DISCLAIMER: I will never own Pretty Little Liars and all its characters. All characters in this fanfic except for maybe three belong to PLL. A few events in this fanfic were borrowed from the storyline of the PLL TV series. Since I never read the books and mostly focus on PAILY stuff when watching PLL, I have no clear idea about 'A' and their motives for torturing the Liars. That said the motives of the 'A'-team in this fanfic are entirely of my own creation.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: For the lengthy version of what this fanfic is all about, please refer to the Author's Note in the first two chapters.
~To all who took the time to post their reviews about the story so far, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am seriously overwhelmed by your comments. I hope I'll be able to give justice to the story I'm trying to tell. Again, I apologize if I can only post one chapter each week because I still need to polish some of the details in every chapter I finish before posting it so that the story flows well. I plan on completing this story a few days before 3b starts so the chapters are going to be quite lengthy. Thanks for taking the time to read my fanfic and deciding it was worth following.~
~A brief shout out to AliasThorne and shokoshik. Thanks for the PM you guys. I seriously appreciate your comments!~
Chapter 5: Revelations
"Between lovers a little confession is a dangerous thing." – Helen Rowland
"So Mr. Talbot said he saw someone inside the house around 10. That's right around the time Paige's parents and Emily were at the marina." Dani thought out loud as she and Caleb walked out of the house of the neighbor who made the call regarding the attempted burglary at the McCullers' house. "Quick, hold my hand." Dani muttered, remembering they were supposed to act like a couple.
"Gotcha." Caleb said while casually taking Dani's hand in his, his other hand reaching for his phone. He read the message before putting it back in his pocket. "I just got a text from Paige. She said Emily told her the night she went missing her parents were already out looking for her. They knew beforehand that she was missing."
Dani's brows furrowed. "That's a good lead. That means somebody must have told them something that day. Something that made them think Paige was in danger."
"How does that help us? We still need to find out the who and the what in that sentence and honestly, that's what we're doing right now." Caleb said impatiently.
"Quit whining. You're like a girl." Dani said, elbowing him.
"You are so whipped." He tells her, rolling his eyes.
"I'm so not! I just want to help her get to the bottom of things. Plus I kind of want to have a normal family." Dani said seriously.
"I know." Caleb says quietly before a mischievous look crossed his face. "But which reason comes first?" He said, laughing at Dani's face turning red.
"You're such an ass." Dani said punching his arm lightly.
"I'm just looking out for you." Caleb said quietly while rubbing his arm. "I don't want you to get your hopes up. Those two were quite the couple back then."
Dani nodded sadly. "I know that. I was here for the whole will they/won't they thing. Back when they were still trying to sort their feelings out. It really sucked." She confessed. "Then you see them exchanging these glances at school. Double sucked. And then you hear people say that it was just a matter of time before they end up together. Triple sucked." Dani added miserably. "But that version of Emily and Paige are long gone Caleb. And of course I want Paige to be happy again. It's just kinda hard to tell my brain to stop hoping that it would be me who could do that when my heart is kinda stubborn. They're both stubborn. So I'm kind of waiting to see which is more stubborn."
Caleb stopped walking to turn to his stepsister and hug her. "I'm sorry for the triple sucking thing." He said, trying to lighten the mood. He felt Dani chuckle. "I promise I'll be here when you want to attempt to siphon money from the rich to make yourself feel better. Just promise me you'll return it after." Dani finally laughed.
"You're the coolest." She said gratefully.
"What in the hell?!" Hanna's disbelieving voice broke the warm moment between Dani and Caleb as they turned around to see Emily's friends glaring at them infuriatingly.
"What are we doing back here?" Emily asked Paige curiously as they got out of Emily's car. She briefly looked at the building in front of her then back at Paige again. They were in Radnor, standing in front of the place where Paige used to attend the support group for people with MDD.
"I never stopped coming here. Not even after I came back to Rosewood back then." Paige explained. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. It wasn't because I was still thinking about hurting myself." She hurriedly assured Emily when she saw her eyes widen. "Going here has really helped me control my rage. Especially the entire time I was away from you. I just felt lost and this is the second place I felt safe."
Emily exhaled. "You have no idea how relieved that makes me feel. That even if you felt you couldn't talk to me you had a safe place you were able to share your feelings."
Paige laughed wryly. "I said I came here. I didn't say I shared my feelings. I never did that. I wasn't ready to admit the reason why I'm this angry. Saying it out loud terrifies me."
"Then why are we here?" Emily asked, confused.
"Because as much as I couldn't bring myself to face what I did that night, I can't let you go on thinking you were to blame. For you I can be brave." Paige said as she took Emily's hand and led the way inside, her heart pounding at what she was about to do.
"You and Dani are stepsiblings?! How the heck did that happen?!" Hanna asked incredulously once they were back in Spencer's house. Caleb and Dani let Hanna rant at them in public, both thinking it will sell the fact that they were caught sneaking around. As soon as the girls left, Caleb and Dani went their own way and when they thought it was safe, Caleb called Hanna, pleading with her to let them explain.
Dani nodded. "Caleb's mom married my dad a few years ago but I haven't seen my dad since then. I don't even know where they are right now. The people behind what happened to my family don't know that my parents are still alive. My dad said it was better that way. But I refuse to live the rest of my life away from my family so I'm trying to figure it out." She explained.
"And I'm helping her. Because it kinda sucks that I have this real family for the first time and we can't even spend time together the way normal families do." Caleb added.
"Okay but how is it related to what happened to Paige's parents?" Spencer asked, confused.
"We think the people who drove my family out of Rosewood are the same ones who caused the accident." Dani answered. "Paige came to me after she left Rosewood and said she thinks the accident was no accident and that she needed my help to find out what really happened. Our families were really close and we have this theory that my dad said something to Paige's. Something he discovered about the DiLaurentis family."
"And you guys think the day of the accident Paige's father was about to reveal it." Aria chimed in.
Caleb and Dani looked at each other before answering. "Paige said that the day of the accident when her parents ran into Emily, they asked if their daughter was with her and that they looked really worried, almost panicking. We still don't know for sure but that's one of our hunches." Caleb explained.
"But you still have no idea who these people are." Hanna concluded.
"No. We don't. We're still trying to figure it out. That and the why part. Following leads when Dani and I have no excuse to be seen together was hard so we thought if we pretended we were hooking up behind your back 'A' would just use it as a secret against us. And the people here in Rosewood are anything but indiscreet so we knew for certain we could count on them turning a blind eye if they saw us together." Caleb said. "I'm so sorry Hanna."
