're all having a great week! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, i really appreciate it! It motivates me to update sooner so please review!
So for the sake of this story i made up an Olympian in Paige's backstory for the sake on the chapter/fic, just as a heads up to everyone.
Hope you like the new chapter! Let me know what you think!
Paige walked into the Rosewood high with her gym bag slung over her shoulder. She was on her way to the pool to do a few laps while no one was there but before she did that, she was going to go find Spencer and Aria and speak to them about her Emily situation. She found Spencer in her office who texted Aria to come into her office, which didn't take more than a few moments as Aria's classroom was just down the hall.
"I don't know what to do about Emily" Paige said sitting across from Spencer's desk
"What do you mean you don't know what to do about her?" Aria asked leaning against the desk
"I mean I like this girl but I don't know if I should really ask her out or whether we should just continue for a little while as friends" Paige shook her head "I don't
even know if I'm her friend or anything"
"Well then keep your distance for now" Spencer offered
"But I feel like I know the girl" Paige said with a small smile "And I don't want to keep my distance from her but I also don't know if I want to rush into anything,
last time that happened…well you know what happened"
"Yeah but Emily is different" Aria reasoned pointing to Paige "Emily will look out for you and she has a big heart unlike your previous relationship where she just
looked out for herself"
"I know that she's different, which is why I don't want to do anything stupid and move too fast" Paige said shaking her head "But then again I don't want to move
to slowly. What do you think Emily would want?"
"Paige, you should ask her yourself" Spencer replied with her usual, blunt honesty "Just tell her this"
"But would that make me seem weird?" Paige asked
"You know, for someone so successful and sure of yourself in the pool, you're like a fish out of water in life" Spencer smirked
"I know" Paige said slapping her forehead gently
"I'm just going to tell you to do what you think is right. It can't hurt getting to know her more, you two seem to have a good time together so does it really matter
whether you're spending time with her as a friend or more than a friend?" Spencer asked with a shrug "Let it progress by itself"
"And this Spencer is why I love you" Paige said and she looked to Aria "You too but you guys could have just said that in the first place"
"I tried but you wouldn't stop speaking to let me explain" Spencer said holding her hands out defensively "Just take note that I am a better friend than Miss
Montgomery here"
"Hey" Aria said pushing Spencer gently
"Ladies, you don't need to fight over me" Paige joked
"You have any plans this weekend?" Aria asked
"I don't know" Paige shook her head "Hanging out with you two? Why don't we go for a run or something tomorrow morning"
"I'll spare you the humiliation, I just set myself a new PB" Spencer said cockily
"Let's go then, see if you can keep up" Paige joked "8am"
"You're on but don't be humiliated when you're ego is badly bruised thanks to me" Spencer replied with a smirk
"You two can run your hearts out, I'm not touching that" Aria shook her head "I will be asleep"
"You'll seriously go for a run with me?" Paige asked
"Isn't Emily your running buddy?" Spencer replied
"We go for runs" Paige said nodding "But with you, I don't have to think about how fast I'm going, I'll gladly leave you in the dust"
The weekend went quickly, Paige spent most of it in her yard trying to perfect her garden, she had a bit of a green thumb sometimes, or she was trying to anyway. She didn't like her front yard when she moved in so she made a mental note to fix it up and that weekend had been the first chance she had gotten. Over the weekend she had received a message from Emily that she couldn't make their run on Monday because she had to start work early but they would be on for the next week.
Paige was a little disappointed that she couldn't see Emily but she understood that she had to work and she respected that. Paige and Spencer did go for their run and Paige ended up beating Spencer, which she did not let her live down that whole day, they even bet loser bought lunch so Paige made sure to take advantage of that.
Thursday morning came along and Paige was waiting in line at the brew for her coffee so she could head into the high school to do a little research on the team the sharks were facing in their next meet. She paid for her coffee before she turned to go to the back of the line and wait when she felt a coffee pour over her chest and down her shirt as she bumped into the person who was attempting to walk past, who just happened to be Emily.
