"Are you ok?" Emily asked, her voice laced with concern as Paige was staring at her with a look of panic.
Paige's heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, her checks were flushed, and her head started spinning. Before she knew it her breathing quickened to shallow breaths and a sense of all consuming fear was starting to take hold.
Emily quickly noticed the change in Paige's demeanour and saw the warning signs of an oncoming panic attack. She took a step closer to Paige and gently placed her hands on each side of Paige's head and tried to bring her focus to look into her eyes.
"Paige it's ok, just look at me" She said softly as she traced her index finger up and down Paige's right cheek.
Paige met Emily's gaze, her breathing was starting to become erratic.
"Everything will be ok, just try and focus on slowing down your breathing. Remember the techniques Dr Sullivan taught you. I'll count with you"
"1, breathe in and out slowly"
"2, breathe in and out….."
"3, breathe in and out…."
"And again, 1, breathe in and out…"
They continued counting for the next few minutes before Paige was able to calm herself down to regular breathing. As Paige's composure started to return she slowly took a few steps backwards out of Emily's reach and watched the girl lower her hands back down to her sides.
Emily kept her gaze on Paige, noticing how sad and fragile she looked, almost like a wounded puppy. All she wanted to do was reach forward and pull her into her arms in a tight embrace but being uncertain of what Paige's reaction would be, she restrains herself.
"Why are you here Emily?" Paige said softly, barely louder than a whisper as she wrapped her arms around her mid-section and avoided eye contact with the beautiful girl in front of her.
Here goes nothing, Emily thought to herself.
''I came here to apologise, for the way I've treated you over these past few weeks… but then you started kissing me and…."
Paige nodded silently and slowly cast her gaze up Emily's rain drenched body, noticing how her skin was starting to raise with goosebumps. She quietly walked out of the room leaving a confused look on Emily's face only to return a few moments later with a bath towel in her hands.
"Here, you must be freezing" she said as she extended her hand out to her.
Emily smiled shyly and took the towel from Paige's hand and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Thanks. Is there somewhere we can talk?" Emily asked as she peered around the house looking for a sign of Paige's parents assuming they were somewhere within the house.
"Yeah, we can talk in my room" she said hesitantly. Sure her parents weren't home and they could use the lounge room, but she wanted Emily somewhere which was just hers. Paige turned around and walked upstairs with Emily in tow, once they were inside the bedroom she leant around Emily to close the door behind her.
Paige stepped back standing directly in front of Emily, only a few inches now separated the pair.
"So…..."