First, I'd like to apologize for the horrible delay in updating. My computer died and work/life was really busy. Second, thanks to everyone that has left feedback, alerted for story updates and emailed. It's much appreciated. I'm sad to say that after this chapter I will have the epilogue. It's half-finished so it wont take as long as this update took. As with the last chapters please point out any mistakes I may have made. English is not my first language and I do not have a beta reader. =)

4

It wasn't the sound of her mobile that woke her from her slumber. No, that ring tone was one she was well familiar with (so familiar, it had actually blended effortlessly into her dream). It wasn't the warm arms that hugged her closer to the soft, long limbed body pressed against her back that forced her brown eyes to open. It was the tender kiss between her shoulder blades that brought her into the present.

"I may have to reassess your hotness factor if you've actually chosen that ringtone on purpose," Naomi's voice muttered, sleepily. "What the fuck is that?"

Smiling softly, Emily reached over to the night stand in search of her phone, half dragging Naomi's upper body with her (the blonde's hands refusing to relinquish their hold on her breasts just yet). "It's Katie's tone," she explained. Her eyes darted to the floor where the mobile was currently lighting up a section of the white tiles. "Shit. It's on the floor." As Emily bent over to grab it, Naomi's nails tickled her skin as they traveled across her rib cage to her lower back. "We had a row earlier and-" she looked at the blonde a second, her breath catching at the sight of her naked, disheveled hair framing her beautiful face, blue eyes still a bit sleepy. She answered the mobile in a clearly irritated manner, "You've got to be shitting me, Katie, it's too fucking early in the morning for this… Yeah? So what…" She looked away, "I know, but… Katie, I meant what I said earlier…"

All the while, Naomi couldn't stop herself from running her fingers up and down the velvety back in front of her. She couldn't stop her nose softly brushing Emily's hair out of the way before another kiss was pressed against her skin. She couldn't stop inhaling the scent of her. She simply couldn't stop anything that had to do with the young woman in front of her. "I want to hear her voice," she hotly whispered in her ear, feeling a quake emanate from the redhead.

Emily put her sister on speaker. "Look, Em, stop being such a spectacular cunt, okay?" was the first thing Naomi heard. She almost giggled.

"She has a lisp?" the blonde asked instead. Her eyes widened at the same time Emily half turned towards her. She would have mucked up a second time with an apology had a small hand not been covering her mouth.

"Who's that?" a confused voice originated from the phone.

"It's the telly. I'm-"

"What the fuck? I know you're lying, bitch. Who's there?"

"No one." But her eyes silently communicated to the woman in question that that was the furthest from the truth.

"Fuck you, you cunting slut. JJ's having a fit saying he's lost you and Cora-" the tirade was cut off by Emily quickly flipping the phone shut.

"Fuckity fuck!" Emily closed her eyes and gently tapped the side of her forehead with the phone, "Fuck."

"She sounds charming." Naomi bit her lip in a failed attempt to stop a smile from forming at Emily's un-amused glare. The blonde leaned forward, ready to kiss that frown away before both jumped as a renewed ringing startled them.

Emily rolled her eyes before answering with a groan, "What- …I will be there! I don't need you to pick me up. I'm taking the train from Paddington... For fucks sake, Katie. Ugh! Leave me the fuck alone!"

Naomi watched in obvious surprise as Emily hung up once again on her sister and hurled the mobile away from them. The redhead moved so fast off the bed she could have sworn the movement wasn't humanly possible. "Are you all right?" she inquired as she observed the redhead pace back and forth cursing under her breath. Emily was about to blow a cork and it was quite hot to catch a glimpse of this other side to her.

"No…" Emily looked at her, her expression unreadable. "I… I'm…" she turned away before muttering something else.

"Sorry. Didn't quite catch that. I don't speak mumble."

Emily walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed a new bottle of water. After almost downing it in one go she sighed, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "I'm…" she didn't look at the woman in her bed- couldn't. "I'm getting married on Sunday."

"What?" the blonde's voice was a shocked whisper. "M-married?"