"Paige!" Emily said as she bent down to pick her now empty cup up and placed it down on a table near by "I'm so sorry"
"No it's okay" Paige said shaking her head, looking down at her shirt which was covered in coffee "Luckily you were waiting so long that it cooled down"
"Here" Emily said as she handed Paige some napkins with an apologetic look "I'm so sorry, I don't know how to apologize enough"
"It's fine, it's just coffee" Paige shook her head as she began to try and wipe the coffee off herself
"I've probably just ruined your shirt" Emily rambled on in a panicked tone "Can I get it washed for you or something? Maybe get you a replacement shirt?"
"No, it's fine" Paige said laughing as she looked up to lock eyes with a very worried Emily "It's just a shirt, it's okay. I can wash it, I have very good washing skills
you know?"
"I've just been under a lot of pressure this week with work and I'm just in my own little world" Emily said as she gestured to Paige's shirt "As you can see but I
know that's no excuse and I should have been watching where I walked"
"You're really wound up" Paige observed with raised eyebrows "That isn't your first cup today, is it?"
"Well, no" Emily said sheepishly "But I was at work so late last night that I need it"
"Maybe it's best I'm wearing it then" Paige laughed as she gave up on cleaning her shirt "I will make a pit stop and get changed at home"
"I feel awful" Emily shook her head placed her head in her hands for a moment
"Don't" Paige shrugged, reaching out to touch Emily's shoulder quickly "As I said, good thing you waited so long for it today then"
"Yeah" Emily laughed quietly "I guess I should get going"
"Paige" She heard her name being called out by the barista
"Okay, what kind of coffee do you usually get?" Paige asked taking a few steps back towards the counter
"Flat white" Emily noted
Paige nodded as she reached her coffee and she walked straight back to Emily without a word to hold it out to her.
"You're in luck that I also drink that" Paige said with a smile
"No, I should be buying you one. I ran into you" Emily shook her head
"You said you needed it, right?" Paige asked raising her eyebrows
"I did say that" Emily responded with a nod after pausing for a moment
"Well then take it" Paige said still holding it out "I actually have time to wait for another one"
"Are you sure?" Emily asked
"Please" Paige nodded holding the coffee a little close to Emily once more
Emily took the coffee from Paige's hand, their fingers touching for an instant which Paige did not fail to note
"Get to work" Paige said playfully gesturing to the door
"I owe you, a lot" Emily said "Thank you and sorry again"
"We should stop meeting like this" Paige said smiled
"Hey I've only done this the one" Emily replied
"I mean by coincidence" Paige laughed
"Right" Emily chuckled "I should get going"
"I will see you tomorrow assuming you're taking Braxton to his lesson?" Paige asked
"I am, I'll see you then" Emily said
Paige looked down to the floor for a moment before she smiled up at Emily again and then she moved back into the line, which had gotten a little longer in the time
she had been speaking to Emily but she didn't mind.
"What are you doing tonight?" Emily asked approaching Paige again
"Tonight?" Paige asked furrowing her eyebrows, surprised by Emily's presence again
"Hanna was supposed to be having a night out with me" Emily began "By night out I just mean movie but she's cancelled on me and I've already bought the
tickets…and I thought if you were free, we could go? As a kind of getting to know you more night"
"A getting to know you more night?" Paige asked with a smirk
"That's what I'm sticking with" Emily said nodding "You in?"
"Sure" Paige replied without hesitation
"Great, meet me at the cinema's at 8" Emily said as she backed away from Paige
"Watch where you walk Fields" Paige joked as Emily walked out of the brew
"Someone is very late" Spencer observed as Paige walked down the hall
"I know, I know" Paige said turning around as soon as she heard Spencer's voice "I had a bit of an accident at the brew"
"Accident?" Spencer asked curiously
"Emily ran into me, literally, with coffee" Paige replied
"You didn't tell me you were meeting her this morning" Spencer said raising an eyebrow "You sneaking around on me with Emily Fields?"