"Well why didn't you just tell us in the first place that you were stepsiblings?" Hanna asked Caleb, hurt.
"Because if I told you that Dani is my stepsister the conversation would have found its way eventually to the fact that I have been helping them ever since Paige left Rosewood. And would you keep something like that from Emily? We all wanted to keep Emily safe, Han. Paige made me promise that I would look out for Emily while she was gone. You saw how she was when Paige left her. If she knew I know where they are she would never stop asking me until I tell her." Caleb explained gently. "Also, if Emily knew where Paige was and she decided to follow them, then 'A' would definitely know what Paige and Dani are up to. I can't place their lives in danger."
"Well you guys underestimated 'A' if you thought they didn't know what Paige and Dani were up to because 'A' has been following them ever since Paige left." Spencer said.
"Yeah that was a mistake on our part." Caleb admitted.
"That's not the only mistake." Hanna said.
"What do you mean?" Dani asked, curious.
Hanna showed them her phone. While they were talking she got another message from 'A'. In it was a photo of them just now talking in Spencer's living room, the message below making them realize that their charade was over before it even began.
You put on such a good show out there today but don't think you have me fooled. I see everything. – A
Emily settled at the back of the room and watched as Paige nervously made her way to the front. For some reason she felt anxious. Paige told her it was time for Emily to understand that she was never to blame for what happened that night. Ever since the accident Paige shut her out whenever she tried to talk to her about what happened and that frustrated her. But today Paige was willing to talk about it so that Emily will finally forgive herself.
Paige took a deep breath, willing herself to stop fidgeting. You can do this. She thought. She looked at Emily, who nodded at her in encouragement. For Emily. She opened her mouth to speak.
"Hi. My name is Paige." She cleared her throat and raised her voice to be heard. "It's been more than two years since I started attending these support group meetings. Not really saying anything. But today that's about to change."
She looked at Emily and continued. "This morning, for the first time since I came back, I, uh, went to the place where everything started and I ran into the least person I expected. Someone who was with me the night my parents died. My, uh, ex-girlfriend."
She chuckles dryly, staring at her hands. "God that sounds weird to say." She looks at Emily again. "Probably because I never thought she'd be an ex." She smiles sadly. "I always thought we would end up together." She said, swallowing hard. "But, uh, things happened and the next thing we know, here we are, two years later, trying to figure out where we stand. I don't even know where to begin. I, uh, guess for the most part I just wanted her to finally forgive herself for what happened because I never blamed her. I just couldn't stand the person I became since that night. I was mad at myself, never at her. I, uh, never told this to anyone but I figured I needed to say it in a place where I felt safe."
"I love Emily." She said fervently. "That's something I am certain of. But just how much and what I was willing to become for that love, I never realized until that night. That moment when life forces you to choose." She looked down on the ground. "I have these, uh, recurring dreams. More like nightmares actually. I was back in the car, my dad behind the wheel, my mom telling him to drive slower. Emily was beside me, watching me worriedly. We were on our way to the hospital. The next thing I know I was screaming for my dad to watch out and then we went over the cliff and everything was happening in slow motion." She swallowed hard, the pain of having to recall these things evident in her voice.
"I struggled to get up, forced my body to move when I saw Emily was about to go through the front end of the car. I moved just in time to absorb most of the impact. I knew from the excruciating pain that I broke something. Emily was screaming, I was disoriented." She closed her eyes, refusing to look up, not wanting to see Emily's face as she finally bared her soul and showed Emily the monster that she was. "Later at the hospital I was told that my dad died on impact. My mom, I had to take her off life support when I was well enough to stand. For years no one understood why I was so furious. I didn't want anyone to know why. But seeing Emily today at the marina, I realized she had to know."
She finally willed herself to look at Emily. "Ever since that night I was haunted. The realization that no matter how I try to deny it, convince myself that I would do things differently if I had the chance, I wouldn't. Every night I am reminded that I would always choose to save Emily. Always." She felt ashamed again and looked down, avoiding Emily's intense gaze. "My parents died in that car crash and all the while I was facing Emily. Holding her in my arms. I lost consciousness and my last thought was 'Thank God Emily is safe and alive'. They died and my back was turned to them. What kind of a child does that? What kind of person does that make me?" She whispered in agony.
"That's why I decided to leave her. I thought by doing so, by finding out what really happened that night, I could convince myself that there was a moment in all of this madness that I chose my parents instead of Emily. But it wasn't that easy. Because how do you forgive yourself for something like that? How do you reconcile with yourself the reality that given a choice, if the universe forced you to choose, if you had no control over the circumstances, that your instinct would make you save your girlfriend and not your parents? Always. I felt like a monster. I still do. I feel as if I have this horrible thing inside of me for having to convince myself every day that I regret my decision but the truth is I'm glad Emily didn't die. Even if it meant my parents are dead, I am glad Emily is alive. I would rather mourn their deaths for the rest of my life than live in a world without Emily. I am furious at the universe for putting me in such a predicament. For forcing me to choose. For making me see the monster I was capable of becoming. I am mad at myself for my instinct to save Emily and let my parents die and the knowledge that if I was put in the same situation I would choose her again. That I would do things exactly the same. And until I can find a way to deal with that, I just can't. I can't be with Emily."
When she forced herself to look up, Emily was gone.
"So now that the secret was never a secret in the first place, will you guys finally let us help? This is our mess too. Ali was our friend. And if all of this is happening again because of Ali, we deserve to know." Hanna said with conviction.
The stepsiblings looked at each other for a while and then nodded at the girls. "We'll tell you what we can." Dani said as Caleb stood up to go outside and check for any signs of someone watching them.
"Fine. Let's start with how you know about 'A'." Spencer pointedly asked Dani.
Dani sighed. "I don't know the exact details. My parents never disclosed anything to me. What I do know I merely learned by listening in on their conversations when we were still living here." She began. "When Ali's body was discovered, my dad was one of the forensic analysts in the crime lab who handled the evidences. Among those was a blood sample found on Ali's body. He tested it for DNA and found something odd. He said the alleles between the DNA of the sample found and Ali's DNA matched but it wasn't Ali's blood."
"So whoever killed Ali was related to her?" Spencer asked, overwhelmed.
