S I X T Y - F I V E


    PAIGE.


    Blondie''s eyes go wide after my palm makes contact with her cheek, not exactly feeling the pleasure I


    hoped it would bring.


    "What the fuck did you just do?" She let out as the books drop to her feet and I say, "I smacked you


    and trust me, I want to do so much more. "


    "Bitch, who the fuck do you think you are?" She snaps as she lunges towards me and grabs me by the


    arm. She pushes me till my back is to the wall and before she can lift her hand, I say, "Emerson told me


    to disappear out of his life. " The motion of her hand stills but she stays rooted to the spot.


    "Look here. I know what you think of me. I''m the one who''s trying to take someone who isn''t mine, " I


    let out and Eva loosens her hold on me, taking a step back.


    I heave a sigh before I continue, "It''s not what you think and I''m not here for what you think I''m here for.


    Emerson and I... We share a bond. To me at least, we do. He was there when I needed someone; he


    was always there. "


    "He was there for you as a good friend; you took it the other way. " She speaks and I shake my head, a


    soft chuckle leaving my mouth. "You don''t understand. " And she truly doesn''t. I wouldn''t me her


    either way. She thinks of this as a woman who''s in love with him, not someone who''s trying to look at


    things from my perspective.


    "When Emerson and I met; I was escaping from my past and it was meant to be just sex between us.


    But it turned into something else when he showed me I don''t have to be afraid of my past. I don''t have


    to run away from it; not when I could conquer it. He was there, right by my side through every single


    step. I know he set the rules and I was to keep to it, but it''s impossible to not feel something other than


    casual for someone who saved you, blondie. It''s impossible to not fall for the man who held your hand


    when the rest of the world turned their back on you. Emerson might have not fell for me, but I did.


    Along with the sex and thefort he provided, it was easy to break the rules. " I pause to look at her,


    and a frown still covers her face.


    "When I found out about you, I was pissed. Like every rational girl in love with a guy would be when


    she finds out the said guy loves another. What you sawst night was my emotions getting the better of


    me. No matter how much I try to exin it, you can''t possibly understand because you''re not me and


    you are not the owner of these feelings, but I want you to know that Emerson was there for me first


    before he fell for you, and it''s impossible to not get hurt because of that. It''s impossible to not want to


    do silly things to separate you two. Emerson thought I would be fine with being just friends and I


    thought so too, but that was untilst night. I''ve been with Emerson in a way I''ve never been with


    anyone else and it''s hard to let that go. It''s hard to not want more from him even when I know he''s in


    love with you. "


    "So what are you trying to say?" Blondie interrupts me and I take a step forward, "I''m saying that I can''t


    be with Emerson in the way he wants me to, and he can''t be with me in the way I want him to. Which is


    why I''m leaving. " I never thought I would say those words. But again, I never thought Emerson would


    tell me to never appear before him again. It hurt. Finding out he is in love with another and wanted to


    remain friends didn''t hurt as much as Emerson asking me to leave his life, but that pain also made me


    realize what I have to do.


    "Leaving?" The confusion in her voice is apparent and I hum, "I never truly understood the depth of his


    love for you untilst night. You''re his happiness, blondie and I can''t be selfish enough to want to ruin


    that. I can''t do that to him, not after everything he did for me. I found happiness with Emerson, but if his


    doesn''t lie with me, then I have to take a step back because I''d rather let him be happy with someone


    else, than be unhappy with me. "


    The words he utteredst night. The look in his eyes and the truth behind them made me understand


    Emerson Ford isn''t mine to keep. I was on my knees before him, yet all he thought about was her.


    Wanting to be the bad one afterst night is easy, but if there''s another thing I can''t handle; it''s


    Emerson Ford hating me more than he already does.


    "Why are you telling me all these? Why not to him?" She asks and I say, "Because you''re the one who


    matters, and I don''t trust myself enough to not lose it if I stand before him. Moreso, Emerson doesn''t


    want to see my face. "


    "You amaze me, Paige. I didn''t think you were capable of this. "


    I let out a cackle at her words. "I tend to do what''s least expected of me. "


    For the first time since we''ve crossed paths, blondie smiles at me. A real genuine smile.


