A/N: Sorry it took me a bit to get this 2nd chapter out! I wanted to perfect it and when I wasn't motivated it wasn't what I wanted it to be! So here it is! Let me know what you think!
"What…What are you-" JJ stuttered, trying to comprehend everything.
"What am I doing here?" Emily said with a soft chuckle. "I tried texting and calling you, but you obviously didn't get those."
JJ's eyebrows were furrowed, her mouth slightly open. She shook her head and forced a slight smile on her lips.
"Well alrighty then. I was just headed home. Do you have a place to stay?" JJ asked, stretching her right arm out to hold the elevator door open.
"Yea, I checked into a hotel not too far from here actually," Emily paused her sentence. It seemed as though she was trying to figure out what to say next. "Do you want to grab a drink before going home?"
JJ's eyes darted to her phone screen.
New text message from Will
Her thoughts were running wild in her head. Every time she brought herself back to answering Emily's question, it was like her other thoughts overpowered her mind and she couldn't focus.
"JJ?" Emily tilted her head, stepped inside the elevator and extended her hand to the blonde woman in front of her.
JJ shook her head and snapped out of the trance she was in.
"Sorry! Yes! We can get a drink. That would be good!" She smiled, and reached around Emily to push the button for the 1st floor. "Does anyone else know you're visiting?" JJ asked, still avoiding eye contact.
"Spence knows. I talked to him earlier when I got in. I texted everyone else, but I'm guessing you guys had a busy few days with the case." Emily replied.
Ding!
The two women were in the bar for less than 5 minutes and JJ was already moving on to her 3rd gin and tonic.
"Enough about me! How are you, JJ?" Emily asked, taking the moment to sip her beer.
JJ looked down at her drink. Her leg started to bounce on the bar stool. "Everythings good, ya know? Can't complain," She smiled at Emily, hoping she wouldn't try and dig deeper.
"JJ…Come on, everythings good? Really?" Emily tilted her head to try and make eye contact with her friend. She put a soft smile on her face to help her feel more comfortable.
"Em, I'm fine. Okay?" JJ replied, slightly frustrated that she was being asked about it. "You know, I'm actually going to go home. I… I need to get home," JJ stood up from the stool she was sitting on, grabbed her coat and started to dart out of the bar.
"JJ!" Emily exclaimed, while standing up and grabbing JJ's arm to stop her from leaving. JJ immediately pulled away, cringing. She placed her right hand over her left bicep, where Emily had grabbed her. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" Emily asked with extreme concern.
"Emily. I'm fine. I'm going home." JJ avoided eye contact and continued out of the bar. She stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Does she follow her or does she give her space?
"God damn it, JJ." Emily muttered while simultaneously rolling her eyes. She threw down some cash on the bar and made her way through the crowd to find JJ. The air was crisp and the ground shimmered from puddles of rain as the street lights shined down on them. Emily pulled her coat closer around her body and wiped the rain droplets from her forehead. She was almost to the parking garage they left the car at and there was still no sign of JJ. "JJ!" Emily shouted, hoping her friend hadn't driven home and was still nearby. ""JJ!" Emily shouted once more. She looked down every alley she passed, but still nothing. She made it inside the parking garage and immediately saw JJ's car still in the spot they had parked it in. A sigh of relief escaped Emily's lips. She approached the passenger side of the car and found it completely empty. "JJ!" Emily shouted, a little louder and a little more distraught.
Her head turned to scan the parking garage, looking for any sign of her. There! JJ was sitting on a bench directly across from the parking garage overlooking the river. Emily lightly jogged to where JJ was sitting. The rain had stopped and a gust of wind drifted through her hair, the smell of a freshly lit cigarette surrounded her nostrils. "JJ?" She spoke softly, while walking around the bench to approach her friend. JJ didn't flinch or even speak. She continued staring at the river in front of her. Almost as if she was in a trance of some sort. The freshly lit cigarette Emily had smelled was in JJ's right hand. "Since when do you smoke?" Emily questioned, with a smile on her face. JJ continued to sit in silence. Emily's smile faded and she let out a big sigh. She slowly sat down on the opposite side of the bench being careful to read JJ's facial and body expressions so as to not upset her more. "We can sit here for as long as you need," Emily stated.
The two had been sitting on the bench in complete silence for almost an hour. JJ still had the cigarette in her hand, but it was no longer lit. She had not moved from the position she was in.
"Have I told you about my sister, Roslyn?" JJ spoke, with her body unmoved and her eyes still staring straight ahead.
"No, you haven't," Emily stated as she readjusted her body on the bench to be more inviting for her friend.
"When I was 11, I found her dead in our bathroom. She slit her wrists." The words almost sprinted from her lips. JJ paused and bit her lip. She was attempting to hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes. Emily stayed silent. She started to reach her hand out to JJ, but decided to pull back so that she didn't upset JJ more. "After that day, I swore to myself I would never get to that point. I would never give up." JJ's head dropped, staring at her feet now. She snickered before speaking again. "I've kept my promise, but…" She paused and took a deep breath.
"What, JJ? What is it?" Emily asked her, even though she knew what she was trying to say. JJ turned to look at Emily.
"But I don't know how much longer I can keep that promise." She stared at Emily as the tears that she was holding back finally released and began to plunge down her cheeks. JJ knew if she kept her tears from falling, she would be more likely to completely break down into full blown panic. So she took control of what she could and let herself cry instead.
"JJ…" Emily said softly, not hesitating to reach her hand out this time. That seemed like the final straw for JJ and she collapsed into Emily's arms. Tears still descending down her cheeks. Emily pulled her in tight. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here."