"Ha ha" Paige said rolling her eyes "No, she was at the brew this morning and we ran into each other so I was wearing her coffee for a good 15 minutes before I
got home and changed"
"Mom said that they were really working hard on a case" Spencer nodded
"Anyway, I'm seeing a movie with her tonight" Paige admitted with a smile
"Oh really?" Spencer asked with a knowing smile "You have a date?"
"It doesn't have that official title" Paige said shaking her head "We're getting to know each other a little more"
"Which is a date" Spencer said nodding
"Spencer" Paige warned playfully "Get back to work"
"We're talking later" Spencer said pointing to Paige "A good old McCullers-Hastings chat"
"Nope" Paige shook her head as she began walking away "I can't, I'm busy all day. Bye Spence"
8pm came quickly and Paige stood outside the movie theatre, her hands behind her back rocking back and forth on her heels as she waited for Emily.
"Waiting for someone?" She heard Emily saying behind her
"Yeah, have you seen her?" Paige asked as she looked around "Dark hair, olive skin…"
"You know, you're very prompt" Emily said as she walked around Paige to face her
"I'm an athlete, I'm pretty much ruled by time" Paige shrugged "Always had to be"
"I guess that's true" Emily nodded "You ready to go in?"
"Yeah" Paige nodded "You survived work I see"
"I didn't even spill my coffee again" Emily added proudly
"You mean my coffee, right?" Paige said poking fun at Emily
"Come on" Emily said grabbing Paige and pulling her to the entrance of the movie theatre.
They sat down next to each other to watch the movie and Paige couldn't help but look at Emily during the movie at times, the reflection off the screen lit up
Emily's face like the fire did at the bonfire. Paige smiled to herself and she shook her head slightly how she could have met someone like Emily in Rosewood.
Once the movie had finished they made their way out of the theater, standing in the street, between people who were exiting the theatre as well.
"Should we go and get something to eat?" Emily asked as she pointed to her watch "It's still pretty early"
"Yeah" Paige nodded with a smile "No coffee for you though"
"I am all coffee'd out" Emily said holding her hand up to her chest "I swear"
"Okay" Paige laughed as she smiled brightly but looking down at her feet "Come on"
"So what are you doing this weekend?" Paige asked as soon as they arrived at a near by restaurant, sitting down across from Emily at a table
"I'll probably be at work" Emily shrugged "Otherwise I will be visiting my parents and trying to do some things I didn't get to do during the week. What are you
doing?"
"Not too sure" Paige shrugged "I've got to speak to my manager, I have an interview for a magazine coming up just featuring Olympians of 2012"
"Manager huh?" Emily asked "I almost forgot you were a bit of a celebrity"
"Well he helps me with my sponsors and stuff like that" Paige shrugged
"What magazine is it?" Emily asked curiously
"Women's health" Paige said with a shrug again "They want to do a feature on my life after the Olympics and after retiring so they are sending someone here to
interview me"
"So when's that happening?" Emily asked
"As soon as they can get out here I guess" Paige replied "Could be a while, could be next weekend. I'll find out this weekend"
"That's so cool that they're going to interview you though" Emily nodded
"Not really, I'm pretty boring" Paige shook her head slowly "I mean I'm a regular person with a regular life"
"You're an Olympic champion" Emily offered
"Yeah but it's not like I saved anyone's life or anything" Paige shook her head again "I mean I get that I did some great things in the pool but when I'm out of it,
I'm a normal person"
"Maybe you did save some lives" Emily replied "I mean you came out publically to help other people going through the same thing"
"You think?" Paige asked with a small smile
"You were brave" Emily replied confidently "Being in the public eye and doing what you do takes some courage, that's for sure"
"My management wanted me to wait until the end of the Olympics but I had to do it before" Paige replied shrugging "it was the right time, I was single and it
wouldn't implicate anyone but myself"
"You were single?" Emily asked with a curious yet innocent look on her face
"Well I still am obviously" Paige replied rubbing her legs quickly as she sighed quietly "It was probably better that I was single at the Olympics"
"So how long have you been single for then?" Emily asked "If you don't mind me asking"
"I don't mind" Paige said quickly "About 8 months I think, I'm not following it too closely but about 8 months"
"I've been single for a year" Emily countered
"You win" Paige laughed quietly "I think for me it was important to stay single for a while after my last relationship"
"I know what you mean" Emily agreed
"Should we compare war stories?" Paige joked
"War stories?" Emily asked raising an eyebrow
"Our ex's" Paige said "I know that's not a very fun topic to talk about but it sounds to me like we kind of have something in common with our pasts"
"What, that our ex's treated us pretty badly?" Emily asked
"Sounds kind of like we just put up with it too" Paige replied "So?"