"Maybe. Or maybe she was with someone related to her before she was killed. I don't know for sure." Dani continued. "My dad never found out. All he knows is that the blood belonged to a female, which was odd because as far as I knew, the only woman in that family is her mom, and the blood type doesn't match hers. He was close friends with the DiLaurentises and he figured he'd come to them first as a friend. He brought the results of the test with him and asked them if they knew anything about it. They said they didn't but my dad wasn't convinced. He told them to tell him the truth and come forward if they know who did it but they pleaded with him. Said that what happened was merely an accident. My dad told them that it became murder once Ali's killer buried her body. But they asked him to turn a blind eye just this once because they just lost a child, they couldn't bear the thought of losing another one. So my dad gave them the report and decided to keep the matter quiet."
"What do you mean they couldn't lose another child? The only other child they have is Jason and he's no female." Hanna said, confused.
"Wait, you guys, do you remember that one time Ali said she always thought having an older sister would be cool because they could do things together like shop and stare at boys and share secrets but that she didn't think it would be disgusting?" Aria said, trying to jog their memories.
"When did she say that?" Dani asked, intrigued.
"Uh, I think it was a few months before she disappeared. I remember Hanna even asked if Jason was by any chance gay because he's the only older sibling Ali has." Spencer said.
"Yeah. I remember that day. I remember asking her that and she said she wished that was the case because that was something she could get used to. When we tried asking her what she meant then, she just changed the subject and asked if we knew how much it would cost to make a collect call to France." Hanna offered, finally remembering that day.
"She made calls to France? Do you think this sister of hers lived there?" Dani inquired.
"She didn't say. She just said she planned on calling someone she hoped would be an ally." Aria said. "Why?"
"Because on one of our trips, we followed Ali's trail to the Hamptons. When we searched the place she stayed at while she was there, we found a phone she kept hidden and there were several calls made to a number in France. We tried to trace it but it has been disconnected." Dani revealed.
"Which meant whoever it was she planned on calling she was actually able to talk to several times." Spencer realized.
Dani nodded. "Unfortunately that trail went cold. But because of what you just said it doesn't seem like this person from France killed her. You said she thought this person could be an ally. That meant she was already in trouble and needed this person's help."
Spencer nodded thoughtfully. "It's possible Ali's killer is 'A'. If your dad's secret was uncovered by 'A', that meant he must have done something that threatened to expose who this person is." Spencer concluded.
Dani nodded. "He couldn't take it anymore. The guilt of keeping something like that, of protecting Ali's killer by withholding crucial evidence, kept him up most nights. What he didn't tell Ali's parents was that what he gave them was merely a copy of the report. The original was still with him. One day he called them and said he couldn't take it anymore. Justice had to be served. He was coming forward." Dani swallowed, nervous. "Before he could, I don't know how, but his secret was leaked, discrediting him immediately as a reliable source. We don't know how 'A' found out since it was a sealed file. It happened even before my dad married my mom. He changed his last name in an attempt to start over. But just like that 'A' used it to ruin him. He can't accuse the DiLaurentises and say they were behind what happened because he doesn't have any proof but he had a hunch that whoever did it was connected to them."
"So it was true? About your dad?" Hanna asked cautiously, knowing the issue was a sensitive matter.
Dani nodded again. "When his past became known to the residents of Rosewood he was left with no choice but to tell us the truth. He was assigned to the case of the lonely hearts serial killer in Montana. He botched a sample he was testing, contaminated the evidence so when he testified in court the suspect was released. Seven murders later he was finally convicted. But my dad never lived down the humiliation. People started calling him as the "Lonely Hearts Savior" and the families of those victims blamed him. He couldn't find a job anywhere else so he decided to change his last name, moved to Rosewood, married my mom, and got another shot as a forensic analyst. Until 'A' revealed his secret and the authorities of this town had to do damage control. The DiLaurentises came back to town briefly and turned against him, made a big fuss and told the cops that a person like my father wasn't fit to handle evidence in their daughter's murder because he botched an investigation once, what's to say he won't do it again, or already did? The authorities fired my dad and people started treating me differently. When my parents noticed how much the scandal was affecting my life here in Rosewood, they decided it was time to leave."
"But how did you know about 'A'?" Hanna asked, confused.
"Before we left, the day we were about to leave, I got a text. It said 'Consider this a warning and know that I hate loose ends'. The message was signed by 'A'." Dani said. "That's when I knew that whoever killed Ali was capable of doing much worse things."
"Did you ever see this file?" Aria asked urgently.
Dani shook her head. "No. I tried looking but I never found it. It wasn't until Paige showed up at my doorstep saying her parents are dead and she needed my help that I realized where it was all along. I think Paige's father had it."
"Bridesmaids, Fired Up! and Eurotrip? Wow. Someone needs a massive dose of comedy in her life. You depressed or something?" A saccharine voice asked beside her, startling her. Emily turned to look at the person standing next to her. The girl was almost as tall as her with shoulder-length brown hair and a toothy grin.
"Sort of." Emily replied, not wanting to be rude. "Movie night with my girlfriend." She said before turning her attention back to the stand in front of her that held other comedy movies.
"And you're going for comedy instead of romance? That doesn't sound encouraging." The girl said, trying to make conversation.
"We're not really in the mood to watch romantic movies lately." She said, not looking at the girl.
"I can see that. You're like, hoarding the movies I rent when I feel like killing myself." The girl laughed, not knowing she struck a chord. "I'm Tara. I'm new around here." The girl said, extending her hand.
Emily stiffened and turned to her. "I really have to get going. Welcome to Rosewood." Emily said, ignoring the girl's outstretched hand and walking past her towards the checkout counter to pay for the DVDs.
"I didn't catch your name." Tara said after her.
"I didn't give it." Emily said curtly before walking out the door.
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"You sail?" Someone asked Emily, distracting her from her thoughts. She was standing at their spot at the marina, facing the open waters, trying to get a moment of peace. Turning around, she saw that the question came from a girl she recognized but couldn't remember.
"Not really. My girlfriend used to. I just came along." Emily said, turning around to face the water again.
"Used to? What she got bored or something?" The girl asked again, moving to stand beside Emily.
"Her boat was set on fire a few months ago. Kinda hard to sail without a boat don't you think?" Emily said, not bothering to look at the girl who she was now irritated at for ruining her moment of peace.
"Well in that case, if you want you guys can borrow mine. I rarely use it anyway. It's the one right over there." Tara pointed to a certain boat moored at the docks but Emily wasn't interested. "She's a beauty. I call her The Temptress. I have a feeling you guys could use the fresh air. Just by looking at you I'm guessing the comedy movie night didn't do wonders for your relationship." The girl said.
Emily looked at her curiously. Who is this girl? "And… I can see you have no idea who I am. I'm Tara? We met at the rental shop? Bridesmaids, Fired Up!, Eurotrip?" Tara said, trying to jog Emily's memory.
