A/N: This is where the ride starts to get bumpy. But not like the rollercoaster you're used to. It's like...bumper cars...on steroids...at night...on Atlanta's Highways.
Also, I am getting some commentary that people aren't getting their alerts. Something I recently learned is that you manually have to go to your account and under settings make sure you have the e-mail alert option checked. FF has in some idiot infinite wisdom decided to toggle that option off every 6 months, so you have to go in and check "yes" again every 6 months…
Chapter 4:
Cruel Summer
The next morning when Alison opened her eyes and found Emily awake and smiling at her she accused her of spiking her stir-fry with a sedative and demanded another do-over.
The brunette was at the end of the couch, Alison's feet in her lap. Her laptop was open on the table in front of her. There were two cups of coffee on coasters sitting next to it.
"You cheated." Alison yawned, running her fingers through her hair as she sat up. "What was in that stir-fry you made? Sedatives?"
Emily shook her head with a laugh and handed her a cup of coffee.
Alison begrudgingly took it.
She hated to lose, but she didn't hate the game they were playing. She'd keep losing and keep demanding do-overs as long as Emily would stand for it.
She sat up and stretched her legs out.
"You sleep okay?" Emily asked.
"I slept great." Alison scooted closer to her.
Emily leaned forward to give her a kiss good morning. It lingered just long enough to leave Alison wanting more.
Emily traced her index finger through Alison's hair, tucking it neatly behind her ear.
"You're so beautiful in the morning." The sun was hitting her face just right.
The reflection of blue diamonds sparkled back at her, captivating Emily's heart.
A tiny little crinkle formed in Alison's brow. She looked at her like she'd just said the silliest thing in the world.
"Honey, I'm a mess in the morning. I have got to doll myself up." She took a sip of coffee to wake herself up.
"I think you're perfect." Emily smiled.
"You're sweet." Alison glanced at her laptop. There were a bunch of scientific formulas on the webpage that was pulled up. "School work?"
"Yeah, but I'm caught up for now." Emily peered at the assignment she'd just finished, pausing to save it before closing it. "You hungry?"
"Depends." Alison's eyes raked over Emily's bare arms and legs. She could get used to the heat if it meant seeing more of Emily's skin. "Are you on the menu?"
She lifted her brows as she sat up. She sipped her coffee, proud of her charm.
Emily snorted out a laugh. The sound she made was one of the cutest noises Alison had ever heard.
Adorable.
"I could eat." Alison beamed.
They slowly made their way into the kitchen.
Alison scrolled through her socials while they were making breakfast together.
She had a few more ugly comments trolling her, but she knew the dark side of the internet would come for her eventually. It didn't bother her, because she had the woman of her dreams spoon-feeding her a small portion of scrambled eggs to make sure they were ready.
She barely thought anything of the two ugly comments on her most recent Instagram post.
Ugly bitch.
Dumb whore.
It was childish and she didn't think she had any reason to worry, so she deleted the comments and went back to helping Emily.
That morning started a regular routine for them.
It was surprisingly easy for them to fall back into their old pattern.
Life had a way of surging forward, and love blossomed from time.
For their first official date Emily had taken Alison hiking. They had stayed out for hours talking, stealing kisses, holding hands, and laughing.
They stopped every so often to admire the little things, like the unique tree trunks or two squirrels chasing each other around. One of the squirrels had even run up to them and stood on her little hind legs like she was studying them.
Their second date was a week later at The California Kissing Rock. Alison had prepared a picnic and they had trekked out to the rock and enjoyed the view of the ocean. They had stayed out until the sun set, kissing under the fiery orange hues that hung in the clouds. Emily had tangled her fingers through Alison's hair and cupped the back of her neck to pull her closer. It had been the most romantic night either one of them had ever experienced.
On their third date they went to a cute little French bistro and then to a movie of Alison's choosing. They had barely gotten fifteen minutes into the movie when Emily reached for Alison's hand. She'd been casting glances at the blonde, unable to focus on the big screen.
She had wanted to reach out and touch her knee…to squeeze her thigh and gently move her fingers up underneath her skirt, but she was taking it slow because she knew Alison was still healing from what had happened at the Airbnb. She was still healing from all the trauma she'd gone through back in Rosewood, too. All the men who had preened and groomed her.
Even though Alison appeared to be ready to go further, Emily could sense her tension. She knew they would eventually find their way back to the passion they'd had in Rosewood, but she was determined to get it right. She knew it would happen naturally.
They always made time for each other. Even with their busy schedules they were always eager to unwind together.
They ate breakfast together every morning and went out twice a week. Just them…no phones. No interruptions.
Alison stayed active on social media, but she never mentioned Emily. She knew how the brunette felt about being in the spotlight. And she also knew that no matter how many restrictions her sister had back in Rosewood…she was stealthy enough to find a way online.
The blonde had made her peace with that, but there was no sense in putting Emily back on her radar. Especially not after Charlotte had threatened to kill them all.
As the weeks went on Alison had several photo sessions, including all the location shots that Emily had picked out.
Emily had managed to get the day off for the location shoots so she could go with her.
The brunette stood by with pride while Alison showed off.
Alison loved being the center of attention. In Rosewood, it had bothered Emily. But she appreciated Alison's newfound stardom and the way she had been humbled by time.
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks into months.
When they were both free they alternated between staying in and snuggling or going to clubs and parties…where Alison met plenty of contacts for business purposes.
Big gatherings weren't really Emily's thing.
Her eyes were on the exit most of the time. She jumped when strangers got too close.
Alison could see the psychological effects of the years of torture she'd endured. She did it, too. Being on the run after someone had tried to kill her had taught her that survival was based on little details.
She told Emily they didn't have to go to the gatherings, but Emily wanted her to have fun. And she didn't feel right leaving her alone in bars and clubs.
Alison had been all smiles when she was invited to a large social gathering where she could mingle with her favorite crowd.
Emily had been reluctant to go, but she'd said yes because she wanted to be present in Alison's life. She also felt the need to protect Alison.
Ever since the Airbnb, Emily had been vigilant about looking out for her. Alison laughed it off, but she didn't mind the brunette with a little bit of bristle. Emily had a few rough edges, but that was because of the years she'd been caught unassuming and unprepared.
Alison thought she was being silly and overprotective.
But then one night everything changed.
A looming threat, all too real.
Their past had come back to haunt them.
Their worst nightmare come to life.
Emily was extra-tense before the evening had even started, and it only got worse as the night wore on.
The crowd felt claustrophobic, a mass exodus of people closing in on her.
Only it wasn't people in her mind.
It was the dark.
Ear-splitting alarms.
Bright red lights flashing, burning her eyes.
Her screams.
Her friends' screams.
Being held down, trapped against her will.
Blurry images.
Choking.
Pleading.
Bleeding.
Rattling lungs.
Dying.
"Stop! STOP! You're hurting her!"
Exhaustion.
Hunger.
"Help me! Please!"
"I can't breathe!"
Emily took a deep breath.
It wasn't uncommon for her to suffer panic attacks in large crowds. She had been learning to cope with breathing techniques.
She took several relaxing breaths.
She was never going to be caught in the darkness again.
At least that's what she thought.
Emily stood stiffly next to Alison the whole night. Her eyes were constantly on the moving crowd, searching for threats.
They were standing by the bar nursing their drinks.
Alison poked Emily's arm.
The muscles she had from swimming and working out were impressive.
"Are you my official bodyguard now?" The blonde shouted over the loud music and rubbed Emily's arm.
Her skin was sticky and sweaty from the heat of the night and all the dancing they'd been doing.
"Depends on what the job pays." Emily lifted her brows flirtatiously.
Alison moved closer so Emily could hear her better.
"I think we can come to some sort of an arrangement." Alison leaned in, tipping her chin up and lightly grasping the sides of Emily's neck as she kissed her.
"Not bad." Emily swept her lips next to Alison's ear and blew against her ear lobe. "What else can you offer?"
Alison smirked and turned her cheek so their lips were centimeters apart. She curved her mouth to fit perfectly with Emily's and slipped her tongue in between her lips. It brushed past her teeth and met Emily's tongue. After a few seconds she pulled back and smiled.
"Dental."
Emily almost doubled over in laughter, nearly spilling her drink.
"I'll start tonight. I'm hired!"
Alison laughed. She loved how silly Emily could be. She was an outright dork sometimes and it was such a huge turn on.