    She gathers the books from the ground and when she raises to her feet again, she says, "I''m sorry you


    had to go through that, and whatever it is that you n to do; I wish you luck in it. " I thought as to what


    was special about this girl that makes her different from the rest, but standing before her now, I


    somehow understand why Emerson love her. She radiates positivity... When she doesn''t want to chop


    your head off for messing with her man.


    "Hold him, " I call out to her when she''s steps away and she turns around to meet my eyes. With a


    small smile on my face, I say, "I know I have no right to say this, but you should never let go of him,


    blondie. Emerson is a good man, and I''ve never seen him in the way that he is with you. "


    "You say that as though you wouldn''t cross paths again. " She voices out and hearing the words from


    her hit harder than when I admitted them to myself. I drop my gaze to blink back the tears before I lift


    my head to her, "Maybe we will. "


    She hesitates before she speaks, "Where are you leaving to?"


    "Where it all began. The past he taught me to embrace. " After running away at the veryst minute, I


    thought Emerson would be there to catch me as always, but he wasn''t. Not anymore. And it''s time to


    learn how to catch myself .


    "Oh, and Paige–" Blondie''s voice halts my steps and I twist my body to her view, but before I can meet


    her eyes, she strikes me across the face; the sound deafening to my ears.


    "What the fuck?" I shriek, holding onto my cheek as I look back at her and she throws me a small


    smile, "A parting gift is highly essential. "


    "You''re crazy. " I proim as I watch her turn away, disappearing out of my sight.


    "I didn''t hit this hard. " I mumble under my breath as I rub the burning skin.


    ~


    EVA.


    When I reach the front door, Emerson''s car is parked at the usual spot and I take several breathes


    before I turn the knob and walk through the door. The silence of the room wees me as I enter the


    living room and my gaze moves to the spot where I saw themst night.


    Averting my eyes, I step forward and make my way from the living room to where I know I''ll find him.


    I''m about to walk past my room to Emerson''s but I stop when I notice the door to my room is only half-


    closed. I pace towards it and push the door open, striding inside to see Emerson on my bed with my


    bag on his chest.


    The sight makes my heart flutter and I stroll to his side, dropping to the bed as I shake him awake.


    "Go away, " he grunts as he turns to the other side, taking the bag with him and I smile, "Do you


    honestly mean that?"


    I don''t think I''ve ever seen him move this fast before; Emerson''s eyes open and he turns his head to


    meet my gaze, both shock and relief masking his expression as he sits up on the bed.


    "My God, Eva! Where were you? You got me so fucking scared. I thought something happened to you


    and you weren''t returning my messages, and I thought–" his heavy breath worries me and I press a


    hand to the side of his face to calm him before I say, "Shhh, baby. Nothing happened. Nothing could


    have. I was at Aliya''s and I ran out of battery. "


    He doesn''t say another word as he yanks me close to wrap his hands around my body, hugging me


    tight to his and I lock my hands around his neck as I pull back to meet his eyes, "I''m fine. "


    "Don''t do that to me ever again, Eva. Don''t put me in such a ce again. " The pain in his eyes and his


    voice makes my heart ache and I blink back the tears that threaten to roll down my cheeks as I say, "I


    won''t. "


    "Is that a promise?" He raises a brow, his voice sounding disturbed and I smile, leaning forward to


    press my lips to his chin, then I pull back and mumble, "It''s a promise. "


    Emerson''s hand slides to the back of my head, and he closes his lips over mine. The kiss is soft and


    gentle, yet so damn powerful in a way that I''m able to discern every emotion of his through it, and it


    feels like he''smunicating to me. The words are unsaid, but they''re widely recognisable: I love you.


    Don''t leave me ever again. I thought I lost you. I''m so fùcking sorry.


    When Emerson draw back, his eyes are soft like always and I smile at him as I drop a hand from his


    neck to his face, caressing the skin as I speak, "I met Paige. "


    There''s a short moment of silence before he parts his lips, "Did she do anything to you?"


