The Heart That Beats For Her

Chapter Seventeen

So, here is what Emma is not going to do. She's not going to dwell on the fact that her girls weekend was sufficiently ruined and she is being forced to room with Regina's cold parents and the rest of her loud family. She is definitely not going to allow Regina's sour mood to dampen the first night of the trip. Oh, and she is not going to allow her pesky little crush to barge it's way into her thoughts or her heart while drinking with Regina.

One more thing, she's not going to acknowledge how every one of the Mills clan is tracking her intently as Regina tugs her down the stairs and out of the house.

"So, straight to drinking?" Regina recommends, still charging down the front porch steps and through the blades of green grass.

"Wait, Regina," Emma sighs, swirling her wrist out of Regina's death grip until she has the upper hand and is firmly gripping her friend's wrists instead.

"What?"

"Hold on," she softly urges, tugging on Regina's wrist and forcing her angry footsteps to come to a screeching halt. "You're obviously still agitated and if you start drinking now, you're going to be an angry drunk. How about we take a walk first, calm down and then we can start drinking?"

Regina exhales slowly as if she's annoyed, but her face softens and Emma smiles. "You're right."

"I'm what? Say that again."

"Shut up, Swan," she growls, shoving Emma in the direction of the backyard, eliciting the cutest chuckle from Emma's lips.

Regina steps beside her and together they walk toward the apple tree, on their way toward the grape vines. The energy between them is still charged and staticky and Emma knows her friend well enough to know she's stewing in her own anger.

"So, you're mom really poked at the wrong nerve, huh?" Emma timidly inquires, hooking her thumbs nervously into the back pockets of her jeans.

"She always does. It seems to be the woman's favorite pastime," she deadpans, creating another chuckle from Emma. Regina sighs heavily and Emma knows to remain silent and wait for further explanation. "I understand that she is a very protective woman, it's in her nature and I understand that she just wants to do right by us, but dear god, the woman really doesn't know when to take her nose and get the hell out of my business."

Emma laughs lightly and nods along, because if anyone can sympathize with that, it would be her. Her own mother deserves a freaking trophy for meddling.

"Well, you know I understand that." Regina hums in agreement from all the stories Emma has ever told her about Mary Margret. "So, um, I have a feeling the room incident was much more than just the money and business aspect."

"Indeed," her friend growls, those fists of rage clenching and unclenching once again.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Regina sighs heavily, running those antsy fingers through her hair once again, but she relents. "My mother and sister have it in their heads that maybe it's not the wisest decision that we spend so much time together," she confesses, peeking through those tumbling thick locks to gauge Emma's reaction.

Yet, Emma doesn't even flinch from the accusation, she offers a half smile, that's mostly a frown and nods along. "Yeah, I get that too."

"You do?"

"Yeah, my mom and Ruby are kind on my ass too about the situation," she nervously reveals, forcing Regina's feet to stop beneath her favorite apple tree.

"Really? Why?" Regina investigates, her voice full of concern as she stands right in front of Emma and locks onto her gaze, vulnerable, exposed.

Emma can't even stop the way her face contorts into pure guilt. "They...they think that maybe you are only spending time with me because you're still hoping to hold onto your husband," she hesitantly admits, opting to neglect the other detail of her inappropriate crush. She can't ever let Regina know about her true feelings and scare the woman away.