Falling Slowly

13. Take A Hint

1.4k words

"Tell me another one of your poems." Peter said, tossing a piece of popcorn at the back of Emma's head.

She turned to him with a small smile and a glare. "Why should I if you're gonna throw shit at me?" She laughed lightly.

"Come on." Peter begged. "Just a little something. You haven't said a poem in so long."

"Okay." Emma sat up, racking her brain for all of the poems engraved into her brain. "Shakespeare once said, 'you say you love rain, but you open your umbrella. You say you love the sun but you find a shadow spot. You say you love wind, but you close your windows. This is why I'm afraid when you say you love me'."

Peter smiled softly. "That was beautiful." He said. "You know, Em, you're really beautiful."

"Thank you, Pete." Emma looked down at the hardwood floor, heat rushing to her face. "That means a lot."

"So, have you ever had feelings?" Peter asked, absentmindedly picking at a thread on the couch.

"I used to have a crush on Scott." Emma laughed quietly. "But, I already told you that."

"Yeah." Peter smiled, looking up at the blonde girl across from him.

"Why?"

"Well, I just wondered." Peter shrugged. "I keep forgetting you had a whole life before we met. I get this weird feeling when I think about it."

"I did have a boyfriend once." Emma nodded. "I was sixteen, he was eighteen. At the time, I didn't see how bad it was that we were together, even though it was only two years."

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"Well, he was sneaking me out of the school at night. He told me it was perfectly fine to date a minor if you were eighteen." Emma said. "I didn't know any better because dad and I never had the boy talk."

"Oh." Peter nodded. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I almost killed my ex's dad."

"Peter!" Emma's jaw dropped at her seemingly innocent friend. "Why?"

"He tried to kill me for doing my job!" Peter held his hands up in defense. "And I was already in too deep when I found out he was her dad."

"Dear Lord, Peter." Emma sighed, laughing as she shook her head.

A knock at the door interrupted Peter and Emma's moment. She raised an eyebrow, not expecting anyone, but she went to answer it anyway. Before she could fully open the door, Paige rushed in excitedly.

"Emma, I'm getting married!" She squealed, grabbing Emma's hands. "My boyfriend proposed to me this morning!"

"Oh my goodness, that's so amazing." Emma smiled, kicking the door shut. "You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend in the first place."

"Well, actually, I began dating Adam after you rejected him." Paige said, sitting on the couch, opposite to Peter. "Hey, Guy Emma Talks About All The Time."

Peter smirked at Emma before slightly waving at Paige. The hairs on the back of his neck and on his arms stood, but he tried to dismiss it. Paige didn't look suspicious, so he figured he was being dramatic. Emma sat back in her chair and smiled nervously.

"But, we didn't know each other." Emma said.

"I know." Paige nodded her head quickly. "But, I've known Adam since we were in diapers. He told me about you all the time, so when met, I knew we just had to be friends."

"Oh." Emma pressed her lips together, glancing at Peter. She could tell something was off with him by his quiet state. "Well, when is it?"

"Soon." Paige answered quickly, crossing her legs in her seat.