Emily looked over at her, her teary eyes ready to burst. "Yeah, married." She ran her hand nervously though her hair, feeling as naked as she actually was at that moment.

Without any conscious thought Naomi pulled up the thin bed sheet to cover her body. Her brows were still furrowed, her eyes confused by the revelation. "To whom?"

"Does it matter?" Emily asked dejectedly as she sat on the edge of the bed. Part of her wanted to rip the sheets off of Naomi's body and just kiss her senseless once more but she knew that was probably never going to happen again in her lifetime. Fuck impromptu trips to other countries in the middle of a panic attack and then meeting the woman of your dreams.

After a few unbearably loud seconds of silence Naomi probed, "Doesn't it matter to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now." Emily sniffled, tentatively reaching out to touch Naomi's hand. She stopped just short of it.

"But-"

"Are you in a relationship?" The innocent question raised a lump in her throat. The thought of someone else kissing and touching and holding her… Emily hated the thought.

"Yes." Realizing her mistake, Naomi quickly shook her head. "No… I mean, not anymore." It was still so fresh.

"Is that why you're here? To get away?"

"No," she shook her head softly, "I was here for the EU conference. I'm a solicitor."

Emily smirked, "You are certainly a skilled oralist. Where did you go to Uni?"

"You're avoiding the topic." Naomi chastised.

Emily shrugged her shoulders in defeat and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But… married. Christ." So many thoughts were swirling in her head at that moment. So many questions. "Do you love her?" she asked, not looking at Emily, not really looking at anything in particular.

"Of course I do."

Naomi stared at her, her eyes changing from confused to angry. "How can you do this? Jesus, Emily." She moved to get up but Emily quickly reached out and held her back.

"Don't!"

Naomi felt her face flush, her body stirring in anger. She had always been so skilled at shoving her emotions aside but this evening had been such a clusterfuck of feelings already that this was pretty much the last straw. "Don't? What were you thinking, Emily? How could you do this?" She loosened the redhead's grip and sat back against the headboard, wanting to leave but wanting to stay as well. Never, ever had she wanted to be that woman, that other person in-between two people in a relationship. She knew what it felt like to be at home, alone, having an inkling of what was happening yet none-the-less waiting for the other person to come back. She may have been raised by a hippie of a mother but she still believed in commitment and promises and things that meant human beings were more than simply evolved apes. After a minute of contemplation she focused on Emily. "What do you expect me to say here?"

Emily's heart felt as shattered as Naomi looked. "Naomi…" She knew she had to explain, didn't know why but knew she just had to. "Katie and my mum have a wedding business. They've been planning it for months. They've worked so hard on it. I... I love her. I do. But, I'm not in love with her. Not anymore." Naomi's cloudy blue eyes were still full of mixed emotions. Her silence allowed Emily to continue. "Cora and I met the first year of uni. It was the first time I away from my family, from Katie. It was London, so big, so new, so… gay." Emily chuckled apprehensively. "We were together for a year before she cheated on me." Even though she wasn't looking straight at her, peripherally she registered Naomi's wide eyed reaction and knew a question was soon to arise but carried on. "I broke up with her as soon as I found out. I went a bit off the rails there for a bit- dated others- fucked, really, but my heart wasn't in it. I didn't see Cora again until after graduation. Ran into each other on Carnaby Street one day and…. We just… It was comfortable. I know what you're thinking-"

"Do you?"

Emily nodded slowly, her soul ached. "I'm pathetic."

Naomi reached out and softly caressed the thin fingers near her legs. It was insane how just touching the redhead made her feel better, calmed her down, made her relax. "No, Emily, I don't think you are pathetic. At least you broke up with her. I didn't break up with James after the first time. Or second... Or third. I'm not quite sure the number really."

"He cheated on you and you knew?" To say she was stunned was an understatement. Never in a thousand years would she have thought the blonde would have been in a relationship with someone like that. "How could you stay with him?"

"You don't know anything, Emily." Naomi quickly retorted. Knowing she was being rash she shook her head sadly and crossed her arms over her belly. This knee jerk reaction was always the same with her when it came to her relationship and she was tired of it. So tired. After taking a deep breath she asked, "It's not as simple as that, is it? Being with someone."

