Just want to say thank you to everyone for reading and hope ye are enjoying the story so far. Keep reviewing, love hearing all the feedback. Here is chapter 5. Hope ye enjoy.
As they stood there out in the cold night air in front of the Radley, Emily tried to calm her racing mind. She stood there staring at the girl who still occupied a massive space in her heart, yet she could not form a single sentence. Her mind was reeling, she could not get a handle on her emotions. First she was confused. Hanna had said Paige wasn't coming, yet here she was in the flesh catching Emily completely off guard. Secondly she was angry. Angry for so many things, anger that had built up over the past 5 years. Anger that she suppressed when Paige came to be by her side last year when her dad died, showing her a mere glimpse of it at the airport before she stormed off on Paige. Anger at herself for being so stupid and trying to kiss Paige that day, and then blaming her even though she had been nothing but good to Emily during one of the darkest days of her life. Lastly she was confused, because behind all that anger lay a feeling that frightened her more than anything. Love. She still loved Paige. It was something she could never deny but was always easier to forget when they had zero contact. But now Paige was here, standing right before Emily, her eyes pleading for Emily to speak but still no words would come.
"How are you?" Paige asked tentatively fidgeting with her hands, she looked so nervous Emily thought to herself momentarily her anger subsiding. But atleast she knew about the impending visit to the ex, she was the one who agreed to it. While Emily was left in the dark as to Paige and Hanna's arrangement. Suddenly Emily's anger returned as she remembered the conversation she had not moments ago with Hanna where she told Emily that Paige wasn't coming. What the hell was Hanna playing at lying straight to her face like that, if there was ever a time to fess up to this situation it would have been there in the bathrooms when Emily say Paige's name flash up on Hanna's phone. But for whatever twisted reason Hanna kept up with her lies. Emily was suddenly furious at her bestfriend.
"I'm going to kill Hanna!" Emily said harshly as she stood up and stormed back through the front doors of the Radley.
Paige stood outside completely confused by what had just occurred. Hanna had told her that Emily wanted her here. That Emily thought it would be great for everyone to reconnect, like a little reunion. By Emily's reaction it was as if she wasn't expecting Paige at all. Then it suddenly dawned on Paige.
"Hanna bloody Marin!" Paige said aloud to herself as she suddenly felt furious. Following Emily's lead she stormed into the Radley.
As Paige entered the cocktail bar of the Radley she scanned the room to try and find Emily and Hanna. She was going to kill Hanna if Emily didn't beat her too it. She felt like an idiot. Thinking Emily wanted to see her. She was deluded to think that especially with how they left things last year at the airport. Seeing Emily's tanned and toned slender figure in the corner of the room Paige swiftly made her way across. As she got closer she could see a confused Hanna experiencing the full wrath of Emily.
"Hanna how could you! Lying straight to my face, her showing up here like that. That was you're chance to give me a heads up, to get my head around it, but what you thought let's keep Emily guessing?" Emily ranted on not giving Hanna a single moment to defend her case. Just then Hanna saw Paige approaching behind Emily and suddenly Emily's rant was making sense.
"Paige, tell her you told me you weren't coming! Emily, I didn't know!" Hanna was now saying in a panicked tone having realised how it all must have looked to Emily.
"I tried calling you to tell you I changed my mind, that I was actually here, I just had to work up the nerve I guess." Paige explained to Hanna as she rubbed the back of her neck with one hand.
"I'm expected to believe all this am I?" Emily said, rage still evident as she spoke directly to Hanna, still not having spoken a single word to Paige.
"It's the truth Em. I swear, but hey now Paige is here won't it be nice to catch up?" Hanna said trying to make light of the situation and to calm Emily.
Emily stared at Hanna not amused at all by her suggestion. Her face a picture of anger as her eyes burned a hole in Hanna's head.
"Hanna you told me Emily knew I was coming, that she wanted me here?" Paige said suddenly remembering how she was played for a fool, not letting Hanna get off lightly for playing both her and Emily.
"You did what?" Emily said sharply. "You're unbelievable Hanna you know that." She said with disappointment evident in her tone as she looked away in disgust and left Hanna and Paige standing there.