"Hey, I'll be right back. I've got to…" Emily gestured towards the ladies room.
"Some bodyguard you are." Alison teased.
"You're welcome to come with me. The stall is big enough for both of us..." She offered suggestively.
"If I hadn't just ordered another drink..."
"Your loss." Emily winked at her and turned around.
Alison turned back towards the bar, waiting impatiently for her next round. It would have to be her last for the night. She was already feeling tipsy.
The bartender took his time, but when he came back with her order she smiled as she took the glass from him. She was tempted to down it completely and sneak into the restroom after her girlfriend. It wouldn't be the first time they'd made out in a bathroom stall.
Her phone buzzed, her screen lighting up to indicate that she had a new message.
She caught a glimpse of the message and her heart seized in her chest.
She yanked her phone off of the bar and stared at the taunt from the anonymous number.
NO MORE KISSES, BITCH.
The alcohol in her stomach started to turn sour. She clutched the glass in her hand and fought back a wave of nausea. A flash of heat burned her face, her brow seeping perspiration.
She glanced at the message again and then swiveled her head around searching the busy dance floor. No one seemed particularly interested in her. She was just one little name in a room full of much larger names in the influencer game.
She knew it was possible that someone had gotten her number and was just messing with her, but it still unnerved her.
When she looked back the message was disappearing.
"Shit…" She scrambled to take a screenshot, but she was too late.
She glanced at the time on her phone.
Emily had been gone for a while.
What if something happened to her?
She took her drink to go, turning around so she could go after her.
She put the tip of the glass up to her lips and took another drink to try and calm her nerves, but before she could completely swallow the alcohol her stomach clenched at the sight of a blob of bobbed hair dancing in the crowd.
She nearly gagged on the alcohol.
She knew she had to be seeing things…that she drank too much.
It can't be her…
The woman turned and started walking through a crowd of people waving glowsticks in the air. Her gait was unmistakable. Alison had spent every day for three years watching that same walk back in Rosewood.
But it couldn't be.
The woman was moving towards the bathroom.
"Emily." Alison gasped.
Emily was in that bathroom.
If she touches one hair on Emily's head...
Alison raced through the sweaty people packed in like sardines.
She lost her drink somewhere along the way, but she didn't care.
She paused when she got to the bathroom door, staring at it like it was a snake that was going to strike her.
I'm overreacting.
It wasn't her. I'm seeing things.
She slowly pushed the door open and peered inside. She couldn't hear over the music so she took a step forward, her fists clenched. She was ready for an attack.
When the door slipped shut the music became a dull pulsing noise. The sound of her heartbeat rushed into her ears.
"Emily?"
She suddenly felt unstable on her feet. The alcohol was turning on her.
She glanced at the stalls, which were all open except the last one.
She could see a pair of ruby red heels underneath the door.
Not Emily.
She turned to walk back out of the bathroom, but she heard the stall lock slip loose. The door whined as it opened.
A woman stepped out with a smirk on her face.
She'd been waiting on Alison.
The bathroom suddenly seemed smaller. Everything whirled around her.
No. No…
She took a shaky step backwards, her breath caught in her throat. She was torn between immense terror and unadulterated ire.
Haze clouded her vision as she fought the darkness closing in on her. It was as if someone had a vise on her throat.
I'm going to pass out…
Insurmountable paralyzing fear.
Fear that she hadn't experienced since she left Rosewood.
I thought it was safe here.
"Hello, Ali."
"Charlotte." Her blood ran cold. Not possible. "What the hell are you doing here?"
How was she out? Why was she out? Why didn't Jason tell her? What was she doing in Malibu?
This can't be real.
Her eyes darted to the red heels on Charlotte's feet. They reminded her of the shoes in The Wizard of Oz.
I wish someone would drop a house on my sister.
"How are you doing, sis?" She grinned bitterly, gnashing her teeth as she took a step towards her.
Alison backed up against the sink. She tried to scream, but nothing came out.
Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed Charlotte's wrist so her sister couldn't strike first, her nails digging into the older girl's flesh. She could tell it hurt when she saw Charlotte flinch.
Good.
"You shouldn't be here." She growled at her. "How did you get out?"
"Our brother." She looked down at where Alison was grasping her wrist, amused by her show of bravery. "I see you and Americano are back together."
Americano was what she'd always called Emily. A little nickname that Emily couldn't stand after the Dollhouse. She couldn't even order Americanos anymore. And that was because of what Charlotte did to her.
"You stay away from Emily." Alison let go of her wrist and shoved her hard enough to make her falter on her ridiculously whoreish red heels. "I don't know what you're doing here, but you're not staying. You're going back to Rosewood…back to Welby."
She wasn't sure how she was going to make it happen, but she sure as hell couldn't let her psychopathic sister wander around free.
"I don't think so, sweetie…" Charlotte's blood-red lips twisted into a wicked grin. "I told you I'd come for you. But first…your friends are going to suffer."
No.
"I'll call the police." Alison threatened.
"Good luck with that. Heard you already had one bad encounter with the cops. Who do you think leaked your records? Your word means nothing." Charlotte practically spit at her.
That explained how the cop had gotten her sealed records.
"You? But…how?"
"I know people." She shrugged.
Without warning, Charlotte surged forward and shoved Alison's head against the mirror so hard that the glass splintered.
Alison's stomach roiled at the pain shooting through her body. She had to fight back a gag.
She retaliated, reaching up to scratch her sister's face. She grabbed a chunk of Charlotte's hair and swung her around, ripping tendrils from her scalp.
Instead of pulling against her, Charlotte moved towards her, throwing her off-balance and slamming her against the stalls. Alison fell backwards and her fingers slipped.
"There's the Ali I know and love. So feisty." Charlotte taunted. "But you're outmatched, little sister."
The older girl quickly moved towards the door. Alison grasped her shirt, trying to pull her back in, but Charlotte spun around and her fist connected to Alison's stomach. She broke free and rushed out the door as all the liquor Alison had consumed came sailing back out of her.
She barely even registered the puke, but she couldn't ignore the horrible churning in her stomach.
Her heart pounded. Her head was on fire.
She fell to her knees, but forced herself to stand back up.
She had to get to Charlotte before Charlotte got to Emily.
She tore out of the bathroom and her eyes frantically searched the crowd.
When she saw her she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Emily was talking to someone near the bar.
Alison barreled over to her. She grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the woman she was talking to.
"Alison, what the hell?" Emily's drink spilled over on to her shirt. She saw the frantic look on the blonde's face and her eyes widened. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I was just looking for you." Alison gave the woman a once-over and shot her a look that told her that Emily was with her.
"I ran into one of my coworkers. This is Claire." Emily motioned to the redhead peering back at Alison in confusion.
"Hi, Claire. I'm really sorry, but I need to talk to my girlfriend…" She put emphasis on the word 'girlfriend', which was ridiculous given she'd just seen her sister. Being jealous over some girl she didn't even know shouldn't have been on her mind.
Before Emily could protest Alison was dragging her through the club and out to the parking lot.
"We have to leave." Alison couldn't even begin to process what had happened in that bathroom.
"Why?" Emily looked at her like she was losing her mind. "Is this some sort of jealousy thing? Because Claire and I are just coworkers…"
"No. It's not her. Can we please just go?"
The condos would be secure right?
Did Charlotte know where Emily lived?
Did she know about Emily's gun?
Fuck.
Where else could they go?
The gun is locked in the safe.
We just need to get back to the condo.
She would explain everything once they were behind a locked door where Emily could easily access her gun.
"Ali…talk to me. What happened? Did someone try to hurt you?" Displeasure and anger deepened the lines of worry on the brunette's face.
"Please…I just want to leave. I'll explain everything. I promise." How the hell was she going to explain to Emily that the person who had locked her in an underground bunker was free?
"Okay." Emily didn't question it, and Alison loved her for that.
Emily reached for her phone to call an Uber.
That's when Alison saw a blurry shadow rushing towards them.
She didn't even have a chance to warn her.
Emily was staring at her phone when she was blindsided. Something struck her in the head. Hard.
She crumpled to the ground.
"Emily!" But before Alison could turn to fight back Charlotte hit her, too.
She fell next to Emily. Darkness seeped into her vision. The last thing she saw was a pair of ruby red heels clacking against the pavement.
o ~ O ~ o
She woke up shrouded in the shadows, head throbbing. Frantic…disoriented. She blinked. Once. Twice. But the darkness didn't diminish. She had no idea what time it was. It could be day or night.