Recognition finally dawned on Emily. "Oh. Right. Of course. You're new around town."
"Kinda new. I've been here for a few weeks now. I have to say, I think I like what this quaint little town of yours has to offer so far." Tara said in a way that made Emily feel she was talking about her and not the sights around the town.
"So… you said your girlfriend's boat was set on fire? Was it an insurance scam or something?" Tara asked, trying to make conversation.
"Why would you think that? That's horrible." Emily said, offended. "No. It wasn't set on fire by my girlfriend. She was actually inside, unconscious when the boat was set on fire." Emily finally said, finding it refreshing to talk to someone who wasn't in Rosewood when the tragedy happened.
"Now that's horrible. But she survived, right? I mean if you two are watching comedy movies that must mean she survived. Unless you're like, a ghost whisperer or something." Tara said.
"She survived but it was never the same." Emily admitted. "We, me and her parents, got there just in time. We were on our way to the hospital to have her checked out but before we got there we got into this car accident. Her parents died and she barely survived." Emily continued, grateful to have someone to talk to other than her friends.
"And ever since then she has been distant." Tara finished. "Where is she now?"
Emily looked at the water again. "Radnor. Attending a support group for people with MDD. I get to see her this weekend though which is good because I really want to be there for her." Emily said.
"Oh." Tara said in a tone that made Emily look at her again.
"What do you mean by that?" Emily asked.
"Nothing. I just... I thought for a second there you were going to say you can't wait to see her because you miss her and love her." Tara said carefully, not wanting to offend her.
"I think that's a given." Emily said defensively.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it." Tara apologized. "So, does she talk about it? The accident?" Tara asked, trying to change the subject a little.
"Not really. She said she barely remembered anything before that day. The only thing she remembered was when she woke up in the car moments before the accident. Everything else she doesn't remember." Emily admitted.
Tara nodded. "Repressed memories. Do you want her to remember?" Tara asked curiously.
"I don't know." Emily said, confused. "I feel like if she remembered then maybe she would have an easier time accepting that it was an accident, nothing more. But if something else happened, something more horrible, it could make her even more self-destructive." Emily said, trying to understand her own feelings. "She was missing that day and we found her inside the boat. I don't know if it's better if she remembered why she went missing or not."
"In my opinion, I think it's better if she didn't remember." Tara said, making Emily look at her questioningly. "I've been there." She explained. "I have a sister. She had the perfect life before she found out something she didn't want to and it changed everything." Tara said quietly.
"What happened?" Emily asked, noting the sadness in Tara's voice.
Tara shook her head. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry but it's not my secret to share." Tara said. "But that's just my opinion. I don't know the first thing about your girlfriend anyway right?" Emily just nodded. "Listen, I have to go. I kind of have to be somewhere and now I'm running late." Tara said suddenly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take up your time." Emily said apologetically.
"Oh, don't worry. It's totally cool." Tara said, waving her hand dismissively before lowering her voice to whisper conspiratorially. "I'm trying to put off going to the dentist so I actually owe you one." She said, making Emily smile.
"Wow, you're even more beautiful when you smile." She said, talking in her normal voice again and then shrugged. "I just saw you and you looked so sad so I came over. I recognized you as the girl from the rental store." Tara smiled her toothy grin again. "I'll see you around then." She said as she turned to walk towards the row of cars in the distance.
"Emily." Emily shouted after her. Tara turned to look at her, confused. "I'm Emily." Emily called after Tara before giving her a wave.
"Well I look forward to seeing you around town. Emily." Tara smiled again and ran towards her car.
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"You look like you're about to hurl." Tara said behind Emily, startling her.
"You really need to start wearing a bell around your neck or something. You scared me half to death just now." Emily said, laughing nervously as she looked at Tara.
"I'm kinda sneaky that way." Tara said, winking at her and smiling proudly. "I didn't mean to startle you. You just seemed like you're about to get sick. Something bothering you?" She asked as she stood beside Emily at the spot in front of the marina she usually found the raven-haired girl.
"It's nothing really. Just passing the time until I have to pick up Paige from Radnor." Emily said, obviously distracted.
"So the prodigal girlfriend finally returns home today. She's going to stay for good?" Tara asked.
"Yeah. At least I hope so." Emily said nervously.
"Not to state the obvious then but shouldn't you be ecstatic that your girlfriend is coming home? Why are you so nervous?" Tara asked carefully.
"I am ecstatic. I just... I kind of got used to not seeing her on a daily basis. Like we were on some sort of schedule and for the rest of the week I can focus on me because I know she's somewhere out there getting better. That even if I wasn't around I know she's going to be safe because she's getting the help she needs." Emily confessed, feeling horrible.
"But now that she's coming back you think you have to take on the role of being the perfect girlfriend again." Tara said cautiously. She continued when Emily didn't say anything. "I knew you were the perfect girlfriend because I asked around town. You two were quite the couple before the accident weren't you? The people I talked to couldn't stop gushing about how perfect you two are for each other."
"The people in this town put us on a pedestal. We weren't the perfect couple. They just had this vision of us in their heads and before I knew it I fit the part perfectly. But not Paige. She didn't care what the people of this town thought of us. She never gave in to the pressure." Emily said sadly.
Tara nodded slowly in understanding. "It was easier for Paige to get down from that pedestal because she was never on it in the first place. Unlike you. And now you can't seem to find a way to get down. When Paige went away, you were briefly released from that role of being the perfect girlfriend and it made you feel relieved."
"I'm such a horrible person." Emily whispered shakily, closing her eyes.
"No. You're not." Tara said firmly. "You're just human. And right now you're anxious about her coming home because you got so used to seeing her rarely these past few months but now you have to get used to seeing her every day again. And unlike before, you have no excuse not to because she's not in Radnor anymore, she's in Rosewood again." Tara said, putting into words the feelings Emily were too scared to say.
"I don't deserve her." Emily said, pained.
"Hey." Tara said softly, turning to face Emily and touching her shoulder lightly. "Look at me." She said gently. Emily finally opened her eyes and looked at Tara. "There's no judgment here okay? I'm just here to listen." Tara said reassuringly.
Emily sighed. "I'm just tired of being known as Paige's supportive, perfect girlfriend when the truth is I'm anything but. The people in this town expect me to be this perfect girl, like if I do one wrong thing I would become less of a good person." Emily confessed.
"Well right now it's just the two of us here. I've never met you before so I have no idea who this supportive, perfect girlfriend is. All I can see is the Emily who is scared to admit the truth." Tara said.
