The planets bend between us

Chapter 9

Ramirez: Hey, Em. How's the case going? Know when you're gonna be back?

Ramirez: You doing okay? I miss you.

Ramirez: You're probably busy. I'm sorry. I'm going to bed. Talk later? 3

Emily groaned. She somehow made a mistake without even doing anything. Maybe that was the problem. She immediately typed a message back.

Prentiss: I'm so sorry for not replying sooner. Tough case. But we already solved it. Staying at a hotel for the night. Coming back tomorrow. I missed you, too.

She put her phone down, thinking she wouldn't reply if she had already gone to bed. Emily went under the covers and found the blonde staring at her.

"You okay, Em?" JJ asked her carefully.

"I'm fine. Just tired. And annoyed about the room, I guess."

JJ nodded slowly. "Is something wrong with your... girlfriend?"

Emily didn't understand why JJ was being so awkward. "No. I just missed a bunch of texts. Her name is Remi, by the way. Just don't tell Garcia. She'll turn into stalker mode."

"Are you kidding? Penelope already knows her name. Remi Ramirez? Yeah. She found out days ago. She very much approves. And apparently, she has no record, if you were wondering."

Emily couldn't help but be interested in her words. She was glad to hear that Garcia seemed to like her on paper, even though she didn't need any approval. "That's good. She's a good person, JJ. You'd really like her."

JJ tried to smile, though Emily could tell the difference between a fake smile and a real one. This one was definitely fake. "Yeah. I'm sure I would."

"JJ, are you okay with everything? I mean you've been acting a bit strange ever since... you know. When I told you that I'm gay."

The blonde sighed and put her book down. "It's not you, I promise. It's just that... a while ago, Garcia said something to me that I can't get out of my head. A couple of months ago, she asked me if we were... you know. Sleeping together. I told her she was crazy. But she really thought that we were together. Apparently, you look at me intensely. Whatever that means. And now that I do know that you're gay..."

"You're afraid that I do have feelings for you," Emily finished for her through inference. "Look, there may have been some feelings a while ago. But I'm with Remi. So there is nothing you need to worry about."

"Oh," JJ replied, looking a little stunned that Emily had admitted that. "Okay. Er... good."

Emily frowned, wishing she could take back everything she had just said. "I probably shouldn't have said that. I just made things weird, didn't I?"

"No, no, no. It's fine. You were being honest with me, and I appreciate that. Now I don't have to wonder and I have an answer. That's good." JJ put her bookmark in her book. "Does she know about your old feelings for me?" At Emily's reluctant nod, she added. "Oh. That'll suck meeting her. Does she hate me?"

"No!" Emily exclaimed simply. "She knows that the feelings aren't there. We're good."

"Are you going to invite her out to drinks with the team tomorrow night?" JJ asked her, trying to not sound like she was still startled by the revelations.

Emily shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't know if we're ready for that. Do you think it's too early?"

"You all met Will before I even decided that we were dating. So, I think it's fine. Especially if she's up for it."

Emily nodded. "Yeah, you're right. So, early start tomorrow. Wanna catch some sleep?"

"Sure," JJ said as she turned the light off on the lamp.

They both tried to stay on their own side of the bed. It was like an invisible wall stayed in between them. It was as thick as the tension that remained with them.