Emily.
"Emily!?"
She was met with silence.
She tried to move, but something was holding her down.
"Emily!" She cried again, searching desperately in the dark.
"I'm here." The brunette's voice was a beacon of light.
Seconds later she felt strong arms wrapping around her.
Alison blinked, letting her vision adjust.
It took time for the amorphous shapes dancing in the dark to come to light.
She saw Emily rustling around.
She could see the black screen of a television. She put her palms down against the couch.
Emily's couch.
"What happened?" Alison could barely breathe.
"We drank too much." Emily kissed her forehead.
"I don't remember…" But she remembered Charlotte in the bathroom. "What happened after you went to the bathroom? You were gone a long time."
"I'm not sure. It's a little fuzzy. I couldn't find you at the bar. But you found me and said you wanted to come back to the condo. So…" Emily flipped the lamp on the end table on. "Got a hell of a headache."
A flash of Emily getting knocked unconscious assaulted Alison's memories.
"Me too. How did we get back here?"
Emily rubbed her eyes.
"I don't know. Uber maybe?"
Emily didn't have a real timeline of last night either.
They didn't have head injuries that Alison could see, but that didn't mean she hadn't seen her sister.
The night was a blur. Was she confusing a nightmare with reality? She couldn't remember much about last night except for Charlotte and some redhead…
"Do you work with anyone named Claire?"
"No. Why?" Emily asked.
"I just thought I remember you mentioning that name." She was cautiously optimistic that she'd just imagined it.
She could always call Welby to make sure Charlotte was still being held there.
And what if she's not?
"Did you have a bad dream?" Emily yawned, her head falling back against the couch, pulling Alison with her.
Alison glanced at her phone screen, which was filled with alerts from various socials. She got them at all hours.
Her clock was flashing at her.
4:25.
"Yeah…" Alison mumbled. "I think so."
But the nightmare had felt like a warning. There was something terribly foreboding about it.
"Want to talk about it?" Emily reached up and gripped the back of her neck, rubbing circles against her skin with her fingertips.
It sent a wave of goosebumps down her spine.
But her body stiffened as she pictured her sister's face in the club. She couldn't tell Emily about the nightmare…about Charlotte. It would only hurt her.
"I don't remember." Alison rubbed her temples, feigning confusion.
"I've had those kinds of nightmares before." Emily's voice oozed sympathy. "Waking up scared, but not remembering why. It happened a lot in the Dollhouse."
Emily froze at the mention of the Dollhouse. She hated talking about it. A look of pain flashed in her eyes.
Alison's face turned ashen and her eyes darted away in shame.
I stayed with the monster who did that to her.
"Do you want me to make you some tea or something to help you get back to sleep?"
What I want is for you to get your gun out of the safe and keep it on you at all times.
She glanced at the alarm.
Was it on?
Surely Emily had set it. She didn't play when it came to security.
"No. I'm okay." Alison tried to hide her fear. "The alarm is set, right?"
"Mmmhmm." Emily mumbled sleepily.
"And your gun is in the safe?"
That was a bridge too far, and Alison could see the instant the concern washed across Emily's face.
"What's going on?" Emily scrunched her brows in confusion. "I feel like there is something you're not telling me."
"I don't know. Shadows of the past, I think." She slowly sat up. It pained her to pull away from Emily.
It wasn't unusual for them to fall asleep on the couch together. Sometimes they slept in the bed, but the couch was just as comfortable.
They could have left the party a little buzzed and come back to the condo to cuddle and watch something on TV.
"Hey, you're safe here." Emily reached up and brushed her fingers through Alison's hair. "I promise."
It's not me I'm worried about.
Charlotte haunted their dreams, but Alison had to be sure she wasn't haunting them in real life, too. Because she refused to let Emily become part of that life again. She would do anything on Earth to protect her.
"I'm fine." Alison smiled, putting her acting abilities to the test.
"You sure?" Emily didn't seem convinced.
She'd had enough nightmares to know when one really rattled someone.
"Promise." The little white lie was necessary.
Protecting the brunette was necessary.
Emily studied her facial features, looking for anything that might tell her that Alison was lying to her, but she didn't see anything.
Hanna was right. She could play any role in the world.
The blonde still knew how to lie when she needed to.
No more lies.
But it didn't count if it didn't hurt anyone.
"Why don't we go back to the bedroom?" Emily wiped her bloodshot eyes.
She didn't usually drink much. She'd overdone it at the club.
"Yeah." Alison was eager to agree.
The gun was in her bedroom.
Easy access in case it wasn't a nightmare.
They quietly padded back to the bedroom.
Emily plopped down against the mattress, exhausted from exerting her energy around a bunch of strangers. She still hadn't shaken the anxiety from being in the crowd. A nervous energy buzzed through her veins. It made her wildly tired.
Alison climbed into the bed next to her. She reached over and rubbed Emily's cheek, earning a sleepy smile.
She wanted to say it.
I love you.
She felt it.
Emily's eyes were the first thing she wanted to see when she woke up in the morning and her smile was the last thing she wanted to see at night.
Emily's eyes fluttered shut.
"Wake me up if you have another bad dream." She exhaled quietly.
Never in a million years.
Alison settled in next to Emily, but she didn't close her eyes.
She couldn't sleep.
She didn't want to sleep.
She wanted to stay up and protect her girlfriend, so she played on her phone most of the night.
She read the comments on a TikTok of her sporting a runway of different outfits.
You are stunning. Followed by three fire emojis.
You slay every fit
Marry me.
She got a lot of marriage requests, which made me feel pretty good about herself. But the only person she would ever accept a ring from was Emily.
You could wear a potato sack and make it work.
You're so pretty.
Ohhh…that red dress mama! I'd let you step on my face and thank you for it.
Alison never knew how to react to strangers thirsting after her. She'd craved it back in Rosewood, but now that she had the entire internet quaking it was a little redundant. She was like a dog chasing her tail. She'd caught it and now she had no idea what to do. The thrill of the chase was over.
She continued scrolling the comments.
You are such a vibe.
Gorgeous.
ILYSM!
Then she got to one that stopped her in her tracks.
Alison DiLaurentis is a fake and a LIAR. I know what you did back in Rosewood. And you're going to pay for it.
She wasn't immune to negative comments and trolls, but something about it felt really personal, especially after her nightmare.
She glanced at the username which was a generic user54514.
Her finger hovered over the comment for a few seconds.
She deleted it and then put her phone away.
She'd had enough for the night.
She felt the brunette stir and she worried she might have woken her up.
But when she looked over at her, her eyes were squeezed shut.
Emily's face was tight in tension. Her arms were stiff and her hands were drawn into fists by her sides.
She muttered out a quiet plea that Alison could barely make out.
"Stop."
Sometimes Emily's nightmares were loud, but most of the time they were quiet. It was worse when they were quiet because it was as if she was subconsciously trying not to upset her.
Alison reached over and touched her face gently. Her cheeks were hot.
Emily flinched and her body lightly spasmed.
"Stop." Another quiet cry.
"Em." Alison whispered.
But Emily was too lost in her nightmare.
All Alison could do was embrace her and reassure her the way Emily had done for her. She kissed her forehead and settled in next to her.
The next morning she had a plan set in motion.
When Emily was in the shower she made a call to Rosewood.
A perky feminine voice answered and Alison replied,
"This is Alison DiLaurentis. I'm calling in regards to my sister Charlotte…"
Unfortunately, she was met with resistance and red tape. After a few seconds of clicking noises, which she was certain was the administrative assistant searching the computer, she heard a quiet sigh.
"I'm sorry, Miss DiLaurentis. You're not on the approved call log. I'm afraid I can't divulge any information."
"That can't be right. Check again." Had Jason removed her from the call list?
He was the only person who had authority to do so.
What a spiteful asshole.
"I'm sorry, Miss DiLaurentis. You're unfortunately no longer allowed privileges here. Only people on the approved list can speak with her."
Which meant Charlotte had to be there, because the receptionist indicated there was still a list to talk to her.
"I don't want to speak with her. I'm calling in regards to her treatment. I need to make sure she's being kept under supervision and isn't allowed any privileges with technology."
If Charlotte had seen that she was out in California she could have sent someone after her at the bar. Of course, it was just as likely that Jason told her. But in order for Charlotte to do anything about it she would have to have contact with someone on the outside.
"I'm afraid patient confidentiality won't allow that."