"Isn't it?"

"No. I mean, I don't know. I mean, I don't think so. He took the fall for Sophia's death. He told the police he sold her the drugs when they found my name in her fucking journal. Cook- James- helped me out, knew I wanted to be a lawyer and if that came back to me I'd never... He went to prison because of me. He lost everything. He sacrificed his future for mine."

"But-"

Naomi ran her fingers though her blonde hair. "I owed him."

"That's a reason to be with someone?"

"I'm not the one getting married to someone I don't love just because it's comfortable or whatever." She could see how that statement hurt Emily. Those brown eyes were so insanely expressive it was beyond ridiculous. She shook her head again, hating herself. "I'm sorry. That was horrible of me."

Emily didn't know what to say. "…Were you ever in love with him?"

Naomi did a half shrug-half nod. "It was a mix of a lot of things. We did have some good times but… It's difficult to explain Cook. First day I met him he wanted to show me what was tattooed on his cock. He was such a fucking prick, always wanting to willy waggle knowing he couldn't make me feel all right even if he stapled his tongue to my clit and stood on a cement mixer." Seeing Emily smile at that made her own mouth quirk, "We were sixteen and so stupid. He became my best friend though. We have this bond I can't explain. We didn't get together until after he was released. He needed a place to stay and… It just happened…. But we're done. I do love him and I always will but I couldn't go on like that anymore. I moved out right before this trip."

Emily stared down at her hands, "That is so sad."

Naomi wasn't exactly sure what she was referring to. "Nothing is ever perfect, you know?"

"I thought it could be." Her gaze turned to Naomi, "I wanted the perfect girlfriend, the perfect marriage, the perfect everything."

"What changed?"

"Me. I don't know who I am anymore. I thought… I don't know." She turned towards the open balcony, observing the twinkling lights just outside. "Coming here was the first thing I've ever done for me. Ever. As a twin, I've never not been part of a pair. I'm always thinking of someone else- of my actions and their reactions- and I just... My first few days felt so weird. I got to choose where I wanted to go, did what I wanted to do, I ordered what I wanted to eat… it was all pretty great until I saw you."

"What?" Surprised, Naomi reached over hand touched her shoulder. She wanted nothing more than to run her fingers up and down that spine and feel all that skin's softness again. "Emily?"

"This." The redhead's penetrating eyes connected with hers. She grabbed Naomi's right hand and kissed the top of it. "This excitement, this sense of discovery… You. You made me realize that I do want someone. This wasn't a fluke, Naomi. I can't have been. It feels so right."

Naomi sat back in disbelief, her left shoulder hitting the headboard with a loud thump. "You think we- that I- Em, we've had about three conversations our entire lives. We hardly know each other."

Emily didn't let go of her hand. "If I could spend every day for the rest of my life learning something new about you, I'd be ok with that."

"Emily…"

"I- I can't marry Cora. I have to tell them." She saw Naomi's double take and asked, "What?"

"You mean, tell her."

"Shit. That's what I meant. Christ. I am a fucking fuck, aren't I?"

Naomi couldn't bear to see her cry. "Hey, no." she reached for her face and kissed the tears on her cheek. "It'll be fine."

"How can you say that? This has been the best night of my life and in a few hours you'll fuck off to who knows where and never think about me again."

Naomi kissed her, soon feeling every molecule of oxygen in her body dissipate. Emily became her lifeline. "Of course I'll think of you. Emily…" she caressed her jawline with her thumbs, delicately. "You're all I'll think about."

Emily leaned forward and placed her ear against Naomi's strongly beating heart. It was so loud, beating so strong. She wrapped her arms around her, pulled her close. "How can you say that with such conviction? We hardly know each other, right?"

She lovingly held her up to look at her and kissed those kissable lips again. "When I'm with you I feel like a better person. I feel happier… I'll never forget this. Or, you."

Emily wants to say something cheesy like you've changed me, too but doesn't. She just holds Naomi closer, rests her head against her chest again. "Can't we just sit like this? For a bit?"

"Yeah. We can. For a bit."