"What truth is that?" Emily asked, curious.
"This." Tara said before bringing her lips to Emily's, surprising her. The kiss was gentle yet firm. The feel of Tara's lips on hers was foreign. It's been a while since someone kissed her. Since she felt wanted. And for a second she let herself be kissed by the girl standing in front of her, closing her eyes.
Paige. Emily's eyes snapped open, pulling away abruptly from Tara. She fiercely wiped the sensation of Tara's lips on hers, tears stinging her eyes. "What are you doing?!" Emily asked, furious. At Tara. At herself.
"Trying to show you that your feelings have changed." Tara said calmly.
"No they haven't! I love Paige!" Emily said vehemently, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I didn't say you didn't. But there's a difference between loving someone and being in love with them. Otherwise you wouldn't be this conflicted about Paige coming back in your life like some constant thing. It wouldn't terrify you." Tara said intensely.
Constant. Emily thought. I'm Paige's constant. The tears now flowed freely from Emily's eyes, her hand angrily wiping her mouth again. A memory comes to her unbidden, "No matter what happens, YOU are my constant." Paige said to her, smiling widely, earnestly. She backed away from Tara and ran towards her car. Paige. I'm so sorry.
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In Emily's haste to get home and start packing after meeting Paige at the marina just moments ago, she accidentally bumped into someone. Hard. "Whoa! Slow down tiger! You almost tore off my arm. Where's the fire?" Emily stiffened and goose bumps started to form on her arms when Tara's hand touched her shoulder lightly.
"Please don't touch me." Emily whispered urgently, looking around nervously to see if people were staring at them. She's Paige's girlfriend and Tara was standing too close.
Tara immediately did what Emily asked of her and stepped back as well. "Sorry. It's just that you almost tore off my arm when you whizzed past me just now. Where are you going in such a hurry?" She asked gently.
"Home. I need to pack." Emily answered as she turned her back to Tara. She was about to break into a run when Tara asked her another question.
"Where are you headed?" Tara asked curiously.
Emily faced her again and shrugged. "We don't know yet. But Paige and I are leaving tomorrow night."
"The perfect girlfriend eloping with the prodigal girlfriend. Sounds romantic." Tara said wryly. "Did you tell her?" She asked in a low voice.
Emily shot Tara a warning look. "Please don't ruin this for me. I can't lose her." She begged, terrified.
"Hey. Not my business if you want to keep lying to her." Tara said, briefly raising her arms in front of her defensively. "But Emily, you and I both know you're far from the perfect girlfriend you insist on playing and sooner or later you'll tell her about that kiss yourself. When that happens and she can't find a way to forgive you, you know where to find me." Tara said sincerely before turning her back to Emily and walking in the opposite direction.
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"Emily, the new hire's here. I need you to show her the ropes." Kevin said to her before disappearing to the back room. Emily turned around and saw Tara, smiling at her.
"What are you doing here?" Emily asked nervously.
"I'm the new hire. Show me the ropes." Tara said in a voice that sounded like it was that obvious.
"No you're not." Emily said, in denial. "Are you following me or something?" Emily whispered urgently.
"Whoa. Relax. I'm not following you. Though it would be nice if you did return one of my calls. But no. I'm not following you." Tara said. "I'm here to work. I used to be a barista."
Emily still looked wary so Tara continued. "Listen. I'm not here to cause trouble okay? I just really need this job. If I wanted to ruin your life I would have rushed to Paige the moment she came back and told her about what happened. But I promise I will not breathe a word of that incident to anyone. You can trust me. Scout's honor." She said. "Besides, Paige isn't even around anymore. There's no need to actively avoid me."
"I'm not avoiding you." Emily said defensively. "Fine." She continued after a beat. "As long as the only reason you came to work here is because you said you were a barista. No other reason."
"No other reason." Tara said, smiling her toothy grin again.
"I thought you left." Paige's voice startled Emily. She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes before facing her. "No. I just… I had to get some air." She admitted. "I… I needed a moment."
Paige took this as a sign that Emily saw her the way she saw herself. "I'm disgusting aren't I?" Paige asked Emily resignedly. "I probably lost you forever because of what I said in there. I mean, how could you be with someone who was so selfish even her instinct made her save her girlfriend and not her parents?" She asked dejectedly.
Emily shook her head vehemently, her heart breaking for the girl standing in front of her. All this time, Paige was feeling this self-hatred and she was so focused on her own pain, she didn't see it. Paige looked so tired and broken and Emily finally understood a little why she let the darkness consume her, why she was so full of rage all this time. She had to make Paige understand. "No, I'm not disgusted with you Paige. I will never be disgusted with you." She said earnestly. "But, why did you tell me? If it meant you could lose me forever why did you tell me anyway?" She asked nervously.
"Well for one, at some point you have to stop blaming yourself for the accident when it was never your fault." Paige began. "You said my parents were looking for me. Whether you asked them to take you to the marina or not, I think they would have gone there to look for me at some point." She explained.
"Maybe so. But if they went there without me and the accident still happened, then maybe we wouldn't be standing here right now because you won't have to regret the mistake of saving me." Emily said softly.
"Weren't you listening? Saving you was never a mistake Em." Paige said firmly. "It will never be a mistake. I'm just mad because I was forced to choose. But I'm not mad at the choice I made. I'm mad because my choice caused the death of my parents." Paige tried to explain.
"You're human Paige. You don't have superpowers. There's nothing you could have done to save them. They were on the front end of the car. The impact of the crash killed them. Not your inability to be fast enough." Emily said gently. "The only reason we are even alive is because you somehow found the strength to protect both of us." She walked closer to Paige. "You saved my life that night. I am here because you risked your life for me again. How could I ever think you are a monster, or that you are disgusting?" She asked, desperate to make Paige see the one spot of light in the darkness that consumed her.
She continued, trying to make Paige understand. "And don't think we came out of that accident scot-free. You barely survived the accident Paige. And I may not have sustained serious injuries like yours but holding your hand while you flat-lined several times was terrifying. You died on me. Thrice. I watched as you were revived 3 times on the way to the hospital. I didn't think you were going to make it. And even if it made me feel horrible as well, I'm not ashamed to admit I felt relieved that you were alive because I didn't know how I could make it without you." Emily confessed. "We both had those thoughts, 'Thank God she's alive.' But it doesn't mean we were relieved someone else died in our place. It doesn't make us monsters. Just human. You have to find a way to forgive yourself as well."
