The Love I Crave

Chapter Seventeen

This had to be a joke. The universe was quite literally joking with her. This was it, Emma thought to herself as she looked in the mirror at her white crisp shirt and tight black jeans, she had finally gone crazy. Emma had tried to rationalise her thoughts all day, sometimes turning to denial, other times being in blissful ignorance in any means of  an attempt to comfort herself and the awaiting  hell blaze dinner that was about to begin any second down stairs.

Emma paced back and forth in her room repeatedly, not stopping once, her mind occupying her full head space that she hadn't even realised the tight painful throb in her back of her legs or the fast thudding of her heart until at long last a  small petite bead of sweat trailed its way down her forehead and Emma momentarily forget the nightmare she was currently in.

Emma laughed out loud , "I knew things were going too well. I knew."

Having finally had enough of her own racing thoughts and growing paranoia she snatched her phone and quickly sought Ruby out and hopefully some wise words of wisdom.

"Hey Em." Ruby's voice immediately calmed Emma down, keeping her gravitated.

"Ruby, I'm having a small crisis and as much as I hate to admit it I need some advice." Emma could feel Ruby's devilish grin through the phone and fought the sudden urge to slam her phone down and pretend she'd dialled the wrong number.

"Okay, hit me-" Emma hesitated to speak until Ruby spoke again, " tell Auntie Ruby what's the matter?"

Emma rolled her eyes "Auntie Ruby? Your really gonna say that?"

"Yes I am. Now please kindly tell me before you actually bore me to sleep." Ruby sarcastically yawned and Emma once again found herself fighting the urge to turn her phone off.

"MM invited Regina around for tea." Emma quickly jumbled, causing Ruby to take a minute to understand the rushed out words Emma had spoken.

"And? Shouldn't this be a good thing." 

Shit, Emma had completely forgotten about not telling Ruby about the kiss. And unforgettable rejection. She mentally hit herself for not being more careful. Huffing she continued.

"I'm mad at her at the moment." Emma finally managed to say, as if that somehow explained everything.

"Oh... what did she do?" Ruby asked in a easily recognisable tone of curiosity.

Emma chewed her lip anxiously, "That doesn't matter, Just tell me what to do."

Ruby pinched her nose, willing an idea to come forth. Bingo.

"Just invite me."

"Why would I do that?" Emma asked with genuine confusion.

"I'll be there if things get tough and I can flirt with you"

This time it was Emma's turn to laugh, maybe Ruby was even more crazier than Emma.

"And how exactly would that help my situation Rubes?" Emma scoffed, "Please do enlighten me."

"Well you said so yourself your pissed at Regina, I don't know why but I'm assuming it's about your crush on her. So I'll come round, flirt a little and what not and we can see if she gets jealous." Ruby argued, feeling proud of her glorious idea.

Emma thought about it before she replied to Ruby, "Don't you think that's a tad immature?" 

"How bad has she pissed you off?"

The words caught Emma off guard, closing her eyes Emma then remembered how she had been seething with anger after the 'incident', her fist held so tightly the short nails had cut through the palm of her skin causing a small amount of bleeding, or how she had hysterically cried herself to sleep rethinking about the rejection Regina had made her feel. And then she felt another surge of anger, in this moment, at the audacity of someone constantly plaguing her every consuming thought. 

With a gulp Emma shook her head, a small voice in her head screaming with regret, but she ignored it. Raising the phone back to her ear.

"Let's do it."

Regina appeared outside the Nolan's house, Emma's house, at 6:25. Despite it being early she argued that it was always better to be respectfully early than fashionably late to a dinner party, even if the dinner party was something she absolutely did not wish nor want to attend.

Lifting her tanned knuckle Regina willed herself to knock, willed herself to be strong and appropriate, willed herself not to look at Emma or feel the things she felt for the blonde. However a moment passed and Regina sorrowfully admitted to herself that no such thing was likely to happen. 

Just as Regina was about to knock on the door, a long legged girl came bouncing up the drive, Regina had been so busy within her mind that she had failed to hear the screech of the gate opening or the heavy thudded steps of the young brunette.

"Oh Hi Miss Mills, What are you doing here?" Ruby smiled widely at her teacher's slightly shocked expression.

"Oh.. I. I was invited for supper with the the Nolan's. They're my neighbours." Regina stuttered to justify her presence at her student's friends house.

"Snap! Me too. About the food not the neighbour bit" 

Ruby gently pushed past the teacher, to heavily knock on the door without a second glance to her silent ridden teacher.

The door was pulled open with triumph and Emma appeared, standing there with a broad smile on her face and heavy locks of blonde falling down her face and past her ribs.

Purposefully ignoring Regina, Emma looked at Ruby first, pulling her into a hug that consisted of them latching on to one another and rocking side to side.

"Rubes your early for once." Emma snorted, pulling the girl inside and then turning to Regina all smiles and cheeriness now gone. Instead a cold and stoic face stared angrily at Regina.

"Evening Miss Mills, Come inside. MM and David are in the kitchen." Emma spoke with frank and steep composition, a accent of melancholy falling through her lips alongside her straight to the point words.

Regina nodded mutely, stepping in the house and shutting the door behind her, before removing her coat and placing it on the rack. The two teenagers had chosen to take conversation among themselves whilst waiting for their teacher.

Regina watched how Emma laughed at some silly thing Ruby ad said, and the familiar returning feeling of jealousy arise in her body, setting her bones on fire and making her jaw clench. Regina also noticed the way Ruby kept putting her hands on Emma, holding the lingering touch for longer than platonically acceptable. Eyes squinting, Regina's eye brow furrowed, assessing every movement happening between the two girls.

The jealousy still remained, still furiously bubbling underneath the surface of Regina's masked politician smile as she followed Emma and Miss Lucas who snow remained arm in arm through to the candle lit dining room. Emma immediately sat down, however Ruby smirked, a cheeky plan popping in her head as she watched Regina hesitantly glance at the table, Instead of sitting next to Emma she sat opposite her, ultimately leaving Regina the choice of sitting next to her or sitting next to Emma.

Emma frowned, immediately understanding what her best friend was doing, setting them up for an awkward situation.

Regina looked between the young pair, noticing how they were silently communicating, Emma full of annoyance and Ruby full of cockiness. Still feeling jealous at the early altercation, Regina couldn't help put sit next to Emma, hoping the action would warn away Ruby and without admitting it she felt as though she was laying a claim to the blonde even if she knew that neither girl would assume that.

As Regina sat down, busying herself with looking at her surroundings to avoid eye contact with the people around her she missed the subtle wink Ruby had given to Emma.

"MM, David everyone's here. Are you two going to stay in the kitchen all night long?" Emma bellowed unbecomingly towards the kitchen causing both Regina and Ruby to jump.

This was going to be a long night, Emma thought to herself.