"How did you think this was going to work exactly Hanna?" Paige asked genuinely interested in how the mind of Hanna Marin worked and how it thought that this had been a good idea.
"Paige I knew you wouldn't have come here if I told you Emily didn't know. I had to lie. I just had to get you here. She's not the same Paige and I don't know how to get her out of this funk. She's put up a big wall and I just know that you can tear it down. Please Paige." Hanna begged, her eyes pleading.
Paige was unsure of what Hanna was talking about with how Emily had changed. It has been five years, there was bound to have been a lot to catch up on. Something about the look in Hanna's eye made Paige concerned. Hanna always had Emily's best interest at heart, whatever was going on it must be big if Hanna can't fix it.
"She won't even speak to me Hanna, how am I supposed to help?" Paige asked helplessly.
"Trust me Paige, you are exactly what Emily needs right now." Hanna said smiling at Paige. Paige felt her heart race slightly and her stomach flutter. She didn't know how she was going to get Emily to open up to her but she knew in that moment she had to try.
Emily had stormed off unable to listen to Hanna make excuses any longer. Her head was spinning and the only thing that she thought was going to help was to head straight to the bar. She took a stool at the bar and gestured for the waiter.
"Double vodka...straight." She ordered feeling her shoulders sink. How on earth was she going to face Paige. She knew at some stage she was going to have to stop ignoring her ex and talk about a few things but she couldn't bare the thought of doing that without a bit of dutch courage. The waiter returned with her double vodka and she threw it back in one swift motion. She felt the burning of the cold liquid as it slid down her throat. She motioned for the waiter for another. Before long Emily had knocked back three double shots of vodka and could feel her head become lighter. Better, she thought. Just then she noticed someone sit on the stool beside her, she kept staring at her glass afraid to steal a glance at who it may be.
"Really knocking them back there Em. You okay?" Spencer quizzed as she eyed Emily with worry. She had only ever once before seen Emily act like this before and that was after the death of her ex girlfriend Maya years ago. Spencer knew it must be dangerous territory but she pressed on out of concern.
"Everythings great Spence, just great." Emily said her voice thick with sarcasm.
Spencer now knew that Emily was slightly intoxicated, how she was going to get her to stop drinking she didn't know but she best stop her soon before she started kicking off. Spencer could see the cold, dark anger brewing in her eyes.
"What you say we get you a water, hey Em?" Spencer suggested enthusiastically hoping Emily would have a bit of sense to not drink herself into oblivion.
"Water?" Emily asked quirking an eyebrow up at Spencer. "You want me to sit here and drink water. Waters not going to help me with this situation Spencer." Emily said smartly.
"Well vodka is definitely not your friend Em." Spencer pressed on hoping to talk some sense into her.
"It is my friend. Right now it's my best friend. You know why? Cause Hanna over there went and invited my bloody ex to the party. I know right? I couldn't believe her either." Emily laughed, clearly the drink now having gone completely to her head. Spencer was shocked, she had no idea what Hanna was thinking inviting Paige but now it suddenly became clear why Emily was acting this way.
Just as Spencer was about to try and talk sense into Emily she could see Paige approaching.
"McCullers." Spencer nodded at Paige by means of a hello. They had never fully clicked, mainly due to the fact that there personalities were quite similar. However Spencer knew that if anyone was about to get through to Emily it was going to be Paige, they clearly had a lot to work through.
"Hastings" Paige offered nodding in response to Spencer. This was not them acting coldly towards each other, it was simply how their friendship had worked over the years. With that Spencer gave one last glance at Emily before giving Paige a sympathetic smile. They both knew that this conversation was not going to be pleasant. Spencer left to find Toby and Paige took the bar stood beside Emily.
"What's your poison…McCullers?" Emily asked bitterly not taking her eyes off her empty glass that she played with in her hands. Her voice was laddered with resentment. Her choice of words was not lost on Paige either.
"Whatever you're having…Fields." Paige sighed, this conversation was going to be painful enough, a drink was needed to calm her nerves.