Emily smiled sadly. "Your parents would never love you less for being the kind of person they raised you to be. Wherever they are I know they are beaming proudly at you for becoming the kind of person they always knew you were. Someone who would put her life at risk to save the person she loves. Whether it was them or me." Emily continued emotionally. "And I will never see you as a monster when you are always risking your life for me. I think you know that. Somewhere inside that stunning yet stubborn head of yours you know that. But somehow that thought was lost in you when you let the darkness and rage consume you. When you felt you had a choice on who to save at that moment when in reality we were lucky to just be alive after that accident. Your instinct didn't tell you to save me Paige. It told you to do what you can to keep from happening to us what was about to happen to your parents."
"It doesn't change the fact that they're dead does it?" Paige said, still refusing to forgive herself.
Emily studied Paige for a second and suddenly realized the reason Paige refused to be with her. "It's not just that being around me reminds you of that day isn't it?" Emily said sadly, finally understanding that it wasn't just because Paige refused to forgive herself. Nor was it just because she refused to understand that there was nothing she could have done to save her parents. "You think because you survived, the least you could do is not live the rest of your life being happy. You think this is your punishment." Emily said, realization dawning on her.
"I don't get to survive something like that and live the rest of my life being happy with you. I don't deserve that." Paige said dejectedly.
For the first time since Paige came back, Emily finally accepted Paige's decision to just be friends. The night she agreed to try, she did it reluctantly because she thought it was better than nothing. But today, she finally understood what Paige meant when she said that she can't give what Emily needed nor become the person Emily needed her to be. Not right now. She smiled sadly, resigned. "I'm sorry for not listening to what you were trying to say all along. But I'm listening now." Emily tried to hide the pain in her voice. "Unless you find a way to reconcile the truth that us surviving wasn't a punishment but a blessing, we can't be together."
"I'm sorry." Paige whispered sadly. "The last thing I want is to hurt you more than I already have. And I know that is exactly what I would do if I forced myself to be in a relationship with you again when the reason why I left hasn't changed even when I came back."
Emily nodded. "So what's the other reason?" She asked curiously.
"Other reason for what?" Paige asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"Even if it terrified you because you said you could lose me forever you still told me why you were so full of rage all these years. What was the other reason?" Emily asked again.
"Oh." Paige took a deep breath before answering. "Because even if it meant losing you? I will always choose to surrender to what we have. Whether we are together or not. I would rather tell you the truth even if it was ugly, even if it came too late because while there is a big chance that you could walk away from me, you have proven countless times that with us there will always be that small possibility that you would stick around and no matter what, I will always choose to gamble on that small chance." Paige said earnestly.
For a moment, Emily just stared at Paige in awe, the girl's words taking her breath away. She forgot this side of Paige. The side that always found a way for Emily to fall more in love with her. She didn't see it before. Didn't understand when Aria told her to do it. But now she realized for the first time that Paige has always surrendered to her. Something she was never able to do to Paige in the entirety of their relationship. Until today. There was another reason she and Paige shouldn't get back together. At least not right now.
"I cheated on you." Emily looked Paige straight in the eye while she said the words slowly, finally taking a step towards surrendering to Paige.
"Wait, are you sure about that Dani?" Spencer asked cautiously.
By now, Caleb has made a thorough sweep around the Hastings residence and said there was no one watching them. Whoever it was that took the photo of them a while ago was gone. He sat beside Hanna to join in on the discussion.
"Pretty sure." He said, barely catching the end of the conversation. "Paige said the night before Dani's family left Rosewood, Dani's father paid Paige's parents a visit and he had with him a folder but when he left he wasn't carrying anything."
"So where's the folder now?" Hanna asked.
"That's what we're trying to find out. There are still a lot of things we need to figure out but our next step is definitely finding a way to get into Paige's old house and we need Paige's help on that." Dani said.
"Why? You don't think the report is still inside that house? I mean, the new owners would have seen it lying around and given it to the cops once they found it." Aria said.
"Unless it was hidden." Spencer answered for Caleb and Dani. "You guys think it was hidden by Paige's father."
Caleb and Dani nodded. "Something as important as that? Common sense would make you hide it." Caleb said confidently. "When I was hacking into the police reports, I stumbled upon a case that was filed regarding an attempted burglary at the McCullers residence. At first I didn't see the significance of it because the report said there was no sign of a break-in or forced entry and when the police responded to the call, everything was in order and nothing seemed to be missing." Caleb said.
"So why did we see you guys near Paige's old house?" Hanna asked, confused.
"Because the more I thought about it the more it seemed fishy." Caleb answered, looking at his girlfriend.
Dani continued filling them in. "On a hunch we decided to talk to Mr. Talbot since he was the neighbor who called the cops that night. He said he saw some movement inside the house around 10 but didn't call the cops immediately because he thought it was just the trees, reflecting its movements on the windows. He called them at around 10:30 when he noticed someone leave through the back door. He didn't see who it was or how many of them there were, just that there was a shadow. But when the cops came the door was locked and nothing seemed out of place."
"Because of the time discrepancy, the first time I read the report I thought it wasn't related. But today, we're starting to think it was. If Mr. Talbot saw movement around 10, it was around the same time Emily and Paige's parents got to the marina." Caleb said.
"Now more than ever we need Paige to remember what happened before she went missing because we're starting to think it was all an elaborate plan by 'A' to get that file." Dani added.
Spencer suddenly spoke. "I've been thinking." She began. "All this time we thought 'A' left to follow Paige but what if that wasn't the case? What if there's more than one 'A' again and they just wanted us to think we were finally safe when the reality was they were watching us the whole time?"
"How many are we talking about here?" Aria asked, nervous.
Spencer shrugged. "At least 2. I mean one left to follow Paige and Dani to see what they uncover while the other stayed behind to watch us."
"What makes you say that?" Dani asked.
"Well for one we should never underestimate the lengths people will go to, to keep a secret. As much as possible they would want to cover all bases. One of them had to follow Paige and Dani to make sure they were one step ahead. But at the same time, someone had to stay behind to watch us. Ali's friends. Ali was killed because she knew something. We got that from what Dani told us earlier. If I was 'A', I would want to know for certain if Ali told anyone else about that secret. So I would keep a very close eye on her friends." Spencer explained.
Hanna nodded. "And remember that text we got the night Paige returned?" She said. "Now that Paige and Dani are back, more secrets will come out. That means the whole time we thought we were safe, 'A' was biding their time, waiting for the right moment to cause fear in our lives again. Who knows how many secrets they managed to gather all this time? Emily's came out." She accidentally blurted out, piquing Dani's interest.