"I'll tell you as long as you tell me straight away" Emily nodded
"You have yourself a deal Emily Fields" Paige said playfully
"So up until a year ago I had been in relationship after relationship" Emily started "And I went from one girl to another until I found Samara, I think maybe
because I was just rushing, trying to find that one girl. She was a year older than me so I was a Junior when we met and she was a Senior, she was sweet,
beautiful, kind and everything I could have asked for. I met her in college so we juggled each other and classes and it was difficult sometimes. When we got past
our one year…she started acting strange, she started pulling away from me and being distant, she wouldn't reply to my texts and calls and I knew something was
wrong. There's nothing like that feeling when you love someone so much but you can just feel them drifting from you…so I confronted her about it and she told me
that she wanted to break up with me because she didn't love me anymore and she had been cheating on me anyway…with my roommate"
"Wow" Paige said raising her eyebrows "Your roommate?"
"I came back to my dorm one day and as I came in, Samara was leaving looking like she had just spent the night and she had" Emily nodded "I confronted my
roommate after that and she told me everything, they had been seeing each other for about 2 months behind my back. They did a good job, I had no idea"
"Wow" Paige replied in shock again "Talk about a stab in the back"
"She didn't stay my roommate for long obviously but I was pretty heart broken. I thought Samara and I could have been together for a long time and then she
just left me on my own. I had spent so much time with her that I left my friendships behind thanks to her, I had no one. Looking back she was very controlling but
I didn't know that and she was manipulative. I just felt really alone when she left me and it just hurt. Someone who you think has your best interests at heart,
betrays you without any warning"
"I'm really sorry Em" Paige said reaching over, placing her hand gently on Emily's for a moment
"No, it's fine" Emily replied trying to not be effected by Paige's touch but she couldn't help it "I haven't dated since because I don't want to just settle for someone
who isn't good enough for me, I'm a big believer in taking it slow now days, Samara and I rushed into our relationship so I don't want to make that mistake again"
"Good" Paige said nodding "So is that a reason why you drifted from Spencer and Aria?"
"One of the reasons" Emily nodded "But I drifted from everyone, not just those two"
"Even Hanna?" Paige asked
"Unfortunately yes" Emily explained "But I soon got her back in my life. So how about you?"
"I was in a relationship until about 9 months ago as I said. I've been on the odd date but nothing has really worked out" Paige said shaking her head "The months
leading up to the Olympics I didn't focus on anything but swimming so I had no time and after I was busy doing everything else and with surgery and rehab, I had
no time for anything. Partially why I came home, so my life could calm down for a while"
"So you knew straight away you were going to need further surgery?" Emily asked
"I knew going into my race that I would require surgery if I went through to the final. It was already on the edge of a huge tear and the doctor told me I could race
and tear it or I could leave it" Paige replied honestly "It shortened my career sure but I thought it was worth it and I was kind of living in the moment, even
without injury I thought it would be my last year as a professional"
"I'd think in the moment as well, you won 10 medals in one Olympics" Emily reasoned
"I knew it was time to move on anyway" Paige replied with a shrug "It's a hard thing shifting your focus and holding it to another 4 years of 3am starts and 10pm
finishes"
"Wow" Emily raised her eyebrows
"Anyway, so before the Olympics I was dating a girl called Holly. Holly Jenkinson" Paige admitted
"Holly Jenkinson?" Emily asked "As in Holly Jenkinson of the Gymnastics team?"