    "No, " I mutter, sliding my hands down his face and letting them stay on his chest. "She didn''t. She told


    me things instead. " The words the redhead uttered echo through my mind.


    "What did she tell you?" Emerson asks, pulling me out of my thoughts and I look back at him. "She said


    she''s leaving. "


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    "Leaving?" He repeats with a lift of a brow and I hum, "Leaving here, it seems. She said she''s moving


    back to embrace what she needs to. "


    When Emerson doesn''t say a word, I proceed to ask him, "Did you say anything to her?"


    "I did, " he breathes, his hands gliding further down my back. "I told her I don''t want to see her ever


    again. I said a lot of things that weren''t so nice, but now that you''re here and you''re telling me this;


    maybe that''s exactly what she needed. Maybe those words are exactly the words she had to hear to


    take the step she''s always been afraid of taking. "


    "Do you know where she''s leaving to?" I question and he nods, "Her mom, " There''s a short pause


    before he continues. "She''s leaving to get her family back. "


    "She said you taught her to stop running from her past. " I tell him and he smiles, his fingers drawing


    small circles across my back now. "Maybe, but she never truly stopped. She learned to live with it, but


    she never felt the need to conquer it, and I''m d she is taking that step now. It''s all I''ve always wanted


    for her. "


    "Do you think she''ll be okay?" If the worry in my voice for the woman doesn''te as a surprise to me,


    it definitely does for Emerson. I didn''t think there would be a day or a time when I would be concerned


    about Paige, but life is truly full of surprises. Sometimes, we feel we know everything, when we in fact


    know nothing. And sometimes, we''re always quick to judge other people without knowing their entire


    story. Paige''s story is no excuse for the way she reacted, but it''s an anchor for it and in a way, I


    understand her because we''re all fucked up one way or the other and we all have different ways of


    dealing with the bad parts of our lives. I saw her as a bad person, but she''s yet another victim of life


    struggles. As we all are. Her only mistake was falling for the man who was everything she needed and


    in that way, I see myself in her.


    "She''s stronger than she looks. She''ll be fine. " He assures me and I nod before I push forward to press


    my face to the side of his neck. "I''m sorry for behaving that way. " My voice is muffled against the skin


    but he manages to catch it.


    "No, Diva. You don''t get to apologize. I''m the one who''s sorry for making you see that. I made the


    mistake of letting Paige believe I''ll be there forever, and I hurt you in the process of trying to amend that


    mistake; I''m the one who should be sorry. I''m the one who''s sorry. " He voices out and I pull back to


    look into his eyes, "You had good intentions. "


    "I did, " he agrees. "But the line I ced between us wasn''t clear enough. I feel so fucking shitty


    knowing I did nothing, but–" I press a finger to his lips, silencing the rest of his words.


    "Don''t. She has ovee her fear and she is out there, doing what should have been done.


    Sometimes, things don''t always go the exact way we want them. " I raise a shoulder and he smiles


    against my finger, his tongue darting out to lick the digit.


    "Emerson!" I''m quick to withdraw my hand as I re at him and heughs, his head falling against my


    shoulder.


    "It isn''t funny!" I scowl at him and he raises his head with a smile covering his face, "It is. "


    "I hate you. " I seethe and his smile gets wider as he presses me closer. "I love you. "


    "I hate you. " I repeat the word, trying to hold back a smile when Emerson''s grin drops and a frown


    takes its ce.


    "You love me. " He says, pushing his face closer till my entire space is filled with him. "Say it, Eva. Say


    the words. "


    "I hate you. " I taunt him, then I say, "I love you. "


    The sound of myugh echoes across the room as Emerson attacks my face and neck with kisses; the


    contact of his lips making my skin tingle in all of the wrong ces.


    "Emerson!" I whine as I throw my head to the back with my hands on his shoulders. "Stop. " The word


    manages to break through my giggles.


    After minutes of Emerson''s yful attack andughing till my cheek burns, he finally leans back. "I love


    you, Diva. "


    "I love you, Emerson. " And he flips us after those words, pressing my back to the bed with his body


    hovering over mine as he captures my lips in his. And my heart in his hold. All. Over. Again.