"What's Fields' secret?" She asked.
"Nothing that should concern you." Caleb said quickly. "This one's between Paige and Emily. Let it go okay?"
Dani scoffed. "Fine. Paige will tell me anyway. She always tells me." She said confidently, earning several eye rolls from the girls and a resigned look from Caleb.
Paige couldn't breathe. Her mind was too busy trying to process what she just heard. Emily did what?
She cleared her throat. "You did what?" Her voice was so hoarse she thought someone else asked the question for her. She really needed to breathe or she might pass out. "When?" She asked, not giving Emily a chance to answer the first question. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears. "Who?" She continued to ask questions without giving Emily a chance to answer. She felt numb. Was it right to feel numb? "Why?" She asked the last question, the hurt evident in her voice.
Emily looked down at her feet, wishing the earth would swallow her whole right now. She was so ashamed and she couldn't bear to see the pain Paige was in. She knew Paige was going to be so furious about her indiscretion but she will choose to believe Paige's love for her will outweigh that fury someday. She swallowed hard, trying to quell the dryness in her mouth.
"I cheated on you." She repeated. "It was the day I picked you up from Radnor. I was with Tara and I was so nervous about you coming back for good and I felt so confused because while I felt happy you were coming home a part of me got so used to not seeing you every day and that part was overwhelmed with doubts. I… I had a brief moment of doubt and then Tara kissed me and I didn't stop it at first because a part of me felt I was wanted again. But I remembered you and I pushed her away and I knew it was a mistake immediately." Emily rambled on; answering the questions Paige threw at her in one breath.
"You cheated on me… with Tara. The girl who eventually became your girlfriend." Paige scoffed at the irony. "Well I'm glad Tara was able to help you in your brief moment of doubt Em. She took one for the team. I guess I owe her one then." Paige heard herself say bitterly. For a moment she just looked at Emily, trying to process how she felt about Emily's second indiscretion. First with Nate. Then with Tara. Are you fucking kidding me?!
"That's why you were late." Paige said, realization dawning on her. "That's why you were crying and seemed so upset. You were feeling guilty because before you picked me up you made a pit stop and let someone mack you first in a brief moment of doubt." Paige was trying her best to control the anger she was feeling when something Emily said made her forget her rage. Emily had doubts. Paige was hit with a sudden wave of sorrow. She smiled sadly. "You were so confused about me coming back." She said quietly. "You doubted me. You had a brief moment of doubt about my feelings for you because of the way I have treated you ever since the accident. You felt I didn't want you anymore."
Emily shook her head, fighting the urge to cry. "No. It's not just that. I doubted my feelings for you as well. At that time I didn't want to admit it but the truth was I started to doubt us. If there was even an 'us' at all. I felt so horrible because when you were in Radnor I felt like I could stop feeling guilty for wanting to move forward with my life. Because I knew someone else was worrying about you. It wasn't just me anymore."
"You felt relieved that I wasn't around every day. That I became someone else's problem. Someone else's responsibility. You didn't realize it but back then you started seeing me as a burden." Paige said the words she felt Emily was too scared to say. "I'm sorry the thought of me interrupted your make out session with Tara." Paige said, indifferent.
"I stopped the kiss because I realized that while I had doubts, it didn't change the truth that I still love you. That I am still in love with you. I never saw you as a burden or a responsibility Paige. I just… I felt so guilty for wanting to continue living my life when you refused to do the same with yours. When I was around you I felt like if I even thought about moving forward for a second people would start seeing me as this incredibly selfish person because I was so impatient to start living my life again. They would see it as me leaving you behind. Like I was being inconsiderate for refusing to mourn with you. But when you went to Radnor I stopped feeling that way." Emily said, trying to explain.
"It's like I have a life that is separate from us because the only time there was an 'us' was when I came to Radnor to see you. I started to feel that people weren't expecting me to be the perfect girlfriend all the time anymore because you weren't around. In their minds whenever I went to visit you in Radnor I was playing the role of the supportive, perfect girlfriend they've always thought I was. And when I was in Rosewood they just saw me as the girl who survived that horrible accident. That's why I felt so confused about your return. A part of me didn't want to let go of that feeling as selfish as it may sound. But another part of me couldn't wait to have you back in my life again. I'm so sorry Paige." She said, unable to stop the tears from falling this time.
Paige shook her head. "No! Don't be sorry!" She said forcefully. "Don't be sorry because if you've felt this way about us for years then this conversation has been long overdue." She said, realizing that there were more problems between them than just Paige's inability to forgive herself. "We're here now. Just get it out in the open." She said firmly. "Here's your chance Em."
Emily knew Paige was furious. She felt ashamed but she knew she had to tell Paige everything. "Being around Tara when things were so tense between us back then was a welcome relief. I met her at the rental store before I came over for our movie night. She just arrived in town that day and I was completely rude to her." She swallowed hard.
"I saw her again at the marina a few days before I came to Radnor to visit you. I didn't remember her at first but she introduced herself again and I found myself opening up to her. It felt so easy to talk to her because she was new in Rosewood. She didn't know anything about the accident, about me or about us. I felt like I could tell her what I was feeling without the fear of being judged." She said, blinking back tears.
"Tara made me feel like I didn't have to be perfect all the time. That I am flawed. And that it was okay." Emily bit back a sob. "I'm not perfect Paige. The people in Rosewood always saw me as this perfect girlfriend it became so hard to live up to everyone's expectations. It was easy for you because you never cared what they thought. Unlike me. I felt pressured to be this perfect girlfriend for you all the time and I couldn't take it anymore."
Paige laughed cynically. "Easy? Tell me the part where I had it easy Emily. You insist that they expected you to be the perfect girlfriend for me through all of this. So what's my role?"
"Paige…" Emily said apologetically through her tears, knowing what was about to come.
"Tell me." She said adamantly then continued after a beat. "You know what, I'll tell you. You think my role in all of this was to play the suffering girlfriend." Paige said stonily. "If you keep on insisting that we are playing roles in this relationship then it's not a surprise that at some point I've become a burden to you." She said quietly.
"No. I never saw you that way." Emily said vehemently. "I just didn't know what to do anymore. I wanted to support you through your grief but I wanted to move forward with my life too. When I couldn't figure out how to do both, somewhere along the way I felt the need to compromise one or the other and I felt like I was disappointing everyone." She admitted, ashamed.