It wasn't a direct answer, but since the woman was being so guarded about Charlotte that meant she couldn't be the person following her last night.
If there was anyone following her.
Maybe she was being paranoid.
She knew she wasn't going to get any answers from Welby.
She could clear everything up by calling Jason. But that's the last thing she wanted to do. He'd been pretty clear where his loyalties stood when Alison fought against Charlotte's release.
As much as she hated him, she missed her big dumb brother. And as much as she hated herself, she missed who Charlotte could have been with a real family.
She had thought about deleting Jason's number for good after she got to Malibu. She didn't want any ties to her old life back in Rosewood. But she'd decided against it.
She stared at his number for three minutes before she finally got the courage to hit send.
It went straight to voicemail.
"Jason. It's me. I…" She had no idea what to say. She knew he would think she was insane if she told him she thought she'd seen Charlotte in Malibu. "I need to talk to you. It's about Charlotte."
If she kept it vague maybe he would call her back. She wasn't counting on it though.
She hung up and put her phone down.
The bathroom door swung open.
Emily walked into the bedroom dressed in a skirt and a tank top she'd picked out before she'd gotten into the shower. She was rubbing her wet hair with a towel.
"Shower's free."
Alison was ready to wash the night off of her. It had been a while since she'd had a nightmare bad enough to make her question her sanity.
Usually they were about inhaling dirt and squirmy worms against her body. Being buried alive had been terrifying.
Sometimes they were about her time on the run. There had been a guy named Cyrus…he'd hurt her and stolen all of her things. She had a scar on her inner thigh where he'd slashed her with a knife.
She'd struggled, but he didn't stop. He'd viciously attacked her. She remembered the pain she'd felt when the knife cut her. She had screamed for help, but no one came for her.
When he was finished he'd run off and left her bleeding on the ground. Hot blood ran down her leg, turning tepid as it pooled on the ground around her.
The last time that she and Emily had made love back in Rosewood Emily had kissed the scar so tenderly it made her want to cry.
Emily walked over as she was getting to her feet. She pecked her lips.
"You look tired." The brunette rubbed her soft fingertips underneath Alison's eyes. "You didn't have another nightmare, did you?"
"No." Alison looked at Emily's equally exhausted eyes. "You did though."
"Oh, shit." Emily bit her lip. "I'm sorry. Alcohol exacerbates them. I didn't realize I kept you up."
"It's okay." Alison quietly considered how she wanted to broach the subject. "Was it…did it have to do with the Dollhouse?"
She'd mentioned it before they fell asleep. That's probably what had triggered it. Or maybe she subconsciously sensed the danger in the air.
Emily's pupils dilated and she swallowed a knot in her throat. She still hadn't told her what Charlotte had done to her.
"You can talk to me. It's okay." Alison tried to encourage her.
"I know that. But talking about it…" Emily shook her head, her damp hair sending droplets of water into the air. "It's not going to change anything."
But maybe it would. Maybe it could help both of them heal. Alison couldn't explain why she felt such a strong desire to understand what the brunette had gone through, but there was a nagging sensation needling her brain. She sought to understand what her friends had gone through so she could figure out how to help them through it. She felt like she owed them that much.
"I…I need to know what she did to you. Please?" Her sad blue eyes were brimming with tears, because she couldn't stand the thought of Charlotte torturing her.
"You'll only punish yourself for it. I know you. And I refuse to do that to you." Emily's fingers brushed her cheek.
"It's not about that. I want you to feel safe talking to me about it. You don't talk to counselors. You don't talk to the girls. It's not healthy to hold it in."
"I've worked my way through it over the years. And I don't really like revisiting it."
Emily had said no, and Alison knew she needed to respect that.
Maybe one day.
But not today.
She wasn't going to force the matter.
"Okay. Just know that I'm here for you." Alison grasped the side of her neck and leaned in for a kiss.
"I'm here for you, too." Emily laid her palm against Alison's hip.
They stood in the middle of the room for a few seconds, peering at one another in silence.
Alison slowly peeled away from Emily and walked into the bathroom.
She stripped out of her clothes and climbed into the shower.
As she stood in the stream of water beating down on her bare skin she considered bringing up the idea of the two of them showering together in the future to conserve water. The idea wasn't really practical given the shower was so small, but Alison wouldn't mind being pressed against Emily's slippery hot body every morning.
Another reason it wouldn't work was because Emily took quick showers. Alison liked to take her time. It was a leisure she'd enjoyed her entire life. Something she didn't know was that Emily took quick showers so she could save the hot water for her.
The blonde slowly melted into the water.
She felt more at ease after scrubbing the bad dreams away.
After she was done she towel-dried her hair and then wrapped a big fluffy towel around herself.
She cracked the door and walked into the bedroom.
Emily was rustling around in the kitchen, more than likely making them breakfast.
She smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed, palms gripping the silky sheets.
Alison had spent her entire life looking for a place to call home. Looking around at the small simplistic bedroom she realized she had finally found it.
She was finally happy again.
So naturally, someone was trying ruin her happiness.
Alison had about twenty-five minutes of euphoric bliss while she was getting ready. She had just put the finishing touches on her make-up when her phone started buzzing at her.
She reached for it, expecting it to be an alert on one of her social media platforms…or perhaps her brother calling her back.
Instead, there was an unknown number calling.
Alison stared at for a second, flashing back to all the texts Mona and Charlotte had sent her over the years.
She didn't mean to actually answer it, but her finger was sliding across the screen before she could stop herself.
"Hello?"
She was met with silence.
All she could hear was the soft humming of dead air.
Hang up.
Her instincts were screaming at her, but she was frozen in place.
Seconds later someone started breathing into the speaker, a sinister laugh building up.
The hair on the back of Alison's neck stood up.
A word was whispered.
Alison could barely make it out.
"Bitch."
She clutched the phone, her hands trembling.
"Charlotte?"
As soon as she said her name the line went dead.
Alison lowered the phone and stared at it in shock.
The nightmare. The comments on her socials. The text at the bar. The call. It couldn't be a coincidence. But that could only mean one thing. And she couldn't accept it.
Her eyes darted to Emily's closet where she kept her gun.
"Alison?" Emily peeked inside the bedroom, startling her.
She almost dropped her phone, but she managed to recover.
"Everything okay?" Emily asked.
No more secrets.
She had promised.
But when she opened her mouth that promise went out the window.
"Yeah. Just shaking off the bad dream I had last night." The blonde plastered a smile on her face, hoping that Emily would buy it.
The brunette's face tightened in concern, but after a few seconds she relaxed.
Damn, I really have upped my acting game.
"Maybe breakfast will help with the jitters." Emily suggested. "I made eggs and toast. You coming?"
"Yeah. I'll be right there."
When Emily's footsteps started to recede Alison glanced at her phone again.
The unknown caller was mocking her from her call log.
If her sister had just called her despite the fact that she was strictly monitored and was not allowed to make undesignated calls…what else was she capable of doing?
She knew the right thing to do was to march into the kitchen and tell Emily everything. But after everything Charlotte had put her friends through, she couldn't bring that terror back into their lives.
So she made a choice.
No more secrets.
Except one.
o ~ O ~ o
The calls continued daily, which kept the blonde on edge. Most of the time it was just heavy breathing and laughter. The texts were worse, because as soon as she read the threatening words the text would disappear, like it had been recalled. She had tried taking a screenshot, but for some reason her phone couldn't capture the image.
It dawned on her that if the altercation in the bathroom was real, the mirror would be broken from where Charlotte shoved her into it. But when she went back to check it out the entire bathroom was wrecked because a brawl had broken out between four women who had thrown each other around like ragdolls.
Alison hadn't seen her sister since the nightmare she had about the party, but her paranoia was at an all-time high.
Since Jason refused to call her back…
Petty bitch…
…her only option was to plead her case to the mental hospital.
Every time she got a call she would contact Welby and ask them to make sure Charlotte didn't have a phone.
She also demanded for them to verify that she was still a patient there and that Jason hadn't done something stupid and gotten her released. Not that he would have been able to without contacting the girls.
The other scenario was that Charlotte escaped. But if that was the case, Alison was certain she'd already be dead. Welby also would have a duty to inform her former victims that she was out. It was against the law to keep something like that from the girls.
Because Jason wasn't answering any of his calls or texts and Welby would never release any information on Charlotte, Alison had to hope that she was still locked away.
The calls raised her anxiety levels to new highs, though she hid it well with her newfound acting abilities…at least when she was awake.