"The one and only" Paige replied with a small smile
"But she just got married" Emily said raising her eyebrow ducking her head slightly
"She did" Paige said chuckling "Ironic really that she invited me too, like she thought I would actually go"
"Wow. How long were you two together?" Emily asked
"For about 10 months leading up to London. We were both very busy but our training facilities were near each others so we snuck in some time here and there
with each other, we almost moved in together" Paige replied giving the best explanation she wanted "No one knew except for a select few of our team mates that
we trusted. It wasn't something we really wanted to make public because we already had enough pressure on us and she didn't want to be out, that was just me.
So towards the end of our relationship, it was the same as yours, she was distant and wasn't as affectionate as she was before. Hol was a very affectionate girl and
sweet and when that changed I knew something was wrong so I decided to bite the bullet and I sat down with her and she told me she couldn't be with me
anymore because she was having feelings for one of the coaching staff and she didn't want to hurt me or lead me on so we broke up"
"Ouch" Emily replied flinching slightly
"I'll admit that it hurt at the time and it hurt my ego but looking back, I'm glad we ended it there instead of continuing to be unhappy" Paige said shrugging "I
knew it wasn't right in the end so there was no use hanging onto it"
"So do you still talk to her?" Emily asked
"Not often" Paige nodded awkwardly "But we'll see each other at events or something and say hi quickly. Her husband doesn't really enjoy me spending that much
time around her which I guess I understand"
"So he knows then" Emily replied
"Yes" Paige said briefly "She was honest with him. Anyway, it was kind of good timing anyway for us. I had nothing left but the Olympics to focus on after so it was
great for me. We broke up about 2 months out from the Games and I decided to publically come out soon after that and she got engaged within 6 months of being
with him. She missed out on a medal in her events but had a pretty good games regardless"
"Yeah but you did better" Emily said with a smirk "Take that Holly"
Paige laughed and nodded
"But sounds like we have a very similar history in love" Paige said
"I think you and I have a bit in common" Emily replied looking around the restaurant
Dinner was great, they finished speaking about their pasts and before they knew it, they were making their way back to their cars and paused almost awkwardly to
say goodbye to each other.
"Well, thanks for inviting me out tonight" Paige began "It was nice to get to know you a bit more"
"Yeah, you too" Emily agreed "Who knew we were so similar in our love lives"
"I know" Paige replied "Sounds like we're both suckers"
"I guess so" Emily laughed
"So…I'll see you tomorrow then?" Paige asked
"You will" Emily replied "Braxton loves going to swimming ever since you got here"
"I'm glad" Paige smiled "What do you think about coming to swimming every Friday?"
"It's certainly growing on me" Emily nodded
"Good night Emily" Paige said quietly
"Night Paige"
They paused for a moment before Emily reached out to hug Paige awkwardly, both unsure of what they should do. The hug was nice, Paige certainly enjoyed it but
she knew she could have done better but she didn't want to push her luck with Emily. They soon broke apart and Emily got in her car, driving away pretty quickly.
Paige sighed and she hit her head lightly on her window and groaned
"Damn it McCullers" Paige groaned frustrated at herself
Hope you liked it! Please review! I should have a new chapter up soon, i have a busy weekend ahead so I'm not sure when i will update next but it will be soon! Did everyone watch the new PLL episode btw? What did everyone think? Mostly of the Paily scenes really! :P