Paige shook her head sadly. "This… this is why I resented being called as the 'IT' couple of Rosewood. Because I know you. And I know that at some point the way they saw us was going to affect how you saw yourself." She swallowed the resentment she was feeling. "What I wouldn't give to take back all those horrible years Em. What I wouldn't give to take back every action I did, every hurtful word I said to you."
She spoke in a tone that was full of bitterness. "You put yourself on that pedestal and when you couldn't find a way down you blamed everyone around you." Tears fell from Paige's eyes and she furiously wiped it away. "Ever since I've known you, you were so scared to commit a mistake, scared to make people see that you are flawed just like the rest of us… so much so that you worked yourself to death trying to please everyone. I never expected you to be perfect Emily. I wanted you to strive to be better. Because of course you're not perfect! Nobody is."
"And yet you put me on a pedestal just like the rest of them." Emily said bitterly. "More than anyone, it was the hardest living up to the version of me you have in your head."
"I never put you on any pedestal Emily. And I never lost sight of the reality that you are flawed. I just chose to see the best in you. Time and time again. Tell me what's so wrong with that?" Paige said in a voice that was barely audible.
"Don't you get it?" Emily asked, frustrated. "The intensity of the love you have for me is the pedestal you put me on. I gladly climbed that pedestal. And even if the version of me I saw at the top was the hardest to live up to, I refused to get down from it. Because I don't want to give up that love even if I didn't deserve it." Emily said through her sobs. "I could barely hold on when things started to get rough between us."
Paige didn't know what else to do and she somehow found herself hugging Emily despite the hurt she was feeling. "You held on for as long as you could." She whispered while running her hand through Emily's hair. "Any other person would have walked away. But you didn't. I was the one who walked away, remember?" She said, suddenly exhausted.
She closed her eyes in agony, knowing that while there was no excuse for what Emily did, she was partly to blame for the reason why Emily started to doubt them. Where do we go from here? "I'm sorry I took you for granted after the accident. That I made you feel like you weren't wanted, or you weren't enough. And I'm sorry that I was in so much pain and that I felt so much rage I forgot you were hurting as well." Paige said softly.
Emily shook her head against Paige's chest. "Don't apologize for grieving. I'm sorry I was so selfish and so impatient to move forward I didn't try harder to get through to you. That I didn't see the self-hatred you felt all this time." She whispered sadly. "I'm sorry I cheated on you again." She sobbed.
"There was only so much you could do Em. Trust me, if you tried any harder to get through to me, you would have gotten even more hurt." Paige assured her. She finally felt Emily's arms wrap around her waist and they held each other tightly for a moment. "Why did you tell me this now?" She asked after a while.
Emily looked at her, her eyes still glistening with tears. Paige brought her hand to Emily's cheeks and wiped it away gently. "'A' had a photo of me and Tara kissing and I didn't want you to find out that way." Emily admitted, extremely embarrassed that one of her motivations for being honest with Paige was 'A's threat but Paige nodded without saying anything.
"And I realized that you've always surrendered to me, to us, but I never did." Emily said quietly. "I didn't tell you back then because we were in such a bad place I couldn't risk it. I couldn't do it because I don't think I can take it if I lost you. I wasn't brave enough or strong enough. Until today. I decided it was time I surrendered to you."
Paige smiled quizzically. "What are you talking about Em?" She said, brushing a few strands of hair away from Emily's eyes tenderly. "You've surrendered to me too."
"When?" Emily asked, confused.
"Well I could think of a few instances. Like when you told me about kissing Nate. And when you told me about 'A'." Paige said softly. "You're brave Em. You've surrendered to me without realizing it. And you may not think you're strong enough but you survived without me these past two years. That's strength. Don't ever sell yourself short."
Paige, please tell me you can forgive me someday. Emily looked at Paige for a moment before stepping away from her. She brought her hands to her neck to undo the clasp of her necklace. Paige looked on as Emily removed the ring from it and took Paige's hand in hers, placing the ring on Paige's palm.
"You like Dani don't you?" Emily asked softly, not daring to look Paige in the eye knowing she was going to breakdown if she did. "I knew it the moment I saw you at the bus station." She swallowed hard, trying to stop the tears from coming. "Have you told her yet?"
"No." Paige said quietly. She knew where this was going but somehow she didn't have the courage to lie to Emily.
"You should." Emily said, a sob escaping from her lips. "You should see where things go with her. Because… I don't want you to be lonely anymore and you need someone to be there for you while you go through all of this, something I failed to do years ago." She fought to control her tears.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to be that person but Dani… she's been there for you ever since you left Rosewood and I think if you'll let her… she won't disappoint you like I did." The tears streamed down Emily's cheeks when she felt Paige's arms around her neck and she wrapped her arms around Paige's waist again.
"What about you?" Paige asked softly as tears flowed freely from her eyes.
"I don't want to be selfish anymore." Emily said between sobs. "I'm brave right? And I'm strong. So I'm surrendering." She said, swallowing hard. "When you're ready, when you've found a way to forgive me, give me back that ring." She whispered.
Paige nodded and swallowed hard before pulling away from Emily. Wiping her eyes, she looked at the ring and noticed something different about it. "This date wasn't here before. You had it inscribed? Why?" She asked.
"I'll tell you someday." Emily said, smiling sadly. "For now let's just go home." She said as she held out her hand to Paige, holding the other girl's hand firmly knowing it could possibly be the last time she held Paige's hand in hers.
Somewhere in Rosewood, a lone figure looked around cautiously before going inside a house, only to be greeted immediately by the presence of people in the living room, waiting impatiently.
"Dani and Caleb revealed their suspicions to Ali's friends. They're going to start working together now. It's going to be hard keeping an eye on all of them. But I'm up to the challenge and they think there're only two of us." The newcomer said, and then continued contemptuously. "I'm bored already. Are we ever going to leave this wretched town? We already got what we needed the night of the fire." The newcomer directed its words to one of the people seated. "If not, we need to increase the body count."
"Dani and Paige returned to Rosewood because they found something big. All this time someone was helping them and you were careless not to watch Caleb." The person said disapprovingly.
"Hey I did what I could! And I made up for it didn't I? I knew the moment those two interacted in public that it was a ruse and now we know why." The newcomer said defensively.
"You need to up your game. What we got from that stupid safe was merely a copy. Again. The original is still out there. Until we find it, we will continue to watch them. Then I will decide if the body count will rise." The figure said ominously.
"Fine. But this time I don't want anyone interfering with how I decide to finish the job. Your methods were so childish that we only got two out of three. Paige was spared from the fire and then survived the accident; she doesn't get to live for the third time. You know how much I hate loose ends." The newcomer said scornfully before heading upstairs.