But the demons manifested in her dreams.
Alison's second nightmare had happened two weeks after the first.
Ironically, it wasn't about Charlotte, but about Tyler.
She had screamed and fought until she woke up in Emily's arms.
The brunette had assured her that she was safe and that Tyler was getting his ass handed to him in prison.
Alison had buried her face in Emily's shoulder and nuzzled against her, trying to get his vile face out of her mind.
Alison's nerves seemed to provoke something in Emily.
Emily was always on high alert and she'd picked up some of Alison's anxiety without realizing it.
It triggered her own nightmares.
She tossed and turned some nights.
The first bad nightmare Alison witnessed had scared the hell out of her.
It was nearly a week after Alison's nightmare about Tyler.
They had been nightmare-free for six nights, but on the seventh night something hit Emily like a freight train.
The brunette screamed at the top of her lungs and her body convulsed like she was being electrocuted.
"Stop!" She yelled, pawing desperately at the air. "Stop it! You're hurting them!"
Alison had been startled awake, jarred in the moonlit room by Emily's screams.
"Don't!"
Oh, God…
Someone was hurting her, and Alison was helpless to stop it. She tried to wake her, but Emily just yelped and thrashed around.
"Please stop! I can't!" She grunted in pain. "It's too much! I can't feel my hands."
Alison watched as beads of sweat rolled down Emily's temples.
The nightmare came to an abrupt end as she cried out one last time,
"I can't breathe…"
She sucked in a gasp of air, gobbling it like she'd been underwater.
She probably had been. For all Alison knew Charlotte had tried to drown her.
Emily let out the breath and then stopped breathing, which scared the blonde.
She arched her back and opened her mouth like she was trying to scream, but nothing came out.
Seconds later she shot up out of a deep sleep and sucked in a gust of air, her eyes popping open as she clawed at her throat.
"You okay?" Alison whispered.
Emily nodded. She wiped her brow with her forearm and then silently slid out of the bed and walked into the bathroom.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a few seconds. Sometimes when she looked into her eyes she could still see the same scared teenager who had been held underground and terrorized.
She shook her head and splashed cool water on her face before filling a cup with water and drinking the entire thing.
When she walked back into the bedroom Alison was perched up in the bed waiting for her.
She didn't talk about her nightmares because it was too painful to go back into that time in her life.
Every time she woke up in the Dollhouse it took her a minute for her to remember she was living in a horror movie. Because she was waking up in her own bed, but it was less comfortable. And her room felt…wrong.
Charlotte had intentionally built replicas all of their rooms so they'd never feel safe in their own beds again. She had robbed them of so much.
Blaring alarms would wake them up at all hours of the night. Charlotte would sneak in to mess with them when they were asleep after drugging their food. She'd done worse than anyone would ever know. Things Emily hadn't ever talked about, not even to the police.
The things that had happened in that bunker haunted her dreams. Down there she had to learn to become someone different to separate herself from what was happening to her. It was easier to withdraw and pretend that what was happening was happening to someone else.
Emily hated thinking about that room…that house. Her prison.
When she finally got out she hated her room at home. She couldn't wait to get away from it.
Alison understood why Emily couldn't talk about her trauma, but sometimes she wished she would. She was hoping that maybe with time Emily would learn to confide in her.
Emily walked back over to the bed like nothing had happened…like she hadn't just been screaming at the top of her lungs minutes earlier.
What did my sister do to you?
Emily saw the look of distress on Alison's face. She whispered a sheepish,
"Sorry."
It was a reflex and Alison knew that, but she still told her not to apologize.
That was all Emily said about the nightmare.
She wasn't ready to open up, and Alison respected that.
They were slowly opening different channels of communication as they built their relationship.
Two months had passed since Emily had gotten her out of the Airbnb. Alison was grateful for every single day that they had together. What they were doing worked. And she didn't want to screw it up.
Alison waited for Emily to climb back into bed with her, but she faltered on her feet.
Emily peered at the clock.
It was 6:02.
She had to be up for work in an hour.
"Since I'm already up I think I'm going to go for a run before I head down to the beach." Emily reached into her drawer and pulled out her lifeguard gear. "You've got that meeting with your agent at eleven, right?"
Alison had been talking to her agent about a magazine spread. She wanted to snag an interview about her up and coming career. Nothing was set in stone yet. She was meeting with her agent to find out what the editor of the magazine had said.
"Ten thirty." Alison peered at a scar on Emily's leg.
Was that from Charlotte? Or something else?
"You think you'll get the gig?" Emily questioned.
"I hope so." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
She was worried about what…or who was haunting Emily's dreams.
Emily saw her staring and shot her a soft look. She sat down against the edge of the bed and reached for Alison's hand.
"I'm fine, Ali."
"Are you?" Alison frowned skeptically at her.
She couldn't read her, so she bit down on her bottom lip and focused intensely on her face, searching for the truth.
The blonde's eyes were not a calm soothing blue. There was an intensity in them that always made Emily feel like looking away, even though she wanted to dive deeper. They were a ferocious shade of blue, the kind of piercing gaze people would want protecting them.
"I've learned to be." Emily squeezed her hand.
"I think that's the worst nightmare I've ever seen." And she'd had her fair share of night terrors.
A mixture of guilt and embarrassment flooded Emily's soft brown eyes.
"You don't have to be ashamed." Alison laced her fingers into Emily's.
"I'm not. I just feel bad that you had to see that. That's the last thing I wanted…"
"You told me that it got bad sometimes. You told me the night I moved in." Alison reminded her. "I'm here for you, through the good and the bad."
Emily's lips twitched into a brief smile.
"It looks bad, but it's just part of my life. It's part of the healing process." When the brunette spoke, her words were soft and quiet.
"How do you heal? How do you move on from something like that?"
"You don't. Not entirely." Emily's gaze dropped to the floor and she sighed. "You learn to live with it. It's not something that has a cure. You struggle with it, too. I see it in your eyes."
Alison nodded.
"You just move forward in your life and you try to live, because no one should ever be able to take that away from you. It's your life. If you give in, the bad guys win."
Alison's mouth snapped shut and then popped back open. She wasn't sure how to respond. She was still trying to reconcile that Charlotte was the monster who had tried to steal her friends' lives from them. And that she might be at it again.
"How are the others?" Alison asked. "Are they okay?"
"I don't know that I can speak for them." A little crinkle formed in Emily's brow. Alison wanted to kiss it, but it didn't feel right because of what they were talking about. "I do know that they all struggle in their own way. You should reach out. I'm sure they'd be glad to hear from you."
The only one who Alison had been somewhat in touch with was Aria. Spencer and Hanna weren't particularly forthcoming. They'd answer her texts, but didn't answer her calls.
"I've DM'd a little with Aria on Instagram. We're going to help each other out. I'm going to promote her book and she's going to help me promote my portfolio. She knows a few people in the film industry from working with them on book deals. I asked her how she was doing and told her I was sorry for what Charlotte did to you all. She shut down. I didn't hear from her for almost a week. I don't think they want to talk about it. But I want them to know how sorry I am. I've tried telling them."
"They know. They don't blame you."
"They hate me for staying with her." Alison lowered her head and frowned.
"They don't." Emily argued. Spencer and Hanna were a little leery about her, but they didn't hate her. "Listen, trust comes with time. You've extended the olive branch. Give them a chance to get to know who you are now."
Alison stared at Emily in surprise.
"What?" Emily asked.
Alison couldn't speak at first. All she could do was marvel at the brunette.
Emily seemed so sure of herself. She had certainly grown up. She was different from the shy sweet girl back in Rosewood. She was still sweet, but she also had a firm grip on reality and she wasn't exactly shy anymore.
"When did you get so good at pep talks?" Alison cocked her head.
"I work with LGBTQ youth all the time and I teach swim classes for kids sometimes for extra cash. Kind of comes with the territory."
"You should have majored in Philosophy."
Emily tilted towards her and gently placed a kiss on her cheek.
"I'm no Confucius." Emily waved it off.
She pushed off of the mattress and grabbed a bag next to the night stand. She put her gear in it and then reached into her dresser for a pair of her fitted running shorts and a sports bra. California heat was no joke, even in the early hours. That was something Alison was learning to live with. It was completely different than Pennsylvania.
After Emily got changed, she brushed her teeth and then slipped her running shoes on. She walked back over to Alison, who was trying not to stare at how good she looked in her work-out attire.
"You're careful when you run, right?" Alison propped herself up on her elbows. "You watch your surroundings and don't blare music that drowns out the noises around you?"
Emily let a sardonic laugh slip.
"I was stalked and tortured for two years. Definitely makes a girl more cautious of her surroundings." She gave Alison a reassuring smile. "Plus…my dad was teaching me self-defense when all the other little girls my age were in tutus." She paused and then added. "Not that there is anything wrong with tutus."
An Emily-ism.
Alison loved it when Emily rambled about random things. The fact that she'd mentioned tutus was so cute.
"I was in ballet when I was five." Alison smiled.
"I know. I've seen the pictures." That explained her tutus comment. "You were super adorable."
"Still am." Alison batted her eyes.
"That you are." Emily chewed on her bottom lip.
"Emily Fields, are you blushing?" Alison laughed.
"What? No. I was just…" She cleared her throat. "Okay, maybe a little."
"You're cute when you're flustered."
Emily reached up and rubbed the back of her neck, which was as red as her face, though she couldn't see it. She wasn't sure what power Alison had over her, but she felt like a little kid in love when the blonde looked at her.
"I uh…" Form words. She begged her brain. "I should probably get getting. The temperature starts to rise when the sun comes up."
She felt like smacking herself. Why was she talking about the weather?
"Temperature is rising in here." Alison lifted her brows and then winked at her. She patted the mattress with her palm.
Emily laughed. She glanced at the bed. She knew she had a decision to make. She could stay with Alison until it was time for her to go to work. But she knew if she got back in the bed she wouldn't be getting out of it for some time. She'd been craving Alison's touch since the moment they'd locked eyes on the beach.
As she considered moving back towards the bed a flash of her nightmare stopped her in her tracks.
She was back in the Dollhouse, strapped to a chair and being forced to watch videos of Charlotte stalking Alison.
She didn't know it was Charlotte at the time. She was always wearing a hoodie.
Alison had a police entourage, but whoever was filming was able to get close enough without arousing suspicion. There were clips of Alison being filmed unknowingly. In one of them, the person with the camera flashed a shiny blade.
"Choose!" A robotic voice had blared at her.
"No…no!"
"CHOOSE OR SHE DIES!"
"I can't...please..."
"She will be mine."
She managed to pull herself out of her thoughts and face Alison.
"You're a very good temptress, but I've got to stick to my exercise routine." Routine helped her on a day to day basis. It kept her mind off of the past. She looked down at the watch on her wrist and then back at Alison. "I've got my cell if you need anything."
Alison had an "I love you" on the tip of her tongue, but she managed to bite it back.
The words had come so easy to them in Rosewood. They'd said it all the time. But there was a deeper meaning to it now.
They had been working on their relationship for two months. She was still testing the waters, and she wanted to say it in the right moment. The truth was she'd never stopped loving Emily. She'd been a wreck without her.
"Be careful," is what came out instead of I love you.
Emily smiled at her.
"I always am," is what came out instead of I love you, too. "Good luck today."
Emily's smile was like kryptonite.
Alison could hardly stand the look in her eyes. It was so deep. So intimate. So trusting.
Emily glanced back at her one more time before moving towards the door.
The blonde was slipping out of bed. She was wearing a leopard print tank top and black cut off exercise shorts.
She certainly didn't make it easy to walk out of the room.
Emily pulled her hair back and tightened it up in a bun on her head. She knew the basics when it came to running alone. And keeping hair out of reach from someone who might grab her from behind was near the top of the list. It gave bad guys one less thing to catch them. Sometimes she ran with Zoe, but most of the time she liked running alone. It calmed her thoughts.
She thought a lot about Alison on her jog.
When she moved in they had picked up right where they left off.
They had spent the entire summer reconnecting.
The reason they worked so well was because they had learned to live with one another…and to live independently. They had their own lives. It wasn't just a teenage obsession anymore.
They were good together, and Emily could sense a deeper feeling emerging. She had always loved Alison. But over the years it had evolved into something else.
She didn't just love her. She was in love with her, and now that she'd felt the difference she knew what that difference was.
She sensed that Alison felt the same and she wondered how long she'd felt that way.
Had she been suffering in silence and struggling with her feelings for all these years?
Perhaps they had always been in love.
Maybe it was just the surroundings and the timing.
Now that they'd had a chance to be together without all the outside factors they were learning who they were as a couple.
Emily hadn't told the girls that she was dating Alison for that very reason.
She needed to be able to sort out her feelings without outside interference.
Samara and Zoe respected their privacy. Neither of them had any preconceived notions about Alison, so it made it easier for Emily to talk to them.
Toby and Pam knew they were dating, but she'd asked them not to tell anyone. Several of her coworkers knew, but they didn't share anything publicly.
It had been nice getting to know each other again without the public opinion of Rosewood.
Emily's phone chimed, an alarm she'd set to let her know when it was time for her to go in for her lifeguard shift.
When she got back to the condo Alison was in the shower. Emily was tempted to hop in and join her, but she had to get to the beach.
She grabbed a bag she'd tossed by the door and set the security alarm before she left.
She spent most of her morning at the beach perched high in the stand watching for people showing signs of distress.
She had chosen to be a lifeguard because she wanted to help people. It was just an added bonus that it was near the water.
She loved the water…for the most part.
There had been a brief period after she left Rosewood when she'd been intimidated by the ocean. She had been terrified of the waves.
She didn't like to think about why.
Buried memories of the Dollhouse clawed at her.
Cold.
Dark.
Head aching.
Weak.
Dehydrated.
Water pouring over her.
Choking.
Drowning.
"Hey, Emily!" Someone called from across the beach, snapping her back into reality.
She looked over and saw Chad and two other guys from the Airbnb. They had broken away from the hyena pack. There was no more cat-calling or crotch-grabbing.
He walked towards her, leaving his friends behind. The brunette watched him from her tower, perched above him.
"I was wondering when I'd see you on duty again." Chad stopped at her feet. He looked up at her. He looked like a child from her vantage point. "Is Alison here? She hasn't posted anything about the beach on socials lately."
"She's at work." Emily peered at him through her sunglasses.
"Oh." He looked disappointed, but he didn't say so. "I know she seems perfectly fine on Instagram, but I know how people only post what the world wants to see. I hope she's doing okay."
"She's a survivor."
Emily didn't want to give too much away. She wasn't going to put words in Alison's mouth.
"Hey…I'm really sorry about what happened. We should have been more mindful of what was going on instead of tapping a dozen kegs." His face was red, but Emily couldn't tell if it was from the sun or embarrassment.
"He's behind bars now. That's all that we can do." Emily lowered her sunglasses just enough to look the boy in the eyes. "Just do better in the future."
"Yeah. My sisters already laid into me. You don't have to do the speech." He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck. He offered an amicable smile. "Glad Alison had somewhere safe to go. And just so you know, the other girl came forward so Tyler isn't getting out for a long time. I know it doesn't take back what happened to her and Alison, but I thought you might want to know."
Emily was well-aware. She had been keeping an eye on Tyler's case to make sure he didn't weasel his way out of charges. But she appreciated Chad keeping her in the loop.
"Thank you." Emily smiled. "And thank you for what you did for her at the station."
"Of course." Chad nodded. He glanced at the beach. "I guess I'll let you get back to work. It was nice to see you again."
"You too."
He waved and then jogged back over to his friends. They were practicing body-surfing. After a few minutes they went splashing into the water with their boards.
Emily's morning was fairly typical. A few people always got in over their heads, which is what she was there for.
An hour into her shift she swam out to pull in a surfer that had been smacked in the face by his board and got him back to shore. He was fine except for a bloody nose.
She only had to go in one more time when a kid waded out too far and his mother panicked.
Emily swam out to get him. He clung to her like she was his hero as they arrived on shore. The mother sobbed as she thanked her.
Emily smiled and followed up with you're welcome.
She made sure the little boy was okay and told his mother to follow up with a doctor to listen to his lungs to make sure he hadn't inhaled too much water.
Around noon she took her lunch break, switching out with one of her coworkers. She grabbed a burger at the little cabana near the beach and sat down to call Alison.
Before she could hit send, her phone rang.
Alison's smiling face appeared. A face that made Emily's heart jump every time she saw it.
"I was just thinking about you. I think we have the same brain." Emily answered. "How did it go?"
"I got it!" Alison exclaimed in excitement. "They want to do the shoot, the interview, and even talk to a director about a commercial. They're looking for someone like me."
"That's amazing!"
"I haven't signed the contract yet. They're still working out the details, but it's a sure thing. I can't outright tell my followers who this gig is with, but they said I was allowed to tease it on my socials. I already did a Tiktok to that song by The Pierces. Secret. They ate it up."
Emily was impressed with how much marketing Alison knew how to do. She had become very business savvy. Her agent helped some, but for the most part Alison was a natural online.
"Em, I don't think I can thank you enough for believing in me and for offering me a place to stay. I don't know where I'd be if I was in a bad mental health space living with 12 drunk guys."
Emily could hear the height of emotion in her voice. Alison had opened up and trusted her. She had allowed Emily to help her. That was huge. Back in Rosewood Alison kept her emotions guarded up until the day that Emily left. She was always holding back. But she'd let go. And she had flourished because of it.
They had flourished because of it.
"Speaking of your former roommates…I ran into Chad today."
"What did he want?" Her tone was curious, but non-committal.
"He just wanted to make sure you're okay." Emily took a sip of her drink, relishing in the icy cold feeling going down her throat.
"Oh. Well…that's oddly nice."
"As twisted as it is, I think that night was a wake-up call for him. He seems completely different." She chewed on an ice cube.
"I misjudged him." Alison admitted. "Don't get me wrong…he's a perverted caveman, but at least he grew a spine and did the right thing." She paused and then frowned. The next words that came out of her mouth were ferocious and protective, "He didn't hit on you, did he?"
"No. I think I intimidate him." Emily laughed.
"Well…you did break a guy's nose." Alison lightened up when she heard Emily's carefree tone. "God, I still can't believe I was ever desperate enough to stay with them. I'm so glad you pulled me out of the ocean kicking and screaming."
"And cussing quite a bit." Emily grinned in amusement.
"Hell of a meet-cute."
"I'm happy you're here, Ali." Emily reached for the ketchup, moving her bun aside and dabbing it lightly on the burger.
"I'm happy I'm here with you."
Emily could imagine the little smile playing at her lips. The light lip bite. The piercing gaze. When Alison looked at Emily like that she felt like melting.
"Fields!" One of her coworkers waved from across the beach.
She held her finger up to indicate for him to give her a minute. Just as she was getting ready to tell Alison she had to go she heard someone call out Alison's name.
"Alison! Are you coming!?" The voice was muffled through the phone.
"Just a sec!" Alison replied. She spoke into the phone again. "The best part of this deal is that I met several other influencers at my agent's office. We're going out for lunch and we're going to trade tips."
"Have fun." Emily put the ketchup down and waved her coworker, Max, over. "I'll see you tonight, okay?"
"Can't wait!" Alison's enthusiasm radiated through the phone. "And look out for my Live. My fans are loving the tease. And I'd…I would love your input."
"Of course."
They said their goodbyes as Max sat down across from her.
He was one of the kids that the LGBTQ Alliance had helped. He'd struggled after he came out. His grandmother, whom he loved dearly, was very religious and she wouldn't speak to him after he told her.
He'd run away from home when he was 16.
He was staying with several other kids at a shelter when Emily met him a year later.
It had been two years since that day. She'd managed to get him a job with her on the beach because he had a heavy background in competitive swimming. He hadn't made it to college yet, but the LGBTQ Alliance was helping him with that. They were ready to support him when he was ready to go to school. But for now, he was just a 19-year-old kid living his best life.
He was a tall and skinny. His pale skin looked like it would easily burn even with layers of sunscreen. His dark wet hair was slicked back away from his face. His brown eyes dazzled in delight and mischief. He looked a little like Freddie Mercury without the signature porn-stache.
"Did you see that your girlfriend is going to be a super-star?" He whipped his phone out and pulled up Tiktok. "This has gone viral."
Max showed her the Tiktok Alison had been talking about. She did a very impressive seductive wink as she held her index finger up to her lips and shushed with the music overlapping.
Be still my loins.
"What secret project is she working on? You have to tell me." Max begged.
"I didn't realize you were a fanboy." Emily quirked an eyebrow and smiled.
"I freaking love her. She's a Goddess queen. She's done what so many of us want to do. She is rising in the ranks."
Emily felt a sense of pride that she knew the woman impacting so many lives.
"She's pretty incredible." Emily smiled bashfully.
Her girlfriend was a celebrity. She'd seen it when they went out together. Alison would get pulled away for pictures and autographs.
Alison was always mindful about Emily's sensitivities to social media and asked her fans to focus on her and not on Emily.
"She's the best. I'm dying to know what she's working on." He puffed his lips out, pouting. "Please?"
"I don't know much about it yet. I hadn't even seen the Tiktok until you showed it to me."
Max dramatically rolled his eyes.
"Why are you so allergic to social media?"
Because I was tortured for years and the last thing I want is one of my tormentors to know where I am and what I'm doing.
If she only knew the truth...
"Just busy." Emily shrugged.
No one in California knew anything about her life back in Rosewood. She'd worked hard to keep it separate.
"You have to dish once you find out." Max grinned. "Oh, and I would love you so much if you could get me her autograph." Max held his steepled hands up in prayer.
"Max, you have met her. She hangs out with me here all the time." The last time Alison had been to the beach the three of them had lunch together. "How come you've never said anything?"
"I always was too starstruck to ask for an autograph. I didn't want to be one of those fanboys."
"I had no idea you were such a big fan."
"Max!" Their boss called.
"Oh, crap. I told him I was going to take a leak. I gotta get back to my post." He quickly pushed himself to his feet. "The autograph?"
She could see the eagerness hiding behind his sunglasses.
"Of course. I'll ask her." Emily nodded.
"You're the best!" He exclaimed. "I owe you one!"
After Max took off, Emily grabbed her burger and took a bite.
As she was eating her lunch an idea popped into her head.
She scrolled through her contacts and pulled up her mom's phone number.
She requested a Facetime and hit send.
She tried to call her at least twice a week to see how she was doing. She hated thinking about the fact that she was all alone while her dad was overseas.
Today she was calling with an ulterior motive.
Her mom answered, but Emily couldn't see her face. Instead she was looking at a view of her old living room. She could hear her mother's voice in the background.
"I still…I can't work this stupid thing." Her mother fumbled with the phone's camera, trying to get it to face her instead of the living room.
When she finally got it focused she was wearing a frown on her face, which was the last thing Emily expected to see.
"I'm old and I don't understand technology." She pouted.
Emily laughed.
"Hi, mom."
"Hi, honey. How are you?" Her frown turned into a bright smile. "I miss you!"
"I miss you, too."
"You look tired. Are you working too much?" Could her mother see through her sunglasses? Or did she just emit "working more than I'm sleeping" vibes?
"I'm fine. I'm on my lunch break right now. What are you doing?"
"Toby and I just got back from the hardware store. He was helping me find new knobs for the kitchen cabinets. He's changing the old ones out." She settled in on the couch.
Toby was such a good man. He deserved nothing but happiness.
"Hey, Em." Toby popped up behind her mother.
It was so good to see his face.
"Hey, Toby. How are you?" Emily smiled.
"Can't complain." He held up a bag from the hardwood store.
"When you're done there you want to come out here and help me renovate?" Emily teased.
"A free trip to Malibu? I'm not going to turn that down." His face lit up in delight.
"You know you don't have to come out on business to see me. I'll always make room for you." She realized what she'd implied the second she'd said it.
The couch would be available for him because she was sharing a bed with Alison.
"Is that so?" Toby lifted his brows.
"Hey, would you mind looking at the drawer by the fridge? It sticks sometimes." Emily tried to change the subject.
"I fixed that a year and a half ago." His response wasn't meant to make her feel bad, but she did because she hadn't been home enough.
"You're the best." Emily tried to bite back her guilt.
"How is Alison doing? Is she settling yet?" He asked.
"She is."
"Good to hear." Toby seemed genuinely happy for her. "It's good to see you. I'm going to get to work."
"Thanks."
Her eyes said it all, sincerely…thank you…for everything.
He nodded modestly. He never was one to draw attention to his good deeds. He didn't do the things he did for the praise. He did it because he was a decent guy.
"I'm glad he's around to help you." Emily turned her attention back to her mother.
"He's been a Godsend." Her mother praised him. "I was so wrong about him when you were kids. I was wrong about a lot of things."
"There was a lot you didn't know. I know you don't have the same opinions anymore." Emily took another bite of her burger.
"Not at all. You know your father and I are proud of you, right?" Pam's smile filled her entire face.
"Yeah." Emily took a sip of water. "I heard from dad a few weeks ago. He said something about coming home in the fall?"
"We're hoping so." She nodded. "We would love to see you."
"I'll see what my class schedule looks like. I'd love to see you, too." A brief moment of longing washed over her.
She missed her home.
Moreso...she missed her parents.
Emily hadn't seen her mother in a year. She had been so busy. She felt guilty she didn't get home more often.
Her mom had come out to visit her a year ago. They'd hit the beaches and she'd stayed in Emily's condo.
She hadn't seen her father in over two years. They talked a lot though. He'd come to visit her once, but the army kept him very busy.
She thought about him all the time. She was always worried about his safety.
"How are things in California?" Pam asked.
"Good. Classes are going to start up again in a few weeks. I'm doing pretty well academic-wise."
"Are you still working with Samara with the LGBTQ organization? You know, I always did like her." Pam smiled. "She was so good at scrapbooking."
"I can't believe you remember that." Emily chuckled.
Her relationship with Samara had been short-lived. But her mother had approved. She'd really liked Samara, which showed huge growth given that her mother had balked at her first girlfriend.
"I'm old. Not senile." Pam rolled her eyes. Her expression lightened. "How is Alison?"
"Actually, that's part of the reason I'm calling. I need your recipe for roast chicken and red potatoes. I'm going to make it for her. She got a huge media deal today. I want to cook her a celebratory dinner." She couldn't hide the pride she felt.
"That's wonderful to hear!" Pam's face lit up. "I assume she's still staying with you? You two doing okay?"
"Yes and yes. Things are really good." Her cheeks flushed with heat. She stopped short of telling her mother that she loved Alison. She wanted the blonde to be the first to hear it. "We've really connected. More than we were able to when we were younger."
"Are you happy?"
Pam's question struck a chord, because when Emily had first come out her mother had not been supportive. It had taken a while for her to come around. But she eventually embraced her love.
"I haven't been this happy in a long time. She's the best thing that's happened to me." Emily saw the dreamy look on her face in the video on her phone. "We're doing really well."
"That's all a mother can ask for." Pam's eyes softened. "I'm glad you two found one another again."
"Thanks, mom."
"I'll text you the recipe."
"I appreciate that." Emily took another small bite of her burger.
"Do you have anything else going on?" Her mother's camera shook as she shifted on the couch.
"Nope. Everything is about the same. What about you?" Emily asked.
"Other than the redecorating it's been pretty dull here."
Most people would have sympathized with a town being boring, but given everything Emily had been through back in Rosewood dull was a good thing.
She had no idea the shadows of Rosewood were looming over her girlfriend.
"How is everyone? Do you still go out with Ashley and Ella once a week?"
The Wine Moms…they had dubbed themselves.
"We meet every Sunday. But Ella has been out of town. Since Aria and Mike graduated she's gotten a bit of a travel bug." Her mother smiled. "Ashley and I still met up. She says Hanna is doing well. And something about a cat."
"Yeah, she and Caleb took in a stray. His name is Cheese." He practically owned the two of them.
"What an odd name." Her mother chuckled.
"It fits him." Emily shrugged.
"You've met this cat?" She questioned.
"On Facetime."
"How are Hanna and Caleb?"
Her mother had always had a soft spot for Hanna. Ashley Marin had taken Emily in after Mona had sent a letter that Emily got into a college on a scholarship. They had been in the middle of a move. When Pam had gotten the letter and saw the stipulation that Emily needed to finish high school in Rosewood she'd been conflicted. Hanna's mom had stepped up. The letter had been fake, but it had blossomed a deeper friendship with Hanna and her mother.
Hanna and Emily practically adopted each other as sisters during that time. They had gotten really close.
"They seem happy," Emily's eyes skirted the waves, an instinct instilled in her by her job.
She knew Max and the other two lifeguards had it handled. But she looked anyway.
"And Aria and Spencer?"
"They're good. Both staying busy." Emily reached for her water, taking a sip of it.
"Veronica says Spencer has been fantastic on the campaign trail."
"Yeah, Spencer runs herself ragged. I worry about her a little bit." Emily admitted.
"Funny you should mention children who run themselves ragged…" Her mother circled back to her.
"I'm good. I promise. I just work…a lot." She glanced at the time. "Which…speaking of…I've got to get back to it. I need to finish up my lunch and get back to the beach."
"Yeah, I should really be helping Toby in the kitchen. He insists on doing it himself. He reminds me a lot of your father. If I didn't know any better I'd think he was his son." Her mom smiled.
The brother she'd always wanted.
"If he won't let me work a screwdriver…which I'm perfectly capable of doing…at the very least I'm going to make him lunch and force him to eat it." She stood up.
"Love you, mom."
"I love you, too. Give Alison my love."
"I will."
After they said goodbye Emily inhaled the rest of her food.
She looked through the recipe her mother sent her.
She knew she needed time to pull it off.
After she finished lunch she went searching for Max. She found him slathering on a new coat of sunscreen.
"Max!" She called out for him. "Hey, I'm ready to call in that favor you owe me…"
"It's only been twenty minutes." Max laughed. "But whatever it is, I'm in."
"Would you mind covering for me this evening? I was supposed to be here until 7, but I'd like to do something for Alison. I want to surprise her with dinner."
"Oh em gee!" He clapped his hands together in excitement. "That is so romantic! Of course I'll help! You're totally my OTP."
"Your what?" Emily cocked her head in confusion.
"Emily, honey, you have got to learn the lingo if you're going to be a star's girlfriend. OTP. One true pairing." The younger boy repeated it slowly.
"I'll just stick with she's my girlfriend." Though, it was nice that people thought they were good together.
"But OTP is like…undying love. It's the ultimate compliment. You have no idea how many fans would love to see you two together."
Emily squirmed uncomfortably. The last thing she wanted was to be in the spotlight. She'd spent the last three years hiding.
"We keep our relationship to ourselves." Emily shot him a polite smile.
"Understood. Sometimes it's better that way. To keep real life on the DL." Max paused when he saw Emily's expression. "That stands for Downlow."
She cracked a smile and then laughed.
"Yeah, that one I actually know. I'm a gay woman in society, Max. I know what DL means." She peered at her phone, checking the time. "Sure you don't mind covering?"
"I got you." Max flicked his wrist. "I've been trying to work on my tan anyway. Good luck on your grand romantic gesture. I don't expect you to blow up social media with it, but I can't wait to hear the deets." He smiled slyly. "Deets means…"
"Details." Emily finished for him with a laugh. "I'm not completely in the dark."
Max laughed and then adjusted his sunglasses.
"I'm rooting for you two." He waved as he raced towards his stand.
Yeah, so am I. She had been for years.
After she finished her shift she gathered everything she'd need for dinner and went back to the condo, hoping that Alison wouldn't get home too early. She wanted it to be a surprise.
After everything they had been through they deserved happiness, and Emily was more than ready to commit to that happiness.
The last thing on her mind was a lurking presence from their past.
She didn't know about the secrets Alison was harboring. She didn't know about the calls or the texts, because the blonde was excellent at hiding things when she wanted to.
The manifestation of their nightmares was real for Alison. She wanted to tell Emily the truth, but the brunette was so happy. Alison didn't want to shake up her entire world again. In a way, it was history repeating itself. She'd hid the taunting texts she got back in Rosewood. But things were different now. She was different. She wouldn't run. She would stay. She would keep Emily safe.
Alison could play any role that was handed to her, but she knew she couldn't fool Emily forever. Secrets had a way of getting out. The past taught her that. The brunette would see beyond her mask at some point.
She wanted to protect her from the truth as long as possible, but she had to figure out what the truth was first. All she could hope for was that it didn't destroy the life they were building together when everything came out.
A/N: *peeks out of hiding place to see if the pitchforks are still coming*
So much to unpack. Our girls are going through some really intense motions, so naturally the past had to come crawling back. Nightmares abound. You'll see a lot more depth to what happened in Rosewood as we move forward and you'll see their relationship continue to blossom. And also...drama, because what is "Pretty Little Liars" without drama?
Personal favorite bits in this chapter for me: Pam Fields being an Emison shipper. Also, Toby being a total Mama's boy to Emily's Mama. And Max. You'll see a little more of Max. The Liars are also coming in for more cameos.